March 2015 Messenger

417 University Drive, College Station, Texas • www.am-umc.org • [email protected] • 979-846-8731

March 2015

Sharing the Heart of Christ

A&M United Methodist Church

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Reasons Reflections ................ 2

News & Events ......................... 2

Adult Discipleship ................... 3

College Ministries .................... 3

Children/Family Ministries .... 4

Youth ....................................... 5

Prayers/Announcements…...6-8

As part of the Give Up to Give Out Lenten Mission Project, A&M United Methodist Church is assisting several organizations, including Brazos Church Pantry, Family Promise, the Prenatal Clinic Baby Closet and Zoe Ministries. We invite you to become part of this outreach opportunity during Lent (and throughout the year).

Give Up 2 Give Out Lenten Mission Project

How can you help? Pray - keep Brazos Church Pantry, Family Promise, the Prenatal Clinic Baby Closet,

Zoe Ministries and other organizations in your prayers.

Make a financial commitment to support the organizations.

Volunteer your time & talent to help the organizations.

Donate needed items:

Donated items can be placed in the donation boxes located in the Welcome Area and near the Great Hall by Wednesday, March 11th. Checks can be made out to A&M UMC with Lenten Campaign in the Memo section of the check.

Diapers (all sizes) Baby Wipes Infant Formula Baby Food Bar Soap Hand Soap Toiletries Deodorant Feminine Hygiene Products Body Sprays Toilet Paper

Paper Towels Kleenex Liquid Dish Soap Cleaning Supplies Hair Accessories & brushes Laundry Detergent Unsweetened Cereal baby shampoo baby wash baby lotion baby mitts

baby caps baby socks (up to 6 months) onesies (up to 6 months) outfits (up to 6 months) New Underwear (Women/ Children -all sizes) New Socks (Women/ Children -all sizes)

Reminder - Daylight Savings Time begins

March 8th!

Set your clock forward one hour on Saturday night.

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The week of Ash Wednesday, yet another snow storm blanketed the Northeast prompting Andover Newton Theological School to release a “lighthearted announcement that it

has decided to postpone Lent due to the massive amounts of snow that have hit New England this winter.” The Dean of the Faculty declared “that after meeting with staff on campus, ‘I have determined we have suffered enough.” (http://boston.cbslocal.com/2015/02/18/newton-religious-school-postpones-lent-due-to-snow-says-we-have-suffered-enough/#.VOXYBg1g0nQ.facebook) Though we had some cold days, as of this writing, we’ve missed out on any and all snow. As such, we aren’t canceling Lent. In fact, we are inviting you to participate even more fully in Lent by sharing in our “Give Up 2 Give Out” Lent Mission project. If you have given up something for Lent, we are encouraging you to collect the money you would have spent on that item and donate it at a minimum. Our Lenten focus will see us making contributions to the Brazos Church Pantry, Family Promise, the Prenatal Clinic Baby Closet, and ZOE ministries.

Inside this newsletter you will find a list of items that you can purchase and bring to the church to help meet the needs of the clients of the Church Pantry, the Prenatal Clinic, and Family Promise. We will dedicate those items during worship on March 15th.

Look for a date to be announced for a tour of the Brazos Church Pantry to better acquaint those of you who have never been there with this wonderful cooperative ministry. And then mark your calendars for March 29th, which is Palm Sunday, for a wonderful morning in worship and then a simple lunch with proceeds going to the community of

children we have committed ourselves to sponsoring through ZOE. (http://www.zoehelps.org/) Let your Lenten observance draw you closer to God and help make a difference in feeding and caring for the hungry, both near to home and on the other side of the globe. Grace & Peace, Rev. John Reasons Senior Pastor

Give Up 2 Give Out Lenten Mission Project

Easter Sunday - April 5th

“Sonrise” Service 6:30 am in the Courtyard

Worship Services: 8:30 am, Sanctuary 9:45 am, Great Hall 11:00 am, Sanctuary Good Friday

Service Noon - April 3rd

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Adult & College Ministries

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Anne Campbell-Smith Adult Discipleship Coordinator

