Volume 2 Issue 2 | Fall 2016
Church Library—
Supporting Ministry through Access to Knowledge Read the story on page 3
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11
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Our Church, Our Missions
Our Church, Our People
The Bigger Picture
Lenten Rebuild is part of FUMCDenton’s community outreach by improving housing.
Our church is our people, driven to Shine God's Love into Every Life. Our people make a difference!
Our unique connectional system makes us part of a worldwide church.
IMPACT | Magazine Volume 2 Issue 2 | Fall 2016
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Impact | Ministries ibrary Ministry L Providing access to knowledge.
7 Impact | Missions
Lenten Rebuild
Improving housing.
17 Impact | Events
Upcoming events and activities
Opening our doors to the community.
18 Impact | Bigger Picture
We Are Part of a Worldwide Church
Impacting lives through our worldwide connection.
11 Impact | People
Martha Segundo, FUMC-Denton Facilities Manager, with husband Fortunato, daughter Crystal and FUMC-Denton Lead Pastor Rev. Don Lee.
19 Impact | From the Pastor oving Our Neighbor: Children and Youth L Model God’s Love Deana Mason, Associate Pastor to Children & Youth.
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On the Cover: M adison Brown, Larissa Fronczek, Adelyn Toussaint
and Elliott Arnold. Photo by Martha Ware, artwork/effects by Spike Martinez
Editor’s Note
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IMPACT Magazine: Inspiration and Transformation
MPACT is one of the joys of my work. A lot of my time is dedicated to put together this beautiful publication and it’s worth every single minute of it. Our goal is to share FUMC-Denton’s vision, mission and people, but more than that, the impact we have in the lives of our members and friends, in our community and in the world. God has interesting ways to touch our lives and IMPACT is nothing more than a collection of testimonies—stories of people who changed lives and had their lives changed in the process. This publication is meant to inspire and encourage people to serve God in ways that impact lives. It is meant to show how people can be the hands and feet of Christ in a world that certainly needs love and faith. IMPACT is a major personal motivation, a tool that we use to
2 SHINING GOD’S LOVE, TRANSFORMING LIVES
spread God’s word. As the editor, I get personally involved with each article. I interview members and listen to their amazing stories, I photograph their actions and emotions, I write their experiences and share their love for serving and making a difference. I have the honor to share how they help to change the world, one little step at a time. God shows His love, forgiveness and grace every day, but sometimes we are just “too busy” to see. The goal of IMPACT is to help our readers hear about God’s work through our members. This magazine is meant to help you find inspiration, to find your true calling. It’s meant to show you that you need God in your life and God needs you in His service. It is understanding it and acting on its teachings. IMPACT is meant to
show that there are many opportunities to serve God using your talents, your love and your wish to help God make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. IMPACT is about Shining God’s Love into Every Life. Enjoy! — Martha Ware, Managing Editor
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IMPACT Content
First United Methodist Church of Denton, Publisher Alan Heath, Executive Editor Martha Ware, Managing Editor Erika Dorsey, Graphic Designer Martha Ware, Photography Errata: In the last issue of IMPACT featuring Ruth Bowen, we made three errors. On page 18, we incorrectly identified the school district as Dallas ISD. It should have been Lake Dallas. Also on page 18, we should have reported: “We met in high school and were married in 1976.” On page 19, the Robert Kennedy book is To Seek a Newer World.
Our Church Our Ministries
Delores Hettler, FUMC-Denton Librarian, keeping the stacks in order.
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ur church is blessed with a gift that few churches have: a working library…and librarian. Our library is a ministry of this church, both for our members and our community. Delores Hettler, current FUMCDenton librarian, and her husband Terry moved here in 1996. Betty Eddy was the librarian at that time and had served for some time. “I started as a volunteer and replaced Betty after a while. I really got involved when we started computerizing the card catalog, around 2003,
ó
Story by Martha Ware
and had it finished by the time that current library was completed, in 2006-2007.” Delores and Terry, both native Texans from the Lubbock area, were schoolmates from the fourth grade. They started dating when Terry was a senior and Delores was a junior. Although Terry has a degree in accounting he worked developing computer manuals and in personnel and really never used his accounting degree. The couple moved frequently both in and out of state and
“The library’s main goals are to provide good Christian literature to our members and community, to encourage the Sunday School to use good books for their classes and to encourage the children to read.”
ended up in Houston, where Terry retired. Delores retired soon after. After they retired, they decided it was time to move away from Houston but they wanted to stay in Texas. Lubbock was not on their list because they wanted to move to the northern part of the state. Their daughter lived in Muenster. Once, after visiting her, they were driving on I-35 near Denton and saw a new subdivision being built. It was an attractive location and they ended up purchasing a home there. Delores had worked as a store merchandiser for a greeting card company. She’s always been an organized person and enjoyed that work. “When I would visit a card shop, I’d start to straighten the cards and Terry would say, ‘Oh please, you are not paid to do that!’” WWW.FUMC-DENTON.COM 3
Children spend some quality time in the Library every week. On the photo, Delores sharing a story with Larissa.
