Cross Connection February 26, 2015 · Cross Connection – February 26, 2015 3 Retired banker Seaborn Nesbett is no stranger to change. During my career in the banking industry, _

Cross Connection – February 26, 2015

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Zoe Empowerment Project In early February, 2015, twenty members of the Texas Annual Conference both clergy and laity traveled

to Kenya on a learning mission. The group was selected from across the conference to visit the Zoe

empowerment project. Zoe was adopted as the Advance Special at the 2014 Annual Conference so

representatives were sent to learn more and to meet with the Zoe staff and the orphans that are

participating in the project.

Some of the group expected to go to an orphanage. But the Zoe Project, isn’t a place, it’s a movement.

In the case of Kenya, the Zoe staff meets with the local chief (not a tribal chief but an appointed

government employee) who is responsible for economic development among other things. The 3-year

process is explained and the chief of the village is asked to invite a group of 20-30 orphans from the

village to gather for an information meeting about what Zoe is all about. They are told that if they are

interested to meet again with the Zoe staff in a few days.

At the next meeting, the orphans are asked to elect their officers (chairman, secretary, treasurer and a

pastor). They have to set a weekly meeting time, determine a plan for where they will meet and open a

bank account with their own funds. They are also told that within a month they must visit each and

every home of the members.

The most important thing they are told at that first meeting is that they are not orphans - they have a

father who is in heaven. God, the father who loves them and who wants them to live abundantly.

Earlier in that meeting they had all recited the Lord’s Prayer but it was clear that they hadn’t really

accepted the idea of “Our father who are in heaven.” They heard those words in a new way when the

Zoe leader pointed them out. The team could see a visible change in the group. They sat up straighter,

they looked directly at the speaker, when asked questions they responded with a stronger voice. The

team learned that orphans in Kenya experience a great sense of shame and hatred from others in their

community so claiming a father in heaven who loved them was a powerful moment.

Zoe calls this a Working Group. They develop a group project that they all share and they also each

submit a business plan to start their own businesses. Some of them become farmers growing their own

feed for the animals they buy and some grow crops to sell. Some become barbers and some open small

beauty salons, some sell beans or rice, some learn to repair motor bikes and set up repair shops.

Whatever plan they develop is vetted by the group and the group decides how much of a start-up grant

they will be given. If the plan needs adjusting, the group works with the member to set a realistic plan

with the goal being to become self-sufficient and to take care of their siblings/family and beyond.

The TAC team had the privilege of meeting Zoe orphans in all stages of the program: a graduate, a 3rd

year, 2nd year, 1st year and a Working Group at the first organizational meeting. The progress was

amazing. The team came home with a sense of determination to share the Zoe story and to encourage

their home churches to support at least one Working Group. To provide for a Working Group’s entire 3

year process is only $7,500 for each of those 3 years. The return on investment is huge. The impact is

not only on the 20-30 orphans in the group but on their siblings, on the other orphans that they often

bring into their families and on their communities who witness the transformation of their lives.

For more about the TAC team trip see www.txcumc.org/blogs. To learn more about Zoe

www.zoehelps.org.

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Attend Large Church Initiative 2015 at The Woodlands UMC in April Several Texas Annual Conference pastors and musicians will provide leadership insight and inspiration

when the LCI 2015 comes to The Woodlands UMC April 20-22.

“How will we ever make disciples of all these people?” This sentiment is likely on the heart of all pastors

regardless of church size, but is magnified in larger churches and therefore the title for one of the

sessions at The Large Church Initiative at The Woodlands UMC this April. This session, led by Rev. Ken

Werlein, pastor of Faithbridge UMC in North Houston, will focus on how God is transforming his church

to prioritize discipleship. In addition to preaching God’s Word, Ken’s ministry includes mentoring young

leaders and working to strengthen other Kingdom-minded ministries in local and global communities.

