insideIntentional FaithDevelopment

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Risk-taking Missionand Service

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Pastor’s Message

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Extravagant Generosity

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Radical Hospitaliy

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Compassionate Care

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Passionate Worship

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November 2014 Edition www.grandrapidsfumc.org

November is an important month in the congrega-tional life of First Church. Each Sunday through-out the month has a special em-

phasis that is important to us all.

November 2 – is All Saints Day. Eric’s article gives a historic perspec-tive about ‘why’ this celebration of life is important to the community of faith. Acknowledging the transition from this life to life everlasting is im-portant for every congregation!

November 9 – is a Baptism Sunday. We have 6 baptisms scheduled so far! PLUS … our Stew-ardship Campaign for 2015 kicks off on the 9th on the theme “Am I Extravagantly Generous?” Join our Methodist Connec-tion brothers and sis-ters at 5 pm for our annual worship ser-vice and pie social at First Community AME Church.

November 16 – is week 2 of our Stew-ardship emphasis. Pastor Tish will be preaching and I will be the speaker at the 175th anniversary celebration at a former pastorate in Mason, Michigan. A Different Kind of Christmas Fair will be held throughout the morning in Wesley Hall.

November 23 – is not only the Sunday before Thanksgiving with the ‘Ingath-ering,” but it is also Consecration Sun-day. It is when we bring in our ‘Esti-

mate of Giving’ card for 2015 so that the Finance Committee can build the budget for next year. Brunch will be held in Wesley Hall. This is vital – in order for us to set the ministry di-rection for the coming year! Please begin praying about the role YOU play in giving your time … talents … and treasures for 2015.

And …

November 30 – is the First Sunday of Advent!

What a GREAT month! How-ever … what is NOT included in this edition is also impor-tant for you to note as we look forward as a congregation. So please take the opportunity to put the following dates on your calendar.

December 1 - at 7 pm is our Annual Church Conference.

January 10 – 9 am - 12 pm, will be a Congregational Vision

Dialogue to hear and interact with the findings and planning of the Vision Team who have been working for over a year. They are getting ready to roll-out a three-year strategic plan – that is exciting for First Church!

January 18 – is our Ecumenical Sun-day with Father John Geaney preach-ing. Father “G” (as he is affectionately called by his parishioners), is the Rec-tor at The Cathedral of St. Andrew who is a marvelous preacher and friend in ministry!

February 8 – Rev. Neil Davis, Senior Pastor of the Southfield Hope United Methodist Church, and former Dis-trict Superintendent of the Kalama-zoo District, will be our pulpit guest. Neil is a good friend and colleague who will bring an African-American presence to worship.

March 14 – 15 – Dr. James Forbes will be with us for the weekend to teach classes and preach on the topic, “What does it mean to be a ‘Progres-sive Christian?’ For twenty years, Dr. Forbes was the Senior Pastor of the Riverside Church in New York City and has been named by Time Maga-zine as one of the finest and most in-fluential preachers in America.

What a GREAT November … and what a promising beginning to 2015 for the ministry of First Church. I invite and encourage each person to come and be a part of our journey … and invite someone you care about to come and be a part too!

Pastor BobSenior Pastor

Please begin praying about the role YOU play in giving your time … talents … and treasures for 2015.

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Intentional Faith DevelopmentFaith DevelopedWhy does First Church focus on Intentional Faith Development? Why does my faith need developing? What does ‘de-veloped’ faith look like?

I’d like to share a glimpse of what developing faith, fruitful faith, might look like:

• Developing faith looks like students studying Jesus’ life. Then, as a result of these studies: working to in-clude everyone (no exceptions!), caring for the poor, being kind to outcasts.

• Developing faith looks like young adults extending Christ’s love through sandwiches and friendliness at Veterans’ Park.

• Developing faith looks like my 6-year old son saying “God is with us,” every time he blows out a candle.

Developing faith also looks like 60+ volunteers at our Art-Prize Lot Party, even though the weather was dreadful! The weather was so bad, that it even hailed on us! But our volunteers were real troopers. They stood outside and welcomed in the stranger, offered kindness and coffee to the damp visitors to Grand Rapids, included children in the creation of art. I call that faith-producing fruit, ‘frozen’ fruit for those who helped outside.

Despite the crazy Lot Par-ty weather, we also had the opportu-nity to share in commu-nion under our cold and

breezy tent. Our communion table, on World Wide Communion Sunday, was extended beyond the sanctuary by Rev. Dick Youells, who offered communion to over forty people in our tent before the picnic. It was amazing to share in the Lord’s Sup-per with so many of our Heartside neighbors!

