fumcrfirst united methodist church richardson

summer 2010

Page 2: Masthead & Ad 1

Senior Pastor - Dr. Clayton Oliphintexecutive associate pastor - rev. debra hobbs mason

editor in chief - gloria scottexecutive editor - kevin burns

senior editor - elizabeth gonzalezcontributing editor - allyson george

contributing editor - rev. rodney whitfield

Published at: First United Methodist Church Richardson

503 N. Central ExpresswayRichardson, TX 75080

972.235.8385

Wesley Rankin Community CenterRead to or Listen to Elementary Age Children Read

June 21-24 or July 19-22 9 am–12:30 pm

For Adults (male and female) &Teens (must have completed 8th grade)

Transportation Provided

Wesley Rankin Community CenterRead to or Listen to Elementary Age Children Read

June 21-24 or July 19-22 9 am–12:30 pm

Plan Now to Participate!Register 972 235 8385 or

Sunday Mornings inthe Shawver Welcome Center

EXCEPTIONALSUMMERSERVING

OPPORTUNITY

Page 3: Table of Contents

Summer Dreams Double TakeCan you spot the SIX things that are different between these two photos?Look carefully!! It might be trickier than you think!

Decorative eggs are examined at the Visual Arts Festival held at FUMCR on May 10, 2010.

Ans

wer

s:1.

No

Egg

in H

and

2. N

o N

eckl

ace

on w

oman

on

left

3. S

hirt

col

or o

n w

oman

in r

ight

cor

ner

4. C

hair

leg

in b

ackg

roun

d m

issin

g 5.

Tw

o w

hite

egg

s on

tabl

e6.

Col

or o

f Eg

g in

Bas

ket

CONTENTSSummer 2010

Dr

ea

mc

at

ch

er

s @

FU

MC

R

Page 8

Summer Dreams Sermon SeriesWhat You Need to Know

Page 6

Spotlight OnSummer Dreams Bible Characters for Kids

Page 5

Brain BustersTry Your Hand at Deciphering Cryptic Clues

Page 10

By the NumbersYou’ll Have to See It, To Believe It

Page 7

Dream Catchers at FUMCRIndividuals Making a Difference in Lives

Page 8

Page 4: Letter from Sr. Pastor

Dr. Clayton Oliphint serves as Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church Richardson.

Summer is a time for drea

ming. Many of you have

vacation dreams, plans t

o be with family, and visions of

some laid back time apart fr

om the daily grind. Children

are dreaming of fun time with no school! Recent grad

-

uates are dreaming about the next

stage in their lives.

Some people are dealing

with heavier dreams – dream

ing

of improved health, finances, re

lationships, and an o

verall

better quality of lif

e. Summer is indeed a good t

ime to

take stock of your life and

to open yourself to d

ream

about the future.

At First United Methodist Church Richardson

we are

inviting our congrega

tion to spend the su

mmer dreaming.

We will explore some of the g

reat dreamers and vis

ion-

aries in the Bible. M

y prayer is that we will be insp

ired

to dream great dreams for God. What is God’s dream

for our lives? For our church? On the day

of Pen-

tecost, Peter reminded the gathered c

ommunity about

the words of the prophe

t Joel: “I will pour out my

Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons an

d daughters

shall prophesy, and

your young men shall see visions

,

and your old men shall dream dreams” (Acts 2:17). This

summer, in this season a

fter Pentecost, may God’s

Spirit fall upon you and open

you to dream great drea

ms

about what your life can be. Together m

ay we have

the faith and courage to aw

aken and begin to liv

e those

dreams until they become reality.

In Christ,

Page 5: Family Fun Page

Summer Dreams for the Family

W O R D F I N DSometimes defining our dreams takes a little bit of looking.

How many of these words can you find?

CalebCorneliuscouragedreamsEstherfaithGideonhopeIsaiah

JesusJacobGodJoshuaMosesPeterpromisesVashtivisions

summer DreAm listThe summer days are filled

with opportunities to discover things both old and new.

