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Fall/Winter 2012Church News on...

536 Coral Way, Coral Gables, Florida 33134P (305) 445-2578 F (305) 445-2570

www.fumccg.org

Youth

Thanksgiving

Meeting at the Manger

The Growing Place

Financial Peace University

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Fall/Winter 2012Advent was an integral part of my family’s preparation for Christmas each year.  I remem-ber sitting around our living room and listening as the Christmas Story came alive through reading, lighting candles, and prayers.  Each and every year the story became more and more personal until one year it was my story too. That tradition has continued in my own family.  Hearing about God’s love for the world from my mom and dad reinforced what I was learning in Sunday School and worship. Each year I was becoming more and more connected to the greatest story ever told!

During the month of December, I am speaking on the theme “The World Needs a Stable Influence!”  We will journey through the gifts that God offers the world in the person of Jesus Christ.  Perhaps you know someone who needs that influence in their own life.  This would be a great time to invite them to journey with you as we move towards the celebration of Christ’s birth and into the life His love offers the world we live in each and every day!  The journey continues this Sunday in all three worship services! Perhaps your story is similar to mine.  If so I am sure you are carrying on those same traditions with your family.

I pray that as we move through the days to come that the marvelous story of God’s love will be our companion!

I love serving as your pastor,

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Fall/Winter 2012

The Growing Place Celebrates 50 Years by Priscilla Greear 4

Welcome to Our New Children's Music Director& Children's Ministry Coordinator by Priscilla Greear 6

Youth SPOTlight by Robert Gray 8

Financial Peace University by Priscilla Greear 10

Stay Connected to Your Church! 12

Thanksgiving and Christmas 13

Bearing Fruit by Rev. Mary Susan Ward 14

Alfalit International: A Gift of Literacy by Lydia Proenza 15

Snapshots of Winter/Spring 2013 for Children, Youth, & Adults 16

Contents

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When Nancy Gray arrived home from the hospital with her newborn plus her 2– and 3– year old in tow, she decided that summer of 1962 that her oldest needed to start preschool. But finding only the five-day Granada Day School Pre-K in Coral Gables, she quickly decided that her faith community First United Methodist Church needed to start one. And she didn't wait for others to take the lead and meet the community need but spent the summer on the phone to garner support from church leaders and other busy mothers in and outside the church.

She spoke with her father-in-law William Gray and neighbor Haynes Batey who, as members of the FUMCCG board of trustees, saw the value and took action to make the ministry happen. After a couple whirlwind months the church opened its doors that September to its first class of 3-year-olds for a part time program in the children's building sans A.C. (before the Hanger Building was built) lead by teacher Verna Devitt. It quickly took root and the next year added 4-year-olds. By the time her fourth child, Robert, was 5 a kindergarten was added.

"We got the teacher and the kids and all the balls up in the air and when they came down in September we got a class. It was amazing that it came together like it did and it grew," recalled Gray, a former New Yorker who met her husband in college at Duke and moved to his native Coral Gables. "Talk about acting on faith…It was a wonderful balance of [senior members] coming together and responding to children's needs. When you get young children and young minds, I think it's a good place to start them off in the church."

"It started out very simply and very lovingly," she reflected. "Today I look with wonder at what the

school has become. So many talented and dedicated people have nurtured and expanded and made TGP what it is today and made it awesome. It's amazing to realize what an impact this very early education experience has on our children. The atmosphere of love and learning, ever associated with our church, stays with them their entire life."

Throughout this school year, The Growing Place preschool ministry of FUMCCG joyfully celebrates its 50th anniversary of preparing young children for grade school and sharing God's love for them. And as it forges ahead for the 21st century, improvements are underway starting with even lower teacher student ratios this year. It is also implementing the ABCmouse interactive educational program with 4- and 5-year-olds and creating high teach circle time with 15 new Kindle Fires in classrooms. This summer it repainted halls and classes a rainbow of hues, added WiFi throughout the preschool and relocated the front office to the main hallway.

And the popular preschool continues its tradition of reaching the broader community as today over 90 percent of its near 200 children come from families who aren't members of the church. It serves 1-year-olds through kindergarten with the core program from 9:00am -12:00pm and the aftercare Kid's Club until 3:30pm featuring a rotating lineup of extracurricular activities from hip hop to martial arts.

