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A Message from the Associate Pastor
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This year Burke UMC once again participated in the City of Fairfax 4th of July parade. T
housands of people line the parade route each year and cheer for community org
anizations, services, groups, leaders, heroes, and servants. As a member of the community, we believe it is an important place for us to be visible as well. For the second year in a row, we shared our float with our friends from Ezher Bloom Mosque. The float was simply a table - decorated with tablecloths, fruits, and flowers - and Christian & Muslim friends seated together. Others walked behind the float and carried signs with statements from the Bible & Quran about friendship, the importance of neighbor, fellowshi
p, and love. The banner in front of it all simply said, "Come to the table!"
Pastor Jason and I were once again struck by the responses from the crowd. Over and over again - different sections of people would clap, yell "thank you!" or other expressions of gratitude. Some people cried and just clasped their hands, others waved vigorously at this simple symbol of fellowship, neighborliness, and friendship. It seems people are hungry for a picture of hope, hungry for some good news & fellowship, hungry for a seat at the table.
We know that there are differences in our faith traditions, understanding, and practice. Our goal in sharing this float is not conversion or convincing. Rather, it's a way we recognize that something unique happens when we sit at a table with other people. Something completely personal and human happens when we break bread together, tell our stories, and listen as someone else shares theirs. We don't need uniformity to have unity. Unity does, however, require us to see the humanity in another. It does invite us to notice, and even love, the image of the Creator God in those who think and act like us - and those who do not.
Angela Ayaz, one of our friends from Ezher Bloom Mosque, explained to me a Turkish phrase that says, "It's hard to hate someone you've shared grape leaves with." Since most of us don't snack on grape leaves often - I'd say it this way: "It's hard to hate someone you've shared a meal with." Better yet - "It's hard to hate someone you've walked a parade route with." We are grateful for our friendship with Ezher Bloom, for this community of faith at Burke UMC that endeavors to love all of our neighbors well, and for the God that somehow binds us all together in grace.
- Pastor Katie
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 Our summer sermon series is called "Get Out the Map" inspired by the name of an Indigo Girls song. The series centers around vacationing, getting away, or simply taking time out of your busy life. Growing up, Katie and I remember music being a part of our car rides or as a soundtrack to our
vacation. In thinking through our series, we put
together songs that might help accentuate the
journey we will take in worship and you might enjoy on your journeys this summer.
Download these on iTunes or listen to them on YouTube as you join us this summer.
- Pastor Jason
- Get Out the Map - Indigo Girls
- Another White Dash - Butterfly Boucher
- Vacation - The Go-Go's
- Holiday Road - Lindsey Buckingham
- Leaving on a Jet Plane - John Denver
- Ramble On - Led Zeppelin
- Changes in Latitudes Changes in Attitudes - Jimmy Buffett
- Life is a highway - Tom Cochran or Rascal Flatts
- The Passenger - Iggy Pop
- On the Road - Keane
- Taking the Long Way Around - The Dixie Chicks
- The Closer I Am to Fine - Indigo Girls
- Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel
- Sitting on the Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding
- Summer Breeze - Seals & Croft
- Live Like You Were Dying - Tim McGraw
- Fly Away From Here - Aerosmith
- Roam - The B-52's
- Drive - The Shires
- Wide Open Spaces - Dixie Chicks
- Born to Be Wild - Steppenwolf
- Every Day Is a Winding Road - Sheryl Crow
- Summer Skin - Death Cab for Cutie
- Same in Any Language - I Nine
- The World at Large - Modest Mouse
- Homeward Bound - Simon and Garfunkel
- Where the Trees Stand Still - Bebo Norman
- I'm Coming Home - Daughtry
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Summer Sunday School & VBS!
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Preschoolers spend each Sunday learning about heroes of the Bible using activity books and short movie clips. Preschool will meet in Room 9 this summer at 10:30AM and will be led by Lindsey Lyons. Children's Church at 9AM each week will also follow a hero theme as we revisit familiar stories about David, Abraham, Nehemiah, Daniel, Esther, Peter, Paul, Thomas, and John.
Our 10:30AM Sunday School theme for rising K-4th graders is "Be a Superhero" and will focus on the qualities of superheroes - love, kindness, understanding, resilience, patience, spiritual strength, and many more. This curriculum is centered around the Bible verse: "Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31b (NIV). Volunteer Shepherds are needed to lead Summer Sunday School - we'd love for you to be a part of this team! Sign up on clipboard alley (one week commitment) if interested.
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Club 56 (rising 5th and 6th graders) will learn about the Fruits of the Spirit and will create a fruit-inspired superhero each week which will be on display in the Narthex.
