FirstNewsSeptember 2014a m o n t h l y p u b l i c a t i o n o f F i r s t U n i t e d M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h , D a l l a s

Some of the most important things we do in life come with a promise. Certainly, there are litt le promises along the way, but the really important things oft en involve a contract and an agreement between two parti es. In religious circles, we oft en call promises “vows.” A vow is a way of honoring the God and the other. It indicates hope for a bett er tomorrow.

But no matt er what you call a promise—a vow, a covenant, a contract—what we’re talking about here is all based on trust.

Theologically speaking, we are living into a sacred trust. God has freely given us the responsibility to care for the Earth, for one another and for ourselves. When we choose to live into that sacred trust we become faithful disciples. Discipleship engenders our becoming a part of a community of faith where we are sharing our lives through vulnerability and grace. When we become members of the Church, we enter into that sacred trust to show and share God’s responsible and responsive Love. This sacred trust is held together by fi ve key principles: prayers, presence, gift s, service and witness.

Beginning September 15 FirstChurch will enter into a study and sermon series called Promises Kept. As we look forward to ministry year 2015, we will explore together the ways our belonging at FirstChurch impacts one another and our community through the fi ve principles of our sacred trust. For the coming year, I am looking forward to building on my commitment to Christ and sacred trust with FirstChurch in these ways:

Prayer: I promise to pray daily, especially before meals.Presence: I promise to be fully present in each conversati on with

acti ve listening.Gift s: I promise to ti the—to give back 10% of my income—to FrstChurch.Service: I promise to read with a student at J.J. Rhoads Learning

Center with Reading Partners, 30 minutes per week. Witness: I promise to invite new acquaintances to worship services atFirstChurch. I will need your help this year to maintain my promises. Will you join me?

Together, we can make a marked diff erence for FirstChurch and for our community. Together we are held...In God’s Love, Andy

Save the Date!

Promises Kept Kick-off BreakfastSunday, Sept. 21Fiedler Atrium

Look for details inFirstNews Weekly.

Sunday Worship

Sunday, Sept. 7Not Far at AllActs 17:22-28Communion Sunday

Sunday, Sept. 14Nowhere To Run ToPsalm 139:7-12

Sunday, Sept. 21Promises Kept: Promises, PromisesGenesis 12:1-9

Sunday, Sept. 28Promises Kept: The Premise of PrayerLuke 11:1-13

Sunday worship: 8:45 & 11 a.m.Sunday school: 9:45 a.m.

Missed a sermon? Click here.

BAPTISM FROM AUG. 17

Ava Hope Salinaswith her parents Marco &

Alison Salinas, & sister Isla

BAPTISM FROM AUG. 17

Ainsley Taylor Nealwith her parents Jeff &

Samantha Neal, & brother Wyatt

Welcome Our Newest MembersBAPTISM FROM AUG. 24

Thatcher Kirk Elamwith his parents Kyle & Crystal

Elam, & sister Lilly Grace

Alfred Rhyne Kuzovwith his parents Alfred & Candice Kuzov, & sister

Aurora Rose

BAPTISM FROM AUG. 24

NEW MEMBER FROM AUG. 24

Russ McCall

Care & Concern

DEATHS: Sincere sympathy to the families of

Bob Bell, father of Beverly Godbey

Bobbye Lee Godbey, mother of David Godbey

Lester Norwood, grandfather of Jillian Bunn

Lorene Rodden, sister of Lois Davis

Virginia Myers, mother of Kelvin Meyers

James Schoolfi eld, brother of Dudley Schoolfi eld

BIRTHS: Congratulations on the births of

Clara Parker Hamilton, daughter of Zachary and Callie

Hamilton

Sadie Grace Brookshire, daughter of Keith and Michelle

Brookshire

BAPTISM FROM AUG. 31

Zoey Olivia Blacketerwith her parents Jordan &

Sara Blacketer

Fellowship - Learn - ConnectOct. 5 – Oct. 269:45 – 10:30 a.m.