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After moving to Denton, they began attending FUMC-Denton right away and gradually got more and more involved. “The library has always being a passion of mine so it was a natural thing to get involved with,” said Delores. “Gary Mueller was the pastor when we visited and he was definitely what made us stay. Here is a funny story: While our home was being built, we stayed in a corporate apartment in Addison. We started to look for a church since it is a really important thing to us. As we always did, we decided to start with the First Methodist churches and then we would go to other churches in town. Terry has always been a Methodist and since we got married, so have I. One day we came to see the progress of the house and decided to stop by FUMC-Denton to see what the hours were. There was nothing posted at that time, so we pulled over by the Ivey Garden and Terry went in. The receptionist, Avis Eckel, long-time member and one of the first receptionists here, told him the hours and said the Lead Pastor was not in but she was sure he would love to meet us. Terry gave her the number for our apartment. We drove straight back to the apartment (around 30 minutes) and as we opened the door, the phone was ringing. And it was Gary Mueller. And he said, ‘I understand you stopped by and I want to invite you to join us on Sunday. When you come, please introduce yourself to me. I would like to meet you.’ That was our first impression of this church. As a result, we did not visit anywhere else. That receptionist and the pastor made all the difference!” Delores and Terry started to attend Sunday School. Delores began to volunteer as a receptionist and then in the library. “After serving for a few years I told Betty Eddy, our librarian at the time, that I used to be the librarian at a former church where I had also served as library committee chair. I was pretty much everything because it
IMPACT | Ministries Volume 2 Issue 2 | Fall 2016
was a small library.” Betty encouraged her to join the library committee. After several years, she became the chair. When Betty retired, the church hired a professional librarian but the schedule did not work out because he also had a fulltime job. Delores thought about applying, but did not because she was not a certified librarian, which was one of the job requirements. After the professional librarian left, Delores got a call from an SPRC member asking if she would be interested. Since she had a lot of experience and had been volunteering for quite a while, she was hired! The library’s main goals are to provide good Christian literature to our members and community, to encourage the Sunday School to use
than 35 books. There were some Christian distributors there and they were giving out great books. Most of them are for the children and teen-aged audiences, which is great. If the author or the publisher is one I am comfortable with, I don’t have to read them all. But if it is a new one, I do. The weekend after returning from the conference, I read four!” She said that she tries to purchase some award winning books, especially for children and youth, like those from the annual Newbery Medal Winners. The library couldn’t operate as it does without dedicated volunteers who help with regular activities and special events. “Mary Layne and Johanna Iaia help on regular library activities. Erma Carpenter and Bar-
“Mary Lane and Johanna Iaia help on regular library activities. Erma Carpenter and Barbara Reynolds have catalogued and labeled books for several years. Gloria Thomas does story time for our Children’s Day Out children. I also get help when we have book sales. These volunteers — Delores Hettler are great!” good books for their classes and to encourage the children to read. Currently, the library is open 20 hours per week, including Sunday mornings. During the school year, Wednesday evenings are a hit. “Since we have many children coming to choir rehearsals and parents have to wait for them, they come and read, sometimes for their other children who are not involved with the music programs,” said Delores. The library has almost 9,000 books, including both Christian and secular titles, fiction, romance and children’s books. Delores explained, “They all have to be appropriate to our audience.” She is an avid reader, reading many of the new titles that come in to make sure they are appropriate. “Back in May, I went to the Texas Librarian Association meeting in Houston and returned with more
bara Reynolds have catalogued and labeled books for several years. Gloria Thomas does story time for our Children’s Day Out children. I also get help when we have book sales. These volunteers are great!” The library has assisted with book clubs arranged by FUMC members for many years. This past summer, it hosted for the first time “Cool Readers,” a book club for children from our church and the Denton community with its goal to encourage children to read cool books outside of their school curriculum. “Our United Methodist Women (UMW) participate in a reading program every year sponsored by the international organization. Our local UMW provides the funding to purchase the books. I catalog them and place them in a special shelf in the library. They choose six or seven fairly current books in each of five categories: education for mission, leadership development, social action, spiritual growth and nurturing for community. We maintain a five-year backlog. As new one’s come in every fall, we retire the oldest ones.” The goal is to
