PAGE 4 FRANK LIN UNIT E D ME T HO DIST CHURC H FRANKLIN UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Page 5 LENTEN SEASON WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES These worship opportunities have been planned to give each of us an opportunity to evaluate our lives and to determine if we are truly following in God’s way or our own way. May we search our hearts during this period of time and draw closer to God. Building Committee - Every Monday night 6:30pm Ladies Daytime bible study-Every Monday 1-3pm In the education building. ASH WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18 UMW - February 4th, 9:30AM in the activity kitchen This service will provide an opportunity of self-examination as we begin the Christian observance of Lent. Trustees - February 8th, Immediately after the worship service in the activity kitchen. Family Life - February 8th, after the Worship Service Quilters - February 9th & 23rd in activity kitchen Habitat for Humanity – February 9th, 5pm in activity kitchen. Finance - No meeting in February. The bank statement will be mailed out to each of the committee members. Next Admin Council Meeting will be on March 15th Average Attendance Offering Income Memorial Income Apportionments 72 $10,083.00 $695.00 $1,907.20 New Building Fund $35,900.00 given for the month of January WOMEN’S DAYTIME BIBLE STUDY This group meets on Mondays from 1-3pm in the Education Building. We will begin the In & Out Precepts Ministries study of 2 Peter How to Be Kept From Falling on Monday, February 2nd, This is an 8-week study with a great group of ladies from the community. Call Beth Vickers @ 828-5652 or 255-1406 to order a study book if you wish to join us. 6:00 p.m. Soup Supper in Activates Building provided by The Worship Committee. An assortment of soups and breads. 6:30 p.m. Ash Wednesday Service in Activities Building Service Imposition of Ashes. COMMUNITY WIDE LENTEN DEVOTIONAL & LUCHEON Everyone is Invited This is a grand time each Wednesday during Lent when all churches come together at 12:05 p.m. in the Activities Building for a Devotional given by one of our local ministers. Lunch will be provided at 12:30 by the members of that same church. Working people will have time to come, hear, eat and return to work by 1:00 p.m. This worship opportunity has become so popular and some of our Wednesdays had as many as 80 attendees. Pastor Polly is already talking with the pastors to see when they would like to speak. The dates will be filled by early February and that information published. The dates for this year are: February 25 March 4 Blan Chrane Church of Christ Franklin March 11 Mitch Harper First Baptist Franklin March 18 March 25 April 1 Freddy Burden New Baden Baptist A Love Offering will be accepted at the luncheon, which will be for the Ministerial Alliance and their work. Hello FUMC, What an exciting time at the preschool! We have gotten a few new friends, which brings our enrollment to 43. We are also saying goodbye to Mrs. Jessica Phillips, she has accepted a fulltime position, and hello to Ms. Christina Martin! PALM SUNDAY, MARCH 29TH A special service to hear and remember once again Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. 9:00 a.m. Sunday School 10:15 a.m. Worship Service Our 2nd annual Daddy-Daughter Dinner & Dance will take place on February 21st. Please be in prayer for this event, as it is a much needed fundraiser for our school. If you are interested in helping, please call me at 512-626-7202. HOLY THURSDAY, APRIL 2ND, 7:00 P.M. Thank you all for your continued support of this amazing program! With love, LeAnn Lennie A time to come together and remember once again Christ celebrating The Last Supper with his Disciples in the Upper Room. Communion will be served. FRANKLIN UNITED METHODIST CHURCH PAGE 6 FRANK LIN UNIT E D ME T HO DIST CHURC H PAGE 3 Youth News: Valentine Dinner Tickets are for sale and the youth are hard at work selling them all. Please support the youth in Missions and Ministry by purchasing a Valentine Dinner Ticket. They are also enjoying turning their Sunday School room into a youth room, decorating and painting. Go by and show your support and encourage them. They are studying about Timothy in Sunday School. On Wednesday nights they are learning how to stretch your love of God. God Bless Tammy Sexton Quilters News: The quilters will meet on February 9th and 23rd. We will discuss the next project. We will be planning a “Road Trip”. Peggy February 1 February 8 Barbara Eller Sebie Harris February 15 February 22 Drew Neyland Grady Harris It's February, the month of Love! F.U.M.C. Church Family, As you all know, we have embarked on a journey to erect a new building to be a place of worship for our church family and an outreach to our community. Although it is a huge undertaking, it will be a testimony to our faith in God’s provision and a response to His faithfulness. Because of this great need, we have agreed to start the ball rolling with full faith