Thank you all for your prayers for our new boy Samuel and for our family. We are blessed to have him and he is blessed to have you as a church family. We look forward to bringing him to worship in a few weeks. Thank you also for the cards, phone calls, emails, meals, kind words expressed. We have been so loved through it all by you.
Bethany and I have been particularly moved by the words that have been said or written to us on the occasion of Samuel’s birth. Many of these have come by way of email or card from friends and family. We’ve been touched by these words of grace and truth and I want to share some of them anonymously with you here.
“New life is God’s opinion that our world is good. Congratulations!”
“Welcome to the world Samuel!”
“This is the first congratulations from Cote d’Ivoire (Africa). Welcome Samuel Fuller to the world. God bless your family now and in the future. – Sent from a pastor friend traveling on a mission trip.
“What a joy and blessing! The world is a better place because Samuel is here.”
“Hail the day that Samuel Fuller Williams entered the world – the newest sign of God’s love and promise towards creation.”
I agree with all of these of course! These words of grace are true for Samuel and they are equally true for each new child, each new life born into God’s world. Every life is sacred and holy.
Bethany and I are going to print these off and put them in Samuel’s baby book. I think I’m going to start passing these words on to others when they have children. They touched me so much and I hope they do you.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Holy Week
I know that you have already noticed some changes in this weekly newsletter; we are having fun trying a new format in hopes of communicating the ministry of Woodville UMC in an increasingly attractive, vibrant and spirit-filled way. We will continue to work on it being done well and used as both a tool for ministry and a ministry itself. I hope you enjoy the color photographs here, we won’t have color every week because of cost but we will fairly often. We have also moved some things around and hope to prioritize our “front page” items as those articles that meet the most current needs and the back page items focusing on the long term and the reports we are now calling our “evidences of fruitfulness.” This includes our worship and Sunday school attendance, our giving and our budget figures.
Last Sunday was as moving a Palm Sunday experience as I have ever experienced in my ministry. Thank you to the choir, soloists, instrumentalists and all who offered their gifts to God. You’ll also see highlighted in this newsletter the wonderful confirmation students that committed their lives to Christ and the church on Sunday. I look forward with great anticipation as I know you do, for the worship services this week on Thursday and Friday and of course on Easter Sunday.
I want to share a little about a special portion of our Maundy Thursday service that is new. We will of course celebrate the last supper Jesus shared with his disciples and this year we will also emulate another act that occurred in those last days Jesus had with his disciples – a foot washing experience. After the last supper in the Gospel of John, chapter 13, Jesus turned and began washing the disciples’ feet. Peter protested and said, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus said, “you do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Jesus’ response reminds us that all of us are called to be servants and share in the ministry of Jesus.
Our Emmaus group will lead us in a foot-washing service. All preparations are being made for there to be sterile cloths, hands and basins for that experience. It will be completely voluntary; you can observe and not participate. More will be said at the service about this but having participated in one before, I will tell you, it can be very powerful, after-all, Jesus did it and I am sure feet and hands were dirty then too. To allow your feet to be washed is a humbling experience and to wash someone else’s feet is also humbling. Again, your experience with Christ in this Holy Week/Lenten/Easter will be increased by the more you intentionally stay close to Christ.
Last Sunday was as moving a Palm Sunday experience as I have ever experienced in my ministry. Thank you to the choir, soloists, instrumentalists and all who offered their gifts to God. You’ll also see highlighted in this newsletter the wonderful confirmation students that committed their lives to Christ and the church on Sunday. I look forward with great anticipation as I know you do, for the worship services this week on Thursday and Friday and of course on Easter Sunday.
I want to share a little about a special portion of our Maundy Thursday service that is new. We will of course celebrate the last supper Jesus shared with his disciples and this year we will also emulate another act that occurred in those last days Jesus had with his disciples – a foot washing experience. After the last supper in the Gospel of John, chapter 13, Jesus turned and began washing the disciples’ feet. Peter protested and said, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus said, “you do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Jesus’ response reminds us that all of us are called to be servants and share in the ministry of Jesus.