Delores working on projects such as the virtual library. WWW.FUMC-DENTON.COM 5
IMPACT | Ministries Volume 2 Issue 2 | Fall 2016
encourage UMW members to read one or two books in each category as well as magazines every year to expand their knowledge in various fields. We have, for example, a book about Pat Summitt, the famous Tennessee women’s basketball coach who was diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s: I Am Malala, books about child trafficking; some on race issues and a few fiction books. Another initiative, “Story Time for CDO Children” is a long-running program. When Betty Eddy was the librarian, she did story time when the library was in our music director’s current office. “It’s hard to believe the books were cram-packed in such a small space.” Delores explained that a great deal of planning went into the move to the current library. Much of the decoration and organization was planned around a Noah’s Ark rug which is made of circles representing different animals. “When the children arrive, we instruct them to sit on a particular animal and they just love it. The circles are spaced equally and it is perfect for story time.” Recently, research into the impact on childhood development points out the importance of building a reading habit early on. In an article from earlymoments.com, 10 specific advantages were listed, including: a stronger relationship with parents, academic excellence, better communication skills, acclimation to new experiences and more logical thinking skills. (You can read the article at http:// bit.ly/18HP3f0). “We want to encourage and motivate the children to develop a love for reading. As children grow older, you can tell which kids were read to and the ones who were not. We are trying to motivate elementary children to read, which is why we started Cool Readers. Reading is a really important part of their education because It makes it easier for them during later stages in their lives. “And we also want to expand the knowledge of adults and give them 6 SHINING GOD’S LOVE, TRANSFORMING LIVES
Delores ringing Ivey Garden bell to celebrate SMU’s centennial.
good choices to help enhance their spirituality. We try to have books for Sunday School Classes to choose from. We have a whole section of books for them to borrow. We are now promoting the downloadable studies from the Thoughtful Christian and have been doing that for a couple of years. I try to help find appropriate books for study.” When eBooks came out, some thought that libraries were on their way out. But Delores believes there are still many people (like her) who like to hold the book and flip the pages. “Some people prefer having an eReader, and that’s ok,” she said. But others don’t think the experience is quite the same if you are not holding an actual book. According to Delores, children still like printed books. Every week, Gloria Thomas, FUMC-Denton member and a lifetime Christian educator, comes to the library to read for our children. The colorful books entertain the children but her magnet, made of a simple cookie sheet bought at Big Lots, is a sensation among the kiddos and captures their undivided attention. She also sing songs to keep them quiet and entertained. And it is obvious to any observer that they all L-O-V-E their story time! “One of the library’s newest
projects is the Virtual Library, which gives users the capability of searching online to see if we have a book they want. They just have to go to the church website and to the library page.” (www.fumc-denton. com/get-involved/library). Users can search by title, subject, author and more. A photo of the cover is also available and once you click on it you can read a summary of the book. In the near future, you will be able to check the book out online as well. “It got much easier because people can look for the books by themselves. They can even see if the book is checked out or available.” “People are often surprised and amazed by our space and our collection.” She also said that people are surprised at how many members of the church are authors and that we have their books. The library is proud to support our members and community. Often we display the works of local artists and photographers while we display various collections in the reception area by Ivey Garden. Very few churches have such a large and diverse library. To learn more or to get involved, email Delores Hettler at dhettler@ fumc-denton.com. Happy reading!
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IMPACT | Feature Volume 2 Issue 2 | Fall 2016
Tom Nations and Tim Williamson “true it up.”
