a monthly newsletter publication of Burton Memorial UMC May 2014
Kerry’s Korner Most people think of Easter as a single day. It’s never had the commercial appeal of Christmas, and because it always falls on Sunday, most people don’t get an additional day off from work. But for Christians, Easter isn’t just a day, it’s a whole season. The Easter season stretches all the way from Resurrection Sunday (April 20, 2014) to the Pentecost Sunday (June 8, 2014). Lent, which is the preparation time for the Easter Season is actually forty days long (not counting Sunday’s). Easter, on the other hand, is all of fifty days long (counting Sundays too). About these fifty days theologian Nathan Mitchell writes: ‘The great fifty days of Pentecost are not an unwelcome, unrealistic obligation to “party on,” even if we don’t feel like it, but an invitation to explore more deeply “the weather of the heart,” to awaken our memory of God’s presence and power in our lives, to look more closely at all the rich and varied textures of creation.’ One way the church pursues this goal of seeing God present in the world is through the reading of Jesus’ action during the 40 days on earth following his resurrection and prior to his ascension to Heaven. Also through the reading of the actions of the Apostles during these 40 days too. These readings tell the story of the church’s earliest days, and the beginnings of our faith’s spreading throughout the ancient world. These stories of heroism, controversies, persecutions and miracles all testify to the continued presence of the Risen Christ in the world, through the lives of his disciples, and the actions of the Holy Spirit. This should be an encouragement and a sign of hope for us today. Despite war, violence, personal struggles, and an under-performing economy, God has not abandoned us, nor left us to our own devices. The risen savior is still with us. These 50 days of Easter ask us to reflect on his presence, and—even in the face of danger or fear—to live with joy.
Burton Memorial VPK (Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten) Graduation Ceremony On May 18, 2014 Nilda Bernaldez and the Teaching Staff at Burton Memorial Child Development Center will be hosting a graduation ceremony in the sanctuary at 12:00 p.m. We will be graduating 10 students this year and recognizing them for all their accomplishments. We hope you will attend and show your support for our director, teachers and students.
New Staff at Burton I am pleased to announce that there has been an increase in number of paid staff here at Burton. It is exciting to see these new team members as they will help us meet the needs of our growing congregation. These new people are: Betsy Edwards (Administrative Assistant) / JonWesley Barnhill (Assistant Pastor) / Nina Lopez Cantera (Food Pantry Coordinator)
Vacation Bible School Crystal Sebben is our Children’s Ministry coordinator and will be our Vacation Bible School director for 2014. On Thursday, May 8, 2014 @ 6:30 p.m. Crystal will be having a meeting for all those interested in helping with this year’s VBS. She will have the curriculum that we will be using on hand and all those attending will also help set the date for this year’s VBS. So, come and enjoy a meal at our God’s Kitchen (5:00 p.m.) and then stay for the meeting.
Stamp Out Hunger Every second Saturday in May, letter carriers in more than 10,000 cities and towns across America collect the goodness and compassion of their postal customers, who participate in the NALC Stamp Out Hunger National Food Drive — the largest one-day food drive in the nation. Led by letter carriers represented by the National Association of Letter Carriers (AFL-CIO), with help from rural letter carriers, other postal employees and other volunteers, the drive has delivered more than one billion pounds of food the past 20 years. Carriers collect non-perishable food donations left by mailboxes and in post offices and deliver them to local community food banks, pantries and shelters. This year, the Key Largo Post Office and the Tavernier Post Office will be collecting for the Burton Memorial food pantry. On May 10, 2014 we will need volunteers to meet in the fellowship center of Burton Memorial as we unload (tons) of food from the Key Largo Post Office. We will be unloading from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. On May 12, 2014, we will need volunteers to meet in the fellowship center of Burton Memorial as we unload more food from the Tavernier Post Office. We will be unloading from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
African Well Project The Burton Men’s Group is sponsoring a project to build wells in Lofa County, Liberia. This is an incredible opportunity to save lives and souls. We will be building wells for villages that have no wells or reasonable access to clean water. Water-borne illness is a serious problem in this area. The first two villages designated for wells are Kpayea and Gbarsulome. We will be following up with much additional information. Meanwhile, please pray for this joyful project.
