Vol. 24 No. 3 www.frazerumc.org NoVemBer 2011

N e w s & e v e N t sIN HIs steps: stILL tIMe tO tURN IN YOUR COMMItMeNt CARDIn His Steps is our annual opportunity for every member to re-commit to following Jesus through serving and giving. If you were not able to turn in your commitment card on Commitment Sunday, Nov. 13, it is not too late! Please mail it or drop if off in the church office, place it in the offering plate or complete your card online at frazerumc.org. If you still need one for any reason, they are available in the church office or in the Atrium.

ANgeL tRee Frazer will provide Christmas gifts for 300 children in the foster care system in our county who might not otherwise receive a gift. Look for your opportunity to pick up an “Angel Tag” in the Atrium Sunday mornings or Wednesday evenings or contact Charlie Kendall, 495-6313. Unwrapped gifts should be returned by Sunday, Dec.11.

O p e R At I O N C H R I s t M A s C H I L D sHOebOxes Start with a shoe box, and share the love of Christ with a child on the other side of the world. Operation Christmas Child is a missions project that every member and family can participate in. Pick up a brochure in the Atrium or Chapel areas to learn more about this ministry opportunity, or contact Jo Jo Terry at 356-1256 or jjterry3@hotmail.com. Shoeboxes are due Nov. 20.

“MY FAvORIte CHRIstMAs CARD” tHIs YeAR’s CHRIstMAs MUsICAL

The adult choir, orchestra, and children’s choirs will again join forces for this year’s major musical drama on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 10-11. The production will bring to life a variety of Christmas Card scenes and stories, leading up to a beautiful nativity scene as we remember that Jesus is God’s “Christmas Card” to us. Both performances will be at 7 p.m. in Wesley Hall. Be sure to invite a friend now for this powerful way to share the gospel message through music and drama.

M O R e e v e N t s & A N N O U N C e M e N t s pA g e 3

Annual golf tournament supports mission to bring Christ to Cuba

Continued page 5

By Mac McLellan News Staff Writer

On Oct. 10, 92 golfers set out to be one of the first players to have their name engraved on the new Frazer Cup as part of Frazer’s Staying on Mis-sion Golf Tournament. It was the third year for this event and the most successful in the series to date with approximately twice the number of partici-pants as previous years. Wynlakes Country Club provided the perfect backdrop for the tournament and despite intermittent showers; all golfers per-severed to the end.

The funds raised by this event will be used to continue Frazer’s mission to bring Christ to Cuba. Despite the continuing rule of Castro’s communist government, the Christian church in Cuba is grow-ing. For several years Frazer has sent mission teams to Cuba to help build churches and serve the Cuban people. Now, thanks to the outstanding support of the Frazer family and the Montgomery community, Frazer is taking it one step further by building a long-term partnership with Guanaba-coa Methodist Church which is located near the capital city of Havana.

Continued page 5

Student: “God called me to use my artistic abilities to fulfill His will” 7

Photo by diana bunch

Golfers hit the greens at Wynlakes Country Club Oct. 10 for Frazer’s Third Annual Staying on Mission Golf Tournament. This year’s event raised money to support Frazer’s ongoing mission efforts in Cuba.

By Mac McLellan News Staff Writer

Frazer’s Worship, Music and Drama ministries will bring favorite Christmas scenes to life in “My Favorite Christmas Card,” this year’s Christmas musical. Mark your calendar for Saturday, Dec. 10 and Sunday, Dec. 11 and don’t miss this celebration of God’s Christmas card to the whole world, the birth of Jesus Christ.

This year’s production will feature adult and children’s choirs, orchestra, drama and dancers. The original drama was written by Ken Roach, Frazer’s Communications Direc-tor, and Will Adams, Video Production Director. Ken and Kim Hendrix will narrate the production, which features a series of six different scenes involving themes related to vintage Christmas cards, leading up to the finale, the Nativity.

“We are looking forward to the finale because it’s some-thing we haven’t done at Frazer for the past few years,” said Ken. “We are doing it on a large scale with beautiful cos-tumes and a large number of our drama people.”

Christmas musical brings favorite holiday scenes to life

Photo by mac mclellan

Frazer’s Director of Worship and Music Wayne Sigler, second from left, works with the cast of the “Nativity Scene” during a recent rehearsal for this year’s Christmas musical,

“My Favorite Christmas Card.”

2 Frazer Family News November-December 2011

By Ken Roach Communications director

Frazer missionary to Haiti Kyle Reschke announced in Sunday morning services Oct. 30 that Frazer and partner 410Bridge signed an agreement last Friday with Mission of Hope (MOH), a Christian ministry that has been working in Haiti for years that represents the answer to the prayer for land we have been asking from God for over a year.

MOH has an area of land that has been cleared by the gov-ernment to build 500 homes on for earthquake victims. Under this agreement, 168 of those homes will be for members of the Deaf Community. Previous attempt to purchase land had been hindered by unclear titles or government red tape; the MOH partnership allows us to move past those hurdles.

Moreover, the situation at MOH further expands the influ-ence Frazer will be able to have in Haiti. Some 5,000 people are likely to end up living in the community including the ap-proximately 500 moving from the Deaf Camp. MOH has asked Frazer to play a key role in the spiritual component of this new community by helping to build a church.

Construction of the MOH 500, as the site is known, is al-ready underway. The Deaf Community will move to it in stages as homes are completed. Kyle reports that the first group from the Deaf Camp may be able to move as early as January of next year.