Our Church, Our Missions > Story by
Martha Ware
T
he Lenten Rebuild has been a significant mission project here for the past four years. Pastor Don Lee brought the idea to Denton, having been part of a similar project when he was the pastor at FUMCLewisville. Don presented the idea to the Missions Team in an effort to get their blessing to develop a similar project here. The concept was to find a home or homes that needed work and provide a team to do the work during the Lenten season, hence the name. About four years ago, Tom Nations, a longtime FUMC-Denton member born and raised in Lewisville, TX and member of the Mission Team, attended a meeting and heard of Don’s idea. He’s always hoped to find a local mission, service or project for the mission team to develop. He immediately wanted to be involved in the project, although he knew it would be a lot of work. The Mission Team liked the idea so much that they voted to dedicate half of that year’s WWW.FUMC-DENTON.COM 7
IMPACT | Missions Volume 2 Issue 2 | Fall 2016
Christmas offering toward what we now call the Lenten Rebuild. And it took off from there. The first year, the team worked with the city of Denton’s code enforcement and Dalton Gregory, church member and member of the city council, to identify a family with a home that needed repair. As they identified the house, they did the necessary repairs and completed the “year one project.” Carol Rogers, one of FUMCDenton members involved with Lenten Rebuild said: “I got involved with the Lenten Rebuild from day one. We worked on a house for a wonderful homeowner who was being cited by the city because of the condition of her roof. I received such joy from the opportunity to visit with her. The energy and love on the worksite was palatable and contagious! We were able not only to replace her roof, but cleaned up her yard and did some much needed pruning.” For a time, the church owned a couple of houses on Sycamore Street that were rental property. After extensively remodeling one of the houses, the Trustees decided it was time to get out of the rental business and to open up the property for future church use. About that time, Martha Segundo, our facilities manager, indicated that her sister needed a home. Martha and her sister arranged to have one of the homes moved to land in Sanger. And that’s when we identified our second project. The Lenten Rebuild team remodeled the home, added a room and made other improvements. “It was a lot of hard work but I think that’s the one I liked the most,” said Tom. “We got to know four generations of Martha’s family.
Lenten Rebuild volunteers working on bedroom add-on at the Sanger project.
They are really good people,” he added. “We had the opportunity to work on the house for a church family member, where again, I experienced that same sense of joy and energy. Under direction, I mastered the use of one ginormous drill to make holes in railway ties. I even got to use a circular saw – with supervision of course!” said Carol Rogers. The third year the team identified three projects. One of the projects was the partial remodeling of a home where the owner was dying of cancer. Sadly, he passed away before the project was completed, but he was able to see much of the work that had been done, according to his son who now lives in the home. Two other homes were also repaired as
“ There is a lot of gratitude and surprise by the beneficiaries, especially to see people they don’t know willing to help them…. But the real change is realized by me as a volunteer because I see what is really important in life and how really — Tom Nations lucky I am.” 8 SHINING GOD’S LOVE, TRANSFORMING LIVES
part of that year’s Lenten Rebuild. “The group I worked with that year refinished furniture and painted and cleaned up several rooms at Fred Moore Day Nursery School. Here comes the word joy again. Sanding furniture may not be fun, except when you are surrounded by a group of Methodists who share your joy and passion,” Carol said. For the first three years, all the volunteers were from FUMCDenton and the funding came from a portion of the Christmas offering and other donations. This past year, we partnered with Hearts for Homes, a 10-year-old local nonprofit organization, contributing $5,000 and volunteer labor. Faith United Methodist Church also participated in the project. The projects encompass a variety of tasks and jobs. A big chunk of it is usually clean-up: taking out brush, cleaning up yards, throwing away things of little value that people accumulate over the years, according to Tom. The other part is construction such as roofing, changing sheet rock, removing cabinets, replacing countertops and appliances: basically, taking out the
IMPACT | Missions Volume 2 Issue 2 | Fall 2016
old and placing the new. So both skilled and non-skilled labor is always necessary. In last year’s project, for example, the team redid the whole kitchen, from putting up new sheetrock to installing cabinets and appliances. “Faith UMC painted the house and got rid of some old furniture, ” said Tom. Although some skilled work is needed for these projects, lots of general help is also needed. Volunteers of all ages can roll up their sleeves and work hard. “You see 80-year-old folks lifting and installing cabinets. There is no work that is too hard for these hearty folks! The younger generation is not used to working outside. They have grown up in a different environment learning technology and using computers for everything. While working with a hammer or a saw might seem like a foreign territory to them, there is always something
they can do. We want this mission to continue and hope to get some skilled volunteers to help this happen,” adds Tom. There is always some kind of work for all age groups, including youth. Many volunteers are needed to complete each project. This past year we had about 30 volunteers, but we could use more. Volunteers don’t have to commit to help every Saturday of the project but the more volunteers we have, the faster we can finish the project. Tom said that his dad and mom were great examples and the reason he gets involved with projects like this. He remembers that when he was a kid, on Christmas, his mom would cook twice the amount they could possibly eat and would then load plates with the food. His dad, and many times he would ride along, would get all those plates and drive around town to deliver to people he knew didn’t have or had very little to eat. According to Tom, people feel their lives changed by the project, both the families served and the volunteers. “There is a lot of gratitude and surprise by the beneficiaries, especially to see people they don’t know willing to help them, that someone cares enough to take the time and resources to help them. But the real change is realized by me as a volunteer because I see what is really important in life and how really lucky I am, that I am not the one who is thankful for someone helping me. I don’t know the future but right now, I have the privilege to help someone who needs it more than I do. Doing Lenten Rebuild is
Our youth working on the garden.