Other TAC leaders sharing their gifts and graces include Rev. Rudy Rasmus, St. John’s UMC, and The

Woodlands UMC (TWUMC) sanctuary choir and orchestra. Rudy and his wife co-pastor St. John’s United

Methodist Church in Houston, one of the most culturally diverse congregations in the country. Pastor

Rudy coordinates domestic and global anti-hunger initiatives in conjunction with concert tours by

longtime friend and church member Beyoncé Knowles. He is the author of the book, Love. Period. When

All Else Fails.

The Large Church Initiative typically draws 300-600 UMC leaders from across the nation. It kicks off mid-

day Monday, April 20 and concludes mid-day on Wednesday, April 22. Participants are invited to live out

the conference theme, “Imagine: Limitless God, Boundless Possibilities" as they imagine together about

greater ways to leverage service, storytelling, and authenticity for greater impact.

The host church is a 10,000-member congregation in the rapidly growing north quadrant of Houston.

Woodlands UMC offers area residents nine worship services (in four unique styles) each weekend.

According to Dr. Tim Walker, event chairman, a large church in United Methodism indicates 300 or more

in the average weekly worship attendance. “The conference goal is inspiration and best practices from

the host church—and from outstanding well-known keynote presenters including Olu Brown of Impact

Church, Atlanta and Jessica LaGrone, Dean of the Chapel at Asbury Theological Seminary.

On the music front, David Dunn, a headliner artist whose music can be heard on the radio, will be

leading a Late Night Live worship session. The conference also includes Mark Swazye Band, Josh Price,

Cameron Hammon, and Louise Kramer and the TWUMC sanctuary choir and orchestra leading worship

throughout the conference. Ministry tracks will be offered in the following areas: Administration,

Discipleship, Missions, Outreach, and Worship.

Workshops cover topics ranging from reaching millennials and creating a thriving youth group to

discussions on small groups, capital campaigns, communications and social media best practices. In

addition to keynote speakers and informational workshops, LCI offers a time of renewal for church

workers. Attendees will have opportunities to relax, worship, spend time in prayer and connect with

others experiencing the same trials and victories in ministry. Register at LCI2015.com

Seaborn Nesbitt: Catching Leadership Fever In recent months retiree, Seaborn Nesbitt has expanded from a local leadership focus to join a handful of

other clergy and lay leaders on the Vibrant Church Initiative and AKDAR Team.

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Retired banker Seaborn Nesbett is no stranger to change. “During my career in the banking industry,” he

shares, “I experienced many changes brought about by internal and external forces. That’s why I have

thoroughly enjoyed my leadership training recently through the Texas Annual Conference to help

churches be proactive about changes that will promote a new sense of hope and renewal.”

Seaborn describes himself simply as ”a Methodist, and a disciple of Jesus Christ with a sincere desire to

use my God-given talents to help churches become more effective in carrying out the mission of the

United Methodist Church: making disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

“One of my gifts is being supportive,” adds Seaborn, “and I cannot think of any greater honor than to

help pastors and their congregations focus on reaching out to their communities by showing God's love

through Jesus Christ.” He discovered this opportunity to expand from local lay leadership support to that

of conference-wide involvement when his home church, Pollard Memorial UMC, Tyler was selected as

one of the initial churches to participate in the Vibrant Church Initiative (VCI). Notes Seaborn, “During

our VCI weekend in early 2014, I personally began to realize that the old way of doing church that I had

grown up with was not necessarily the most effective way to reach people today, particularly those that

did not know about Christ and His saving grace. Through the VCI process, I learned that all churches

have a life cycle, and that over time a church can become stagnant in its ministry and lose focus even

though it may continue to be a comfortable place to gather and worship.”

Through hands-on involvement in Pollard Memorial’s VCI experience, Seaborn quickly became hooked

on the idea of being a part of the training that prepares leaders to serve on a VCI team.” In a matter of

weeks, Seaborn signed on for training to be a VCI leader. “I felt that the conference needed me most as

a Directive Coach since there are numerous churches lined up for participation in VCI. Following training,

I was an observer during two VCI weekends at First UMC, Canton and Fairwood UMC, Tyler.” Seaborn

will step into his new role as a Directive Coach in mid March.

