First Methodist Church Winnsboro

I am so VERY excited to tell you that our CARE TEAM is up and running!! This was one of our VISION focuses for 2018 and what an amazing group of people have stepped forward to share God’s love!! We have people who have volunteered to visit hospitals, visit nursing home and our homebound, to be “drivers” to doctor appointment or other errands, write cards, and make phone calls and communion servers!  We have also added a “PET CARE” team so that if someone has to go into the hospital we can make sure that their animals are cared for!! 

We will be having a consecration service in church in a few weeks for these amazing volunteers and we’re organizing a care system now, but if you feel a call to help, we need some additional help in all areas but card writing. Please let us know if you’d like to be plugged in!

BUT PLEASE KNOW THIS … as much as I WISH that I had special powers to know when someone needs extra prayers, or is having surgery or needs some extra help, I don’t know unless you tell me so please let me know if you ever need something!! Our Care Team is excited to get started visiting and staying in touch so please say some VERY special prayers for this group of people called to serve!!

Just another reminder that we are ALL called to “love our neighbors” and with our directory on the website, you can always call or send notes to ANYONE at anytime … people who sit near you and haven’t been in church for a while, people we pray for in church on Sunday, etc. Find the directory on the website …. The PASSWORD is FUMC309.

WE’RE COLLECTING GIFT CARDS for back to school teacher donations …Family Dollar, Dollar General, Walmart or wherever! Since every church and bank in town asks for “supplies” we’re filling in the GAPS and helping the teachers get what they need.  You can drop your cards in the offering plates or drop them at the office through JULY 29^th!

5^th SUNDAY POT LUCK & ICE CREAM SOCIAL … 7/29, 5:30 PM, Family Life Center … bring your favorite covered dish and your homemade ice-cream (although Bluebell would be fine too!), for a fun night of fellowship and summer celebration!  Sign up to bring ice-cream in the Sunday school classes or in the lobby of the church on Sunday.

VISIONING for the CITY OF WINNSBORO: Tuesday, July 31^st, 6:30 PM, CIVIC CENTER …calling all people who LOVE their community and want to see an exciting future for the City! I have been honored to be working with the City Manager, City Council and School Superintendent on creating a new vision and mission statement for the City of Winnsboro. Like we did when we were visioning for our church, our first gathering will give people in the community a chance to dream about the future for the city … YOU ARE INVITED TO ATTEND!

Have you taken the SPIRITUAL GIFTS TEST yet?  Know your Spiritual Gifts and your passion and joy for serving will explode! To take the test go to our website and then let me know what YOUR gifts are!!  CLICK HERE

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN HISTORY?   The United Methodist has a rich history and since 1859, our church has been PART of that history …  CLICK HERE to read the current history information on file. If you enjoy history and would like to consider being a historian for OUR church, please let me know … check out what a historian does HERE.

NEXT FELLOWSHIP DINNER this Wednesday, July 18th, 5:45 PM … bring your friends and join us for SPAGHETTI!!

YOUTH: 6^th through 12^th … it’s DONUTS, DINNER BACK TO THE FUTURE III: Wednesday, 7/18 5:15 – 8:30 … gather your gang and come out to the FLC for an awesome night of fun!!! 

MIDDLE SCHOOL POOL PARTY: Wednesday, August 1^st, 5:30-7:30, Beaty’s Home, 208 Marion … in 2019 the middle school is transitioning to 6-8^th grades and since we don’t have any 5^th graders, we’re making the transition NOW and kicking it off with a SPLASH BASH!!! Parents we’d love your support so when asked to serve, please say yes!!

PLANNING AHEAD: Listening for a “Way Forward” … 8/18, 9am-2:15pm, Carrollton … The Conference Committee on Lay Servant Ministries along with the Board of Laity of the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church announces the 4th annual conference-wide laity event on August 18, 2018, at Aldersgate UMC, 3926 Old Denton Road, Carrollton, from 9:00 AM to 2:15 PM. The main focus of the meeting will be to discuss the possible revision of every paragraph of the Book of Discipline concerning human sexuality and explore options that help to maintain and strengthen the unity of the church. Some of our members have already been actively involved in the conversations with the Bishop on this topic and I’m grateful to everyone who is willing to pray about this!!  Let me know if you’d like to ride with me or carpool with others!  For more, see the UMC website HERE

