Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Prayer
October 26, 2011
This morning’s Upper Room devotional spoke to me. Being still and silent challenges many of
us. Where do we find time to be still
and silent before the Lord? If you are
like me, it doesn’t happen without intentionality.
I remember a Prayer Guide that was developed by The
Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference Council on Ministries. It challenged persons to pray for five
unchurched people during the Lenten season.
Each day’s prayer guide began with a statement about realizing you are
in the presence of God. Here are a
couple of the ways it was put:
Get
comfortable. Realize that you are in The
Presence, receiving special attention, as you join God in love and concern for
each of the Five.
Get
comfortable. Become aware of the
presence of God within you and about you.
Prepare yourself with expectation to receive some new truth from the
scripture you are about to read.
I need to remind myself to be
still and become aware of God’s presence.
Without such an intentional commitment to be still, I tend to rush
through my petitions without ever sensing God’s presence.
This week, some of the staff was
talking about prayer and one mentioned writing her prayers. I have practiced that at times in my life. Writing my prayer helps me stay focused. It also helps me look at my prayer
times. Am I giving God praise and
adoration or simply asking things of God.
If you want an example of written
prayers, look at the Psalms. Many of the
Psalms are prayers. In the Psalms, the
Psalmist pours out his heart to God.
Sometimes he offers praise and adoration, at other times he offers
confession, petitions and intercessions.
This Sunday, our Youth will be
giving leadership to our Sunday morning services. Be in prayer for them and for Micah Dormann
as he brings the message. Then on Sunday
evening we will have “The Resolution Service.”
We have copies of “The Resolution” used in the movie Courageous and also
a women’s version. There will time in
the service for families to come to the altar to reaffirm their commitments to
one another using these resolutions. If
you plan to participate in signing the resolution during the service, please
communicate with Marcia Cuellar, so we will have enough copies. (mcuellar@gmvumc.org)
Monday night, October 31, is our
Harvest Hoedown. That needs to be on
your prayer list. Especially pray for a
door to open to any undiscipled person who attends. While it is a night of fun and games, our
main focus is to become all things to all people in order to reach one for
Jesus.
We expect a few thousand to come
to the Harvest Hoedown. I understand we
could still use some more candy and trunks for “Trunk or Treat.” Find where they are having sales on candy and
purchase a large bag or two. If you want
to volunteer to help, contact Amy Sizemore (asizemore@gmvumc.org).
As always, your responses to these
Reflections are welcome. You can
email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
The Ministry of Hospitality
The other night, Gina and I went to a nice restaurant in the
greater Birmingham area. We met there,
for we were coming from different places.
I arrived first, was greeted by the host and taken to our table. The waitress came quickly to welcome me and
ask if she could get me something to drink while I waited. But that was the end of the quickly.
A couple was sitting in the same area that the waitress
knew. The rest of the night, we were
waiting on her. The people she knew
became her priority, not us. When we
finished, we waited several minutes as she stood at her friends’ table talking,
trying to get her attention so we could get our check and pay our bill. If that had been my first time there, I
probably would not have been impressed enough to come back. You see, the quality of the meal is only part
of the restaurant experience. The whole
experience plays a part in whether or not we will return.
As I have reflected on that experience, I remembered an
article Dan Reiland wrote on connection.
He used a similar experience to illustrate the importance of hospitality
when the Church gathers. He wrote; “This idea of connection is the same in your church. Whether
you are part of a chain, or a mom and pop café, or an independent, people want
to connect with your experience or they're not coming back. And keep in mind, it's not all about the meal
(sermon), it's the whole experience.”
Dan then raised the question,
“Connection on whose terms?” Here is how
he responded:
I think it's best to set the
connection to the environment on their (the guests’) terms and set the
connection to the church mission on your (church leaders’) terms. It's often
done just the opposite in many churches.
Here's what I mean. When you set the connection based on the new person's
experience, you set the environment to make them feel at home. So we make the
space itself feel good, we have a Coffee Shop for the fancy stuff, and free
coffee stations too, the aroma is important. The dress is casual, we don't make
visitors stand, we don't make them were a name tag that says "Hey
everybody, look at me, I'm new, I don't belong here." They don't have to
do anything, say anything, or commit to anything to come to church. Those are
the terms new people love when trying a church. And like a restaurant, they
know real fast if they like it or not.