Taking Leadership to the Next Level

Becoming a Directive Coach was just part of Seaborn’s zestful pursuit of leadership training. He’s also

just completed three days of change management training to become one of 12 volunteers who have

agreed to serve on the Texas Annual Conference “ADKAR TEAM.”

Explains Seaborn, “ADKAR is a change management process that promises to aid in the transformation

of churches. This proactive approach uses the first initials of the key steps by creating an Awareness of

the need for change, helping develop a Desire in the leadership of the church to support change,

provide the pastor and church leaders Knowledge and understanding of how to change, and then

offering church leaders the Ability to implement changes in line with their mission and vision. As

changes occur, Reinforcement and further encouragement will be offered to strengthen and sustain the

desired changes.”

According to Dr. Jesse Brannen, Director of the TAC Center for Congregational Excellence, “Seaborn

Nesbitt is a model leader who jumps into leadership opportunities with both feet and extraordinary

enthusiasm.” He says the ADKAR team is made up of 12 lay and clergy leaders who are willing to learn

how to facilitate this change management method through the VCI process and in other ways that will

help TAC churches through any change that is needed. “I am genuinely grateful for this group of

volunteers who are sacrificing personal time to learn how to leverage this tool for the sake of more

effective disciple-making,” adds Jesse. Rev. Curtis Matthys, Deborah Vaughn, Jan Harp, Rev. Jim Flagg,

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John Fuller, Rev. Karen Jones, Rev. Katy Ware, Ken Lewis, Rev. Lance Richard, Rev. Peter

Cammarano, and Rev. Sean Duffin join Seaborn on the ADKAR Team.

Seaborn is excited to have a proven tool to offer churches. He adds, “ADKAR recognizes that with

practically any change there will be resistance since we as individuals generally prefer the status quo.

This proactive approach to change and the anticipated resistance to change will hopefully lead to

successful transformation of our churches. As coaches, we are to encourage pastors and their leaders as

they work through the transformation process. We also become resource persons for specialized

guidance that is available through the Conference.”

Leadership has its rewards

“Certainly the rewards I see include helping churches become more effective in their ministry by sharing

God's love to their community and being the best they can be,” he says. “Being a small part of bringing

an individual to Christ is both exciting and very gratifying. I personally feel a deep gratitude for my

salvation and believe that God wants me to be active in His work.”

Two of his favorite books include: The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? By Rick

Warren and Half Time: Moving from Success to Significance by Bob Buford. “One of my spiritual gifts is

the gift of support which I feel led to pursue. The 30+ years in banking involved helping others achieve

their dreams. What better way to leave a legacy than to be a part of leading others to Christ.”

Puppet Ministry Twosome Make the News in Lufkin Twin brothers bring the Bible to life with puppetry at St. Paul’s UMC, Lufkin.

Reprinted article by Stephanie Stevens with permission from The Lufkin Daily News

Puppets are the tools of the trade for two brothers at St. Paul’s UMC in Lufkin. The blue puppets, Chip

and Tater, may be ordinary puppets, but when they are on the talented hands of 20-year-old twins Ben

and Grider Killam, they come alive. Originally created for children’s sermons at First UMC in Lufkin, Chip

‘n Tater have entertained and educated many adults as well. They have a regular gig on the third Sunday

of each month at St. Paul’s UMC but have also performed in several churches and schools in Lufkin,

Diboll and Alto during the last six years.

Chip ‘n Tater are a very effective tool for ministry,” says Rev. Steve Killam, pastor of St. Paul’s who is the

father of the puppeteers and writes skits for the puppet shows. “Puppets can teach better than humans

can because the audience doesn’t realize they are being taught until they have already learned.”

Ben adds, “The skits teach people about various things like tithing, church assembly, honesty, hard work,

prayer and Christian holidays.” The skits present a problem to solve and offer a prayer, with jokes

thrown in sporadically. Steve keeps the skits short, less than five minutes, because that’s how long the

puppeteers can hold their arms overhead.