Nancy Worsham has worked as director since 1994, starting in 1979 as a teacher for eight years before leaving to teach at a public school. "It's just an exciting time with preschools and the schools in general. This program and ministry has just been so successful for so many years and has grown from the original dream of Nancy Gray and a few moms in

The Growing PlaceCelebrates 50 Years!

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that time frame and got the OK from Haynes Batey to start something and has now developed into such a big program. Just with the economy the way it is, it's still going strong. We don't advertise so most of our families come from word of mouth."

One of their selling points is their low teacher student ratio that is now at or even lower than recommendations by the National Association for the Education of Young Children– whose standards are already lower than state requirements. For example, for 3-year-olds TGP has a ratio of one teacher to eight children while the NAEYC recommends a 1 to 9 ratio and the Florida Department of Children & Families ratio is 1 to 15. "Even though some of our rooms are very big and we could put more children in them we keep the class sizes workable and have good ratios…We have lower ratios than we did before," the director said.

Parent Bobbie Fetherston is among the many who learned about TGP through friends. "My husband and I looked at a handful of different schools. We kind of walked into TGP and had a good feeling. We've enjoyed all the teachers the kids have had and got really involved and it's been phenomenal for our family," she said, adding that "I felt it was a good opportunity for me to be able to commit to fundraising."

She likes how parents can get as involved as they want to and has served as president and treasurer of the Parent Teacher Group. She and others led efforts to fundraise for the new playground equipment and establish the annual fall festival in 2010 to help bring the church and school communities together.

While not religious herself, Fetherston appreciates how the program gently gives children an understanding of Christianity through chapel services, prayers and Bible instruction. And she's pleased with efforts to standardize the core curriculum this year and to

add the technology enrichment to "bring the school to the next level" of preparation for technology in grade school.

The school has already offered a weekly computer class for 3- to 5-year-olds in its lab. But this year the school is also piloting the ABCmouse program with four new interactive computer stations being rolled into 4- and 5-year-old classes for enrichment. It has also purchased a subscription where parents can log on at night and see what their child has done that day and do follow-up activities together. Additionally, the kindergarten has two new touch-screen computers. "Kindle Fires, new interactive stations and the new computers for kindergarten are part of this year's adding of more technology into the daily classroom learning," said Worsham. "Just like the children look forward to having music on certain days they are going to have the interactive stations

and the Kindles in their classrooms to provide enrichment."

Worsham said that while they have drawn from HighReach Learning and Mailbox resources to meet

learning objectives for the core curriculum, this year "the school is excited to have found a good academic and Christian-based program and is implementing ABC Jesus Loves Me."

After over 25 years at TGP, Worsham continues to savor the fruits of her labor in watching youngsters grow as children of God. And she's grateful for parents like Fetherston who will continue to serve as community ambassadors. "The kindergarten teacher is out of this world. She prepares these children and gives them an incredible experience," added Fetherston before dashing off to teach the Kid's Club gymnastics. "You can ask a million families who are really involved. It's a special place. You have access to special teachers who make a difference in kids' lives."

by Priscilla Greear

"You can ask a million families who are really involved. It's a special place. You have access

to special teachers who make a difference in kids' lives."

-Bobbie Fetherston

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Homestead native Rebecca Gonzalez stretched her soul and vocal chords for the Lord as a child at church as she sang duets annually with her dad on Father’s Day.

And she discovered her own voice as she sang in coral groups, worked with children and experienced the passion of her parents for music ministry.

Recalling that childhood joy of performance, she now combines her love of music, Jesus and education as the new director of children’s music at First United Methodist Church of Coral Gables and as music teacher for its preschool, The Growing Place. In the new position the 26-year-old with a degree in music education from Florida State University eagerly works to develop programming for both the preschool and church children’s ministry.

“In college I participated in a children’s choir and I just loved teaching them new things and seeing how proud they were,” she said. “That is what excites me, teaching little kids. They just eat it up. I’m enjoying being here and it has been great and I can’t wait to see what else God has in store for me through the children’s choir and preschool and Sunday School.”

Gonzalez introduced her new little choristers to performance in celebration of TGP’s 50th anniversary in worship at church on October 21 where children from the church and preschool earnestly sang songs including “This Little Light of Mine” and “For the Beauty of the Earth.” Children also sang at the Meeting at the Manger event and in worship in December.

