INSPIRATIONS
a weekly newsletter of
First United Methodist Church,
The Church in the Heart of Aubrey
Come
Home to Family
May 8, 2008
In This Edition:
(click to follow link)
From the Pastor
Announcements
Opportunities for Involvement
Prayer Concerns & Joys
Weekly Schedule
Classes
Contact Information
From the Pastor’s Heart
For thus says the Lord: …As a mother comforts
her child, so I will comfort you.
Isaiah 66:12-13
This week my email inbox has been filled with
messages of Mother’s Day. All of them want me to
remember my mother, to be reminded of my own
children’s birth and growing years, and to thank
my own mother for a job well done.
I
did and do and am grateful. But not all of us
have the heart to rejoice at this time of the
year. There are those among us who have never
experienced motherhood, who grieve because our
mothers are no longer physically with us, or who
have a hard time forgiving our mothers for
wounds inflicted. To all of us, but especially
to those women and men who will feel more sorrow
or indifference than joy on Sunday, I offer this
word: God loves you. God who is your Father is
also your Comforter, like a mother eagle who
hides you (Psalm 17:8) and a hen who gathers you
under her wings (Matthew 23:37); One who both
bends down to feed you and lifts you to her
cheeks (Hosea 11:4). Our God is both strong and
able to protect us, yet gentle and able to hold
us. The perfect Parent of the ages. Wherever you
will be on Mother’s Day, and with whomever you
celebrate, I pray that you will give glory to
God, who loves you far beyond your imagination,
who rejoices over you with gladness, who renews
you with love, and who exults over you with loud
singing (Zephaniah 3:17)!
On that note, if you’d like to celebrate
Mother’s Day in a very special way, we will
baptize Elizabeth Burke at 1:00 on Sunday in the
sanctuary. Everyone is invited and welcome to
participate in this joyous event.
Also, check out the May Book Club announcement
and join us on Saturday, even if you haven’t
read the book. You don’t have to be a mom, or
even a girl. We’re going to have a blast.
United with you in Christ,
Abril
Announcements
-
May Food Drive items:
macaroni and cheese and spaghetti. Don’t
forget that peanut butter and diapers are
ALWAYS welcome. Thank you for your loving care
of our neighbors in need.
-
May Book Club:
Meeting at La Dolce Vita (aka The Sweet Life)
this Saturday, May 10, at 3:00 PM. We invite
you to join us even if you did not read the
book! William Young, author of The Shack,
introduces many universal themes. We are going
to have a great discussion – so come by and
join us. If you need further details, call
Abril at 214-455-5655
-
Terry and Carol Lucas own a company that
recycles vegetable oil. If you know someone in
the restaurant business, talk to Terry about
how this might financially benefit the church.
-
Address for Jackie Goin: Senior Care
Health and Rehabilitation Center/2244 Brinker
Road/Denton TX 76208. Her room number is 407A.
She really loves having visitors and receiving
cards and photographs.
(Return to Top)
Opportunities for Involvement in the Church and
Beyond
-
The brass candlesticks on the altar are
badly in need of a good cleaning and
polishing. If you’d like to help out with
that, please let Abril know.
-
Charles Burke can use some help with the
church sign that was damaged by wind in
January. If you have masonry or other skills
that you can contribute to this effort, please
see Charles or Abril.
-
Sign up to mow or clean the
church on Saturday mornings – or when it fits
your schedule. See the sign-up sheets on the
bulletin board in the entry to Collins Hall.
-
There are a variety of opportunities available
to serve during our Capital Campaign.
We need every kind of gift, and we need lots
of help! If you are interested in getting
involved, please see Abril. Everyone is
welcome!
-
We need more prayer team members.
Prayer is the foundation of everything we do
as a church. If you would like to join our
prayer team, please see Peggy Cain.
-
Greeters
are needed on Sunday mornings to hand out
bulletins and provide a friendly smile. See
Dorothy Furzey to volunteer.
-
We have an ongoing food drive for the
Food Bank in Denton. See Peggy Cain or Denise
Gilliland to help gather or deliver food and
other items.
