Date: July 5, 2015 Title: “Christmas in July” Theme: Courage Purpose: (1) God gives courage to ordinary people. (2) God gives us courage to overcome our doubts and fears. (3) God gives us courage to face the future. OT: Deuteronomy 31:6-8 NT: Matthew 1:18-25
Date: July 12, 2015 Title: “Christmas in July” Theme: Hope Purpose: (1) Mary’s Hosanna (Song Of Praise) (2) Mary’s Humility (3) Mary’s Hope OT: Psalm 3:2-6 NT: Luke 1:46-55
Date: July 19, 2015 Title: “Christmas in July” Theme: Wisdom Purpose: (1) Journey of Faith (2) Journey of Worship (3) Journey of Change OT: 2 Samuel 24:24-25 NT: Matthew 2:1-12
Date: July 26, 2015 Title: “Christmas in July” Theme: God’s Love Purpose: This is a sermon about God’s gift to us. How it is (1) Useful (2) Costly (3) Effective OT: Exodus 34:6-7 NT: 1 John 4:9-11
Sunday’s Service Information Traditional Service – For those that love that “Old Time Religion”, we have a traditional worship service that meets every Sunday at 8:30 am. Blended Service – Not too bold, not too mild…just right. Our Blended service combines the best of our traditional and contemporary worship services. The Blended service is every Sunday at 10:30 am.
Church Contact Phone: (305) 852-2581, Fax: (305) 852-4917 Email: burtonmemorial@bellsouth.net, Pastor: kmf_bmumc@bellsouth.net Web Site: www.BMUMC.net Office Hours: Monday – Thursday: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Friday – Office Closed.
Newsletter and Bulletin Deadlines We have a lot of ministries and events going on at Burton and it is important to get the word out regarding them. So, please remember the deadline for getting information into the weekly bulletin is on Wednesdays. The deadline for monthly Beacon articles is the 20th of each month. Please send all information that you want placed in the bulletin or in the Beacon to the office at bae_bmumc@att.net.
July Birthdays: DAY Harriet Hild Angie Bernstein Kyrie Foote Jason Kiser Gary Boswell David Sebben Virginia Spear
2nd 4th 8th 11th 13th 13th 13th
July Anniversaries: DAY
Donald Englebreth Frances Simmons Sandy Klifman Michael Ratliff Paulina Grove
23rd 24th 26th 27th 30th
DAY Jason & Brita Kiser Peg Bridges Ed & Harriet Armbruster Harry & Ruth Forgan
8th 12th 15th 27th
a monthly newsletter publication of Burton Memorial UMC July 2015
Kerry’s Korner THE MOST IMPORTANT FREEDOM Patrick Henry was a famous statesman and orator of colonial Virginia. In 1764 he was elected to the House of Burgesses where he became a champion of the frontier people, supporting their rights against the arrogant exercise of power by the aristocracy. In 1774 he was a delegate to the First Continental Congress. In 1775, before the Virginia Provincial Convention, which was deeply divided between those who supported England and those who desired freedom, he uttered his most famous words, "Give me liberty or give me death!" During the Revolutionary War he became commander-inchief of Virginia’s military forces. As a member of the Second Continental Congress, he helped draw up the first constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and was largely responsible for drawing up the amendments to our Constitution known as the Bill of Rights. He became Virginia’s first governor, and was re-elected four times. Then he retired from public life. Despite his strong objections the people went ahead and re-elected him Governor for the 5th time. But he meant what he said, so he refused to take the office. He was offered a seat in the U. S. Senate, and posts as ambassador to Spain and to France. President George Washington asked him to join his cabinet and become Secretary of State, and later wanted to appoint him the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. But he refused all such honors and recognitions. Listen to these words from him: "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ." His Last Will & Testament was filed in the Brookneal County courthouse in Virginia. If you read his will, you will see that he bequeathed everything to his children, just as most people do. But the last paragraph in his will is especially interesting. He wrote, "I have now given everything I own to my children. There is one more thing I wish I could give them and that is Christ. Because if they have everything I gave them and don’t have Christ, they have nothing."
Prayer Shawl Ministry One of the most popular ministries we have at Burton is our Prayer Shawl Ministry. Members knit or crochet shawls and during both Sunday morning services members of the congregation pray over these shawls. They are then given to people as a source of comfort to help them during times of need; sometimes this is for physical sickness, surgeries, or emotion turmoil in their lives. Thanks to all who participate in this important ministry. We hope you will join us on Thursdays in the Joy Classroom at 7:00 pm. For more information, call Virginia at 305-852-7757.