Check out our list of what you should be looking for this summer!

dream songs:Dream a Little Dream, 1931

Dream On by Aerosmith(check out the GLEE tv show version)

Dream Weaver by Gary Wright

Day Dream Believer by James Stewart

(popular by The Monkees)

I Dreamed a Dreamfrom Les Miserables

(latest cover by Susan Boyle)

Impossible Dream from Man of La Mancha

‘Sweet Dreams’ by Eurythmics (#1 on Billboard)

All I Have To Do Is Dream(Everly Brothers made it to #1 in 1958)

dream afternoons :Downtown Dallas Outdoor

Sculpture Tour(Plan a picnic along the way!)

Butterfly Exhibitwww.heardmuseum.org

Dallas Heritage Villagewww.oldcitypark.org

Free Family Film Festivalwww.regmovies.com

(tuesdays and wednesdays)

Fifty Great Things to Do FREE in Dallas

www.tourtexas.com

Visit the FUMCR Librarywww.fumcr.com/library

SPOTLIGHT ON:Summer Dreams Sermon Series

Bible Characters for KidsThis Summer our church is studying some great Biblical characters as we explore the topic of ‘dreams’ in worship. Our second through sixth graders will be studying some of these characters also. Check out the children’s portion of our church website and click on Summer ac-tivities. You will find many links to vari-ous activities that are just for children. You can also follow the Sunday morning worship topics.

We will bring the Summer lessons to a close by learning about the Jewish celebration of Purim. One of the re-quirements for Purim is offering gifts to the poor. This is definitely a wonderful family opportunity for missions. Talk as a family about how to help the poor this Summer through a ‘gift’ or with time and service.

mosesRemind your child about the stories of Moses. Explain how faithful Moses was and how much he communicated with God.

ask children: How do we communicate with God today?

giDeonGideon was a man who knew that worshipping any other person or thing other than God was against God’s rule. Gideon had to stand up for what he believed and this took courage.

ask children: When do you need courage?

peter AnD corneliusPeter was an important disciple of Jesus. Peter and Cornelius became friends and each of their faith in Jesus became even stronger.

ask children: Who is a friend or family member that helps you grow closer to God and Jesus?

vAshtiVashti was a Queen who stood up for her beliefs. Vashti was supposed to attend a party for herself but she needed everyone to know how impor-tant her beliefs were so she deliber-ately missed this big party.

ask children: How hard might that have been for her?

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Page 6-7: Background Info

Sermon Ser iesJune 11th - August 8th, 2010

moses: grounDeD in FAithexoDus 3:1-8A

June 13, 2010

Moses was born at a time when the Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, had given orders that no more male Hebrew children should be allowed to live. The king felt threatened by the possibility of a revolt by the Hebrew slaves. To save the infant, Moses’ mother, a Hebrew slave, made a water-proof vessel to place him in and hid him among the reeds on the banks of the Nile River. By God’s providence Moses was found and adopted by an Egyptian princess, the daughter of the Pharaoh. Therefore, he was trained in the Egyptian ways BUT God also saw that Moses learned from his own mother the faith of his fathers. Drama surrounded his life! Moses experienced a dramatic call to ministry through the burning of a bush. It is Moses who delivered the Israelites from Egyptian slavery and who then became the leader and lawgiver to this group of people.

cAleb AnD JoshuA: the courAge to DreAm bignumbers 13:30-33June 20, 2010Caleb and Joshua were two of the 12 spies that Moses sent to investigate Canaan. When they returned to report to Moses, Caleb and Joshua were the only two that could see the possibilities of the land. They reacted in faith and not in fear to all they had seen. They advised Moses and the Israelites to attack Canaan immediately. The Israelites did not follow their advice, but rather listened to the fears of the other ten. Caleb and Joshua because of their show of faith were allowed to enter the land of Canaan in their later years of life. Joshua, after the death of Moses became his successor. The story of these two men is one of “risk taking mission”.

esther: timely visionesther 4:13-17June 27, 2010The story of Esther takes place in Persia in the time of Artaxerxes II (404-358 B.C.) From many eligible young women, Esther, a Jewess of noble birth, is chosen to be the wife of King Artaxerxes. Trouble arises and her cousin Mordecai, who raised Esther, writes her to say “Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this (Esther 4.14).” With great courage and skill, Esther averts a general massacre of her race planned by the wicked Haman, prime minister. Her story is remem-bered to this day in the Feast of Purim.

