F irst Pulse
First United Methodist Church Grand Rapids | grfumc.org
Stories from First Church and the impact on the lives of our community
November 2019
F irst Pulse
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November 2019
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Fall sermon series “If Christians Were... Really Christian?” World Communion Sunday The Welcome Table is up in the narthex and ready to welcome new visitors.
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OUR MISSION To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
OUR PURPOSE
To fulfill the call of Christ to be spiritually alive in the city while embracing the world.
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First Pulse | November ‘19
INCLUSIVITY Inclusiveness means openness, acceptance, and support that enable all persons to participate in the life of the Church, the community, and the world; therefore, inclusiveness denies every semblance of discrimination.
Pastor’s Message It has always been hard for me to watch television advertisements and see Christmas decorations begin to emerge BEFORE Halloween! It seems as though every year the commercialism of Christmas begins earlier and earlier. In fact, as I drove from our house to the church a few evenings ago, I saw a lighted Christmas tree in the window of one of the houses. That happened around October 18, give or take a day or two. While I understand that Christmas is a mere 8 Sundays away, still all of November is yet to be enjoyed before the first Sunday of Advent. And at First Church, November is an incredibly important month. Let’s not rush too fast toward Christmas! The first Sunday of November is the annual All Saints Celebration! In the church, it is like a sacred Memorial Day. Every year, we remember the saints from within our congregation who have died since our last All Saints recognition. As we prayerfully name their names in worship and a member of their family lights a candle in their memory, we give thanks for their influence and the difference they have made in our lives. As a congregation, death has touched us deeply this year with a long list of those we cherish and miss. (And remember to adjust your clock for the time change!)
First Church welcomed 11 new members on Sunday, October 27! drive is bringing a faith-based financial pledge for 2020 as an act of worship on Consecration Sunday on November 24. Then, Monday, November 25 at 7:00 pm will be our Annual Church Conference. In United Methodist polity, the Church Conference is our annual business meeting. We review the progress over the last year, celebrate our successes, set some goals and objectives, and elect lay leadership for the coming year. And all of it is the build-up for the blessed season of Thanksgiving. While Thanksgiving is one day on the calendar, for the Christian, it is more of an attitude than an event. Developing the “attitude of gratitude” is a spiritual characteristic that is born out of prayer and practice. And what better way is there to prepare for the coming of Christ in the rehearsal of the Christmas story than to be grateful people? Take time to enjoy every day. Pay attention to the blessings that are ours. Work on developing an attitude of gratitude. Happy November to you! Pastor Bob
Then the second Sunday of November kicks off our annual Stewardship emphasis, with the theme for this year being From Strength to Strength! Each of the three Sunday’s will involve important information, an inspiring message, along with a challenge to get involved even more in sharing gifts of time, talents, and treasures. The culmination of our Stewardship First Pulse | November ‘19
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Radical H ospitality
Many Languages, One Table
On the first Sunday in October, churches of many denominations from all around the world celebrate the unity of Christ on World Communion Sunday. On this special Sunday at First Church, we didn’t just tolerate differences, but instead, we celebrated our differences! Six of our students helped to lead worship in six different languages. These languages represented their heritages, communities they’ve served in or places they’ve lived. Below is Psalm 150, used as our Call to Worship. I encourage you to use it today as a way to celebrate the beautiful differences around you. Aleluya! Alaben a Dios en su santuario, alábenlo en la enormidad del firmamento. (Spanish, Sydney Judnich) Hallelujah! Praise the Lord in the holy temple praise God in the firmament of divine power. Siya ay purihin sa kanyang ginawa, siya ay purihin, sapagkat dakila. (Tagalog, Rhea Marasigan) Praise the Lord for mighty acts; praise God for excellent greatness. 要吹响号角赞美祂，要弹琴鼓瑟赞美祂 (Mandarin, Pippa Gibson) Praise the Lord with the blast of the ram’shorn; praise God with lyre and harp. Msifuni kwa matari na kucheza; Msifuni kwa zeze na filimbi; (Swahili, Priscille Habonimanirakiza) Praise the Lord with timbrel and dance; praise God with strings and pipe. Lobt ihn mit hellen Zimbeln, lobt ihn mit wohlklingenden Zimbeln! (German, Alex Thole)
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Praise the Lord with resounding cymbals; praise God with loud-clanging cymbals. Que tout ce qui respire loue l’Eternel! Louez l’Eternel! (French, Rita Diarrassouba) Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Hallelujah! Our World Communion celebrations didn’t end at First Church. Together, we continued the celebration at La Nueva Esperanza (our Hispanic partner UMC). We shared in worship, in communion, and in delicious and festive lunch. It was a rich celebration of the unity of diversity! I can’t wait till meet again! Sami Marasigan Hospitality & Invitation PS – As we move toward the season of Advent, I would love to hear stories of your family’s heritage related to the theme of love, joy, peace, or hope; in the form of an Advent Devotion. Please email samim@grfumc.org for details. The deadline for submissions is Friday, November 8, so our committee has time to edit them.