In churches where the environment is set on the church leaders' terms, the
guest is required to embrace any number of things such as dressing a certain
way, wear a name badge, sit in a special section, stand up, go to a room,
accept a visit, meet the pastor after the service, and the list goes on. All
these things can be good, but keep in mind one crucial issue, your guest might
not want to!
You’ve
probably heard the expression, “First Impressions Matter.” Many point out that guest begin to form their
first impressions when the pull on the church campus. Have the church members taken all the good
parking spaces? Last Sunday I watched a
church family park in a parking space marked for visitors and most of the
parking around the Family Ministry Building was taken by those of us who are
here to serve. What kind of first
impressions does that make for a young family with children, who have to park
in the upper parking lot and find their way first to the place of worship and
then to the nursery?
And
when persons enter the building, are we there welcoming them or have we huddled
in our little groups? The same could be
asked of Sunday school classes. I was
talking to a person recently who had visited one of the larger Sunday school
classes. He said no one spoke to them (he
and his wife) when they visited the class.
I
regularly hear persons talk about the friendliness of Gardendale-Mt.
Vernon. Apparently we do make some
pretty good first impressions. The
restaurant I ate at generally does. But
that night, the waitress’ focus was somewhere else. It reminded me how important it is for us to
be very intentional Sunday after Sunday, Wednesday after Wednesday. When we don’t put our best foot forward, a
person may not get connected.
As always, your responses to these
Reflections are welcome. You can
email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
greater Birmingham area. We met there,
for we were coming from different places.
I arrived first, was greeted by the host and taken to our table. The waitress came quickly to welcome me and
ask if she could get me something to drink while I waited. But that was the end of the quickly.
A couple was sitting in the same area that the waitress
knew. The rest of the night, we were
waiting on her. The people she knew
became her priority, not us. When we
finished, we waited several minutes as she stood at her friends’ table talking,
trying to get her attention so we could get our check and pay our bill. If that had been my first time there, I
probably would not have been impressed enough to come back. You see, the quality of the meal is only part
of the restaurant experience. The whole
experience plays a part in whether or not we will return.
As I have reflected on that experience, I remembered an
article Dan Reiland wrote on connection.
He used a similar experience to illustrate the importance of hospitality
when the Church gathers. He wrote; “This idea of connection is the same in your church. Whether
you are part of a chain, or a mom and pop café, or an independent, people want
to connect with your experience or they're not coming back. And keep in mind, it's not all about the meal
(sermon), it's the whole experience.”
Dan then raised the question,
“Connection on whose terms?” Here is how
he responded:
I think it's best to set the
connection to the environment on their (the guests’) terms and set the
connection to the church mission on your (church leaders’) terms. It's often
done just the opposite in many churches.
Here's what I mean. When you set the connection based on the new person's
experience, you set the environment to make them feel at home. So we make the
space itself feel good, we have a Coffee Shop for the fancy stuff, and free
coffee stations too, the aroma is important. The dress is casual, we don't make
visitors stand, we don't make them were a name tag that says "Hey
everybody, look at me, I'm new, I don't belong here." They don't have to
do anything, say anything, or commit to anything to come to church. Those are
the terms new people love when trying a church. And like a restaurant, they
know real fast if they like it or not.
In churches where the environment is set on the church leaders' terms, the
guest is required to embrace any number of things such as dressing a certain
way, wear a name badge, sit in a special section, stand up, go to a room,
accept a visit, meet the pastor after the service, and the list goes on. All
these things can be good, but keep in mind one crucial issue, your guest might
not want to!
You’ve
probably heard the expression, “First Impressions Matter.” Many point out that guest begin to form their
first impressions when the pull on the church campus. Have the church members taken all the good
parking spaces? Last Sunday I watched a
church family park in a parking space marked for visitors and most of the
parking around the Family Ministry Building was taken by those of us who are
here to serve. What kind of first
impressions does that make for a young family with children, who have to park
in the upper parking lot and find their way first to the place of worship and
then to the nursery?
And
when persons enter the building, are we there welcoming them or have we huddled
in our little groups? The same could be
asked of Sunday school classes. I was
talking to a person recently who had visited one of the larger Sunday school
classes. He said no one spoke to them (he
and his wife) when they visited the class.
I
regularly hear persons talk about the friendliness of Gardendale-Mt.
