930north October 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

October 2014holid

ay survival guid

e

Our life togetherThe FUMC Youth Group had a busy summer, traveling to Oklahoma and Texas

on mission trips; and to Colorado to climb Mt. Ptarmigan.

The Meeting Place: 5Pam Wiltse Director of the Early Learning Center

Giving, From Global to Local 6 (and everywhere in between)

Putting Your Faith Into Action 8by FUMC Moms

Avoiding the Holiday Blues 10by Logan McIlwain, LCSW

Vision Update 12

Congregational News 14

Calendar of Events 15

October 2014Table of Contents

5

Our life together

Meet Pam!

Giving: from

global to Local

(and everywhere in between) 6

Putting Your Faith Into

Action 8

Avoiding the Holiday Blues 10

As I get a little older I’ve come to appreciate more and more the rhythm and rituals of the “seasons.” Now I’m not talking so much about nature’s seasons (because in Louisiana we pretty much only have summer and winter!) but the seasons and rhythms of community life - New Year and Mardi Gras, Lent and Easter, summer break, football, Thanksgiving, Christmas. I love all that goes with these seasons, being with family and friends, cabbage and black-eyed peas, King Cake, times of prayer and reflection, Easter lilies and egg hunts, lazy days at the beach, and tailgating.

For me, though, Thanksgiving and Christmas take the cake. They embody the very best of our traditions – decorating our homes festively, coming together with family and friends, eating favorite foods, singing favorite songs, giving thanks to God for our many blessings. I love it all!

But if I’m completely honest, I sometimes come away from Thanksgiving and Christmas wondering if I missed an opportunity. You see, I too often make Thanksgiving and Christmas all about me - about enjoying myself, my family, my traditions. But there is a deeper call in these holidays

as well, right, a call away from self and toward others? A thankful heart doesn’t just take more. A thankful heart gives and shares with others. A celebration of the birth of Christ shouldn’t be about eating one more Christmas cookie, but about self-giving love. So I want part of my celebration of Thanksgiving and Christmas to reflect this - to be about giving something back – I really do. But then time runs away with itself. I get on autopilot, do what I usually do, and then another year goes by. Any of you with me?

Well this year can be different. I know it’s only October, but now is the perfect time to start thinking about these things. What are some rituals and routines you can add to your holiday celebrations this year that will include caring for and serving others?

In this issue of 930 North you’ll discover a few ways you can give back as part of your celebration this year. Think about adding one or two to your holiday rhythm and routine. I bet if you do, you’ll find the most wonderful time of the year can be even more wonderful!

From Rev. Brady Whitton Senior Pastor

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

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 l v d .B 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 HewittRev. Ann Trousdale

Editor/DesignerCaroline Tyler

About the CoverThe holiday season can be a wonderful time of year. This issue of 930north can help you find new meaning in the holidays, and remind you of what really matters.

October 2014 | 930 North Magazine 5

holiday surviv

al guide

October 2014 | 930 North Magazine 5

What’s your position at FUMC?Direct or of t he Ear ly Learning CenterWhere did you grow up? Or where do you consider “home”?I grew up in LaP lace, LA. I spent 15 years l iving in Hammond where I raised my son, so it’s l ike a second home t o me. What is your favorite thing to do when you are not working?Spending t ime wit h fr iends, c ooking, and wor king in my f l ower beds. What is your dream vacation spot? Anywhere on t he Cal if or nia coast l ine. Person you admire the most? A former supervisor, she taught me t hat chi ldren deserve t he highest standards of qual ity we could possibly pr ovide, even it wasn’t always t he easiest or most popular way t o care for chi ldren. Earliest memory of knowing you wanted to work with children?I attended a conference in Bat on Rouge in t he ear ly 90’s and heard Ron Lal ly present research on brain devel opment. The impact a chi ld’s l ife exper iences and envir onment dur ing t he f irst f ive years could have on his/her future is st i l l ast ounding t o me.What is something quirky about you?I enjoy spending t he night in a sleepingbag on t he f l oor of a tent almost asmuch as a luxury hotel....almost.

