The WellspringJune 2015

Fuquay-Varina United Methodist Church

Study @ F VUMC

Programs for children

and youth offered at the same

time

Free childcare available

The Five Love

Languages

Led by:

Si & Stephanie Weeks

Bob & Peggy Roach

Jennifer &

James Akins

Book: $8

Parents of Children - Becoming the Parent God Wants You to BeLed by: Emily & James MountfordAngie & Italo Intriago

Book: $13

Parents of Teens - Sticky Faith

Led by: Michelle Canada, Richie & Lindsi HinesBook: $13

Crown Financial Ministries:

Managing Our Finances God’s Way

Led by: Jeff & Jane MullaheyMarvin & Tanya Page

Book: $17

(This is a 7-week program)

Money

ParentingMarriageChildren

Teens

Explore Your Spiritual Gifts

Led by: Steve LympanyNo Materials Fees

Soul Feast: An Invitation to the

Christian Spiritual Life

Led by: Amy BalfourBook: $12

SpiritualGrowth

Two Options

Two Options

Sunday nights starting July 12

5:00-6:30 pm

Register online at fvumc.org/summer-study

or on Sunday mornings

in the lobby

Thank You FVUMC Family — Pastor Kevin Johnson

What a wonderful four and half years it has been with you. As I prepare to finish up my time with you, I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians: “I thank my God every time I mention you in my prayers. I’m thankful for all of you every time I pray, and it’s always a prayer full of joy” (Phil. 1:3-4). It has been a joy to serve Jesus together with you. One of the great joys of being a pastor is all of the people with whom I have prayed, taught, laughed, cried, and been friends.

You have blessed me in so many ways. First, you have ardently supported me through the ordination process as I have been licensed, commissioned, and now ordained while at FVUMC. Thank you for your support of my calling! When I started with you in November 2010, I had been married for three months. All through this time, you have supported my marriage with Laura, and for that we are extremely grateful. In an extremely special way, you have supported my journey into fatherhood with the arrival of Adelaide. Thank you for loving her, and for supporting our family with the shower you threw. I would be remiss not to mention the incredible staff team that has supported our family and become dear friends. From Gene and Valerie, to every staff member with whom I have worked, I am grateful for their friendship and partnership in God’s work here at FVUMC.

My greatest privilege in ministry at FVUMC has been discipling youth and working with their families. I am so grateful for every student with whom I have worked through the years (it is hard to believe that my first senior class just graduated from college)! Thank you, church, for entrusting me with leading our youth. We have an incredible team of lay people who give tirelessly to ensure the discipleship of these students. I am grateful for all of them, especially as we celebrate Life Groups and Discovery Weekend, and their impact upon students’ walks with Christ. I love every student I have worked with here, and we have a special group of students here at FVUMC.

I am also grateful for how you have encouraged my growth as a Pastor at FVUMC. Thank you for encouraging gifts of preaching and teaching, and for sharpening me as a leader. Thank you for opportunities to start things like Covenant Bible Study. As I prepare to lead at Macedonia UMC, I have been well prepared by you. I will always cherish the people of FVUMC and have vivid memories of times praying, teaching, serving, and eating with you! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Grace and peace, Pastor Kevin

From the Staff Parish CommitteeFarewell to Pastor KevinWe are hosting a farewell picnic for the Reverend Kevin Johnson on Sunday, June 14 after the 11 o’clock worship. SPRC will be providing hot dogs, hamburgers, and buns. You are invited bring any side dish you wish to share.

Kevin’s last Sunday with us is June 21, and we will recognize him in all three worship services. We ask that you join us in praying for the Lord’s continued blessings on Kevin’s ministry as he serves at Macedonia UMC in Cary.

New Staff HiredIn May, we welcomed Margaret Howell as our new Administrative Assistant. Margaret and her husband, Don, have been faithful members of FVUMC for over 20 years, and she brings strong organizational skills and attention to detail to our administrative team.

In July, the Reverend Matt Seaton joins us as our Pastor of Christian Formation and Missional Outreach. Read more about Matt in the article on page 5.

We are a Christ-Centered Community that Loves God, Learns God, Serves God and Shares God.