Vernon. Apparently we do make some
pretty good first impressions. The
restaurant I ate at generally does. But
that night, the waitress’ focus was somewhere else. It reminded me how important it is for us to
be very intentional Sunday after Sunday, Wednesday after Wednesday. When we don’t put our best foot forward, a
person may not get connected.
As always, your responses to these
Reflections are welcome. You can
email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
What does a healthy family look like?
First of all, we have canceled our Wednesday activities for this evening, April 27. We know that some have dealt with power outage and fallen trees already this morning. The weather people tell us that more storms could be on the way.
Now to the question, “What does a healthy Family look like?” That is a question that Dr. Nick Stinnett, chairman of the Department of Human Development and the Family at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, set out to answer. Dr. Stinnett led a major international research project to learn the secrets of strong families. His studies included traditional families, single parent families and blended families. It included families from different racial backgrounds across North America, South America, Switzerland, Austria, Germany and South Africa.
Dr. Stinnett’s findings were discussed at a national forum on the family held in Washington, D.C. The content of those discussions are present in a book edited by Dr. George Rekers entitled, Family Building: Six Qualities of a Strong Family.
In the study led by Dr. Stinnett, 3,000 families were interviewed. Each one, regardless of its back-ground, rated very high on marriage happiness and in their satisfaction with parent-child relationships. A considerable amount of information was collected, but, according to Dr. Stinnett, when thoroughly analyzed it boiled down to six major qualities. Those six qualities are the focus of the book and discussion I just mentioned.
Here are those six qualities that Dr. Stinnett found strong, to which healthy families are committed: (1) Are committed to the family; (2) Spend time together; (3) Have good family communications; (4) Express appreciation to each other; (5) Have a spiritual commitment; and (6) Are able to solve problems in a crisis. (Nick Stinnett, Family Building: Six Qualities of a Strong Family, p. 38) His research also showed that these qualities did not just happen. They are the result of “deliberate intention and practice.”
His finding should not surprise us, for they come right out of the scriptures. We will look at some of these scriptural teachings about family in our May Message Series, “Keys to Healthy Families.” Our focus will be how to apply these teachings to our family, regardless of the make up of our family.
To kick of this Family Month, we will have a Family Movie Night, this Friday, April 29, 7:00 PM., at the Gardendale Amphitheater, which is located at the Civic Center. The movie will be the blockbuster hit, Despicable Me. It is a story of how the love of three children changed a criminal from super bad to a super dad. Admission is Free. Chick-fil-A will be there along with other concessions. So bring your lawn chairs, blankets, invite your friends and join in this night at the movies.
To help us grow healthier families, we are offering several great Wednesday night opportunities beginning May 4th.
For Couples: “Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage” – Video based Marriage Enrichment Experience.
For Household Leaders: “The Family God Uses” – A study on how to be a family that can join God in the work of His Kingdom.
For Single Mothers: “Small Group for Single Mothers”
For Persons Needing to Get Physically Healthier – “Healthy Eating and Exercise” - A class led by Ray Whittaker.
Don’t forget the Yard Sale for Missions, this weekend. They will be receiving items for sale on Thursday and the sale will be Friday and Saturday.
In addition, the Young Adult Ministry Team is having a Plant Sale for Missions on Saturday. This is an opportunity to get your hanging and bedding plants and also raise funds for missions.
Finally, the Trip to the Land of the Bible is on for February 2012. There will be a meeting about this opportunity this Sunday, May 1, at 5:00 PM. If you think you might be interested, you are invited to come to the Small Dinning Room for this informational meeting. We will talk about the proposed trip and the possibility of also spending a few extra days serving with Bridges for Peace, one of the mission ministries we support.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Now to the question, “What does a healthy Family look like?” That is a question that Dr. Nick Stinnett, chairman of the Department of Human Development and the Family at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, set out to answer. Dr. Stinnett led a major international research project to learn the secrets of strong families. His studies included traditional families, single parent families and blended families. It included families from different racial backgrounds across North America, South America, Switzerland, Austria, Germany and South Africa.
Dr. Stinnett’s findings were discussed at a national forum on the family held in Washington, D.C. The content of those discussions are present in a book edited by Dr. George Rekers entitled, Family Building: Six Qualities of a Strong Family.