First Church offers so many ways to develop your faith, but leaves the intentional part up to you. How might you be intentional in your faith development? Is it time to sign up for a Sunday school class? Join an Advent group this fall? Intentional faith develop-ment leads to wonderful fruits of change in our community and beyond. Now is the time to get developing!

Sami MarasiganDirector of Youth and Young

Adults

PS – A BIG THANK YOU to all the Lot Party Volunteers!!!

Intentional Faith Development

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Medicare Maze//Classes will be led by Bob Callery, the Regional Coordinator with the Area Agency on Aging in West Michigan in room 3108.

• Sunday, November 2, 9:30 am New to Medicare

• Sunday, November 9, 9:30 am //Need to enroll for 2015.

Advent Conspiracy //Join us before Advent to learn how to fully embrace the season fi lled with hope. • Sundays, November 2 - 23, 5:00 pm

in room 3108. Led by Pete Muszkiewicz.

Advent Study: Not A Silent Night// Experience Advent and Christmas with Mary. Three class options:• Beginning Sunday, November 16 from 9:30 am led by

Rev. Dick Youells and Mr. George Bob in room 3107• Beginning Sunday, November

16 from 5:00 pm led by Rev. Letisha Bowman in room 3109• Wednesday mornings beginning Wednesday, November 19 from 10:00 am in the game room at Clark Retirement Community. Led by Rev. Dick Youells and Mr. George Bob

Sign up online at www.grandrapidsfumc.org/adultsAdult Education Opportunities

“For All the Saints, Who From Their Labors Rest”

For me, this time of year brings a cer-tain nostalgia, or remembrance. Sea-sonal changes bring colorful and falling leaves, and evoke a turn inward, both physical-ly inside to the warmth of a fi re, and metaphorically, toward inte-rior refl ection on life and death. The church as well seems to sense this pattern and celebrates three days: All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day.

For many years now we have celebrat-ed All Saints Day, in which those who have died in the past year are remem-bered with their name and picture as family or representatives are present to light a candle. A bell is tolled.

A United Methodist’s understand-ing of the saints differs from that of the Church of England, out of which came the Methodist revival or move-ment in the 18th century. United Methodists do not have a system in which saints are elected or “canon-ized,” do not pray to the saints them-selves, or expect saints to act as a me-diator between themselves and God. “…There is one God; there is also one mediator between God and hu-mankind, Christ Jesus, himself human who gave himself, a ransom for all.” (1 Timothy 2:5-6a)

John Wesley encouraged refl ection and learning from the lives of the “saints,” but did not encourage the worship of the saints, and said that

“most of the holy days were at pres-ent answering no valuable end.” Unit-ed Methodists call people “saints” be-cause they demonstrate the Christian life, and in this way, all Christians can be considered saints.

And yet, as United Methodists, we can still celebrate the saints; celebrate those in the faith who have gone be-fore us, and embrace the mystery of their presence still in our lives. We can celebrate the sainthood that we all share, and we can all strive to “run with perseverance the race set out for us.”

In religious practice, a triduum is a three-day period of prayer and high-lights important observances in the life of the church and in the life of our relationship to Christ. The “great” triduum refers to those three days that Christ lay in the tomb before his resurrection on Easter morning. Another triduum is found in the three days observed at the end of Octo-ber: All Hallows Eve (Halloween), All Saints Day, and All Souls day. Hallow-

een is a complex mix of both religious and non-religious traditions, some very ancient, and these traditions con-tinue to evolve. I’m reminded of the old Scottish prayer that goes “From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leg-gedy beasties and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us!” Perhaps you can think about that as you pass out candy this Halloween.

“O blest communion, fellowship divine! We feebly struggle, they in glory shine; yet all are one in thee, for all are thine. Alleluia, Al-leluia!” (Stanza 4, Hymn 711)

One consistent feature of saints hymns is the frequent and repeated use of “Alleluia.” Alleluia is the song of the angels. In this is recalled an ancient Christian prayer, often used at funerals, “All of us go down to the dust; yet even at the grave we make our song: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.” Come, let us worship.

Eric StrandDirector of Music and the Arts

Passionate Worship

United Methodists call people “saints” because they demonstrate the Christian life, and in this way, all Christians can be considered saints.

Sunday, November 16 from 9:30 am led by Rev. Dick Youells and Mr. George Bob in room 3107

• Beginning 16 from 5:00 pmLetisha Bowman in room 3109• Wednesday mornings beginning November 19 from 10:00 amin the game room at Clark Retirement Community. Led by Rev. Dick Youells and Mr. George Bob

Medicare Mazeled by Bob Callery, the Regional Coordinator with the Area Agency on Aging in West Michigan in room 3108.