You can learn more about Mission of Hope by visiting their website, www.mohhaiti.org/

The FRAZER FAMILY NEWS (USPS #959-520) is published monthly by Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church, 6000 Atlanta Hwy, Montgomery AL 36117-2804. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery AL 36119. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to FRAZER FAMILY NEWS, PO Box 241347, Montgomery AL 36124-1347.

The Frazer Family News tells the story of what God is doing in the lives of people in and through His church. Submissions are welcome, but we cannot be responsible for unsolicited articles. To pass along information or story ideas, please leave a note in the editor’s mailbox in the church office, call 272-8622, or send e-mail to ffn@frazerumc.org.

Interim Editor ....... Mandy MitchellCommunications Director ................ Ken RoachStaff ..................... AnnaBeth Crittenden, Kelly Levangie, Mac

McLellan, Mike Presley, Neil Probst, Candace Rutherford, Martha Poole Simmons, Andrea Vandermey

Columnists............ Ginger Koerner, Don HillPhotographers ...... John Boyd, Diana Bunch, Harold Hill, Don

Lashley, Lori Mercer, Mary Ogden, Martha Poole Simmons, Chris Thornton, Lee Werling, Suzanne Williams

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Want to watch a sermon again? check tV broadcast times at wfrz.com or watch online at frazerumc.org/media

tune in to WFRZ on Knology and charter channel 13 , brighthouse channel 122 and uhF channel 34.

Lonnie Akers

Jimmie Andrews

Joel Earl Andrews (Earl)

Ruth Arant

James Michael Avinger

Ed James Barnes

Carol Coleman Barnett

Gwendolyn Barze

Earlene Bowlin Belcher

James A. Benefield (Jim)

Raymond L. Bess

Orvis Blaalid

Marilyn Swanson Bliss

Estelle McGehee Boyd

Steven Loren Brown (Steve)

Bruce David Burleson

Paul Benjamin Cobb, Jr.

Joanne Hooks Coker

Gerald Gordon Coleman

Allen M. Cook

Elouise Mullins Cooner

Marguerite Craft

Gordon Daughtry, Sr.

Paul Hanford “Bubba” Dean

Ila Ruth Dickey

Jennie L. Flippo

Hester Annette Garrett

Doris Gramm

Geral Dansby Green

Thomas D. Griffin (Tom)

Willa Ella Guillot

Wallace W. Haire

Rebecca Boddie Hall

Richard Higginbotham

Mary Charles Huggins

Shaffer W. Johnson

Marjorie A. Jones

Matthew Folmar Lowery

Robert Loyd

George Mason

Mabel Mattox

Claud Donald McClurkin

Lewis Hall McCurdy

Oliver Cromwell McGehee

Frances L. McMichen

Matthew McQueen Newell

Frances Peeler Parker

Beryl C. Payne

Mary Nell Pearson

Joseph Phillip Raiford

Maebel Rushing

Carl Curtis Russell, Sr.

Dorothy Pearl Seay

Carolyn Louise Seymour

Gleda Renaye Sileo

Carl Anthony Spinozzi

Charles Robert Strowd

William Lee Taylor (Bill)

Donna Michelle Teeter

Robert Earl Thompson (Bob)

James Michael Thorp

Virginia Till

Emma Jane Weafer

Remembering the SaintsNov. 1 is All Saints Day. This month, we remember those members of our Frazer family who have passed away since last November.

stAY Up tO DAte ON pROjeCt tRANsFORM HAItI At tRANsFORM.FRAzeRUMC.ORg

Answered prayers: Haiti land deal announced

November-December 2011 www.frazerumc.org 3

AnnouncementstHANksgIvINg week CLOsINgs the church offices will be closed nov. 24-25. tHe ACtIvItY CeNteR will be closed the week of thanksgiving for resurfacing the gym floor. tHe FRAzeR bOOkstORe will be closed nov. 23-25 for thanksgiving. Regular hours will resume the following week.

5k RYAN’s RUN tO beNeFIt YOUtH wORsHIp ARts- Ryan’s Run, a 5K run in memory of Ryan colburn, will raise money for Family Voices and yWa. mark your calendar for Saturday, nov. 26 at 8 a.m. Register at the activity center or with yWa members. For more information, e-mail debbie Peavy at debbiep@frazerumc.org

wOMeN’s CHRIstMAs teA, DeC.3 ladies, don’t miss high tea and a Fashion show featuring Frazer models, starting at 2 p.m. in the Fellowship hall. Frazer member bonnie Whitaker will give an inspirational, spiritual message. tickets are $10 and will be available in the Frazer bookstore.

CHeRUb CHOIR CHRIstMAs pROgRAM & bIRtHDAY pARtY FOR jesUs- dec. 4, 6 p.m., Wesley hall and atrium for party afterwards.

pANCAke bReAkFAst FOR MIssIONs—Saturday, dec. 10, 7-11 a.m. in the Fellowship hall. Sponsored by the men’s ministry, tickets are just $2 for children, $5 for adults with proceeds going to support Frazer missions.

YOUtH wORsHIp ARts CHRIstMAs pROgRAM “the cradle that Rocked the World.” dec. 18, 6 p.m., Wesley hall

ADULt & CHILDReN’s CHRIstMAs MUsICAL “my Favorite christmas card” dec. 10 & 11, 7 p.m., Wesley hall

CHRIstMAs eve COMMUNION come and go, 2-4 p.m. in the Sanctuary.

CHRIstMAs eve CANDLeLIgHt seRvICes 5 p.m. in the Sanctuary or 7 p.m. in Wesley hall.

CHRIstMAs DAY wORsHIp 9:30 a.m. Sanctuary Service, 11 a.m. Wesley hall Service. both will be family services; all children welcome (no nursery, children’s church or Sunday School).