The Meeting Place

October 2014 | 930 North Magazine 76 930 North Magazine | October 2014

Since 2005, FUMC has been supporting the Methodist Mission in Cambodia, when we started supporting missionaries, Esther and Nicholas Gitobu. Our church has funded the building of the Sam Rath Methodist Church, in Kompong Thom Province, as well as the parsonage, furniture for the church, and a well for the church property. This well provides the only clean water for the community, and the church is used by the community for meetings, and for outreach when flooding and/or other needs occur. Two mission teams from FUMC have visited the church, and taught Bible School to the children, and started the construction on two dormitories. This dormitories house 33 high school girls who, without a safe place to live, would not be able to go to school. We returned with a bag of crafts in 2007, which we sell in the gym on Mission Sundays. The proceeds are used to educate, train and assist women in setting up businesses to support their families and provide scholarships for the children to go to high school and college. We are now raising money to complete a second church, Ramskey Methodist Church, in Kompong Thom Province. We are returning to Cambodia in February of 2015, to dedicate the church, conduct a Bible School at Ramskey and Sam Rath, and to build a fence around Sam Rath to

keep animals out of a planned garden for the community. We are helping the Cambodian people with a hand-up and not a hand-out through education. Through education and training in a trade, our mission is to help women start a business to give financial stability to their families, as well as provide scholarships for

high school, college, and master’s degree students.

Giving: from global to Local

(and everywhere in between)Are you searching for a different way to share the love of Christ this holiday

season? Looking for something to give to the person who has everything? We've created a list of ways your gifts can transform the lives of people here

in Baton Rouge, as well as around the world.

Global Cambodia Church


national Lydia Patterson institute

local Alternative Christmas Market

For 100 years Lydia Patterson Institute (LPI) has responded to the need to provide a quality education for Hispanic students in the El Paso area. LPI provides a unique bilingual cross-cultural academic education for underprivileged students who might otherwise not attend high school or have the opportunity to pursue higher education. Lydia Patterson Institute is a distinct school providing an academic future to children from severely impoverished families, seventy percent of whom

live in Mexico and cross the border every day to attend classes. Fifty percent of those students are United States citizens who for economic, immigration or cultural reasons, reside in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. The Louisiana Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church has committed

$500,000 to the Lydia Patterson Institute. Rev. Whitton, on behalf of First United Methodist Church, has committed $75,000 over a 3 year span to help build a new structure for LPI and support this legacy.

If you would like to donate, please send your donations to FUMC, and we will forward it to the proper recipient. 930 North Boulevard, Baton Rouge, LA 70802

Every year, members of FUMC’s congregation experience a different kind of holiday shopping experience. Gifts are purchased, through the Alternative Christmas Market, in honor of family members, friends, or colleagues, and the proceeds go to various charities in the Greater Baton Rouge Area. Charities include the following: (for a complete list of Alternative Christmas Market Offerings, please pick up a brocure this December) • The Big Buddy Project - a mentorship program that matches children

with “Big Buddies”, who provide after school tutoring, sports teams, summer camps, workforce development and weekend play days.

• Connections For Life - a program that gives women hope in starting over as they enter society after being released from prison.

• Partner Schools of FUMC - each week, volunteers from FUMC work with students at Bernard Terrace and Magnolia Woods Elementary Schools, as Reading Friends and Math Friends. Volunteers also work on other projects.


At an early age we are taught “to serve others is to love God”. Such a simple phrase takes on many different meanings throughout our lives. To a child, it is seemingly simple. Help others. Give to others. Love your neighbors. To an adult, it can be more complex. Looking past one’s perceived differences. Be compassionate even when it feels uncomfortable or undeserving. Give when you think you cannot. Love everyone without regard. If only we could always look through the eyes of a child and simply just love and help those in need. As Methodists, we learn about “putting our faith into action”, and we talk so much about mission work. It only took one summer of having the kids home from school before a couple of moms realized some structure would be most helpful during those full of fun, yet sometimes longer than others, 11 summer weeks. Later bedtimes because they stayed in the pool longer than usual that afternoon and lazy mornings because they didn’t have to rush to get everyone dressed by the first bell are the moments for which they are so thankful and will hold onto forever. But now they have Mission Mondays to count among those memories too.