Whether you are a visitor, new member or a long ti me member of the FirstChurch family, the Ministers of FirstChurch would like

to invite you to join them for FirstCoff ee! They will help you to answer some of these questi ons:1. What does it mean to be Methodist?2. Who was John Wesley?3. How does the United Methodist Church make decisions?4. What makes FirstChurch Dallas unique?5. How do I really make a deeper connecti on with this faith family?

Light refreshments and coff ee will be provided each week! Click here to register.

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Be a part of something new! Become a Rhoads Reading Partner! This fall we’re beginning a partnership withJoseph J. Rhoads Learning Center. Through a program called “Reading Partners” members can help boost a child’s reading and comprehension.

Consider a commitment of once a week, for 3 months and see what a diff erence you’ll makein a child, and what an impact they will have on you!

Contact Dotti e Dunnam for more informati on or click here.

EXPLORING THE FOUNDATIONS OF OUR FAITH.

Left: On Sunday, Aug. 24, FirstChurch members enjoyed the Discipleship Fair where they learned ways to connect within the church. Program areas set up booths with information and answered questions about their ministry areas.

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TAKE THE FIRST STEP.

Lunch. Learn. Connect. Explore membership at FirstChurch during brunch with Senior

Minister Dr. Andy Stoker. This interactive forum offers a brief history of FirstChurch along

with opportunities to connect with us in ministry.

Sunday, September 21.

firstchurchdallas.org/firststep

Learn how to put your spiritual gifts into practice and utilize your natural, God-given

talents and strengths as we discover exciting ministry opportunities together.

October 5. 9:45 – 10:45 a.m. & 12 – 2 p.m.

$20 includes book and lunch. firstchurchdallas.org/strengths

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Sept. 9 - Nov. 256:15 - 8:45 p.m. Tuesdays in Room G-05

As a friend or relative of someone with mental illness, do you have any of these questions?• What do I do if there is a crisis?• How can I get a clear diagnosis for my relative?• How can my relative and I communicate better?• What local services in my community am I missing out on?• How do I take care of myself in all of this?

You are not alone. Mental illnesses are common. You are invited to join in Family-to-Family, a free 12-week course for family and friends of individuals with serious mental illness. Many family members describe the impact of taking this course as life changing.

To register or to fi nd out more, please contact FirstChurch member, Jim Wintle or Rev. Wally Butts, Associate Minister of Spiritual Life.

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FirstSeniors Outing FirstSeniors and Crossroads Chapter AARP are partnering for

an outing to the Dallas World Aquarium downtown. The bus will leave the church at 11:15 am and return by 2:30 pm. Cost is about $18. Folks will have lunch on their own at one of the three restaurants there. Contact Tom Downing (214-450-1626) for details.

5Friday Parents Time-Out

Join instructor Heather Ellett for our monthly meditation group as

we learn relaxation techniques that help even the busiest parents stress less and laugh more. Modern research shows how simple meditation techniques practiced daily can

cause profound, positive changes in parent-child relationships, even when dealing with emotional and behavioral challenges like ADHD and autism. No chanting or incense—just a time out for your brain! Childcare provided. 9:30 – 10:30 a.m., Crossroads Center

16Tuesday Church Council Meeting

Light dinner served at 6:00 p.m.Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m.

in Crossroads Center. RSVP to Sherrye Bassby Sept. 10.

18Thursday Urban Engagement Book

Review“The Smartest Kids in the World:

And How They Got That Way,”

by Amanda Ripley. Review presented by Randy Mayeux. (Not necessary to read book prior to review). Food trucks will be set up at the Atrium Entrance at 11:30 and offer delicious food for purchase! Noon, Fiedler Atrium

28Sunday UMW Unit Meeting

Visitors are welcome and encouraged to join us to hear our

speaker, Ms. Cheryl Nevels, Principal of JJ Rhoads Learning Center. Please reply to Joy Mitchell (jjgmitch@earthlink.net) Noon in the UrbanLife Center

Dinner and DistinguishedGuest Speaker

Wednesday, Sept. 10Dinner begins at 6 p.m.

Dr. Jaime Clark-Soles, Associate Professor of New Testament, is sharing The Power of ‘We’: Bible Study for Our Time. The suggested donation for dinner is $5/person.