CJ Stachurski Director of College Ministries College Ministries

Small Groups and Bible Studies College Sunday School - Sundays after the 9:45 am service in the Coffee House. Led by CJ Stachurski, [email protected] Harry Potter Bible Study - Mondays at 7:00 pm in S-114. Contact [email protected] Soul Groups

Messy Spirituality - Mondays at 8:30 pm in the TAMU MSC Contact Emily Evans at [email protected] Women’s Soul Group #RealTalk - Tuesdays at 8:15 pm in the Coffee House Contact Cathleen Karr at [email protected] Men’s Soul Group #BroLyfe - Tuesdays at 7:00 pm in the Coffee House Contact Blake Casey at [email protected] The Cost of Discipleship (Grad Students & Young Professionals) Wednesdays at 6:30 pm in member homes Contact Bryce Durgin at [email protected]

Coffee House Hours Sunday: 6:00 pm.-11:00 pm; Monday -Thursday: 9:00 am -11:00 pm, Friday: 9:00 am -3:30 pm. (subject to volunteer availability)

Coffee House Volunteers Needed - Contact Blake Casey at [email protected] or text/call (832) 217 - 6233 for details. The following shifts are available:

Monday: 6:00 pm-8:30 pm and 8:30 pm-11:00 pm T/TH: 1:00 pm-3:30 pm, 3:30 pm-6:00 pm, 6:00 pm-8:30 pm, 8:30 pm-11:00 pm Wednesday: 3:30 pm-6:00 pm, 6:00 pm-8:30 pm, 8:30 pm-11:00 pm

Wednesday Church Suppers Wednesdays at 5:30 pm

Join us for dinner before your Small Group or Bible Study. $5 for adults, $3 for children

($20 family max)

“I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” Psalm 119:32

News & Notes on

Adult Discipleship

Thursday College Worship Free Dinner @ 6:30 pm, Great Hall Mosaic Worship @ 7:30 pm, Annex

Instead of giving up something for Lent- add something this year. Strengthen and nourish your spiritual life. One way to do this is to join a Bible study, a Sunday school class or a small group. Other Christians help us grow closer in our relationship with God while providing spiritual like-minded fellowship. Explore the website or view the bulletin boards around the church to find your niche. It’s never too late to join an on-going study or group. Or…..start your own with some fellow believers. If you need help getting started, contact me at [email protected]. May God set your hearts free and deepen your faith this Lenten season.

Breathe Bible study by Priscilla Shirer starts Monday, March 23rd at 9:00 am in Room C-211. This study explores God’s view of keeping Sabbath. For more information on the study contact DeEsta Garrett at [email protected]

There will be no weekday or

evening Small Groups or Bible

Studies held at the church during

the week of Spring Break.

(March 16th-20th)

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Children & Family Ministries

As always, we encourage your child to bring a friend to any of our activities. It’s always more fun sharing God’s love with a friend.

Groups Offered @ A&M UMC JC Club What is JC Club? This group is for 1st through 6th grade children, meeting in the Children’s Commons area on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 – 7:30 pm. During Lent, we will have a Lenten study focused on Jesus. JC Club is a time of Bible Study,

mission work and fun and games. This month we are collecting supplies for the Bryan Prenatal Clinic.

L.A.M.B.S What is L.A.M.B.S.? It is an acronym for Living As My Bible Says. It is for children who are pre-k through Kindergarten. They meet with Ms. Tory and Ms. Regan in N-121 located in the Nursery. They learn about Bible Stories. We are working from the book of Genesis this year. They play games, memorize the Word of God and enjoy being with each other. They meet the same time as JC Club.

TEAM 456 What is Team 456? It is for children who are in 4th grade through the 6th grade. We meet most Sunday Evenings in the Fellowship Hall 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm. We start with fellowship, eat a snack supper provided by one of our parents and then we play Bible games and memorize God’s Word. This is a great group and we encourage our kids to bring their friends. We have so much fun!

Gwenda Beavers - Director of Children & Family Ministries [email protected]

Confirmation Class Update The Confirmation class went to Lakeview for a weekend of spiritual growth with other Confirmands. It was a great weekend of fun and learning what it means to be a United Methodist. This retreat allowed our children to focus on the important questions of what it means to be a Christian and what it means to commit to being a full member of our Church family.

