FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF DALLAS

AUGUST 2015

1928 Ross AvenueDallas, Texas 75201 214-220-2727firstchurchdallas.org

Dr. Andrew C. StokerSenior Minister

Become Intentional About Your Faith Development

FirstNews Blair: I always wanted to have a deeper knowledge and love of God, but I never seemed to have the time. I finally realized that I was never going to have the time. If I wanted a relationship with God, I had to make time for it.

A turning point in my life was when I decided to be intentional about my faith development. I started to read the Bible and spend time in silence every day. I joined a small group where I could study spiritual material, share my questions and struggles, and pray with others. When I made attending to my spiritual life a priority, my relationship with God became real. I became more attentive to God’s presence in every moment and it changed me. It still changes me.

Intentional faith development has the power to change your life. There are many, many ways to develop your faith; it will look different for each person. The key is to find what works for you.

Dana: My faith development includes music. Music is a means of grace for me, a way through which I experience God’s love and presence in my life. Science has shown that music creates community by connecting our bodies on a deep level. Music also opens neural pathways that are beneficial to learning. Over the years I have been amazed

at how people of all ages have blossomed and flourished through their participation in our music programs. God truly uses music to reach, inspire, and transform us.

Our purpose as the church is to constantly offer a variety of opportunities for people of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences to intentionally develop their faith through a supportive community. We hope that you will find a ministry that you can commit to—and if you don’t, let’s create something you are interested in! We want to offer new possibilities for people to deepen their relationship with Christ and with one another.

Here are a few ministries to consider making a part of your and your family’s intentional faith development this fall:

Zone56: Our new 5th and 6th grade ministry kicks off this fall! This new Sunday school experience is a leadership and spiritual development program in which students will grow deeper as disciples and live out their faith through their actions. Full of engaging discussion and games, this program precedes confirmation and is built upon brand-new curriculum specific to pre-teens.

New Weekly Youth Small Groups: After worship and before Variations rehearsal, youth will have (cont. on Page 2)

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF DALLAS

AUGUST 2015

by Rev. Blair Thompson, Associate Minister of Discipleship and Dana Effler, Director of Music and Arts

1928 Ross AvenueDallas, Texas 75201 214-220-2727firstchurchdallas.org

Dr. Andrew C. StokerSenior Minister

Blair: I always wanted to have a deeper knowledge andlove of God, but I never seemed to have the time. I finally realized that I was never going to have the time. If I wanted a relationship with God, I had to make time for it.

A turning point in my life was when I decided to be intentional about my faith development. I started to read the Bible and spend time in silence every day. I joined a small group where I could study spiritual material,share my questions and struggles, and pray with others. When I made attending to my spiritual life a priority, my relationship with God became real. I became more attentive to God’s presence in every moment and it changed me. It still changes me.

Intentional faith development has the power to change your life. There are many, many ways to develop your faith; it will look different for each person. The key is to find what works for you.

Dana: My faith development includes music. Music is a means of grace for me, a way through which I experience God’s love and presence in my life. Science has shown that music creates community by connecting our bodies on a deep level. Music also opens neural pathways that are beneficial to learning. Over the years I have been amazed

at how people of all ages have blossomed and flourished through their participation in our music programs. God truly uses music to reach, inspire, and transform us.

Our purpose as the church is to constantly offer a variety of opportunities for people of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences to intentionally develop their faith through a supportive community. We hope that you will find aministry that you can commit to—and if you don’t, let’s create something you are interested in! We want to offer new possibilities for people to deepen their relationship with Christ and with one another.

Here are a few ministries to consider making a part of your and your family’s intentional faith development this fall:

Zone56: Our new 5th and 6th grade ministry kicks off this fall! This new Sunday school experience is a leadership and spiritual development program in which students will grow deeper as disciples and live out their faith throughtheir actions. Full of engaging discussion and games, this program precedes confirmation and is built upon brand-new curriculum specific to pre-teens.

New Weekly Youth Small Groups: After worship and before Variations rehearsal, youth will have (cont. on Page 2)

by Rev. Blair Thompson, Associate Minister of Discipleship and Dana Effler, Director of Music and Arts

Cont. from Page 1

the opportunity to eat together in small groups guided by some of our faithful and fun adult volunteers. Children’s and Youth Choirs, Handbells and Orff instruments begin August 30. We want to cultivate creativity and a love for the arts in all of our children.

Our children will bring Bible stories to life through song and dance and share in a musical performance. Our youth choir, Variations (7th - 12th grades), will take music ministry on the road, touring different places within the United States. Opportunities to participate in handbell and Orff ensembles abound as well. Our music and arts ministries are making a difference in the lives of children and enriching our whole community. Adult Small Groups: These “Connect Groups” take place at various times and locations throughout the city. Eight to twelve people commit to meet for five weeks. As one Connect Group member said, “This group changed my life.” Make deep, lifelong friends and have meaningful conversation by hosting or joining a Connect Group this fall.