N e w s + e v e N t s

C H I L D R e N + s t U D e N t s

CHILDReN’s pAjAMA pARtY FOR FAtHeR pURCeLL’s- the christmas mission project for the children’s ministry will provide new pajamas for local special needs children living at Father Purcell’s and Father Walter’s. Pick up a tag in the atrium with size information, purchase new pajamas and bring them to our pajama party Sunday, dec. 4 in children’s church. be sure to wear your pajamas to church that day, too!

CRAve CHRIstMAs pARtY OUtReACH- crave will host a christmas Party for residents at Village Green apartments, located behind Frazer, Wednesday, dec. 7. you can help by donating towards the cost of this event. your donation will help provide a dinner to each resident, a toy to each child, and a bible for every family. For more information, call 495-6409.

D I s C I p L e s H I p + F e L L o w s H I p

OLDeR ADULt MINIstRY no 4th thursday this month due to thanksgiving. next S.P.i.R.i.t., dec. 8.

tHANksgIvINg week sCHeDULe no Wednesday night supper, adult bible studies, children’s choirs or student ministry events the week of thanksgiving as we focus on time with our families. tuesday night Grief, divorce and Singles groups will still meet.

HANgINg OF tHe gReeNs a fun afternoon of fellowship and festivity on nov. 27 as we work together to decorate the church for the christmas holidays. Gather in the atrium at 4 p.m. to receive assignments and supplies. afterward, we’ll enjoy soup together in the Fellowship hall.

MeN’s MINIstRY december monthly breakfast, Wednesday, dec. 7 at 6:30 a.m. in the Fellowship hall.

s e R v I N G + G I v I N G

stAge HANDs, ACtORs NeeDeD FOR CHRIstMAs MUsICAL- you don’t have to sing or act to be a big part of the show! our christmas musical on dec. 10 and 11 is a beautiful way to share the good news of Jesus with our church and community, and we need stage hands to help backstage. contact amis Sellers, amis@ frazerumc.org or 495-6341.

CARING FOR OUR

CONGREGATIONBIRTHS

We rejoice with our members who have recently wel-comed a new child into their family as of Sept. 26.

a daughter, “brooke” evonne, born to Patricia and •James murphy on oct. 19, 2011.

DeATHSWe extend our deepest Christian sympathy and love to those families who have recently experienced the death of a loved one. Remembering these families in your prayers, giving them a call or sending a card provides healing ministry and extends the love of Christ during this time of loss and grief.

Shaffer Johnson•

mother of bubba lewis•

Jim benefield•

Father of neil epler•

Father of cindy Gillespie•

Father of david Prickett•

Father of bonita calhoun•

mother of Glenda milling•

mother of dottie blair•

Son of ashley and chuck Jehle•

mother of Shirley evelan•

mother of Joan crumbley•

mother of bob corwin•

Father of Steve maurer •

Father of dr. barry mcnamara•

Will ella Guillot•

James michael thorp•

Frances Parker•

4 Frazer Family News November-December 2011

PhotoS couRteSy oF clotheS cloSet

AbOve A long line forms outside the Clothes Closet as people wait to get inside for the clothing giveaway. beLOw A total of 155 people were able to fill their bags with needed clothing at the Sept. 24 clothing giveaway.

By Andrea Vandermey News Staff Writer

The Clothes Closet held their annual clothing giveaway Saturday, Sept. 24. Doors opened at 7:30 a.m., as people poured in to fill their bags with clothing. Diane Swanton said, “By about 9 a.m., almost all the clothes were gone! We even had one woman who said she had been waiting outside since 4:30 in anticipation of the event.”

The bi-annual clothing giveaway was a success, helping 155 people fill their bags with needed clothing. The Clothes Closet only had two bags of clothing left over after the event to donate to Faith Rescue, a great improve-ment from last year.

Now that the summer clothes have been cleared away, the Clothes Closet has made room for winter apparel. Donations are greatly needed for the winter months. If you have any clothing donations, please drop them off at the Clothes Closet bin, located behind the church in front of the Clothes Closet entrance.

Needed items include:• Children’s pajamas• School uniforms• Socks and underwear• Extra large women’s clothing• Men’s casual clothing• Boy’s clothingIn 2010, the Clothes Closet assisted 1,170 families with clothing. This total averages to about 44 families per

week, not counting the holiday weeks. This year alone, from January to September, 926 families have already been helped. This number is expected to greatly increase as the Clothes Closet enters their busiest quarter in the next few months.

The Clothes Closet is open Monday through Thursday and Saturday from 9-11 a.m. If you or someone you know is in need of clothing assistance, please call the Community Ministries office at 495-6312 for more information.

By Charles Hall Special to the News

In my work, I have had many op-portunities to share my faith and

my Lord’s love for me with others and also, to help them discover His unending love for them.

Not too long ago, I met a gentle-man and his wife of many years. He

was 64 years old, but he appeared much older. Dur-ing the short time we talked together, I sensed that this man was really struggling with an issue that had absolutely burdened his very soul with grief. As we talked, God nudged me to share His love for me and for that of His unconditional love for both this gentle-man and his wife. As I spoke of God’s immense love for me and all of His children, I watched as God began to melt this man’s heart. He sobbed as he told me of the time he had spent in service to our country dur-ing the Vietnam War. He had served as the gunner on one of the helicopters used to transport the injured and dying out of the jungles. He recounted his memo-ries of things he had to do and his heart was breaking for those that he had to kill in order to save our own soldiers’ lives and to remove them from harm’s way. As he spoke of the unimaginable acts of savagery that war inevitably causes, I sensed the great depths

of his pain and grief. He told me he still awakens in the middle of the night with horrible dreams of the faces of those he had killed to do his job and he again sobbed uncontrollably. As he and his wife wept, so did I. Since the war ended, he had bounced from doc-tor to doctor but no one could give him relief from his true pain.