Easter Egg Hunt - Save the date!! Our annual event is happening at Southwood Park and Brian Bachman Pavilion Saturday, April 4th from 10 am – Noon. Bring your children, grandchildren and neighbors for a fun and exciting time. New this year will be a train ride. We will have bounce houses, crafts and of course our famous Easter Egg Hunt. We will conclude our time with a hot dog lunch that will be provided. We will be accepting candy donations throughout the month of March. Please contact Gwenda if you would like to donate.

JC Club

L.A.M.B.S 2’s & 3’s

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Youth Ministries

Upcoming Youth Events...

Follow Us :

A&M UMC Youth

March 1: Paintball; 1:00-5:00pm; For details & to sign up, contact DeEsta Garrett March 4: Bible Study March 8: MYF March 15-21: Spring Break; no formal youth events; Church office closed 18-20 March 22: Youth Plans TBD March 29: Mandatory Sonrise Service Practice, Sunday Funday and Breakthru Sign Up Deadline, March 30-April 5: Holy Week April 1: Bible Study April 2: Maundy Thursday Service, 6pm in Great Hall April 3: Good Friday Service, noon in Sanctuary April 4: Family Easter Egg Hunt, 10am-12pm at Bachmann Park April 5: Easter Sonrise Service, 6:30am Breakfast, 7:30am Services: 8:30, 9:45, 11:00 Attend services with your family; no youth Sunday School April 17-18: JH Breakthru April 22: JUMMP JH Summer Mission Trip Sign Up Deadline; $100 deposit & form due April 24-26: HS Breakthru May 3: Epworth HS Summer Mission Trip Sign Up Deadline; $100 deposit & form due

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Sonrise Service

Sign Ups We are gearing up for our youth-run Sonrise Service and Breakfast on Easter Sunday. If you are interested in helping, sign up with April today. We will have a mandatory practice on Sunday, March 29th before/after our Sunday Funday event.

Breakthru Retreat Jr. High Retreat: April 17th-19th High School Retreat: April 24th-26th Sign Up Deadline: March 29th Cost: $110 plus 2 meals on the road To Sign Up: Complete the form found online or in the Youth Room Join us for a great retreat at Camp Piney Woods filled with great speakers, great musicians, and lots of time to relax. There are 2 different weekends this year for high school and Jr. high youth. Sign up today!

Love Your Neighbor Thanks to all of your hard work for our mission-focused MYF: Love Your Neighbor. You guys collected several bags of food for the Brazos Church Pantry, delivered homemade Valentine cards, and picked up trash around the church and scrubbed down the Great Hall. Thanks for showing love to our community!

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News & Announcements

UMW General Meeting Tuesday, March 3rd, 9:30 am Annex Fellowship Hall

The program is titled “Our Culture and TV” and will be presented by Jon Bennett. Women of all ages are invited join us for this time of fellowship and education.

“For when TWO or more are gathered together in My name - I am there in their midst”

Matthew 18:20

Prayer Chapel Team Tuesdays at 2:00 pm in the Prayer Chapel If you are interested in joining this ministry, contact Dan Daniels.

E-Prayer List If you would like to receive the E-Prayer List to lift up in your private quiet time with Him - please call Cindy Allen in the church office (846-8731) and give her your email address. You will then begin receiving the E-Prayer List, and as you are blessed, others you may not even know will touched.

Men’s Prayer Breakfast

March 25th, 7am Fellowship Hall

Thank You! The Youth Group would like to thank the congregation for their overwhelming support of Youth Missions through the Valentine’s Banquet. We had a great prime rib dinner, a fun band and lots of dancing. Thanks to everyone’s efforts, we raised around $8,400 for Youth Missions. This supports general mission costs, making mission trip more affordable for youth to participate in, and helps cover cost of adult volunteers on the trips. A special thank you to all those who attended, purchased auction items, and donated at the

event; our Valentine Committee; our parents who helped set up or worked that night; our Auctioneer Mike Workman; and all of the youth for their amazing work ethic.

