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The Church at Work e-zine (electronic magazine) is designed to give you a glimpse into the stories being lived out through the ministries of First United Methodist Church Grapevine. Lives are being touched and changed

forever, and we want you to hear the story.

4 An Unlikely Partnership

8 Becoming a Neighbor

12 The Missing LINK

16 La Fuenta de Vida

22 A Heart for Latvia

26 Feed Our Kids

30 The Urge to Give

32 Upcoming Events

34 Healthy Living / Healthy Giving

4

If you have feedback about the e-zine or a story to tell, please contact:

Dr. Cindy Ryancindyr@fumcg.org, 817-481-2559 x222

or Melissia Mason

melissiam@fumcg.org, 817-481-2559 x109

12

22

30

The Church at Work || 3

One was retired from IBM, the other was a senior in high school. It might appear to be

an unlikely partnership, but when two people have the same passion and vision, age

differential is not a factor.

The AIDS Orphans project was formed in 2008 by Donna Chabot and Rachel Davis

after they were brought together by former pastor Ken Diehm. Chabot had traveled

to Kenya with Diehm and other church members in the summer of 2008 in the church’s

second visit to the country after the initial trip in 2007. Diehm had asked the team

members to pray about an area in Kenya in which they would commit to serve. Chabot

By Joni Lehmann

An Unlikely Partnership

4 || The Church at Work

recognized that due to her love of children

and years of teaching youth Sunday

School, this was the area in which she

was needed.

“It’s the way my life has evolved,” said

Chabot. “After visiting Kenya, I felt there

was no hope for the children without

education and their basic needs being

met.”

Davis also had a calling for working

with underprivileged children after

seeing a commercial for World Vision,

according to Chabot. Rather than bring

an outside organization into the church, it

was decided that the new partners would

start their own.

“It was the perfect pairing of two people

aged 60 and 17,” said Chabot. “We were

a dynamic duo and it was an exciting

time.”

Eventually, Rachel’s twin sister Rebecca

also joined the team and the sisters

worked with the project until they

graduated from high school and left for

college.

It took the group four months from July

to November of 2008 to get the grass

roots effort off the ground. The names of

the first 80 orphans were hand-written on

index cards with the goal of having each

of them sponsored by Christmas, which

was accomplished. The number then grew

to 120 and was up to 220 by 2011.

Sponsors agree to a three-year

commitment of providing $20 per month.

What seems like a small amount to most

Americans is a life-saver for the AIDS

orphans, providing basic needs from food

to medical expenses to school uniforms.

All of the AIDs orphans have some type

of shelter, although for many it is in a hut

without electricity. Public education is free

in Kenya, but all children are required

to wear a uniform to attend. Without

sponsorship funds providing uniforms,

many children miss out on this basic

opportunity for an education.

The AIDs orphans are coordinated in

Kenya through the KAAGA Synod, a

branch of the Methodist church. Sponsors

are encouraged to write letters to their

orphans, which are delivered each time

a church team travels to Kenya in what is

designated as “AIDs Orphan Day.” Letters

can also be distributed through the Synod.

Our sponsors have seen great

improvements and changes in their

children over time. A young man named

Nicholas is Chabot’s sponsored orphan.

She began sponsoring him in 2008 when,

at the age of 19, he started third grade.

The Church at Work || 5

Nicholas is now 25 and hopes to graduate

high school this year and then plans to

attend mechanical training school.

Melissia Mason, who serves as FUMC

Communications Director, adopted a little

girl named Mercy when she was six. It is

remarkable to see the progression Mercy

has made as she’s evolved into a beautiful

young woman. Mason has also noticed

a significant difference in the letters she

has received from Mercy over the years,

specifically the educational growth she has

made from 2012-14. The ultimate goal is for

each child to graduate.

There are many success stories like

Nicholas and Mercy, but some have

also ended in tragedy. According to

Chabot, “It is the successes which keep us

going.”