PASSIONATE WORSHIP
Saints’ Days
Music and Arts Ministry
movements, each of which is dedicated to a saint, listing the day on which they are recognized. There is an accessible and humorous quality to the various descriptions, which help make them significantly more approachable.
For me, this time of year brings a certain nostalgia, or remembrance. Seasonal changes bring colorful and falling leaves, and evoke a turn inward, both physically, inside to the warmth of a fire, and metaphorically, toward interior reflection on life and death. The church seems to sense this pattern, and celebrates three days: All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day. These celebrations are the church’s way of forging connection to lost loved ones, and all those who have gone before us in the faith. We have an understanding that we are surrounded by such a “great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) and that all the faithful, both living and departed, are bound together in mutual support and one community of prayer. A United Methodist’s understanding of the saints differs slightly from that of the Church of England, out of which came the Methodist revival or movement in the 18th century. United Methodists do not have a system in which saints are elected or “canonized,” do not pray to the saints themselves, or expect saints to act as a mediator between themselves and God. John Wesley did encourage reflection and learning from the lives of the “saints” but did not particularly encourage the worship of the saints. United Methodists call people “saints” because they demonstrate the Christian life, and in this way, all Christians can be considered saints. I have an organ piece written by Daniel Pinkham called Saints’ Days. Pinkham was a well-known American composer, studying with Copland, Barber, and Boulanger. He taught for nearly 50 years at the New England Conservatory. Many years ago, I was fortunate to be a member of the choir that commissioned his Advent Cantata. His style can be dissonant at times and I don’t often perform all twelve movements of Saints’ Days. However, I’d like to share with you the titles of the twelve
1. Saint Paul, who, on his way to Damascus, experienced a vision of Christ, and was converted. (January 25) 2. Saint Brigid of Ireland, who fed the poor with butter and turned her bath-water into beer. (February 1) 3. Saint Gabriel, who was sent to Mary to proclaim the mystery of the Incarnation. (March 24) 4. Saint George, who rescued the king’s daughter by piercing the dragon with his lance and led it captive with her girdle. (April 23) 5. Saint Asaph, who brought live coals in his clothes without their having been burnt. (May 1) 6. Saint John the Baptist, whose diet in the desert was locusts and wild honey. (June 24) 7. Saint Christopher, the gentle giant who carried the infant Jesus on his back. (July 25) 8. Saint Hippolytus, the great theologian whose tables calculate Easter. (August 13) 9. Saint Michael, who cast out the devil and his angels from heaven. (September 29) 10. Saint Canice, who rebuked the birds for their noise on Sundays. (October 11) 11. Saint Cecilia, who, while the organ was playing, prayed that the Lord keep her heart pure that she not be confused. (November 22) 12. Saint Stephen, who, while being stoned to death, had a vision of Christ. (December 26) So, in this season of saints, look about you and feel the support of that “cloud of witnesses.” They will be seated next to you, pictured in your bulletins, and found in the stained-glass windows. They lived not only in ages past, there are hundreds of thousands still. The world is bright with the joyous saints who love to do Jesus’ will. You can meet them in school, or in lanes, or at sea, in church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea; For the saints of God are just folk like me, and I mean to be one too. (Hymn #712 by Lesbia Scott) Eric Strand Director of Music and the Arts
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November 2019 Saturday, November 2 10:00 am – TableToppers Sunday, November 3 Fall Back All Saints Sunday Communion Sunday 8:45 am – Nursery Care 9:15 am – Church School Classes for all ages 10:15 am – Choir Rehearsals 10:45 am – Sunday Worship 11:00 am – Children & Worship, and Shine: Sensory Room 11:45 am – Blood Pressure Clinic 5:00 pm – Jr High and Sr High Youth Group 5:30 pm – Gentle Yoga 5:30 pm – Kids and Screen Time Parenting Workshop Monday, November 4 11:00 am – Adult Bible Study 12:45 pm – Weekly Staff Check-In 6:30 pm – Stephen Ministry Tuesday, November 5 7:00 am – Work Program 6:00 pm – Mat Yoga Wednesday, November 6 6:00 pm – Young Adult Group: Bible Study