Short-Term and Long-Term Studies: There really is something for everyone in this fall’s studies selection! Topics include: faith and doubt, art and the sacred,spiritual leadership, personality, parenting, big conversations on faith, walking with Christ, books of the Bible, and more! Classes start in September—look formore information in next month’s newsletter and online.

…and more! How grateful we are to be able to offer so many possibilities for you and your family!

Visit our website for more information, contact us byphone or email to disccuss your personal plan for developing your faith. You can reach Rev. Blair at bthompson@fumcdallas.org and Dana atdeffler@fumcdallas.org or at 214-220-2727.

May this fall be filled with faith-growing experiencesfor us all!

Our fall semester of FCU begins soon and will bring children, youth and adults together for food,

fellowship, study and FUN! If you missed out on our classes last session, don’t miss the excitement

on Tuesday and Wednesday nights this fall!

Register on Sundays beginning Aug. 23.

Classes for this session will include:

Art and the Sacred led by Dr. Andy Stoker

Where Did You Come From? The Story of Your Family led by Kelvin Meyers

Parents, Exit Here led by Jennifer Tolin

Enneagram Class led by FirstChurch members Lennijo Henderson, Gary Duke and Susan Cantrell

Holloway

Inter-Cultural Competency: Understanding Ourselves and Others; Preparing For the Hard

Conversations led by Church and Society

Disciple 1 Bible Study led by Jeff and Sara Chesnut

New Classes Begin Sept. 16!

Cont. from Page 1

the opportunity to eat together in small groups guided by some of our faithful and fun adult volunteers.

Children’s and Youth Choirs, Handbells and Orff instruments begin August 30. We want to cultivatecreativity and a love for the arts in all of our children.

Our children will bring Bible stories to life through songand dance and share in a musical performance. Our youth choir, Variations (7th - 12th grades), will take music ministry on the road, touring different places within theUnited States. Opportunities to participate in handbelland Orff ensembles abound as well. Our music and arts ministries are making a difference in the lives of children and enriching our whole community.

Adult Small Groups: These “Connect Groups” take placeat various times and locations throughout the city. Eight to twelve people commit to meet for five weeks. As one Connect Group member said, “This group changed my life.” Make deep, lifelong friends and have meaningful conversation by hosting or joining a Connect Group this fall.

Short-Term and Long-Term Studies: There really is something for everyone in this fall’s studies selection!Topics include: faith and doubt, art and the sacred,spiritual leadership, personality, parenting, bigconversations on faith, walking with Christ, books of theBible, and more! Classes start in September—look formore information in next month’s newsletter and online.

…and more! How grateful we are to be able to offer somany possibilities for you and your family!

Visit our website for more information, contact us byphone or email to disccuss your personal plan fordeveloping your faith. You can reach Rev. Blair at bthompson@fumcdallas.org and Dana atdeffler@fumcdallas.org or at 214-220-2727.

May this fall be filled with faith-growing experiencesfor us all!

Pastor’s PicksRecommended reading & documentariesfrom Dr. Andy Stoker:

Camp Goodrich: July 20-24 kids experienced art camp filled with hands-on art experiences, museum visits and more! An exhibit of their artwork and a reception was held Sunday, July 26.

In the Sanctuary of Outcasts, by Neil White. Set in Carville, Louisiana, home for persons living with Hansen’s Disease…and a minimum security prison, those living with Hansen’s Disease have been banished because of their disease of biblical proportions, leprosy. White finds himself on the prison side and the residents begin to free the minds of the prisoners to find true liberty. I could stand to drop a few old biases, myself.

Documentaries: The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence directed by Joshua Oppenheimer. I was deeply affected by The Act of Killing, a 2014 documentary. The film follows a hitman of the Indonesian revolution named Anwar Congo. Indonesia is exorcising “Communists” within its vast borders and Congo is a hero in the eyes of the State and the people. Fifty years later, Congo finally comes to realize what he did as a young man...

The Look of Silence, released this month, documents the genocide of Indonesia, focusing on a family who lost loved ones from years ago. (As part of my vacation, I am traveling to Austin for a day trip to see the new film).

Indonesian Destinies by Theodore Friend. In light of this history and these documentaries, I am reading this book to strengthen understanding of humanity moving toward

perfection. Social historian Theodore Friend gives a history from Indonesia’s Independence from Japan to its fifth president. It intrigues me that the globe’s fourth largest country, which has had such a tumultuous history and woeful reconciliation with its past, is still so far off.

