Alamo Heights
United Methodist Church
The Messenger, May 2015
It’s all about COMMUNITY
Children, College Students & Churches
Project Transformation
Coming to the Asbury
by Pastor Janet Weatherston
Our Asbury campus has been chosen to be one of
three inaugural sites in the Rio Texas Conference for
Project Transformation. Project Transformation was
founded in the Dallas area in 1998 in urban United
Methodist Churches to promote literacy for children in kindergarten thru fifth grade in underserved
areas. Our hope is that this program will expand
throughout the entire Rio Texas Conference and
impact the lives of countless people.
Project Transformation’s mission is threefold;
continued on page 3
How can you be involved?
• Donate reading books (levels K-5th grade)
• Recommend Project Transformation
to a college student (Paid internship)
• Volunteer to read (Requires Background Check)
• Donate money and/or supplies
• Contact Robert Ortiz or Janet Weatherston
[email protected] or [email protected]
Counseling Ministry Serves Members and the Community
The AHUMC Finance Committee has made an commitment
to educate our congregation about our ministries. It is helpful
for all of us to understand how our budget is used to support
the ministries of our church. This month, we highlight our
Counseling Ministry.
The AHUMC Counseling Ministry provides
professional counseling within a Christian
environment for church members and to
many others in the San Antonio community.
In 2005, a group of AHUMC members had a dream of
a counseling program at AHUMC. One of the members of
this group experienced the death of a loved one that possibly
could have been prevented, if the loved one had sought counseling. The group spent three years doing research on other
counseling programs and developed a plan to make their
dream become a reality. In January 2006, Sue Dial, LPC, was
hired as the first counselor at AHUMC. She served for five
years. Sue worked diligently to promote the new counseling
program and facilitate programs, as well as seeing clients.
Sue retired in August 2011 and Cheryl Dunn, LCSW was
hired to take over the program. She is the current AHUMC
counselor. Cheryl received her Bachelors of Social Work from
Texas Christian University and her Masters of Social Work
at Our Lady of The Lake University. She is married to Troy
Dunn and has two sons: Cameron (age 14) and Christopher
(age 10). She has been a counselor for nearly 20 years.
Throughout the years, the AHUMC Counseling Program
continues to grow and serve more and more clients, offering a
minisry of hope and healing.
Spirituality and therapy work together to heal and to help
persons become whole. Therapy can help people understand
the beliefs, conscious and unconscious, that impact their lives
and relationships. This understanding can help them make
changes to better their lives.
Our Staff Counselor is Cheryl Dunn, LCSW. She can also
provide a referral to other therapists in the community who
are experts in the fields of medical and mental health issues.
Cheryl provides individual, adolescent, family, and couples
therapy.
The Counseling Ministry is closely tied to the Wedding
Ministry at AHUMC. All couples married in our church
participate in pre-marital counseling (typically six 1-hour
sessions). Counseling can help couples identify strengths and
areas for growth in their relationship and develop healthy
communication skills and productive methods for conflict
resolution.
The counseling office is located in room E224 in the
East wing of the church. The former classroom was recently
renovated to make it more conducive to counseling, ensuring
Staff Counselor Cheryl Dunn visits with Pastor Dinah Shelly in the
renovated Counseling Center in E224. You’re invited to stopy by the
Counseling Center to meet Cheryl.
a safe and confidential space. The fee for a one-hour therapy
session is $80. We can offer a reduced fee based on a sliding
scale. Each year, with your generous donations, the AHUMC
Counseling Ministry is able to help those who can’t afford
counseling elsewhere.
All sessions with Cheryl Dunn are held at the church. Call
Cheryl at 210-826-3215, ext. 163 to schedule an appointment
or for additional information.
AHUMC Announces
Establishment of
The Amy Dorsett
Counseling Fund
Through the generosity
of our members, a counseling fund honoring the
memory of Amy Dorsett
has been established. Amy was a long-time member of our
church and had a heart for serving her community. All too
soon, God called Amy home, but her spirit of service will
continue to touch lives. Amy knew that the need for mental
health services is great and touches people from all walks of
life – especially for those suffering from chronic illnesses. The
establishment of this designated fund is indeed a tribute to her
caring spirit.
This fund will augment the counseling budget, and it is
the intent of the church to provide opportunities for donors
to contribute to this fund which aids individuals, couples, and
families who cannot otherwise afford to seek counseling. Gifts
will be accepted for this fund as God moves others to support
this ministry.
Special Taizé Service To Remember Community Founder by Pastor Donna Strieb
On Wednesday, May 6th, we will hold a special Taizé service event commemorating the 100th birthday (b. May 12,
1915) of Brother Roger Schütz, founder
of the Taizé Community. It is part of a
world-wide celebration of remembrance,
worship, and prayer being held this year
in May as a sign of Christian solidarity
for peace, reconciliation, and trust that
were such an integral part of Brother
Roger’s ministry.
Brother Roger put into practice
his call to follow Christ. In 1940, as
a 25-year-old Protestant man from
Switzerland, Brother Roger came to the
small village of Taizé in the Burgundy
Region of France with the dream of
starting an ecumenical community for
contemplation and the reconciliation of
all Christians. Today the monastic-style
community, made up of over 100 Brothers from several continents and various
denominations, hosts tens of thousands
of people each year from all parts of the
world (Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox). In the summers,
the small French village of 140 individuals swells to over
6000 visitors a week as people (mostly
youth) make the pilgrimage to worship
and experience Christian community.