Gonzalez teaches children ages two through five at The Growing Place, who are also encouraged to sing in the children’s choir. In her classes she aims to get youngsters excited about music. “It’s just appreciating music and enjoying worship and learning more about God through music, teaching them things like rhythm and how to use some of the different instruments. It’s keeping it simple but enjoyable for them so they are learning things without realizing it.”

For Sunday school at both 9:30am and 11:15am Gonzalez leads elementary age children in a song and focuses their mind on God to warm them up for their lesson. She also offers a free Music and Movement class for 3-year-olds through kindergarten open to The Growing Place and church families and visitors on Mondays from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Noah’s Ark Room. There, youngsters rehearse for children’s choir performances, dance, sing, play instruments and listen to songs as she teaches them about music, instrument safety and performance basics such as singing out and not fidgeting. Another music class for children in kindergarten through fifth grade is being offered on Sunday mornings in the Ark room from 10:45-11:15am. “I have big plans and numbers don’t sway me. Over time hopefully our congregation will see kids participating in church and see what they do and that will encourage them to bring their children and grandchildren to be a part of it,” she said. “And if some TGP families don’t have a church home and if they see their kids have opportunities to perform at the church maybe they will go.”

Rebecca, who is married to Simon Gonzalez and has a 16-month-old daughter Lea, is excited to join the team at FUMCCG. And after living two years in North Carolina she’s glad to settle down in Miami close to her family where her mother is a pianist and her father is the coral director at Coral Reef Senior High School. And she’s glad to have her husband around for now after his completing three tours of duty in four years in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I had an opportunity to come here and I felt like this is where God was leading me. I always tell people I like teaching preschool and elementary because I feel you are the first person to make an impression on their lives other than their parents. If I can be that person to instill a love of Jesus and music that’s a pretty good deal.”

by Priscilla Greear

Welcome to Our NewChildren's Music Director!

Rebecca & her husband, Simon

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by Priscilla Greear

Aislynn McDonald gladly accepted an invitation to help lead the new FUMCCG children’s ministry -- even as she raises her own two preschool aged children and begins a new legal career.

As the new children’s team coordinator, McDonald serves alongside Rev. Mary Ward and the children’s team to develop the ministry as 2013 unfolds.

“I am excited to be done with law school so that I can serve the church more… Children are the future generations of our church and we are commanded to teach them the Gospel. Moreover, if  the children come to FUMCCG, the parents follow. I want to see our church reaching deeper into our community,” McDonald said. “We have

experienced a lot of change in our children's ministry in recent years and I am inspired by Mary Ward's continued commitment to make the children’s ministry a vibrant part of our church. I share her passion, so when she asked me to get more involved in our children's ministry, I didn't hesitate. I want to help make our vision a reality.”

With a master’s from Mississippi College, McDonald taught for several years in the communications department at Miami-Dade College before returning to classroom herself to attain her law degree at Florida International University. Since being sworn into the Florida bar in October 2012, she has been a clerk in the probate division of the 11th Judicial Circuit Court and plans to focus her practice on trust and estate administration as well as family law. In her free time, she is an avid runner and loves to travel, having lived 3.5 years in France and earned her BA from the American University of Paris. “Pierce and Rebecca keep me pretty busy so that ‘free time’ seems to be fewer and fewer moments in time, but thankfully the kids keep me running after them, so I still get to work out...,” added McDonald, who is married to Dr. Scott McDonald.

And she finds the energy to give back in helping children find their spiritual path. “The children’s ministry is close to my heart because I want my children to have a similar experience to my own,” said the Mississippi native. “I grew up with a church as a second home. All my friends were either from school or church, but I spent more time with the latter, and I am thankful for the commitment of many folks to etch God's teachings on my heart.”

Welcome to Our NewChildren's Ministry Coordinator!

