April 2015 Vol. 4 Issue 4 Connecting Generations to Grow Relationships with God, Others, and Creation April at Latham UMC Hughey Reynolds, Senior Pastor April will be an exciting month at Latham UMC this year. Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services will prepare us to participate more completely in the joyous celebration of Easter. On Easter Sunday, the worship celebrations start with a youth led Sunrise Service in the courtyard at 6:30 a.m. I will preach during the 8:55 service in Farley Hall for the first time in several years. Fourteen of our youth who have finished Confirmation classes will be confirmed during that service. Chris Martin will preach during the 11:05 Traditional service in the sanctuary. Two weeks after Easter, Latham will host two huge events. On Saturday, April 18, we will have another Unity Festival to support The Hands of Christ Fund. The Hands of Christ is a fund through which both members and non-members of Latham have received financial assistance with medical costs that their existing insurance would not pay. It has been a Godsend for dozens of families who receive this assistance anonymously. Barbecue prepared by some of the best grillers in Huntsville, music by a wonderful variety of bands, as well as silent auction and bake sale items will be available for your enjoyment and purchase that afternoon. An admission ticket gets you all the BBQ you can eat and admission into the band performances. See more about both of these events inside this issue of the Branch. The very next day, on Sunday April 19, Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett, resident bishop of the North Alabama Conference, will preach in The Orchard and 11:05 Traditional worship services at Latham. This is her first visit to our church so we want to give her the warmest Latham welcome possible. There will be a reception following the 8:55 service for greeting Bishop Wallace-Padgett with refreshments provided by Latham United Methodist Women. This is also United Methodist Women's Sunday when we will honor and celebrate the leadership of women in our church. Spread the word to your friends and family about these events and bring them with you when you come. R Inside this issue: Sermon Series 3 Financial Report 4 Unity Festival 5 Youth News 6 Calendar 11 Lifetree Café 12 Page 2 Holy Week and Easter Chris Klaus, Minister of Music and Worship As we close the chapter on yet another Lenten season, we prepare our hearts for the Easter season. We, with great anticipation, celebrate the empty tomb and our risen Lord! Spring is among us and with it comes new life, refreshing rain, and abundant sunshine. Such is the same with Easter. Out of darkness came light, Christ is risen from the dead. Up from the ground He arose...Living Water... The Light of the World! Join us for our special Holy Week services beginning on Sunday, March 29-Palm Sunday, as we celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. We will also be celebrating the baptisms of nine of our students! Thursday, April 2 @ 7pm, Maundy Thursday, we will remember the Last Supper of Christ with his disciples. This will be a communion service in our sanctuary. Friday, April 3 @ 7pm, Good Friday, will be a service of darkness, Word, and reflective thoughts on the crucifixion in Farley Hall. Easter Sunday, April 5th at 6:30, 8:55, 11:05. Our students have been working diligently to prepare music and scripture to share with us for our Sunrise Service in the Latham courtyard. We invite you to bring fresh cut flowers to decorate the flower cross during the Sunrise service and before the start of our 8:55 and 11:05 services. There will not be an 8:30 Morning Watch service scheduled for this day. We will also be confirming 14 of our students on this festive Sunday in the Orchard! Please consider inviting your friends and family! Share this wonderful time of celebration and remembrance with us as we explore the very foundation of our beliefs, the sorrow and sacrifice that leads to abundant joy and everlasting life! EASTER EGG HUNT AND PANCAKE BREAKFAST Saturday, April 4th, 9:15 AM Ages infant through 5th grade are welcome to find eggs filled with surprises! The egg hunt is FREE and starts at 9:15am. For a donation, you are also welcome to enjoy a pancake breakfast hosted by the LUMC United Methodist Men starting at 7:30am. Suggested donation: $4 person or $10 family. Feel free to invite your friends! Page 3 April Sermon Series In The Orchard: April 5: “He Is Risen!” based on Mark 16:1-8 (Hughey Reynolds) April 12: “Confronting Doubt” based on John 20:19-31 (Hughey Reynolds) April 19: “The Good Soil” Based on Matthew 13:1-9 (Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett) April 26: Prayer Sermon Series Begins (Chris Martin) 3-Week Sermon Series on Prayer Pray Like Jesus By Hughey Reynolds Beginning April 26, I will preach a series of 3 sermons on prayer during the 8:30 Morning Watch and 11:05 Traditional Worship services. The sermons will