Prayer Joys &
Concerns
Pray for:
-
Our church and its leadership
-
Our soldiers in foreign countries and for
service men and women in the United States,
and pray for their families
-
Our town, our state, and our country, and for
the wisdom of our leaders and the leaders of
all nations
-
Our capital campaign and land purchase
-
Jennifer Jolly’s stepfather, Johnny recovering
from back surgery
-
Denise Gilliland’s friend Charlie, undergoing
cancer treatment
-
Jackie Goin, ongoing recovery from a stroke
-
Bouncer Goin, now in rehab
-
The Goin family, as they juggle many
responsibilities
-
Annie Garza’s mom, Juanita, who suffers from
continuous pain
-
Peggy Cain’s mother, Ruby, in the death of two
sisters
-
Kathleen McGlothlin and baby William (due this
summer)
-
Gordon Furzey’s daughter, Carolyn, in the
death of her father-in-law, Frank
-
Denise Gilliland’s school, DeLay Middle School
in Lewisville
-
Chris McGlothlin’s and family in the death of
his Uncle Pat and another family member
-
Jennifer Jolly’s mother, Nita, diagnosed with
lung cancer
-
Peggy Cain’s uncle Elvis, in hospice
-
Sue Pierce’s son, Scott, recovering from
surgery
-
The family and friends of John Wise
-
Annie’s boss, Kenneth and family, in the death
of his father John F. Wright
-
Celebration for the baptism of Daniel Ross
McGlothlin on Easter
-
Celebration for Elizabeth Angel Burke, newborn
daughter of Charles and Dianna
-
Crystal Nelson’s parents, Bob and Rae
-
Scott Moody, recovering from surgery
-
Alex Stephens, friend of Crystal Nelson
-
Family of Margaret Seay
-
Terry Lucas, recovering from a torn ligament
-
Brenda Ellis
Our prayer team prays for you regularly. If you
have a specific joy or concern that you would
like to list in the newsletter or would like the
prayer team to pray about confidentially, please
contact Abril or Peggy Cain.
(Return to top)
The Week At A Glance
Saturday, May 10:
Book Club, 3:00 PM, La Dolce Vita
Sunday, May 11:
Happy Mother’s Day!
Pentecost Sunday
Pot Luck
Sunday School, 9:00 AM
Worship, 10:00 AM
Elizabeth Burke Baptism, 1:00 PM
NO YOUTH TONIGHT
Wednesday, May 14:
Christian Believer, 7:00 PM
Sunday, May 18:
Sunday School, 9:00 AM
Worship, 10:00 AM
Anniversary Celebration, 11:00 AM
District Conference, 3:00 PM
Youth, OGUMC, 4:00 PM
LOOKING AHEAD:
Monday May 19 – Friday May 23
Pastor Abril will be out of town at a preaching
conference
Sunday, July 13:
Invite a Friend Sunday
Pot Luck and Homemade Ice Cream!!!
Opportunities for Learning and Growth
Contact the church office for more information
about any of these opportunities
-
Christian Believer is currently underway on
Wednesday evenings at 7:00.
-
Adult Sunday School meets at 9 AM in Collins
Hall. We are currently studying the Gospel of
John.
-
Children’s Sunday School is offered at 9 AM in
the sanctuary loft.
-
Have an idea for a Bible study? Want to start
a women’s group, men’s group, or other
special interest activity? See Abril!
(Return
to top)
Church
Staff and Contact Information
Church Office:
940-365-3024
www.aubreymethodistchurch.org
Pastor:
Abril Goforth
pastor@aubreymethodistchurch.org
abrilgo@ticnet.com
Music Director:
Juliana Choi
dajeong_choi@yahoo.com
May 1, 2008
In This Edition:
(click to follow link)
From the
Pastor
Announcements
Opportunities for Involvement
Prayer
Concerns & Joys
Weekly
Schedule
Classes
Contact
Information
From the Pastor’s Heart
Then [Jesus] said, “Everything I told you while
I was with you comes to this: All the things
written about me in the Law of Moses, in the
Prophets, and in the Psalms have to be
fulfilled.” He went on to open their
understanding of the Word of God, showing them
how to read their Bibles in this way. He said,
“You can see now how it is written that the
Messiah suffers, rises from the dead on the
third day, and then a total life-change through
the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in his
name to all nations… You’re the witnesses. …
Raising his hands he blessed them, and while
blessing them, took his leave, being carried up
to heaven. And they were on their knees,
worshipping him.
Luke 24:44-52, The Message
Happy Ascension of the Lord Day!!
Did you have that marked on your calendars?
Today is the day we celebrate the “uplifting” of
Jesus into heaven, 40 days after his
resurrection. Today is also the National Day of
Prayer – a fortuitous occurrence, but a
fortunate one nonetheless. What better day to
gather our nation to pray than on the day our
Lord instructed his disciples to proclaim
“repentance and forgiveness of sins … to all
nations.” (That’s the NRSV, Luke 24:47.)
Sometimes as a church we neglect the subject of
repentance. We get so caught up in grace, it’s
easy to forget that asking forgiveness is
actually a means for grace to come pouring into
our lives. Maybe the topic of repentance makes
us uncomfortable. Asking people to repent… well,
it just sounds so judgmental. Of course, it’s
possible (at least, it’s possible for
me!)
that if we’re adequately concerned with our own
sinfulness and spend ample time repenting from
our own failures and shortcomings, we probably
won’t have much time left over to worry about
anyone else’s!