GET CONNECTED THIS WEEK: Click here for Calendar details

MONDAY, 1-3 PM …Knitting Group, Family Ties

      NEXT Monday 7/23, 9 am … Prayer Quilt Ministry, Asbury

TUESDAY, 8 am … Quilters, 9 am crafters

      11-noon … BIBLE TALK, “PSALM 139”

WEDNESDAY, 9 am …Community Women’s Bible Study (through 8/8)

       5:15 pm … Youth (6^th-12^th) Donuts, Dinner and a Movie, The Loft

       5:45 pm … Fellowship Meal in FLC

THURSDAY, 8:30 am … Community Women’s Bible Study, Clara Ida Frances Loft … we have 2 more session until we take an AUGUST break before resuming after Labor Day so please come!

DANIEL CHAPTER 7 this Sunday … call for study notes.

What a wonderful week I had in beautiful Northwest Arkansas these last few days!  My daughter and her husband had a fabulous honeymoon in Jamaica and my grandson and I had an ENTIRE week of fun! I am, of course, exhausted, but I am looking forward to getting back to work to REST, ha ha!

CONGREGATIONAL CARE KICKS OFF THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT, 8/11, 6:30 PM in Wesley Hall … as you know, we have had a lot of pastoral care concerns in the last few weeks and you can always CALL and send NOTES to people using the directory on the website …. call the office for the password. But please come Wednesday night and help us be INTENTIONAL about all our care concerns!

5^th SUNDAY POT LUNCH & ICE CREAM SOCIAL … 7/29, 5:30 PM, Family Life Center … bring your favorite covered dish and your homemade ice-cream (although Bluebell would be fine too!), for a fun night of fellowship and summer celebration!  Sign up to bring ice-cream in the Sunday school classes or in the lobby of the church on Sunday.

WE’RE COLLECTING GIFT CARDS for back to school teacher donations …Family Dolalr, Dollar General, Walmart or wherever! Since every church and bank in town asks for “supplies”, Kelly Knight thought gift cards would be a great way for teachers to “fill in the gaps” for their students.  You can drop your cards in the offering plates through JULY 29^th!

LOOKING FOR FULFILLMENT IN YOUR SERVICE TO GOD?  Know your Spiritual Gifts and your passion and joy for serving will explode!   CLICK HERE

In the next few weeks I’d like you to be prayerful about the incredible gifts given to you by the Holy Spirit. Scripture teaches that when we are baptized in the Spirit, we receive gifts of the Spirit….“We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully”. Romans 12:6–8

Note that it says, “We have different gifts.” Each is important, each worth using … each given “according to the grace given us.” We are to take what He has placed in our life and seek to multiply it!!

Some of you are already using the gifts God has given you so you KNOW how fulfilling it is to respond to God’s call in your life – some of you may be busy doing work for the Lord but you don’t feel a joy in your service … perhaps you’re not using the gift God gave you! Please take the spiritual gifts test on our website HERE … when you answer the questions, don’t OVER-ANALYZE …in a few weeks we’ll explore this even deeper!

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN HISTORY?   The United Methodist has a rich history and since 1859, our church has been PART of that history …  CLICK HERE to read the current history information on file. If you enjoy history and would like to consider being a historian for OUR church, please let me know … check out what a historian does HERE.

NEXT FELLOWSHIP DINNER … Wednesday, July 1th, 5:45

GET CONNECTED THIS WEEK: Click here for Calendar details

MONDAY, 1-3 PM …Knitting Group, Family Ties

TUESDAY, 8 am … Quilters, 9 am crafters

      10-11 am … Personal prayer time in sanctuary

      11-noon … BIBLE TALK, “Job Chapter 1: Tested By God”

WEDNESDAY, 9 am …Community Women’s Bible Study

       5:30 pm … Congregational Care, Wesley Hall

THURSDAY, 8:30 am … Community Women’s Bible Study, Clara Ida Frances Loft: “Sapphira … Lying to God”

DANIEL CHAPTER 6 this Sunday … call the office for a copy of the study notes!

What an AMAZING Fellowship Dinner we had last night with SO many people that the last few people in line were gracious enough to eat chicken nuggets because we served all the burgers! (The kitchen crew is committed to making sure we have MORE than enough food on July 18^th and I’d guess NEXT month will be even BIGGER and BETTER!!) 