Saturday, November 9 9:30 am – Feeding America Sunday, November 10 Coffee Can Offering 8:45 am – Nursery Care 9:15 am – Church School Classes for all ages 10:15 am – Choir Rehearsals 10:45 am – Sunday Worship 11:00 am – Children & Worship, and Shine: Sensory Room 5:00 pm – Jr High and Sr High Youth Group 5:00 pm – Methodist Connection: Celebration Fall Worship Service and Pie Social 5:30 pm – Gentle Yoga Monday, November 11 11:00 am – Adult Bible Study 12:45 pm – Weekly Staff Check-In 5:00 pm – Board of Trustees 5:30 pm – Circles GR Volunteer Information Session Tuesday, November 12 7:00 am – Work Program 5:30 pm – Finance Meeting 6:00 pm – Mat Yoga Wednesday, November 13 6:00 pm – Young Adult Group: Grilled Cheese Game Night
Thursday, November 14 9:00 am – Fixin’ ‘n’ Fellowship 6:00 pm – Bell Choir Rehearsal 7:15 pm – Chancel Choir Rehearsal Friday, November 15 5:30 pm – Moms’ Group Book Club: The Immortalists Sunday, November 17 Baptism Sunday Thanksgiving Ingathering 8:45 am – Nursery Care 9:15 am – Church School Classes for all ages 10:15 am – Choir Rehearsals 10:45 am – Sunday Worship 11:00 am – Children & Worship, and Shine: Sensory Room 12:00 pm – Families in Faith: Monthly Brunch 12:00 pm – Balanced Eating During the Holidays 12:00 pm – Unplugged (3rd - 6th) 5:00 pm – Jr High and Sr High Youth Group 5:30 pm – Gentle Yoga Monday, November 18 11:00 am – Adult Bible Study 12:00 pm – 60+ Luncheon: Balanced Eating 12:45 pm – Weekly Staff Check-In 6:30 pm – Stephen Ministry 7:00 pm – Leadership Council
Thursday, November 7 6:00 pm – Bell Choir Rehearsal 7:15 pm – Chancel Choir Rehearsal
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Tuesday, November 19 7:00 am – Work Program 6:00 pm – Mat Yoga 6:00 pm – FAN of I Light: Specialized Grief Group 6:30 pm – Social Justice Team Wednesday, November 20 9:00 am – Caring Connection 6:00 pm – Young Adult Group: Project Kindness Thursday, November 21 6:00 pm – Bell Choir Rehearsal 7:15 pm – Chancel Choir Rehearsal Saturday, November 23 8:30 am – Moms’ Group Book Club: Santa Parade
Monday, November 25 11:00 am – Adult Bible Study 12:45 pm – Weekly Staff Check-In 6:00 pm – SPRC Meeting 7:00 pm – Church Conference Tuesday, November 26 7:00 am – Work Program 5:30 pm – Hanging of the Greens 6:00 pm – Mat Yoga Thursday, November 28 Thanksgiving Day Offices Closed Friday, November 29 Offices Closed A
November 24 - December 1 Family Promise/IHN Sunday, November 24 Consecration Sunday 8:45 am – Nursery Care 9:15 am – Church School Classes for all ages 10:15 am – Choir Rehearsals 10:45 am – Sunday Worship 11:00 am – Children & Worship, and Shine: Sensory Room 12:00 pm – Casey’s Socks Stuffing 5:00 pm – Jr High and Sr High Youth Group 5:30 pm – Gentle Yoga
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World Communion celebration at La Nueva Esperanza First Church World Communion celebration Youth turned graffiti into chalk art for the community to enjoy
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Intentional Faith Development Screen Time How many hours have you spent looking at a glowing screen today? If there are children or grandchildren under your care, how many hours have they spent looking at a screen today? In a time when technology rules, especially on screens, what impact does continued exposure to screens have on our kids and grandkids? Can we help our children manage technology use in their lives and find balance? Internet consumption, gaming, social media, homework… how much screen time is too much? Back in October, the church shared a screening of the documentary “Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age” which has since sparked a conversation about technology use among parents, grandparents, and the kids they care for. If you missed the showing here at church but would like to see the film, visit screenagersmovie. com/find-a-screening for a list of upcoming viewing opportunities around the state. From the Screenagers discussion guide: “In the film, Seattle Children’s Research Institute brain scientist Nino Ramirez describes a study of how rapid stimulation affects the brain: ‘We exposed young mice to switching sound and lights to mimic the situations that children face when they switch from one screen to another. Afterward…it took the young mice three times longer or more for 8
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them to learn how to go through a maze than it took for the nonexposed young mice.’ “Perhaps even more alarming was this observation: ‘Once we stopped exposing the young mice to the screens, the reduction in the production of nerve cells that control learning and memory persisted throughout their lives. The changes were permanent.’ We have yet to discover if the same could be true of human brains.” While these findings are alarming, all hope for our kids and grandkids is not lost! There are things you can do today to help find balance in technology use. Head to screenagersmovie.com/parentingapps for a list of useful applications to help you monitor and track your own use and those devices under your care. Second, be sure to come to the family-wide screen time workshop on Sunday, November 3 at 5:30 pm at the church. We’ll have some