United Methodist Women – Challenge Members of The Congregation To A Match United Methodist Women (UMW) will match contributions (up to $700) toward the purchase of new chairs for the Fellowship Hall. Though typically UMW does not give money for the furnishings, building, decorating, or other capital projects for the local church, our women have voted to contribute to the purchase of new chairs to use for our number one means of raising funds for our missions....our Annual Tea Party. UMW is proud to be the mission arm of the church and happy to have the bulk of our funds go undesignated to 221 missions, including 100 in the United States and 121 in more than 100 countries elsewhere around the world. We take Jesus' Great Commandment seriously: "Go ye therefore into all the world and preach the gospel." Please help us raise money for mission and help our church by contributing toward the purchase of new chairs for the Fellowship Hall. You can put your gift in the collection plate on Sunday morning in an envelope marked UMW-Chair Project, or simply leave your gift at the church office designated UMW-Chair Project.
Liturgical Sacred Dance The closing of our year for Liturgical Sacred Dance will be Wednesday, May 14, 2014. We will begin again in July 2014. Liturgical Sacred Dance is open to ages 3 – Adult. A love offering is taken once a month to offset the generous use of the sanctuary and the air conditioning. For more information call Leslie Bennett at 305-394-3031.
United Methodist Women (UMW) All women are invited to the May meeting of UMW on Thursday, May 29 at 7:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall, immediately following God's Kitchen. UMW will be preparing and serving the meal for God's Kitchen on the 29th. You are welcome to come at 4:00 pm to help serve dinner and/or join us at 7:00 pm for the meeting.
Altar Flowers The Flower Calendar for 2014 is ready for you! Please consider placing flowers on the altar in memory of a loved one, in honor of someone or something (such as a ministry or event), or to the Glory of God! Cost is $20.00 per arrangement. There are still lots of Sundays open – so sign up! The calendar is in the Narthex or contact the church office. Only two bouquets per Sunday will be purchased.
Children’s Church We have a great children’s church program here at Burton and I am so appreciative of the volunteers that give their hearts and time to make it such a success. However, I am fearful that in time, they are going to get burned out because there are so few. We are in need of people to step up and help with this vital ministry of Burton. Crystal Sebben is looking for a few good men and women to help fill the team and help allow some of a volunteers a much need break from having to be there every Sunday. If you are interested, please contact Crystal at (305) 240-7170 or frogger1972@comcast.net.
BURTON'S COLLEGE STUDENTS COMPLETE THE SPRING 2014 SEMESTER Ruth Ann and Harry Forgan serve as college coordinators for Burton by communicating with the college students monthly. “College students” are undergraduates who are members of Burton or the children and grandchildren of Burton members. Notes of encouragement, The Upper Room devotional booklet, birthday greetings, and care packages are sent to remind the students that Burton congregation cares for them and remembers them in prayers! This Spring there were eleven college students! Student Annabelle Bricker Kirsten Burns Alexa Dixon Rebecca Fernandez Kerri Michelle Foote Emily Forgan Jenna Gonsalves Natasha Murphy Robyn Wright Rachel Peacock Kalen Johnson
Relation to Burton Tim and Edith Bricker's daughter Member of Burton's Bell Choir Charles Bigger's granddaughter Nancy and Ken Mill's granddaughter Cathy and Pastor Kerry Foote's daughter Ruth and Harry Forgan's granddaughter RaeLeigh and Normand Gonsalves's daughter Sylvia Murphy's granddaughter Member of Burton congregation Sue Peacock's granddaughter Marty and Joanne Waits granddaughter
College/University New College of Florida (Sarasota, FL) University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL) Dartmouth (Hanover, NH) Montgomery Community College (Bluebell, PA) Florida Gulf Coast University (Ft. Myers, FL) Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL) Santa Fe College (Gainesville, FL) Santa Fe College (Gainesville, FL) Tallahassee Community College (On Line) University of Florida (Gainesville, FL) Riverside School of Health Careers (Yorktown, VA)
Many of the students are working this summer while other students such as Rachel Peacock are in programs that run through the summer. Please be sure to “meet and greet” the students if you see them at worship service during the “lazy days of summer.” Remember to keep the students in your prayers. The Forgans are planning to serve as college student ministry coordinators for the 2014-2015 academic year. If you know anyone who is associated with Burton and is attending college, please contact Ruth and Harry Forgan at giftedruth.forgan563@gmail.com or call 305-852-6437. If you are a part of the current ministry let us know if there are changes or address, college, or other personal information.