100 S. Judd Parkway SE Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

phone: 919-552-4331 fax: 919-557-7458 web: fvumc.org

Office Hours:

Monday-Thursday: 8:30-5:00pm, Friday: 8:30-1:00pm

Lead Pastor Gene Tyson GTyson@fvumc.org

Pastor of Welcoming & Congregational CareValerie Tyson VTyson@fvumc.org

Pastor of Christian FormationKevin Johnson KJohnson@fvumc.org

Fuquay-VarinaUnited Methodist Church

SPRC asks for your prayers for Margaret, Kevin, and Matt, and for our church during this time of transition.2

7 Things Church Members Should Say to Guests in a Worship Service

One of the more common questions I’m asked relates to growth barriers. For example, church leaders may want to know how to move past the 150-attendance level of the past five years. Or other leaders desire to know how to break though financial giving barriers.

Those questions are tough because they often presume a brief response to be adequate. In reality, there are many theological and methodological issues at work in growth barriers. Today, I am looking at a very basic barrier: lack of friendliness to church guests. [Looking] at the positive perspective [here are] seven things we should say to guests.

1. “Thank you for being here.” It’s just that basic. I have heard from numerous church guests who returned because they were simply told “thank you.”

2. “Let me help you with that.” If you see someone struggling with umbrellas, young children, diaper bags, purses, and other items, a gesture to hold something for them is a huge positive. Of course, this comment is appropriate for member to member as well.

3. “Please take my seat.” I actually heard that comment twice in a church where I was speaking in the Nashville area. The first comment came from a member to a young family of five who were trying to find a place to sit together.

4. “Here is my email address. Please let me know if I can help in any way.” Of course, this comment must be used with discretion, but it can be

Welcome to Worship! — Pastor Valerie Tyson

For Pastor Gene and me, one of the great things about vacation is the opportunity to worship at other churches. To make the most of our Sundays away, we enjoy attending an early service at one location and then zip off to catch a later service at a different location!

We enter into the whole experience with great anticipation. We pay close attention to every detail from the moment we park the car and enter the front door to the second we drive away! Once in the car, we have lots to talk about as we compare notes that range from the joy of worshipping with another congregation to the cleanliness of the restrooms!

Speaking of visiting other churches, many years ago, my friend and I were visiting a community, and we were looking forward to Sunday worship. There were many United Methodist churches to choose from. We finally settled on one of them. The morning of our visit, we entered the church with excitement!

I have to say, it was a memorable experience. You know why it was memorable? Not one person said a single word to us that morning. NOT ONE! (I’m not kidding!) We were both astounded! No one welcomed us. No one said “good morning.” No one even nodded their head in our direction. We felt like intruders. We came away astonished. We were both in agreement. We never wanted to go back and worship there!

Hospitality was a huge part of Jesus’ ministry. From Him, we learn the importance of inviting and welcoming people. ALL people! Remember the comments of the

grumbling scribes and Pharisees? “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:2).

Hospitality is a topic much written about and is important in the process of transforming guests into members and disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world! Thom Rainer, president and CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources, offers his perspective that the lack of hospitality is a barrier to church growth. His article is below, and I encourage you to take a moment to read it. He offers a barrier-breaking strategy! Our desire is to provide people a place to worship and to grow in discipleship. Let’s get off on the right foot by offering our guests a welcoming experience when they come through the doors at FVUMC!

Peace, Pastor Valerie Tyson, vtyson@fvumc.orgPastor of Welcoming & Congregational Care

Continued on page 4 3

a hugely positive message to a guest.5. “Can I show you where you need to go?”

Even in smaller churches, guests will not know where to find the nursery, restrooms, and small group meeting areas. You can usually tell when a guest does not know where he or she is to go.

6. “Let me introduce you to ___________.” The return rate of guests is always higher if they meet other people. A church member may have the opportunity to introduce the guest to the pastor, other church staff, and other members of the church.

7. “Would you join us for lunch?” I saved this question for last for two reasons. First, the situation must obviously be appropriate before you offer the invitation. Second, I have seen this approach have the highest guest return rate of any one factor. What if your church members sought to invite different guests 6 to 12 times a year? The burden would not be great; but the impact would be huge.

Let’s look at one example of breaking attendance barriers by saying the right things to guests. Presume your church has two first-time guests a week.

Over the course of a year, the church would have 100 first-time guests. With most of the members being genuinely guest friendly, you could see half of those guests become active members. Attendance could thus increase by as much as 50 persons every year.