In the study led by Dr. Stinnett, 3,000 families were interviewed. Each one, regardless of its back-ground, rated very high on marriage happiness and in their satisfaction with parent-child relationships. A considerable amount of information was collected, but, according to Dr. Stinnett, when thoroughly analyzed it boiled down to six major qualities. Those six qualities are the focus of the book and discussion I just mentioned.
Here are those six qualities that Dr. Stinnett found strong, to which healthy families are committed: (1) Are committed to the family; (2) Spend time together; (3) Have good family communications; (4) Express appreciation to each other; (5) Have a spiritual commitment; and (6) Are able to solve problems in a crisis. (Nick Stinnett, Family Building: Six Qualities of a Strong Family, p. 38) His research also showed that these qualities did not just happen. They are the result of “deliberate intention and practice.”
His finding should not surprise us, for they come right out of the scriptures. We will look at some of these scriptural teachings about family in our May Message Series, “Keys to Healthy Families.” Our focus will be how to apply these teachings to our family, regardless of the make up of our family.
To kick of this Family Month, we will have a Family Movie Night, this Friday, April 29, 7:00 PM., at the Gardendale Amphitheater, which is located at the Civic Center. The movie will be the blockbuster hit, Despicable Me. It is a story of how the love of three children changed a criminal from super bad to a super dad. Admission is Free. Chick-fil-A will be there along with other concessions. So bring your lawn chairs, blankets, invite your friends and join in this night at the movies.
To help us grow healthier families, we are offering several great Wednesday night opportunities beginning May 4th.
For Couples: “Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage” – Video based Marriage Enrichment Experience.
For Household Leaders: “The Family God Uses” – A study on how to be a family that can join God in the work of His Kingdom.
For Single Mothers: “Small Group for Single Mothers”
For Persons Needing to Get Physically Healthier – “Healthy Eating and Exercise” - A class led by Ray Whittaker.
Don’t forget the Yard Sale for Missions, this weekend. They will be receiving items for sale on Thursday and the sale will be Friday and Saturday.
In addition, the Young Adult Ministry Team is having a Plant Sale for Missions on Saturday. This is an opportunity to get your hanging and bedding plants and also raise funds for missions.
Finally, the Trip to the Land of the Bible is on for February 2012. There will be a meeting about this opportunity this Sunday, May 1, at 5:00 PM. If you think you might be interested, you are invited to come to the Small Dinning Room for this informational meeting. We will talk about the proposed trip and the possibility of also spending a few extra days serving with Bridges for Peace, one of the mission ministries we support.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
24 Hours Was Not The End
The television show “24” was unique in that each season looked at 24 hours in the life of Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each episode generally covered one hour of the 24 hour season. The show came to a close about a year ago, after eight seasons.
Jesus’ last 24 hours ended with His body being placed in the tomb. John tells us that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus placed Jesus’ body in a tomb that belonged to Joseph. During this Lenten season we have looked at some of the key events in those last 24 hours, beginning with the Passover Meal.
But in the case of Jesus, His last hour was not really His last. His story does not end with the tomb. On Sunday morning, as grieving followers approached the tomb, one of their concerns was, “Who will roll the stone away.” But to their surprise, the stone had been rolled away and Jesus had been resurrected. Sunday morning brought a New Day, a New Hope, a New Life. That’s what we celebrate on Easter. Death could not hold our Lord.
This week we have the opportunity to experience again the Last Supper and the Cross in very unique worship experiences. Thursday night at 6:30 PM, our worship ministries will lead us in a musical-drama entitled “The Living Last Supper.” This will conclude with the celebration of Holy Communion. Then on Friday night at 6:30 PM, our worship ministries will lead us in a musical-drama entitled “The Living Last Words.” This will be a unique look at the cross. Invite someone to join you for these special worship experiences.
Then on Saturday night and Sunday morning we will have four opportunities to celebrate the New Day of Easter. Again this year we will have a Saturday evening Easter Celebration at 6:30 PM. This will be a contemporary service in the gym. On Sunday morning, we will have the three Sunday Easter Celebrations at 8:30, 9:45 and 11:00.
Easter this year is the latest it can be. The following Sunday is the first Sunday of May. On the Church Calendar the first week of May is Festival of the Christian Home. That week concludes with Mother’s Day. On some calendars, the days between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are known as Family Month. With that in mind, we are taking the Month of May to focus on families. I’m going to be preaching a series of messages entitled, “Keys to Healthy Families.”