local experts in child/teen development available to share their perspectives and help families craft individual screen time and technology plans. Anyone who is involved in the care of your children or grandchildren can benefit from this workshop. If you happen to miss it, watch the church publications for another one in the spring. This topic is so important, we will offer it twice! As a parent or grandparent, a heaping measure of grace is required to navigate sticky situations: grace be with you! Audrey Kawel Director of Faith Development and Children’s Ministry
Risk-Taking Outreach and Mission Grand Rapids FUMC has welcomed and supported the work of Justice for Our Neighbors since 2004. Our journey would not have been possible without church, staff, and community members like you. The past fifteen years have been filled with milestones, which can be seen in the number of individuals and families we have been able to serve, the amount of staff we have been able to support and our growth to becoming a statewide agency. Our team has been able to serve 2,000 clients from more than 60 nations. Much of this growth would not have been possible without the support of First Church and for that we are forever grateful! While our organizational structure may look different from 2004, our dedication to being a welcoming and safe space that provides the means and staff to navigate the complex immigration legal system remains the same. Our services, energy, and resources continue to focus on the following cases and outreach: • Assisting immigrant women and their children trapped in abusive relationships secure legal status through provisions of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA); • Helping immigrants who were victims of human trafficking or other crimes to seek justice and stabilize their lives; • Supporting vulnerable children and orphans by representing them in court and making multiple filings related to their SIJS applications; • Engaging in community collaborations which helps resettled refugees prepare green card applications and more established immigrants apply for citizenship;
• Advocating for immigrants on issues of social justice and working to make our communities more welcoming to all immigrants by speaking at community and church events. We currently have offices in Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Metro Detroit, and Traverse City. Our staff has grown to twelve across the state and we have formed a statewide board. Our volunteers and host churches continue to help support our infrastructure. We have mindfully and intentionally partnered with other organizations across the state and country to advocate for change and enhance our impact. Some of these partnerships sent our staff to Tijuana to work with asylum seekers. During the trip, we worked alongside families and individuals who are waiting in limbo to hear the fate of their ability to seek asylum in the United States. Parlaying the firsthand experience we gained in Tijuana, several staff members traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with elected officials and advocate for humane immigration policies. We also have staff and volunteers working in detention facilities across the state. As we navigate these uncertain political times and build our statewide presence, we continue to rely heavily on the support of churches, community, volunteers, clients, and donors. If you would like to learn more about how you can make a greater impact on our work in Grand Rapids, we invite you to join us on the evening of November 13 as we roll out our new Beacons Giving Program. This event is free and more information can be found below. We hope to see you there and continue to value the support and encouragement GR FUMC provides for JFON-MI! Raquel Owens JFON-MI Grand Rapids Site Manager
Beacons for Immigrants Kick-Off Event
Wednesday, November 13 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm at San Chez Bistro (38 Fulton St W.) Please RSVP by November 1! Email Raquel@jfonmi.org or online at http://bit.ly/beaconsGR First Pulse | November ‘19
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EXTRAVAGANT GENEROSITY Resource Development