United Methodist Women The United Methodist Women’s next meeting will be in August or September. Look for the announcement in the upcoming Beacons. July 9 – 12 is Mission u. The Florida Conference United Methodist Women are holding this year's Mission u at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach. Three of us will be in attendance and welcome others to come along. The studies are Latin America, People with Disabilities, and Happiness in God. For more information call Edith at 305-852-9259.
Flower Calendar The Flower Calendar is available. You are encouraged to choose a Sunday and purchase flowers for the altar in honor of, in memory of, or simply to the Glory of God. Each bouquet is $25.00 to be paid in advance. Each Sunday has only two spaces for flowers. A maximum of two bouquets (no exceptions please) will be purchased each Sunday without exception, so sign up early!
Plantation Key Nursing Center Chapel Burton Memorial is scheduled to do the chapel time at Plantation Key Nursing Center (PKNC) every first Sunday of each month at 1:30 pm. The service runs approximately 30 minutes. If you would like to help sing, turn hymnal pages, and talk to some of the residents, please join us. We meet at PKNC at 1:20 pm to prepare for the chapel service. Please come and help us worship with the residents.
Status of Offerings Although our church has several ministries funded by a variety of sources, we must keep in mind that the weekly offerings through the collection plate and website are what pay the expenses of our worship services. These expenses include utilities, insurance, salaries, facility maintenance, and worship supplies. Below are the offering and website collections for the past four services. Last Four Weeks Week 22 23 24 25
Date 31-May 7-Jun 14-Jun 21-Jun
Offering $2,391 $2,568 $2,702 $1,935
Year to Date Plan $2,230 $2,500 $2,500 $2,500
+/(-) 161 68 202 -565
Offering $76,184 $78,752 $81,454 $83,389
Plan $71,360 $73,860 $76,360 $78,860
+/(-) 4,824 4,892 5,094 4,529
Membership and Information Class On July 12, 2015 we will be having a membership and information class in the Pastor’s Office at 1:30 pm. If you would like to discover more about Burton Memorial United Methodist Church and what it means to be a member of the United Methodist Church, please just show up.
Christmas in July (by Pastor Kerry) I don’t know if I should laugh or shake my head and cry. For the month of July, Burton will be celebrating Christmas in July; four Sundays that highlight Advent and the Christmas season. I have noticed lately that other organizations (specifically businesses) have also started celebrating Christmas in July. So I decided to do a quick Google search as to why Christmas in July is starting to pop-up in different places. Listed in green is one of the top sites that came forward through Google.
The precise beginnings of the Christmas in July tradition is not very clear, although it is commonly believed that it actually started in Europe, as a way to celebrate Christmas in summer. During the summer months in the northern hemisphere, the weather becomes increasingly warm and many people crave the coolness of winter. Amid the scorching summer months, people miss the gift giving and holiday spirit of the Christmastime. Though it is not known when it started exactly, it is probably from the 80s that the festival began to be celebrated. The earliest Christmas celebrations in July saw people throwing parties that imitate the actual Christmas festivities in December. The celebrations also included other Christmas traditions like Santa Claus, ice cream and other cold foods, and gifts. It was held that celebrating in the warm season would ensure a strong, happy winter Christmas season. Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/christmas_in_july/history.htm#KjPSjhxu8qKeHp6E.99 I noticed that not one thing was said regarding the preparing for or the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Well, for Burton Memorial we will not be celebrating Christmas in July to remind ourselves of cold winters (we never have those anyway.) We will be celebrating Christmas in July to remind ourselves of the love of our God in that He left the Heavens to dwell with His creation. That is why we call Christ Emmanuel (God With Us). I hope you will not miss out on this wonderful opportunity to celebrate with us and I hope you will invite friends, family, and co-workers too.