2015 Budget SummaryTotal Annual Budget $ 1,514,405.35Budget needed YTD - 5/31/15 $ 545,643.94Received YTD - 5/31/15 $ 592,137.53 Difference $ 46,493.59

Building Fund Restricted Account - 4/30/15 $ 66,830.56Building (Brick & Mortar Expenses Only) Restricted Account $ 43,500.00 Total - 4/30/15 $ 110,330.56

YTD Budget Expenditures as of 3/31/2015 $ 336,593.98

Sunday Worship AttendanceMay

3May 10

May 17

May 24

May 31

Monthly Average

2015 Average

8:00am 72 86 74 72 77 77 809:30am 352 354 335 263 338 328 39711:00am 272 267 250 210 226 245 299Total 700 707 659 545 641 650 776

Book Club Meets 6/19For June, the Book Club will meet to discuss The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom. Orphaned while onboard ship from Ireland, seven-year-old Lavinia arrives on the steps of a tobacco plantation where she is to live and work with the slaves of the kitchen house. Under the care of Belle, the master’s illegitimate daughter, Lavinia becomes deeply bonded to her adopted family, though she is set apart from them by her white skin. Lavinia finds herself perilously straddling two very different worlds. When she is forced to make a choice, loyalties are brought into question, dangerous truths are laid bare, and lives are put at risk. The Kitchen House explores the meaning of family, where love and loyalty prevail. To join the dinner and discussion on Friday, June 19 at 6:30pm, contact Suzanne Jones at dsjones@nc.rr.com or Matilda Storm at matildastorm@embarqmail.com.

7 Things Church Members Should Say to Guests in Worshipcontinued from page 3

Want to Serve as a Greeter?

We'd love to have you

join the team!

Email Pastor Valerie vtyson@fvumc.org

Columbarium Begins Phase 1We now have the necessary funding to start construction on Phase 1 of the Columbarium and Prayer Garden! The price of each two-person niche remains at $3,000 until construction begins, at which time the price increases to $3,500. A multi-year installment plan is available. Now is the time to purchase a niche before prices increase. To learn more, visit fvumc.org/columbarium.

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A Time for All Things — Pastor Gene Tyson

There’s a season for everything and a time for every matter

under the heavens. - Ecclesiastes 3: 1

We are reminded by the writer of Ecclesiastes that we all move through different seasons of life. Those seasons are always changing—some faster than others.

As we move through these transitional seasons, we are encouraged to seize and savor these precious times with those in which we share the journey.

John Maxwell puts it this way in his book, Developing the Leader Within You, to “walk slowly through crowd”, take it all in and relish each moment.

This is especially true when one has answered the call to ministry in The United Methodist Church.

As pastors, we commit to the itineracy system of moving to new churches, leaving behind congregations with whom we have developed deep friendships and beginning all over again in our new assignments.

With this in mind, we pray God’s blessings and favor on Pastor Kevin, his wife Laura and their precious daughter, Adeline, as they move into a new season of ministry.

Kevin began his ministry here four years ago as our Director of Youth Ministry and has grown into a gifted and an exceptional minister of the Gospel.

He has touched many lives, and God has used him in wonderful and fruitful ways throughout our congregation.

Kevin will be ordained an elder in the UMC at NCC Annual Conference in Wilmington on June 13 and will be appointed to his first church as Lead Pastor of Macedonia UMC in Cary.

Laura will be appointed as Lead Pastor at Windborne UMC in Raleigh.

We pray God’s blessings upon him and family and look forward to seeing how God will use them in the years to come.

God bless you Kevin, Laura and Adeline, we love you and will pray for you on your journey.

Pastor Gene Tyson, gtyson@fvumc.org

Welcome to Pastor MattThe Rev. Matthew Seaton is being appointed to FVUMC as our new Associate Pastor. Matthew will carry the title of Pastor of Christian Formation and Missional Outreach.

Matt received his undergraduate degree with honors from Oklahoma Wesleyan University and served as the Spiritual Life Director during his time at that university. He holds a Master’s of Divinity degree from Duke.

Matt grew up in the Wesleyan Church in South Dakota as the son of a Wesleyan pastor. He was first ordained in 2010 in the Wesleyan Church and has served as a small group leader, youth

pastor, college pastor, associate pastor, and lead pastor.

Matt is now in the process of becoming ordained in the North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church.

Matt brings to us a deep understanding of the process of building small groups for Christian formation. During his time at Duke, Matt’s internships have given him valuable experience in mission assignments as well.

Matt and his wife, Lacey, were married just a few weeks ago at Union Grove UMC in Hillsborough where Matt was serving as an intern.

Lacey, is a special education teacher in Granville County. They will be living in Morrisville during this first year with us as Lacey continues her studies at NC State, where she is working toward a Master’s degree in education administration.

