"The family of Ernest Lamar Murray wishes to thank all those who participated in his Memorial Service on Saturday, July 30, as well as those who sent cards and donations to the church.  Thank you for welcoming Ernest whenever he attended church events.  Ernest had a deep belief in God as his savior.  He asked God every night to protect his loved ones, including my daughters Bonnie and Laura, who grew up in this church.  Your prayers and support are precious to me."

-Barbara Murray

Back to School
Brushes with Faith for Kids

 

Painting theme: School Angel

 

A "painting with a Twist" or "Sip and Doodle" style class for kids.

 

When: August 21 - immediately after morning worship, until 2:00 p.m.

Who: School-age children and tweens 

Where: Fellowship Hall

 

Instructed by Lois Dandridge

 

Pizza & supply fee: $8.00

 

Additional supplies: Need about three handheld blow dryers.

 

RSVP: Please contact the church office with number of children, and ages, by
Wednesday, August 17 .

 

Children, K - 2nd grade, will need adult assistance; all parents are welcome to stay.  If you plan to eat pizza, plan on chipping in for the cost, and include yourself in the RSVP count.

 

Class is closed at 20 participants.

A Parent's Guide to Pokémon Go

You may have seen the phenomenon and wondered if this game is good for our kids. My family has been playing this game for a few weeks now and I wanted to give you a primer and a few tips we have learned along the way.

So what is Pokémon Go?

Here is a definition as posted on their official website.

Travel between the real world and the virtual world of Pokémon with Pokémon GO for iPhone and Android devices. With Pokémon GO, you'll discover Pokémon in a whole new world-your own! Pokémon GO is built on Niantic's Real World Gaming Platform and will use real locations to encourage players to search far and wide in the real world to discover Pokémon. Pokémon GO allows you to find and catch more than a hundred species of Pokémon as you explore your surroundings.

The Pokémon video game series has used real-world locations such as the Hokkaido and Kanto regions of Japan, New York, and Paris as inspiration for the fantasy settings in which its games take place. In Pokémon GO, the real world will be the setting!

Get on your feet and step outside to find and catch wild Pokémon. Explore cities and towns around where you live and even around the globe to capture as many Pokémon as you can. As you move around, your smartphone will vibrate to let you know you're near a Pokémon. Once you've encountered a Pokémon, take aim on your smartphone's touch screen and throw a Poké Ball to catch it. Be careful when you try to catch it, or it might run away! Also look for PokéStops located at interesting places, such as public art installations, historical markers, and monuments, where you can collect more Poké Balls and other items.

Our church has two of these PokeStops. This is a great opportunity for outreach. If you see players walking around our parking lot, say hi and show them how friendly we are.

Pokémon Go Tips

Good things about Pokémon Go:

1. I have really enjoyed getting out exercising with my family. It is a fun thing to do together, and be active at the same time.
2. When you head out to parks, you meet other families playing. We have made a few new  friends on our adventures.
3. The game has given us something to encourage healthy competition.
4. We finally get the appeal of Pokémon that our son was trying to tell us about ten years ago.
5. It is just fun!

Things to watch out for with Pokémon Go:

1. The game is engrossing. Talk with your kids about being aware of their surroundings (like not walking out in front of cars)
2. Remind your kids not to trespass on private property.
3. Be careful, it is addictive. Don't let the game become such a focus on your time that you neglect the important things. Our phones can become idols too.
4. Do not let your kids play without adult supervision. It is great as a family activity, but I caution letting kids run around on their own. (See items 1&2)
5. You may want to get a better data plan. If you don't look for area WiFi, the game does run a lot of data for the GPS functions.

So I hope that you and your family will give it a try. If you see me at church say hi, let me know what level you are, and show me any neat rare ones you have caught.

 

Happy Gaming,

Kim Sprattley

FUMC Mesquite Children's Director

We are ready to begin again.

 

We are ready to begin our second school year in reaching our community through its youngest citizens and their elementary school teachers. We want to make a difference. We want to be disciples who make new disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

 

That's our goal, but first we must enable people to get near and then on the playing field of discipleship. Helping a child to read or be read to, to do math, or just be listened to: those are the first steps in disciple-making. This is not about indoctrination, scripture memorization, or knowing Spanish (even though that is a very good skill for some people to have!) It is about committing time - one hour per week - to one child, to helping that child to excel.