include guides for practicing three different types of prayer following the example of Jesus in the scripture. Here are the topics with the scriptural foundation for each type of prayer that the sermons will teach: April 26: Praise and Adoration (Matthew 6:7-13) May 3: Intercession for Unity (John 17:14-24) May 10: Petition and Submission (Luke 11:9-13; 22:39-46 Welcome New Members Adam & Amanda Miller Carol Roden James & Rhonda Springer & Family: Kathryn, Hunter, Alexia, Grant, Adrionna, Jerzey, Nicholas, Addison, Devin Page 4 Financial Committee Report Marty Martin, Chairman Capital Debt Paid In Full Our Capital Debt was paid in full in December 2014, and we celebrated by “burning the mortgage” on 4 Jan 2015. Over the last 15 years we greatly expanded our church facilities to add a Family Life Center – Farley Hall, a Welcome Center, a Choir Room, a Youth Center, a small gym, and several Sunday School classrooms. We also purchased new Parsonages for both our Senior and Associate Pastors, and, now, thanks to your loyal support and generosity it is all debt free! After the business loan was paid, we had $11,604 remaining in the Capital Budget. The Finance Committee decided to provide the remaining $11,604 to the Trustees Committee as funds, over and above those allocated in the 2015 budget, to be used to pay for deferred maintenance (e.g., roof leaks, heat pump replacement, etc.). 2014 Operating Budget Despite many anxious moments by the 2014 Finance Committee and with numerous attempts to inform the church membership of our dire financial straits and the need to honor the pledges we made to the Gratitude Campaign, we finished the year in the black. We met all our expenses to include paying our full apportionments to the District and the Conference and we were able to carry over $20,395 to our 2015 Operating Budget, so we will not start the year with a deficit as we had feared. The carryover from 2014 will be used to replenish the operating reserve we had to use to meet 2014 expenses. 2015 Operating Budget The Finance Committee met to review and finalize the 2015 Operating Budget. Requests from the Ministry teams and Committees totaled $938, 251. On the income side, we received pledges of $732,129, and the Finance Committee estimates that we will receive $120,000 in “loose offerings”. These two amounts (less $1,700 for projected eGiving fees) yields $850,429 in projected income - $87,822 less than the amounts requested. Using the Long Range Plan as a guide, the Finance Committee allocated funds to the Ministry teams and Committees. The total amount of funds allocated is $862,674, a 6% increase over the 2014 budget. While this is $12,425 more than our projected income, the $20,395 in carried-over income from 2014 will allow us to finish 2015 in the black. Although we could not afford to fully fund the askings from all the Ministry teams and Committees, each Ministry/Committee received an increase over the 2014 budget level. Funds were allocated at the top level for each Ministry/Committee. The Ministry team/Committee will decide how to spread the allocation to best cover the 2015 asking. We increased the Staff Parish Relations budget line items by 3.5 % over 2014 levels to provide a raise for our staff. This will be the first salary increase for our staff in four years. We also budgeted to fully fund our District and Conference apportionments. Financial Procedures Manual The Finance Committee is in the process of updating the Financial Procedures Manual (e.g., remove references to rental income, etc.) Page 5 Financial Committee Report, continued Cash Flow Analysis Neither our income nor our expenses are equally divided into 12 monthly installments. The Finance Committee is performing a cash flow analysis to see how our income compares to our expenses on a monthly basis. This analysis will provide greater insight into our financial posture on a monthly basis. For example, in 2014, we had 7 months in which expenses exceeded income and 5 months in which income exceeded expenses. Cash flow analysis of the 2013 and 2012 budgets is in process to validate the peaks and valleys we saw in the 2014 budget. Armed with knowledge, we can better manage our finances to balance expenditures with income whenever possible. Monthly Financial Report To better inform the church membership, the Finance Committee will publish a Financial Report in The Branch on a monthly basis. The Unity Festival Returns United Methodist Women Joe Martin Judy Gillespie, UMW President The Hands of Christ Fund was established by the members of Latham United Methodist Church as a way of supporting those people stricken by illness. Because long-term illness can take so much out of a family both emotionally and financially, Latham created this fund as a way to help cover those costs not handled by insurance. Tragedy touches everyone around us, so the Hands of Christ Fund is a fund that is open to members of our community, not just Latham members. Applications are available