“I’ve had many children and adults tell me they learn more from the puppets than they do from the

sermon,” adds Steve. “As a preacher, that stings, but as a father and writer, that makes me feel good.”

After one of the performances, he said a little boy approached the puppeteers and wanted to know

where Chip ‘n Tater had gone. Grider showed the boy the puppets in a bag, but the child was not

satisfied. He believed the puppets on stage were real and things in the bag weren’t.

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“Sometimes, when done right that is the way God speaks,” Steve adds. “The Bible may be just paper and

ink, but when we hear it, the Bible can come to life.” He admits he did not want to do a puppet ministry

until he saw two former students in the FUMC youth group use sack puppets, Bubba and Junior, in an

effective way. After those students went to college, Grider began to do puppets with Tammy Jo Willmon

at First Assembly of God Church in Lufkin. She taught Grider and Ben the fundamentals of puppetry; that

knowledge was used to start Chip ‘n Tater.

The puppets were owned by David Runnels, a former youth minister at First UMC. “David let Ben and

Grider borrow these blue puppets for their first show,” adds Steve, “and after watching how they came

to life, he suspected he would never get them back. He was right!”

When asked about their favorite part of performing, Ben (who controls Chip, a more serious character)

said, “I like that I can act a little crazy during the skits.” Grider (who controls the excitable Tater) said, “It

gives me the opportunity to use my many funny voices in a productive way.” Above all, though, Ben and

Grider said their goal is to “make sermons fun for kids and adults. If it spreads God’s love, it’s important

to us. We like that it makes people happy.” For more information or to view skit videos online, visit

lufkinstpauls.com.

Camping Ministry: Taking it to the Next Level Amidst a conference-wide review of the camping ministry, leaders are working in tandem to build

momentum to” Invest in the Young” in bigger and better ways.

Since 1975, Rev. Jonathan Bynam, Bear Creek UMC, Houston has been involved in District Camp,

MidWinter, and Choir Camp as a camper, counselor, dean, director, registrar, and coordinator. “In that

time,” he shares, “I have made life-changing decisions, experienced heart-renewing moments, shared in

amazing works of the Holy Spirit, made new friends, and felt pure joy and laughter. I can’t think of a year

I haven’t witnessed God working in some way. And every year I see it improving.”

As a longtime supporter of the TAC Camping Ministry, Rev. Bynum is excited about the recent work

being done by district and conference volunteers alike to take the ministry to a new level by more tightly

coordinating and sharing ideas and resources.

He was part of the conversation almost three years ago that started the TAC Camping Ministry asking

each other, and experts if there were better ways to do camp. Rev. Christie Hale, associate pastor of

Mission Bend UMC, who now chairs the Conference Camping Ministry says the renewed focus “all

started when we created a task force to enable us to focus specifically on how to better identify and

leverage adult counselors and that lead to bringing Lakeview’s Matt Idom into the conversation to see

what Lakeview might be able to do.” She adds, “Lakeview was then motivated to start looking at the

bigger picture, so recent modifications have been a long time coming and have grown in scope.”

Aha moments

Christie shares that, during that initial conversation, the planners also realized that the primary

leadership for District camp resided in clergy. “With itinerant ministry we get moved around a lot, so we

began to brainstorm and realized that if we brought them all together, we would have an incredible

resource pool in which to draw from - much stronger than we were as independent entities. We

realized that we if followed the teachings of the Apostle Paul, working in tandem to the body of Christ,

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we were a better witness for the kingdom. It was this realization that prompted us to begin to make a

plan for improving the entire ministry.”

Christie is proud of the recent improvements that are underway. “We are researching best practices via

a review that’s being conducted by the Kalaidescope camping experts, and we are learning to be better

stewards of our resources to put forward the best possible camps for conference youth,” she says. For

example, in the earlier days of planning, various camps might have different themes, which would mean

extra time, and money would be spent writing several versions of curriculum and getting several

different t-shirt designs made. “We will begin with baby steps this summer by creating a conference-

wide theme of Living in the Spirit through all weeks of camp and getting the discount that happens when

you buy 5,000 t-shirts at the same time.”