Hal Reed taking some cabinets down during Lenten Rebuild project.
just a little drop in the bucket. And I intend to do it while God and my body permits,” he said. Tom also sees the experience as a beautiful way to bond with families and make new friends for life. He remembers that when they worked on the Sanger project, the whole family worked hard and he ate the best food ever, because Martha’s mom and sister cooked every single day of the project. The project recruits volunteers from our church but is open to anyone in the community who has the desire to help. And there are plenty of reasons for one to volunteer. There is a great need in this community, you only have to look around. “It is a local project, it starts at home. It’s great to branch out and help everyone you can, but starting in our own community is great,” said Tom. Tom said that his hope is that each project will make someone’s life better and shine God’s love into every life. He believes that it always shines back to you. Richard Simms, an FUMC-Denton member and Lenten Rebuild volunteer, said, "FUMC has a long history of building Habitat for Humanity homes and more recently has done several Lenten Rebuilds for families in need. This spring, a crew of church members spent several Saturdays completing the latest project. This gave us an opportunity WWW.FUMC-DENTON.COM 9
IMPACT | Feature Volume 2 Issue 2 | Fall 2016
to get acquainted with this year's family and to work alongside fellow church members in a setting outside church. The work is important and so is the chance to strengthen friendships.” Sara Alvarez is Martha Segundo’s sister and was the beneficiary of the project a couple of years ago. She is incredibly grateful for how the project changed her life. Sara had lived in a deteriorating mobile home for 15 years. When the place could no longer be repaired she applied for Habitat for Humanity but was not chosen. After a lot of frustration and tears, she got mad at God, but she did not know at that time that He had better plans for her. She lived with her 75-yearold mother, her daughter and three grandchildren. “The First United Methodist Church of Denton had a house that they wanted to get rid of. Pastor Don and Joe Carbonaro learned about my need and contacted me. I could see then that God had a surprise for my family. I needed money to move the house to my lot and although I did not have the money in hand, I withdrew what I had from my 401k,” said Sara. Sara did not have the cash to fix the place up and would take a couple of years to be able to save the money. It was then that she learned that she had be selected for our Lenten Rebuild project. "When Ken Dickson and David Piccolo, managers for the Sanger project, told me that the church was going to help me it seemed very surreal. They told me that they would replace the roof and add a room for the children. But they went above and beyond and replaced all the floors, the air conditioner and added a porch. I don’t have words to thank God and everyone who helped make my dream come true. I have no words to thank all these people who threw away debris and junk, while some repaired the house and some brought food. Everyone worked together with the same heart and much happiness. I could see Christ’s love and understood that no matter 10 SHINING GOD’S LOVE, TRANSFORMING LIVES
Carol Rogers does not fear the tools and hard work.
how humble you are, we always have something to give. I am thankful to God for all the grace received and I am thankful to all who contributed with money and labor and mainly with love. Because of them, today we have a place we call our palace. Now I understand God’s plan for me and my family. Now I understand that things happen in God’s time, even when we cannot understand the reasons. Now I serve God at FUMC-Denton with all my heart and know that Jesus Christ never changes. He is the same today and always,” said Sara. So, for Carol, what comes to
mind when thinking of Lenten Rebuild opportunities is joy! “Joy at the opportunity to reach out to our community. Joy at the opportunity to work with friends and make new ones. Joy at the opportunity to learn something new – especially if it involves power tools!” she said. The Lenten Rebuild has impacted the lives of several members of our local community. Year after year volunteers repair, build and rebuild homes with only one intention: to make a difference. If you want to participate in this life-changing experience, contact Tom Nations at tmnations@verizon.net.
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Steve Coburn during the Sanger Lenten Rebuild project.