giDeon: courAge to put goD FirstJudges 6-8July 4, 2010Gideon is the fifth of the twelve “judges” whose stories are told in the Book of Judges. The time of the judges is thought to be 1200-1000 B.C. be-tween the conquest under Joshua and Saul being anointed the first King of Israel. He was a military hero and a spiritual leader who delivered Israel from the oppression of the Midianites. He did this very creatively and with God’s help. Since some in Israel had drifted into worship of the god Baal, God sent Gideon to destroy the altars of Baal, even the one his own family used. This took courage. After that, some called him Jerubbaal, which means “let Baal plead.” He had a chance to become king, but de-clined, saying Israel didn’t need a king; they needed to follow God’s direct rule.

peter AnD cornelius: the problem oF them AnD us!Acts 10July 11, 2010Peter was the most prominent of Jesus’ twelve apostles, the Rock upon which Christ would found his church. Cornelius was a Roman soldier stationed in Caesarea who had become a man of great faith (Acts 10.2). Their encounter took place after Jesus’ resurrec-tion. Peter went to Cornelius because each of them had a vision. Peter shared the gospel and saw the Holy Spirit fall upon Cornelius and the others who heard the word, so he called for their baptism. Cornelius became the first recorded Gentile convert to Christianity. When questioned by the authorities in Jerusalem about baptizing Gentiles, Peter said “The Spirit told me to go with them and not to

b y t h e n u m b e r s:total children participating in vacation bible camp 2010: 500total square footage of fumcr campus: 133,000 ft2 6

SummerDREAMS

Page 6-7: Background Info

JAcob: the DreAms oF the unDeservinggenesis 28:10-22July 25, 2010Jacob was one of the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. Jacob from a very early age became a master at wanting and taking other peoples’ posses-sions – his brother’s birthright, his father’s blessing and his father in law’s flocks and herds. Even with this unattractive, selfish quality, Jacob can also be seen during his lifetime as a man called by God. He acknowledges God’s presence and seeks the assurance that God will always be with him.

vAshti: When your DreAms become A nightmAreesther 1august 1, 2010Vashti preceeded Esther as Queen of Persia in the time of Artax-erxes II (404-358 B.C.). The kingdom of Artaxerxes stretched from India to Ethiopia. Their palace was magnificent with marble pillars, beds of gold and silver, and drinking vessels of gold(Esther 1.6-7). She was a respected woman of nobility and honor and one who had the courage to refuse an unjust command from her husband. The king became so angry that he issued an order that her royal position be given to another.

isAiAh: DreAming goD’s DreAmisaiah 6:1-8august 8, 2010Isaiah, who’s name means “Jehovah has saved,” was a prophet who predicted the coming of the Messiah, “God’s Suffering Servant.” He ministered in the southern kingdom of Judah from 740-700 B.C. He is believed to have been born in Jeru-salem of a family related to the royal house of Judah. He received his prophetic calling from God in a stirring vision of God in the Temple (Isaiah 6). In his life, Isaiah served as an official for several kings. In the vision, Isaiah saw the everlasting King, who he would now serve for the rest of his life.

Fa

st

F

ac

ts

The Book of Exodus is believed to have been recorded in 1446 BC

Isaiah’s name means the Lord saves and he began his ministry in the year 740 BC

The word genesis means birth, geneology or history of origin

The story of Caleb and Joshua presents an account of the 38 year wandering in the desert after the establishment of the covenant at Mt. Sinai

Jacob was born clinging to the heel of his twin brother’s foot

Moses is attributed as the author of Genesis and Exodus, however scholars believe that other scribes contrib-uted as well

total # of north texas conference pastors from fumcr congregation: 10rick davis/john fleming/eric folkerth/rebecca frank/holly gotelli/lisa greenwood/georgia harrison/jason mcconnell/frank rahm/brady waters

Luke is believed to be the author of Acts

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Page 8-9: Feature Piece

Dream Catchers at FUMCREveryday people allowing their dreams to help them make a difference...

