930north July 2014

T R A N S F O R M I N G L I V E S B Y E N G A G I N G O U R M E M B E R S T O C E L E B R A T E A N D S H A R E G O D ’ S L O V E I N J E S U S C H R I S T

A P U B L I C A T I O N O F F I R S T U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H

Open DoorsJuly 2014Summer Edition

The Meeting Place 4

The Vision: The Next Step Update 5

The View From A Wheelchair 6by Joy Irwin

A Walk In Their Shoes 8by Becky Poor

Congregational News 10

Calendar of Events 11

July 2014Table of Contents

4

5

6

8

To request to be added to our 930north Magazine mailing list, join our photography or reporting team, or to have information included in a future edition, please call 383-4777.

A P u b l i c a t i o n o f F i r s t U n i t e d M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h

9 3 0 N o r t h B o u l e v a r dB a t o n R o u g e , L A 7 0 8 0 2

2 2 5 - 3 8 3 - 4 7 7 7

Senior PastorRev. Brady Whitton

Associate PastorsRev. Katie McKay Simpson

Rev. Pattye Hewitt Rev. Ann Trousdale

Editors/DesignersCaroline Tyler

PhotographersEmily FranklinCaroline Tyler

Rev. Brady Whitton

Have you ever attended someone else’s family reunion or can you imagine what it would be like to do so? People who’ve known each other for years are talking, sharing stories and memories. Cousin Joe telling the obviously well-worn story of a burned Thanksgiving turkey. A prayer recited at the beginning of the meal that everyone knows, and for dessert, of course, Aunt Sally’s famous chocolate cake! Imagine how you would feel in such a situation? No matter how friendly everyone was, no matter how pretty the decorations or how good the food, you’d likely feel awkward, right, like an outsider, like you don’t belong?

This scenario describes what it’s like for many who visit a church for the first time. They walk into an unfamiliar building where some have gathered for decades. People are having conversations with those they’ve known for years. There are rituals they may not know, inside jokes they don’t get, references they don’t understand. There is a good chance a first-time visitor is feeling very awkward, like an outsider, like they don’t belong. Maybe some of you remember this feeling when you visited a church.

Now it’s true that if they stick with it, things will become more familiar. They will come to understand the rhythms and

stories of a congregation. They will build relationships of their own. They will begin to feel more at home. But as they do, as they settle in, it’s important we do everything we can as a congregation to make them feel we’re glad they’re here.

Some churches practice a five-minute rule--that for the first five minutes they’re in the sanctuary they don’t talk to people they already know. They first look for visitors to connect with. At First UMC we’ve started “passing the peace” in worship, Café 930 and our Newcomer’s Coffee as ways to make sure visitors know we care.

In this issue of 930 North you’ll hear stories told from a visitor’s perspective. I invite you to approach worship in July as if you are a visitor attending our church for the first time. Consider parking in a different lot, entering through a different door, checking out a new service, taking a step out of your comfort zone. Through our shared experience as new “visitors” we can help make sure our guests feel more at home.

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2 NASV

Yours in Christ,

From Rev. Brady Whitton Senior Pastor

About the CoverSince 1926, members and

visitors alike have entered First United Methodist

Church through the doors facing North Boulevard.

These doors have sheltered the church from hurricanes and have welcomed many

people throughout the years.

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

What’s your position at FUMC, and what do you do?I am one of the Associate Pastors; my job includes pastoral responsibilities: hospital visitation, leading worship and preaching on occasion, teaching Bible studies, etc. One of my main areas will be to work with the Adult Education Ministries. Helping people learn more about God and grow in their understanding and experience of Him through Jesus is what I love to do. Another important aspect of my work will be to undergird and assist Rev. Brady in carrying out The Vision in which God has called him and the people of FUMC Baton Rouge to make real and visible in the world. What’s a fun fact about you?I was on the baton twirling team while a student of Abramson Senior High School in New Orleans. We preformed at sporting events for our school and at night time football games we twirled fire batons during halftime. I still have mine!

Do you remember the happiest moment of your life?I’ve had two. . .The happiest days were October 6, 1985 and November 4, 1989. These are the days our daughters were born. . .Ashley & Jade. They are the joys of mine and Jimmy’s heart - my husband of 33 years.If you could give one piece of advice to a large group of people, what would it be?Attitude is everything and everyone has the ability to change/recalculate/perfect theirs. There is no “I just couldn’t help myself” or “The devil made me do it.” One of my favorite attitude quotes is this:

“Our lives are not determined by what happens to us, but by how we react to what happens; not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results.”

