-- Week of February 3, 2021 -- |
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Have you considered what belongs to God? The list is endless. Likewise, God knows no limits in terms of how God gives to His children. Journey with us this Sunday as we dive into “To Render: Jesus Talks Money" (Mark 12:13-17).
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Drive-Thru Communion & Collection of Snacks for Baylor Grapevine
Feb. 7 | 12 PM - 1 PM
Get ready to gather and celebrate in the sacrament of Communion during our next Drive-Thru Communion on Sunday, February 7, from noon to 1 PM.
We will be collecting snacks for the Baylor Grapevine staff. Below are the individually packaged snacks needed. We can't wait to see you at our next Drive-Thru Communion!
- Granola Bars
- Trail Mix
- Pretzels
- Belvita Breakfast Bites
- Almonds
- Peanut Butter Crackers
- Fig Bars
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Wahoo For Wellness
Feb. 9 | 9:30 AM -10:15 AM | Zoom
Looking to make a change in 2021? Join Drue Reigelman, ACE Certified Health Coach, as this small group journeys through positive change by encouragement and support, unlocking each individual’s potential to live a healthy lifestyle.
During the final session, on February 9, 9:30-10:15 a.m., “Strategizing through obstacles to reach your goals and potential, the journey continues…” session we learn that health and wellness are within reach for all of us! Email bonitar@fumcg.org to receive the Zoom invite. We can't wait to see you on Zoom!
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Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace Course
*Registration Extended*
Feb. 14 | 6 PM | Zoom
Sign up now! Living the life of your dreams starts with a solid financial plan. Join our virtual Financial Peace classes and learn to dump debt and build wealth. Judy Sherman will lead a 9-week series starting at 6:00pm, Sunday February 14th, The course consists of video lessons you'll watch on your own then meet via Zoom for 45 minutes for activities and a discussion. Class members will need a 3-month Ramsey+ membership (cost $59), which includes the Financial Peace workbook, access to video lessons and other digital tools and content. Sign up at fpu.com/1132980. Contact Judy (judysherman_2000@yahoo.com) for more information or to apply for a Benevolence Fund scholarship to cover the cost of class. Kick debt once and for all! Yes—it’s possible.
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Women’s Book Club
Feb. 9 | 6:30 PM | Zoom
The next Women’s Book Club will meet on February 9, at 6:30 PM on Zoom. Women will be reading “The Yada Yada Prayer Group” by Neta Jackson. To participate in the book club, email bonitar@fumcg.org and she will provide you with the Zoom link
What do an ex-con, a former drug addict, a real estate broker, a college student, and a married mother of two have in common? Nothing, or so I thought. Who would have imagined that God would make a prayer group as mismatched as ours the closest of friends? I almost didn’t even go to the Chicago Women’s Conference—after all, being thrown together with five hundred strangers wasn’t exactly my “comfort zone.” But something happened that weekend to make us realize we had to hang together, and the "Yada Yada Prayer Group” was born!
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Holy Listening for Tweens & Parents
Feb. 10 | 3:45 - 7:30 PM | Online
Here we are — almost a year now of pandemic living. We don't know about you, but the duration is getting to us. We never thought we'd still be figuring out how to stay connected to one another, but we are. 2021 has it's own set of challenges and if you feel like sharing, Holy Listening is for you. This is your time to explore how you are feeling or have some chat time with Sandy. You'll have her undivided attention and anything discussed will be confidential. Register for a 15 minute slot on February 10th after school. We'll pretend to be face to face and make the most of Zoom. In the comment section, ADD THE PHONE NUMBER Sandy should use to contact you or method you would like to be contacted. If you have any questions ahead of time, feel free to contact Sandy (sandyr@fumcg.org).
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Be Our Guest 2 Go
Feb. 16 | 5 PM | FLC Tunnel
Be Our Guest 2 Go is a drive-thru family meal distribution on (Fat) Tuesday, February 16 from 5 until 6:00 PM in the Family Life Center tunnel. The meal will consist of Big Easy Pastalaya: Chicken, sausage, and veggies tossed with a mild creole tomato sauce. Jambalaya with pasta instead of rice served with Southern green beans, garlic bread, and cheesecake brownies.
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Central Texas Conference Youth Mid-winter Retreat
Feb.19 - 21 | Online
Youth, get ready for an amazing weekend as Central Texas Conference for Youth, grades 6-12, join together in this exciting virtual worship event, small groups, music, and fellowship. Worship will be led by praise band Evermore and speaker Nuke Johnson. Registration is free to all individuals with the option of purchasing a t-shirt and is also open to adults over the age of 21.
In addition to the virtual events happening through the conference, we will be offering activities for our youth. These will include outdoor, self-guided activities that can be done individually or with friends, as well as watching worship together in-person. We will meet at church on Saturday, February 20 at 6:30 PM to hang out and watch worship together. This event will be open to all youth, whether you attend Mid-Winter or not.