Aislynn McDonald & her family

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YOUTH

LightAlexandra H. was afraid to talk about how God turned a nightmare into a strongerfriendship. Josiah McLaughlin knew he had to share what last summer’s mission trip to Puerto Rico meant to him. Andrew Allen had never introduced the youth band or any band, let alone one where he was the lead guitarist. Max Wood talked about how he can relax at youth meetings and really be himself just like the youth motto says: Believe, Be Free, Be Yourself. Zebastian Alzamora has been on every mission trip, but it was the first one that touched his heart.Carla Stieghorst wanted to express how much it means to her that we are connecting with McCabe Memorial Methodist Church in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

These are the brave youth who shared testimonies as part of the Youth SPOTlight on Wednesday, October 24. Alexandra H. and Carla Stieghorst led the evening as our co-emcees. The youth band played two songs leading us in worship. The future of the church was right in front of us and the testimonies of some brave youth really shined.

Josiah McLaughlin, a junior at Doctors Charter School, told us all about his experience in Puerto Rico. He has been in the youth group for five years and this was his best mission trip yet. Yes, he loved Pastor Rivera’s cooking, but it was a stranger opening up his home that really impacted Josiah. We were watching the Heat in the NBA finals when the cable went out at the pastor’s house. Pastor Rivera called someone he knew that had a satellite dish. Our group had never met this person, but he invited us to his home to watch the game with

his wife and 4-year-old child. “Who does that?” Josiah asked rhetorically. He will never forget it.

Andrew Allen, a sophomore at Gables High School, introduced the youth band and shared how much he loves learning to play music. He is in his second year as part of the Community Music School and is even teaching Evan Bodin, son of Carrie and Amory Bodin, some of the guitar basics. That is how they do things in the music school on Sunday afternoons: you learn, you play and then you share what you know with another. Sound familiar?

Max Wood, a junior at Gables High School, wasn’t

Josiah McLaughlin shares at the Youth SPOTlight.

Andrew Allen teaches Evan Bodin.

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YOUTH

Lightafraid to stand up and share. He has an outgoing personality and swimming and playing water polo has given him a lot of confidence. He wanted to express how much his faith means to him. He shared how he has learned that he can be himself and God will take care of the rest.

Zebastian Alzamora, a sophomore at Young Men’s Preparatory High School, hardly ever misses a youth event. He shared how much that first mission trip to Tennessee impacted him when he was in the seventh grade and was unsure if he would even enjoy a "mission" trip. We worked with a woman who had been living in an abandoned bus. We built her a home so she could have a real roof over her head. Even though his family was facing some difficult times, Zebastian realized how much he had to be thankful for and it changed his

attitude.

Carla Stieghorst, a sophomore at Gables High School, came up with the idea to go to Puerto Rico. She visits there every year and knew the other youth would love it and her mother, Haydee, would help organize some fun excursions. Carla shared how this connection with the people of Puerto Rico is very personal to her. It is her second home and now it feels like her family there keeps growing. Maybe next year she will let her mother go with us on the mission trip.

But Alexandra had the hardest task. She had never spoken about her conflict with a friend publicly. She shared from the heart how sitting down with someone she was very angry with and letting that person know how she felt was so difficult. This was someone she thought was a friend, but a prank had gone wrong. The friend cried and knew she had made a mistake. Then they both cried together. It is amazing how they are now the best of friends. God really turned it around for Alexandra and her friend. Right after she shared, she walked out of Founder's Hall and broke into tears. I know. I was there. I hugged her and told her I was proud of her. Proud of how she handled the situation with her friend and proud of her for sharing it with everyone. Alexandra is a courageous young lady and I am so glad she shared her heart with all of us at the Youth SPOTlight. She really shined the light of Christ that night.

They all shined that night: Alexandra, Josiah, Andrew, Max, Zebastian, Carla and the Youth Band, “The New Originals.” (You can ask Andrew how they got that name.) It was an amazing evening and the presence of the Holy Spirit was evident.

by Robert Gray

Josiah McLaughlin & Max Wood decipher clues during a game at the lock-in in November.

Puerto Rico 2012

Christina Aspinwall leads in prayer at the Youth SPOTlight.

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Members for over thirty years, Susan and Craig McCall experienced sudden financial difficulties after both sustained orthopedic injuries that required surgery and extended medical leave from their jobs as nurses.

The couple felt overwhelmed, having always enjoyed a very comfortable lifestyle. But they found new confidence to handle the crisis– and a smarter strategy for long term money management– by enrolling in the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University small group offered this fall at First United Methodist Church of Coral Gables.