What’s your favorite thing about your job?I love to share with people (in word and deed) that they are loved and cherished by God, and that they are persons of sacred worth in the eyes of Jesus Christ. The highlight of my pastoral work is talking to and journeying with those who have little or no Christian background. To witness their awakening to our God who adores them and wants everything beautiful and life-giving for them just fills my heart and soul.

The Meeting Place

July 2014 | 930 North Magazine 54 930 North Magazine | July 2014


After worship on Sunday, April 27th, over 150 of our membership gathered to begin dreaming about possibilities for our six strategic initiatives of our congregational Vision process. The group met for lunch, a few opening words and instructions from Rev. Brady Whitton, and then broke out into groups to discuss information, cautions, and exciting potential outcomes in areas of existing and new worship opportunities, discipleship, missions, the after-school program and member engagement.

The Lead Teams, co-led by staff and laity, are presently meeting through the summer, looking at the wisdom gleaned from these conversations as a major source to guide their work. Over the next months, these teams will report back to the congregation a long-range plan, along with initial progress made in each area. Please continue praying for the work of these teams. If you have not yet engaged in the work of the Vision and would like to do so, please contact the church office at 225.383.4777.

The VisionThe Next Step


On Christmas night, I fell off of a ladder and broke my foot. Initially, the doctor told me that I would be able to walk on it and not have to use crutches. Then I developed an autonomic nervous system prob-lem that caused my foot to contin-ue to send pain signals to by brain. (The syndrome is called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, or for-merly Reflex Sympathetic Dystro-phy.) Putting my foot on the floor was extremely painful, and for 4 weeks, I used crutches, a walker, and a knee scooter to get around. That was when I found out that not all buildings are created equal.

In 1990, the U.S. Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act, which in part, provided for standardized handicap accessibility design standards for new and mod-ified buildings in the United States. In 2010, the Department of Justice published revised standards. The rules and regulations are codified

in the Code of Federal Regulations. For more information, visit the De-partment of Justice website at www.ada.gov or call 800-514-0301.

My workplace was constructed after the 1990 regulations were in place, so entrance into and exit from the building was relatively easy. Handicap restroom stalls are available with enough room to park my knee scooter. I was provided a handicap tag, so I was able to park in close proximity to any building. The grocery store and mall were easily accessible, I think, because they wanted me to contin-ue to shop there. My home pre-sented more challenges than most buildings, because I had a step to cross and the rooms, doorways, and other spaces were too tight to maneuver around.

Recently, Paula Mercer, FUMC congregational nurse and Sandra King, FUMC Director of Congre-gational Care, asked me to share

the view from a

wheelchairby joy irwin


my experiences with maneuvering through the First United Methodist maze of buildings. Not only did I have experience as a temporarily disabled church member, but in ad-dition, I voluntarily spent a Sunday morning confined to a wheelchair to see if I was presented with any insurmountable obstacles.

The handicap parking places at our church are clearly marked and plentiful. I did not have a problem finding a parking space. The park-ing places are in close proximity to the handicap ramps and are avail-able at the outside entrances that our members use. The only barrier that I found was finding a ramp that was close to the sanctuary.

When I was using wheels (knee scooter and wheelchair), the distances were reasonable. If I solely relied on crutches, I was challenged. Because of the size of our complex, it is difficult for an ambulatory, disabled church member to walk the distances from the parking lot to the buildings and then from the various Sunday School rooms to the sanctuary. For example, I attend Sunday School in the adult building, and on crutches, the walk to the sanctuary is too far to go. To solve that problem, I borrowed a wheel chair from the church (available near the America Street entrance) and had a friend help.

I assume that our church com-plies with all of the ADA stan-dards, but that was not what got me through my recovery. What sustained me was the support I received from the people of my church. During the worst part of

my recovery, the church came and ministered to my family. I had Sun-day School friends who prayed for me daily. My friends and the care team brought me food and sent me cards and texts. Friends drove me to medical appointments. Beautiful flowers appeared at my house more than once, including the ones that graced the FUMC altar. Medical professionals, whom I know from church, helped me to find answers when I was misdiagnosed. The ordained pastors called and came to my house, prayed with me, and helped me come to terms with how something this horrible could happen.