After coordinating AIDs Orphans for the

first five years, Chabot has stepped back

this year. Trudy Hughes, who worked

with Chabot after the Davis sisters left for

college, has taken on responsibility for

the program and has additional orphans

that need to be sponsored. The children

range from age 3 to 17 and sponsors can

designate their preference for a male or

female.

Although not as involved as she once was,

the program is still close to Chabot’s heart.

“It was my dream. It’s nice to know I have

this person across the world that I pray for

and he prays for me.” W

If you would like to sponsor one of

the available AIDS orphans, contact

Trudy at trudyh@fumcg.org or 817-

481-2559 x150.

Left: Nicholas in 2008

Below: Nicholas in 2014

6 || The Church at Work

Joni Lehmann has been a member of FUMC Grapevine since 1999. She enjoys participating in Kenda’s Wednesday evening bible study, Suddenly Single and the Campus Angels ministry. She has served as a writer for the church e-zine for the past year. Joni works as the Associate Director of Communications for the Big 12 Conference.

Above: Mercy over the years...

Right: What a difference a couple of years of education makes! Mercy’s simple letter from 2012, compared to her

“novella” of 2014...

Below: AIDS Orphan Celebra-tion Day in July 2014...

The Church at Work || 7

“I bring my daughter here because it’s a safe environment, and because she

loves it so much that I have to drag her away each day.”

How can we get to a place where parents have to drag their kids away from the

‘police station’ because they love it so much? Safety, trust, change. That’s the

formula for becoming a neighbor to the neighborhood. Safety, trust, change. That’s

the formula that the Community Outreach Center has followed on Mustang Drive:

Create a place that is safe for everyone, learn to trust and to be trusted in the

community, and watch profound changes occur.

In 2009 the Grapevine Police Department and the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD

entered into a collaborative partnership to open a Community Outreach Center on

Mustang Drive in order to serve the needs of a marginalized community. The results

have been profound: a 51.6% decrease in crime since the center was created.

So, to what does the center owe its success? “Love does no harm to a neighbor;

therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10). In short, the center has

Becoming a Neighbor to the NeighborhoodGrapevine Community Outreach Center

By Colby Mowery

8 || The Church at Work

The Church at Work || 9

become a trusted and cherished centerpiece

of the neighborhood, affectionately referred

to as “la policía” by the majority of the

community.

When I think of ways that the

outreach center embodies a good neighbor,

I think of Raquel. Raquel first stepped into

the outreach center nearly two years ago,

mom and dad on either side of her, and

wide eyed. She had been caught at school

with alcohol, and had not completed the

community service hours assigned to her.

Now she only had a few days to finish the

hours before the punishment became more

severe. Her mother and father had the

confused look of two weathered parents.

How could their daughter do this when they

had worked so hard to provide for her and

give her a better life in the United States?

We decided that we could find a

project for Raquel – picking up trash

and cleaning the computer lab at the

center. Raquel’s father brought her to

the center and called every day for two

weeks to make sure that she was doing

the service assigned to her. At the end

of her service hours, Raquel asked me if

she could continue to come to the center

and help out, as she enjoyed some of the

interactions with the kids.

Raquel continued to come to the center 3

to 4 days a week, and eventually became

a tutor in the recently-formed after-school

program. Each week, we noticed that

Raquel participated more and more,

and even began to encourage other kids

in their studies and with their problems

at home or school. As Raquel began to

spend more and more time encouraging

others, more and more girls began to

10 || The Church at Work

Colby Mowery and his wife MJ have been members of FUMC Grapevine since 2013. They enjoy attending the bilingual service and being involved in the community on Mustang Dr. where Colby works as the coordinator for the Community Outreach Center. In his spare time, Colby enjoys soccer, running and fishing.

seek her out as a role model. Eventually,

Raquel began to compete in beauty

contests and to shadow reporters to learn

how to conduct interviews. This led Raquel

to realize that she had the potential and

the position to talk with young girls about

self-image and to affirm their self-worth.

