January 8 at 3 PM @ Gilmer First United Methodist Church
January 22 at 3 PM @ Linden First United Methodist Church
Workshops:
Finance – Mr. Ed Moore
Staff Pastor Parish (SPRC) – DS Rev. Bill Taylor
Trustees – Mr. Jerry Massey
Administrative Council – Mr. Carroll Greenwaldt
Missions – Rev. Richard Laster & Ms. Marty Vaughan
– All are welcome. Committee Guidelines available $3 –
Sponsored by: North District Leadership Team
More Information: 903-758-7003 & 903-794-6231
Friends,
Several have contacted me over these last few days with questions and suggestions involving how the church family can respond to the needs resulting from the fires in our area. After sharing in a few conversations and taking a look around the areas touched by the fires I have a suggestion to make.
The primary need at this moment is related to the organizations given power to fight the fires. The basic need is simple; fuel. I visited with Barbara Smith, Chair of our mission ministry, and several others in the church family. The best plan at the moment is to support our local Volunteer Fire Departments with funding for gasoline which is necessary not only for travel purposes but also to keep fire fighting units running during their important work. The Clothes Closet has already pledged $2,000 for this purpose.
Ray Miller has made his services available to collect and distribute your donations. Simply make out your check to the church and we will take it from there. Money donated will be devided between the Volunteer Fire Departments in our area of Upshur County, those answering the call to the fires in our region.
Thanks for your time and interest. I’ll let you know when other needs come before us here at the church. It is good to be here with you all. Thank you for the good work you do in and through your church.
Regards and God Bless,
Richard Laster
pastorlaster@etex.net
Also…
The Regional Emergency Operations Command Center’s phone number is 903-237-1379 They can give directions to all the sub temporary command setups where fire fighters gather for rest and recuperation. Water and food can be taken to the sub locations.
The firefighters currently working the White Oak area, near 135 and Swamp Road south of Gladewater, have a base of operations at the entrance to the Gladewater airport.
I think some people have tried to donate money at the sub locations but they are not able to process payments at this time.
All the volunteer fire departments have mailing addresses where checks may be sent and some have web site where information and donations are available.
For example: Justin Metro Volunteer Fire Department is http://www.judsonmetrovfd.com/COMMANDPAGE2.htm
David Mays
www.reflectiononlife.com
UM ARMY has closed the 2011 season and is looking forward to 2012. Check out the latest UM ARMY News and see how your youth can get involved.
A Methodist Church Early Response Team from Texas is going to north Alabama May 18-21 to do some clean up work after the tornados there. These teams are trained and credentialed responders whose mission is to ensure a “safe, sanitary, and secure” environment for the survivors, as well as provide a caring Christian presence. In talking to Amelia Fletcher of the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church, I asked her about particularly needed items that the ERT team could bring when we go. I’d like to ask each of you if you could collect any of the following items through your churches:
Personal care items
Infant/adult diapers
Underwear/socks/t-shirts
Brooms/mops
Blankets/sheets/towels — these items especially needed!
Please drop them off to First United Methodist Church in Huntsville (1016 Sam Houston Ave, Huntsville, TX 77320 / please call Rev Ellen Willett at 936-295-5441) from May 15th to May 17th. We’ll have room to pack them in the district emergency response trailer. If you wish to send cash or checks, please send them right away to FUMC made out to Rick Carpenter.
Thank you all very much and God bless you,
Rick Carpenter
Huntsville, East Texas
lay District Disaster Response Coordinator, West District
Change the World is a movement to connect United Methodists on one weekend: May 14- 15, 2011 in addressing the problem of hunger. All United Methodist congregations are encouraged to undertake some project that addresses this complex issue. Globally, 22 thousand children die each day from poverty-related causes. In the U.S., 43.6 million people live in poverty. If all 11 million United Methodists address the problems related to hunger and undernourishment, we can be a force for change in our country and in the world.