While there, they experience the prayer
services with the beautiful, chant-like
songs, Bible study, fellowship, and
meeting with Christians from all over
the world. It is indeed an experience
reminiscent of Pentecost!
“I think that I have never lost the
intuition that community life could
be a sign that God is love, and love
alone. Gradually the conviction took
shape in me that it was essential to
create...a community where kindness of heart and simplicity would
be at the center of everything.”
BROTHER ROGER
Project Transformation continued from page 1
Please join us on May 6th at 6:30
p.m. in the Garden Chapel for prayer
and worship in the style of Taizé, followed by fellowship, refreshments and
a video on Taizé at 7:30 p.m. in the
Seminar Room.
Worship:
God’s Design
for Relationship
college students, children, and churches. Project Transformation engages college students in purposeful leadership and ministry opportunities. In turn, these young
adults implement academic, health, and spiritual programming for the children. The children in our city’s
underserved areas will enjoy literacy activities, nutrition and wellness programs, art classes, and recreation.
Project Transformation will also seek to develop and
strengthen the connection between Asbury Church and
the surrounding community.
Asbury’s program will run June 8 through July 29,
2015. We will be in session Monday through Thursday
from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Asbury campus.
We have room for 80 children in our program. We will
enjoy two Family Nights for the children, their families
and the church family to help us develop relationships
and will host VBS June 29-July 2. A reading program
will be implemented so that every child is reading with
an adult 30 minutes each day. On Fridays, our paid college interns will participate in different ministries in the
San Antonio area as they explore their role in ministry
in the community.
Sadly, On August 6, 2005 during
worship, Brother Roger was murdered
by a deranged woman. The Taizé Community is known around the world and
continues the ministry of reconciliation
and reaching out to youth today.
A Weekend of Learning,
Exploring & Experiencing
the Power of Worship
Every house is built by someone,
but the builder of all things is God.
HEBREWS 3:4
Save the Date!
October 16-17, 2015
Join us for a weekend seminar hosted by Rev. Donna
Strieb and the AHUMC Spiritual LIfe Committee with
guest leaders Dr. Constance Cherry, author of “Worship
Architect” & Dr. Darrell Smith, Worship Leader for the New
Heights Community.
“Worship is the expression of a relationship in which God
the Father reveals himself and his love in Christ, and by
his Holy Spirit administers grace, to which we respond in
faith, gratitude, and obedience.” – Robert Schaper
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
SAN ANTONIO,
TEXAS
PERMIT NO. 1794
Alamo Heights
United Methodist Church
825 E. Basse • San Antonio, TX 78209
visit us online at www.ahumc.org
Coming Up
visit www.ahumc.org for details on
these and other upcoming events
May 6
Taizé Celebration of
100th Birthday of Founder
May 13-24
Feast of Shavuot
June 15-19
Vacation Bible School
June 22-26
Summer Sounds
Music Camp
Divine Layering: Shavuot and Pentecost
Shavuot is the Hebraic word for “weeks.” The Festival of Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah by God
to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai (Deut.16:9-12). Following the Passover, worshipers are instructed to count
seven “weeks” that commemorate the time spent journeying from Egypt to Mount Sinai after being delivered
out of slavery.
Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like
a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of
the people of Israel. (Exodus 24:17)
The divine layering of God’s story of redemptive presence echoed throughout creation thousands of years later
when the Holy Spirit descended upon the gathered worshipers in Jerusalem—during the celebration of Shavuot.
When the day of Pentecost (Shavuot) had come, they
were all together ... Suddenly from heaven there came a
sound like the rush of a violent wind...Divided tongues,
as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on
each of them. (Acts 2:1-3)
The Feast of Shavuot—or Pentecost—invites us to remember how God has entered into covenant with us. At
Sinai, God instituted the Mosaic covenant and provided
for the written Torah. Following the resurrection of Jesus,
God established the new covenant and wrote the Torah
on the hearts of the faithful.
Join us at ahumc.onthecity.org
Join us as we continue our remembrance and celebration of the covenant we are all offered through
our loving God who delivers us and dwells among us.
Hag Sameach! (Happy Holiday!)
Feast of Shavuot
Schedule of Activities
May 13 – 24, 2015
Shavout Class offerings include:
Wednesday, May 13th – Women After
God @ AHUMC – 9:30 a.m.
Thursday, May 14th – The Quarry
AHUMC in W100 – 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 17th – Pastor’s Study
Seminar Room @ AHUMC – 5:00 p.m.
Shavuot Saturday May 23rd
Family Picnic Join the New Heights
community at 11:00 a.m. as they host
a family picnic and baptism celebration on the Guadalupe River in Seguin.
This celebration includes a catered
meal, so please make reservations
through ahumc.onthecity.org.
Pioneer Group a recovery community
worship @ Asbury UMC – 5:30 p.m.
Pentecost Worship May 24th
AHUMC Main Sanctuary Worship
8:30, 9:30, & 11:00 a.m.
Asbury UMC Worship – 11:00 a.m.
New Heights Worship – 9:30 & 11a.m.