that you all will use your gifts, talents and resources to make this a reality. There will be rick off catered luncheon on March 1st, after the worship service, to begin our journey. Please be in prayer for this project and your role in it. We are open to any questions or comments you may have. Blessings, Andy & Cathy Reed (979) 828-1776 [email protected] "This is my commandment...that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15:12. "The Sonshine Strummers have added "Let me Call You Sweetheart" to the line-up. It swells our hearts to see the nursing home and retirement home residents smile and sing along with us. That's what the band is all about. We are still trying to get a Praise Band started for Sunday services. We are on the look out for a drummer and a bass player. We also need more soloists and duets for specials. Just let me know if you want to sing and I'll practice with you. These Lilies may be placed by members In Honor or In Memory of loved ones and fiends. The cost is $15.00 each “Sing”cerely, Rhonda Envelopes for Lily Orders will be available with the Ushers Beginning March 15th. LENT: A TIME TO GROW Come join us this Lenten Season for a Potluck Supper Program every Sunday night in Lent @ 5:00pm. The first Sunday of Lent is February 22nd. We will bring a soup or salad to share or something to go with (bread, crackers, etc.). EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 5TH 8:45 to 9:30 a.m. The short program on February 22nd will focus on giving to others during this season of reflection. Each family unit will craft a beautiful bowl to grace their kitchen table as a reminder to pray for the needs of others. This bowl can also serve as a collection spot for Lenten mission offerings. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to fellowship together as we grow in our faith. All ages welcome. Easter Lilies Will Decorate Our Worship Service on Easter Sunday Let’s all make welcome the newest grandbaby of the Standing family. Easter Breakfast in Activities Bldg. Egg Casseroles Sausage Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast Breads and Muffins Fruit Juice, milk and coffee 10:15 a.m. Frank Perry & Kenner Reinhardt Worship Service Caden Robert Perez born Jan. 21st 8lbs 4oz 20 1/4 inches long. His parents Justin & Kimberly Perez are overjoyed with God’s great gift. PAGE 2 Polly’s Pondering Eric Michael (Air Force) February Birthday’s Bryce McKinney (Army) "Jesus said...whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water, welling up to eternal life." John 4:14 Chris Pennington (Air Force, Afghanistan) Benjamin Standing (National Guard) My Granddaughter had been studying Martin Luther King Jr., at school and she asked me if I knew who he was. I told her I did. Then I asked her if she knew he was a preacher, who in fact got a C+ in preaching class. She asked me what a C+ meant and I told her it meant a little more than average. Then I remembered... I was watching a program late one night. Martin Luther King Jr., was a young relatively unknown man, just starting to answer his call. I was in awe of God's calling of such a young preacher to such a great undertaking. If he was anything like me, just starting out as a pastor was terribly intimidating. I was absolutely sure, and yet, still in awe that God would call one such as me to such a position. I felt so inadequate to the task. After all, this was the Gospel, the Good News, the very Word of God I was to share. And even more humbling was the fact that others just might change their lives because of something I was inspired to share with them. It was a mentor pastor that reminded me that I did not go forth alone. God had claimed me at my baptism, He had promised to equip me to each task that I would be called to undertake, and I did not need to defend the Word of God but rather present the Word of God for it was and is still stronger than any two edged sword. The Gospel truth had been shared for more than 2,000 years and no matter what I would do, it would go on. Even if I would mess up, say the wrong thing at the wrong time or fail to speak a profound word at just the right time, God would always know my motivations and my heart. And He alone would be able to use all that I would do or say for His glory and His good for those who love the Lord. Maybe that is why, a C+ preaching student, named Martin Luther King, Jr. had the courage to speak with power and conviction while delivering one of the most powerful sermons ever known, “...I have a dream that one day…”. God claimed him at his baptism and never let him go. Was there fear at stepping out in such a public fashion? Oh I think so. Did he know how hard it would be for acts of peacefulness to be demonstrated in places where acts of violence might be performed in response? Oh I most certainly think so. So, I asked myself how he empowered others to walk with him and to go forth with courage? To stand in peacefulness as the water hoses were turned on them; the force of which swept