Lakeview's Master plan prompted additional opportunities to determine how to develop the strongest

camp program and to grow. Adds Christie,“The Kaleidoscope Consultation will help us adopt best

practices from national United Methodist camping ministries so we are excited to get their results in

May.”

There are nine members working within the TAC Camping Ministry, including representatives serving as

district camp coordinators, at-large members and representatives from choir camp. Beginning this year,

Christie is an ex-officio member of the Lakeview Conference Board to help facilitate camping ministry

conversations.

Most importantly, Christie adds, “Sometimes it is easier to see God at work when you get outside of

your home church. We want to make sure to create the best environment for our young campers and

adult volunteers to hear the call to lay or ordained ministry.” Once the youth camp evaluation process is

complete, the team will take a look at adult camp to ensure there are effective spiritual growth retreats

for adults as well.

Rev. Daniel Irving, Memorial Drive UMC Houston believes strongly in the power of camp. Shares Daniel,

“Growing up as a youth in the Texas Annual Conference, my life and my faith were shaped by the

camping ministries at Lakeview. It was at Lakeview where I first realized God’s calling in my life. It was at

MidWinters where, as a youth, I first served communion and took the first steps toward living into God’s

call toward ministry. It was at camp where I met life-long friends from across the connection, many of

whom serve as my colleagues in ministry today. Without camping ministries, I would not be who I am

today. With camping ministries, it is my prayer that the future of the church is called, shaped, equipped

and empowered for generations to come.”

Adds Jonathan, “This is our biggest Conference ministry and probably our most cost effective, with the

emphasis on “effective.” How do we not fill up every week of camp? This is one of our best methods to

build a connectional church -- through camp.”

Vibrant Church Initiative Success Stories: FUMC Pasadena The ‘before’ VCI and ‘after’ VCI story of First UMC Pasadena is a blessing to hear – and the story

continues.

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There’s an infectious smile on Rev. John Stephenson’s face that won’t go away. “It’s hard to believe that

it has been over a year since the Vibrant Church Consultation Team visited our church,” says the pastor

who was appointed in 2012 to First UMC, Pasadena, a church that had previously been in a steady

decline of attendees.

While the time seems like a blur to the many involved, new successes are now visible – and very

encouraging, as evident in this video highlight reel. “Last February,” he adds, “our church became the

very first pilot congregation in the Texas Annual Conference Vibrant Church Initiative and in October, the

first to host a VCI Consultation Weekend. The group conducted interviews with our church staff,

members and lay leaders and gave us a report that named five strengths, five concerns, and five

prescriptions they believed would positively impact our church. One month later, we voted nearly

unanimously to accept the prescriptions. Since that time, a VCI coach has been helping us work through

those prescriptions. It is my joy to report that God’s hand is visibly at work as we implement the

recommended prescriptions.”

Recapping the key milestones, John lists these events:

Last November, Dr. Jim Bankston led us in a powerful Service of Prayer and Repentance. It was a wonderful day and it was like a fresh start for the church.

In January, we had a Day of Visioning during which approximately 70 people committed to praying for our mission field, asking God to reveal what His dreams for our church might include. After the prayer work was completed, a Visioning Team drafted a vision statement that was then shared with the congregation. That vision has been a guide for much of what has happened since.

One of the prescriptions was to move the contemporary worship service at 9:45 a.m. from the Christian Life Center to the Sanctuary. There was a lot of work that went into implementing this prescription. On September 7th, that work was completed and the worship service was successfully moved and now includes an array of new faces and a new level of age and ethnic diversity.

Another prescription involved connecting more intentionally with people who use our building during the week. We put a team together to address this and after some excellent work, recommendations were made. One recommendation included the re-writing of one staff member’s job description to include making intentional connections with outside groups. It also included the relocation of our volunteer receptionist to the front door so that every person entering the building during the week is warmly welcomed. This has already been accomplished with encouraging results.