 

We need grandmas and grandpas, moms and dads, singles and all those who would like to make a difference. You may choose the grade of the child you wish to mentor- from grades 1-6. You may choose the time of the week which is best for you - from morning to after school. The child's teacher will guide you to a space, materials, and a particular child's need.

 

Your only commitment is One Hour per week with One Child. I've heard from other churches who are already involved say it is the best hour of their week!

 

Let Stacy Cook know of your interest. (sacook1163@gmail.com) Tell her these two things when you contact her:

Every volunteer with MISD needs to first fill out a Volunteer Application and background check (it will take about five minutes). Let Stacy know you've done that so when there is a request for a One Plus One volunteer (and there will be), she can let you know what next to do. Please note that even if you volunteered last year, you'll be required to complete a new background check this year.

 

Go here now:

 

http://www.mesquiteisd.org/community/volunteering

 

Together, let's make a difference!

 

Blessings,

 

 Pastor David

Ground Zero

    

The "Ground Zero" group meets every Sunday morning, presently at 9:30 in the Fellowship Hall. If you are not a member of a Sunday School class (or never want to be); are interested in "doing church" in some new, some experimental, or some different ways; or would simply like to wonder/wander within our faith with other seekers...

Kairos weekend is coming up in August. In a few weeks, Peggy and James will be in the lobby with prayer chains and meal tickets.

 

Some of you have asked about cookie donations. All cookies for this Kairos are to be homemade by the Kairos team. If you would like to make a monetary donation toward the supplies to produce those cookies, please see Peggy Robinson.

 

The Kairos team thanks you for your support.

Sundays in July and August will be One Service Sundays . Worship will be at 10:30. On the first Sunday of each month, we will celebrate Communion in worship. On the other Sundays, for those who wish, Communion will be served on a come and go basis in the chapel area, beginning at 10:00.

 

July 31 will be a Fifth Sunday celebration, which means we share a meal together after the service! So bring a favorite dish or two (or three), and enjoy a time of community, maybe even (again?) a time of dance! 

Just 4 U

We now have a thrift shop open for you in the Education Building, first door on the right as you enter the building. Hours are Tuesday and Thursday 12:30 - 3:30 p.m., and the 1st, 2nd, and 4th Saturdays 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.  Kay Grimes will be the main shopkeeper, assisted by Dottie Butcher and Ben Grimes. If you want to help in any way, please contact Kay at 214-519-3867. Thanks for your support. Any questions? Contact Kay, or Patricia Gatlin at 972-203-8104, or Jo Ann Tiller 214-566-9723. We will be glad to answer any questions.

Summer Vespers

The four senior pastors of United Methodist Churches in Mesquite/Sunnyvale are announcing a Summer Vespers schedule beginning in June. 

These Vesper Services are part of an intentional effort to increase United Methodist visibility in our community while helping everyone in our churches to become more familiar with each other as friends who are United Methodists.

On each of the four Sundays on the schedule, we will meet at a different church. The host church will be responsible for the music that evening, and the food. A pastor who is not from the host church will have that evening's message.

Here's the schedule. All services will begin at 7:00 and last about an hour, followed by food and fellowship.

Aug. 14 at St. Mark's UMC with Nancy DeStephano of SSUMC

Addresses of the churches, food ideas and planning, music planning, etc. will all be forthcoming. But mark these days now as something very different in United Methodism will begin to be happening in our community: Emphasis will be on the United part of Methodism!

The Prayer for Mission

Jesus, we long to hear Your voice, to know Your love, and to accept the challenge and joy of discipleship. You call us to follow You, and then you challenge us to take the next step - to go out into the deeper water, to cast our nets, and to fish for people.

 

Lord Jesus, we give thanks that You are greater than our fears. Empower us to keep our gazed focused on You, and may we follow in faith.

 

You encourage us to venture out into the deep waters, and those waters are all around us. They are places where we typically do not go. We have our patterns. We stick to our routines. We do church and life in a very predictable way, but we know that there are waters out there that are yet to be discovered. We know that there are new places where You are calling us to go.

 

Open our eyes, Lord Jesus, to those deep waters where You want us to share the Good News of Your peace and power.

 

Amen.