This week at First United Methodist Church in Grapevine | March 16, 2016
Palm Sunday, March 20
Journey of Stones: "Of Palms and Stones"
Rev. John Mollet preaching in English
Rev. Armando Alvarado preaching in Bilingual
Worship at 8:30, 9, 9:45, and 11 AM

From the tempter asking Jesus to turn stones into bread in his wilderness wandering to the stone of the empty tomb being rolled away, the Lenten landscape is full of stones. Ecclesiastes says that there is a time for everything including a time to gather and scatter stones. If we picture everything that is keeping us from God like a stone in our path, we can begin a clearing season of our souls. This year for the 40 days of Lent, you are invited upon a soulful journey of stones.

Children age 4 years through 5th grade will have the opportunity to lead the congregation in waving palms during the first hymn at all worship services. Meet in the foyer/atrium 10 minutes before the service to get your palm and line up. Children who attend Sunday School will be led over to the 9:45 service by staff and volunteers.

Also this Sunday: Discover the Church
Discover the Church
If you are interested in church membership or learning more about the church, please consider joining us at the Discover the Church class this Sunday, March 20, at 10 AM in Room 2005 (Library). This is a one-time, one-hour class that is offered monthly for all who desire to know more about fellowship, mission and service opportunities in our church, and for all who are interested in or have questions about church membership. You have an opportunity to meet others who are new, ask questions and join the church if you would like to. Childcare or Sunday School classes are available for children of all ages during this time. Contact Dr. Cindy Ryan at cindyr@fumcg.org or Cheri Rutledge at cherir@fumcg.org for more information.
This Week...

03/16/2016 - Holy Week Choir Rehearsal
Calling All Singers! TODAY (Wednesday, March 16) there will be a rehearsal at 7 PM in the Sanctuary for all singers who would like to join the choir during Holy Week. Whether you've never sung in a choir, have been a seasonal singer or are a veteran, this rehearsal will be dedicated to just practicing music for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Easter. All who love to sing are encouraged to join! Our choirs are full of loving people who support and care for each other, and would be thrilled for you to join them. Come sing and experience Holy Week in a very special way, and help lead our church to the joy of Easter!...»

03/20/2016 - Link Bowling Fellowship
The Link Ministry invites you to come out for bowling and all-you-can-eat buffet at It'z Family Food & Fun on Sunday, March 20, from 1 to 3:30 PM. The cost is $6, to be collected at the door. It'z is located at 1201 W. Airport Freeway in Euless. Please RSVP by March 16 online or to Joyce King (text/call 817-692-6800 or fumcdt@gmail.com) so that we'll know how many to expect. The purpose of Link is to provide adults (age 18+) with disabilities a closer connection to God through his church. All are welcome and encouraged to come enjoy the fellowship, regardless of age, ability or situation. We hope to provide quarterly fellowship events and grow into offering Bible Studies, and other opportunities for the disabled community to connect with the Body of Christ....»
Upcoming News and Events

The New Horizons, a group for those age 55+, will meet on Tuesday, March 22, in Leach Hall for a catered dinner at 6:30 PM and a program by Toney Walsh, a vocalist and entertainer. He will sing our favorite songs from the "Great American Songbook." His repertoire includes popular standards by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Harry Connick Jr. and Mel Torme. Also, as a native of Memphis, TN, Toney loves to perform the classic hit songs of Elvis Presley. You will enjoy an evening of fun with fellow Christian people for the nominal price of $14. Please RSVP online or by calling Judy at 817-488-4136, or Nancy at 817-354-1881 by noon on Monday, March 21....»
Holy Week and Easter

Maundy Thursday, March 24
Communion & Foot Washing 
Spanish Service - 7 PM Founders Chapel
English Service - 7 PM Sanctuary 

On the evening he was betrayed, Jesus "poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him..." (John 13:5). During the special Maundy Thursday service we will remember Jesus' final act of fellowship and service by celebrating Holy Communion and having the opportunity to participate in the touching act of foot washing....»