Another of the prescriptions recommended shifting a complex system of committees to a simplified accountable leadership board structure. This Governing Board began its work on January 15th, following the Church Council’s vote to approve the list of nominees. The Governing Board combines the Trustees, Finance, SPR, Nominations, and Church Council into one group which has streamlined meetings considerably and freed us to put more focus on mission field matters.

Since the spring of 2014, two additional teams have been working to develop a Discipleship Pathway and strategies for improving our Sunday Morning Hospitality.

The View from the Trenches

Several of First UMC Pasadena’s lay and staff members heading up VCI teams are eager to share how they see God at work through this ongoing process:

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Emily Everett, Associate Pastor of Outreach

“As a result of VCI, we have formed a Community Connection Team, and our role is to find ways to become more invested in the community and bridge our connections back to the church. We are going to have interviews with the city leaders to find out more about the needs in our own backyard, and we will be working with consultant Rev. Dr. Rueben Saenz to help us open our doors wider to the Latino community in our mission field. We have been able to build 1-1 relationships with students from a nearby middle school and we are in discussions with the principle about additional ways to build on that. We have been able to pray for women and staff at The Bridge domestic violence shelter right across the street. That’s led to creating a group of chaplains that will be present there on a regular basis -- so we can be about the transformation of the world in our corner of Pasadena, TX.”

Greg Caramanna, Board member/Worship Prescription team member

“Before VCI, I was the chair of trustees and member of church council and our focus was much

more inward than outward. Now instead of meeting four nights a week for long meetings on

multiple committees, I have one meeting that’s usually less than two hours, which gives us more

time to get out in the community. Through VCI work, we decided our calling is be known as the

church that cares about kids and the neighborhood kids are starting to come play basketball and

come to Wednesday night and worship-- and bring their moms and dads with them. From my seat

in the choir I can see a new mix of visitors every week in the congregation and I can hardly wait to

get out of my robe and welcome them after church.”

Averill Buchanan, VCI Lay Leader Development Team, Board Member, Connections Team, Annual

Conference Delegate

“Before VCI, we were known in the community, but now we are intentionally talking to the groups that

are meeting in our building, letting them know FUMC Pasadena is interested in being a church family for

them and partnering with them to meet needs they may be addressing. VCI training is helping us do a

better job of finding inroads to new areas where we can serve. Our new Connections Team also recently

conducted a survey of our preschool families and gained valuable insight on how to serve young children

better and how to use a survey effectively. Our new Governing Board structure of 15 voting members

allows us a much more timely response to the needs of our ministries and gives them more freedom since

the process to get answers is much more streamlined.”

Kelly Sullivan, Associate Pastor, Discipleship Pathway team

“My first impression of the VCI process was – what a gift to pastors! As FUMC Pasadena moved through

the process, the church began to turn around, have new hope and tools to go on this journey together –

to lay bear and move ahead at a careful and methodical pace of transition under Rev. John Stephenson.

My work on the Discipleship Pathway team has been a challenge but an exciting one to find entry points

for every person that comes to church, based on where they are spiritually so that they can move

forward in their relationship with Jesus Christ.”

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Debbie Sussman, Board member, Vision team

“VCI helps a church take a long honest look inward that leads to transformation once you make yourself

open to being all God wants you to be. One of our biggest burdens was not being able to pay all of our

apportionments; when our pastor suggested we step out in faith and give our first fruits this year, that

seemed to be the beginning of a new day for our church. We paid 100% for the first time in about a

decade. Our VCI visioning process was one of the first changes to roll out and that involved a lot of

praying, conversations, and discovery of what it wasn’t. We considered our values, strong history, and

developed several sentences about who we are – and those carefully chosen words are now guiding

everything we do.”