How can our church help you or your loved ones? The FUMC tele-vision ministry is robust and easily accessed. If you cannot attend for-mal worship services, check out the broadcasts on TV and our website.If you need a mid-week pick-me-up, go to www.firstmethodist.org or social media. Each Sunday, the bus ministry picks up, at assisted living, those members who can no longer drive. FUMC has disability aids available to our church mem-bers who are temporarily chal-lenged. Wheelchairs and walkers can be “checked out” and returned when you are back on your feet. If you need help with any disability needs, call either Paula or Sandra at 225-383-4777, and they will do everything in their power to assist.

So, I think the answer to the question, “Is our church accessible to the handicapped?” is “Yes.” But even more importantly, Jesus chal-lenged us to love one another, and for me, FUMC answered that call.


a walk inWe have all been in a new place,

right? Growing up, I moved around quite frequently. It seemed that every two years my military family was moving to a new home. I loved moving and meeting new people - As a child, I didn’t think twice about having to go to new schools and meet new friends. In my mind, that was a part of being in the military. My father retired from active duty when I was 10 years old, and so my family seemed grounded for the first time in my life, and we landed in Lake Charles, Louisiana and became members of one of the local Catholic church-es. When I was a young woman, I decided to brave the frontier of faith traditions, and I began visit-ing every denomination that Lake Charles had to offer. I was look-ing for a place of worship where I could grow closer to Jesus and challenge the faith questions that had been floating around in my young adult brain (scary, right?). The Methodist Church became a faith home for me, and my new husband and I joined FUMC Baton Rouge in 1992.

Fast Forward 20 years – I am still a welcoming creature. I love to meet people, I love to question ideas and philosophies, and I love to share my faith. I found myself,

under the leadership of Rev. Brady Whitton, challenged with the task of developing a formalized minis-try of Inviting and Welcoming at First United Methodist Church. Challenge – Accepted! For months we ran articles of welcoming, formed teams to greet and invite. We continued the tradition of Heartwarmers, Hospitality Coffee, and helping small groups learn what it means to be welcoming and inviting. We created Welcome Centers, Newcomer’s Coffee, and the fabulous Café 930. We cre-ated a “safe space” for visitors to come and worship at First United Methodist Church. After months of talking the talk, I decided it was time that I walked the walk, and walk in the footsteps of a visitor…

One Sunday morning in the Summer 2013, I went by myself to another church. I went because I heard they had a wonderful Inviting and Welcoming presence. I got dressed with butterflies in my stomach that morning, and with sweaty palms drove up to the

their shoes

by becky poor


parking lot of this huge church. I remember the entire time I was driving, I was asking God to be with me as I visited this new place. Parking was easy – there were parking attendants who helped me find my spot. As I walked in to this church, I found my heart racing – why was I so nervous? This is what I help others do every day. Greeters opened the doors, smiled and welcomed me. As I was about to enter the sanctuary, I asked if I could sit anywhere, knowing all too well that I wouldn’t want to “take someone’s pew spot.” The answer was, “Please, sit anywhere you like.” The ushers helped me find a seat, next to an elderly couple on my right and a young man on my left. I settled in, and when we had passed the peace, the couple introduced themselves by name and welcomed me whole-heartedly. I enjoyed the service tremendously. The minister announced I could attend a gathering for guests at the end of the service if I so choose, and before I left one of the ushers/greeters made sure I received a first time visitor folder. On my way out the door, which was opened for me, I left with a smile, and made it to the sanctuary of my car. I did it. I had visited a church, by myself, and surprisingly left feeling good. The parking attendants helped guide me out of the huge parking lot, and the last thing they did was give me a smile and a wave.

How you can be a welcoming presence

at FUMC:

Park further away so guests can park closer

Sit towards the center of the pew, so people don’t have to crawl over you

Introduce yourself to someone new, and invite

them to come to your Sunday School or small

group experience

Offer to assist in the formalized ministry of

Inviting and Welcoming

Call your worship friends whom you

haven’t seen in while

Invite a neighbor, and then pick them up, save

them a seat, and/or go to lunch after church

Share your faith, and never underestimate the power of a smile and the

presence of the Holy Spirit at work in you


Weekly Attendance

WelcomeNew

Members!