Annual Conference Report (by Tim Bricker) Praying. Singing. Preaching. Speaking. Sharing. Voting. That about sums up the 2015 Florida Annual Conference, held this year at Bethune-Cookman University, in Daytona Beach, June 9-13. It was a time for connecting, for coming together to hear from one another about how it is with our souls. It was wonderful seeing old friends and meeting new ones. The business that dominated the conference was the process of electing nine lay and nine clergy delegates to both the General Conference (to be held in Portland, Oregon, in 2016) and the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference (to be held at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina). Nine lay and clergy alternates were also elected. This was a l-o-n-g process, with prayer preceding each ballot. The keynote speaker was Reverend Adam Hamilton, noted author and pastor at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. Adam presented a three part lecture on “Mission, Evangelism, and Methodism”. His ideas and examples were inspiring, and they will be shared with our Administrative Council in the near future. The resolutions we shared with you prior to the conference were taken up on Saturday. The resolution requesting the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to limit the advertising of sexually oriented products, the resolution in support of the human rights of Florida farmworkers, the one encouraging the just resolution process, and the resolution on creation care, were passed. The resolution to support equality of love and value for both born and unborn children was tabled. In Christ, Tim Bricker
Vacation Bible School Vacation Bible School (VBS) is July 27th thru July 31st from 5:15 pm to 8 pm, with a shorter schedule on Friday. There will be a light dinner to start. Our theme this year is G-Force. We need your help with materials and supplies. If you can donate any of the things listed below, please leave them in the church Narthex: Construction paper- all colors Crayons Child Safe Glue 2-liter bottles (we need about 30 of them) Small containers (similar to butter containers)
We always need volunteers, too. If you want to help with VBS, please contact our VBS Director, Crystal Sebben, at 305-240-7170. Burton's College Students for 2015-2016 Barbara Koch has volunteered to serve as college coordinator for Burton’s college students. If you know anyone who is associated with Burton and is attending college, please email Barbara at b1e1k1@aol.com or call her at 716-913-1061. If you are a part of the current ministry listed below, please let her know if there are changes of address, college, or other personal information.
Annabelle Bricker – New College of Florida (Sarasota, FL) Tim and Edith Bricker's daughter Mark Bricker – North Carolina State (Raleigh, NC) Tim and Edith Bricker's son Kirsten Burns – University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL) Member of Burton congregation Alexa Dixon – Dartmouth (Hanover, NH) Charles Bigger's granddaughter Kerri Michelle Foote – Florida Gulf Coast University (Ft. Myers, FL) Cathy and Pastor Kerry Foote's daughter Emily Forgan – Florida Atlantic University (Jupiter, FL) Ruth and Harry Forgan's granddaughter Jenna Gonsalves – Santa Fe College (Gainesville, FL) Rae Leigh and Normand Gonsalves' daughter Kalen Johnson – Riverside School of Health Careers (Yorktown, VA) Marty and JoAnne Waits’ granddaughter Natasha Murphy – Santa Fe College (Gainesville, FL) Sylvia Murphy's granddaughter Rachel Peacock – University of Florida (Gainesville, FL) Sue Peacock’s granddaughter Joseph Thrailkill – University of New York (Albany, NY) Delores and George Lieber’s grandson Joshua Waits – University of North Carolina Marty and JoAnn Waits’ grandson Robyn Wright – Tallahassee Community College (On Line) Member of Burton congregation
Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed (dV8) by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will. Our youth group is open to all adolescents in grades 6 through 12. You do not have to be a member of Burton to attend and friends are always welcome. As a matter of fact…we encourage our youth to BARF at every event. (Bring a Real Friend). Our normal dV8 events are Sundays from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm (with exceptions for special events which will be advertised in advance) at “The Place” a.k.a. the youth room of the education building. The youth will be enjoying some of the new games that we have for dV8; a new ping pong table, and a repaired air hockey table along with foozeball. We will also be reclaiming “The Place” and enjoy using the PS3 and Wii once again.
July 5, 2015 (5:00 pm to 7:00 pm) – We will be previewing “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and discuss how we as a nation have forgotten what Christmas is all about. July 12, 2015 (5:00 pm to 7:00 pm) – We will be previewing “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” and talking about what a Blue Christmas is and why some people choose not to celebrate Christmas. July 19, 2015 (5:00 pm to 7:00 pm) – We will be having a “white elephant” gift exchange. Youth will need to bring a wrapped gift that does not cost more than $7.00. We will be talking about the “giving” spirit of Christmas. July 26, 2015 (5:00 to 7:00 pm) – We will end our Christmas in July celebration by watching “The Nativity”. We will breakout the popcorn machine and spend some time in “the Place” watching a great movie about the birth of Christ.
Airsoft Games Our dV8 youth group has resumed playing airsoft on specific Sundays of the month. Those wanting to play are encouraged to show up at 3:30 pm on specified Sundays wearing long sleeved clothing and pants. We will be dividing up into two teams: Red Dawn and Team America. Youth can bring their own guns or we have some extras that we can supply for those that do not have their own. Also, youth are not allowed to play without eye protection gear. This month the youth will be playing Airsoft on each Sunday in July.
Children’s Home Giving Below is the thank you letter from the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home for our March 5th Sunday donation of $2,223. Now, once again, our congregation has given generously to the Children’s Home. The May 5th Sunday Children’s home donation was $1,773 – a wonderful amount for the beginning of our off season.