An Active Community of Faith in Grand Rapids With the fall programming year in full swing at First Church, we continue to gain momentum in virtually every area of ministry. The involvement of our congregation in ministry, in education opportunities, in service and outreach, and in our giving, all point to a vibrant and active church. The number of children participating in Sunday School and Children in Worship continues to grow, indicating that many young families are finding their way to First Church. What a great church to call home! Indeed, with all the energy being brought to our ministries by so many young and enthusiastic families, we are poised for continued success as an active community of faith in Grand Rapids. It is that time of year now where we pray for God’s guidance as we contemplate our financial giving to First Church in 2020. The theme of our campaign this year is “From Strength to Strength.” First Church has always been a force for ministry and social justice. For generations, folks have been drawn to our church because of this activist stance in living out our faith. This has fueled extravagant levels of giving over the years as well, and this financial support has enabled even more ministries and outreach as time has gone on. Older givers are eventually replaced with younger givers, and strength of the preceding generation becomes the strength of the succeeding generation! Hence the theme, “From Strength to Strength.” In the next few weeks, we will all be hearing the messages of the campaign, including some personal testimonials from some in our congregation, about the inspirations in their lives that have motivated their own giving. As we celebrate the church we love and participate in the life of First Church, we need to solemnly thank those in the past who have kept our history alive, and recognize the responsibility we have to keep the light of First Church shining brightly in the years to come. 10
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I am currently tutoring at Martin Luther King, Jr., Leadership Academy as part of our ministry there. One of my two students had a birthday last week. Tutors are invited to give a small birthday gift to their students on their birthdays. When I discussed his birthday with my student, he indicated that the gift I gave him was the only birthday present he got! He’s seven years old and didn’t get to celebrate his birthday! My small gift, enabled by our ministry there, was a bit of joy in a life otherwise impacted by the realities of poverty. We are bringing the love of Christ to so many in a hurting world. Our ministry matters! What we give and the decisions we make about our financial priorities have enormous impact on our ministries. As you contemplate your giving to First Church in 2020, will this be the year that you finally give a tithe? If you are not at that point, will you be able to increase your level of giving a percentage point or two? In other words, if your currently giving six percent of your income, can you make it seven or eight percent of your income in 2020? In years past, countless saints have made decisions that have resulted in extravagant ministry support. Let’s make sure we continue that tradition in 2020! Chris Hawkins Finance Committee
Congregational Care Re-learning something that you have mastered is not as easy as it sounds. Since June, I have been re-learning how to pray the Lord’s Prayer. I was four, maybe five, when I learned the prayer. I remember holding my dad’s hand as we sat around the dinner table and he would prompt me when I would forget a word or phrase. That was a lifetime ago. So much has changed and yet I still know the prayer. I remember one Sunday morning as a seminary intern leading the congregation in the Lord’s Prayer and my mind went blank. I could not remember the words. Mortified. Humbled. I kept the prayer printed out for years to come so that I would never forget it again. The prayer was about memorizing and remembering it, and yet maybe the beauty comes in forgetting how to pray that prayer so we can savor anew what Jesus teaches us in the light of our experience. The rhythm and the routine become so familiar that working from memory misses the Lord’s Prayer nature. In remembering and forgetting, the prayer is about finding meaning for the moment, centering on Jesus’ work in God’s creative garden.
Jesus captured a way of living and praying. A pause in the heat of the day and the heat of the moment where a conversation with God turns from my own will to praying first for God’s will to be done as it is in this life and in the life to come. In living into this new reality, my words and actions become part of the coming together of people in vital relationships to form and become kin to better understand the uniting work of justice that is essential here and in Jesus’ promised world to come. This is where salvation is worked out in the here and now, on earth as is it in heaven. Jesus’ way is a coming together that builds a new community. This new community comes together breaking apart societal barriers. Re-learning is a process. Growing in faith and community comes together in Jesus’ words on how to pray. Let us continue praying together for God’s will to be done here as in heaven. Rev. Tim Tuthill Associate Pastor and Director of Congregational Care
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