This is our FirstChurch University Celebration and Kickoff Event and your fi nal chance to register for a course! Childcare is available.

Click here to sign up for the dinner and lecture, or stop by the FCU table in the Atrium on Sunday.

FCU classes begin Sept. 17. Still haven’t registered? Click here to fi nd your course…

Filberto Chapaacrylics

The Goodrich Gallery is delighted to welcome back Filberto Chapa. His acrylic

work will open with a recepti on in the gallery on

Sunday, September 7, from 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. and

remain on display through Sunday, September 28.

The gallery committ ee hopes you will join them

at the recepti on to view the exhibit and meet this

delightf ul local arti st.

There is an element of mystery that draws one to the art of

Filberto Chapa. His compositi ons can be simple or complex

and are always creati vely arranged.

One defi nitely fi nds infl uences of

Picasso and Mati sse. However, Chapa

manages to make his work totally

his own by expanding ideas that are

uniquely his. Colorful portraits of

women abound with his beauti ful

stylizing of the elements. These

expressions of mystery create works

of life that draw the viewer into the

arti st’s vision. Chapa welcomes you

to his work. Enjoy!

Music and Arts News

Goodrich GallerySeptember Exhibit

Gallery Hours

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

9 a.m. - Noon Saturday

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

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Filberto Chapa

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Out and AboutOut and Aboutwith the Goodrich Gallerywith the Goodrich Gallery

Sunday, September 21, 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. in UrbanLife ASunday, September 21, 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. in UrbanLife A

You are invited to join the Goodrich Gallery for the second annual Out and About event as we continue to explore themes of art and spirituality with our Arts District Neighbors. Dr. Johan Elverskog, Altshuler University Distinguished Teaching Professor and Chair of Religious Studies at SMU, returns to FirstChurch to speak about Islamic art and its spiritual signifi cance. Th e aft ernoon begins with lunch and lecture in UrbanLife A; then we’ll adjourn to the Dallas Museum of Art for a tour of their permanent collection of Islamic Art.

Johan Elverskog is Altshuler University Distinguished Teaching Professor and Chair of Religious Studies at SMU. He is the author and editor of numerous articles and books, which have won several awards and also been translated into Chinese, Korean, and Russian. All of this work focuses on the history of Inner Asia.

His work has been supported by the American Council of Learned Societies, the Ford Research Foundation, and the Mellon Foundation, among others. He has also been a fellow at the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center, the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Studies, the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, and the Käte Hamburger Kolleg at Ruhr Universität.

Cost is $20 per person and includes lunch, lecture, and art tour. Free childcare will be provided at the church. To register and make childcare reservations, please click here.

For more information, contact Music and Arts, 214-220-2727, ext. 218.

Register NOW for Children & Youth Music Programs! Kickoff Sunday: September 7

Children:Carol Choir (K-1): 9:00-9:45 a.m. Cantate Choir (2nd-3rd): 12:35 - 1:35 p.m. Counterpoint Choir (4th-6th): 12:35 - 1:35 p.m.Orff Ensemble (2nd-3rd): 1:35 - 2:20 p.m. Steeple Ringers (4th-6th): 1:35 - 2:20 p.m.Joyful Noise (3 & 4 year olds) will conti nue this year as part of the Sunday school hour. No registrati on is required. To register for children’s music programs, click here.

Youth (7th-12th grades):Carillon Ringers: 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. Variati ons Youth Choir: 12:35 - 2:00 p.m.Never been in Variati ons or Carillon before, but want to join this year? Click here.

Returning Variati ons and rising 7th graders, watch your email for registrati on informati on!

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On Friday, Aug. 1, FirstChurch participated in the Mayors Back to School Fair at Fair Park in Dallas. Over $5,000 was contributed to the effort including a bike & book giveaway in conjunction with the Dallas Public Library. See letter from Mayor Mike Rawlings at left.

Right: FirstChurch distributed backpacks, uniforms and school supplies and served breakfast to families at the Back to School Party in Fiedler Atrium on Sat., Aug. 16.