Raquel used the platform of the after-

school program to positively encourage

young girls and help them find their niche,

just as she had found hers in helping

others.

Raquel’s story is just one of the many

stories about lives being changed and

people being encouraged through

the Community Outreach Center. The

outreach center has worked to bring

physical and emotional security to the

neighborhood, just as a trustworthy

neighbor whose door is always open,

and whose ear is always attentive. The

outreach center is a place that sends a

message of belonging: you are welcome

here... all are welcome here. Trust then

flows out of this security.

But trust is a two-way street: it is only

given inasmuch as it is reciprocated.

The center has become a neighbor

because it also depends upon and

trusts in the community. This mutual

trust and confidence can lead to great

changes, and even transformation on

both a personal and neighborhood level.

So, what kind of a neighbor are you

becoming? W

The Church at Work || 11

LINK is the “Missing Link”

By Carolyn Ann Walgren

12 || The Church at Work

What kinds of social interaction and

fellowship opportunities are available

outside the home when special needs

children become adults and no longer

have those opportunities through school?

Apparently, there are very few.

FUMCG member Joyce King wants to

change that. On Tuesday, September 9,

Link held its first gathering.

There was a craft table, a

small bowling game, cookies

made by some wonderful

United Methodist Women

(UMW), lemonade and water,

and great music by the band

Mariachi Allende. Several

adult and youth volunteers

were there, with warm hearts

and smiles, ready to socialize.

Link appears to be the “missing link”

for adults with physical or mental

disabilities. The idea for this new ministry

arose out of Joyce’s coordination and

volunteer work through our Helping Hands

ministry and at the Access-Life Expo. As

the foundation of the Helping Hands

ministry is to allow all of God’s children to

“come to me” as stated in Matthew 19:14,

Joyce recently realized that adults were

in need of a loving and nurturing social

environment.

“After volunteering at the Access-Life Expo

for the last couple of years, I realized there

was a need for avenues for fellowship for

adults, ages 18 to 80. There

is nothing for them beyond

high school and subsequently,

isolation is a big problem,”

Joyce said.

Further, she expressed, “I’ll

see parents in the grocery

store with adult children with

disabilities and realize they

need social interaction in a

place just for them.” This realization was

confirmed by a very conversant adult child

and his parents who attended Link’s first

event.

“I don’t have a lot of social interaction,”

explained 43-year-old Andy Morrison. “I

work at the Dallas Public Library and at

The Church at Work || 13

the George Bush Presidential Library. But

most of the people I’m around are normal.

They don’t always know what to think of

me.”

“What is normal?” I asked.

“Neuro-normal,” Andy explained. “That’s

a term doctors use to describe people who

don’t have neurological disabilities or

deficiencies.”

H is mom explained that Andy has

Asperger’s. At the Link event, she

said, “This is nice, especially for parents,

to bring their adult children somewhere

that no one will judge their actions. Since

he was small, I knew the only place

I would get help for him would be in

churches.“

When I asked Andy what he would like

to see Link provide in the way of social

interactions and fellowship, he both

wittingly and seriously replied, “That’s

like asking someone, who has only had

bread and water their entire life, what

they would now like to eat and give them

endless options.”

“Good point,” I said with a smile. Some

of the ideas are bowling, movies, card

and board games, art classes, BINGO,

or just dinner together. Simply, anything

14 || The Church at Work

low-cost and tailored to disabled adults

and their needs for fellowship and social

interaction.

When needs have arisen over the years,

FUMCG’s Helping Hands has reached out

to meet those needs with the pairing of a

“buddy” for children’s Sunday School and

Vacation Bible School, as well as a monthly

respite night called “Bryan’s Buddies.”

Link is an effort to branch out further to

meet the needs of adults. Joyce’s hope is

that Link could expand and include other

churches in order to reach more people.