Others:The Age of Acquiescence, by Steve Fraser Dreamers of the Day, Mary Doria Russell

God’ll Cut You Down: The Tangled Tale of a White Supremacist, a Black Hustler, a Murder, and How I Lost a Year in Mississippi, by John Safran

Preaching to the Parents:As we get into the swing of school, this is a great resource from a brilliant scholar in educational theory, Howard Garner. 5 Minds for the Future iaids in the raising of tomorrow’s leaders. It has been said that today’s 9-year old will live to see the Twenty-SECOND century. Are we preparing our children for the many tomorrows to come? Garner will help us get there.

The August Goodrich Gallery exhibit featurespaintings and drawings of Jose Dominguez.

Artist’s Statement: “The work I create is an expression of social issues, social stigmas and economic struggles that immigrant families face on a daily basis. Like most immigrant families, my family crossed the border to achieve the ‘American Dream.’ ...My work consists of drawings and paintings of immigrant workers both young and old. Sculptures made of the same material they pour and slab, place and tack. These are the faces of builders.”

Goodrich GalleryAugust Exhibit

Gallery Hours

9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Friday

9 a.m. - Noon Saturday

8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday

Jose Dominguez

Steel Magnolias

Anybody who was

“anybody” got their

ticket to see the

women of Chinquapin,

Louisiana, come to

life in Truvy’s beauty

salon. The July

Rotunda Theatre

Series production of

Steel Magnolias was

another sell out hit!

The audiences laughed,

cried and fell in love

with the truly touching

characters.

From left to right:

(seated) Karon Cogdill,

Caitlin Mills-Duree,

(standing) Jill Hall, Beth

Wortley, Dana Effler,

Juliann Krumbholz

The FirstChurch Children’s Music and Arts program is ready to greet you with a warm smile and a fresh new year! We have some new faces, new music, but the same great love for FirstKids and having fun with song! Registrati on opened August 2! Click here for more informati on.

FOR 3 & 4 YEAR OLDS

JOYFUL NOISESundays, 9:15 – 9:35 a.m.

4 Year Old Room

Molly Schayot, director

To register, CLICK HERE

STEEPLE RINGERSSundays, 1:35 - 2:20 p.m.

Bell Room

Linda McClinchie, director

To register, CLICK HERE

CHILDREN’S MUSIC PROGRAMS 2015-2016CHILDREN’S MUSIC PROGRAMS 2015-2016A New Year - - A New Look!A New Year - - A New Look!

COUNTERPOINT CHOIRSundays, 12:35 - 1:35 p.m.

Cornerstone

Meredith Wallace, director To register, CLICK HERE

CANTATE CHOIRSundays, 12:35 - 1:35 p.m.

Third Grade Room

Cantate registrati on, CLICK HERE

ORFF ENSEMBLESundays, 1:35 - 2:20 p.m.

Third Grade Room

Orff registrati on, CLICK HERE

FOR 2ND & 3RD GRADES

Kiira Russell, director

FOR 4TH-6TH GRADES K i c k o f f i s S u n d a y ,K i c k o f f i s S u n d a y ,A u g u s t 3 0 !A u g u s t 3 0 !

Carol Choir (K – 1): 9:00 – 9:45 a.m.Joyful Noise (3 – 4s): 9:15 – 9:35 a.m.* New ti me!

Snack Lunch: 12:05 – 12:30 p.m.

Cantate Choir (2nd – 3rd): 12:35 – 1:35 p.m.Counterpoint Choir (4th – 6th): 12:35 – 1:35 p.m.Orff Ensemble (2nd – 3rd): 1:35 – 2:20 p.m.Steeple Ringers (4th – 6th): 1:35 – 2:20 p.m.

Have any questi ons about the upcoming choir year? Please contact Kat Kaden in the Music and

Arts Offi ce: 214-220-2727, ext. 218 or kkaden@fumcdallas.org.

FOR KINDERGARTEN & 1ST GRADE

CAROL CHOIRSundays, 9:00 - 9:50 a.m.

Cornerstone

Libby Taussig, director

To register, CLICK HERE

New faces!New faces!

New director!New director!

Upcoming 5th & 6th Graders:Zone56 Begins August 23!

This new Sunday school format will equip pre-teens with

leadership and spiritual development that empowers mature

decisions for themselves and our community. With community

at its core, Zone56 combines 5th and 6th grade students for a

fuller fellowship experience. This two year program precedes

Confirmation and is built upon brand-new curriculum that

includes games and discussion specific to pre-teens.

Beyond weekly discussions, Zone56 students will build

community with one another during occasional weekend

retreats and group hang-outs such as bowling, movies,

museums, etc. Because a student’s faith is fed most by his or her parents, parental engagement will increase

as a part of this transition. We want parents to grow alongside their child, as well as cultivate community with

other parents.