We are kicking off the month with a Family Night at the movies, Friday, April 29, 7:00. This will be at the Ampitheather at the Gardendale Civic Center. Chick-fil-a will be there as part of the concessions for the evening. The movie will be Despicable Me. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets, invite your neighbors and friends, and join in this night of fellowship.
To help us grow healthier families, we are offering several great Wednesday night opportunities beginning May 4th. There will be a Marriage Enrichment video based opportunity, a family/parent opportunity and a new study for single moms. More information on these will be in next week’s Connection. Regardless of the make up of your family, you will find an opportunity for you.
Next week is always our next Yard Sale for Missions. In addition to the Yard Sale, our Young Adult Ministry Team will have a Plant sale, with the money going to our Mission Ministries. This is a good time to clean out your closets, the money will support our Volunteer In Mission Teams.
Chuck Waller and I have been planning a trip to the Holy Land for next February. This will be an opportunity to tour the Lands of the Bible and for those who want to, spend a few days serving with Bridges for Peace. If you would be interested in such a trip, let me know as soon as possible. Some have asked about the price. That will be somewhat determined by the amount of interest. But a ball park would be around $3,000 for the basic trip, plus taxes and any insurance that you take out.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Jesus’ last 24 hours ended with His body being placed in the tomb. John tells us that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus placed Jesus’ body in a tomb that belonged to Joseph. During this Lenten season we have looked at some of the key events in those last 24 hours, beginning with the Passover Meal.
But in the case of Jesus, His last hour was not really His last. His story does not end with the tomb. On Sunday morning, as grieving followers approached the tomb, one of their concerns was, “Who will roll the stone away.” But to their surprise, the stone had been rolled away and Jesus had been resurrected. Sunday morning brought a New Day, a New Hope, a New Life. That’s what we celebrate on Easter. Death could not hold our Lord.
This week we have the opportunity to experience again the Last Supper and the Cross in very unique worship experiences. Thursday night at 6:30 PM, our worship ministries will lead us in a musical-drama entitled “The Living Last Supper.” This will conclude with the celebration of Holy Communion. Then on Friday night at 6:30 PM, our worship ministries will lead us in a musical-drama entitled “The Living Last Words.” This will be a unique look at the cross. Invite someone to join you for these special worship experiences.
Then on Saturday night and Sunday morning we will have four opportunities to celebrate the New Day of Easter. Again this year we will have a Saturday evening Easter Celebration at 6:30 PM. This will be a contemporary service in the gym. On Sunday morning, we will have the three Sunday Easter Celebrations at 8:30, 9:45 and 11:00.
Easter this year is the latest it can be. The following Sunday is the first Sunday of May. On the Church Calendar the first week of May is Festival of the Christian Home. That week concludes with Mother’s Day. On some calendars, the days between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are known as Family Month. With that in mind, we are taking the Month of May to focus on families. I’m going to be preaching a series of messages entitled, “Keys to Healthy Families.”
We are kicking off the month with a Family Night at the movies, Friday, April 29, 7:00. This will be at the Ampitheather at the Gardendale Civic Center. Chick-fil-a will be there as part of the concessions for the evening. The movie will be Despicable Me. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets, invite your neighbors and friends, and join in this night of fellowship.
To help us grow healthier families, we are offering several great Wednesday night opportunities beginning May 4th. There will be a Marriage Enrichment video based opportunity, a family/parent opportunity and a new study for single moms. More information on these will be in next week’s Connection. Regardless of the make up of your family, you will find an opportunity for you.
Next week is always our next Yard Sale for Missions. In addition to the Yard Sale, our Young Adult Ministry Team will have a Plant sale, with the money going to our Mission Ministries. This is a good time to clean out your closets, the money will support our Volunteer In Mission Teams.