them off their feet. I had long drifted off into my own world of thought and ponder, when the answer was given from the T.V. screen. How did we stand in the face of the water hoses? Because Martin Luther King, Jr. reminded us, we had always been a people of the water. I don't know for sure, but I am pretty confident that the comment referred to God's continual salvation through water, from flood, and parted seas, water springing forth from rock, born of a virgin's womb, and repentance given in the waters of the Jordan, healing pools, springs of living water, to waters of baptism that transitions one from death to self and raises them to new life in Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Those waters, are our waters too. They still remind us that God is not done with us. He calls us to acts of peace and love. He calls us to serve in and out of the church. He calls us to live our faith in our homes, our schools, our communities, as well as in our churches. He reminds us that following him will require us to take up a cross - his cross - one uniquely designed for us to carry. It will not be easy and it will require more of us than that which we think we are capable. But we are and have always been people of the water. We have the power to undertake anything to which we are called in order that we can speak a word of Truth and share the Word of God, unashamed, with conviction, power, peaceful determination and always with love. We, like Martin Luther King, Jr. are just ordinary people called to serve an extraordinary God, who uses our weaknesses for His good will. PAGE 7 FRANK LIN UNIT E D ME T HO DIST CHURC H PFC Joseph Pawley (Army, Afghanistan) February Anniversaries 22nd Kenner & Elizabeth Reinhardt 2nd Kristi Kissinger 19th Grady Harris 5th Anne Vickers Ronald Gresham 20th Nan Kellum 6th Ruth Schultz 9th Warren Kastner 12th Wayne Huggins 14th Ervin Homann 22nd Anisa Zahn 23rd George Permann 25th Lou Whatley 26th Christopher Zahn 27th Clarissa Rodriguez 16th John Callaway February Mission will be to support our Youth in Ministry and Mission Projects. They participate in UMARMY, Habitat for Humanity, Twin Mission to help serve at the kitchen, Church Camp and Mid Winter Camp, Hospital Visit with children, and Clothes Closet and many other things. Money given at the Communion rail and during the month of February will go to Youth Mission and Ministries. Please make all checks Youth Missions and Ministries. To keep the prayer list as up-to-date as possible, please contact the church office with any changes to the specific need for each one on the list. Tom Fuller - cancer (Beth Vicker’s brother) Countney Carver Ted Mikeska Joyetta Misterek - cancer Kaystal Shumaker Georgia Jones - Gary Shumaker’s mother F R ANK LIN UN I TED METHO DIS T CHUR C H P.O. Box 556 Franklin, Texas 77856 February 2015 Sun Mon 1 2 Ladies Bible Study 1-3 Tue Wed 3 4 Preschool 7-3pm Youth Fellowship 6 Ukulele-Watercrest Baby Love 3:30-4:30 Thu 5 Emmaus Men’s Breakfast 6:30am PAGE 1 PAGE 8 F R AN K LIN U N IT ED M ET HO D IST C HU RC H Phone: 979-828-3355 Fax: 979-828-3355 E-mail: [email protected] Fri Sat 6 7 13 14 February 2015 Preschool 7-3pm Lay ReaderBarbara Eller 8 Today is food pantry Sunday 9 10 Quilters Preschool 7-3pm 11 Ladies Bible Study 1-3 Baby Love 3:30-4:30 Praise Choir 5:45 Youth Fellowship 6 Ukulele 6:15 12 Emmaus Men’s Breakfast 6:30am Youth Valentine Dinner 6pm Preschool 7-3pm Family Life after the Worship Service Lay ReaderSebie Harris 16 15 Ladies Bible Study 1-3 Lenten Supper 5pm Lay ReaderGrady Harris 18 Preschool 7-3pm Ash Wednesday service 6:30pm Baby Love 3:30-4:30 Lay ReaderDrew Neyland 22 17 Emmaus Men’s Breakfast 6:30am 20 Mid-Winter 21 MOPS in educ. bldg. 12-5pm Preschool 7-3pm Newsletter articles due! 23 24 Quilters Preschool 7-3pm Building & Location Meeting @ district. 6pm Baby Love 3:30-4:30 Ladies Bible Study 1-3 19 25 Lenten Service 12:00 Praise Choir 5:45 Youth Fellowship 6 Ukulele 6:15 26 Emmaus Men’s Breakfast 6:30am Visit us on the web www.umc-franklin.org Purpose Statement Franklin United Methodist Church is a fellowship of believers who have come together as a family of faith. Together we have established the following purpose, vision, and mission statements: Purpose: “Willing and ready to follow and serve Jesus Christ.” 27 28 Vision: “Franklin UMC shares God’s love, Christ’s sacrifice, and our faith for the salvation of the world. Mission: “We believe in Jesus Christ whom we follow, serve, and share. Preschool 7-3pm Key Verse: February 1 Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Psalm 111 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 Mark 1:21-28 February 8 Isaiah 40:21-31 Psalm 147:1-11, 20c 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 Mark 1:29-39 February 15 2 Kings 2:1-12 Psalm 50-16 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 Mark 9:2-9 February 22 Genesis 9:8-17 Psalm 25:1-10 1 Peter 3:18-22 Mark 1:9-15 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16 & 17