First United Methodist Church of Sachse The Flame – June 2017 Edition

The Flame Newsletter

June 2017

First United Methodist Church of Sachse The Flame – June 2017 Edition

Frankly Speaking

“I Missed You”

Sometimes, when the pastor says, “I missed you on Sunday,” we feel like we need to immediately explain our absence. We feel like the pastor is trying to lay a guilt trip on us for missing church. As your pastor, allow me to add some depth to this conversation.

When your pastor, (that’s me), says, “I missed you,” there is no additional hidden agenda there. There is no guilt trip being attempted. When I say, “I missed you,” it means exactly that and nothing more. It means that I missed getting to see your face and hug your shoulders or shake your hand. I missed seeing your smile and hearing your voice. I missed all of that because I love you. That’s it. Please understand, this does not mean I do not want to hear about your life adventures and where you were when you weren’t in church. I know you have a life, and that your family takes vacation or sometimes, just sleeps late on a Sunday morning. I also know that you consider this place your church-home and that for you, it’s important to know that this place will always be there for you. You also

want to know that this church will always be a place of love and grace for you. Your pastor, (that’s me, again), assures you that you will always feel love and receive grace here. So next time we see each other, if I tell you, “I missed you,” rest assured that what I am really saying is, “I love you and I am glad to see you.” In fact, maybe that’s what I will start saying instead.

Remember and be assured. Jesus is risen. He is risen indeed!

Grace & peace,

Frank

Low-Stress Joining

Love this church that you have found? Want to join this church, but the only reason you haven’t is the prospect of standing in front of large crowd? We want you to join the church, but we don’t want you to feel anxious about it. So, if this describes you, we now offer “Low-Stress Joining”. On the Sunday that the Holy Spirit taps you on the shoulder and says, “Today is your day,” find Pastor Frank immediately following the benediction and ask for the “Low-Stress Joining” option. At that moment, Frank will celebrate with you and then gather a small handful of church members around you to renew their vows of membership while you make your vows to uphold the church by your prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness. In that way, we will welcome you into church membership.

First United Methodist Church of Sachse The Flame – June 2017 Edition

Church Work Day – June 3rd

Our Trustees, Chris Hayes chair, have designated Saturday, June 3, as an All-Church Workday. Please come to the church that morning, starting at 8 a.m. and give some well-needed elbow-grease to the maintenance of our buildings and grounds. Remember, our buildings and grounds are given to us by God, who has entrusted us with their care, so that we may be a beacon of love, grace and hospitality to our community. Thank you in advance for your help.

For more information please contact Chris Hayes purplehayes17@outlook.com or Brian Morgan at skilane24@yahoo.com.

Greeters needed for Sunday morning

We need some folks to volunteer for an important aspect of our Sunday morning ministries. We need people to act as Greeters. To be sure, it’s an important job and our greeters make an important First Impression on our First-time guests. Greeters are not the same as Worship Ushers. The Greeter’s job is to “greet” people as they enter the building and to help them find the places they want to go. The most common questions we get from first-time guests are “Which way to the nursery?” and “Where are the restrooms?” First-time guests also ask, “Where is the sanctuary?” or “Where do the youth and children go for Sunday school?” Sometimes, they ask, “Coffee! Where is the coffee?” Our greeters not only answer those questions, but if possible, escort those guests to the places they are trying to find. It is for this reason that we need two greeters at each entrance to our main building on Sunday mornings. We will have two shifts to cover: from 8:15 to 8:35 a.m. and from 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. each Sunday. If this is something you believe you will be good at, and might be a way for you to serve your church, please contact Pastor Frank at the church office, 972-530-1005, or by email to frank@sachsefirst.net.

Prayer Shawl Pattern

Size: Children – 18” x 20”x 48” Medium – 20” x 60” Large – 24”x 60” Material: 2.5-3 skeins of yarn (Lion Brand), 600-700 yards (other brand) Weight: loose and light weight for the summer season Color: your choice Crotchet: Size N-13 or P-15 Needles: Size 10/5-15 Crotchet Version: Loosely chain about 43 stitches Row 1: half-double crochet in 3rd chain from hook and in each chain across. Row 2: chain 2, turn. Half-double crochet in each half-double crotchet across. Repeat row 2 till finish. Cast off. No Fringe.

Knit Version: Cast on 57 stiches or any multiple of three Row 1: Knit 3, purl 3 to the end of the row Row 2: Turn and knit the purl stiches and purl the knit stitches. Repeat row 2 till finish. Cast off. No Fringe.

First United Methodist Church of Sachse The Flame – June 2017 Edition

Worship Preview

Here is what is coming in June and July in our worship services at 8:30am and 10:45am each Sunday.

