July14firstnews

FirstNewsJuly 2014a m o n t h l y 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 , D a l l a s

by Beth Wortley

On Sunday, July 13 at 7 p.m. please join us in the sanctuary for the Rotunda Theatre’s 50th Anniversary Gala celebrating 50 years of musicals at FirstChurch. The fi rst show ever produced in the Rotunda was South Pacifi c. It was a huge success, and the audiences and performers wanted more. To say that more have been provided is an understatement as 80 crowd-pleasing musicals have been produced in the Rotunda’s 50 year history. You will be artfully escorted down memory lane as 80 members of the Chancel Choir, soloists, dancers and a professional orchestra offer up an evening of songs from the musicals that have been performed most often here at FirstChurch. Our Gala celebration will begin as it did 50 years ago with the beautiful overture to South Pacifi c. As the lights come up on the show, you will be treated to see and hear your

favorite songs and dances from such shows as South Pacifi c, The Music Man, Oklahoma!, The Sound of Music, Amahl and the Night Visitors, Camelot, Fiddler on the Roof, Show Boat and Annie Get Your Gun, just to name a few.

Don’t miss this ONE NIGHT ONLY evening of entertainment followed by a wonderful reception in the Fiedler Atrium. Also, before the show, be sure to stroll through the Goodrich Gallery, artistically prepared by Sarah White, featuring photos, costumes and historical information about the Rotunda’s history. Following the show, make sure to join us in the Fiedler Atrium for good food, fellowship, and a slide show of photos taken throughout the Rotunda history as together, we celebrate 50 years of musical theatre excellence at FirstChurch.

Godspell, 1974

Oliver!, 1970

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NEW MEMBERS FROM JUNE 8

Michael & Diana Hershberger

NEW MEMBERS FROM JUNE 8

Steve & Molly Oltmanns

Care & ConcernBIRTHS: Congratulations on the birth of Houston Locke Scripps, son of Andy and Jennifer Scripps

DEATHS: Sincere sympathy to the families of: Bill Wolfard, husband of Gay Wolfard

Jill Button, wife of Rick Button

Welcome Our Newest MembersBAPTISM FROM JUNE 15

Emerson Tate Wall with his parents Jonathan & Larissa, & big sister Stella

NEW MEMBERS FROM JUNE 22

Susan Driver & sonWynn Driver

FirstKids celebrated the completion of six weeks of Camp Big Church with a family picnic on Sunday, June 8. Camp Big Church prepares our kindergarten-age children for joining Sunday morning worship services. Mrs. Libby Gordon is the teacher for this delightful class.

Note from the Prayer Ministry Team:

People who offer prayers for others and those who know

they are being lifted up in prayer experience the warm

blessing of God’s love, support, guidance and forgiveness.

Every day, church members volunteer in the church

prayer room or in the comfort of their own home to pray

for members who have requested prayers for themselves,

their family, and friends. These volunteers also write

notes and make telephone calls. If you would like to be

a part of this meaningful prayer ministry please contact

Nancy Woolbright.

Ava Jean Hershberger, daughter of Michael & Diana Hershberger, with Dr. Stoker

BAPTISM FROM JUNE 29

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It is halfway through the summer and halfway through our summer programming. We have sent delegations of FirstChurch members to gatherings of Methodists near and far. June was a powerful month for ministry with each other and the world around us!

With our clergy and lay delegation to the North Texas Annual Conference, we discerned a way forward for our church. We heard an update on the Zip Code Connection (the focus of our conference on two of North Texas’ most fi nancially impoverished zip codes, 75215 and 75426, to partner with our neighbors to eliminate extreme poverty); this focus directly affects our church as we are in such close proximity to 75215. Our delegation also heard the challenge from our Bishop, our conference leadership and other delegates to engage more closely with our “mission fi eld,” that is, the community in which we are set and to which we are called. We returned energized, renewed and ever focused on our work together.

A few days later, members of our Variations Choir departed for a southern route to Orlando, Florida. Fifty-nine singers and ten adults proclaimed God’s love through song and Christian community. Singing at FUMC Slidell, Village Retirement Community and University UMC in Baton Rouge, Variations stood tall to proclaim the good news through song. Applause and praise took us to celebrate our year of ministry at Walt Disney World in Orlando for a couple of days. We returned energized, renewed and ever focused on our work together.

While Variations were singing to Orlando, fi ve high school students served S.E.E.K. Camp at Bridgeport Camp and Conference Center. S.E.E.K. is a camp experience for students with special needs where each student volunteer is paired with a student camper. S.E.E.K. also serves as a respite for campers’ parents. We returned energized, renewed and ever focused on our work together.

Vacation Bible School launched the Monday after Variations returned. (A few singers joined the volunteer crew after tour.) With nearly 140 children, pre-kindergarten to fi fth grade, our nearly 50 volunteers led our children through God’s “Workshop of Wonders.” Songs of praise, stories of faith and signs of life encouraged all of us for the work God has for us in our lives and in the loves of others. We were energized, renewed and ever focused on our work together.

Our Junior High students departed for their mission experience to San Antonio on the fourth Sunday of June. Our partnership with the persons of San Antonio and through our work together, we repaired homes for persons to live more fully and peacefully. With 24 students and 6 adults, we learned how to engage persons living on the poverty line, so that we bring home the skills and knowledge to assist people in our neighborhoods. We returned energized, renewed and ever focused on our work together.

We have heard God’s call! We have responded! Now, we learn together what God may be doing in our Dallas, in our neighborhoods, in our hearts... until we are called again.