Chuck Waller and I have been planning a trip to the Holy Land for next February. This will be an opportunity to tour the Lands of the Bible and for those who want to, spend a few days serving with Bridges for Peace. If you would be interested in such a trip, let me know as soon as possible. Some have asked about the price. That will be somewhat determined by the amount of interest. But a ball park would be around $3,000 for the basic trip, plus taxes and any insurance that you take out.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Praying That People Come to Know Jesus
I came upon this story about Arthur F. Burns, who served as an economic counselor to a number of presidents from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Ronald Regan. He also served as chairman of the United States Federal Reserve System and as an ambassador to West Germany. He was a man who opinions carried a lot of weight in Washington. Arthur Burns was also a Jew. When he began attending an informational White House Christian prayer group in the 1970’s, others in the group were not sure how to involve him. Different persons gave leadership to the prayer time each week and the leader would call upon someone to close in prayer. Weeks passed and no one called upon Arthur Burns to lead in prayer. Then, one week, another newcomer to the group was leading and he did not know that Burns’ was a Jew. As the prayer meeting ended, the newcomer turned to Arthur Burns and asked him to close the time with prayer. Some of the old-timers glanced at each other in surprise and wondered what would happen. Without missing a beat, Arthur Burns reached out, held hands with others in the circle, and prayed this prayer: “Lord, I pray that you bring Jews to know Jesus Christ. I pray that you bring Muslims to know Jesus Christ. Finally, Lord, I pray that you bring Christians to know Jesus Christ. Amen.” I cannot think of a more important prayer for us to pray than for persons to come to know Jesus Christ. Jesus is the way to a restored relationship with God. He is the truth that is unchanging and always relevant. And, He is the source of life that is abundant and eternal. He is the one and only Savior. Everyone needs to know Jesus. I also cannot think of a more appropriate prayer that we could pray for our neighbors, friends, family and other connections than that they come to know Jesus Christ. Holy Week Easter is a great time to put some feet to those prayers with an invitation to worship with you. You can pick up some of the invitational cards that were in the bulletin Sunday to help you make that invitation to others. This Saturday would be a good time to join others in praying that persons come to know Jesus Christ. Our Holy Week Prayer Vigil will be from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon. It will be held in the chapel. Come an spend some time in prayer. The Magnolia Festival is this Friday and Saturday. We will have a tent there. And could still use volunteers to take a time at the tent. You can contact Jenn Bryant for times, jbryant@gmvumc.org Sunday afternoon is our OLD FASHIONED EGG HUNT that will be held at Black Creek Park. All the fun begins at 3:30. We will have a Church Family picnic at 5:00 and then worship at 6:00. Bring your picnic basket, with a little extra for our guest, and invite someone to join you in this afternoon of fellowship and worship. Don’t forget one of our Outreach Ministries is the Children’s Home Easter Egg Hunt. Children from across Alabama who are in our United Methodist Group Homes will gather at Camp Sumatanga on April 23, for a great day of fellowship that is led by Clyde and Brenda Cork. They need our help in providing the prizes for the eggs. You can mark your donations for “Children’s Home Egg Hunt.” As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Serving God's Children
Most Sundays as I move from the 8:30 service in the sanctuary to the 9:45 service in the gym, I pass one of God’s special children waiting for his “Sunday Granny”. Ethan is a special needs child who has captured the hearts of several ladies in our church. These “Sunday Grannies” keep him during the 9:45 service so his parents can be in worship. Often times they will be in the lobby of the Family Ministry Building as I leave that service. There is a special bond that has developed between Ethan and those who stay with him during that hour. Even more, they experience Jesus in each other.
This week, I visited Ethan in the hospital. His mother expressed appreciation for those who serve as his “Sunday Grannies.” As I left his hospital room, I remembered the words of Jesus, “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” (Matthew 19:13; NRSV) I give thanks for those who serve children.
Ethan is not the only child in our church family who is confined to a wheelchair. Every Wednesday during chapel we have another child who makes his way in and out of the sanctuary in his wheelchair. He is able to join his class in most activities, except he cannot get around on our playground, because presently our playground is not handicap accessible.
One of the goals of our Children’s Ministries is to change this by raising funds for a new Handicap Accessible Playground. The Child Enrichment Center is sponsoring a Golf Tournament on Saturday, May 14th. It will be held at the Cullman Municipal Golf Course. You don’t have to be a golfer to help make this tournament a success. The real key to a successful Golf Tournament is sponsorships where most of the money is raised. There will be “hole sponsorships,” as well as some creative sponsorships such as “trees” and “sand-bunkers.” Some of us will see those signs more than once as they are in the center of the fairway. You can contact Gina Guess gguess@gmvumc.org or Kay Moman kmoman@gmvumc.org for information on sponsorships.
Along with sponsorships, another key to a successful Golf Tournament is the prizes. The goal is to have enough door prizes so that each golfer gets one. Door prizes can range from a certificate for a meal or haircut, to gift cards, golf balls, even a weekend at a lake home or beach condo. As you think about door prizes, remember there will be male and female golfers in the tournament.
