-- August 24, 2022 --

It’s that time of year when kids go back to school! It’s an exciting time with new backpacks, old friends, after-school activities, sports, and everything that makes education exciting. But, learning and growth are not just for school children. We are all called to keep growing and learning long after we have graduated. As the young people in our community literally go back to school, we will be learning from the section of the Bible that’s referred to as “wisdom literature” – the Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes – in our "Back To School" series. 

The next message in our Back To School series is "Why?," from the passages in Job 1:1 and 2:1-10. If you want to feel better about your life, take a look at the book of Job. Plenty of bad things happened to him throughout the course of his life, things that many of us cannot imagine. Yet, in the midst of these bad things, he remained faithful to God. This week we’ll explore the question of “why” that comes along with scriptures like these. 

Serendipty Bible Studies

Sept. 7 & 8  | Wed. 6 PM Thu. 9:30 AM | Leach Hall 

Serendipity Bible Studies is starting back up after Labor Day. We will meet in Leach Hall on Wednesday night on September 7 at 6:00 PM and Thursday September 8 at 9:30 AM. The group will be studying the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. If you have any questions, contact Kenda ([email protected]).

Preschool Music Class

Fridays Sept. 9 - Nov. 18 |

10:00-10:30am | Leach

Hall

Miss Rebecca, our Kids Choir Director, is starting up a new Preschool Music Class this fall! We are so excited for the opportunity to introduce a new group of little ones to Rebecca’s musical magic! This is an adult-child class for kids ages 1-5 years old to explore music

through song, chants, games, and more! Please visit the link below to sign up!

Sign Up For Preschool Music Class

Women’s Growth Group

Sept. 7 | 11:30AM - 1 PM | Roundtable Room

The Women’s Growth Group will begin meeting again on September 7. We are a small group of moms with school-aged children that meets on Wednesdays for fellowship and to engage in scripture. Bring your lunch and join us! Questions? Contact Stephanie Rasmussen ([email protected].

Women's Evening Bible Study Group

Sept. 12 | 7 PM | Zoom

The Women's Evening Bible Study will begin on September 12, at 7:00 pm, via Zoom. We are meeting on Mondays this time. We will be doing Dr. David Jeremiah's Study, "Agents Of The Apocolypse." It is a Study of the end times Book of Revelation through the lens of its major players. The book and study guide may be purchased at DavidJeremiah.org. Questions? Contact Julie Richter (214) 724-1949 | [email protected]). 

Meeting ID: 815 0748 6691 | Pass Code: 643775

View Bible Study Groups

Crafting Group

Sept. 13 | 10 AM - 12 PM | Leach Hall

The crafting group is back September 13 and will be doing a fall craft! The craft will be beginner friendly, so consider inviting a new friend to try out our group. Questions? Contact Pastor Carly Payne ([email protected]).

Youth Whirly Ball 

Sept. 11 | 6- 8 PM | 147 E Harwood Rd, Hurst, TX 76054

Youth, come out on September 11,at 6 PM for a fun evening of whirlyball at the WhirlyBall Texas Hurst location.

Choices Al-Anon Family Group

Fridays | 6 PM | FLC Room 1001

Choices Al-Anon is a twelve step program and fellowship of people who have been affected by the alcohol and drug abuse of a loved one. They meet regularly in small groups to absorb the strength and hope of others who have lived with alcoholism. They learn from the experience of others who have lived in similar situations and meet Fridays at 6 PM in the Family Life Center. For questions, contact Julie Stringer or the church office (817.965.2661 or 817.481.2559).

Youth & Scout Grapefest Parking Lot Fundraiser 

Sept. 15-18

The Youth will host their annual Grapefest parking lot fundraiser, where they will charge festival attendees to park in our lot. This fundraiser benefits the First Grapevine Youth activities and Boy Scouts. This is one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for our Youth.

We need volunteers to man the gates and collect money. The Youth will be in charge of the Scribner Lot, and will set up on the corner of Scribner and Lonnie Moore Way. For more information, contact James Lawrence ([email protected])

Women's Book Review Led By Dr. Cindy Ryan

Sept. 20 | 10 AM & 6 PM | Leach Hall

Join Dr. Cindy Ryan for a book review for "Wholehearted Faith" by Rachel Held Evans on September 20 at 10 AM and again at 6 PM that evening in Leach Hall. The session will be a lecture-style teaching of the book, where Dr. Cindy Ryan reviews the book's important points while you listen, so it is not required that you finish the book or have even opened the book to read it. We hope you will join us.

Let Us Know You're Attending

Be Our Guest Meal

Sept. 20 | 6 PM | Family Life Center

The Be Our Guest neighborhood meal is back on September 20 at 6 PM in the Family Life Center!

Be Our Guest is a monthly meal on the third Tuesday of the month served family-style with tablecloths, real plates, and utensils. Everyone is invited to attend and enjoy this meal.

We would love for our church members to join us, get to know guests, have fun conversations, and enjoy the delicious meal. Our menu that evening will include chicken and beef fajitas, fixings, rice, beans, chips, and salsa. Invite a friend, and we look forward to seeing you then!