YOUTH!!!  One of the most EXCITING things about last night was seeing TWENTY FIVE, (yes 25!!) YOUTH all piling into the loft to watch Back to the Future II AND have chocolate fondue! (I don’t think the KIDS call it that but dipping yummy things in chocolate is what I call it!!) So many of our kids brought their friends so it says a LOT about the sense of belonging those kids feel … to see our young adults, Kimberly Noe, Conner Ragsdale and Paige Baber step up to help was also very exciting!  THANKS TO EVERYONE who is creating safe, loving space to nurture our kids!

METHODISM   I was then BLOWN AWAY by how many people stayed for the “speed” class on Methodism … we zipped through history, organization, some doctrine, beliefs and MORE and it was so heart-warming to see the interest! When I began the class by asking how many people were there from backgrounds NOT Methodist, the great majority of hands were raised so what a JOY to talk about why we CHOOSE to be Methodists!

WHAT ARE YOUNG “SEEKERS” LOOKING FOR?  Now that it’s summer, I’d also like to encourage you to keep your eyes open for someone God puts in YOUR path who might need the connection to a faith community that we’re lucky enough to have! I read a fabulous article on UMC.org that said the top motivators for considering a church for  spiritual “seekers”, 25-49, are: knowing that everyone will be welcomed (32%), making friends and nurturing friendships (29%), support during difficult times (28%) and learning more about God (27%). Isn’t it true that we ALL want to feel like we belong?    CLICK HERE to read the whole article. 

DANIEL CHAPTER 3 … Battle of the Gods  This Sunday we’ll dive into one of the most well-known stories of the Bible as we see Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego thrown into a fiery furnace because they won’t bow down and worship a false god.  EMAIL US if you’d like the worksheet.

JOINING DAY, this Sunday, June 24^th … If you are joining the church this Sunday, let me say an early welcome as you joyfully make this commitment to God!  I’ll invite you to come forward during the closing hymn at the end of the service but if you would like to be baptized, please let me know before Sunday.

HELP US CLEAN OUT THE LIBRARY in WESLEY HALL: This TUESDAY, June 26^th, 1:30pm … The trustees are making plans to do some renovation in Wesley Hall so we’re cleaning UP and cleaning OUT and we’d love your help!  The library hasn’t been used in MANY years so we are going to re-purpose the space and have a BOOK GIVEAWAY later in July.  BUT FIRST … we need volunteers to help us clear out everything in the library and move everything to tables in the Wesley Hall.  JOIN US FOR LUNCH AT 12:15 at SUBWAY(Bible study is from 11-12 if you want to make a day of it!!) and then we’ll get to work!! It won’t take long – many hands make light work!

GET CONNECTED THIS WEEK: Click here for Calendar details

TUESDAY, 8 am … Quilters,  9 am crafters

      10-11 am … Personal prayer time in sanctuary

      11-noon … Bible Talk, “HOW HARD TIMES HELP” 1 Sam 17

      12:15 pm … Lunch at Subway

      1:30 pm … Cleaning out the library, Wesley Hall

WEDNESDAY, 9 am … Community Women’s Bible Study, Asbury

      6:30 pm … Community and Congregational Care, Friendly Seekers

THURSDAY, 8:30 am … Community Women’s Bible Study, Clara Ida Frances Loft (WOMAN AT THE WELL)

HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL SUNDAY!

Debbie Lyons, Pastor

First United Methodist Church Winnsboro

301 Church Street, Winnsboro, TX. 75494

CLICK HERE for our Facebook

​CLICK HERE for our website

​(903) 342-6172 

What an amazing experience to be part of a connectional denomination that works TOGETHER for the ​​kingdom of God!! Our conference is made up of 301 churches, 141,827 members, 4 districts and 20 counties and on Monday night we ordained 12 exceptional new pastors!!  We also had INCREDIBLE worship experiences, AND Adam Hamilton, author and pastor of one of the largest, fastest growing Methodist churches in the ​world truly INSPIRED us with over 5 hours of HANDS ON training that was exceptional! Being part of a connectional church is pretty amazing – if this is new to you, CLICK HERE to read a pretty good article on what it’s all about!