Of course, golfers are vital to a successful tournament. We have people who have helped with other golf tournaments helping in the planning of this one. Pass on the date to the golfers you know. You can get register by going to the church web page, www.gmvumc.org. Information on the Golf Tournament is in the scrolling announcements, and also under the Child Enrichment Center tab.
Another ministry of our church has been the Easter Egg Hunt for the children of the United Methodist Children’s Home. Clyde and Brenda Cork have been giving leadership to that outreach for many years. It will be held at Camp Sumatanga on Saturday, April 23. They have worked it out with Camp Sumatanga so that children in our Group Homes across Alabama and the panhandle of Florida can spend the night at camp on Friday night and be there for the hunt on Saturday. One of our special offerings is for this Easter Egg Hunt. You can support this ministry through the church by marking you gift for “Children’s Home Egg Hunt.” The money is used to put prizes in the eggs along with special gifts for all the children and for the 12 golden eggs that are hidden each year.
This week most of our Small Groups for the “24” series began. It’s not too late to join a group. We have several that will begin tonight as part of Wednesday Grow and another one Thursday night. If you are out-of-town for Spring Break, join one next week. There was a list of all the Small Groups in this week’s “Connection.”
I have found Adam Hamilton’s “40 Days of Reflection” devotional book, that is related to “24”, to be a meaningful way to enhance my personal journey through this Lenten season. We still have some of those books and we have ordered some more of the “24” book if you would like one.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
This week, I visited Ethan in the hospital. His mother expressed appreciation for those who serve as his “Sunday Grannies.” As I left his hospital room, I remembered the words of Jesus, “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” (Matthew 19:13; NRSV) I give thanks for those who serve children.
Ethan is not the only child in our church family who is confined to a wheelchair. Every Wednesday during chapel we have another child who makes his way in and out of the sanctuary in his wheelchair. He is able to join his class in most activities, except he cannot get around on our playground, because presently our playground is not handicap accessible.
One of the goals of our Children’s Ministries is to change this by raising funds for a new Handicap Accessible Playground. The Child Enrichment Center is sponsoring a Golf Tournament on Saturday, May 14th. It will be held at the Cullman Municipal Golf Course. You don’t have to be a golfer to help make this tournament a success. The real key to a successful Golf Tournament is sponsorships where most of the money is raised. There will be “hole sponsorships,” as well as some creative sponsorships such as “trees” and “sand-bunkers.” Some of us will see those signs more than once as they are in the center of the fairway. You can contact Gina Guess gguess@gmvumc.org or Kay Moman kmoman@gmvumc.org for information on sponsorships.
Along with sponsorships, another key to a successful Golf Tournament is the prizes. The goal is to have enough door prizes so that each golfer gets one. Door prizes can range from a certificate for a meal or haircut, to gift cards, golf balls, even a weekend at a lake home or beach condo. As you think about door prizes, remember there will be male and female golfers in the tournament.
Of course, golfers are vital to a successful tournament. We have people who have helped with other golf tournaments helping in the planning of this one. Pass on the date to the golfers you know. You can get register by going to the church web page, www.gmvumc.org. Information on the Golf Tournament is in the scrolling announcements, and also under the Child Enrichment Center tab.
Another ministry of our church has been the Easter Egg Hunt for the children of the United Methodist Children’s Home. Clyde and Brenda Cork have been giving leadership to that outreach for many years. It will be held at Camp Sumatanga on Saturday, April 23. They have worked it out with Camp Sumatanga so that children in our Group Homes across Alabama and the panhandle of Florida can spend the night at camp on Friday night and be there for the hunt on Saturday. One of our special offerings is for this Easter Egg Hunt. You can support this ministry through the church by marking you gift for “Children’s Home Egg Hunt.” The money is used to put prizes in the eggs along with special gifts for all the children and for the 12 golden eggs that are hidden each year.
This week most of our Small Groups for the “24” series began. It’s not too late to join a group. We have several that will begin tonight as part of Wednesday Grow and another one Thursday night. If you are out-of-town for Spring Break, join one next week. There was a list of all the Small Groups in this week’s “Connection.”
