FUMC Terrell News and Events

Church News for the residents of Terrell, Forney, Kaufman, Poetry, College Mound, Talty, Elmo, Laurence, McClendon-Chisolm, Wills Point, Tawakoni, Heath, Rockwall, Quinlan Texas!

December HEADlines: State of the Church - Report of the Pastor 2011

"You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." - 1 Peter 2:9

The year 2011 has brought my family to a new place and a new people, the congregation of First United Methodist Church! Our walk with Christ is always a matter of taking the next step on a journey of faith.

We began this journey on July 1 and hit the ground running! I had two funerals in early August, one with my former congregation and one with a First UMC member. I immediately began what I'm fond to call "Visitations with Vinnie," going out with Vinnie Perry, our Care Corps Coordinator, to visit our home-bound folks and those in assisted living centers around Terrell.

Then, we got spruced up for our family photograph in the new Pictorial Church Directory that will be coming out soon. September brought our Planning Retreat where we heard positive reports about the many ministries of our church and there was enthusiasm as we considered the months ahead. It was an opportunity for me to become more familiar with the structures of First UMC and to share my understanding of God's vision for us at this time. The Church Council, under the able direction of Chair Ann McDonald, agreed to continue our Congregational Transformation consultation with Dr. Don Nations and DNA Coaching that will be our focus at our next Planning Retreat on January 7, 2012. Another event that will take our attention is the Trinity Valley Will Graham Crusade coming up on March 23-25. Please keep these events in prayer.

We began our Wednesday Night Live classes in September where I am teaching a Bible study and my wife, Shirley, teaches a "Love and Logic Parenting" Class. This is part of the continuing effort by First UMC to support young families. A small group continues on a weekday morning and we now have a "Family Matters" Sunday School class for parents of young families that is averaging around 12 each Sunday. Much of this is made possible by our wonderful partnerships with Methodist Day School led by Alison Hunt and Parents Day Out led by Kim Pfaff.

I've been learning the traditions of First UMC, such as the fall Country Store that raised more than $10,000 for our church and the Pairs and Spares Class Thanksgiving Dinner that involves the community and brings in their funding for missions. Speaking of missions, what an amazing event we had in October with Labors for Our Neighbors in cooperation with the other churches of Terrell and coordinated by Gail Rodgers and Launny Thies. Much mission work is also supported by the United Methodist Men and Girlfriends of Glory. My appreciation to all who help missions.

As is true for every church these days, we are struggling with financial stability in a troubled economic time, but we are encouraged with increased giving, along with a growing average worship attendance, up to around 130. I am also excited about the seven new members who have come on board since I have been here.

I've learned quite a bit about many of our members and attendees through our recent Neighborhood Chats held in host homes to give me an opportunity to share an evening of casual conversations. It also allowed me, as the new guy, to learn about what folks love about this church, as well as their hopes and dreams. In the January newsletter, I will share with you our notes from those five chats.

As I come to this appointment, I bring with me these priorities for my time and energy.

1. Our number one MISSION statement as United Methodists is the same as God gave us in the scriptures at the end of Matthew 28: "to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world." It's called the GREAT COMMISSION.
2. We live out that commission in the balance between the two sides of the GREATEST COMMANDMENTS (Matthew 22:37-39): "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all our mind." This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
3. Living those commandments means observing the three General Rules set down by John Wesley with the early Methodists: Do no harm. Do good. Stay in love with God.
4. There are four areas of focus that we as The United Methodist Church are now actively addressing around the world: Developing principled Christian leaders for the Church and the world. Creating new places for new people and renewing existing congregations. Engaging in ministry with the poor. Stamping out the killer diseases of poverty by improving health globally.
5. And, finally, that focus happens through the five practices of a faithful congregation: radical hospitality, passionate worship, intentional faith development, risk-taking mission, and extravagant generosity.

All these five areas: our mission, our balance, our simple rules, our focus, and our practices have all come out of our identity as disciples of Jesus blessed with a Wesleyan heritage. It is our United Methodist DNA! It's how we see, hear, and respond to God's Word in Jesus.

I will continue to learn about the unique role of First UMC in the Terrell community and seek God's vision for us through our consultation work. Aside from teaching the Bible Study on Wednesdays (the teacher always learns more than the students), I have sought other continuing education opportunities such as the fall North Texas Conference Clergy Retreat where I learned from the presenter, Dr. Dana Roberts, about the globalization of the Church and models for missions in the Twenty-first Century. I also attended the East District Day with our DNA Coaching Consultant Dr. Don Nations who gave a presentation on "Creating a Positive Leadership Environment." I will be sharing this information with our FUMC leadership.

I believe people are hungry to know themselves and God in deep and powerful ways. There is a fundamental desire among Christians not only to live faithfully, but to contribute to a purpose much greater than themselves. They turn to the church for direction and for a means to engage in creative self-examination. However, the church in general lacks the processes by which this exploration may occur. We need to offer our congregation tools for self-exploration so each member may discover new insight into who they are as disciples of Jesus Christ. This, in turn, will help our congregation discover who we are collectively as a community of faith. I pray my recent sermon series, "Serving from the Heart," will provide a foundation for such a "gifts-based ministry" at First UMC where each member understands and embraces the gifts God has provided them and engages those gifts in ministry to the world. The more we understand our S.T.R.I.D.E. (Spiritual gifts, Talents, Resources, Individuality, Dreams, and Experiences) the more effective is our walk with Christ!

Finally, with deep gratitude, I thank God for the blessing that the First UMC has been to my family as Shirley and Zachary also make big transitions in their lives. AND, what a blessing it is to work with such a great ministry "team." A great big THANK YOU to our staff, Johnette Rogers, Angie Cooper, Eric Robertson, and Cathy Wheeler along with the wonderful volunteers who grace our office each week doing programming and office support! And, of course, all this is made possible through the strong lay leadership provided by the faithful members of First UMC! You are indeed the faithful people of God.

I hope my presence here will bring a sense of joy in serving Christ and a continuing commitment to serve the community of Terrell. I look forward to all the possibilities of the new year of 2012 within this beloved congregation as we build the foundation for the vision God is bringing to our congregation "to become and to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world"