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Happy February!
Let me first acknowledge some important people who make our lives easier. Charles Thomas and his team are invaluable to the functioning of our church. They often work behind the scenes, and we think things simply happen “by osmosis.” No! It is Charles who opens the building, sets up the welcome center with treats and drinks. He does the clean up of the welcome center after worshippers leave for the day. He sets up and breaks down tables/chairs for meetings. He mops floors when there is the occasional leak. Honestly, if I try to mention ALL of the things Charles does, the list would be inexhaustible. This is the most important part: HE DOES IT ALL WITH A SMILE AND NEVER COMPLAINS! He is the “quiet storm” we cannot do without. So, Kudos to Charles Thomas and his team.
Sheriff Bill Cooke, New Bell County Sheriff
Congratulations are in order, for our own SHERIFF BILL COOKE!! Sheriff Cooke was sworn in January 1st, at midnight, as the new Bell County Sheriff of Belton. WE ARE PROUD OF YOU!!
Thank you to everyone who attended the “Holding the Calm” zoom offered by the Horizon Texas Conference on Sat., Jan. 25. The information shared with us by Hesha Abrams is helpful for doing mediation and resolving conflicts. Many participated by zoom in the sanctuary and several of you watched the zoom from your homes.
We are preparing for several things this month: The season of Lent is quickly approaching. We will have Lenten Lessons on Wednesday evenings, from 6:00-6:45, beginning on Ash Wednesday. First United Methodist Church small groups are requested to participate: Sunday School Classes, Circle Groups, UMM, UWF, etc. (please bring light hors d'oeuvres such as soup and crackers, sandwiches and chips, etc.). Watch for a sign-up sheet for Lenten Lesson meals. Since we will share in the Lenten Lessons, there will be NO Deeper Waters Bible Study through the Lenten Season. Please join us for this holy time of year.
I will also offer Confirmation Classes for young people who are 11-12 years of age. So, be listening for dates/times. PARENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND. PARENTS, YOU WILL BE SURPRISED BY WHAT YOU WILL LEARN. Come learn alongside your children.
RESET RESULTS:
On January 12, we had a Churchwide Reset Planning Meeting. We met for two hours and made a diagnostic assessment of what members think is happening at our church and discerned things we might do differently to make a difference to the future of our church. Table groups listed their top three concerns for FUMC, Killeen. We then listed the concerns each group shared in common:
1. Our congregation is aging and there are no younger members ready to take the leadership. As we age, older members may be out of touch with what younger members need and want in their church. We need MUSIC that attracts young people.
2. We have “ministry gaps” in various age groups and need people to “step up.”
3. When we get the “gaps” filled in, we need to ADVERTISE the things going on at the church: online, in the newspaper, by word of mouth…in all the ways we can, we need to TALK about our church.
Here are some of the solutions attendees offered:
1. Add contemporary songs to the worship service.
2. Create a new contemporary service with volunteer musicians (during youth time?).
3. Offer small group Zoom groups: These would be like-minded and/or similar age groups meeting by zoom to discuss topics pertinent to them (ie. single parents, single adults, parents of infants, caregiver groups, grief and loss small groups-these would be in addition to GriefShare, not in place of it).
4. Offer the Newsletter twice monthly, instead of once a month.
5. Begin a “phone tree” to get information out in addition to Noteworthy News in the bulletins, newsletter, etc…COMMUNICATE MORE AND AS SOON AS KNOWN
6. Request from the “powers that be” NO MORE PASTORAL TURNOVER.
NEXT STEPS:
The pastor is identifying all members who are below the age of 50 (26-50) years of age and will have a meeting with this age group, to give them a voice.
Next, the pastor will request a meeting with youth and young adults, between the ages of age 12-25.
Finally, we will have a follow-up (perhaps two) Churchwide Reset Meetings to make duty “assignments” for the implementation of the reset plans.
Last week, we showed various photographs of beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Many of you have TONS of photographs that display the “glory of God” in the heavens and in nature. I am inviting you to send your photographs to Sara Charlton(sara.charlton@fumc-killeen.org) or Chloe King(chloe.king@fumc-killeen.org). We are going to put these on a thumb drive and do a GLORY OF GOD worship service on a Sunday in February (TBD). There will be NO sermon this Sunday. The focus will be the power point display and songs of praise, both hymns and contemporary songs.
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