My Lord has placed into my heart a great desire to tell others of His Love, Grace, Peace and willing-ness to forgive our sins. As I travel across the State of Alabama, I carry copies of the New Testament Bible with me in my briefcase. Each of these Bibles have two pages folded down to mark two verses that God has placed on my heart to share with those I meet who are hurting or suffering. The first one is James 1:2-5 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces persever-ance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

The second scripture is found in John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” In these verses, I share God’s love for all of His children and how He sent His only perfect Son to save us from our sins. I am reminded of Brother

Tim’s message on Sunday, Oct. 2, when he said “Your trials will either make you better or bitter.” That rings so true in my soul.

As I watched this man’s countenance change, we were aware of the presence of the Living God. I saw the burden of his past lifted, as if it was only a va-por as he recognized that God still forgives us of our sins today. I saw the light of God’s Word give this man peace that he had not been able to find since the war ended in 1975. I was amazed to watch as this man stepped out of his prison, unshackled, and he finally felt free to hope for peace in his life and that of his family. He told his wife that he would be attending church with her, their children and their grandchil-dren the next Sunday.

This gentleman thanked me and yet I knew that God had only used me to share His grace, forgiveness, and hope to another of His hurting children. What a tremendous honor and blessing it is to serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Dear Father,Please allow this to touch the hearts of those who

may read this. May it encourage them to not only have your Word with them, but that they would also be will-ing to share it with others regardless of the cost! The greatest price ever paid for any debt was that paid by your Son on the cross! Amen

Clothing giveaway helps 155 local families in need

Joy in Sharing God’s Word

Photo b y loRi meRceR

November-December 2011 www.frazerumc.org 5

Golf Tournamentcontinued from page 1

Christmas Musicalcontinued from page 1

Frazer’s Director of Worship and Music Wayne Sigler worked closely with Ken and Will to develop the musical score.

“‘My Favorite Christmas Card’ will involve a large cast, including a hundred children, and music ranging from Mariah Carey’s ‘One Child’ to a medley of your favorite Christmas Carols during the finale,” Wayne said.

The card that sparked the idea for this pro-gram was a card that Ken’s parents received years ago when he was a child. That card de-picted a young boy and his dog in front of a fireplace, watching the roaring fire.

“From the look on the boy’s face, he doesn’t seem to be thinking about Santa Claus, or presents, or anything like that. He seems very deep in thought, so I always felt it hinted at some kind of a story. What could the boy be thinking and what is going on in his life that has him sitting in front of this fireplace

thinking so intently?” Ken said. “‘My Favor-ite Christmas Card’ is not only a way to enjoy the amazing music that Frazer is known for, but to celebrate Christmas and remember Christ’s birth and what it means to us.”

Frazer members are encouraged to come and invite a friend or neighbor to enjoy this celebration of Christmas. The two perfor-mances take place at 7 p.m. both nights in Wesley Hall.

“Jesus is God’s living Christmas card to us. He is the message God sent to us that first Christmas to communicate his love for us, ultimately through the cross and through Jesus’ resurrection,” Ken said. “There will be some humorous moments, as well as serious moments, all coming together to drive that message home. That’s what Christmas is all about.”

Low Gross at a score of 58:

Steve Beck Karlin Beck Ron Beers Phil Pugh

Low Net with a score of 52.4:

Randy Simonton Jim Simonton Steve Lander Tom Garnett

Closest to the Pin:

Hole # 4 - Karlin Beck Hole # 7 - Lee Boyd Hole # 11 - Bonnie Brown Hole # 17 - Jim Simonton

Longest Drive on Hole # 16:

Patrick Quinn

Results of the Third Annual Staying on Mission Golf Tournament:

Karlin Beck and her father, Steve Beck, were members of this year’s winning team. “We are honored to have been able to help raise additional funds to benefit others,” Steve said.

“We sincerely appreciate the support of the 39 businesses and organizations that sponsored the 18 holes or provided door prizes,” said Butch McPherson, Frazer’s Director of Missions and Events. “We are already making plans for Frazer’s fourth annual Staying on Mission Golf Tournament, so keep Columbus Day 2012 open!”

Photo by mac mclellan

Winners of the 2011 Staying on Mission Golf Tournament from left to right: Ron Beers, Phil Pugh, Karlin Beck and Steve Beck. The team won with a low gross score of 58.

PhotoS by diana bunch

Photo by mac mclellan

Alex Goff, Mark Platt and Sean Murphy rehearse a scene from “My Favorite Christmas Card,” where they play the roles of shepherds.