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Fat Tuesday on Monday "Fun"raiser
Feb.15 | 5:30-6:30 PM | FLC Tunnel
We have reached the limit on the number of meals able to be provided this month. Stay tuned for our next “Fun” raiser meal opportunity! For those who have reserved a "Fun"raising meal, pick-up will be on Monday, February 15, from 5:30 - 6:30 PM outside of the Family Life Center tunnel. Proceeds from this meal benefit our Grapevine Village. Thank you for supporting First Grapevine missions.
Menu:
Big Easy Pastalaya: Chicken, sausage, and veggies tossed with a mild creole tomato sauce. Jambalaya with pasta instead of rice. Served with Southern green beans, garlic bread, and cheesecake brownies.
Meals will be provided with heating instructions for the next day so we can all enjoy our meals together along with our BOG Guest friends in our own homes on Fat Tuesday.
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Lenten Small Groups
Starting Feb. 17
What are you doing for Lent? Each year during the 40 days before Easter, Christians give up something or take something on to grow closer to God. This might involve practices like fasting, praying, or intentional acts of kindness. This year, we want to invite you to give up an hour of your week to join a small group! Each week, there will be two small groups that meet to check in and discuss the sermon scripture from that week. You are also invited to reflect on the questions provided in our church-wide devotional booklet that will be passed out on Ash Wednesday.
Dive into Scripture with Pastor Franklin | Mondays at 6 PM
Join Pastor Travis each week on Zoom to discuss scripture and the sermon for the week. Email bonitar@fumcg.org for the link.
Crafting with Carly
Tuesdays at 12 PM
Can’t sit still? Neither can Pastor Carly! Join us for a small group where we dig into scripture and journey with each other through Lent. BYOC-Bring Your Own Craft (or just come for the fun of it). We will begin on Zoom but may meet outside if the weather is nice. Email bonitar@fumcg.org for a link. |
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Family Ministries Prayer Labyrinth
March 28- April 3 | Daylight hours
Come experience a guided prayer walk for all ages on the lawn outside Founder’s Chapel. Participants will follow the color-coded path while pondering the nature and character of Jesus. Detailed instructions can be accessed by scanning the QR codes on signs throughout the labyrinth. Questions? Contact Sandy Robinson (sandyr@fumcg.org).
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Ash Wednesday Service
Feb. 17 | 6 PM | Sanctuary
As we begin Lent, we kick-off with the reminder that we are made from dust. We invite you to worship with us in our Sanctuary as we sing, pray and reflect on this season. We will have Lent bags available for pick-up beginning Feb. 16 that contain a devotional booklet, soil, seeds, and a pot so you can watch your seeds be transformed. Come see what God can do with some dust.
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The New Year is here as we have the first month of 2021 behind us, I want to express my thanks to all of you for all you are doing in supporting and praying for our church. Because of you, we entered into this year financially sound. Your commitment continues as we have had an incredible January financially. Last year at the end of January we had a $40,000 deficit. This year we will meet the budget and make an apportionment payment to the annual conference. We are off to a good start. Thank you as well for supporting the Baylor Grapevine effort and partnership. I wish I could see the looks on each staff member's face as they receive your thank you’s or the look on their faces when those snack baskets are delivered. I also wanted to ask for your prayers as we see the Lenten season on the horizon. Plans are in place as we move to that holy season and journey. The vaccine is here and there is hope on the horizon. Thank you for your patience and pray for us as we prepare to (re)unite again. I thought I would share some good and exciting news with you! I am so very proud to be laboring in the vineyard with you. Thank God for new beginnings!
See you on the road,
Travis
I John 4:7
*Pastor Travis is taking some time off this week and next to enjoy some time with his family. It is important for all of us to take time to restore our souls. Please contact our Associate Pastors or staff if you need assistance.*
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Renee' Tielkemeier Farewell |
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Renee' Tielkemeier is currently our Congregational Care Coordinator at First Grapevine. She is leaving our staff to pursue her own business at the Grapevine Antique Mall and online at LucyBettynJune.etsy.com. We are excited for her, but we are saddened as a church as we say goodbye. Renee' is a wonderfully compassionate person, who leads through her gifts, and we have been blessed to have her on our staff for 7 years. She will be missed.
We celebrate and give God thanks for Renee'. On Monday, February 16, from 12-1 PM, we will be sending her forth with our love, blessing, and gratitude. If you would like to send a card to our office to share best wishes, we will be collecting farewell cards through Thursday, February 11 to be placed in a basket and presented to her on February 16.
Until we are able to get a replacement for Renee', Bonita Ramsey will be handling Congregational Care needs. She may be reached at bonitar@fumcg.org.
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We extend congratulations and best wishes to:
- Jeff & Debbie Edgren who welcomed granddaughter Sage Alexandra Edgren on 1/20/21. Parents are Sean and Chandler Edgren.
- Doug & Debbie Price who welcomed grandson Diego Esteban Paulin on 1/25/21. Parents are Katie and Ricardo Paulin.
- Jared & Roni Richardson who welcomed daughter Piper Lynn Richardson on 1/23/21.