IMPACT | People Volume 2 Issue 2 | Fall 2016
Our Church, Our People + Martha Segundo
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ur people are, without question, our most powerful tool and our most valued resource as we seek to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Whether near or far from home, our members and guests are the hands and feet of Christ, spreading God’s message and love. We are proud of our people and the many ways they serve God through our church. Martha Segundo, FUMCDenton member and our facilities manager, is a great example. She was born and grew up in Barroteran Coahuila, Mexico. In 1988, she came to the U.S. together with her husband, Fortunato. They moved to Falls Church, a suburb of Washington, D.C., together with their daughter Cynthia. “My husband had lost his job back in Mexico and suggested that we came to the U.S. for one year, make some money and go back to Mexico. We are still
Terry Brantley Story by Martha Ware
waiting for the money and are still in the United States….” When they got to Virginia, Fortunato started to work right away for a company that installed tile floors. Martha stayed home with their daughter Cynthia. “At the time we came, I was pregnant with Franco, my second child,” said Martha. She stayed home and took care of the children until Franco was five years old. At that point, Martha started to look for houses to clean. She started with two or three houses and the rest of the time, stayed with the kids. Her third child, Crystal, was born nine years later. After some time, Martha knew she wanted a full time job but decided to stay with the children until Franco started to school. She cleaned the house for a very nice lady, Ms. Peggy, who tried to talk to her but got very frustrated because Martha did not speak much English. “I remember that she loved my work
but got frustrated because she couldn’t communicate very well with me,” said Martha. At some point Martha discovered that Ms. Peggy’s church in Alexandria, Virginia, was hiring. “I went there and spoke to them. They told me I could start the next day. And
Martha Segundo and husband Fortunato during the Hispanic Ministry luncheon at FUMC-Denton. WWW.FUMC-DENTON.COM 11
IMPACT | People Volume 2 Issue 2 | Fall 2016
I worked there for five and half years.” After working there for one year, they promoted her to head custodian. Despite growing up in a Catholic and then Pentecostal church, she started to attend a local Baptist church. After living in an apartment in Falls Church, the family felt it was time to purchase a home. Acquiring debt and spending 30 years of their lives paying for a house was not in her plans. After a lot of thought, Martha and Fortunato decided to consider a move to Texas where Martha’s sister had been living. While visiting, she fell in love with a piece of land close to her sister in Sanger. It was quiet and beautiful. There was a lot for sale and Martha immediately went to talk to the owner. She called Fortunato and he told her to do whatever she wanted. She quickly made a down payment and returned to Virginia. After a
“I got out of the car and started to wander. I was not sure what I was doing here. Something just told me to come in. I was just looking at the building and was very curious… I have always believed that God sent me here and provided me with the job.” — Martha Segundo year and the birth of Crystal, they decided to make the move to Texas. Before she moved, Ms. Peggy called her asking her to stop by. She was sad that Martha was leaving. She gave a beautiful gift to Crystal and a cash gift to Martha. She told Martha that she never thought that one day they would be sitting together and talking in English. Martha immediately recalled something that Ms. Peggy had said years before: “I am going to tell you one 12 SHINING GOD’S LOVE, TRANSFORMING LIVES
George Lopez, Martha Segundo and Francisco Leal placing the Children’s Day Out sign.
thing, girl. You came to live in the U.S., I did not move to Mexico. So, you have to speak English.” At the time, Martha thought that was a harsh comment, but later realized it was great advice as it motivated her to take English classes. Crystal was one-month-old when they moved. The family was excited because ,“Texas is much closer to Mexico and it was easier for me to be around family,” she said. The lot they had purchased had a mobile home, which they rented out for one year and then moved into. Fortunato got a construction job very quickly. Martha once more stayed home with her newborn until she was about seven-months-old when she decided it was time to get back into the workforce. “I saw in the newspaper that a church close to my house was hiring. I went to talk to them and again, got the job immediately.” It was a small church and Martha worked there for a month or so about 30 hours a week, but she wanted a full time job. “One day,
they asked me to bring some food to Hope in downtown Denton. I delivered the food and for some reason turned my head to one direction and saw this beautiful building. So I drove around and parked in the back. I got out of the car and started to wander. I was not sure what I was doing here. Something just told me
Martha and Pastor Mauricio Orozco preparing for the bilingual service.