All United Methodist churches are encouraged to participate in the Change the World weekend in May and be a part of the solution to this world wide problem.
Examples of some programs would be things like holding food drives or sponsoring a walk to raise money for a food pantry or Meals-on Wheels organization, preparing and serving meals to the homeless, sponsoring community educational programs about hunger, or having an intensive study that explores the hunger issue and looks at sustainable solutions.
Information on Change the World Day can be found on the Texas Annual Conference website and the UMCOM website.
UMCOM has produced a multimedia bundle ($25 cost) to go with a free Change the World sermon series. Registration and information on the bundle can be found at the UMCOM website: www.umcom.org/changetheworld.
Register your hunger-related event there. By completing the form, UMCOM will include your event on the Rethink – Change the World Event Map,and provide a 50% discount on the purchase of the $25 multimedia bundle.
Changing the World provides an opportunity for United Methodists to work together in addressing the problems of hunger in our communities.
Do you like to sew? Does your church have a sewing group? Special fabric, designed for the Texas Conference to raise money to support the Cote d’Ivoire Adopta Student program, will be provided to churches/individuals willing to make items to sell at Annual Conference. The material is available now in the district Longview office location.
Some items that can be made for sale are pastor’s stoles, quilts, nursing home bibs, bookmarks, baby items, aprons and many more. This would be a great mission for your local church. If you would also like to purchase some of the fabric for your own church fundraiser ideas the cost is $15/yd.
In case people begin to ask what does the UMCOR warehouse need in light of the Japanese disaster, here’s the answer:
They have a sufficient supply of health kits, but have a shortage of both school and layette kits. One can go to their web site, www.sagerbrown.org, and click on “Send Relief Supplies” (located near the top of the page on the right hand side).
Scroll down to each kit. School and layette kits are separate kits. There are instructions on how to put those kits together.
We are also including direct links to those lists below.
Please share this information with your congregations in response to how we can help those affected by the recent Earthquake in Japan.
Advance # 3021317
Providing emergency relief and long-term recovery support for disaster-affected communities
“In response to the Earthquake on March 10, 2011 that struck Japan, The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) will be working with local communities to rebuild. UMCOR is now better able to help when earthquakes and tsunamis or other disasters hit the area. UMCOR works in shelter and infrastructure reconstruction, water and sanitation, income generation, health and nutrition, education and community development.
Please use the following link. Advance #3021317
Newgate Mission in Longview
“Empty Bowl” Fundraiser
Sunday, March 6 from 11:00 – 2:00
Faith Center at First United Methodist Church
400 N Fredonia St., Longview 75601
Gourmet soups, bread, and desserts will be served
To go orders are welcome
Cost of the meal is $10/children 12 and under free
Proceeds benefit Newgate Mission a program that feeds people in body, mind, and spirit.
For more information, call (903) 757-6146.
Ms. Marty Vaughan
District Mission Coordinator
Sorry to get this out with so little advance, but this is a rather late development. You are invited to a great opportunity for a 4 hour training with Partners in Mission at Bonita UMC on Saturday, March 5 from 8:30am to 12:30pm. If you plan to go to Haiti with me on August 2 – 10, I highly recommend this training. If you are interested in missions at all, I highly recommend this training. The trainer is a good friend of mine, Katie Beran who is the wife of pastor Joe Beran in Wells, TX. The training will certify you with PIM which is the Texas Conference Volunteers in Mission organization. The cost of the training is only $10 and can be paid when you arrive. Please let me know ahead of time if you can if you will be attending as I promised to have at least 9 people in attendance. Thanks and I hope to see you at Bonita UMC at 8:30 am on Saturday March 5. I promise a good time and good coffee and donuts. Please help me spread the word with anyone you think might be interested.
–
In His grip,
Keith Tilley
3515 Piping Rock St.
Nacogdoches, TX 75965
m-936-615-2496
my email: sentservants@gmail.com
my websites: BonitaFriends.org & GospelOutpost.Net
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