Our Emmaus group will lead us in a foot-washing service. All preparations are being made for there to be sterile cloths, hands and basins for that experience. It will be completely voluntary; you can observe and not participate. More will be said at the service about this but having participated in one before, I will tell you, it can be very powerful, after-all, Jesus did it and I am sure feet and hands were dirty then too. To allow your feet to be washed is a humbling experience and to wash someone else’s feet is also humbling. Again, your experience with Christ in this Holy Week/Lenten/Easter will be increased by the more you intentionally stay close to Christ.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Palm Sunday and staff news
This Sunday, April 5th is an exciting day in the life of our church. Palm Sunday will be a glorious day filled with music and celebration. This year our children will lead us in a full processional from the back of the sanctuary to the front waving palm branches along with the congregation. We will hear our children’s choir sing and enjoy listening to the story of Jesus’ last entry into Jerusalem before the events of Holy Week.
This Sunday is also Confirmation Sunday. We have three youth who will be confirmed Sunday. Riley Shaw, Sana Moran and Madison Griffin will make professions of faith and become full members of Woodville United Methodist Church. I hope you will make a special point to be in worship this Sunday
We have exciting news also to report on our staff ministry team. Our Staff Parish Relations Committee has met and consulted with others and has begun to shape our staff in dynamic ways. We have decided at this time to focus on our summer ministry especially with youth. Jimmy Robertson will return to Woodville for a third summer but this time as our summer youth director. We are thrilled to welcome Jimmy back this time to lead our youth ministry for the summer months. Jimmy’s ministry has produced fruit in his relationships with youth and his leadership of Bible studies and participation at camps and retreats. In addition to her responsibilities as Children’s Ministries Director, Yolanda Griffin has agreed to take on additional responsibilities in youth ministry from April-August. Yolanda is going to work with volunteers and get us prepared for all the summer camps. I and the SPRC decided to focus on the important summer youth ministry and wait on hiring a year-round youth director until after the summer.
The third staff announcement is the exciting addition of a summer pastoral intern. Through the Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, Stephen Gehring is being sent to us for a 2 month period from mid-May through the end of July. His stipend salary is fully funded by the Texas Conference. Stephen is currently a sophomore at Southwestern University. He grew in College Station at Christ UMC and has been involved as a youth in many camp experiences. Stephen is discerning a call to pastoral ministry and participated in this program last summer at a different church. I’ll share with you more about his internship in the weeks to come but we are privileged to have this dynamic ministry team in place for the summer. Join me in thanking God for these blessings.
This Sunday is also Confirmation Sunday. We have three youth who will be confirmed Sunday. Riley Shaw, Sana Moran and Madison Griffin will make professions of faith and become full members of Woodville United Methodist Church. I hope you will make a special point to be in worship this Sunday
We have exciting news also to report on our staff ministry team. Our Staff Parish Relations Committee has met and consulted with others and has begun to shape our staff in dynamic ways. We have decided at this time to focus on our summer ministry especially with youth. Jimmy Robertson will return to Woodville for a third summer but this time as our summer youth director. We are thrilled to welcome Jimmy back this time to lead our youth ministry for the summer months. Jimmy’s ministry has produced fruit in his relationships with youth and his leadership of Bible studies and participation at camps and retreats. In addition to her responsibilities as Children’s Ministries Director, Yolanda Griffin has agreed to take on additional responsibilities in youth ministry from April-August. Yolanda is going to work with volunteers and get us prepared for all the summer camps. I and the SPRC decided to focus on the important summer youth ministry and wait on hiring a year-round youth director until after the summer.
The third staff announcement is the exciting addition of a summer pastoral intern. Through the Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, Stephen Gehring is being sent to us for a 2 month period from mid-May through the end of July. His stipend salary is fully funded by the Texas Conference. Stephen is currently a sophomore at Southwestern University. He grew in College Station at Christ UMC and has been involved as a youth in many camp experiences. Stephen is discerning a call to pastoral ministry and participated in this program last summer at a different church. I’ll share with you more about his internship in the weeks to come but we are privileged to have this dynamic ministry team in place for the summer. Join me in thanking God for these blessings.
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