IMPACT | People Volume 2 Issue 2 | Fall 2016
Martha receiving and discussing installation of new chillers.
to come in. I was just looking at the building and was very curious. I came in and soon saw a receptionist, a really nice lady. When she asked me if she could help, I was unsure on what to say. She asked me if I was looking for someone and I said – no, I am looking for a job! Somehow that just came out of my mouth!” She also said that she did not see the sign up front, so she didn’t know “the beautiful building” was a church. Martha had taken English classes in Virginia so she was more conversational at this point, which helped her to engage in a conversation with the lady. “I just felt that God put me in here for some reason,” she said. When the receptionist asked her what kind of job she was looking for she figured that every place needed cleaning and that’s what she said to the lady. The receptionist called the church administrator who gave Martha an application. He said they were not currently hiring but the person who worked part time in the evening was the one who did the routine cleaning. They had a cleaning company that did the heavy work. She turned in the application anyway. “Jim, the administrator, called my references
and called me back the same day. He told me I could start whenever I wanted. He said that after talking to my references, he decided to give me an opportunity. So, they created a position for me. I have always believed that God sent me here and provided me with the job.” Martha did not grow up in a church. She went to a church when she was little with an aunt of hers, back in Mexico. “She took me to a Pentecostal church.” “At that time, my mom was a Catholic and I would go to church with my mom once in a while. I had my first communion, had my Bible and would attend sometimes. I really started to learn about God at the Pentecostal church.” But as a teen, Martha stopped going to church. She only started to attend again when she moved to Virginia. “That’s when I started my real relationship with God. We attended services at Fairfax First Baptist
Church.” She also got involved with both childcare and prospect member visitation, inviting people to come to church. “When I started to attend the church, it was a very small with about about 25 members. ”Four years later, we had about 200 members attending.” When she moved to Texas, she started to search for another church and found the First Baptist Church in Sanger, close to her new place. Martha and her family attended there for years. When she started to attend, they started a Hispanic ministry, with only the pastor and Martha. The ministry was growing but after around three years, the pastor left. After a new pastor came, Martha continued her involvement with the Hispanic ministry, inviting new people to the church. She also led Bible studies and served as the “church administrator,” taking care of the church finances. She continued as a member of that church from 1999 to 2014, when she decided to become a member of FUMC-Denton.
Martha is all smiles during Evening in Bethlehem, one of FUMC-Denton’s largest events.
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IMPACT | People Volume 2 Issue 2 | Fall 2016
“God gives us directions all the time but sometimes we choose not to listen to Him. We spend long hours in our jobs and don’t have much time for anything else. My life is coming to work and getting back home. Then coming to work again. As a member of the Baptist church I was very involved in Vacation Bible School, Hispanic Ministry, Bible studies and church administration. The church didn’t grow as we expected as the pastor didn’t put a priority on prospect visitations. He was a really good pastor. His family was very involved within the church but not with the community. If people came and wanted to stay, good. If they didn’t, that was okay too. And that was a weight that I carried on my shoulders because I couldn’t understand letting people simply go and not trying to help them stay.” Martha felt that her mission was bigger than that. And there was also the fact that her youngest daughter, Crystal, was not growing spiritually as she would like. The church did not offer a program or ministry
“So, when I heard about FUMCDenton’s new Hispanic ministry, I knew what I was being called — Martha Segundo for!” for youth and Martha thought she needed to give her that opportunity. She did not know what the next step was and asked God to show her the right door, the right direction, as well as to open her eyes on what she should do. At first, her husband did not understand why she wanted to change churches. But even with her tight schedule and many questions in mind, she knew she wanted to spread God’s word, to visit people and help them. “So, when I heard about FUMC-Denton’s new Hispanic ministry, I knew what I was being called for!” Martha feels that when we have a relationship with God, we are 14 SHINING GOD’S LOVE, TRANSFORMING LIVES
Martha and granddaughter Lorely.
involved 24/7. “It does not matter where you are, what you do, who you are surrounded by. You find a way to talk about God. People have open hearts, we just have to expose them to God. And that’s what I love about this church: people bring their gifts and share them with whomever needs them.” She said that she knew right away that this church was the right place to be, the right place to bring her daughter and give her an opportunity to get closer to God. “My calling is to serve. To serve God and to serve others. It doesn’t matter if I am visiting, sweeping, talking to people about God, doing set-ups, I like to serve. I like to be there for people when they need help.” Our Hispanic ministry is around 18 months old and offers many opportunities to serve. As Martha mentioned, she is very involved in the ministry and does just about anything that is necessary, from helping to decorate tables for events to operating the sound system during Sunday services and visiting people who want to hear God’s messages. Martha’s goal when she became a member was to do more, but also to offer opportunities for her daughter to find her own way to serve.