Good Friday, March 25
Stations of the Cross - 6 PM Leach Hall
Worship Service - 7 PM Founders Chapel

This Good Friday, we invite you to remember a day when Love was crucified, to hear the story told from Jesus' betrayal to the loud thud of the stone rolling over the tomb. It is a noisy story that ends in utter silence. This evening takes place in two parts. First you are invited on a self-guided journey through the Stations of the Cross, a visual journey through Jesus' final hours before his death, starting at 6 PM in Leach Hall. Then at 7 PM we gather as a community to hear this story told in Spanish and English, and sing the hymns of our faith as one candle after another is extinguished to mark the darkness of a world before Resurrection....»

03/27/2016 - Easter Sunday!
Please join us for our celebration of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday, March 27! There will be six worship opportunities that morning:
  • 7:15 AM Sunrise Service in Grapevine Botanical Gardens (Sanctuary if the weather is bad) with Patty Bandy preaching.
  • 8:30 AM Easter Celebration in Founders Chapel with Rev. John Mollet preaching. Communion will be served.
  • 9 AM Contemporary Praise in the Family Life Center with Dr. Cindy Ryan preaching.
  • 9:45 & 11 AM Easter Celebration in the Sanctuary with Rev. John Mollet preaching.
  • 11 AM Bilingual Worship in Founders Chapel with Rev. Armando Alvarado preaching. Communion will be served.
There is no Sunday School on Easter Sunday. Childcare is provided for all worship services except for the Sunrise Service....»
03/28/2016 - Precepts Orientation
We will begin a new Precept study, Understanding the Anger of God - Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, on Monday, April 4. Orientation will be on March 28. Micah, Nahum and Habakkuk were the last prophets to the Southern Kingdom of Judah before it was taken captive to Babylon. Each prophet cried out to a nation which needed to heed the Word of the Lord about judgment. These three prophets will teach us how God deals with those who turn away from Him and how He gives a warning to turn back to Him. Two convenient class times are offered - 9:30-11:30 AM or 6:30-8:30 PM. Workbook cost is $14. To enroll & order workbook contact Nancy Johnson (817-424-0297, pajnaj@verizon.net)....»

03/30/2016 - Created By God Parent Meeting
We will be hosting two retreats called "Created by God" for 5th/6th and 7th/8th graders. These retreats will focus on Human Sexuality and how we are wonderful creations of God. Each of these affirming weekends will allow your child to learn more about how they were created by God as unique and special humans as well as their body, body design and human sexuality. A mandatory parent meeting will be held Wednesday, March 30, 6:45-8:00 PM in Room 2011...»

03/31/2016 - The Well with Debbie Stuart
Join us for The Well on Thursday March 31, 2016 from 7 to 9 PM in the Family Life Center. Enjoy a warm catered meal alongside other women seeking the Word of God. After dinner, enjoy a live performed song to lead into our guest speaker for the evening, Debbie Stuart. Tickets are $25, and may be purchased online or in the church office through noon on March 28. Childcare is provided....»

04/03/2016 - Winds of Change
The Winds of Change Workshop will be offered to our church family on Sundays, April 3 through May 1, from 1:15 to 4:15 PM. We all experience change at school, at work, in our personal lives, in our community. The Winds of Change Workshop, led by Myrna Ashby, LPC, LMFT, is designed to give us the tools to understand and cope with change. It is recommended that you attend each session or one of the corresponding make-up sessions on Wednesdays, April 6-27, from 6 to 8 PM, as each session builds on the next. We need your RSVP in order to allow for space, food and materials. Please contact Bev Campisi (beverlyc@fumcg.org) to reserve your spot and to let her know if you'd like lunch, which will be served each Sunday at 12:15 PM. RSVP for childcare to Monica Vickery (monicav@fumcg.org)....»

04/04/2016 - Bible 101
Rev. John Mollet will lead a four-week session of Bible 101 coming up in April. More information about the topics to be covered will be announced closer to time, but mark your calendar and plan to join John on Monday evenings at 6 PM in Leach Hall, April 4-25. There is no cost, and no homework... just show up and bring your Bible!...»

All upcoming events...

Save the Dates...

Golf Tournament
We had previously announced that the Iron Men Golf Tournament would be on Sunday, May 1. That date is tentatively being changed to May 15. We hope to have final details for you next week.