Congregational News

Sympathy to the Families of...Mrs. Fair D. HutchinsonMr. Tom MarshallMr. Ron Rawls

Week of Sunday, May 4Worship 1,285

Sunday School 191Total 1,476







Financial Report

Celebrating the Wedding of...Miss Erin Kirchoff to Mr. Scott ReidMiss Danielle Honeycutt to Mr. Corey Porche

Celebrating the Baptism of...Sadie Elizabeth Daughter of Jeb & Katie BarberReed Alexander Son of Logan & Emily McIlwainArcher James Son of Robert & Leah BoydSadie Anne Daughter of Alan & Jennifer MaltbieChristian Philip Son of Christopher & Angela HelmEvangeline June Daughter of Sean & Courtney Whittington

As of 5/31/2014: Actual YTD Budget YTD VarianceIncome $1,463,641 $1,383,038 $80,603Expense $1,669,213 $1,719,163 $49,950Net Income ($205,572) ($336,125) $130,553

Celebrating the Birth of...Jacob Thomas Son of Matt & Beth DevilleLuke Allen Son of Fredrick & Brenda GriffithsCarson Pryce & Kuyper Lane Sons of Anthony & Whitney RushingJohn “Jack” McKay Son of Taylor & Katie Simpson Carl, Lillian,

CJ & Caden Carver

Brian, Tara &Declan Jones

Glenn Kidder

Matthew, Brie & Charlie Rhea Duvall

John & DeAnna Eskew

Weekly


Early Learning CenterSummer session and summer camp throughout the month!

JULYCalendar of Events

SUNDAYS 8:30 am Worship 9:00 am Café 930 9:40 am Sunday School 10:20 am Hospitality Coffee 11:00 am Worship 6:30 pm Worship 6:45 pm Prayer Ministry

MONDAYS 9:30 am Prayer Ministry

TUESDAYS 9:00 am Knitting Men’s Bible Study 9:30 am Fit @ First 10:30 am Women’s AA 12:00 pm AA

WEDNESDAYS 9:30 am The Bible; Every Day 12:10 pm Worship – Chapel 4:00 pm Illness Support Group 4:30 pm Care Team 6:00 pm Woodland Ringers 7:00 pm Chancel Choir

THURSDAYS 9:00 am Thursday Group 10:00 am Widow’s Walk 12:00 pm AA 7:00 pm Church Basketball

FRIDAYS 10:15 am Baby Bouncers

For more dates and events, visit our website at www.firstmethodist.org

July 7, 2014Genesis 25:19-34

Romans 8:1-11Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Psalm 119:105-112

July 14, 2014 Genesis 28:10-19aRomans 8:12-25

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24

July 21, 2014 Genesis 29:15-28Romans 8:26-39

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 Psalm 105:1-11, 45b

July 28, 2014 Genesis 32:22-31

Romans 9:1-5 Matthew 14:13-21 Psalm 17:1-7, 15

Monthly Lectionary Texts

The lectionary is a series of Scripture readings for specific days of the year. The United

Methodist Church uses a lectionary based on The Revised Common Lectionary, a three-year lectionary. They include four Bible readings for every Sunday, plus readings for special Holy Days.

SUNDAY-7/1 9:40 am Newcomers’ Coffee 12:10 pm Service of Prayer for Healing

WEDNESDAY-7/9 10:00 am TBR Food Access Commission Mtg. 10:30 am Senior Adult Program 11:30 am Senior Adult Luncheon 6:00 pm Youth, Meet at Town Square

MONDAY-7/14 9:00 am Vacation Bible School Begins (M-F)

WEDNESDAY-7/16 6:00 pm Youth, Meet at Cajun Country Campground

SATURDAY-7/19 7:00 am Senior High Wilderness Trek Trip Departs (Returns 7/26)

WEDNESDAY-7/23 7:00 am Junior High Mystery Mission Trip Departs (Returns 7/26)

WEDNESDAY-7/30 6:00 pm Youth, Meet 3rd Floor Youth Building

Special

NON-PROFITUS POSTAGE

PA I DBaton Rouge, La

PERMIT 63

First United Methodist Church930 North Blvd.Baton Rouge, LA 70802Change Service Requested

Join us foR WoRship!sundays

8:30 am Sanctuary Worship9:40 am Sunday School for all Ages

11 am Sanctuary and America Street Worship

6:30 pm Ory Parish Hall Worship

Wednesdays12:10 pm Aldrich Chapel Worship

& Holy Communion

Nursery Care is available on Sundays from

8:15 am to 12:00 pm and from 5:00-7:30 pm

lvisit

www.FirstMethodist.org

for more informationfacebook.com/FUMCBR

@FUMCBatonRouge

930north July 2014

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