“It would be wonderful to be able to have

a social event once per quarter and rotate

churches,” she explained. It is also obvious

that other ministries within FUMCG would

offer assistance as well, just as UMW

displayed in making cookies.

Link would like to hold its next event in

January or February, and hopes the word

spreads so many more of God’s extra-

special (adult) children will come!

If you can help link Joyce to ways to reach

out to more guests or if you would like to

be a part of this wonderful ministry, contact

Joyce King at fumcdt@gmail.com or the

church at 817-481-2559.

Just as Andy’s mom recounted to Andy and

his dad as they were leaving the Family

Life Center that night, “This is a good

program!” W

Carolyn Ann Walgren and her family have been members of FUMC Grapevine since 2007. She and her husband Mark have two daughters, Ellen and Laura. Carolyn Ann has been very active in local outreach ministries like Be Our Guest and is the leader of the CONNECT Ministry, which helps GCISD students.

The Church at Work || 15

Although I’ll be sharing about the ministries in our Church, I believe it is important to give some background information, which will help us to have a complete picture...

T he Lord knows that we were praying for help with our projects in the Church. I ventured

to notify our brother in Christ Ray Zirkel, who was my teacher in Seminary at that time.

Some months later (late 2009), brother Ray called to tell me that a church in Texas wanted to

come here to establish missionary work in our country. He advised us that they were coming

to “explore,” to define which part of the country the Holy Spirit was guiding them to.

By Pastor Roberto Barrantes

“La Fuente de Vida” Iglesia Evangélica MetodistaLas Juntas, Costa Rica

We asked Pastor Roberto Barrantes to share his thoughts about our Costa Rica

Village of Las Juntas. The following is a translation from his original Spanish.

16 || The Church at Work

T rue to his promise, brother Ray and

the group arrived on the evening

of Saturday, February 24, 2010. Las

Juntas was the last leg of a tour through

several parts of the country. The next

day (Sunday, February 25) we met for

the first time at breakfast. With brother

Ray translating, pastor Ken Diehm told

me about the vision God had given him

and FUMCG. He asked us about our

vision and projects for the Church and the

Community.

Personally I was excited, as I realized

how the Holy Spirit was complementing

both visions of love to God and love of

neighbor. In his words, they said that

they wanted to work together with the

church where the Lord would lead, “...and

in addition, help to strengthen the local

Church while the Methodist Church would

serve as a channel of blessings for the

community, and the congregation would

be like a bridge to help.”

After breakfast, the group attended our

Sunday service and then invited my

family and I to lunch. We shared more,

prayed and said our good-byes.

S ome months passed, and on August

12, 2010, I received a copy of an

e-mail, sent by sister Debbie Price to

brother Ray Zirkel. It read, in part:

“First of all a very delayed thank you for everything you did for us in Costa Rica. How you managed to show us so much of Costa Rica in such a short period of time, is still mind boggling to me. You really gave us a picture of how the church is working in Costa Rica, and gave us a lot to think about.

I think that Ken has already mentioned to you that we are interested in pursuing a long-term relationship with Roberto and

The Church at Work || 17

his church in Juntas…

…We want to provide the things that they cannot provide for themselves, and help them live out their vision for their church and community, not impose our own. They are such a vibrant congregation, and we were so impressed with their spirit. We all fell in love with the church and its people….”

By God’s Divine Providence, the Lord

had given FUMCG a vision to adopt

our congregation and community as a

mission in Latin America. I have no doubt

that the Holy Spirit not only guided you

toward us, but joined our two visions: that

the Methodist Church would be a channel

of blessing for the community and that

the congregation would be a bridge to

help families.

I n the midst of this interaction, with

the Church (love of God) and with the

community (love of neighbor) the Holy

Spirit guided our churches, training us

and transforming our own lives. I have

seen how the Holy Spirit has worked

in many of us, but also in many of the

missionaries (adults and youth), who

have come to Las Juntas.