at the church. In order to sustain the Hands of Christ Fund, Latham is bringing the community of Huntsville a wonderful event called the Unity Festival. This is a fun-filled all -you-can-eat barbecue and food festival with kids’ events, music, and a silent auction. During the event, grillers and cooks will be filling your plates with a variety of tasty foods. Kids can entertain themselves in the kids’ area while the parents listen to live music and browse the silent auction. It is guaranteed to be an afternoon of fun! Tickets can be purchased at Latham or on-line. A single ticket is $10, a family ticket is $40, and kids under 3 get in free. This is sure to be a crowd pleaser, so plan to join us on April 18, 2015 from 1 to 5 pm. United Methodist Women Sunday April 19, 2015 Bishop Debra Wallace Padgett has accepted our invitation to be our guest speaker for UMW Sunday, April 19, 2015. We are very pleased to welcome her to Latham. She will speak at the 9:00 and 11:00 services. There will be a “Meet and Greet” in Farley Hall at 10:00. We hope everyone will extend a warm welcome to Bishop Wallace Padgett. She has another engagement immediately after the 11:00 service, so the 10:00 hour was the only time to offer members an opportunity to welcome her to Latham. UMW had a very successful year in 2014. We did not have a fundraiser but gave our members an opportunity to donate money in honor/memory of someone to be used for our local missions. Members generously donated $5,500! Please check out the bulletin board near the nursery for other accomplishments for 2014. We have a great, hard working group of ladies in UMW at Latham. We all have fun working together for the good of our church and the community! Page 6 Youth News Adam Miller, Minister to Youth Buchanan Scholarships It’s time for our yearly Buchanan Scholarships to be awarded again. The scholarships go to members of our church who are graduating and going on to college and also currently in college. The applications and recommendation forms for the scholarship are on the Lathamumc.org website under the Youth Ministry tab. The applications are due by April 10 and will be awarded in May. Further information is on the application form. Thank You For the Warm Welcome As most of you know Amanda and I moved here last month as I became the Minister of Youth. I want you all to know that we have felt so loved and welcomed as we’ve come to Latham UMC. All of the gracious words that all of you have spoken have made it easy for us to join in here and feel a part of the Latham UMC Family. We want to thank you all for making us feel this way. We look forward to seeing what God has in store for Latham UMC as we continue this new journey with the Youth Group. Confirmation Class of 2015 Page 7 Confirmation Update Chris Martin, Associate Pastor Confirmation is a very important time in the lives of our young women and men here at Latham UMC. While it is certainly a time of preparation and teaching, it is even more importantly an opportunity for these youth to respond to the work of God’s grace in their lives. Our confirmation class of 2015 has been meeting since Sunday February 1 and we are fast approaching their confirmation service on Easter Sunday (April 5). Our Confirmands and their mentors for this year are as follows: Confirmand Mentor Confirmand Mentor Zoey Frost Gina Smith Sierra Geisinger Janet Watson Madison Gore Jane Smith Jenna Hazelrig Catherine Beck Crawford Hope Joe Martin Christina Kruse Debbie Rose Graham Martin Jeff Langhout Laura Myles Karen Pollard David Parsons Tim Hastings Madison Simmons Jessica Martin Kathryn Springer Debbie Ingleright Christian Sutherland Frank Barger Ethan Wood Justin Stiles Zachary Wood Chris Terry We have ten Confirmands who will be baptized on Palm Sunday (March 29) and then all fourteen Confirmands will be confirmed on Easter Sunday (April 5). Both the baptismal service and confirmation service will be held in Farley Hall during our contemporary worship service that begins at 8:55 (The Orchard). This is a great event in the life of our church, and it is very important that we as a church family be there to support and celebrate this significant event in the lives of these young people. Confirmation Retreat We held our Confirmation Retreat the weekend of February 27-28, and even though it required a change of plans because of winter weather, the event was a great success for our Confirmands and Mentors. One of the activities that seemed to really resonate with our Confirmands was having them work in groups to re-write the Lord’s Prayer in their own contemporary language. We shared one of these prayers in “The Orchard” and have had many people request that we share them all – so here you go! The Lord’s Prayer (Crawfish Version) God in Heaven You are awesome; You are above the rest; Your Kingdom joins us; Your will be done everywhere; Thanks for loving us every day; Sorry dude for my screw-ups; And forgive those other screw-ups; Help us from getting