Tony Schroth, FUMC Mission Chair
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s many of you have recently read in the church bulletin, FUMC is committed to the Fredericksburg District initiative to provide food assistance this summer to children who would otherwise have no means of obtaining regular meals. Over the years, our church has had a proud tradition of feeding the hungry, whether through our response to food poundings, gleanings, outreach or Stop Hunger Now. Now is the time that your help is requested, as we assemble approximately 150 bags containing eight food items at church on July 8 at 7:00 p.m. FUMC will provide the necessary food items for the children. These will be transported to Mary Walter Elementary School in Bealeton, VA, on July 11 by volunteers to be distributed to the children from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. We have also been requested to donate bread, fresh vegetables, activity and coloring books, as well as children’s religious books. Parents may find this is a worthy opportunity to teach their children the sad reality of less fortunate children in our community. All are welcome to come with donations, assistance to assemble, or help with transportation. The distribution of food is so much more than handing out bags of food. As the Heartwood Summer Ministries Coordinator has said ... “It is relationship building and expressing the unconditional love of Jesus Christ.” Please contact me at
[email protected] with your willingness to help in this worthy summertime project.
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ollowing four months of study, prayer and discernment, the mission of Fredericksburg United Methodist Church has been named: Seek others in our community. Serve their needs. Grow the love of Christ. This mission identity was adopted by the Church Council at its June 22nd meeting. The Church Council will lead the congregation into living out this mission. Stay-tuned for further reports.
Lucille Ingalls
who passed away June 1
Gloria Kitchens
Youth and adults from the FUMC congregation will be engaged in a number of mission opportunities in our community and beyond during the month of July. At least 47 different youth will be involved in the following mission opportunities, along with several adults. Please keep the following teams in your prayers: • Fred Camp, June 28-July 4 • Jeremiah Project, July 5-July 11 • SOKS CAMP, July 6-9 • LEAD 4:12, July 7-July 9 • Carolina Cross Connection, July 19-July 25 • Guatemala Mission Trip, July 25-August 2
of Hollywood, FL, who passed away in June (Bryan Kitchens’ mother)
Bob Fish
of Bern, NC, who passed away in June (Carolyn Fish’s husband)
Franklin Carroll
who passed away in June
Jerry Craig
who passed away on June 12 (husband of Eve Craig, former members)
Mary Alice Merchent
The August Newsletter will have a report from the delegates to Annual Conference.
who passed away on June 23 (mother of Al, Beth and Alice)
Vic Harned
Please call the Care Number, if you are in need of a visit or prayer: (540) 273-3214.
who passed away in June (stepfather of Mark Haus)
Information will include what’s happening in the mission field from Heart Havens, Virginia Interfaith Public Policy, updated news from recent teams to Cambodia and Mozambique. Learning through study: 1. 2. 3.
Registration forms are available at www.vaumw.org. Contact JoAnn Liskey at (540) 434-2997 for registration questions and Nancy Yarborough at (757) 877-2155 for scholarship information. 2
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ay Servant Training can help anyone who is interested in learning more in their pursuit of being a better leader and servant for Christ’s church. These classes can be used as tools in discerning God’s call for your personal walk and ministry. If you are a Lay Servant, you must attend the ENTIRE course in order to receive credit for certification or recertification. Re-certification is required every three years for both Local Church Lay Servants and Certified Lay Servants. Training Location: Regester Chapel, 85 Bells Hill Rd, Stafford, VA Registration/Check In is Friday, Sept. 18, 6:00 p.m. Classes are on Friday from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call 540-659-2642 for directions. Registration forms are in the Narthex, Gathering Space and Charlotte Street entrance. BASIC COURSE: The foundation for all other Learning and Leading courses. Leader – Steven Snyder & Donna Sayre ADVANCED CLASS: Preaching From Your Heart Leader – Rev. Walt Westbrook ADVANCED CLASS: Teach Us to Pray Leader – Larry Tubbs ADVANCED CLASS: In Ministry with Boomers & Beyond Leader – Martha Stokes
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NY MEMBER of FUMC can visit the UMW Reading Program bookshelf in the Church Library to find the following books to read:
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he Monday Morning Bible Study meets from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Room 210 on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month, except when the church is closed, and during the summer. We have completed our studies of 52 Women of the Bible. On September 21st we’ll begin our new study, Outlive Your Life, by Max Lucado. It is based on the beginning of the church as outlined in Acts. Every week will be a fresh lesson, so join in as often as you can! To order a book on-line or through your bookstore, use ISBN # is 978-0-8499-2069-1.