I have found Adam Hamilton’s “40 Days of Reflection” devotional book, that is related to “24”, to be a meaningful way to enhance my personal journey through this Lenten season. We still have some of those books and we have ordered some more of the “24” book if you would like one.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Deeper Spirituality Key to Growing Church
I came across an article Bishop Willimon wrote following a workshop with Tom Bandy. During the workshop a layperson asked, “What do you do when you want your church to grow but your pastor just won’t lead in evangelism?”
Bishop Willimon wrote, “I thought Bandy would respond to the question with, ‘you need a different pastor,’ or ‘you and the Board get together and insist that your pastor get busy.’ Bandy said none of that. He responded, ‘If you want to change your church or your pastor, you need to go deeper spiritually, you will need to pray more and go deeper in Scripture.’”
Prayer certainly played a vital role in the New Testament Church. The Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples as they were in a prayer meeting (Acts 2). Then as Luke describes the church that was born at Pentecost he wrote, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:42; NRSV)
As you read on in the book of Acts, you see that prayer played a vital roll in the growth of the Church. One of the things that I see in Acts is that they often prayed together. Mission to the “ends of the earth” was birthed in the prayer of the church at Antioch. They did not just have their private devotionals. Long before we gave names to prayer movements like Prayer Vigils and Prayer Walks, they were practicing such prayer experiences.
Bishop Willimon, in the above mentioned article, made this application: “Lord help us if we think we can be faithful to Christ and achieve our priorities as a church on our own. Nothing Jesus commands us to do, does he command us to do by ourselves. This is Christ’s Church, not ours. Christ’s mission, not our program…Come to think of it, I’ve never see a church move from maintenance to ministry, from decline to growth, from the chaplain to the church members, to a mission mover to the word where someone in leadership had not experienced a new dimension of spiritual depth. It’s a God thing.”
Could it be that opportunities like this Saturday’s Prayer Walk are really vital to the Church? I believe so. Just as the early Church was empowered through prayer, Gardendale-Mt. Vernon finds it real power in prayer. As we come together in prayer, the Holy Spirit moves, just as He moved in the New Testament Church.
This weekend will be IMPACT 2011 (February 4-6). This will be a great opportunity to learn what God is doing through our mission partners and to hear God’s call to become a witness in words and deeds. On Sunday, February 6, you will have the opportunity to make a commitment of time, gifts and prayer to advance the mission of Christ. Be in prayer for God’s direction in your commitment.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Bishop Willimon wrote, “I thought Bandy would respond to the question with, ‘you need a different pastor,’ or ‘you and the Board get together and insist that your pastor get busy.’ Bandy said none of that. He responded, ‘If you want to change your church or your pastor, you need to go deeper spiritually, you will need to pray more and go deeper in Scripture.’”
Prayer certainly played a vital role in the New Testament Church. The Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples as they were in a prayer meeting (Acts 2). Then as Luke describes the church that was born at Pentecost he wrote, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:42; NRSV)
As you read on in the book of Acts, you see that prayer played a vital roll in the growth of the Church. One of the things that I see in Acts is that they often prayed together. Mission to the “ends of the earth” was birthed in the prayer of the church at Antioch. They did not just have their private devotionals. Long before we gave names to prayer movements like Prayer Vigils and Prayer Walks, they were practicing such prayer experiences.
Bishop Willimon, in the above mentioned article, made this application: “Lord help us if we think we can be faithful to Christ and achieve our priorities as a church on our own. Nothing Jesus commands us to do, does he command us to do by ourselves. This is Christ’s Church, not ours. Christ’s mission, not our program…Come to think of it, I’ve never see a church move from maintenance to ministry, from decline to growth, from the chaplain to the church members, to a mission mover to the word where someone in leadership had not experienced a new dimension of spiritual depth. It’s a God thing.”
Could it be that opportunities like this Saturday’s Prayer Walk are really vital to the Church? I believe so. Just as the early Church was empowered through prayer, Gardendale-Mt. Vernon finds it real power in prayer. As we come together in prayer, the Holy Spirit moves, just as He moved in the New Testament Church.
This weekend will be IMPACT 2011 (February 4-6). This will be a great opportunity to learn what God is doing through our mission partners and to hear God’s call to become a witness in words and deeds. On Sunday, February 6, you will have the opportunity to make a commitment of time, gifts and prayer to advance the mission of Christ. Be in prayer for God’s direction in your commitment.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
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