6 Frazer Family News November-December 2011

Frazer’s Trunk Or Treat 2011

Photo by diana bunch

Photo by diana bunch

Photo by diana bunch

Photo by diana bunch

Photo by diana bunchPhoto by maRtha Poole SimmonS

1st place

Photo by lee WeRlinG

Honorable MentionPhoto by lee WeRlinG

Honorable Mention

Photo by lee WeRlinG

Honorable MentionPhoto by lee WeRlinG

3rd place

Photo by lee WeRlinG

2nd place

Photo by lee WeRlinG

Frazer’s second annual Trunk or Treat was held Oct. 30 and thousands of children and adults came out to join in the fun and festivities. Frazer volunteers from Sunday School classes, Life Groups and individuals decorated the trunks of their cars and passed out candy. Many of the “trunks” also featured a game or activity for the children to enjoy. The Frazer Puppet Ministry performed during the Trunk or Treat, followed by a performance by children’s entertainer Eddie Willis. The evening was capped off with an outdoor showing of the animated movie, “Rio.” Thanks to everyone who helped make this year’s Trunk or Treat a success!Best Trunk Winners:1st Place: “Children of the World” Ballard/Ward Life Group2nd Place: “Up”- Buddy and Heidi Murphy family3rd Place: “Fruits of the Spirit- Garner/Istvan (4-Year-Old Sunday School Teachers)Honorable Mention: “Cats & Mouse”- Going Vertical Sunday School class,” “Mystery Machine,- Red Zone College Sunday School class, “Aladdin”- Mills Life Group

Photo by maRy oGdenPhoto by maRy oGden

Photo by maRtha Poole SimmonS

November-December 2011 www.frazerumc.org 7

By AnnaBeth Crittenden News Staff Writer

James 1:27 says, “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for the orphans

and widows in their distress…” For some this is just an-other verse in the Bible, but for 16-year-old Toni Doss, it has become a mission statement. Toni believes that God has called her to care for the orphans around the world, but her first chance to help happened to be close to home.

A few months ago Frazer members Sonia and John Martin decided to adopt 7-year-old Joshua, who is from China, into their home. Joshua has a severe heart condi-tion that obstructs the level of oxygen in his body. His adoption, and the cost for medical bills due to his po-tentially incurable heart condition, is very high.

After hearing about the Martin’s situation, Toni de-cided this was where she could help others while fol-lowing her calling. She has begun to use her love of tie-dying to help raise money for Joshua’s arrival and medicine. “Tie-dye became a love of mine during the summer,” Toni said. “God called me to use my artistic abilities to fulfill His will.”

With help from friends, family and the members of Crave student ministry, Toni was able to raise more than $500 to help the Martin family. With Toni at the lead, Crave members tie-dyed shirts and shoes until their hands were decorated with all the colors of the rainbow. The shirts and shoes were then sold for $5 each with the option to add an additional donation.

In September, Joshua was brought home from China and admitted to the hospital. “The doctors in China told John and Sonia that Joshua would not live very long be-cause his condition was inoperable; however, through the power of prayer and God’s grace, Joshua’s heart is fixed,” Toni says.

In late October, Joshua was released from the hos-pital and brought to his new home. When asked how she has seen God in her ministry, Toni said, “God has blessed this ministry more than I could ever imagine. Joshua’s fixed heart is nothing short of a miracle. God has called many people to donate and their giving hearts continue to amaze me.”

After helping Joshua and the Martin family, Toni has decided to continue her tie-dying ministry in order to help other families that are considering adoption or foster care.

If you would like to donate or purchase any of Toni’s items, you can contact her through her blog www.wait-ingforthecalling.blogspot.com. In addition to shirts and shoes, she sells bracelets and stickers with the message “For the least of these”.

Frazer student uses artistic gifts to help ‘the least of these’

Leigh Ann Hixon had always dreamed of having a little girl to name “Mary Grace” after her two grandmothers. “In the fall of 2004, I began attending a weekly Bible study with a group of women who have become precious friends. We often prayed for each others’ concerns and

desires. My greatest desire was to be married and have a child. God did answer, but not in the order that I imagined He would,” Leigh Ann said.

That November, Leigh Ann attended a seminar by Children of the World, an adoption agency out of Fairhope, Ala. “After much encouragement from my friend and prayer warrior, I decided to learn more.” She began gathering infor-mation about adopting an Asian child, including adoption costs and documentation requirements.

At first Leigh Ann thought there were too many issues to resolve and she prayed to God for guidance and again talked to her friends – one of whom had offered to help her out financially. At the end of the week she met her Bible Study group at a restaurant. “When I saw my ‘angel’, she came up to me, gave me a hug and slipped me the check for the initial costs of the adoption. God is good!,” Leigh Ann said.

She began this journey as a single parent in 2007 and later married her husband, John, in March 2008. John has since adopted Mary Grace. Mary Grace loves the Ballet and plays soccer.

“On the last day of soccer season each child is presented with a trophy. The way Mary Grace beamed; you would have thought you had given her a million dollars to go buy candy and bubble gum,” Leigh Anne said.

Look for more Frazer ONEFamily stories in coming editions of Frazer Family News. To share your story, contact frazernews@frazerumc.org.

Photo couRteSy oF leiGh ann hixon

Mary Grace Hixon smiles big on her first day of school this year at Bear Elementary.

ONEFamily Ministry: Mary Grace’s Story

Photo couRteSy oF toni doSS

Toni Doss showing one of her tie-dyed shirts that she sells to raise money for those adopting or foster parenting at Frazer.

Photo couRteSy oF toni doSS

Joshua Martin recovers in the hospital after heart surgery. Frazer members Sonia and John Martin adopted him from China. Toni sold tie-dyed shirts and shoes to help raise money for Joshua’s arrival and medicine.

8 Frazer Family News November-December 2011

Ministry serves widows through support, fellowship and home-repair helpBy Dr. Martha Poole Simmons News Staff Writer

God has given us His Word for instruction and growth, and as disciples, we are called to obey His

word. Fulfilling the verses in James 1:27 (NIV) “Look after the orphans and widows in their distress,” the Widows Ministry is designed to connect widows with other through small groups that meet monthly to offer emotional, physical and spiritual support, along with fellowship. In addition, the Men’s Ministry provides ad-vice and assistance with minor home repairs and main-tenance.