Adds John, “The VCI process has significantly helped us 1) reclaim our mission and redefine our vision

and 2) define a clearer Discipleship Pathway with 12 measurements in four categories that will

spiritually shape who we are individually and collectively. Our church vibrancy is not so much about

numbers anymore, but now measured by a person’s depth of engagement with scripture, sacrificial

giving of time and money and evidence of the fruits of the spirit.”

Enriching the Lenten Season Hosting unique worship services, special meals and events, TAC churches are experiencing Lent in a

variety of ways.

Praying for Others

Texas Annual Conference leaders gathered for a special Ash Wednesday service February 18 in the

service center chapel in Houston. Dr. Chuck Huffman offered a devotional focused on the importance of

prayer followed by imposition of ashes for all those in attendance.

Service Center staff and cabinet members took turns praying over one another’s ministry before

breaking into teams to prayer walk around the building. Prayer groups led by District Superintendents

took lists of every church in their area and prayed for the ministries and leadership of each church

serving within the Texas Annual Conference.

Special Meal

Most people would not consider pancakes to have any spiritual significance. However, the season of

Lent gives United Methodists across the Texas Annual Conference (TAC) a way to recall the larger story

behind the celebration of Easter Sunday as a spiritual pilgrimage of sorts. Cheatham Memorial UMC,

Edgewood, was one of many of our churches to celebrate Shrove Tuesday, a custom based on the old

Middle English verb “to shrive” (confess). Pancakes have long symbolized the Christian tradition of

eating special rich foods before the fasting season of Lent. Cheatham Memorial UMC held a pancake

supper open to the community, followed by a worship service with special music.

Special Music

Special music was the centerpiece of the “Electronica Ash Wednesday Service” held at Memorial Drive

UMC, Houston, at 7 a.m. and again at 9 p.m. Publicity described this Electronica Ash Wednesday as an

experiential service where ancient practices are met with modern ambient sounds. Participants were

encouraged to attend before or after work “for a time to remember our mortality with the imposition of

ashes and experimental music selections that will enliven your senses and stir your soul as we begin the

Lenten season.”

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“I listened to a lot of electonica music while I studied in seminary, so I thought it might be interesting to

incorporate electronica and ambient music as a backdrop for reflection alongside the morality

introspection that takes place during an Ash Wednesday service,” says Reverend Michael Jarboe. “We

had just under 30 folks show up for the morning service, including doctors in scrubs, students and

teachers who were about to go to school, baristas about to start their morning shifts, and a wide variety

of other churchgoers and non-churchgoers. It was a beautiful mix of people.”

Westbury UMC, Houston, is encouraging the practice of prayer each Wednesday in Lent through a

variety of opportunities:

Prayer Labyrinth | Walk the labyrinth in the Parlor with handouts available as an aid to contemplative prayer and reflection.

Simple Supper | A simple, come-and-go dinner of soup and bread will be shared

Prayer Services | Midweek prayer will be in the Chapel with nursery care available in the Children's Wing. The service on March 11 will be especially engaging for families with kids, and on March 25 there will be a service of healing.

More News:

Laws Chapel re-consecrates new sanctuary

According to Rev. Bobby Horn Jr., Douglassville-Union Chapel Circuit who serves on the staff of the

Atlanta Citizens Journal, Laws Chapel UMC celebrated the completion of a major renovation and new

construction project with a re-consecration service Feb. 1. Rev. Bill Taylor, superintendent of the Texas

Annual Conference’s North District, joined the congregation, and representatives from area churches to

celebrate the occasion. He offered prayers of re-consecration for the church building, the pulpit,

baptism font, Lord’s Table and educational addition. “When your Word is read and preached from this

pulpit,” he prayed. “Purify the lives and lips of those who speak here, that your Word may be heard and

obeyed.”

Following the service, a reception was held in the fellowship hall with tours of the building. The church,

built in 1868, underwent a major renovation in 2013. According to Rev. John Wilkey, pastor of Laws

Chapel, beams from the original sanctuary were incorporated into the remodel, including constructing a

cross that serves as a focal point at the front of the sanctuary.

