Tag Archive for methodist

Day of Prayer and Blogging

Blog-Day-ad-small

As all of us know from our gatherings, full of laptops, iphones, and cross platform conversations, social media is an important component to this generation.

As part of our commitment to get the word out we’ll be asking as many of you who are willing to join the “Prayer Blog Day” for Exploration 2011. This will be a day when all of us will be posting and sharing across platforms our prayers and thoughts in preparation for this important event.

As a pastor, design team member, and blogger I’ve been asked to share some thoughts that will hopefully make this “blog day” an important day as we continue counting down to Exploration 2011.

• Remember that this is a day of prayer – share a testimony, story, or your requests to God for this event.

• Engage your readers – invite them to pray with you, tell them how many days are left till the event, what your hopes and dreams are for this event in the life of those who will gather there, and make sure you keep them in the loop afterwards.

• Do not write a long post – most of my posts are between 300 and 600 words

• Use the graphic for the event provided by GBHEM – this is very important for quick recognition cross platforms & remember to link the graphic to the Explo2011 website, if you have “widget” capabilities add a widget with the graphic and link, and leave it up on your blog till the event is over in November.

• Remember the theme of “Passion & Possibility” & mention the host city St. Louis, MO.

• Post at high traffic times online – breakfast, lunch, and supper times are not the best, mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and between 7 pm – 11 pm seem to be a great time to get “hits” on your posts.

• Most blogging platforms have a way to “tag” posts, so make sure you tag it with as many related terms as possible – especially UMC, The United Methodist Church, young clergy, discernment, young adults, God, Christ, church, passion, possibility, St. Louis, prayer.

• Share across social media – twitter, FB (both on your profile and on related groups, pages, etc.), Google+, church websites, etc.

• Make sure you share the post at least twice during the day – remember the traffic times, I normally like to share mid-morning and evening.

• Share other people’s post on your profile – make sure you let your followers, readers, etc. know at the start of that day that you will be flooding your timeline, newsfeed, page with blog posts on Explo2011.

• Last but not least – be genuine, engaging, prayerful, and excited. People will be reading, God will be speaking, the Spirit blowing where it may . . .

 

– Peace, Juan+ (aka, spiritstirrer)

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Celebration Ministry September Event

old tyme gospel

Celebration ministries will be sponsoring an “Olde-Tyme Gospel Celebration”, September 24 from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Hardy Memorial UMC. Music will be led by Micah McBay and Family. Homemade ice cream and toppings will be served. Childcare is available with RSVP. Please call 903-838-3507

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Dr. Pat Day to Preach Revival at DeKalb FUMC Sept. 11-13

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Rev. Dr. Pat Day, senior pastor at First United Methodist Church of Shreveport, will lead a revival at DeKalb First United Methodist Church Sunday evening, Sept. 11, through Tuesday, Sept. 13.

The revival will feature services at 6:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights, Sept. 11, 12, and 13. Dr. Day will also be leading a lunch service at noon on Monday, Sept. 12, in the Fellowship Hall, as well as a prayer breakfast at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, also in the Fellowship Hall. Food will be provided at both the luncheon and breakfast.

Music for the revival will be provided by “Jubilee,” a men’s gospel quartet, as well as the DeKalb FUMC Choir. “Jubilee,” whose members are DeKalb FUMC members Robbie Bates, Randy Pirkey, Jerry Peek, and Chris Moser, with pianist Sheri Peek, have been performing together for more than 25 years. They have traveled and performed at venues throughout the United States.

Dr. Day is a native of Elkhart, Texas. He received his B.A. degree in 1971 from Austin College in Sherman, Texas. He then attended Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology where he earned both a Master of Theology and Doctor of Ministry degree.

Dr. Day has served as Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church of Shreveport, Louisiana since 1992. The 11 o’clock worship service is broadcast each Sunday on ABC affiliate KTBS. Dr. Day also does daily Perceptions, which is a series of thought-provoking and inspirational homilies, stories and thoughts from a religious and spiritual perspective on two local radio stations.