Pentecost Sunday – June 4

When we gather for worship on Sunday, June 4, we will hear again the wonderful story of the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples in Jerusalem at Pentecost. It’s an old church tradition to wear RED that day to symbolize the Holy Spirit. You are invited and encouraged to wear RED that day.

Annual Conference, June 4-6

Our North Texas Annual Conference gathers for its annual meeting June 4-6 at First United Methodist Church in Richardson. Please pray for the clergy and lay delegates (ours is

Melissa Trammell-Hayes) during these days.

Got a Favorite Hymn?

In mid-July, we will begin a new sermon series about some of our favorite hymns and/or contemporary praise songs. We’ll pick one for each Sunday, talk about the history behind it’s writing, and how the lyrics might be helpful in our lives today. If you have a favorite hymn or a favorite contemporary praise song, let Frank know before the middle of June.

May Attendance and Offering

*Note: Our weekly offering target to support our 2017 budget is approximately $9740. Your Finance

Committee thanks you for your faithful generosity.

Church office is closed Monday, May 29, 2017, in observance of Memorial Day.

June The Big Fisherman: sermon series about Simon Peter

June 4 Pentecost Sunday Acts 2:1-21. Peter proclaims the risen Christ on Pentecost.

June 11 Peter II Acts 3:1-12. Peter and John heal a man.

June 18 VBS Celebration!!

June 25 Peter III Acts 4: 5-14. Peter and John testify before the High Council.

8:30 10:45 Total Offering*

May 7 48 123 171 $7,366.00

May 14 46 173 219 $5,333.50

May 21 37 158 195 $4,332.00

First United Methodist Church of Sachse The Flame – June 2017 Edition

A big THANK YOU to everyone that helped, played, or sponsored the

youth golf tournament! It was a huge success. We had beautiful

weather and a great time. We made close to $9,000 for the youth

mission trip. This makes the youth mission trip affordable for

everyone.

The youth are gearing up for our summer mission trip. We will be going

to Austin, TX on July 9-14. We will be working at Street Youth Ministry

that serves homeless youth ages 18-25. Over half of their clients have

aged out of the foster care system. We will be making meals, sorting

donations, helping with Bible study, and playing games. Our Truth Be Told band will also be playing there. We will have

work projects going on the latter part of the week. We will conclude the trip with a fun day at Schlitterbahn waterpark

in New Braunfels. We will be collecting sunscreen, bug repellent, shorts, t-shirts, and flip flops for the homeless

ministry. They were very specific that these are what they need.

June youth schedule: 4th- 9:45 Sunday school, 10:45 Senior Worship, 4- TBT band, 5:01-7 UMYF Cookout and Game night honoring seniors 11th- 9:45 Sunday school, 5- help set up VBS then go to Cici’s 18th- 9:45 Sunday school, no youth Happy Father’s Day! 25rd- 9:45 Sunday school, 4- TBT band, 5:01-7 UMYF 26th-30th: Senior high camp at Bridgeport

Senior Recognition Sunday – June 4

At our 10:45 worship service on June 4, we will celebrate our Youth

Ministries and recognize our class of 2017. It will be a special day in the

life of our congregation. Some of these seniors have been a part of this

church since they were born! Others have joined along the way. We

give thanks to God for all of these youths and for our seniors, the class of

2017. Our seniors are: Alyssa Cunningham, Conner Dagen, Katherine

Pounds, Matthew Schaefer, and Jax Reynolds. With the help of the

seniors, the youth will be leading the service.

VBS Hero Central

First UMC Sachse invites all children to come soar with us at VBS Hero Central! This superhero adventure experience includes music, super science, hands on crafts, hero games and a delicious snack. Please join us as our mission project will be collecting items for our HEROS the firefighters of Sachse. Please register your child on our online website sachsefirst.net. We look forward to seeing you June 12-16 from 6-8:30 pm.

First United Methodist Church of Sachse The Flame – June 2017 Edition

Our Men’s group enjoyed a month of fellowship and service during

May. Our spring retreat to the Prothro Center on Lake Texoma was

very good, and included discussions from the book, “The Uncommon

Life” by Tony Dungy, who was once the head coach of the NFL

Indianapolis Colts.

We also built yet another wheelchair ramp for a neighbor in Garland. The wheelchair ramp is important not only for us as a spirit-led mission project, but even more so for the homeowners who are now able to get out of their home to visit their neighborhoods, to go to the supermarket, or to the movies. Mostly, the person is able to renew living among their friends and neighbors and to be a part of the world on their own terms. We will continue to build one ramp per month, usually on the 4th Saturday of the month. All people over the age of 16 are invited to participate in this mission. We will also continue to meet for breakfast once per month, usually on the 2nd Saturday of the month. As always, we have the breakfast group each Monday at 10 a.m. at Country Club Café in Wylie/St. Paul; and the Bible Study group each Wednesday at 6:30 a.m. at Starbucks in Firewheel.