This was the vision that Pastor Ken Diehm

shared that Sunday morning, February 25,

2010. That vision has come to pass, by the

faithfulness of the Lord, to Him be all honor

and glory.

We also glorify the Lord because through

our Methodist connection, the various

ministries of our local church in Las Juntas

have been developed. We’d like to share

about some of these ministries:

MINISTRY OF CHRISTIAN SOCIAL SERVICEEvery 15 days this Ministry collects food

from the members of the congregation for

delivery to other families even more needy

than themselves. This ministry performs

activities such as meal preparation and

the sale of used clothes. With the resources

obtained (always insufficient), the ministry

18 || The Church at Work

has helped people who don’t have the

money to attend medical appointments,

purchase eyeglasses and purchase

food. The ministry provides financial

support to families that are going through

difficult times, support in the education

of their children and the payment of

basic services. It has helped families of

the church as well as those outside the

church.

MINISTRY OF WOMENIn spite of the fact that the majority of

our church members are women alone

and heads of their own households,

the Ministry of Women raises funds for

its annual project “Week for Jesus” to

support families of the communities

(money from the Church also support

this project). In addition, the Ministry of

Women cooks food for Mission Groups,

and in turn, donates funds assist those

attending activities of the Conference (the

Church also supports transportation) or

whatever the church needs.

METHODIST YOUTH MINISTRYThe Youth Ministry is one of the ministries

with the least economic capacity, since

young people are studying and do not

yet work. They raise funds to be able to

participate in various activities appropriate

to their age, such as camps and activities

of spiritual formation. (The Church also

supports the payment for transportation).

MINISTRY OF DISCIPLESHIP, EVANGELISM AND CHRISTIAN EDUCATIONAs part of the Annual Work Program

adopted at the end of last year 2013,

training was provided to the facilitators

or Sunday school teachers to work with

children. They were divided into groups

according to age segments and the Church

has purchased training materials for

teachers, appropriate for each segment

of age (4 to 5, 6 to 8, 9 to 11, and 12 to 17

The Church at Work || 19

years of age). Young people over the age

of 18 years do not have space for Christian

formation on Sundays, so they gather

on Saturdays in the afternoon with their

leader. Children under the age of 4 also

lack space for their class, and so they

remain in the sanctuary on Sundays.

Throughout the year, there are courses

of Christian education and courses

for baptism. By means of the program

“Seminar in Your Church,” members have

been taught subjects such as homiletics,

hermeneutics, systematic theology 1 and

systematic theology 2.

If the Lord allows for this, on September

28, along with other local chruches, for the

first time we are going to have the Month

of the Bible, with evangelistic sermons on

the Word of God.

MINISTRY OF SMALL GROUPSWe have established some small groups in

homes, but it has been difficult to sustain

them in time. To each group, the church

gives a manual of Bible study, which the

members copy. They meet once a week

for a lesson. At other times they have had

activities of community outreach.

MINISTRY OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTSThe Church takes strategic efforts toward

the goal of an integral development of

character, emotion, creativity, spirituality,

sociability and corporality for each child.

This Ministry is in charge of the Group

of Guides and Scouts N°73. It has been

difficult to sustain and develop it because

of a lack of volunteers committed to the

time required, and a lack of resources to

implement the methodology and equipment

needed. However the Group to participates

in some activities to the extent they are

able. There is also work to open bridges

20 || The Church at Work

Pastor Roberto Barrantes used to be a fireman in Las Juntas. He retired, then answered the call to ministry and now serves as Pastor of La Fuente de Vida. He attends seminary in San José. He and his wife Anna have five children, all of whom are married except the youngest, Bitia, who attends the University of Costa Rica. All of his sons have also served as firemen.

of evangelization and discipleship,

both inside the group and outside in the

community.

MINISTRY OF WORSHIP, MUSIC AND ARTSThis is one of the ministries which this year

has been developing in the best way. At this

time the band (Ministerio Hava = “Fuente

de Vida” in Hebrew) is recording CD’s

and then plan to sell them in order to raise

funds to enable them to sustain their group

financially.