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July 24-26 Virginia Conference Mission
Please call Carol Kuty at 540-898-0256 or Pat Blosser at 540-373-0593 if you have questions about our supportive community of women. Check out the United Methodist Women bulletin board next to the Parlor!
Encounter, VUMAC, Blackstone Courses are Created for Happiness: Understanding Your Life in God, Latin America: People and Faith, and The Church and People with Disabilities.
This annual event, which is offered for women between the ages of 18 and 40, will take place September 18 and 19 at the Blackstone Conference and Retreat Center. The event begins with supper at 7:00 p.m. on September 18 and concludes at 4:00 p.m. on September 19. The cost is $75.00. Scholarships and financial support are available; contact United Methodist Women treasurer Jean Himmel at dhimmel1@cox. net for more information. The theme is “Being Enough.” Event leaders are Rev. Joanna Paysour, Associate Pastor of Cave Spring UMC, and Sarah Stephens, a graduate of Wesley Theological Seminary. The deadline for registration is September 11. Registration forms are posted on the United Methodist Women bulletin board, next to the Parlor. Though this event is sponsored by the Virginia Conference United Methodist Women, one does not have to be a UMW member to attend.
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“Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.” —Proverbs 22:6
What a wonderful time we had at Vacation Bible School this year! Thank you so much to the 76 adult volunteers, 37 youth volunteers, and all the people who donated materials to make the week a success! We had approximately 170 children throughout the week pretending to travel back in time while they learned about Jesus. Each day they met with Jesus’ mother Mary, played games in the village playground, met live animals in the barnyard, praised God with music, broke bread and studied the Bible with their tribe, and explored the Wool Shop, Farmers’ Fields, Dye Shop, Bead Shop, Carpentry Shop, Rock Quarry, Olive Oil Shop, Fishing Boats, Food Shop, and the Synagogue School in the Nazareth Marketplace. They saw that Jesus had a family, a name, a home, went to church, and served others…just like they do! The week was truly a blessing. Thank you to the church family for making it happen!
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ack Almy, almost 11, just finished the 5th grade at Cedar Forest Elementary and will be attending Thronburg Middle School. He is the son of Robb and Diana Almy and brother to Robert, Nolan, and Phoebe. Jack participates at FUMC in Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Upward Basketball, and Boy Scouts. He also enjoys swimming, baseball, and Minecraft. His favorite memories of FUMC are of attending the Christmas Eve services. Jack wants to be a pastor when he grows up and his favorite Bible verse is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
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e need people to teach Rotation Station Sunday School this summer! We need almost 100 people to make Rotation Station happen each year without people needing to serve twice. This is for ALL of our church family, not just parents of children. We all have some way to share the Good News with our children. Materials and curriculum are provided. Workshop leaders plan one lesson and teach it four times to different groups of children. Shepherds commit to five weeks and serve as a helper for the teachers and a friend to the children. Please see which unit you are interested in helping with. IT IS FUN! The units for the upcoming year beginning this fall are as follows:
ummer is approaching and the Fredericksburg MOPS chapter (Mothers of Preschoolers) is preparing for another semester of ministering to mothers & children within our community. In order to make this happen, we need caring and energetic Moppets (childcare) volunteers. We meet on the first and third Fridays of the month at FUMC from 9:30 until 11:30, beginning in October. Please consider supporting this fun and meaningful ministry! Contact Allison Xanthopoulous at either
[email protected] or Jillian Murray at hintoflime5@gmail. com if interested. 5
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oly Communion is a sacrament of the United Methodist Church. It is a means of grace and a vital part of the worship experience for believers in Jesus as the Christ. The Membership, Care, and Nurture Ministry wants to provide Holy Communion to those who are not able to attend worship on a regular basis due to life and health concerns. If you have previously received lay-communionserver training and have been serving the shut-ins, we want to provide a refresher orientation and new communion sets. Or, if you sense a strong desire to be a new lay-communion servant, taking communion to those confined to their home, nursing/retirement home, or hospital room, contact the Pastor of Congregational Care, Rev. Won Lee, 540-373-9021, ext. 15, or email at
[email protected].