A year ago, God began moving through Frazer mem-bers to be more faithful to His call to minister to and care for widows. Susan Fisher, Frazer’s director of Dis-cipleship and Women’s Ministry Director, said she felt God’s burden on her heart to reach out to women who had lost their husbands. Around the same time, the Holy Spirit also touched Barbara Bazzell, a widow for two years, to do something to help other widows. Charles Hall, coordinator of the Men’s Ministry, embraced the opportunity to serve the Frazer widows, and Jim Vin-son became the lay coordinator implementing a pilot program during the summer of 2011.

Barbara had received a copy of the book “From One Widow to Another,” and she said the book’s message addressed the problems of being alone and having to become self-reliant.

“I can’t tell people how much that it has helped me. Once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down,” she said. “I highly recommend the book for women who are recently widowed. It’s a guide for our new life.”

Barbara found comfort in 2 Corinthians 1:4 (NIV) “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can com-fort others.” God continued to speak to Barbara, and Su-san encouraged her to follow His leading. Barbara orga-nized a group of widows called “Life Changers” and they began meeting at her house during the second week of July. Currently, there are 14 women in the group who have lost their husbands during the past five years, and each widow has a story of loss that, while sometimes different, always ends the same- she has been left alone. The women find that their relationship with and faith

in God sustains them daily. Frazer’s goal is to expand the ministry so that every widow in the congregation will be served by a Care Team and connected to a small group, using the book “From One Widow to Another” as a starting point and inviting God to help them through the changes.

The Men’s Ministry to Widows is now serving 15 widows with 16 care teams of men assigned in pairs with monthly contact. The church has approximately 300 widows with a goal to start other widows’ groups and provide volunteers for every widow who needs or wants help. Each team contacts a widow every month, either by phone or a prearranged visit, to find out if she has any problems in her home that need to be ad-dressed. If the team doesn’t have the expertise to handle the home repair issues, a special team of volunteers is contacted. Whenever a widow needs to hire a contrac-tor for house repairs, volunteers assist her in making the appropriate decisions. Most of all, the volunteers are able to give these widows peace of mind in knowing there is someone they can call on for help and informa-tion.

Sandi Bader serves as the Activities Director for the Life Changers group. She has also received house main-tenance assistance through the Widows’ Ministry.

“The men of our church have stepped up and helped me get repairs on my home that were needed since the death of my husband. They advised what should be done, contacted the people who could do it and obtained a fair price and dependable workers,” Sandi said.

In three days, Sandi said her kitchen and house ex-terior was painted and the installation of light fixtures and home improvements are being handled.

“This was a God-send to me because before the Wid-ows’ Ministry helped me, I would make lists of what had to be done, but I was overwhelmed on how to get started and whom to call.,” she said. “The men of this ministry truly have servant hearts and are ready to serve. They do not make us feel that it’s an imposition when we call on them but rather a privilege to be of service.”

Jim Vinson said, “I personally think this is a very worthwhile endeavor for the men of this church to un-dertake, and I am thankful for the opportunity to be a

part of such a worthy ministry. If any man thinks this is not a worthy ministry, he needs to keep in mind that he is the only thing standing in the way of his wife be-coming a widow. If something should happen to him today, wouldn’t it be nice to know there were men in his church or faith family willing to give his wife a hand with things that she now cannot handle alone?”

“I encourage every man in this church to prayerfully consider volunteering for this worthwhile ministry,” Jim said.

Women volunteers are also welcomed. If you are interested in helping with this ministry, contact Lay Co-ordinator Jim Vinson at 277-8374 or 462-1049 cell, or send him an e-mail at jimfvin1944@bellsouth.net.

If you are a widow and interested in leading a small group of other widows, or getting involved with one of these groups, please contact Susan Fisher at 495-6391 or susan@frazerumc.org.

Photo by chRiS thoRnton

Barbara Bazzell shares her experience of being involved with the Widow’s Ministry at the September Men’s Ministry Fellowship Dinner. Barbara felt led by the Holy Spirit to organize a small group for other widows to meet at her house for comfort, support and fellowship and the ministry continues to grow.

November-December 2011 www.frazerumc.org 9

photos by mandy mitchell and scott burbank

Inner City Evangelism ministry held an appreciation dinner for its volunteers Oct. 4. More than 50 people were in attendance, and treated to dinner, fellowship and personal testimonies given by current ICE volunteers.

INNeR CItY evANgeLIsM HONORs gOD’s wORk tHROUgH Its vOLUNteeRs At speCIAL DINNeR

STAFF REPORTMore than 50 people attended the Inner City Evangelism (ICE) appreciation and

fellowship dinner Oct. 4. Those in attendance were treated to dinner and to personal stories shared by current ICE volunteers. It was also a time to learn about the many different ways that ICE helps to serve those in need around Montgomery.

ICE uses the verses found in James 2:14-17 as inspiration for their service to the community. As Kristin Allen explains, “Being a part of ICE is not something I do for me. God gets all the glory. I am being His hands and feet.”

Once a month the leadership team meets to pray and plan outreach events. Those events take them into areas such as Gibbs Village, Trenholm Court, Patterson Court, and Cleveland Court where volunteers share the Gospel through companionship, worship, and sometimes a meal. Josh Phillips said, “If you have never been to an ICE event, please do so. It will change your life.”

For more information on ICE and how you can get involved, visit their web site at innercityevangelism.com/aboutice.htm.