If you asked Terry Brehm how he ended up sitting on the floor teaching two-year-old Sunday School, he would tell you, “My wife and I just wanted to do something dif-ferent.” That urge to do something different first came about fifteen years ago, and there’s been no looking back since. “We felt we needed to do something beyond the tradi-tional Sunday morning experi-ence.” Terry says that he can’t imagine Sunday mornings

being any different. It is the connections he makes with both children and parents that brings a sense of joy and accomplishment to his job. Terry and his wife Sandy, who co-teaches the class with him, plan to teach as long as they can. They even have inspired their own adult children to serve beyond the traditional Sunday morning experience. “We want them to find their place in being involved in oth-er’s lives. It may not be teaching the children’s class, but we have encouraged them to explore.”

Terry has also served FUMCR as the chair of the Building Com-mittee to help our congregation realize the dream of moving to a new church campus. He laughs when it is mentioned that he is helping to build the church in more than one way - through brick and mortar and through supporting our children. “I never really thought about it that way.” Terry’s advice to others is to get involved and stay involved. “The church is a very safe place to do that. Once you find the right spot, you’ll know it.”

Terry BrehmSunday School Teacher2-year-old class

Peggy Richey hated writ-ing in high school. But, to be an author today is some-thing she now sees as part of God’s blessing for her life. It just took the commitment of making a change in her life to realize this dream. After a 20-year ongoing battle with cancer, Peggy found herself in 2008 selling her real estate business and preparing to approach the end of her journey. However, by May, Peggy’s health had very unexpectedly turned around. Her caretaker was sent home, and Richey,

who was once bed-ridden and on oxygen, was able to live on her own. It was at this point Peggy was faced with an opportunity to change. She decided to leave her past life in real estate behind and write a book to help others. A personal friend in the publishing business said he would help. Peggy wanted her book about living life with cancer to be infor-mative but not dry. She wanted to be encouraging and realistic. Richey had to force herself to write, but she felt God nudging her along the way. She says the more she did it, the more she

learned, and the more she wanted to write. The book is in the final stages of editing, and will be published soon. She has also begun two new writing projects of different genres. Peggy hopes her writing will help others in all places on their journey. “I have found writing to be a therapeutic process for me.” She says when it comes to liv-ing your dreams, you may start out wanting to help others, but you may find out you are help-ing yourself in the process.

Peggy RicheyAuthorLive, Laugh Love: How I Beat Cancer Three Times

Dreams come to people in many different ways. Some may set out with a very distinct vision, making plans and working towards a specific goal. Others find themselves in the middle of a realized hope or ambition and say to themselves, “I never would have dreamed I would be here, but I love it!”

The four individuals featured have very different stories in realizing their dreams. One was brought to the real-ization of their dream when facing death, one wanted to

change up their normal Sunday routine, while another was tired of their friend’s constant invitation to get involved in more than just Sunday School. These individuals are making a contribution to others, inspiring and continuing to dream.

FUMCR is a congregation full of vision and hope for a bright future. We celebrate this month dreaming together, and realizing that God empowers us to make a difference in other people’s lives.

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Page 8-9: Feature Piece

Ricky Harrison & Evaline AsmahGlobal Young Peoples Convocation and Legislative Assembly

It began with a dream....The ministries of FUMCR often begin as a dream of one person. The people at FUMCR have proven that one person’s dream, combined with the pur-pose and passion of one congregation can continue to make a difference in people’s lives.

CANCER SUPPORT NETWORKCANCER/CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUPBrenda Duckett

In June of 2005, Brenda Duckett was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and a few short months later was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. While cancer admittedly made her angry, she decided that can-cer was not going to totally define her existence. It was her dream that others would support each other when faced with a cancer diagnosis.

In 2006, the Cancer Support Network was formed to help stay in contact with newly diagnosed per-sons while connecting them with others who had received similar diagnosis. The Cancer/Caregiver Support Group was formed next to help gather all people dealing with Cancer in their lives and to offer loving support, prayers, education, and to celebrate God.