Dinner Church

Wednesdays | Sept.28 - Oct. 19

6:00 - 7:30 PM | 2013 (Old Hub)

Imagine the comfort and fun of a dinner party paired with the soul-filling aspect of a church service and you get “Dinner Church!” During the evening we’ll enjoy a meal together (prepared by our own Chef Rev. Allen Lutes,) take a moment to center ourselves and pray, hear a devotional, and have some thought-provoking discussion at our tables! To close, we’ll take some time to pray with and for the people at our tables. This is open to people of all ages and stages, so bring your kids and invite your neighbors!

We hope you’ll want to share this experience and invite your friends and neighbors to this event. Email Pastor Carly at [email protected] for questions. Keep an eye out in E-news for more information or check out FirstGrapevine.org/dinnerchurch.

Salute To Veterans Dinner

Nov. 11 | 6 PM | Grand Hall at the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau (636 S. Main St.)

Veterans are welcome to attend the free 2022 Annual Salute To Veterans Dinner hosted by First Grapevine UMC in their honor on November 11 at 6 PM in the Grand Hall at the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau (636 S. Main St.). The keynote speaker will be Four-Star General in the U.S. Air Force, Bruce A. Carlson. He was the 17th Director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and served as the sixth Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. 

A presentation of the Veterans with photos from their time in service, current photos, and the military branches they served will be shown during the dinner. If you would like to be featured in the presentation, please email your full name, photos, and the military branch to [email protected].

Sponsorship Opportunities

If your company, you, or your family is interested in helping to sponsor part of the event, please contact Elaine Free-Roberson ([email protected]). Any sponsorship amount is appreciated. You may also download the Sponsorship form and follow the instructions on submitting the Sponsorship. Thank you for supporting our Veterans. Download Sponsorship Form

Reserve Your Seat

• A Codicil is an amendment to one’s Last Will and Testament.
• The Codicil Club was introduced at the May 2022 Legacy Dinner.
• You can designate the First Grapevine Endowment Fund in the Codicil of your will to receive a percentage of your estate, a percentage of the equity in Real Estate (Home, Second Home, or Land), or a percentage of stocks, bonds, or other securities. For more information, please visit FirstGrapevine.org/endowment.
• Designating the First Grapevine Endowment Fund as the recipient can result in tax advantages and can also save heirs from the challenges of disposing of Real Estate assets.

In-Person Worship: 379

Online: 520

Sunday School: 149

Thank You!

Many thanks and all our appreciation to Desha Schalekamp! This is Desha’s second year serving as our VBC Director, and we are so grateful for all the time and love she puts into this event.

VBC is a family affair for the Schalekamps. Desha’s husband, John, can be found directing traffic while her mom helps out with crafts. Her children, Everly (7) and Ellis (5), are happy helpers throughout the summer and enjoy the week with their friends. 

When she isn’t volunteering at First Grapevine (did you know she also teaches Pre-K Sunday School?), she runs a successful event planning business, Meetings Made Easy, a one-stop shop for virtual and in-person events, digital marketing, registration management, on-site staffing, and much more.

When you see Desha, please thank her for all her work to share the love and joy of Jesus with hundreds of kids in our church and community! 

As the GRACE Grocery Giveaway (GGG) and Feed Our Kids programs come to an end, we would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to everyone who contributed to the success of this summer. Many kids were fed, and families were satisfied thanks to you.

This summer brought a lot of heat to Texas. Three days in a row saw highs of 108 degrees, in addition to numerous days that were over 100 degrees with little to no rain. This made certain days quite difficult for everyone working at the six sites. However, both staff members and volunteers stepped up to help the children and families in the community.

The Feed Our Kids and GGG programs came to life in the eyes of our community, thanks in large part to the contributions of volunteers. Making sure that everyone received what they needed, preparing meals for kids and families, and gathering data were just some of the tasks involved. With the help of our fantastic volunteers, we were able to hold birthday parties, play games and sports with the children, and do a plethora of other activities to enhance the summer. Thank you to every volunteer who helped make this summer unforgettable.

We fed 30,331 lunches to children in the community this summer (over 3,000 more lunches than in 2021). The day of June 23rd saw us distribute the most lunches this year, with 736 being served.

In total, 1,524 households and 6,790 individuals were served throughout GRACE Grocery Giveaway. The highest grocery day, on June 23, saw 748 people served and 159 households receive groceries.

Beth Chernik, who oversees GRACE’s Seasonal Programs, is pleased with how this summer turned out. She expresses gratitude to each volunteer and site host for making this summer impactful.

“Despite the intense heat, you continued to provide your best volunteers, activities, lunches, and warm, friendly, generous hearts and smiles,” said Beth. “The expressions on your faces speak for themselves. The depth of our thankfulness transcends words in every way. We are truly grateful.”

For helping to make this summer successful, a special thanks go out to all of the area churches, businesses, restaurants, athletic teams, schools, individuals, families, and wonderful civic organizations. Our seasonal programs are great because of you.

Although the summer may be over, we are still gearing up for the biggest event of the year, the GRACE Gala and the Christmas Cottage. If you want to serve alongside this wonderful community during the holiday season, please reach out to Beth at [email protected] or our Volunteer Manager, Ryan Jackson, at [email protected]. We would be thrilled to have you!

Back To School Series: The Beginning Of Wisdom