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Last Week's Numbers & Gifts |
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Online Worship: 1178
Sunday School: 121
YTD Baptisms: 1
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Gifts were given to the Benevolence Fund in memory of Betty Rhodes by:
- Pat Lovine
- Kim & Ed Crater
- Paul & Shawn Rielly
- The Craig Rhodes family
- The Wes Rhodes family
- Norton & Mary Wells
- Natalie Tuttle
- Helen Jean Lucas Reed
- Phyllis Olson
- Jean & Thomas Brown
Gifts were given to the Endowment Fund in memory of Betty Rhodes by:
- Carol & Walt Milner
- Elaine & George Roberson
A gift was given to Benevolence in memory of Allen Mossman by Helen Jean Lucas Reed.
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The good news for this week is how some of our church families are spending their stimulus money! They want to help others who are in need! When asked if we had any “needy” situations in our church, God nudged me to mention Diego from Las Juntas, Costa Rica.
Travis introduced us to Diego at Christmas 2019 after his trip to Las Juntas. Diego has quadriplegia and is living with his mother, who is his sole caregiver. The living conditions are very sparse, and they live pretty much day to day. Our Las Juntas church helps them as they can, but it was obvious that the two of them needed additional help. As Travis shared the story, we received enough funds to help Diego through March 2021. The time was drawing near for the funding to run out, so I share this need with our church members. They sent funds to help him for another six months! What a blessing! Thank you, God, for moving among us and helping us meet the needs of others in the way you ask!
If you are interested in furthering Diego’s assistance, please indicate Global Missions-Diego CR in the notes field of your online gift or in the memo section of your check.
In His Service,
Trudy
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We extend Christian Condolences to:
- Judy Sherman and Cindy Vinzant for the loss of Judy’s father, George R. Stoddard Sr., on January 23, 2021.
- Rodney Bond and family for the loss of his brother, Roland Bond, on January 29, 2021.
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Endowment Committee Update |
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First Grapevine’s Endowment Committee has received the Fourth Quarter Report from Frost Wealth Advisors. We are pleased to report an Ending Portfolio Value as of December 31, 2020, of $1,580,508, which includes contributions for the year of $82,534. Since January 1, 2020, there have been disbursements of $135,443, which includes funds for the Family Life Center's renovation.
Since the inception of the Endowment Fund in April 1998, total contributions to the principal are $1,138,036, which is an increase of $38,587 from September 30, 2020. Only the income from the principal is used for the maintenance of our church-owned buildings.
Thank you for supporting First Grapevine’s Endowment Fund and the mission of “Preserving God’s House For Future Generations”. Your gift is one that keeps on giving!
If you would like to learn more about the Endowment Fund or if you would like to donate to help us reach our goal of $2M by 2022, please visit https://www.firstgrapevine.org/endowment. No gift is too small.
Members of the Endowment Committee are as follows: Elaine Free-Roberson, Ed.D., Chair, Mark Croft, Carolyn Ernst, Melissa Goebel, Tim Lancaster, Walt Milner, Jim Peterson, Rob Rhoades, and Kathy Spradley.
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Church Volunteers: Share Your Gifts & Talents |
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Are you ready to share your gifts and talents? Looking for an opportunity to do something that is satisfying and of great service to your community? Then become a First Grapevine volunteer!
Volunteers are needed as the Church expands its outreach to the local community, continues its existing ministries, and prepares for on-campus and in-person activities in the weeks and months ahead as the COVID pandemic landscape continues to improve. Here are just a few of the volunteer opportunities available:
- Congregational Care Callers & Card Writers (1-3 hours per week)
- Virtual Receptionists (4-5 hours once a week)
- Ministry Safe Support Helpers (1-4 hours per week)
- Mission Administrative Helpers (1+ hours as needed)
- Filing & Accounts Payable Data-Entry Helpers (2-3 hours per week)
- Safety & Security Helpers - parking lots, outdoor events, worship services (1-2 hours per event)
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Ushers & Greeters (1 hour per service)
The only qualification(s) required is your desire to help someone in need. You don't need any medical skills; you don't even need a college degree; you don't even need to know what to say. All you need to do is sign up for one of the volunteer opportunities and we will provide the necessary training. Time commitments will vary by opportunity and range from an hour at a one-time event up to 3-4 hours per week for recurring roles or 8 hours for an all-day activity.
We are committed to offering safe environments for our volunteers whether you serve remotely or in-person. For more information, call Trudy Hughes at (817) 481-2559 or email trudyh@fumcg.org to let us know of you interest and to request additional information about a specific volunteer opportunity. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10
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Thursday Men's Bible Study Group |
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Blankets of Hope Delivery
Valley Hope Addiction Center accepted 42 Blankets of Hope on February 1 to be distributed among their patients. This is our Ministry’s first delivery of 2021. Teamwork is ongoing to complete blankets for our next delivery in the second quarter. Donations of fleece are welcomed and very much appreciated. Please Carole Lee (carole_lee@verizon.net) to make a donation.
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Valley Hope’s staff member Leonard Katite (Lenny) welcomed our delivery of blankets with a smile and a prayer of gratitude! |
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First Grapevine, A United Methodist Church
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