The Good News is that the coin of repentance has
two sides. Jesus came so that we might be
reconciled to God, that we might freely come to
the throne of grace. Whatever our condition or
lot in life, all are welcome. And that is truly
something to celebrate.
Speaking of celebration… We’ll be celebrating
Holy Communion this week, and we’ll also
celebrate the purchase of our new property with
a fabulous
“come one come all” clean up day.
Wear your jeans and bring your gloves and rakes.
We’ll stay after worship to pick up limbs and
sundry items so that we can mow with greater
ease. And mowing will indeed occur with greater
ease now – since (…drum roll, please…) WE
PURCHASED A RIDING LAWN MOWER THIS WEEK!! Yee
Haw! It is used, but Charles Burke and Gordon
Furzey have it running like a charm. Sam will
come once more before Sunday with the brush hog,
but if we clear the debris we should be able to
keep our grounds beautiful and visitor friendly.
The Good Lord is busy at Aubrey FUMC!
United with you in Christ,
Abril
Announcements
-
NEW Food Drive items.
During May we’ll collect macaroni and cheese
and spaghetti. Don’t forget that peanut butter
and diapers are ALWAYS welcome. Thank you for
your loving care of our neighbors in need.
-
Property Clean Up Day.
May 4, following worship. Wear your jeans and
bring your gloves and rakes. We’ll pick up
fallen limbs and clear out the remaining
poison ivy! Yikes!
-
Please let Abril know if you are interested in
joining us for this month’s Book Club:
You still have time! Our book for May is
The Shack,
by William P. Young. A man goes
camping with his kids and loses one of them to
a kidnapper. Years later he receives an
intriguing note inviting him to return to the
seen. This is a novel that has been
controversial in Christian circles because of
its somewhat unorthodox theological
assumptions: Who is God and how is God
revealed to us? What is the nature of the
Trinity? And when is it appropriate to
forgive? These are just a few of the questions
Young raises for us. Young mixes theology and
imagination for a very interesting read. You
can learn more, or purchase the book in
paperback for only $8.24, at
http://www.amazon.com/Shack-William-P-Young/dp/0964729237/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207251894&sr=1-2.
We’ll meet on
Saturday, May
10th, time and place TBA.
-
We will soon need a new
printer
cartridge for the printer in the
church office. If you receive a discount at an
office supply store, or simply want to
contribute this item, your help is most
welcome. This is a printer/fax/scanner: Canon
Image Class MF4150. It takes Cartridge 104 for
Faxphone L120/Image Class MF4100/4600 Series.
The retail cost for this cartridge is
approximately $75.00 and lasts for about three
months, depending on how many copies we run.
-
Terry and Carol Lucas own a company that
recycles vegetable oil. If you know someone in
the restaurant business, talk to Terry about
how this might financially benefit the church.
-
Flower Mound UMC is presenting “Joseph and the
Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” May 2-4.
Performances are at 7:00 pm on May 2 & 3, and
at 2:00 pm on May 4. You may call the church
office to reserve a seat. Price is $5 for
adults and $3 for children under 10.
-
Address for
Jackie Goin:
Senior Care Health and Rehabilitation
Center/2244 Brinker Road/Denton TX 76208. Her
room number is 407A. She really loves having
visitors and receiving cards and photographs.
Bouncer
Goin has joined Jackie in rehab for
a few weeks after he experienced a medical
setback this week. Please keep him in your
prayers.
(Return to Top)
Opportunities for Involvement in the Church and
Beyond
-
The brass
candlesticks on the altar are badly
in need of a good cleaning and polishing. If
you’d like to help out with that, please let
Abril know.
-
Charles Burke can use some help with the
church sign
that was damaged by wind in January. If you
have masonry or other skills that you can
contribute to this effort, please see Charles
or Abril.
-
Sign up to
mow or
clean
the church on Saturday mornings – or when
it fits your schedule. See the sign-up sheets
on the bulletin board in the entry to Collins
Hall.
-
There are a variety of opportunities available
to serve during our
Capital
Campaign. We need every kind of
gift, and we need lots of help! If you are
interested in getting involved, please see
Abril. Everyone is welcome!
-
We need more
prayer team
members. Prayer is the foundation of
everything we do as a church. If you would
like to join our prayer team, please see Peggy
Cain.
-
Greeters
are needed on Sunday mornings to hand out
bulletins and provide a friendly smile. See
Dorothy Furzey to volunteer.