Moms heard the groans about needing a toy just because they were at Target, or wanting Superior Grill over Chimes, because every six year old should make that decision. And what do you mean we can’t have an Icee every time we stop to get gas? They realized they had some work to do, or at least attempt. And moms love a project. Thus, came Mission Mondays during the summer. Very simple, pick someone to help each Monday and teach the kids about

loving and serving God by doing. Not necessarily a novel idea, but something intentional. The Mission Monday group did

many things over the summer, which include:• Packing brown bag lunches for children who otherwise receive free

lunch during the school year and delivered them• Drawing pictures for patients at OLOL Children’s Hospital• Making bracelets and collecting toy cars for children in The Philippines• Cleaning the grounds of a new Children’s Charter School

Putting Your Faith Into Action


• Serving lunch to families at the Holy Grill. • Selling lemonade and popsicles, with the

proceeds going to VIPS (to provide school supplies for underprivileged and local deployed soldier’s families)

• Vacation didn’t stop the Mission Monday either, as homeless families at the beach received toiletry bags!

These moms found a way to teach their children about what it means to be less fortunate. The importance of being grateful. They talked about counting their blessings and then using those blessings to help others. It wasn’t long before they saw the hand of God at work in those little lives. They watched the children excitedly shop for groceries, to pack a lunch for a stranger, and eagerly pour juice in the cups of thirsty families. They watched the children dwell over whether to draw Batman or rainbows because now they know sickness doesn’t discriminate and any boy or girl could be in that hospital on Essen. Mission

Monday was something the children truly looked forward to each and every week. Maybe it was because they got to get together with their friends. Or was because they felt grown-up with their brooms and doctor gloves. Whatever the reason, the children loved it. And everyone was happy. These moms know they haven’t heard the end of those groans about new toys or

dinner choices, but they are hoping their children will remember the lives they touched this summer and their neighbors who do not have those same options. Little things like “Mom, we have read that book a lot of times, let’s give it to those kids at the Homeless Shelter!” and “I know I don’t need one but can we at least buy a toy for the boy whose dad is fighting in the war?” are among the transformations for which they were hoping. Most touching was watching

their children experience that unparalleled joy that comes with doing something good for someone else. Prayers are becoming thankful, and attitudes are slightly changing. The goal is to teach to teach their children about loving God through serving others but even the moms and dads ended the summer with fuller hearts and more gratitude than ever before. For as to give is far better than to receive.

Putting Your Faith Into Action

It’s fall y’all! School is in full swing, our favorite sports teams are playing, and the holiday season is just around the corner. The countdown has officially commenced. What things come to mind when we think about the holidays? For most of us, we think of being thankful, merry, happy, family traditions, songs, and laughter. What if something causes us to associate the holidays with other words like anxiety, stress, or sadness? How do we keep those unwanted emotions minimized this holiday season and officially avoid the funk?!Whether it’s stress or the blues we must first determine some potential causes. • Running on Empty: During the holidays it’s no secret that

people feel more stressed than usual due to all the shopping, errands, family obligations, and parties. You’re eating worse, sleeping less, and drinking more. By the time the actual holiday rolls around you’re worn out, tense, and irritable making it very easy for anxiety or sadness to creep in.

• Reality Check: The holidays have an unfortunate way of pointing out significant changes or shortcomings in life such as divorce, a death of loved one, unemployment, illness, relationship woes, financial insecurity, or other circumstances that could make holidays awkward or depressing.

• The Monotonous Effect: For some, holidays are the same boring

Avoiding the Holiday Bluesby Logan McIlwain, LCSW


family gatherings with the same awkward relatives, same food, same conversations, and the same lame jokes. All of this monotony can lead to holiday blues.

• Unhappy Memories: Naturally, holidays elicit reflections on past times, but for some, these memories are more bitter than sweet. This association of unhappy times in your life can recreate those negative feelings again.

• When stress or sadness is at its peak recovering is often a difficult task. Below are some practical tips to minimize the funk before it starts.

