First United Methodist Church of Longview
The Voice
April 4, 2018
Confirmation Sunday, April 8
Join us for a combined service of worship at 10:45 a.m. in the Sanctuary to celebrate our 2018 class of confirmands! Seventeen students will be confirmed at this special service.
Don't miss a chance to celebrate with them as they become members of our church family in a new and exciting way!
Where are you connected?

Wednesday Night Supper
On the menu this week:
Taco salad and lemon meringue pie for dessert!

Kids will be having baked ziti and apples!
Sign ups for Love Does now going on!
April 21
Each year our church family celebrates Love Does- a day of caring for our community! We will be working on various projects throughout Longview and there is something for all ages and abilities to do. You can read more about our projects here and sign up to be involved in either the Welcome Center or Faith Center on Sunday morning or you can sign up now online. If you have any questions please email Pastor Becca at bnewcomb@longviewfumc.org.


Donations for Asbury House

Each month Asbury House is collecting one type of item to help stock their shelves! In April they are collecting play-doh! You can bring your donation items to the church office during the week or drop them off at the Welcome Center on Sunday mornings in the Asbury House boxes!
Lakeview Summer Camp Director making special appearance, Wednesday, April 4 at 6 p.m.
Lakeview Director, Bradley Doughty, will be bringing a special presentation to the Faith Center to share all the new exciting details of camp at Lakeview. If you are contemplating summer church camp for your children, please come see what Lakeview has to offer. Camp is for grades 3 rd -12 th and is an exciting way to start students on the camp experience. Sessions run one week at a time. Even if your student attends other camps the improvements and new things happening at Lakeview are worth a look.  To get us in the summer mood we will be serving ice cream treats for everyone. You are also invited to attend Wednesday Night dinner, which is from 5-6:30 p.m.  for questions prior to April 4, please contact Janice Crane, youth director, at 903-753-4463 or at  jcrane@longviewfumc.org

Save the Date:
High School Senior Celebration Sunday is Sunday, April 29 in the 10:45 a.m. traditional service. Please join us as we honor our high school seniors at this special time. A luncheon will follow for high school students, families and friends as well as any members of the congregation that would like to join us. Our luncheon will be in the Heritage Room immediately following the service. Members of our church may make a lunch reservation by calling the church office at 903-753-4463 or email  jcrane@longviewfumc.org

Follow along with everything the youth are up to on their social media links below!
LegoLand Trip April 22
Great news for our trip! Early bird registration is only $15, lunch included! This trip is for students in grades 1-3. Bus leaves the church at 11 a.m. and will return at 7 p.m. Sign up your 1st-3rd grader by contacting Pastor Nathan by email at nfirmin@longviewfumc.org or text him at 817-919-3414. Four parent helpers are needed-Legloand ticket will be provided at no cost. Scholarships available
Life Together at FUMC Longview
February Finances and Stewardship

Excitement is everywhere at Longview First UMC! We have just come from an exciting Easter weekend filled with amazing worship and fellowship together. Signs of new and more faithful life abound at FUMC. Last month, I shared my pride in the way we finished 2017 with strong support of our ministry and pending mortar restoration. Additionally, I was thankful for the higher level of advanced giving for the coming year. This advanced giving offered us a financial cushion for support of our 2018 ministry. Unfortunately, as you see the financials for February, we have already cut significantly into that cushion. The preliminary data for March indicates a similar story. We will be sending giving statements for the first quarter of 2018 shortly. Your faithfulness in supporting our ministry is vital to achieving God’s purposes for our ministry together at FUMC. I hope that you will do all that you can to not only catch up on your commitments, but pray about how you might even do more to support the great things God is doing here at FUMC as we seek to be  A Beacon of Hope for All !
April 12 Pioneers features 'A Tribute to American Music'
 
Join us 11 a.m. Thursday, April 12, for an uplifting musical program in the Faith Center. David Berryhill, music minister at First Baptist Church in Kilgore, will perform "A Tribute to American Music." You will be blessed to hear this talented pianist and vocalist!

We will be serving fresh spinach salad, stuffed pork loin, buttered and steamed sugar snap peas, creamy scalloped potatoes, rolls, and carrot cake for dessert. Those with April birthdays will be recognized and receive a birthday cake compliments of United Methodist Women.

Bring a friend! Invite your neighbors! Pioneers welcomes anyone, especially those who are retired or of retirement age. Please call the church office (903-753-4463) to make a reservation for the delicious $5 lunch.

Wednesday Night Studies



Join Pastor Becca for a study of how we do life together in the body of Christ.




The study will be based on Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s book Life Together but you don’t need to buy or read the book in order to be a part of this study!

Starts Wednesday, March 21
6:30 p.m.
Heritage Room 

For questions, please email Pastor Becca at bnewcomb@longviewfumc.org
Understanding Our Grief
We will offer this class, Understanding Your Grief, in April as a way to find our new path on the journey of life. “Understanding” comes when we surrender: surrender our need to compare our grief (it’s not a competition); surrender our self-critical judgments ( we need to be self-compassionate); and surrender our need to completely understand (we never will). The grief that touches our souls has its own voice and should not be compromised by our need for comparison, judgment, or even complete understanding. Surrender is not the same as resignation. Surrendering is a courageous choice, an act of faith, a trust in God and in ourselves!

We will follow Ten Touchstones in the 4 weeks. Hope will be a common thread through each class. If you are on this path of grief currently, I invite you to attend our classes beginning Wednesday, April 4, 2018 at 6:30pm.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, 753-4463.
Peace, Mary Collier


Journey of the Prodigal Son Sunday, April 22 | 7:00 p.m. Faith Center

Professional Christian Dance group, Ballet Magnificat! will perform a
kaleidoscope of exciting music, costumes, lighting, and staging which will captivate the hearts of young and old in this beloved tale, retold in
contemporary setting. This timeless message comes back to center stage as our Father God calls His children to return to Him. An array of classical
ballet, jazz, modern and even some swing and charleston.
SCHOOL FOR LITTLE CHILDREN
Our school needs loving, caring teachers!
School for Little Children is accepting applications for summer and substitute teachers to work various days and hours. Please prayerfully consider becoming a part of this important ministry to children. 

Please contact Dallas Lemmon at 903-753-3121 or dallasl@longviewsflc.org
Save the Date
50th Plus Wedding Anniversary Luncheon
Friday - September 21, 2018
Cook Foyer & Eloise Wilson Heritage Room

Rev. Jay Jackson - MC
Kristi Koonce - Entertainment
Janice Barnett - Photography
For Your Calendar
April 6
UMW Garden Sale and Chicken Spaghetti

April 8
Confirmation Sunday
We will confirm 17 of our students at the 10:45 a.m. combined worship service in the Sanctuary. We will still have 8:30 a.m. traditional and contemporary worship that morning.

April 10
UMW Monthly Meeting
9 a.m.
Heritage Room

April 12
Pioneers
11 a.m.
Faith Center

April 21
Love Does
Breakfast starts at 7:30 a.m.
Prayer and Sending Forth at 8:15 a.m.
Faith Center

April 22
Ballet Magnifica
7 p.m.
Faith Center

To submit an article for the Voice please email Pastor Becca at bnewcomb@longviewfumc.org. Info must be submitted by Thursday at 5pm in order to be in next week's edition of the Voice.
First United Methodist Church of Longview
400 N. Fredonia St. Longview, Texas 75601
Tel-(903) 753.4463
Fax-(903) 236.7608