We are excited about Matt being appointed here, and we praise our Lord for all he has done and will do in his ministry of Christ’s gospel.

Matt’s first Sunday is July 5. We are excited about Matt joining us and look forward to this new season of ministry here at FVUMC.

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Updates from the Building CommitteeThe Building Committee continues to explore options to address the churches needs for building space and usage.

• New Hope Presbyterian Church – NC 42 – Willow Spring, NC The New Hope Presbyterian Church became available for purchase and the committee decided to investigate the property as a potential site to fulfill our needs for youth activities, large meeting spaces, Boy Scouts, and mission outreach. The committee explored the financial aspects of owning and or leasing the property, cost to fix and prepare the facility for usage, and what types of ministries would benefit by having the facility. Ultimately, the property was deemed a great facility, but it did not meet enough of our needs to warrant the cost to acquire the property and make the needed repairs and upgrades. The committee decided to cease further investigation into the property.

• New Construction at FVUMC The committee has begun identifying other churches that have constructed facilities that could potentially address our needs. The committee visited White Plains United Methodist Church to tour their facilities and find out what they have liked and disliked. The committee will travel to other local churches to learn more that will hopefully guide us in the direction God wants us to head.

• Other Opportunities The committee has also discussed some ways to better utilize our existing facilities to meet our needs in the short term. Adding an additional worship service at a different time in the week is an example of some of the ideas discussed.

It is the committee’s goal to investigate all options that will satisfy the needs our church and present these options to the church for the final decision.

Your feedback is always welcome by emailing building@fvumc.org.

David Harris Building Committee Chair

In Our Thoughts and Prayers

We offer our sympathy and prayers to:Jeff Mullahey on the death of his brother

Bruce Wynne on the death of his mother

Janice Fain on the death of her brother

Christy Carver on the death of her grandmother

Lee Revis on the death of his grandmother

Continuing in our prayers:Nancy Patrone, Micah Gaus, Marshall Downey, Jim Cleary, Gloria Keshler & family, the family of Janie Holder, Bruce Wynne & family, Jeff Mullahey & family, Julie Banner, Bob Pavone, Ron Richardson, Bob Sheets & family, PJ Ramsey, Bernard McLeod & family, Robert Parrott & family, Vikki Casanave, Dan Sass, Mary-Anne Hatch, Bruce Crofts, Karen Johnson, Virginia Jones, Mike Tucker, Dale Sullivan, Ann Hull, Koyla Knox, Bonnie Green, Joan Lesher, Doug Jones, Judy Dolan, Cornelia Coble, Vicky Croft, Meredith Kimbro, Tom Myatt, Rebecca Williams, Carol Chambers, David Stuart, Jakob Kish, Mario Marchese, Rob Matney, Cindy Travers, Iris Brown, Tristan Wachter, Logan Thomas, Dee Chisenhall, Jeff Fox, Emily Ashworth, Craig Judd, Clay King, Jill Zatyko, Sue Simkiss, André Carson, Mary Rose, Bill Young, Bob & Katharine Kinton, Howard Hanmann, Fran Applegarth

Seeds of Faith PreschoolGraduation went smoothly with 96 -  5 year olds moving on to Kindergarten next year. We are excited for them, but will truly miss them.

We are now having summer camps with many fun themes such as under water, camping etc.

Later this summer, we will be cleaning & fixing up the play ground. I will need help so I’ll be sending out messages for help as soon as we get everything together.

Have a glorious & blessed summer, Ms. Lynne

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Subscribe to Lifeline email: contact Bobby (brackley@fvumc.org)

@LifelineFVUMC

Give Bobby your cell # for text updates!

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Stay in Touch

Youth Offsetting Costs of Mission TripsSummer mission opportunities can be quite expensive for our students. If you would like to help students earn money toward these trips – through yard work, housecleaning, babysitting, etc. – please contact Bobby at least a week before your anticipated need, and he will try to find a student available to help!

Warm Weather and Church Attendance: Making Room for WorshipGrowing up on a farm, summer for me was a time of work rather than vacation. Watermelons and cantaloupes needed tending, then selling, to the tourists who came to Topsail Island to enjoy the beach. You may find this hard to believe, but even living near the ocean I never learned to swim, though I learned to peddle produce with the best of them!

Summer was also a time for family, when we would visit my grandparents. Usually these trips were on the weekend, and I distinctly remember that sometimes we would go to church on Sunday morning with my grandmother. Her church was a different denomination – Baptist – and the worship service was structured a little differently, though the songs and Sunday school were a lot like our home church in Haws Run. Yet the novelty of being in a different church, or maybe the realization that there are other churches, made these experiences stick out in my mind. We didn’t always attend church on our mini-vacations, but those times we did have remained ingrained in my living memory.