We believe that our preteen students hunger for something different from younger kids, but aren't often developmentally ready for Youth Ministries.
Club 56 helps to bridge the gap by using a format similar to youth programs, but with subject matter and activities that address age-appropriate needs and issues.
Creating "Captain Kindness" in the likeness of a strawberry suits the interests and activity level of Club 56 quite well!
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Our very popular Vacation Bible School camp will be held August 7-11, 9:00AM-12:15PM for Preschool through 4th grades, and Camp Mission EDGE is open this same week, 9:00AM-2:00PM. Our VBS theme is "Hero Central: Discover Your Strength in God" where children will enjoy an interactive, energizing, Bible-based good time as they discover their strength in God! They will become Heroes and will explore how to serve God and understand God's mission for their lives! VBS activities include a high-energy opening assembly at Hero Central, interactive Bible stories revealing Hero Codes, Art Exploration, Science "Imagineering", Superhero Sports, Amazing Music, and Powerful Snacks. Hero Central VBS is designed to equip your Heroes for an active life with God. Your Heroes will discover a daily Hero Verse that will remain with them in their faith long after VBS.
Contact Kristin Kelso, VBS Director at
[email protected] with questions or sign-up on the Hero Central VBS Volunteer sheet in the entryway.
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Superhero Sunglass Vacation Photos
Remember
to post your vacation photos wearing your superhero glasses in our Burke UMC Group Facebook page - or on your social media wall with #BurkeUMC.
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Book Sale: Saturday, September 2, 8:30-2
For the third year, BUMC will be hosting a used book sale on Saturday, September 2 from 8:30 am-2:00 pm. This is such a great way for you to "recycle" the books you have already read and buy new ones to read! We have already started collecting- there is a bin labeled in the entry way. Please no textbooks! This sale financially benefits our Cambodian ministries, but in addition, we send books to a local jail, and all the leftover kids books go to the FACETS community centers and Terra Centre Elementary School. A couple of local authors will be here to discuss and autograph their books. A new addition is that Girl Scout Troop 3466 will be running the kids room with story telling and crafts. Thanks to Susan Toler and the Toler family for coordinating this event again this year! Contact Susan with any questions or ideas - [email protected]
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Summer Small Groups!
There are lots of opportunities for adults to learn, build friendships, and grow this summer.
Small groups are the primary vehicle for discipleship at BUMC. We believe that BIG THINGS HAPPEN in small groups,
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Stamp Collecting
Fo
r 35 years, United Methodist Women have collected used postage stamps. They are sold and 100% of the proceeds benefit UMCOR (The United Methodist Committee on Relief). B
UMC has begun to participate.-there is a collection box on the missions table outside Fellowship Hall.
A few notes for best value-
- Trim paper around the stamp leaving a 1/4" border or just turn in the entire envelope.
- Turn in entire postcards
Thanks to Margaret Yowell for suggesting this helpful ministry that costs us nothing to participate in!
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"Do you have the gift of compassion and encouragement?
Are you a good listener?
If you find it in your heart to care for others, our newly created Nurturing Care Ministry may be for you! We are ready to form and train Care Teams to visit those in our congregation who are hospitalized, having surgery, in rehab, or who are "shut in" and unable to attend church.
The two teams will be led by Karen Evans, Karen Panos, April Kaminski, and the Pastoral Staff. Training will be provided early summer. If you have questions or are interested, please contact
Karen Evans or sign up is in the Narthex.
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Youth Serving Others in July
Our youth participates in two Mission Trips this month. Our first team departs on Sunday, July 9th for Crossville, TN. They will work along side other youth from around the country at this Reach work camp. Our youth will make home repairs for residents in need. They will assist with everything from yard work, painting and minor repairs to building wheel chair ramps, remodeling and roofing. In addition to their mission work our youth will have time for devotion, recreation and building lasting friendships in Christ. Please keep this group in your prayers as they travel and do God's work. Especially pray for the entire Reach Mission group on Friday, July 14 as that is our church's assigned day of prayer.
Our second team leaves on July 23rd for Winchester, VA where they will participate with the Jeremiah Project. At the JP camp our youth will perform the same types of home repair projects for homeowners struggling with poverty. This trip provides an amazing opportunity for our middle school youth to be the Lord's hands and feet and do his work while developing new friendships and gaining self confidence. Please keep this team in your prayers. A special thank you to Anne Schoolcraft, Kevin Phillips, Sandy Latta and Scott Tennant for leading our youth mission trips this summer!