D V 8 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. May 4, 2014: We will be playing one of the youth groups favorite games… “Murder in the Dark”. With the game, the more people the more fun. So be sure to invite your friends. May 11, 2014: No dV8 because of Mother’s Day. Spend some quality time with your Mom. May 18, 2014: ARK- The youth will be meeting at “The Place” to implement an Act of Random Kindness. We will meet at the church at 5:00 p.m. and will be leaving the church to perform the ARK by 5:15 p.m. So…don’t be late. May 25, 2014: We will be playing a game called, “name that quote” and prizes will go to the persons that know their movie quotes. Then we will be previewing a video by Toby Mac called, “Speak Life”
AtlantaFest 2014 What do you get when you bring together more than a quarter-century of tradition, seventy bands and speakers, and over 20,000 people? AtlantaFest. AtlantaFest features four days of music and ministry from today's top Christian artists and communicators at an affordable cost, and is known as "THE Christian Music Festival" to thousands of people from hundreds of churches across the Southeast. AtlantaFest is set in the heart and beauty of Stone Mountain Park, and offers guests not only the music and ministry of the festival, but access to the sights and activities found only at Stone Mountain. This year’s AtlantaFest will be from June 9-15, 2014. We will be white-water rafting and the hotel rooms have already been reserved. The cost of this event will be $100.00 per youth and the payment is due Sunday, May 25 at dV8.
Airsoft Games Our dV8 youth group has resumed playing airsoft on specific Sunday’s of the month. Those wanting to play are encourage to show up at 3:30 p.m. on specified Sundays wearing long sleeved clothing and pants. Youth can bring there own guns and we have some that we can supply by the church. Also, youth are not allowed to play without eye protection gear. For the month of May, the youth will be playing Airsoft on: May 18, 2014: 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. May 25, 2014: 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.
Date: May 4, 2014 Title: The Walk of Emmaus Theme: Third Sunday of Easter Purpose: To explain the disciples’ walk to Emmaus begins a developing Experience of Christ - HeartBreaking at his death but when Jesus joins them it becomes Heart-Searching and ends as HeartBurning Experience. Old Testament: Isaiah 53:4-6 New Testament: Luke 24:13-35 Date: May 18, 2014 Title: Peace in Troubled Times Theme: Fifth Sunday of Easter Purpose: Shows the importance of trusting in God to get through uncertain and troubled times. Also shows the specific reasons and ways we can trust in God. Old Testament: Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16 New Testament: John 14:1-14
Date: May 11, 2014 Title: The Good Shepherd Theme: Fourth Sunday of Easter Purpose: To explore the characteristics that make Christ, “The Good Shepherd” Old Testament: Psalm 23 New Testament: John 10:1-10
Date: May 25, 2014 Title: Our Spiritual Activist Theme: Sixth Sunday of Easter Purpose: The presence of the Holy Spirit is a promised blessing based on God’s grace. Old Testament: Psalm 66:8-20 New Testament: John 14:15-21
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 burtonmemorial@bellsouth.net.
May Birthdays: Connie Jacobsen Chandler Locklear Shawn Shaw Gail Preston Bill Tabbert Brooke Crawford Roy Khanna Paul Albury Normand Gonsalves
DAY 1st 1st 3rd 4th 4th 5th 7th 8th 9th
Deborah Locklear Bob Snead Martin Johnson Michelle Gilliland Rene Held Alexander Sebben Patricia Fincannon Sheila Doerr Sue Peacock Crystal Sebben
May Anniversaries: DAY 11th 13th 20th 21st 21st 23rd 25th 29th 29th 29th
DAY Dwight & Jane Chapin Rick Swentek David & Crystal Sebben Gary & Marcia Boswell
3rd 9th 12th 23rd