in trouble; Protect us from bad things; For you are the man; You rock! The Lord’s Prayer (Loose Screws Version) Our Lord, who is in Heaven, holy is your name. Let your will be done in our lives. Give us what we need today. Forgive us for the things we have done wrong. Help us forgive people that have hurt us. Help us protect ourselves from bad choices and evil. The Kingdom, the power, and the glory is yours forever. Amen. The Lord’s Prayer (“Juan-mess Version) Our Father, in Heaven, holy is your name. Make earth like Heaven. Give us our daily necessities. Forgive us and we’ll forgive others. Show us the way. You are everything. Amen, Bruh! The Lord’s Prayer (Unicorn Version) Dear Dad in Heaven, your name is holy. Bring Heaven to Earth and do everything your way. Please give us what we need, and forgive our sins, as we forgive meanies. Lead us away from wrong things and free us from evil. For you are epic forever. Peace out. Page 8 Child Development Center Traci Harris, Director Oh how we are ready for Spring! With all the crazy Winter weather at the end of February and into March we are definitely ready for warmth and sunshine, not to mention blossoms and green! March was full of Dr. Seuss fun (including silly sock day), Weather, and Spring. Last week was "Down on the Farm" and we made homemade butter in Enrichment class. There was a lot of shaking and dancing going on and it was well worth the work when tasted! April will prove to be a busy month filled with Easter Egg Hunts, Week of the Young Child Celebration, St. Jude's Trike-a-Thon and our annual Family BBQ & Spring Program. Registration is in full swing for our 2015-2016 Half Day Preschool Program (9:00am -1:00pm) for children ages 2-4. We are looking forward to seeing returning friends as well as welcoming new friends. If you know of anyone who is looking for a half day program for his or her child for this coming Fall, LUMCDC is THE place to BE! "Superheroes of the Bible" is the theme for our 2015 Summer Camp. It will begin June 2 and run six weeks through July 16. It is a half day program from 9:00am-1:00pm every Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday for children ages 2-2nd grade. The ever popular Water Wednesdays will return. Registration is happening now but be aware that many of our classes fill quickly. So many wonderful things are happening at LUMCDC to bring us together as a school, as families, as a community. Let's hear it for an Awesome April! Page 9 In Reach Ministries Liz Hall Zeman, Lay Leader Intergenerational Women’s Retreat is a Joyful Success! Thirty-seven women of LUMC enjoyed a retreat experience at Camp Sumatanga in March. The topic was “Joyful Spirituality,” and both ideas were explored through humor (Joan Williamson) and balancing life’s demands (Liz Hall Zeman). A keynote presentation was given by Sheri Ferguson (from the North Alabama Conference of the Methodist Church) on the difference between happiness and joy and how to achieve joyfulness through spirituality. In between, we ate, laughed, ate, did yoga, ate, sang, ate, and had small discussion groups. Younger and older ladies enjoyed the fellowship and intergenerational connectivity. The retreat would not have been possible without the efforts of so many on the Planning Committee. Those on the committee were: Amma Barnes, Carolyn Peters, Faye Cook, Louise Avery, Shirley Fugit, Ramona Bowden & Windy Geisinger. A special thank you to Jackie Shivers for the meaningful service we had on Sunday morning. We left camp with a new sense of “Joy” between sisters in Christ! Elderberries Note Rose Battle, Program Chair Our guest for the Elderberries Program on April 16, at 11:30 AM. will be Traci Harris, Director of Latham’s Child Development Center. Please join us in a great lunch, and to hear Traci. Health Ministry Fay Cook, Lay Leader Latham is sponsoring an Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Group—Our next meeting is April 17th, The program will be on all types of dementia. 10:am – 11:30am in Room 151. Speaker Brandi Medina, M.S., Director of Programs and Education at Alzheimer’s Association. Page 10 Hello, from Chacraseca! Kid’s Corner Leslie Penrose, Just Hope Susan Terry, Minister to Children & Connect Hope everything is well in Huntsville! The picture is some of the 36 High School students you all are supporting this year. Each one is getting $200 cordobas per month (about $8). The Comite has meetings every other month that they have to attend to get their funds. Thanks again for making it possible for these 36 young people to continue going to school! It will help change the future of Chacraseca! MAKEOVER COMING… Farmers Market Sherri Ryan On May 5th come celebrate Cinco de Mayo AND the opening of The Latham Farmers Market! Hours are 3 PM until 6 PM with ten farmers and eight vendors; our market is one you do not want to miss! Piñata party at four and five o’clock for the young at heart and lots of sampling of goodies for all. The strawberries and greens are