Surf Shack Vacation Bible School
VBS is June 27 through July 1 this year. Our theme is "Surf Shack: Catch the Wave of God's Amazing Love!" We will once again host a sports camp in the afternoons. We'll have registration information available soon! www.firstmethodistgrapevine.org/vbs

150th Anniversary
Remember that our 150th Anniversary celebration is on Sunday, October 9. Don't forget to get your RECIPES for the cookbook turned in by April 15 (details below). ...>>

Dancing Through the Decades! Auction, Dinner and Dance
Our auction committee has revamped this yearly fundraiser! This year we are having a live auction, dinner and dance called Dancing Through the Decades! We'll celebrate 15 DECADES of ministry here in Grapevine! So, save the date for Friday, October 28, 6:30 PM at Paradise Cove! We will not have a silent auction, but we will still be taking sponsors and donors of live auction items. Contact Cathy Morris for details (cathymorris7209@gmail.com)....»

More Info...
Missions | Compassion | Adults | Families: Youth | Tweens | Children | Nursery

Family Ministries Newsletter (pdf)
Youth - March Calendar (pdf)
Jesus Calling Video Complete
Our Jesus Calling Story - WATCH NOW!
Our Jesus Calling Story - WATCH NOW!

Remember that we have a shelf in the church office supplied with copies of Jesus Calling for you to give away. Help us spread the word and spread the love by making it your individual ministry to put a book in the hands of someone who needs it.
Opportunities to Serve and Give...

Easter Flowers
We are excited to fill our worship spaces with the beauty of flowers on Easter Sunday! You may purchase Calla Lilies, Tulips or Hydrangeas by using the Check-In insert in your bulletin on Sundays through March 20. The dedications will be included in a bulletin insert on Easter Sunday morning. If you would like to take your flower home with you, you may pick it up after the 11 AM service on Easter Sunday, March 27. If you don't wish to keep your flower, please indicate that on your order and your flower will be delivered to an ill or home-bound person. 

Furnishing Hope
Do you have furniture or appliances needing a new home? Furnishing Hope is accepting the following to use in their mission ministry: bunk beds, mattresses/frames (twin, full, queen); chest of drawers, sofa sleepers, end tables and coffee tables; working washers, dryers, and microwaves.  If you would like to donate any of these items, Portable B will be open for drop off from 11 AM to 1 PM on Sunday, April 3,  courtesy of the GIFT Sunday School class.  If you have a question about the suitability of an item or need assistance with pick up, please contact Diane Bishop at 817-239-5298 or dianebishopdbd@gmail.com. Thank you for helping us bless our neighbors in this way.

Thrift Shop Changeover
The Thrift Shop is closed this week so we can change from winter to spring/summer clothing. Volunteers will work as usual to restock the racks and we will continue to accept and process donations through the Drop Box. The shop will reopen on Tuesday, March 22. If you've ever wondered how the Thrift Shop works, just drop in anytime during changeover week between 9 and 11:30 AM and get a feel for this amazing mission ministry!

God Can for the GRACE Food Pantry
GRACE is low on mayonnaise, juice boxes, beef stew, cooking oil, evaporated milk, and fruit juice. Click here to view the full list of needs (pdf). If you would like to donate any of these items, please bring your donations to the God Can bins outside the church office or in the Sanctuary Foyer/Atrium.
Attention Adults Under 50!
A note from Rev. Melburn Sibley

I hope you are familiar with the First United Methodist Church of Grapevine Permanent Endowment Fund. The income from it will be available to meet unexpected building needs now and in the future. A number of our members and friends have joined the Endowment's Legacy Society by giving or pledging $1,000 or by giving a paid up insurance policy. Our first goal of $1,000,000 has been met.

This is something you may be interested in considering. Younger adults can purchase a paid up life insurance policy very reasonably. Providing the Permanent Endowment with a paid up policy is both farsighted and unselfish. Have you ever considered this opportunity? For more information please contact Melburn Sibley at 817 329-0821 or another member of the Endowment Committee or Trudy Hughes at the church (817-481-2559). For more information, visit our website at www.firstmethodistgrapevine.org/endowment.
Opportunities to Grow...