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Franklin United Methodist Church; Willowdean Chandler; John, uncle of Jennifer Halling; Mike Tatum; Tom Smith; Ellen Horner; Linda Polansky; Bob Waters; Carol Buckley; Anna Diller; Lowell and Wanda Stewart, parents of Cindy Allen; Buddy and Beth Van Cleave; John Eugene Wilson, brother of Robert Wilson; Bettye Clements, mother of Sandie Bennett; Jenny Barker; Edwina Granberry, mother of Jay Granberry; Allie Lutz and her mother, Renate; Joe and Mary Majors; Mary Jane Hirsch; Tex Owens; Pearl Kiser; Dorothy Holland; Cleve Walkup; Clare and Mary Alice Gunn; Betty Gilbreath; Marj Benson; Stephan Munion; Frances Henry; and Jean Gresham. Prayers of comfort for: The friends and family of Helen Ryan, following her passing on January 2nd. Prayers of joy for: The birth of Everly Rose Daniels, granddaughter of Dan & Becky Daniels, born on February 10 th; the birth of William Wheeler Patton, born February 14th. He is the son of Will & Katy Patton and grandson of Bill and Susan Patton; the birth of Philip on February 18th, son of Amy Banks & Donny Hall, and the grandson of Phil and Martha Banks. Are you grieving the loss of a loved one? We are now making a resource available for those who have lost someone they love, a book series called Journeying Through Grief. Many find reassurance knowing their experiences with grief are normal. If you are interested in this grief resource, contact CJ Stachurski at [email protected].

A&M UMC Publication Deadlines Do you have information you need to share about your ministry area? Here are the deadlines to keep in mind: Bulletin Announcements - due the Monday prior to the Sunday

to be published (length should be no more than 2 lines) E-News Announcements - due Wednesday of the week you

need to publicize the information Printed Newsletter—3/26 for April newsletter Publication of information is subject to approval and space limitations. Have questions? Contact Nancy Browning via e-mail Or at (979) 846-8731.

As of February 22, 2015

February Year to Date

Contributions $ 99,813.35 $ 183,056.13

Expenses $ 96,977.68 $ 205,105.60

2014 Carry Over $ 32,068.81

Online Donation Now Available!

Want to make a donation, but

didn’t bring a check or cash to

church? Not to worry!

A&M UMC accepts donations

online and via the iPad Tablets

located in the Narthex and Great

Hall on Sundays.

Memorials Donor In Honor/Memory of Ministry/Program

McCaskill Family Shirley McCaskill Stained Glass Windows Robert & Elizabeth Chenoweth Susan Gallaway Stained Glass Windows David & Gwen Sheffield Shirley McCaskill Ministries Ann Marsh Judy Nash’s Dad Ministries Robert & Elizabeth Chenoweth Tommy Gilbreath Stained Glass Windows Phyllis Nicks Tommy Gilbreath Stained Glass Windows Emma Gene Schroeder Tommy Gilbreath Ministries Marie Robison Tommy Gilbreath Stained Glass Windows Marty & Nancy Clayton Tommy Gilbreath Ministries

Project Puerto Rico The high school students are going on a mission trip to Puerto Rico this summer to work with a church’s VBS program and repair local buildings. Be on the look out for ways you can help support this special mission trip:

Honey-Do List: Need help around your home? Need yard work done or spring cleaning? The Youth will work for you for a small donation towards the mission trip. To set up an appointment, please contact DeEsta Garrett.

Car Wash: We will be having a car wash (weather permitting) on Saturday, March 7th from 9:30am-12:30pm. Location TBD but watch for advertising closer to the date.

News & Announcements

A&M United Methodist Church

Operation Easter Lily Order Form Proceeds from Operation Easter Lily will benefit the Give Up 2 Give Out Lenten Mission Project.

Name:

Phone:

Amount Given:

In Honor of:

In Memory of:

Suggested minimum donation is $25. Order forms may be placed n the offering plate with your check or return it to the Church Office at your convenience.

Order deadline is Palm Sunday, March 29th.