“We were beginning to experience catastrophic financial problems when the Lord led us to Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. Through the various financial strategies and biblical principles we began to understand our financial situation with a new clarity. We were able to identify the forces behind our financial distress, define our financial priorities, protect our assets and develop a short term plan to keep us in control and moving in a forward direction through the crisis,” Susan McCall said.

Church member Jocelyn Flynt led the nine-week Ramsey video series that began in September in which some 17 people of all ages participated and experienced Christian fellowship and insightful discussion in a confidential setting. The McCalls for one learned how to control debt and make a cash flow plan while changing their perspective on financial responsibility. And they appreciate the series’ Scripture-based lessons and Ramsey’s entertaining teaching style that actually makes a “dry and overly serious topic” understandable—

and enjoyable. “At the foundation, it has given us a new perspective with which to look at the way we have (and have not) lived our lives according to God's plan and word. The lessons have helped us reset our priorities and our approach to money management. We have involved our family in the learning process and have seen the positive impact it has made in their lives as well,” added Mrs. McCall.

Ramsey, a financial author and radio host of “The Dave Ramsey Show,” himself faced financial crisis where he went from making $250,000 a year to losing everything through debt accumulation. Gaining control of his finances, he started his business in 1992 to counsel those suffering from financial stress. The series covers topics including budgets, debt, emergency funds, retirement and college savings and other investments, homeowner, life, disability, health and auto insurance, and financial gifts. “It’s behavior changes and it’s a great support group. And it’s just things we can do, practical things we can do to feel we are in better control of our finances and making better decisions,” said Flynt, a CPA. “He wants us to live like no one else (now) so we can live like no one else (in the future).”

For starters, group participants are encouraged

“He wants us to live like no one else (now)

so we can live like no one else (in the future).”

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to make a monthly budget to plan ahead what they will spend, mindful of how marketing influences their decisions. “It’s just stewardship of every dollar on a monthly basis. We do budgeting on a monthly basis, before the month starts. So you identify what is the take home pay, how it’s going to be spent…,” Flynt said. “With budgeting it’s acknowledging what they are spending and what they owe and how they can counter debt snowballing.”

In making purchases, participants were advised to “feel the money” by paying cash when possible to become really

conscious of what they are spending, continued Flynt. To give it a try, some even cut up their credit cards. And group members were challenged to prudently think through choices on big decisions such as whether to spend an extra $5,000 on a vacation or a ROTH IRA contribution. “If you make one choice you have lost out on the other one…There’s nothing wrong with going on a vacation, he’s just making you stop and think. Do you need a new car or used car or to keep your car?” said Flynt, adding that “they are not going to make a wise purchase decision in a car on a cell phone, which is what we can do now a days.”

Missy Morgan appreciates how Ramsey does not dictate how one should spend money while challenging them to really plan ahead in budgeting. She also learned a lot from others and appreciated Flynt’s “great job of getting participants comfortable in speaking and sharing, without anyone ever being put on the spot or being forced to contribute where they may not feel comfortable doing so.”

Additionally, “Dave Ramsey also makes couples aware that they usually come from a different mind-set or background when it comes to spending money and that both perspectives need to be acknowledged and valued,” she noted, adding that the class provided a good foundation for a newly married couple.

Director of small groups Kay Murff said, “We’ve gotten great comments back of how it’s been helpful to people and how they have bonded as a small group. The reason we did it is because with the economy the way it is we felt some people might be looking for ways to handle their money– God’s way. It’s been pragmatic but fun,” she said. “It looks at where they are financially and where they want to be.”

The popular series has been offered at 18 churches of various denominations around Miami this fall and Kay Murff hopes to repeat the course at FUMCCG in 2013.

Members of this fall's Financial Peace University

by Priscilla Greear

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Fall Gatherings

Men's Breakfast

Fall Gatherings 2012 brought church members together for small dessert fellowships to connect with each other and to our pastor. It’s becoming a yearly fall event!

This year’s hosts included Margaret and Jordan Steele, Debbie and Jack Briggle, Molly

and Chuck Baumberger, Tomy and Jack Edwards, Marlin Ebbert, and the Young Couples Potluck group. Pastor Durwood attended them all and enjoyed the social conversations, but also the conversations about the life of the church family.

If you missed Fall Gatherings this fall, be sure to stay connected to your church because we will be doing them again!