Together we are held... In God’s Love,

Ambassadors of Christ, Ambassadors of FirstChurch by Dr. Andy Stoker, Senior Minister

Sunday Worship

Sunday, July 6The Most Diffi cult Path

Matthew 5:43-45Communion Sunday

Sunday, July 13At the Heart of It All1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Sunday, July 20And a Hush FellMark 12:28-34

Sunday, July 27Outside Looking In

John 13:34-35

Sunday worship: 8:45 & 11 a.m.

Sunday school: 9:45 a.m.

Missed a sermon? Click here.

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Music and Arts NewsGoodrich Gallery celebrates

50 years of Rotunda Musicals!

The Goodrich Gallery joins the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of musical presentations by The Rotunda Theatre with a very special exhibit during the month of July -- a curated exhibit looking back at several of the Rotunda’s favorite shows. Rotunda Retrospective will feature photos, posters and costumes from shows such as South Pacifi c, Music Man, and Annie Get Your Gun, among others. Visit the exhibit any time in July, or just before or after the Rotunda’s 50th Anniversary Gala on July 13, which will feature selected music from past shows and a walk down memory lane. An opening reception for the Rotunda Retrospective will be held immediately following the11 a.m. service on Sunday, July 6, from 12 - 2 p.m. Gallery Hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m. - Noon Saturday; 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday.

Elsie Janis and The Boys: Elsie Janis and The Boys: a musical tribute to the Sweetheart of the A.E.F.a musical tribute to the Sweetheart of the A.E.F.

By Carol Crittenden and John T. Prestianni Directed by Charles A. (Chaz) Wallace

August 15, 16, 21, 22, 23 • 2014 in the Wortley-Peabody Theatre

The Rotunda Theatre is pleased to present the premiere of Elsie Janis and the Boys:

a musical tribute to the Sweetheart of the A.E. F. A musical and fact laced tribute to

the historical ti me and the soldiers of America’s First Crusade – WWI, hosted by the

sweetheart of the AEF, or American Expediti onary Forces, Elsie Janis. Called the

female Bob Hope of WWI, Elsie retells the days of glory “Over There” entertaining

the troops and falling in love with “The Boys”. This ti cketed producti on opens the

2014-2015 Rotunda Theatre Season, which also includes “And Then There Were None” (May 2015)

and “Steel Magnolias” (July 2015). Season ti ckets will go on sale at the Rotunda Theatre’s 50th

Anniversary Gala on July 13. Individual ti ckets for “Elsie Janis and the Boys” go on sale July 15.

Click here for more informati on.

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Sherlock Holmes and the Curse of the Sign of Four, the second production of the 2013-2014 season, played to full houses as the audiences were kept on the edges of their seats by the engaging mystery, excellent acting by the entire cast, and the exciting directorial debut of Bear Hamilton.

The 2014 Variations tour took 58 youth and 11 counselors through Louisiana, Alabama and Florida. During their week-long trip, they sang at FUMC in Slidell, LA, The Village Retirement Community in Gainesville, FL and for Sunday morning worship at University UMC in Baton Rouge. Special highlights included a backstage workshop – Disney Sings at Sarasota Springs and a fun-fi lled visit to Disney World.

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Project Transformation Reading Opportunities

7/14 - 7/24Read one-on-one with children in 3 different age groups

Reading times are from 9:30 a.m. - noon at Grace UMCMondays - Thursdays

open to all FUMC members

7/24Project Transformation Family Fun Night

at Grace UMC - Covenant Class hosting... all invited!

Please contact Beverly Funk if you want to help!

To have a PT intern speak to your SS Class this summer, please contact Brianna Brown.

JUNE 1 to

JULY 27

P I C K A N A P P L E F R O M T H E

FUMC GIVING TREESa n d h e l p

Clothe aChild forSchool.

DONATION DROP

OFF BY JULY 27

Help kids start off the school year with a fresh beginning!

Please help us reach our goal of shirts, socks and school supplies for 650 children.

Take an apple from one of the Giving Trees located at the Harwood and San JacintoConnection Points and help us Clothe a Child for School.

For each child that you “pick off the tree,” please put 2 uniform shirts and a package of socks in a bagwith the apple attached to the outside. School supplies can be in a separate bag. All donations need to be

placed in FUMC donation boxes by July 27.

Click here to make an online donation or to volunteer for the Back to School Party on Saturday, Aug. 16 from 9 – 11:30 a.m. where donations will be distributed.

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W.O.W. what a week we had! Workshop of Wonders had all the Visioneers excited about imagining and building with God. 130 FirstKids and 65 youth and adult volunteers shared songs, crafts, and the explosive love of God all around FirstChurch. Over 5 hours of mission work at Crossroads Community Service, boxes of school supplies, and close to $100 in “spare change” for J.J. Rhodes Elementary students rounded out this wonderful VBS week.

FirstYouth took24 junior high students and 6 adults on a mission trip toSan Antonio June 22-28. The students did home repair projects including roofi ng, fl oor and ceiling repair, drywall and much more for families living in substandard conditions.

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Continue the Journey...Paul’s Journeys to Turkey and Greece Oct. 31 - Nov. 10with Lecturer/Preacher Dr. Andy Stoker

Dr. Andy Stoker will lecture and preach on this wonderful Educati onal Opportuniti es tour and cruise. Click here for more informati on on trip details, or contact Rev. Linda Roby.

THE SECRETS OF HAPPYFAMILIES

New York Times Bestselling Author BRUCE FEILER September 6 @ FirstChurch. Click to register today!

2014 Urban Engagement Book Review

Hosted by CitySquare on Third Thursdays

FREE event! Review presented

by Randy Mayeux.

(Not necessary to read book prior to review).

Thursday, July 17

Noon in Fiedler Atrium:

“The Latino Threat: Constructing Immigrants,

Citizens and the Nation”, Second Edition

by Leo Chavez

Food trucks will be set up at the Atrium Entrance at

11:30 and offer delicious food for purchase!