G.E.M.S. HEROES CAMPPam NewellAllyson George

After answering the call to assist a special needs child during their Confirmation year, Pam Newell realized that our church needed to do more with the special needs community. While researching how to conduct Sunday School classes with special needs children, both Pam and Allyson George (Director of Children’s Ministries) were approached with an opportunity to make the dream of a truly special ministry come true.

G.E.M.S. HEROES CAMP came to FUMCR in the summer of 2006 and is now entering it’s fifth year offering a record 6 weeks of camp with 140 children registered. When facing many new challenges each year, the volunteers in this ministry think creatively to help overcome obstacles and continue to minister by Giving Embracing Mentoring and Serving children.

Evaline Asmah was just a normal teenager taking part in her Sunday evening youth group. Her friend Ricky saw that there could be so much more for her and other youth caught in the “Sunday Night Only” rut. “[Ricky] just kept calling to invite me to participate in some youth leadership events for the Annual Conference. He said I would have fun.” Evaline finally agreed, and after several years of increasing involvement at the district, annual conference and jurisdictional level, she now sits on the Design Team for the Global Young Peoples Convocation and Legislative Assembly to be held this summer in Berlin, Germany. The Convocation is hosted by the Division on Ministries with Young People of the United Methodist Church, and will gather youth and young adult delegates from around the world to decide on the proposed legislation which young people will sponsor and urge others to support during the United Methodist Church General Conference in 2012. Ricky Harrison will also be attending the convocation, but as a voting delegate from the North Texas Annual Conference, a position he was elected to by his peers, which he says is very humbling and incredibly exciting. Ricky and Evaline will be graduating from high school this year, and both will begin attending college this fall, with Evaline seeking a Communications degree from University of North Carolina, and Ricky a degree in Religious Studies from McMur-ry Univeristy in Abilene, TX. While pursuing new dreams for their future, both see continu-ing to serve in ministry as a high priority. Harrison intends to seek out opportunities to serve in youth ministry as an opportu-nity to give back to a ministry that has given so much to him. When asked about how young people can begin to discover new dreams for themselves, both Evaline and Ricky agree: Get involved with something! “When a new opportunity is in front of you, don’t be afraid to jump in head first. Whatever it is, if you dedicate yourself to it, you will come out of the experience with more than you thought you would. We never would have dreamed we would ever be a part of something so monumental.”

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Page 10: Ads & Puzzles

Summer Dreams can often leave us with many clues but not always with the answer. See how many of these clues you can figure out!

across:2. Twelve is the active roster, but there were technically thirteen4. To become sound or healthy again; correct or to put right5. It can come in the size of a mustard seed9. Heel grabber10. A feast-ive party12. A hope for the future14. An experience of seeing while in a dream or trance15. - YHWH 16. Charged with sedition against the Roman Empire18. Contrary to folklore, does not cause body parts to fall off19. Derived from the Latin word for SPEAKER

down:1. Normally cause to be destroyed by fire, but not in one case3. 8th Century BC prophet, lived in the Kingdom of Judah6. Can’t be done7. The promised prize of a 40-year journey8. Complete11. God: “Where are you?” -- A&E: “We were ________.”13. “Let my people go!”16. Leaders of the promised land -- there were 1217. FUMCR has the highest one on Central Expressway

Summer Dreams Brain Buster

ANSWERS:across: 2. disciple 4. heal 5. faith 9. Jacob 10. banquet 12. dream 14. vision 15. God 16. Jesus 18. leprosy 19. prophetdown: 1. burning 3. Isaiah 6. impossible 7. promisedland 8. whole 11. hiding 13. Moses 16. judge 17. steeple

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Page 11: Jesus Graphic

Page 12: Church Ads

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDRichardson, TXPermit No. 186

First United Methodist Church RichardsonPurpose. Passion. People.503 N. Central ExpresswayRichardson, Texas 75080

www.fumcr.com

Join us for Worship each Sunday

Service of Communion & Prayer 8:15 a.m. & 12 noon Chapel

Traditional Worship 8:45 9:45 11:00 a.m. Sanctuary

Dr. Clayton Oliphint, Senior Pastor

Address Service Requested