Clockwise from left: Jeff and Jennifer Hand share their experience; Bob Passmore welcomes the group. Bob and his wife Sandra teach a weekly Bible study through ICE; Service boards were set up around the room showing photos from various outreach events; the ICE leadership team served dinner to show appreciation for their volunteers.

photo by diana bunch

Dr. Bruce Wilkinson leads a prayer during the “You Were Born for This” conference, based on his book of the same title. The conference drew hundreds for four nights of inspiration by the well-known author and Bible teacher.

wILkINsON INspIRes “MIRACLe DeLIveRY AgeNts”STAFF REPORTAfter four nights at Frazer with author and Bible teacher Dr. Bruce Wilkinson,

hundreds were moved to partner with God on miracle missions. The “You Were Born for This” conference, held Oct. 23-26 in Wesley Hall, inspired and convicted those in attendance to open their hearts to God and allow Him to use them as “miracle delivery agents.”

“God uses everyday people to perform miracles for His glory,” Dr. Wilkinson said, as he spoke from the pulpit during Sunday morning worship Oct. 23. Conference at-tendees learned that many of us don’t realize when and how God speaks to us, so we miss numerous opportunities to allow Him to use us for His purposes. Dr. Wilkinson shared seven keys to developing a life where we become open to His voice and par-ticipate with God in delivering miracles to others.

For more information and resources from Dr. Bruce Wilkinson, visit his web site brucewilkinson.com.

MICHAeL w. sMItH

LIve At FRAzeRMARCH 18, 2012

Multi-Dove and grammy award winning Christian artist Michael w. smith will be in concert at Frazer March 18, 2012. tickets are on sale now in the Frazer bookstore for $21, a savings of over 30 percent off regular price for a limited time through Nov. 27.

10 Frazer Family News November-December 2011

stay ConneCted with Frazer onlineStay in contact through Frazer’s weekly e-mail newsletter. To sign up, go to the Frazer Home Page at www.frazerumc.org and click on the E-mail Newsletter icon.

Keep up with the latest news and information on our Year of Transformation, including updates on our Haiti and Montgomery transformation projects, and download the “Heart and Home” devotion guide at transform.frazerumc.org

Also, don’t forget to “Like” the Frazer UMC page if you are on Facebook.

Have you ever awakened in the morn-ing with the “blahs”? One of those days you don’t seem to get going as you want-ed? A “down” day from the beginning? We all have, and are thankful they don’t last long. We just don’t expect some of our up-beat friends to admit that they too, have days like that.

Our Precepts Bible Study Leader Nel-da Miller admitted to such a day. She has taught Bible studies so long she can’t re-member when she first began! I’ve been in her class for 19 years! She is an en-courager, mentor, and friend to all her “ladies.” She will pray with you when the going gets tough, and is a blessing to us.

One day she announced she wanted to share something with us. The follow-ing are her words:

One morning as I was having my de-votional, I prayed, ”Oh Lord, I just need a hug from you today.”

For several moments I was quiet and still. Then He said;

“Do you feel your heart beating?”“Do you feel my strength coursing

through your body?”“Do you even hear the ringing in your

ears that sometimes annoys you?”“As you open your eyes and look out the

window, do you see all my Creation?”“Now look at your hands as you write

what I’m saying to you.”“This is my hug for you…. I gave you

life.”

As I read and typed this I realized that this phrase from the Lord had two mean-ings. I gave you life, and I gave you LIFE! This is what God wants us to remember on those “blah” days. He sent His Son for each one of us.

This season of Thanksgiving, before we thank him for all our many blessings; let us all thank Him for our lives and the LIFE He sent.

Ginger Koerner volunteers in the Frazer kitch-

en and serves as a substitute Sunday School teacher.

She has sung in the choir, directed children’s choirs

and drama. She is married to Paul and her hobbies

are quilting and reading.

DeAR DAve: My husband and I have been married for three months, and we’re debt-free. Right now, we’re trying to save up a 20 percent down payment for a house. I work for a real estate compa-ny, and they’re really pushing us to take advantage of a first-time homebuyer deal. The program offers 100 percent fi-nancing, no money down and no private mortgage insurance. They say it’s a great deal. What do you think? —StacyDeAR stACY: You guys are off to a great start! Don’t blow it now. Those people are wrong. I grew up in the real estate world, and this is a bad idea.

Slow down. It’s great that you guys are young and debt-free, but you need to do things that are smart for you. And for you, smart includes a couple of things. First, make sure you have an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses in place. Then, keep saving up for a big down payment.

You know, when I hear the advice you were given I just want to smack somebody. Haven’t the mortgage lend-ers learned anything from the last few years? Nothing down, interest-only and sub-prime loans are a big part of the

reason for the financial debacle in this country. A house is not a blessing when you’re broke, and a bargain is only a bar-gain when you’re ready to buy!

I always recommend waiting at least a year after you’re married to buy a house. It takes that long to decide how close you want to live to your in-laws! Plus, you want to spend some time getting used to each other, and knowing each other even better, before making what will be your largest asset purchase. —Dave

Reprinted with Permission. For more great financial

advice from Dave Ramsey, visit www.davesays.org.

Need help? Overcoming and eliminating debt can be overwhelming and even seem impossible. If you would like to get started on Dave’s Financial Peace program with his seven Baby Steps to Financial Freedom, or would like to learn how to create a budget, call Gary Sanderson at 462-0839 or sandersong@knology.net.

Don’t rush into buying your first homeDave Says

Dave Ramsey

Ginger’s Corner

Ginger Koerner

A Hug from God effectively interacting with otherWe often find ourselves in a quan-

dary by trying to maintain a balance between liking ourselves to the point of looking out for our own good and knowing that we also have a respon-sibility toward others. There should be no question in anyone’s mind that I strongly support the idea of devel-oping a good self-concept. However, we cannot neglect the importance of living and behaving for others. Ours should not be an isolated, self-centered world.