Also the group of Performing Arts (Ministry

“Messengers of Praise”) is very active,

practicing and doing presentations in

special activities, within and outside of the

local Church. W

The Church at Work || 21

L atvia, our newest international

village, has held a place in my heart

for over five years. My family was introduced

to Latvia through the connection that our

previous church had with a Methodist

Church there. The excitement I possess

for the involvement of FUMC Grapevine in

Latvia is beyond words!

Members of FUMC Grapevine took our

first exploratory trip in September of 2013.

While we were there, our church learned

about and visited the thirteen Methodist

congregations as well as the Apple Festival,

held in Wesley Camp, and the Hope Center,

a home for young mothers. When we

returned, many thoughtful discussions were

held. The outcome was the introduction of

Latvia as our third international village.

W e embarked on our second trip

in July of 2014 with a team of ten

willing servants of God. The first three days

were spent culturally indulging ourselves

By Madeline Payne

A Heart for Latvia

22 || The Church at Work

with the history of Latvia through visiting

places such as the Occupation Museum, the

Open Air Museum, the KGB Building and

the Jewish Memorial. Upon that Monday,

our team divided into two groups, one group

going to volunteer at Wesley Camp and

the other going to be introduced to other

churches, the Hope Center, and the After

School Program.

M y desire to return to Wesley Camp

was fulfilled Monday afternoon

upon our arrival there. My brother, Conner,

and I had been to the camp on three

previous occasions and therefore knew

what to expect. However, for Isabella Brown

and Emily Hall, the other two youth that

accompanied the team to Latvia, this was

not the case.

Ana, the camp director, asked us if we

would like to be shepherds (i.e. counselors),

an offer we all eagerly accepted. We were

paired with another Latvian Shepherd

and assigned a group of kids for the week.

Though doubts about being incapable of

The Church at Work || 23

the responsibilities of a shepherd entered

the minds of Isabella and Emily, they

continued with the courage of God. By the

end of the week, they both fervently agreed

that being a shepherd was the best decision

they had made.

I sabella explains it in this way: “I was

a bit unsure at first about being a

shepherd as I wasn’t sure how much of a

help I would be with the language barrier

and all. However, by the second day I

was so close with my group that I couldn’t

imagine not being a shepherd. At the end of

the week I was reflecting on everything that

had happened while talking with my mom

and she reminded me of one of my favorite

quotes that states ‘God doesn’t choose

the qualified, He qualifies the chosen.’ I

was really able to relate to this because I

realized that I wasn’t qualified to be a

shepherd but God had chosen to qualify

me for the task.”

G od blessed me with a sweet

group of girls, ages ten to twelve.

Throughout the week, my girls taught me

Latvian and I assisted them in English,

though they could speak the language

extremely well.

We also bonded during activities such

as trips to the beach, campfires and

devotional time. In any free time we had,

the girls wanted me to teach them how

to play the ukulele, which I had brought

over and learned only a few weeks

prior. To this day, it amazes me how

relationships can form in such a short

amount of time. By the end of the week, I

24 || The Church at Work

had six new little sisters.

W hile at the camp, we were

involved in many arts and

crafts. The biggest hit was the yellow

t-shirts (which YOU, church, helped

provide) with the color-your-own Joseph

on the back. Though the kids immensely

enjoyed coloring their own camp t-shirts,

they had a marvelous time signing each

other’s shirts as well.

The picnic tables that our church funded

were a huge success. Not only were we

able to build and provide two brand-new

wooden benches that convert into a table,

but we also provided the camp with the

layout and supplies list for future teams

to build the picnic tables. Furthermore, it

was a fantastic learning experience for the

boys at the camp as they learned how to use

power tools while helping build the tables.