The entire UMYF is working hard planning Camp Joy (formally Camp Rising Hope) for the kids of Westwood Community Center, Rising Hope Church, Katherine Hanley Shelter, Duffy House and Robinson Square. This year's camp directors are Kevin Moore and Alexa Houck. Kevin and Alexa, along with the Life Youth Group will provide music, arts & crafts, science, recreation and bible stories for their campers throughout the week as well as lots of love and attention. Its a wonderful way to provide an opportunity for kids in our community who may not have the means to attend other summer camps.
While all the planning and primary staffing is done by our youth, some adult help is needed. The camp is July 31-Aug 3 from 9-2:30. If you can lend your support that week as a driver, floater or kitchen staff see our signup form in clipboard alley or contact Anne Sawin at
[email protected].
I'm so proud of all the ways our youth are serving others this summer!
Youth meet all summer long! Join us for Summer Sunday school on Sunday mornings at 10:30 in B4 and Youth Group on Sunday evenings from 7-8:30pm.
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Sign Up to Volunteer with Summer Sunday School!
Click here to visit our Sign Up Genius - and sign up to help out this summer. Thank you!
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Bread for the World
Bread for the World is an biblically-based, international non-profit working in the world specifically addressing the issue of food insecurity.
On June 13, 2017, over 400 people from all over the country gathered in Washington DC to talk to their senators and representatives about hunger issues both here in the United States and internationally. The day began with a worship service at St. Mark's Episcopal Church right behind the Capital.
In particular, the participants were asked to talk to the politicians about fully funding safety net programs here like SNAP (food stamps) and WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) and abroad (current near-famine conditions in Sudan, Nigeria, and Somalia). Jaen Wilson was part of a group that met with Senator Tim Kaine's staff, and then with Congressman Gerry Connolly. If you would like to know more about the issues of hunger, here is their website: www.bread.org. There is also information on the mission table outside Fellowship Hall.
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Save the Date: Burke Gives Back Event
Saturday, October 21, 9:00 am-1:00 pm
At a recent Missions Committee meeting, the group decided to take a step toward Pastor Jason's vision of more community involvement. On Saturday, October 21, BUMC will be the primary sponsor of a Rise Against Hunger food packing event that will be held in a tent in the Walmart parking lot. In addition, we will be sponsoring a food collection drive to benefit local food pantries . Kevin Taylor is signing up business sponsors, and we are reaching out to neighborhood churches and communities seeking their involvement. To help pay for this, we have put out coin cans on the entryway table (feel free to take one and return it by October 15!)
There will much more information to follow as we get closer to the event!
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Superhero Central:
Discover What Super Things You Can Do In Your Community!
Every year we collect school supplies for low income kids in our community. This year's theme coordinates with VBS :
Superhero Central-Discover What Super Things you can do in our community!
Our collection will provide :
- 30-40 filled backpacks to all the kids who attend Camp Joy (formerly known as Camp Rising Hope) July 30-Aug. 4. These kids will be from Rising Hope and 2 of the FACETS communities that we regularly work with.
- 30 bags will go to the kids at Bethany House
- 30 will go to support ECHO kids
- Remaining bags and supplies benefit kids at Wesley Housing.
Our VBS always does a great job of contributing to this collection-it's so great to see kids helping kids. You can help by buying supplies and leaving them in bins in the entry way or by writing a check for items like preschool scholarships and back packs. See Superhero Jason in the entryway for more information!
Another fun aspect of the Back to School drive is the "Battle of the High Schools". Here are the rules: Any change you put in the jar of your favorite school counts positively toward their total. Any bills put in their jar count negatively toward the total . Watch for the results each week on the table with the jars in the entryway!
All funds raised support our Hungry Kids Ministries (Weekend Food Bags, Middle School Munchies, and community Center lunches).
See Bob Read or Susie Street for more energetic explanation!
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Listen on line any time! Click on the Sermon Archives image (or the same image on the main page of our web site) to listen to sermons from previous Sundays.
Sermons are uploaded each week by Thursday if not sooner.
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Burke UMC: Welcome Statement
Welcome! We are a caring community from various backgrounds, drawn together by the love of God and the transforming message of Jesus. We believe all persons are of sacred worth and dignity as part of God's creation and as demonstrated by the ministry of Jesus Christ.
We welcome everyone without exception - everyone means everyone - regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, family structure, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, economic background, political affiliation, physical or mental ability, faith history or life experience.
We recognize among us differences in theology and biblical interpretation, and we covenant to accept, respect, and love one another along our faith journeys. Please join us, because wherever you are on life's journey, there's a place for you here at Burke United Methodist Church!
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