Several men in the church gathered Saturday morning, September 22, for a great breakfast, Christian fellowship and a very entertaining guest speaker. Ken Murrell, Tom Weller and several other kitchen helpers provided a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, biscuits, and “gret-its”(that’s grits for you Northerners). The coffee was hot and the fellowship was full of laughter. John Holian provided a very entertaining and informative program about our

church initiative, “Imagine." The PowerPoint presentation was excellent and the dialogue even better.

I know some of you gentlemen missed this opportunity, but we will hold another “breakfast” within the next few months. If any men are not on the email list and would like to be notified through email, please email Jeff Brown, bcjeff@aol.com. As Robin Hood would say, “ The more the merrier!”

Stay Connected to Your Church!

“It was nice to mix in a few new faces...It was very intimate, and we never left the family room.”

Marlin Ebbert

“We had a very good discussion….very comfortable and informal, everybody shared freely. It was great. I felt I got to know members that I have seen on Sundays but never had a

chance to strike a meaningful conversation with and know more about where they are in their faith journey!” Tomy Edwards

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This fall season our church has hosted many events, outreach, and spiritual growth opportunities. Two of those came around the two biggest holidays of every year: Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Thanksgiving Meal Delivery Program and Meeting at the Manger have become church traditions over the years where church members truly reach out to their neighbors across Coral Gables and Miami-Dade County.

Each Thanksgiving, First United Methodist Church of Coral Gables partners with South Florida Urban Ministries to help make Thanksgiving possible for over 6,000 people in the city of Miami. This year over 500 servants packed our campus on that Thursday morning to prepare, package and deliver the meals. Sharon Watson and her kitchen crew worked day in and out all week to cook and

carve 70 turkeys and over 1,000 meals were prepared in our church kitchen! Children helped package some of the meals and they decorated the bags that the meals went in. Once the meals were ready to go, they were loaded into cars and drivers headed out to homes around the city to distribute them to families in need. It’s amazing to see how so many people of all ages came together to make a difference in our community.

On Friday, December 7, the church held its annual Meeting at the Manger to coincide with the Coral Gables Christmas Tree Lighting event. What has become a church-wide tradition continued this year with live music from The Growing Place children and the Lighthouse Band and a grand organ recital by our very own organist, Jay Brooks. Some of the youth and adults reenacted the Christmas story, children made Christmas crafts, and Robert Gray and the youth provided food for everyone. The new Nativity scene was a real hit and many people stopped to take their pictures with baby Jesus and the animals.

If you missed these special holiday traditions of FUMCCG, please consider joining an upcoming outreach activity to help the church continue to further spread Christ’s love through Miami as 2013 unfolds.

Children from TGP sing Christmas carols.

The Craft Tent at Meeting at the Manger

Two of the youth play Mary & Joseph.

Servants prepare meals for delivery.

Servants sign-in on Thanksgiving morning.

ThanksgivingChristmasand

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Bearing FruitI have been reflecting on the Scripture

from John 15:1-17 for the past several weeks, “Abide in me and I in you.” When we abide in God’s love it moves us to share this love beyond ourselves.

I have been blessed to hear stories of people in our church who do abide in God’s love and live lives that make a difference in others.

Peter Treblas, a longtime member of First Church (who just moved to Daytona), has delivered over 100 candles in the last three years to folks who have visited our church. Just recently we have received two notes from individuals showing their appreciation: “It is a blessing to have found our new church home that is so filled with love” and “I look forward to worshiping again at First UMC.” Through the delivering of candles all over Dade County to our repeat visitors, Peter has shared that they matter to us and that they too abide in God’s love.

Brother Milledge’s Sunday school class and a few individuals answered the request to buy gift cards to give to The Branches children and youth after school program (to purchase items that the children needed so that they could participate fully at the UM youth camp). We received a thank you card from Branches, sharing that because of these gift cards the children had what they needed and had a wonderful time at summer camp. There was even an emergency run for a swim suit for a fourth grade girl so that she could join the others for swim time. The children abided in God’s love through the service hearts of others.

This fall my office was filled with clothes that others gave so that the residents at Riverside House (a transitional ministry for those who are incarcerated) would have nice clothes for job interviews. It may seem like a small gesture, but to not have a fresh shirt or dress for a much needed job interview would put them at a disadvantage. Indeed, this meant a lot to them to be able to look presentable for an interview.