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he FUMC Outreach Food Pantry is presently focusing on food products only. Our present inventory is in need of, cereals, canned peas, canned fruit, canned soups, canned meat, pancake syrup and bread. Please place these items in the appropriate container in Mission Control. Since we now have an adequate supply, we do not need peanut butter, jelly, mashed potatoes and pasta. Monetary donations may also be made by writing “Food Pantry” in the memo section of your check. Contact Ed Sielski with questions. (540-786-8515)
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lanning a hospital stay? Are you headed to surgery? Want to have prayer and someone from the clergy staff to visit? Tell us when you are in the hospital. If surgery is scheduled, tell us the day, time and place where a Pastor can locate you. Our Pastors can serve you best when they know your schedule. They can meet you at the health facility prior to surgery. They can have prayer and support you and your loved ones. Hospitals no longer notify churches when members are hospitalized. If you wish to have a Pastor visit, you or a family member will need to notify the church.
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he Virginia United Methodist Credit Union(VUMCU) is offering a new educational funding line of credit. Finding the funding for college can be stressful and confusing. Once scholarships, subsidized federal student loans and college savings accounts have been exhausted, there is probably still a gap that needs to be filled. That’s where SnapLoan can help. (All loans are subject to approval and credit restrictions apply. Must be a VUMCU member to apply.) Visit www.vumcu.org or call 804-672-0200 for details or to apply online. It’s structured as a low fixed-rate Line of Credit:
5.45% APR Fixed Rate – Attending Any Accredited College or University 4.95% APR Fixed Rate – Attending Seminary or a Virginia Methodist Affiliated College
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ur next workshop will be on July 13th. Then, we will meet every Monday until the Bazaar in November. Everyone is invited to these workshops in the Fellowship Hall from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM. New items needed: Old jeans & sweaters Items still needed: Old or broken jewelry or beads • paper napkins printed tissue paper (all seasons) left over 4” x 4” ceramic tiles • metal book ends old sleds • old ice skates Put them in the Bazaar Bin in Mission Control. Contact Sharon Bradshaw at 373-8245 if you have any questions or ideas.
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hanks to the people directing (Shannon and friends) and attending VBS for the deodorants and shirts that appeared in the bin in Mission Control. We are about six weeks from the event and collecting items is still underway. FUMC was asked to provide the following specific sizes of jeans and underwear: girls jeans sizes 6X, 7 and 8 and little girl’s underwear sizes 6 and 8 (colorful and other than briefs, please). A reminder that gently-used outerwear, including sweatshirts (laundered please) are a welcome donation. Five dollar backpacks will be appearing at Five Below soon. A comprehensive list can be found on the bulletin board in Mission Control. Point of contact: Jean Himmel, 540-368-9541.
JP is a home-repair ministry that is unique in that the participants are middle school students. Students are placed into work teams for the week and perform various home repairs for the elderly, low income, and those living with physical and mental disabilities. We desire to make homes warmer, safer, drier, and more accessible for God’s people. We are a year-round, Christ-centered ministry that connects the local church to those who are in need both in their own backyards and overseas. We work with youth leaders, churches and parents to raise compassionate, servant-hearted, next-generation leaders. CCC combines the spiritual connection of a camplike experience with the life-changing opportunities that week-long service trips offer. Our priority is to see Christ-followers developing servant hearts and making a difference in this world!
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he Contemplative practice of Centering Prayer is being held each Sunday evening in the Parlor. We begin at 6:45 p.m., starting promptly, and ending at 7:45 p.m. (lasting one hour). If you have ever considered a “closer walk with God” this form of prayer is a golden opportunity. The goal of Centering Prayer is simple - closeness to God. This prayer time is open to all Christians of any denomination. Any questions, please call Janet Davis at 371-0145.
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he crack team of highly skilled and motivated Wednesday Night Dinner kitchen workers is always looking for additional volunteers for the team. The dinners will start back up in September. If you feel called to volunteer, call the church office to indicate your willingness and someone will contact you. The openings include set up, prep work, dish washing, and clean up. Choose from part-time, full-time or dedicate your life - the pay is the same. Volunteers are also needed for the Sunday morning coffee hour team so that the service can continue. Families, groups/teams, Sunday School classes and individuals are encouraged to consider volunteering once a year, once a quarter or however often you would feel comfortable. Training on the equipment will be provided before you would be expected to begin. If a snack is provided (reimbursements are given), the emphasis is for healthy snacks. How creative can you be? Please NOTE, if volunteers are not available there will be no coffee hour on that particular Sunday.
Used Adult Sunday School Study Books
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sed Adult Sunday School study books have been organized for your use. A sample copy of each book and a list stating the number of copies available is in the Church Library. You may borrow the sample copy to preview by signing the form available in the Library. Please return the sample copy to the box for returns. The books are available: To borrow for class use and then return To preview before ordering new or used books You may request use of these books by notifying the Church Office. Donate your used Sunday School Study books to the collection. Just bring them to the library.
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JULY • Vol. 31, No. 7