I look forward to return trips as the

relationship between our church and

Latvia continues to grow. W

Madeline Payne and her family have been members of FUMC Grapevine since 2012. Madeline is a freshman at Grapevine Faith High School, and is an avid tennis player. Her parents are Richard and Julie Payne, who serve as the lay leaders of the Latvia Village. Madeline and her brother, Conner, are active in youth and missions. She has served on the Middle School Mission Trip, Feed Our Kids and multiple Latvia teams.

A Special Note about our Latvia Village...

The Latvia Village Team has chosen

Riga First Church

as our first partner in ministry there.

The Church at Work || 25

By Pastor Armando Alvaradowith personal testimony by Maria Medina

Feed Our Kids Grapevine Village 2014

26 || The Church at Work

“According to the book of Acts, the Christian community in Jerusalem not only shared

communion through the Eucharist but also shared their meals and property as needed

(Acts 2:44-47). Pentecost formed a community that broke through not just the barriers

of language and culture but also the barriers of wealth and social class. Whether it is

through sharing our bread in communion or our struggles and hopes in life, Christ

calls us to form a community not through the imposition of a single standard, but by

sharing what we have and who we are with others.” (Luis G. Pedraja)

This summer was an amazing time

to see how we as a community of

faith shared our leadership and gave up

our authority, our power, to decide what

should be accomplished during Feed

Our Kids at the GRACE site. As a church

who believes in the Holy Spirit and trust

that God is leading us to reach out into

the community, we decided to encourage

families from the Grapevine Village to

plan and organize the four weeks of

Feed Our Kids. What an experience and

blessing that was!

Several ladies from the Shady Oaks

Mobile Park (Grapevine Village)

gathered one day and discussed what

types of food the children would like.

This is where we as a church realized

that when we encourage others to lead

and invite people to be part of our

community of faith, trust becomes a factor

and sometimes an issue. Our ability to

relinquish our control and give people the

opportunity to lead is truly the result of

radical hospitality.

Maria Medina is a member of our

church who lives in the community

which we call the Grapevine Village. She

is a mom of a teenage son, who is a junior

at Colleyville Heritage High School. Her

husband is a construction worker and she

takes care of children and makes some of

the best tamales in North Texas. I asked

her about her experience as a leader this

summer with Feed Our Kids. Here’s what

Maria has to say...

The Church at Work || 27

Each morning I would wake up and

pray to God, asking that today our

service to the community through Feed

Our Kids would go as planned. Praise

God it went well.

Planning for the four weeks and

discussing the type of foods we would

serve, we asked ourselves what the

children would like, only because we

did not want to buy and serve lunches

that would go to waste. As a leader and

mom, I have seen how much money has

gone to waste because the children do

not eat the type of food served.

My experience of working with others

created a whole new way of thinking. I

felt like we are part of something much

bigger. I learned from other people

how to do things in different ways

and even though I don’t know much

English, (enough to understand, but

not able to respond) it was as if I knew

28 || The Church at Work

the language because everything went

well.

The reason why I do this is because

in my heart I have a need to help

others. I don’t have lots of money,

but I have time, energy and a willing

heart for God. Some people from the

neighborhood would try to discourage

me and say, “You don’t know what

you’re doing,” but by the Grace of God

everything went well.

It was an honor to serve as the leader

for Feed Our Kids this summer. If

I could change anything, I would

try to encourage others from the

neighborhood to go to church, to serve

and be part of the community.

Maria Medina and her family have attended FUMC Grapevine since 2009. She and her husband Jaime have a son, Jonathan, who has attended several youth mission trips. Maria has been involved with Las Posadas, making tamales for activities and she participates in the Wednesday evening Spanish Bible Study.

Philippians 2:1-4 says “If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his

love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means

anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care — then do me a favor: Agree with

each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front;

don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead.

Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to

lend a helping hand. (THE MESSAGE)The Church at Work || 29

What makes us want to sacrificially share with other people or causes?

When we see a person in need there is a tug within, encouraging us to help.

What is the source of this urge?