D e b b i e Briggle, a longtime preschool Sunday school teacher, noticed this fall that her chairs were not as clean as she would like. Abiding in a whole lot of love for her Sunday schoolers, she and The Growing Place teacher with whom she shares a classroom scrubbed 20 chairs.

My prayer for our church is this: that all of us will take the time we need to feel the love of our Creator and that drawing from the vine of Christ, we may each bear fruit so that others too will know this love.

In God’s service,Rev. Mary Susan Ward

Debbie Briggle cleans her Sunday School class' chairs.

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On July 9, 2011, after suffering the horrors of two decades of civil war, South Sudan became the newest country in the world. The devastation caused by years of conflict resulted in extreme poverty and one of the lowest literacy rates in the world – only about 20% of the adult population can read and write.

Months before South Sudan’s offi-cial independence day, a group of Methodist organizations including the East Africa Annual Confer-ence, the General Board of Global Ministries, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), the Holston Annual Conference, and the Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City, Ohio (a member of the West Ohio Conference) organized a roundtable to explore the needs and set the priorities to strengthen the church’s leadership, including options to provide services to bring the people of South Sudan out of the depths of despair, terror and poverty they had been living under for years.

Alfalit’s President, Rev. Roberto P. Perez, was invited to present Alfalit’s work to the Roundtable by Bishop Daniel Wandabula of the East Africa Annual Confer-ence. It was there that he met Rev. Fred Dearing, a Global Ministries volunteer in South Sudan who is the new District Superintendent for the UMC in the coun-try. With Rev. Dearing’s valuable assistance, Alfalit was able to establish a South Sudan affiliate in its global work to promote literacy.

By May of 2012, with the help of Fred Dearing on the ground in South Sudan and the Alfalit team at the Mi-ami headquarters, the groundwork for the launch of

Alfalit South Sudan had been laid out. Alfalit South Sudan became a legally registered entity in that country and a local board of directors was established.

The Alfalit text books in English used by Alfalit Liberia have been edited and adapted to comply with the cul-

tural sensitivities of South Sudan. A work plan was developed to cover everything from using office space in Yei to staffing needs being pro-jected and program goals were es-tablished.

The biggest challenge at this point is to raise the necessary funds to print the text books and launch the program. The amount needed to do

this is $100,000. Alfalit, being a faith-based nonprofit ministry, means it is a step of faith–the funds are never there, yet we know that our Lord Jesus Christ will always provide the means to do our work because we are doing His work.

Right now we are asking people of faith to step up and help us with their prayers and gifts to get this program started. When you give the gift of literacy to a needy person, you give a gift that will endure for generations to come.

Education is a basic human right and when parents learn to read and write, they encourage their children and other members of their extended families and com-munities to do the same. They will be able to help their children with their schoolwork and get a better job to provide for their families. Literacy gives them the tools to improve their quality of life, break the circle of pov-erty, and become better parents and better citizens.

ALFALIT INTERNATIONAL: A Gift of Literacy for the Neediest of South Sudan

by Lydia Proenza

Alfalit South Sudan Board of Directors

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Children: Snapshot ofWinter/Spring 2013

Youth: Snapshot of Winter/Spring 2013

Sunday School, 9:30am - Come join us for music, crafts and a Bible story! Classes for children 2 years-old - 5th grade. Sunday School, 11:00am - Will have a high energy one-room Sunday School class with music, fun games, and a Bible story for children Kindergarten - 5th grade.

WAMM (worship arts music ministry) with Children’s Music Director, Rebecca GonzalezSundays at 10:45am - Kindergarten - 5th gradeMondays at 3:30pm (resume on January 14, 2013) - 3-years-old - Kindergarten

First Fridays (start February 1, 2013)KIDS NIGHT OUT (Kindergarten - 5th grade)Come for a fun-filled time to spend with friends playing games, doing crafts,eating and more! Child care will also be available from 8:30 - 9:30pm for $5.

PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT For potty trained pre-k kids from 6:30 - 8:30 pm.Supervised play will be provided for $10 per child. Please pre-register your child.