One of the hindrances to maintain-ing a good relationship is to hold oth-ers responsible for our own personal happiness. If we are not happy, then we automatically conclude that others are at fault and things would not be the way they are if it were not for their incorrect behavior. This belief causes people to play the game I call “Blame-itis.” This game is played by refusing to accept responsibility for your own be-havior. Many people spend their lives blaming their parents for their own personal failures. Relationships with others are of little value to the blamer because he or she feels others “should have done better.” The person playing “Blame-itis” does not care who is right or wrong because regardless of the outcome, the blamer is going to be the winner.

Personal unhappiness or inadequa-cy is blamed on parents for failing to do what they should have done, or on teachers for their incompetency, and

on spouses because they lack sensi-tivity. Some even spend time blaming churches because they say the church is filled with hypocrites. In other words, the blamer cannot get along with others because others are expect-ed to be perfect, while imperfections in the blamer should be overlooked. If you find you are in the habit of blam-ing others for your unhappiness, it might be good to take a good look at yourself to discover if you might be the one at fault. It is always easy to point a finger at others without looking at the fingers pointing back at us. A better way of looking at this is following the biblical injunction of “why do we find a speck in another’s eye and ignore the log in our own”? We are healthier emo-tionally and spiritually when we take responsibility for ourselves and learn from our mistakes rather than blam-ing others. This is an important key for stronger relationships.

Dr. Don Hill, founder of Frazer’s counseling

ministry, has been a staff member for 21 years. He

has a Ph.D in psychology and is a former college

professor and dean. He is married with a son and

daughter-in-law who are also Frazer members.

The Family Counselor

Dr. Don Hill, Ph.D., LPC

November-December 2011 www.frazerumc.org 11

photos by judi mallory

Frazer Singles Ministry member Leslie Michaud shares a smile with one of the many special guests who participated in Zoo Day 2011.

sINgLes MINIstRY bRINgs sMILes AND gOD’s LOve tO MANY tHROUgH ANNUAL zOO DAY

STAFF REPORT

The Singles Ministry once again hosted their annual Zoo Day outreach on Oct. 1. This event serves special needs adults in our community, and as always, it was a big hit with the special guests.

Frazer volunteers and Auburn-Montgomery Nursing Students spent the day walking through the Montgomery Zoo with the guests, who each received lunch and a gift bag. Volunteers dressed as clowns also drew big smiles from the crowd. Most of all, God’s love had the opportunity to shine.

Second Thursdays are S.P.I.R.I.T. filledBy Neil Probst News Staff Writer

S.P.I.R.I.T (Special People Involved Regularly in Testimony and Thanksgiving) of Frazer has recently enjoyed two especially memorable second Thursdays.

At its latest meeting, the Salvation Army of Montgomery was in attendance to kick off its yearly Red Kettle Campaign in the Fellowship Hall. The Red Kettle Cam-paign is most known by its bell ringers at Christmas time in front of local stores. For the Frazer members who volunteer to help be bell ringers, it was an extremely significant event. This year Salvation Army cadets and leaders joined in for the dinner celebration.

“Last year, more than 600 (Frazer) members rang bells and collected approxi-mately 50 percent of the campaign’s profits for the tri-county area”, said Martha John Allison, director of Frazer’s Older Adult Ministry.

Bobby and Lynelle Roy have served as bell ringers for 12 years along with oth-er members of their Encouragers Sunday School class. “We get more blessings out of it than the people who give,” Bobby said.

A month earlier many S.P.I.R.I.T members enjoyed testimonies and gridiron stories from Alabama and Auburn alumni football players who spoke at the Ala-bama-Auburn Team Spirit Night. Frazer member and former Auburn coach Doug Barfield emceed the night.

The entertaining evening featured stories about legendary University of Ala-bama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant and some of the most memorable games between Auburn and Alabama. Yet all speakers put the primary emphasis on Jesus Christ and attested that fellowship with the Lord exceeds in importance any game be-tween rival schools.

Shon Lee, who played in four Iron Bowls for the Crimson Tide, said you might forget the interceptions and tackles, but not the friendships.

“It’s been 25 years now and the games sort of fade… but for me, it’s the relation-ships you form while you are there. (Fellow Tide alum Terry) Sanders and I have been friends for 30 years, and that relationship was formed and it was forged at FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) in Tuscaloosa at a small Bible study group, and it’s a relationship I cherish,” Shon said.

Doug who was an assistant coach under Ralph “Shug” Jordan in the 1970s, was very pleased with the evening. “It was great. There were some there (tonight) who were there when I was at Auburn and I hadn’t seen them since then,” he said, “We had a good time. The testimonies given were good and blessed”.

For those in attendance, the evening was a real treat. Henry North and his wife, Thadis, enjoyed seeing that for the football players, it was more than just the sport.

“They have a Christian attitude in their athletics and approach to life,” Henry said.

S.P.I.R.I.T is part of the Older Adults ministry at Frazer. It meets on the second Thursdays of each month at 6 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Each event involves dinner and an inspirational program. For more information, contact Martha John Allison at 334-495-6344.

Clockwise from top left: Frazer Singles volunteers Allen Edmisten (second from left) and Fred Price (far right) welcome two special Zoo Day guests; Auburn-Montgomery nursing students escort guests around the zoo; Prime Time Singles Teacher Buddy Murphy, left, and his son Sean, visit with one of the guests; Frazer Singles Ministry member Jerry Glaze, left, enjoys lunch with a new friend at the Montgomery Zoo.

Frazer Memorial United Methodist ChurchP.O. Box 241347Montgomery, AL 36124-1347

PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT MONTGOMERY AL 36119

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