A friend who has a good sense of humor told this about herself. She was in

Dallas and saw a man holding a sign asking for money. She said,” I don’t

know why, but I felt sorry for him and held out a $20 bill.”

She knew that we are advised not to encourage such begging for a number of

reasons, including that it is illegal. Also, you have no idea how the money you give

them will be used.

By Rev. Melburn Sibley

The Urge to Give

30 || The Church at Work

Laughing at herself, she said he probably

told his buddies that if they saw a fat lady

in a red Buick, she is easy pickings!

What makes us spontaneously step out to

meet a need? Could it be the stirring of the

Spirit of God who lives in us?

We respond to the urgings

within because we have been

so richly blessed by God and

we know we have the resources

to meet some of the needs of

others. Caring is in the DNA of

a Christian.

Additionally, we know in our hearts that

Jesus would provide for others were He in

our shoes, and He is our pattern for living.

Wouldn’t it be better to help ten even if

nine simply want to take advantage, than

to refuse all ten and miss helping one who

really needs and deserves a lift?

What happens to us when we give of

ourselves and our resources to help

others? Isn’t there a satisfaction that

comes from knowing we have given a

lift to others, whether it is an individual

or a worthy cause such as the Villages,

Weekend Food, or GRACE?

Our actions of love put us in touch

with our Savior, for our giving is

an indication of our relationship

with Him.

We call this stewardship...

acknowledging God’s ownership.

Life itself and the abundance that we

enjoy are all a gift from God, who is the

source of all. The question is, how will we

use this gift?

“...we know in our

hearts that Jesus

would provide for

others were He in

our shoes...”

Rev. Melburn Sibley has been on staff at FUMC Grapevine since 2004, serving as Minister of Resource Development. He and his wife Martha have a daughter, Michele, a son, Michael, and three grandchildren. Melburn has served as the pastor of multiple churches, Superintendent of the South Texas Children’s Home and leader of over 70 capital stewardship campaigns in various denominations.

The Church at Work || 31

32 || The Church at Work

Coming up this quarter ...October

10/1-31 Pumpkin Patch!

10/5 World Communion Sunday

10/12-26 Stewardship Series

10/18 Fall Into Missions

10/26

Commitment Sunday | Fall Festival | Gospel Sing

November11/1 Texas Mardi Gras Gala & Auction at the Austin Ranch

11/2 Communion Sunday | All Saints Sunday | Service of Healing & Wholeness

11/9 Support Our Military Care Packages

11/23 WORSHIP TOGETHER IN GRATITUDE | ONE worship service at 9:45 AM

Potluck lunch to follow | Charge Conference at 3:00 PM

11/22-24 Thanksgiving Mini Mission

11/27-28 Thanksgiving Holiday

11/30 First Sunday of Advent

December12/1 Communion Sunday

12/14 The 78th Annual Candlelighting

12/21 Regular Worship Schedule | Happy Birthday Jesus Party during Sunday School

Las Posadas at 6:00 PM in Founders Chapel & Family Life Center

12/24 Christmas Eve Worship

All Services at the Downtown Campus 5:00 PM - Kid-Friendly Worship (Sanctuary)

6:30 PM - Traditional Candlelight Worship (Sanctuary)

8:00 PM - Traditional Candlelight & Communion (Sanctuary)

11:00 PM - Bilingual Candlelight & Communion (Founders Chapel)

12/28 ONE service hour at 11:00 AM | No Sunday School

English in the Sanctuary | Spanish in Founders Chapel

Watch E-News, Bulletin and website for full details!

The Church at Work || 33

Get ready to make a change for the better in 2015...

www.firstmethodistgrapevine.org/stewardship

First United Methodist Church GrapevineDowntown Campus: 422 Church Street | Grapevine, TX 76051 | 817-481-2559

Heritage Campus: 4344 Heritage Avenue | Grapevine, TX 76051 | 817-571-1111

www.firstmethodistgrapevine.org