December 21- Youth Christmas Party December 22- Mission MiamiJanuary 13- Confirmation Preliminary Meeting

Youth Sundays are at 12:00pm in the Youth Lounge for all middle and high schoolers

If you would like to be a part of our children’s ministry team, please contact Rev. Mary Ward at mward@fumccg.org or (305) 445-2578, ext.103.

If you would like more info on our youth ministry, please contact Robert Gray at rgray@fumccg.org or (305) 445-2578, ext.107.

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If you would like more info on our small groups ministry, please contact Kay Murff at kmurff@fumccg.org or (305) 445-2578, ext.113.

Adults: Snapshot of Winter/Spring 2013

Got New Year’s Resolutions? Get started in January 2013!

ExerciseYoung Moms Group, Mondays at 3:30 in the Head Center

Learn SpanishTwo levels (Beginners and Intermediate) on Wednesdays at 3:00 pm in the Library

Learn EnglishESL Class on Thursdays at 6:30pm in the Library

Set Goals/Focus Energy Workshop by Dixie Andrade

Marriage EnrichmentSeminar by Charlotte Smiley

Financial PeaceGraduates Reunion on Tuesday, January 15, at 7:00pm in the Head Center (Interested in

starting another FPU class? Contact Kay Murff)

Learn to PaintTuesdays at 2:00pm

Enjoy Doing HandworkKnit Wits to begin with all kinds of projects

Discuss Current IssuesBook Discussion Group at 12:30pm monthly (bring lunch)

Recover from GriefSupport Group meets semimonthly on Tuesdays at 7:00pm

Learn More About the BibleJoin a Sunday School Class at 9:30am on Sundays

Companions in Christ (in Spanish) meets bi-monthly on Tuesdays at 11:00am Disciples class meets Thursdays at 10:00am

Find FriendsYoung Adults (contact Jennifer Flynt, jflynt@fumccg.org, for more info)

Silver Club (seniors) on Thursdays at 10:30am in the Head CenterMen's Breakfasts once a month

Ladies Night Out quarterlyYoung Couples potluck dinner once a month

Want to help others by serving?Join the Altar Guild, Choir, the Chapman Partnership for the Homeless team, Habitat for

Humanity, or work in the Library

Want to discover your individual Spiritual Gifts?Join the class led by Brian Linton

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Rev. Durwood Foshee, Senior Pastor – dfoshee@fumccg.org or ext. 101Rev. Roberto Perez, Associate Pastor – robertopperez@bellsouth.netRev. Mary Ward, Associate Minister – mward@fumccg.org or ext. 103Venda Horne, Business Administrator – vhorne@fumccg.org or ext. 102

• Small Groups - Kay Murff kmurff@fumccg.org or ext. 113

• Youth/College - Robert Gray rgray@fumccg.org or ext. 107

• The Growing Place Preschool - Nancy Worsham nworsham@fumccg.org or (305) 446-0846

• Weddings - Roberta Weller rweller@fumccg.org or ext. 121

• Baptisms - Darrell Miles dmiles@fumccg.org or ext. 106

• Counseling - Sallie Quillian and Judy Hatfield (305) 661-9581 and (305) 448-1957

• Traditional Music - Jay Brooks and Dr. Bob Gower jbrooksorganist@gmail.com or ext. 124 and rgower@miami.edu

• Contemporary Music - Richard Aspinwall raspinwall@fumccg.org or (305) 801-6768

• Membership, Outreach, & Children - Rev. Mary Susan Ward mward@fumccg.org or ext. 103

• Finance - Sid Macaspac smacaspac@fumccg.org or ext. 104

• Communications - Jennifer Flynt jflynt@fumccg.org or ext. 119

• Prayer - prayer requests online at www.fumccg.org or Ward Cox Redline513@aol.com

Contact Us!

Do you havea story to tell?

Do you have a story to tell that affects or involves our church and/or its members?

We want to hear it and help you tell it!

Send any ideas or stories for the next issue of Connections to our Communications Coordinator,

Jennifer Flynt, at jflynt@fumccg.org.

First United Methodist Church of Coral Gables is thankful to individuals, classes, and families who made the beautiful Nativity on our front steps a reality! The Nativity will proclaim the meaning of Christmas for years to come! We are blessed to share this incredible gift of God’s son with the community! May our hearts be filled with gladness for the generosity of those who gave, but most of all for God who has given us everything!

Thank You for our new nativity!