He was elected as a delegate to the 2012 General Conference and Jurisdictional Conference of the United Methodist Church.

His new book, When All Hail Breaks Loose, was just recently published by The United Methodist Publishing House.

In his leisure time he enjoys going to movies, reading, fishing, hunting, baseball and football. He is married to the former Sheri Houston and is the father of two grown children.

DeKalb First United Methodist Church is one of the oldest protestant churches in Texas. The church celebrated its 175h Anniversary this past March. Sunday morning services begin at 10:50 a.m., with United Methodist Youth Fellowship at 5:30 p.m. The church offers many Bible study and ministry opportunities, including the “Piece Makers” prayer shawl/blanket crochet/knitting group that meets at 10 a.m. on Thursdays, and a new Monday Night Football Bible Study this fall on Sept. 26, Oct. 10, Nov. 14, and Dec. 12.

For more information on the revival, contact DeKalb First United Methodist Church at 903-667-2705, by email at dekalbpreacher@aol.com, on the web at www.gbgm-umc.org/dekalb/, and on Facebook at DeKalb First United Methodist Church TX.

First United Methodist Church in Marshall Celebrates Sesquicentennial

FUMC photo

The members of First United Methodist Church, Marshall, are still proud of the venerable sanctuary’s four impressive columns, in spite of the scathing comment made in 1861 by the Marshall Texas Republican’s editor Robert Lowery.  He opened his screed with the headline “HORRID TASTE” and continued, “The building committee of the new M.E. Church, when they sanctioned the massive, ill-supported, unsightly pillars that are now in progress of construction for that church, must have come to the conclusion that four or five large brick chimneys in front of the building would add to its harmony of proportion.”

Lowery’s prediction that the “chimneys” would last for many a year was correct – the Church celebrates the sesquicentennial anniversary of its Sanctuary August 14, 2011. Among the activities planned for this important date are a special service commemorating both the Church’s history and that  of the denomination’s founder, John Wesley. A litany will be presented by Church members who will  also be celebrating the life of towering hymn-writer Charles Wesley, John Wesley’s brother. There will be a luncheon following the service.

The Sanctuary, which seated 800, was not only a place of worship during the Civil War, it served  as  a legislative hall for the Missouri government in exile, important meetings of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the Confederacy, as well as a storage place for Quartermaster and Commissary  Departments.  Worship in the sanctuary was held over kegs of ammunition, hats, gloves, boots and saddles stored in the basement – all grown or manufactured in Harrison County and guarded by two Boys in Gray.

The church building was not the only thing used by the Confederacy. The church bell was donated   to the cause and melted down for weapons. Soon after the war was over, rumor came that  several  church bells were stored in Jefferson by Union forces.  Two nameless First Methodist trustees  slipped  into the compound where the bells were located, found the best one, loaded it into  their  wagon by night and returned to Marshall. There it hung in the belfry until World War l when it was again donated to the cause – this time sold for about $100.00 – with the proceeds donated to the Red Cross.

In the years since, significant improvements have been made in the old sanctuary. A pipe organ was installed in 1899 and eleven stained glass windows, each dedicated to a member or Church organization, were installed in 1900 – 1901.  In 1927, the first education building was added and the red bricks were covered with white stucco.  The church was then known as “the White Church”.

In the 1950′s, some ninety-seven years after the great wooden doors were opened for the first time, major improvements were made to the sanctuary. It was lengthened by 22 feet, a new balcony  added,   the ceiling raised and arched, central air-conditioning installed and a major addition added  for  Sunday School, a chapel, offices, parlor and an elevator.  In 1997, a second addition included the day  school,  gymnasium, several offices, and a second elevator.