• Boundaries: These are a must. Pace yourself. Long before the holidays begin determine some limits on shopping, food preparations, visiting friends, and family activities and stick to them. Saying “no” might be uncomfortable but saying “yes” all the time creates resentment and more stress!

• Feelings Check: If this holiday season is hitting you hard, whether it’s a death or a personal disappointment, feeling sad or experiencing grief is completely normal. It’s okay to cry and express your feelings. Start a new tradition as a way of remembering loved ones. Reach out if you need support from your family, friends, or church. Involve yourself or volunteer with social or church events. If stress or blues persist, even with your best efforts, seek professional help.

• Change-up Effect: It’s important to recognize if old traditions aren’t working and creating unhappiness or stress, it’s time to change. Choose a few to hold on to and be open to new ones.

• Be Realistic: Holidays don’t have to be perfect nor do families. Regardless of the past, setting aside family differences is your best bet. Being present with your family, warts in all, will keep that stress and blues away.

Hopefully with this new insight the holiday season won’t become something you dread. With a little planning, some boundaries here and there, and positive thinking you can find peace and joy this holiday season!

Think you may be a victim of the holiday funk?Contact Logan McIlwain, at [email protected]


Vision UpdateHere is an overview of the exciting work that our Vision Launch Teams are accomplishing this Fall. If you are interested in this work, and have

yet to plug into one of these inititatives, please contact Danielle Rosborough, at [email protected]


A main goal of the Improving Sanctuary Worship Leadership Team (ISWLT) is to increase laity participation in worship services. Over the past five months, training sessions for Lay Communion Servers, Lay Readers, Acolytes and Soundboard operators were offered. Each training session increased lay participation by over 50-70%. A continued effort of the ISWLT is to create opportunities for lay participation in worship ministries not yet in place .

Improving Sanctuary Worship

Our team has committed to four new ministries for the 2014-2015 year: a Blessing of the Animals Worship service that will happen quarterly at the City Park/Burbank/Forest Park locations in Baton Rouge (first event will be October 19th at City Park, 3pm), quarterly worship events at the Town Square Green at North and 3rd Street (first event occurring December 21st), the continuation of the Cypress Mounds baseball ministry, the creation of a House Church in Port Allen. The Launch Team for the Port Allen worshipping community is presently being formed, and they will convene at the end of September for visioning and planning for a beginning in February 2015.

Emerging Worship

The Adult Discipleship Path team considers it a sacred privilege to design a path for Christian growth no matter where one is on the journey. Team members began meeting regularly in July, and began to immerse themselves in the Wesleyan tradition, focusing on the book The Class Meeting by Kevin Watson. A visual model is being created that will define the path that leads adults to explore and deepen their faith in Christ including foundational beliefs and scriptural understanding through the lens of God’s grace.

Adult Discipleship

The first day at FUMC’s campus

Vision Update


So far the program has been wildly successful, with over 20 children signed up to participate in our pilot program! September 15th was the first day students from Bernard Terrace came to FUMC’s campus for the program (previously, the students were participating in a mini-version of our program on Bernard Terrace’s campus). We have had several congregation members volunteer their time and talents

to helping the students with their reading skills, as well as assisting with homework! The program has been blessed with the donation of dozens of children’s books, which the students have been eagerly enjoying.

After School Program

The path of discipleship for youth has a major celebration, we have decided on the curriculum that will be used by the youth department and implemented over the next year. The leadership is also working on an internet based, self-paced series of lessons designed to help students with the habits of being a person of Christ.

Youth Discipleship

The Children’s Discipleship Path is currently creating a mission statement, and has been discerning different options in term of a long term path. We will follow the Adult Discipleship path closely, are looking forward to seeing the direction they take.

Children’s Discipleship

The Urban Mission Ministry has been working hard on the administrative decisions of a new ministry. We have been working on publicity, housing and a name. We are pleased to announce the new name for the Urban Mission is REVIVE 225. In a few short weeks you will hear plans of how you can be involved in this exciting new ministry.