UM Women

A very heartfelt, "Thank you" goes out to the church from the UMW. Our garage sale netted an unbelievable $3850, which will all be used for mission work benefitting women and children. Additionally, we ministered to the community in selling low cost items to many needy families and were able to show the love and hospitality of God to these visitors. The two-day event's success was due in part to the excellent organizational and advertising work of the committee lead by Melissa Trammel-Hayes, Nicole Ritcheson, and Lisa Irek, but also the tremendous support of the entire congregation who helped with donations, set up, sales, clean up and especially purchasing! We are so very grateful to everyone involved.

THANK YOU from Ronnie It is with aplomb and pleasure that I extend a sincere and heartfelt THANK YOU to each and every one of you for the amazing outpour of love shown in regards to my graduation! Serving here has been nothing short of amazing and I cannot wait to experience what the future has in store! The celebration was incredible and loaded with tons of fun and excitement. By the way, I would like to make the make the motion to have a banana pudding contest once a month!! (Mmm mm good!) It makes my heart smile when I read each passionate card, receive the thoughtful gifts, encounter each warm embrace, encouraging text and

phone call. It is truly a joy to experience the permeable love and kindness at the First United Methodist Church Sachse! THANK YOU!!!

First United Methodist Church of Sachse The Flame – June 2017 Edition

New Online Giving App

The church has entered into an agreement with Givelify, an app that allows you to make your financial gifts to your church without writing a check or carrying cash. (Checks and cash are, of course, still welcome.) Simply download the App to your Iphone or Android device. Once in the App, you can designate your gift to either the General Fund, or to any specific area of ministry or designated fund. The app will even keep track of your giving! It’s free for you and very low-cost for the church, (2.9%+ 30 cents per transaction). For example, a $10 gift is $9.41 for the church; a $100 gift is $96.80 for the church.

You can learn more about this app at their website: www.givelify.com, which includes a reassuring page about security under the “More” tab. We will “go live” with this very soon.

June Collection You may be already aware of our collection station for Missions, located in the hallway just outside the sanctuary. There, you may donate your previously used eyeglasses or hearing aids, canned goods, cell phones for soldiers, or box tops from General Mills products for local schools. In addition, our focused collection for June will be items for our youth mission trip. Our youth will travel to Austin to be in ministry with a center for homeless young adults who are aged 18-25. We have been asked to collect and give items from the following list: Bug spray Sun screen Flip-flops Adult-sized shirts, shorts, and pants in all sizes.

On-line Directory

We are in the process of building an online church directory! Be on the lookout for instructions and details. You will be invited to upload your own information (as much or as little as you like), and also your own family or individual photo. There will be a link to the directory on the church website, and a mobile app will also be available. It will all be password protected for your protection. You

can even go back in and make your own edits just in case your cell number or your email address changes. Be on the lookout for instructions and details.

Two couples in our congregation were married in May. Please share your prayers and congratulations to:

❖ Jim Mollitor and Phuong My Pham were married May 27 ❖ Mike Prentice and Lauren Simpkins were married May 28

First United Methodist Church of Sachse The Flame – June 2017 Edition

Stained Glass Window Fund

As many of us remember, we established a Designated Fund for our stained-glass windows in our sanctuary. The latest

estimate for the big window above the chancel (faces East) is approximately $25,000 (plus installation). Currently, our

Stained-Glass Windows Designated Fund stands at just over $9,000. If you would like to re-direct some of your Second-

Mile giving (that's the giving that is above and beyond your normal tithe), either in honor of a loved one or in memory of

a loved one, or simply because this is an effort that is dear to you, your gifts are most welcomed.

First United Methodist Church of Sachse The Flame – June 2017 Edition

June 1 – 7:00pm UM Women Dining Out - Houlihans Firewheel

June 6 – 7:00pm

Trustees Meeting – Family Life Center

June 7 – 7:00pm Missions Committee Meeting

June 10 – 8:00am

UM Men’s monthly breakfast meeting

June 13 – 7:00pm Trustee Meeting – Sr. High Room

June 15 – 7:00pm

Finance Committee Meeting

June 19 – 7:00pm Administrative Council Meeting

June 20 – 7:00pm

First Impressions Committee Meeting

Don’t forget that May 29 is Memorial Day. Please take the time to remember those who have given their lives

in the service of our country, and the families who gave their sons and daughters.