After completing Zone56, students will make a choice about their Confirmation timeline. Dependent upon

their faith journey, students may enroll in confirmation as early as 7th grade or as late as 12th. This is a choice

for students and parents to make together, and resolves to better fit the unique spiritual paths of each

Confirmand.

Please contact Laura McCavit, Director of Children’s Ministries at lmccavit@fumcdallas.org with questions.

Save the Date

The FirstChurch golf tournament is back!

September 18

Stevens Park Golf Course

9:00 a.m. shotgun start

$69.00 per player includes lunch

Four person scramble format

Contact Bobby Allen at Allens90@swbell.net with questions.

Join us for our final program as we seek happiness within our city.

August 9 Impact

Bishop Michael McKeeBishop of the North Texas Conference

of the UMC

Mike Rawlings, Mayor of the City of Dallas

Moderator: Dr. Andy Stoker, Senior Minister

9:45 a.m. in Fiedler Atrium

A summer sermon & speaker series.

f llINTO

SERVICEAugust 2015

ORGAN IZAT ION / EVENT DATESVOLUNTEER OPPORTUN IT I ES

New Friends New LifeNew Friends New Life restores and empowers formerly traffi cked girls and sexually exploited women and their

J.J. Rhoads Reading PartnersMake a huge diff erence this fall by joining us as we become Reading Partners for the kids in our adopted school, J.J. Rhoads!

Volunteers neededProvide and/or serve dinner for adult women served by NFNL. Help is needed with food preparation and 8 volunteers are needed onsite to set up, serve and clean up.

Contact Doris Marshall at marshall.doris@tx.rr.com

Volunteers needed· Read with a student once a week for an hour.· Be a “substitute” reader and fi ll in occasionally.· Be a reader at Dr. Seuss Day.· Help with Field Day.

Contact Betty Black at bbbjdb68@sbcglobal.net

Wed., Aug. 55:30 pm

Goal of 50 volunteers by Sun., Aug. 30. Volunteers are needed throughout the school year.

Provide andserve meals

Family friendly/ children’s activities

Great for Sundayschool classes

Physical labor such aspainting/light construction

Projects focused on the75215 and 75426 zip codes

ZIPCODE

This fall, we’re encouraging members to do outreach all fall long with “Fall into Service.” Members and classes are encouraged to find the organization(s) they’d like to serve and coordinate a time that works best for them. Please use this resource as inspiration to help you find passion for serving and then “fall into service” all fall long.

ZIPCODE

MISS ION & OUTREACHCALENDAR OF EVENTS

North Texas Food BankJoin FirstChurch volunteers to feed hungry children, families and seniors in North Texas. North Texas Food Bank relies heavily on the strong faith community in North Texas. Full on Faith is an exciting annual opportunity for faith groups to tackle hunger together.

Volunteers neededSort, box and/or bag food in a warehouse environment at 4500 S. Cockrell Hill Road, Dallas, 75236. Any volunteer between the ages of 10 and 15 must be accompanied by an adult chaperone.

Register at firstchurchdallas.org/serve/local

Sat., Aug. 8

1 - 3:30 p.m.

UMW - 5th Sunday MissionTh is speaker series focuses on church missions and is hosted by United Methodist Women every 5th Sunday of the month at 9:45 a.m. Open to all.

Kelly Lawson - Waco Children’s HomeVolunteer Opportunity: Doubl-Aires Sunday school class will sponsor a school supply drive.

Contact Brianna Brown at brianna.brown@sbcglobal.net

Sun., Aug. 309:45 am

Back to School DriveGive kids a fresh beginning this school year! Please help us provide school uniform shirts and supplies for DISD students through our partners including J.J. Rhoads,

Collecting:white polo shirts (all sizes), socks (all sizes), school supplies (pens, pencils, paper, markers and crayons). Collection bins located at Reception and DLC entrance.

Through Aug. 16

ZIPCODE

TAKE THE FIRST STEP.

Lunch. Learn. Connect.

Explore membership at FirstChurch during brunch

with Senior Minister Dr. Andy Stoker. This interactive

forum offers a brief history of FirstChurch along with

opportunities to connect with us in ministry.

Sunday, August 23.

firstchurchdallas.org/firststep

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Care & Concern

DEATHS: Sincere sympathy to the families of:

Donald Rhoades, father of Joe RhoadesHarry Means, father of Vickie BatmanEwell Tonn, grandfather of Jennifer Tolin

Craig and Shara McClure Cecile Lumpkin

Harvey Walker Lucero with his parents Alexander

and Cheryl

Blake Feikema & Lexie Cook

FirstChurch Welcomes Our Newest Members

Anderson Grace Myatt with her parents Jason

and Katie

Andre Bourdreaux