Upcoming Bible Study Opportunities...
  • Precepts Study: Understanding the Anger of God, starts April 4
  • Bible 101: Bible study with John Mollet starts April 4
Book Study: Beyond Christian Education
by Patty Bandy, Director of Family Ministries

Thanks to those of you who have decided to read this wonderful book with us and give insight!! If you haven't started reading along, it is not too late to join us. We are assigning a reading every two weeks to give everyone plenty of time to read and give input. "Beyond Christian Education" is written by Ben Marshall and incorporates the spiritual growth of children, youth, and adults. By next Tuesday, March 22, we will have read through "Formational Dynamics" and will discuss 3 insights: Most important thing you learn from text; Favorite quote; How you can apply it. Send your 3 insights to pattyb@fumcg.org....»

Soul Tending for Women in Times of Transition
Ladies, you are invited to join Dr. Cindy Ryan for a conversation about Soul Tending for Women in Times of Transition sponsored by Women in Transition Ministry. The event is Tuesday, April 12, at 6:30 PM in Leach Hall starting with refreshments and gathering. The program and Q&A will be from 7 to 8 PM. This event is free and open to all women, but there is limited seating, by reservation only to Diane Bishop at dianebishopdbd@gmail.com....»

From the Spiritual Formation Blog...
Breaking Cycles: Beauty From Ashes
by Tresia Eaves, PMP, MHR

Have you ever noticed unhealthy cycles in society, in generations, organizations or in your own life and you need God's help to break them?  Many around us have broken cycles with God's help, and we can explore how God brought "beauty from ashes" and redeems us against all earthly odds. There are great verses about this in John (specifically 1:9 and 13:34). When you read these verses, it seems so simple, right? We are commanded to love one another as He loves us. Breaking these cycles and moving into generational uncharted territory is very, very difficult. Where it gets further complicated is when the cycles are addiction, poverty, abuse, or any other unhealthy habit where one generation learns behaviors from another and each subsequent generation never learns how to break the cycle. Keep reading...

This year our church celebrates 150 continuous years as a congregation of the Methodist Church! The date for our First Methodist Grapevine 150th Anniversary Celebration will be October 9, 2016. We hope you will mark your calendars and plan to celebrate with us in a special service and participate in other fun activities. We will worship together in ONE worship service, followed by a catered lunch. From time to time we will be updating you on plans for that special day and other events surrounding this milestone in our church and community, so watch this section of E-News for updates.

150 Years of Great Cooking!
The first item on our agenda is to collect recipes for our sesquicentennial cookbook! We will be collecting your favorite new and old recipes to publish this summer and have available for purchase by our October 9 celebration. We'll also include some old favorites from past church cookbooks and great recipes from our Be Our Guest team! We know we have the best cooks around, so be sure to submit your favorites to share! You may pick up blank recipe forms in the church office or download a printable form (PDF) by April 15. We have been told that some are having trouble with the online form, however the problem is intermittent (and so far unidentifiable), so you may wish to stick with the printable form.
Caught Caring...

Gifts Given
  • A gift has been given to the Permanent Endowment Fund in memory of Linda Harris by the Seekers Sunday School Class.
  • A gift has been given to the Kenya Village in memory of Hubert Joyner by Barb and Mark Maness.
  • A legacy gift has been given to the Permanent Endowment Fund by Jerry and Susan Pittman.
 
Gardening on the Grounds
Kathy Naylor caught Linda Krimm and Sarah and John Erickson caring on Monday! They were cleaning out flower beds and planting new flowers...


First Church String Band
Bev Campisi caught the First Church String Band caring at the Be Our Guest Neighborhood Meal on Tuesday! They are always so willing to give their time to entertain and uplift. 


Prayer Shawl Ministry
Val and Guy Sellers caught the Prayer Shawl and Prayer Teams caring on Sunday! At the Service of Healing and Renewal, the team provided prayer shawls to any who needed them. Guy was able to use his during his infusion on Tuesday. Val says, "FUMC Grapevine Prayer Team, here's your ministry in action...Thank you so much for the blessings of this gift."
First United Methodist Church | 422 Church Street | Grapevine, TX 76051

E-News is published every Wednesday afternoon. The deadline for submissions is Tuesdays at 5 PM. Send requests to melissiam@fumcg.org. Past editions can be found in the E-News Archives.
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First United Methodist Church Grapevine | 422 Church Street | Grapevine | TX | 76051