coming. Waygu beef, homemade breads, specialty soaps, jellies and cheeses are just a few of the offerings at the Latham Market. See you there! Beginning in April, the Kid’s Corner in the Office Wing will begin to get a facelift. The Children’s Department will be using this space for ALL Sunday night activities in the fall and possibly for Sunday morning Sunday School as well. There will be many pieces to this makeover, and you are welcome to come and give of your talents as you have time. We will be cleaning walls first (to get gooky stuff off), cleaning out closets and organizing, using Kilz to cover up old murals, then painting. After all the painting is completed, we will replace the carpet. While we can cover some of the costs for the makeover in our Children’s Budget, we will be offering fundraisers throughout the spring and summer to cover the cost of carpeting. Watch the announcements and please come and support the Children’s Department as we put a fresh face on the Kid’s Space!! NEW BOOK STUDY Some of the leadership in the Children’s Department will be doing a book study on “The New Breed: Understanding and Equipping the 21st Century Volunteer.” While we are studying this for church volunteers, it has applications in the private sector as well. If you work with volunteers, either at Latham or outside, we welcome you to join us. To order a book or for more information, contact Susan Terry at 256-881-4069 or [email protected]. Page 11 April 2015 Event and Birthday Calendar Sunday Monday Tuesday Every Monday: Every Wednesday: 8:30a Bend & Stretch 10:00a Ladies Bible Study 6:00p Just Faith 10:30a Staff Meeting 6:00p Praise Band 1:30p Wesley Singers Every Tuesday: 6:00p Boys Scouts 7:00p Tutoring 6:00p Jubilation Handbells Every Thursday: 7:00p Ladies Bible Study 8:30a Bend & Stretch 7:00p Chancel Choir 6:30p Lifetree Café Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 9a Bob Ross Painting Class Noon Discipleship 11:30a Stations of the Cross 6p Discipleship 6p Discipleship 7:30a Pancake Breakfast Tim Hopper Ingrid Felts 2p Discipleship 7p Maundy Service Judy Sumrall 7p Good Friday Service Sharon Windham Donna Bowers 9:15a Easter Egg Hunt Dee Maples Sara Johnson Ronda Springer Rem Och 5 Blood Pressure Checks 6 8 9 10 6:30a Sunrise Service 1p Morris Tutoring 5a Discipleship 6p Discipleship 10a Circle 5 6p Discipleship 10a Alzheimer’s Gina Smith 10a In Stitches Monica Esslinger 9a Paper Drive Beth Gordon 1p Morris Tutoring Noon Discipleship Robert Borders 2p Discipleship Aaron Knaack 6p Discipleship Heather Porter Mark Manush Joan Chrisman Dale Peters Jennifer Stricklin Jack Matheney Katie Mooty 7a UMM Breakfast No Evening Activities 7 11 Catherine Beck Neeve Weinberger 12 Food Pantry 13 12:30p Board of Stewards Mtg 1p Morris Tutoring 5a Discipleship Lauren Stiles 14 15 16 17 18 10a Circle 2 11:30 Elderberry Program/Luncheon Laura Rau 1p Unity Festival 2p Jo Walton Liter- 9:30a Circle 3 6p Discipleship ary Group 1p Morris Tutoring 6p Discipleship 1:30p Circle 1 Paula Stutts Sally Kostrzewa Noon Discipleship Amy Robinson 2p Discipleship Jody Jordan 6p Discipleship Marguerite Roberts Paul Thompson 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 UMW Sunday 1p Circle 6 5a Discipleship 9:30a UMW 10a In Stitches Lyle Langston 6p Discipleship 10a Elderberry Trip Marlene Thomas 1p Morris Tutoring 9:30a Circle 4 6p Discipleship 1p Morris Tutoring Connie Rogers Noon Discipleship Jack Cheek 6p Back Packing 2p Discipleship Jeff Cleary 6p Discipleship Eunice Bellingrath Christy Plemons John Clausen Brian Arnold 26 27 Bill Lee 29 30 1p Morris Tutoring 5a Discipleship 6p Discipleship Noon Discipleship 6p Discipleship 1p Discipleship Janice Nolin 2p Discipleship 7p Circle 7 Kay Brewer Joe Martin 28 6p Discipleship Rachel Braswell Jeremy Rogers Every Sunday: 7:45a Band Rehearsal 8:30a Morning Watch 8:55a Orchard Service 10:05a Sunday School 11:05a Liturgical Service 5:00p Pastor’s Bible Study 5:00p Treehouse-Children 5:00p Youth 5:30p Celebration Choir Latham United Methodist Church 109 Weatherly Road Huntsville, AL 35803 Phone: 256-881-4069 Fax: 256-880-0305 On the web: lathamumc.org Connect with the Staff Rev. Dr. Hughey Reynolds, Senior Pastor [email protected] Chris Martin, Minister of Discipleship [email protected] Susan Terry, Minister of Connect & Children’s Ministries [email protected] Chris Klaus, Minister of Music & Worship [email protected] Adam Miller, Minister of Youth [email protected] Marvene Borntrager, Staff Coordinator for Inreach [email protected] Anita Banks, Business Administrator [email protected] Traci Harris, Director of Child Development Center [email protected] Cherry Keeton, Organist Joey Evans, Pianist April 9th April 23rd April 30th April 16th April 2nd Lifetree Café Join the conversation each Thursday Night at 6:30 PM. An hour long experience is packed with interesting stories, fascinating people, and lively conversation that will feed your soul.
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