In 2003, a complete restoration of the Sanctuary complex began.  Renovations have been completed for the Sanctuary (including the installation of TV broadcasting capability), offices, children and youth areas, chapel, and parlor.  The gymnasium was upgraded also with audio and TV to become the Christian Life Center.  A new contemporary Worship Service will be held there beginning Aug.  21st .  The Church has new staff and leadership and has seen a boom in Sunday School and Worship attendance.

The historic nature of the church sanctuary was recognized when it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, a Civil War Historic Place with State Significance, a Registered Texas Historic Landmark and the U. S. Department of the Interior Historical American Building Survey.

Marshall’s population was 2,000 when Methodists decided the time had come to build a proper church building. There were about 200 members then. There are now five United Methodist Churches  in Marshall with a population of 25,000.  More than 500 belong to First United Methodist.  Descendants of the Scotts, Popes and other founding families are still on the rolls, along with newcomers who have been citizens of Marshall only a few months.  Many are young People for whom history may be mystifying, but, according to current pastor Rodger Garbs, they are the life-blood of the Church.

 

August Newsletter

NorthDistrictAugustNews

Here is the district August Newsletter.

Click to download

Response to Japan Earthquake

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

2011 Annual Conference Hotel Registration

Good Afternoon,

The 2011 Session of the Texas Annual Conference will be held May 29, 2011 through June 1, 2011, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas.  Our host hotel is the Hilton Americas, but there are many hotels in the downtown Houston area.

We have special rates with the Holiday Inn Express (713-652-9400, ask for the front desk) and Embassy Suites (713-739-9100), both located within walking distance of the George R. Brown Convention Center.

If you plan to attend TAC 2011, and wish to stay at our host hotel, please call the  Hilton Hotel Americas to obtain room reservations.  The phone number for reservations is 713-739-8000.

Or you can reserve online by following this link: http://www.txcumc.org/tac2011

Thank you in advance for your attendance at this year’s Annual Conference.  God’s blessings will abound, and our labors to build Christ’s Kingdom will be strengthened.

Jan Ervin

Administrative Assistant for the Assistant to the Bishop

 

 

United Methodist Men Spring Retreat

There are a few days left to sign up for this year’s Methodist Men Spring Retreat. The retreat is held March 25-27 at Lakeview Methodist Conference Center. This Year’s guest preacher is Reverend Matt Idom and keynote speaker is Revend Will Knuckols. Music will be led by Reggie Clemmons with Gregg Wiggers playing keyboard.

Deadline to sign up is March 10, 2011. Please download the registration form for more information.

Important Report Day Information: Please Read ASAP

First Download This Report Day File

There is a “blue box” on Line 216. This is the last line of the report and is the Signature Line. You must enter something in this blue box or it will not consider the data entry step ever completed. In the attached I suggest using “OK” but anything will work.

It reminds you that the data entry person now has an approval step required that they did not have last year.

Also, to allow Vital Signs entry to be done on year 2010 items, the default “Start” and “Stop” dates of the Vital Signs entry area are set to start with October 1, 2010 through 12/31/2011 instead of 1/1/2011 through 12/31/2011. This keeps the last 3 months of the prior year visible so the end of year can be done without having to reset the start and stop dates and reload.

I got a question about that messing up the report day carry over, but it does not cause problems. Both the Transformation survey and Report Day report pull from Vital Signs, but each report knows it’s start and stop date for it’s reporting period and uses that to pull the correct data regardless of what you have displayed in Vital Signs entry. If they want to know what is being transferred to the report, they will need to set the display of Vital Signs to be 1/1/2010 to 12/31/2010 and do the “Reload Data” to see what is actually being transferred to the reports. Right now the default covers 15 months of vital signs and the totals at the bottom are for the full 15 months but that is not what the reports receive, the reports pull the correct calendar year entries that apply to the report. If the report did not know what to pull, we would not be able to go back and display a report from an old year and show correct numbers.

If any of this leads to any questions, please call.

October Newsletter Online

Here is the October Newsletter for the North District!