Urban Mission Center

The first day at FUMC’s campus


Weekly Attendance

Welcome New Members!

Congregational News

Sympathy to the Families of...Mr. Marshall Stagg

Week of Sunday, August 3

Worship 1,081 Sunday School 389

Total 1,470


Worship 1,152 Sunday School 400

Total 1,552


Worship 1,228Sunday School 470

Total 1,698


Worship 1,171Sunday School 492

Total 1,663


Worship 898Sunday School 403

Total 1,301

Financial Report

Celebrating the Baptism of...Annemarie Elizbaeth Daughter of Katie & Scotty ChabertLandry Marie Daughter of Kim & Stuart Gilly Declan Michael Son of Tara & Brian Jones

As of 8/31/2014: Actual YTD Budget YTD VarianceIncome $ 2,239,939 $ 2,250,971 $ 11,032Expense $ 2,557,740 $ 2,618,873 ($ 61,133)Net Income ($ 317,801) ($ 367,902) $ 50,101

Celebrating the Birth of...Mary Collins Daughter of Regan & Michael BakerJules Jourdan Son of Jamie & Philippe PucheuWilliam Reza Son of Leila & Beau BraswellEloise Crennan Daughter of Caroline & Nathan BorckJim Wilbert Son of Caroline & Nathan BorckEverett Elias Son of Melissa & Rust Cadwallader Thomas Coit Son of Christine & Daniel McMains

Aaliyah Materre

Paige, Ian & Jeanne Fellows

Jeff & Alissa Dickey

Kristen Young

Lauren Davis & Matt Paxton

Michael Hudson, Rachel & Charlotte Courville

Nicky Logan

Bonnie Williams

Jamie Dickey

Weekly


Early Learning Center31st Trick or Treat (wear costumes to school)

OCTOBERCalendar 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 5:00 pm Youth & HIGH 5 6:30 pm Worship 6:45 pm Prayer Ministry

MONDAYS 9:30 am Prayer Ministry 3:30 pm After School Program

TUESDAYS 9:00 am Knitting Men’s Bible Study 9:30 am Fit @ First 10:30 am Women’s AA 12:00 pm AA 3:30 pm After School Program

WEDNESDAYS 9:30 am The Bible; Every Day 12:10 pm Worship – Chapel 3:30 pm After School Program 4:00 pm Illness Support Group 4:30 pm Care Team 5:00 pm The Gathering Meal 5:45 pm Worship 6:30 pm The Gathering 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 3:30 pm After School Program

For more dates & events, visit our website:www.firstmethodist.org

September 29Exodus 20:1-4,7-9,12-20

Philippians 3:4b-14Matthew 21:33-46

Psalm 19

October 6 Exodus 32:1-14

Philippians 4:1-9Matthew 22:1-14

Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23

October 13Exodus 33:12-23

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10Matthew 22:15-22

Psalm 99

October 20 Deuteronomy 34:1-121 Thessalonians 2:1-8

Matthew 22:34-46Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17

October 27 Joshua 3:7-17

1 Thessalonians 2:9-13Matthew 23:1-12

Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37

Monthly Lectionary

Texts

MONDAY - 10/6 6:30 pm Robinson Circle Meeting (Offsite)

TUESDAY - 10/7 6:00 pm UMW Service Awards Banquet (Ory Parish Hall)

WEDNESDAY - 10/8 10:00 am Health Fair (Conference Center)

FRIDAY - 10/10 8:00 am UMW Conference Begins

SATURDAY - 10/11 8:00 am UMW Conference

SUNDAY - 10/12 8:30 am Mission Sunday

MONDAY - 10/13 6:00 pm Church Council

MONDAY - 10/20 6:00 pm Brown Circle Meeting (Offsite)

SUNDAY - 10/26 4:00 pm Fall Festival

SATURDAY - 11/1 - SAVE THE DATE 7:30 am FaithWorks! A community workday

HELP, THANKS, WOW: THE THREE ESSENTIAL PRAYERS

A sermon series starting November 9th

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 Communion5:45 pm Worship @ The Gathering

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 October 2014

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celebration of thanksgiving