SO MANY STORIES OF CHURCHES DOING GREAT THINGS!!  The theme of Conference this year was NEW SPACES-NEW FACES … taking the message of Christ OUT to the people JUST like John Wesley did when he started Methodism in the United States! So often we hear stories of “doom and gloom” about churches dying, attendance dropping, and children disappearing from our churches (sadly, this IS all true!) but there are some churches out there who really GET IT!!  I was so inspired by the churches that are growing and welcoming lots of new people and who have children’s ministries that are EXPLODING … to hear about their growing pains (yes, growing pains!!) and their stories of professions of faith of NEW people getting to know the love of Christ is so exciting! I am looking forward to working with our leadership teams to share some of the possibilities – if YOU want to be part of the conversation, let me know!!

PLEASE TUNE INTO THE 1^st CONFERENCE CALL on NEW FACES-NEW SPACES … June 11^th, 10 AM … The chief missional strategy of the North Texas Conference is:  Catalyze gatherings of NEW FACES in NEW SPACES in and through every local church and targeted mission fields.  I’m so excited to explore NEW SPACES for NEW FACES in our OWN area and this conference call is designed to help us share and develop NEW IDEAS with church leaders and pastors from ALL over the Conference!!  Everyone is welcome to call in – the calls are FREE but you’ll need to download the ZOOM app to participate … CLICK here to download the app so you’re ready for the 10 AM call on MONDAY, 6/11, then email me after the call and share your thoughts! 

SUMMER VACATIONS, CAMPING TRIPS, VISITS TO SEE FAMILY … have you thought about setting up automatic “bill pay” to God? Many of us pay our electric bills and mortgages and credit card bills automatically so if God asks us to PUT HIM FIRST, this is an easy way to do it!  It’s simple and easy after a brief set-up … CLICK HERE and give it a try!  (It’s also VERY easy to stop at any time!)

CAMP FOR KIDS?  If you haven’t put down your kids deposit for camp, do it right away – we will work with you to sponsor your kids and make sure they can go financially but please don’t wait … let me know your 5^th – 12^th graders are interested ASAP!

LET’S SUPPORT OUR VERY OWN ARTISTS! Saturday, June 9^th, 5:30 PM “IN FOCUS PHOTO GROUP at the Cultural Arts Center … join me as we celebrate SEVERAL OF OUR MEMBERS who are participating … let’s support them!!

WHAT DO METHODISTS BELIEVE? Wednesday, June 20^th, after the 5:45 Fellowship Dinner Have you wondered what Methodists actually believe? Have you been a Methodist for a long time and want a REFRESHER course? Have you been visiting with us from a different faith background and want to know MORE about basic Methodist structure and doctrine? Please join us for our Wednesday night fellowship meal and stay for a talk on what Methodists believe?

JOINING DAY: Sunday, June 24^th 10:50 AM … I have heard from some of you who are interested in joining the church that you’d like to join on a day when others are joining too so here’s your chance! If you have any questions about joining the church, please call me – I’d love to have coffee! We also have info on our website, CLICK HERE.

COMMUNITY/CONGREGATIONAL CARE TEAM … Wednesday, June 27^th, 6:30 PM … time to get to work!! If you want to write notes, you’ll get a list of names, if you want to make phone calls, you’ll get phone numbers to make some calls, if you want to visit people, sign up to be a driver occasionally, or help coordinate activities, it’s time to put the pedal to the metal and get to work. 

3 OF YOUR FORMER PASTORS ARE RETIRING THIS JULY … Allen Snider, Reid Fade, and Mike Langdon are all retiring this year so keep them in your prayers!  We had a call from Reid’s current church (New Covenant UMC, 3032 Beltline Road, Sunnyvale) that they are having a reception for her on SATURDAY, JUNE 23^rd at 2 pm and everyone is invited. If you would like to say a few words in her honor, please email: kathleenrogers@att.net.

CENTRAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH CELEBRATES 150 YEARS IN MINISTRY … this Sunday, June 10^th, 2-4 PM.  What a JOY when we can celebrate that the Kingdom of God has been alive and well for GENERATIONS in Winnsboro, TX.  They want to invite you ALL to stop by and wish them well!

OUR STUDY OF THE BOOK OF DANIEL CONTINUES … last week we introduced this wonderful Old Testament Book with a message focused on chapter 1, verses 1-7, and THIS week we’ll finish Chapter 1 with the message … JUST SAY NO.  I have attached some study notes (not my own!) that you may enjoy using to dig deeper into this series … this is a rich, challenging book about UNSHAKABLE FAITH and if you miss a message, you can listen in the car from your phone as you’re traveling or listen on your desk top. CLICK HERE for last Sundays sermon.

Blessings to you all this week!

Pastor Debbie