• Sunday, November 2, 9:30 amto Medicare

Sign up online at www.grandrapidsfumc.org/adultsAdult Education OpportunitiesAdult Education OpportunitiesAdult Education Opportunities

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A Different Kind of ChristmasHave you ever hunted for a Christ-mas gift for someone who has more than they need? Do you tell yourself that you’ll cut down on the craziness of the mall frenzy only to fi nd your-self drawn back to the shops (or the internet) one more time? Do you ever feel a bit disappointed after all the gifts are opened? You are not alone. I have struggled with these very feelings. The hoopla of a commercial Christmas so easily overshadows the simplicity of the story of the birth of Christ.

Years ago, my husband Dick and I struggled between a desire to dazzle our young children on Christmas morning and a nagging feeling that we were emphasizing the wrong thing. We talked about what values we want-ed our children to have and decided to spend less on gifts for them (and our-selves!). We tried to take the amount of money we spent on our family and give a matching amount away. Our family Christmas shopping always in-cluded purchases for families at Henry School (now MLK Leadership Acade-my). The adults in our extended family chose to give to our favorite charities instead of buying gifts for each other. We focused our family time on the nightly lighting of our Advent wreath candles, decorating our home, baking cookies, participating in church activi-ties, regularly attending Sunday morn-ing worship, and attending services on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve ser-vices were always followed by spe-cial treats, laugh-ter, and Christmas movies.

One Christmas season we were strug-gling to help Dick’s father through a diffi cult illness. Many of our Christmas traditions were set aside and very few family gifts were purchased. One of our daughters said, “That’s okay Mom. The only thing I care about is going to the Christmas Eve service together.

That is what we do on Christmas!” Her statement was the best Christmas gift I received that year.

First Church offers many opportuni-ties for us to prepare to celebrate a different kind of Christmas this year by: Attending the Advent Conspiracy class beginning on Sunday evening, November 2; exploring how to give alternative gifts through A Different Kind of Christmas Fair on Sunday, November 16; attending worship ev-ery Sunday during Advent; using the Advent devotional to spend time in prayer and contemplation each day; giving the gift of time to others by Christmas caroling with the Method-ist Connection on December 6 and to our church homebound members on December 16.

I must admit, I am now tempt-ed to buy too many gifts for my grandchil-dren! I continue

to remind myself that Christmas is not about the gifts we give and receive. Join me in examining how to create the right balance between Christmas fun, ministry to others, and acknowl-edgement of Christ’s holy birth. Join me in celebrating a different kind of Christmas this year!

Risk-Taking Mission and Service

Extravagant Generosity

“When they saw the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy…. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew: 2:10-11

Laure Mieskowski,Director of Mission and Outreach

I continue to remind myself that Christmas is not about the gifts we give and receive.

ExtravagantlyGenerous?

Am I

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Our Annual Giving Campaign will soon be upon us once again. For most churches, this is a really uncom-fortable time of year, and the whole topic of church giving is treated as a dreadful necessity. At First Church however, the Finance and Steward-ship Committee truly looks forward to our annual campaign. You have probably noticed that we work hard to interject some of the truly inspi-rational stories of our active ministry that are enabled by our generous giv-ing, and we even try to have some fun with our campaigns.

Throughout the year, we discuss the spiritual context of Christian Stew-

ardship. We do this so that when it comes time to make the Estimate of Giving for the coming year, we are centered in our faith such that giving is simply an extension of our com-mitment to Christ’s church.

This year, we have chosen the theme… “Am I Extravagantly Gen-erous?” Our goal with this campaign is to challenge each of us to look at what we give, and ask…are we truly “all in” as Christians?

There are unbelievable acts of Ex-travagant Generosity that take place within our church every day. We have those in our church family who literal-ly balance the need for groceries with their giving. There are those whom most of us would never suspect who quietly and regularly make generous donations to various programs and ministries every week - in addition to their already generous weekly giving. There are those who respond with their time whenever a plea is made.

These wonderful folks do not crave recognition, nor do they respond be-cause they are coaxed. They are Ex-travagantly Generous because they have allowed God into their hearts in very personal and meaningful ways.

So as you begin to contemplate your giving for 2015, spend time praying about not simply what you will give, but about where God stands in the various priorities in your life. For those I mentioned above, glorifying God comes fi rst…and everything else follows. Are you there yet? Could 2015 be the year that you put God fi rst? Just think of the power of our ministry if we were all Extravagant-ly Generous!

Chris HawkinsFinance Committee

Extravagant GenerosityLook at what we give, and ask…are we truly “all in” as Christians?