I share this with you to encourage you to consider how you can feed your spiritual life during these warm months of summer. Whether you go to the

mountains or the coast, there are churches that would be happy to welcome you to join them in worship, allowing you to feed your soul as you enjoy your well-earned vacation.

For families with young children, the excitement and novelty of being in a new and strange church just might stay with them, reminding them that worshipping God is an important priority. And for families with teens, nothing speaks louder to your students about your real priorities than your actions, and making worship a priority on your vacation will speak volumes about your family values. And even for those of us whose work keeps us planted in Fuquay-Varina, let’s continue to make worshipping together on Sunday a priority so that we can encourage one another in the faith (Hebrews 10:25).

Bobby Rackley, brackley@fvumc.org Director of Youth & Family Ministries

Important Summer Youth Ministry Dates

• Cap and Gown Sunday – June 7

• Baccalaureate – June 7 at 2 p.m.

• Appreciation Picnic for Pastor Kevin – June 14 at 12 noon

• M25 Mission Camp: Participant Meeting – June 14

• Movie Night – Jurassic World – Wednesday, June 17

• Volunteering at VBS – June 21-26

• Youth Beach Day Trip – Saturday, June 27

• M25 Sr. High Mission Camp – July 20-25

• Estoy Loco Middle School Mission Trip – July 31-August 2 7

Diaper Drive ThanksThank you to everyone who supported the collection for the Caring Connections and Diaper Train. Over 1,400 diapers, 5 bags of wipes and $200 in checks were collected. Thanks also to the youth who helped setup the display in the lobby.

Missions Team

Ride For Life – Cycling Missions EventCalling all riders, volunteers and/or sponsors for the 6th Annual TSS Ride for Life on Saturday, June 13, 2015!! The Spiritual Spinners 2015 Ride for Life features cycling opportunities for families with young cyclists on the In-Town Family Ride and five out of town routes ranging from the Leg Stretcher at 30km/19 miles to the Iron Ride coming in at 112 miles for individual cyclists. In addition to the six fully supported routes, there is a complimentary meal with desserts and beverages served after the ride.

To make this year a huge success, we need you! Please consider volunteering to help at the rest stops, bake goodies (muffins, cookies, brownies, etc.), offer vehicle support, set-up, clean-up or cheer us on! If interested, please contact Kathy Wall via email: kwall@nc.rr.com.

If you don’t plan to ride, you can support us through donations. To donate, click on “Sponsor the Ride for Life” at bethemomentum.com/event/ride-for-life.

Early registration is available through Thursday, June 11 and is $20 for your entire family on the Family Ride and $30 for individual cyclists. Day of ride registration remains $20 for the Family Ride and is $40 for individual cyclists.

For Individual Cyclists, registration is bethemomentum.com/event/ride-for-life

For the Family Ride, registration is bethemomentum.com/event/ride-for-life-family

All registration fees, rider, and team donations for The Ride for Life go to charities helping the homeless, the sick, the hungry, and those in need locally and around the world through the following beneficiaries:

• Wake County Habitat for Humanity (habitatwake.org)

• Multiple Sclerosis Society – Carolinas (nationalmssociety.org/Chap…)

• American Diabetes Association (http://www.diabetes.org)

• Tour de Femme charities (letourdefemme.org)

• Fuquay Varina Emergency Food Pantry (fvfoodpantry.com)

• Southern Wake Faith Community in Action (helpsouthwake.org)

• Imagine No Malaria (imaginenomalaria.org)

Each charity receives 1/7th of all funds raised.

Main Street Kitchen - Food Donations RequestedOne way we serve and share God is through the meal preparation and delivery of our Main Street Kitchen ministry.

The third Saturday of the month, FVUMC folks come together to prepare meals for people in the community. Cooking skills NOT required!

Preparations start at 10am and continue through the early afternoon. Volunteers are welcome to help with tasks including setup, delivery preparation, cooking & cleaning.

Food donations are welcome. Help to replenish the MSK supplies by donating pasta, biscuit or cake mix, frosting, large cans of fruits or vegetables, and brown paper bags with handles.

Contact Paula Cade at 919-753-8168 for more information.

Fuquay-Varina Emergency Food Pantry

Requests: Pasta and sauce, canned beans, bath soap - No glass jars, please

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