-
We have an ongoing
food drive
for the Food Bank in Denton. See Peggy Cain or
Denise Gilliland to help gather or deliver
food and other items.
Prayer Joys & Concerns
Pray for:
-
Our church and its leadership
-
Our soldiers in foreign countries and for
service men and women in the United States,
and pray for their families
-
Our town, our state, and our country, and for
the wisdom of our leaders and the leaders of
all nations
-
Our capital campaign and land purchase
-
Jennifer Jolly’s stepfather, Johnny recovering
from back surgery
-
Denise Gilliland’s friend Charlie, undergoing
cancer treatment
-
Jackie Goin, ongoing recovery from a stroke
-
Bouncer Goin, now in rehab
-
The Goin family, as they juggle many
responsibilities
-
Annie Garza’s
mom, Juanita, who suffers from continuous pain
-
Peggy Cain’s mother, Ruby, in the death of two
sisters
-
Kathleen McGlothlin and baby William (due this
summer)
-
Gordon Furzey’s daughter, Carolyn, in the
death of her father-in-law, Frank
-
Denise Gilliland’s school, DeLay Middle School
in Lewisville
-
Chris McGlothlin’s and family in the death of
his Uncle Pat and another family member
-
Jennifer Jolly’s mother, Nita, diagnosed with
lung cancer
-
Peggy Cain’s uncle Elvis, in hospice
-
Sue Pierce’s
son, Scott, recovering from surgery
-
The family and friends of John Wise
-
Annie’s boss, Kenneth and family, in the death
of his father John F. Wright
-
Celebration for the baptism of Daniel Ross
McGlothlin on Easter
-
Celebration for Elizabeth Angel Burke, newborn
daughter of Charles and Dianna
-
Crystal Nelson’s parents, Bob and Rae
-
Scott Moody, recovering from surgery
-
Alex Stephens, friend of Crystal Nelson
-
Family of Margaret Seay
-
Terry Lucas, recovering from a torn ligament
-
Brenda Ellis
Our prayer team prays for you regularly. If you
have a specific joy or concern that you would
like to list in the newsletter or would like the
prayer team to pray about confidentially, please
contact Abril or Peggy Cain.
(Return to top)
The Week At A Glance
Thursday, May 1:
Ascension of the Lord Day & National
Day of Prayer
Friday, May 2
May Friendship Day
Sunday, May 4:
Communion
Sunday School, 9:00 AM
Worship, 10:00 AM
Church Grounds Clean Up Day, 11:15 AM
Administrative Council Meeting Postponed
Youth, Oak Grove UMC, 4:00 PM
Wednesday, May 7:
Christian Believer, 7:00 PM
Friday, May 9:
Boy Scouts, 7:00 PM
Sunday, May 11:
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Pentecost Sunday
Pot Luck
Pledge Card Pick Up Day
Sunday School, 9:00 AM
Worship, 10:00 AM
No Youth
LOOKING AHEAD:
Sunday, July 13:
Invite a Friend Sunday
Pot Luck and Homemade Ice Cream!!!
Opportunities for Learning and Growth
Contact the church office for more information
about any of these opportunities
-
Christian Believer is currently underway on
Wednesday evenings at 7:00.
-
Adult Sunday School meets at 9 AM in Collins
Hall. We are currently studying the Gospel of
John.
-
Children’s Sunday School is offered at 9 AM in
the sanctuary loft.
-
Have an idea for a Bible study? Want to start
a women’s group, men’s group, or other
special interest activity? See Abril!
(Return
to top)
Church
Staff and Contact Information
Church Office:
940-365-3024
www.aubreymethodistchurch.org
Pastor:
Abril Goforth
pastor@aubreymethodistchurch.org
abrilgo@ticnet.com
Music Director:
Juliana Choi
dajeong_choi@yahoo.com
April 24, 2008
In This Edition:
(click to follow link)
From the
Pastor
Announcements
(Attention!)
Opportunities for Involvement
Prayer
Concerns & Joys
Weekly
Schedule
Classes
Contact
Information
From the Pastor’s Heart
Bless our God, O peoples! Give him a thunderous
welcome! Didn’t he set us on the road to life?
Didn’t he keep us out of the ditch? He trained
us first, passed us like silver through refining
fires; brought us into hardscrabble country;
pushed us to our very limit; road-tested us
inside and out, took us to hell and back.
Finally he brought us to this well-watered
place. I’m bringing my prizes and presents to
your house. I’m doing what I said I’d do that
day when I was in so much trouble. …All
believers, come here and listen, let me tell you
what God did for me. I called out to him with my
mouth…And he most surely did listen, he came on
the double when he heard my prayer. Blessed be
God: he didn’t turn a deaf ear, he stayed with
me, loyal in his love.