One of the beautiful and wonderful things about being part of a church family is its vast potential for diver-sity. Each one of us brings something unique to the body and, as in every family, we grow as we learn to appre-ciate and support one another. You never know whom you might encoun-ter on Sunday, but with an open heart you just might be a radical blessing. Someone who is struggling to care for an elderly parent during the week may come to church seeking the ear of one with a similar experience. Radi-cal hospitality would lead us to be re-ceptive to this person’s needs: to ask, “How is your mom doing?” when it appears that he is ready to talk, or to squeeze his hand and smile warmly so he knows you are there to support him. In turn, he will do the same for you.

Someone who was just accepted into the graduate program of her dreams may come to church excited and ner-vous about what is to come. Radical hospitality would lead us to congratu-

late her, invite her over for a home-cooked meal mid-semester, and re-member to pray for her. In turn, she will do the same for you, and for the next nervous grad-to-be.

Someone who brings a gaggle of children to church may be there be-cause he recognizes the importance of teaching and showing children the value of worshiping together. When his children talk loudly, drop the hym-nals repeatedly, and continue singing after the song is over, radical hospi-tality would lead us to smile, never judge, thank the Lord for their presence in our church, and ensure that the entire family feels welcomed and loved. In turn, they will do the same for you and for another young family.

Radical hospitality means looking out-side of ourselves – making room for the other. It is not an easy practice, to be radically hospitable, but it draws

each of us closer to Jesus and to each other. This Sunday, I challenge you to try greeting three people that you are not familiar with; you just might be a radical blessing.

Audrey KawelDirector of Children’s Ministry

Radical hospitality means looking outside of ourselves – making room for the other.

Radical Hospitality

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When I joined the church in 1998, it was the compassion our church showed in its outreach programs that attracted me most. I quickly joined the Social Concerns Committee and have been actively reaching out to others through our ministries ever since.

Over the past two years I have been able to experience that compassion fi rst hand. In May 2012, I was diag-nosed with breast cancer. It was Ka-trina’s senior year of high school and I was extremely busy with all of the end-of-senior year activities. Then I was totally fl oored by the diagnosis. But then again, this kind of diagnosis nev-er comes at a convenient time. While undergoing further testing, Marj came to Lemmen-Holton to pray with me, and the senior high youth staff offered their prayers and help not only for me, but also for both of my children. Then before my surgery, Marj once again came to offer prayers for me and one of the pastors was there after-ward for a visit. Katrina’s open house was two days after my surgery. Some friends and a couple of church members stepped up and did a won-derful job decorating The Vine for the event.

A couple of weeks after my surgery, one of the pastors came to my home for a visit and brought me a beautiful prayer quilt. I have taken it with me for every chemo treatment and it calms me to know that I am covered with the love and prayers of the congregation. Earlier this year, I found out my cancer had metastasized and I had to go back on chemotherapy. Both times I was on chemo, I received many cards from members of the Caring Connection,

the staff and various members of the congregation. Some were from people I knew well, while others were from members I had never spoken with be-fore.

Our meals ministry was a Godsend. Both times I was on chemotherapy, we received healthy, generous meals a few times per week prepared by members

of the church con-gregation and fam-ily friends. Neither my children, nor I, while feeling poor-ly, had to do much to prepare these meals and I did not have to worry about what my children would be eating. I had people calling stating they wanted to bring a meal but the meal list was full and could they

bring something anyway.

You’ve heard the term, “It takes a vil-lage.” Well, I was overwhelmed with the caring support of our church staff and congregation. I had rides to ap-pointments, to chemotherapy and even shopping; I received encourag-ing words of support on my carepage; books were given to me to read; and a family from the congregation along with my children and a few friends put a new roof on my house at a greatly reduced cost. This greatly reduced the stress that comes along with having

cancer and I will forever be thankful.

I have felt so very blessed to be a part of this congregation and grateful for all of the compassionate care I have received during my time of need. My extended family was amazed at how much support was given to me during these diffi cult times. It comforts my family and me to know that when God puts unexpected bumps in our paths that we have a church family whose compassion and support are never ending.

Lynne Beals

Compassionate CareYou’ve heard the term, “It takes a village.” Well, I was overwhelmed with the car-ing support of our church staff and congregation.

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A Different Kind

FairChristmas

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Sunday, November 16 following worship in Wesley Hall!

Consider spending some of your Christmas dollars in a different way this year by giving meaning-ful alternative Christmas gifts to your loved ones. You may purchase tangible gifts or choose to give a donation to a featured ministry in honor of a loved one. You will receive a Christmas card that acknowledges each donation. We encourage children to make donations (even small ones!) in honor of their parents or grandparents!

Enjoy Cafe’ Gusto Coffee, freshly baked treats, and learn more about the

outreach ministries of First Church!