A Grandfather’s Love

Hugh Johnson, member of Shepherd of the Heart UMC in Pearland shares these tips with his

grandchildren, and other young people of the Texas Annual Conference – tips for getting more out of

the worship service each week:

1) Attend church and be blessed by God the Heavenly Father who loves you a lot! 2) Remember, God wants to help you live better in all areas of your life, so it is important to be in

church regularly. 3) Don’t be bored in church. First, listen to the sermon until you hear one thing God wants you to

do this week or one thing you did not know before. 4) Pay attention to the words of the songs and prayers until you hear the one thing you want to say

to God.

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5) Try to say or do one thing to encourage some other person at church or in your life.

Campus Ministers Best Practices Retreat

The votes are in and it seems the annual retreat for campus ministers was a valuable experience for all

who attended. Here are a few shared thoughts:

“Our February retreat was very informational. For me, it was most helpful to remember that God is at

work in the lives of our college students no matter where they are spiritually. It is our job in campus

ministry to keep pointing them toward Christ. Campus ministers need to build trust with students

and challenge them continually to go deeper in the faith.” Sunny Farley, Campus Minister, Tyler Junior

College and University of Texas-Tyler

“The question of what would I do if I had only one hour a week with a student? is critical when planning

how we address the spiritual formation of college students.

Our guest speaker talked about how to tap into the “longings” of students before we attempt to engage

in spiritual formation. In other words, you have to know who they are and from where they are coming

to address their particular issues.” Tom Teekel, College Pastor, SFA

“The conference gave campus ministers, interns, and student leaders the opportunity to discuss issues

directly related to their ministry focus. Dr. Kiesling affirmed and encouraged our efforts to adapt to the

changing culture of emerging adults on our campuses.” Max Mertz, Texas A&M Wesley Foundation

“The Best Practice Conference was an awesome opportunity to reconnect with the other college pastors

in the TX Annual Conference. I love to hear how God is moving on other campuses and how college

pastors are engaging college students. Dr. Chris Keisling reminded me of how intentional we must be

with our discipleship efforts and strategies so that we can help young adults grow into the men and

women God is calling them to be. “ Julius Wardley, Director, TSU Wesley Foundation

St. Peter’s UMC Katy Recognized for Blood Drive Loyalty

January’s blood drive at St. Peter’s UMC in Katy marked the church’s 27th year saving lives in this

important way. During the day 89 were screened, 82 were able to donate and help raise 107 units.

Kudos to member Marsha Asplin who has been recognized by the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center for

reaching 1,000 donations! The next drive is Sunday, March 1. For information: Marsha at 281-492-0472.

EVENTS

15th Annual Inspire Women Conference

Theme: Created for Worship

March 27, 2015

6:30 pm-9:30 pm

Place: First Methodist Church|10570 Westpark Dr Houston, TX 77042

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Cost: $25

http://inspirewomen.org/ai1ec_event/inspire-womens-15th-annual-

conference/?instance_id=221

Featuring

Mary Beth Chapman, Author, President of Show Hope and wife of Grammy and Dove Award

winning recording artist, Steven Curtis Chapman.

Anita Carman, Founder & President of Inspire Women

Chrystal Evans, Daughter of Dr. Tony Evans and Author of Kingdom Woman

Mark Cornelison, Season 13 Contestant on NBC's The Biggest Loser & Founder of SweatCor

Panel of Houston's Leading Ladies:

Ruby August, Renee Clark, Torsha Johnson, Carolyn O'Neal

SPOTLIGHT

Ramping up for Texas Annual Conference May 24-27, 2015

The Hilton Americas-Houston will be the site again (at 600 Lamar Street

www.americashouston.hilton.com) for the May conference on “Transforming Lay and Clergy Leaders.”

It’s time to make hotel reservations, so notify them you are with our conference to get the $125 room

rate. Special meals and meetings are currently being calendared, so notify Jan Ervin to submit an event,

or to obtain one of the remaining few display tables.