“My desire, from the bottom of my heart, is to reach out to people who feel lost, who need God and don’t know how to find Him. I want to reach out to non-church goers and tell them that God exists, that He is there for all of us. That we make better decisions when we have Him in our lives.” She is very passionate about spreading God’s word, because, in her words, “My heart hurts when I see so many lost souls.” She is also very passionate about this church and its members, especially because they have open hearts and provide open doors offering opportunities for people to grow spiritually, if they wish so. Martha knows how important it is to sow God’s seeds in people’s hearts, because sooner or later, someone will be able to touch those hearts. At some point they will let God into their lives. She remembered something that happened to her a few years ago, when she met a stranger in her doctor’s office. She spoke about God to a lady that claimed to be a Catholic but not really a churchgoer. Years passed and she met the same woman in another doctor’s office. Tears went down her face when the woman told her that because of their conversa-
IMPACT | People Volume 2 Issue 2 | Fall 2016
tion, she now attended church regularly. “That’s how I know that I was meant to spread God’s word.” She is very grateful to FUMCDenton for the opportunity to invite the Hispanic community to be part of its church family. And she wants to invite everyone to this church because they will find God’s love, will find people who believe and serve God. Terry Brantley is another of our active members. He was born and raised in California. After finishing his Army years at Fort Hood, he moved to Garland and started to work in the field of electronics, something that he was quite passionate about.
Terry Brantley holding one of his relics, a wiring board.
He started to take some classes at El Centro College, which opened its campus in Dallas in 1966. He decided not to stop there and ended up getting his BBA in information systems. From there it was a quick jump to a job at Varo, in Garland, and Collins Radio right after. While working at Collins Radio, a friend introduced him to Carol, who became his wife. Carol is originally from Illinois and she worked as a lab tech at that time. They have
been married since May 2, 1964. After living in Garland, the couple moved to Plano and then to Denton, in 1966, where they both attended the University of North Texas. Terry loved electronics and realized that computers started to be “the big thing” during the ’60s and ’70s. So, many years ago, he got all the parts together and built his own computer, which he keeps as memorabilia even today. He enthusiastically talked about his work and showed some “wiring boards” from way back, when computers were still a novelty, the advent of integrated circuits and the blooming of personal computers. Terry and Carol have two children and one grandchild, Gretchen. “Gretchen is such a smart girl. She gives 1000% of herself on everything she decides to do. She loves going to the library but she doesn’t simply gets a book and sit in the corner to read. She is curious, she wants to know more. She wants to know about everything. This girl is going to be something, I am telling you.” He grew up going to a community church while Carol was raised as a Methodist. So, when they moved to Denton, they looked for a Methodist church and found FUMCDenton. They started to attend the Sunday services but because of their work schedules, they did not have much time to get involved in ministries or activities. Once they retired in 2009, they both had time to get more involved. Terry likes to study the Bible and confesses that he sometimes finds the parables hard to understand. He participates in the Men's Ministry, a small group of folks that study the Bible on Monday mornings, sun or rain. Since 2009, he has been involved in many causes and organizations. He has a heart to help people. “Hatred and violence make no sense and the world doesn’t need them. A hug does more than words. Color does not matter, race does not matter. If you put everyone in a dark room, what color are they? We have
Terry, wife Carol and granddaughter Gretchen, volunteering for the Alternative Gifts Fair.
to stop being complainers, we have to be doers. Not just talk the talk, but walk the walk.” Terry started to talk about one of the organizations where he volunteers, Ruth’s Room. “Bunny Hodges is a person whom I admire because she doesn’t just talk the talk, she walks the walk, or better, she runs the walk.” Ruth’s Room is a thrift store benefiting Habitat for Humanity of Denton County. It was established in November of 2000, taking in enough on the first day to pay the following month’s rent. It was named for Ruth Hodges, mother of Bunny Hodges, the founding director. An attempt to operate a ReStore in the barn behind the shop, Bart’s Barn, (named for Bunny’s father, Bart Hodges) was abandoned in WWW.FUMC-DENTON.COM 15
IMPACT | People Volume 2 Issue 2 | Fall 2016
favor of using the space to store the avalanche of donations pouring in from such a generous community. Founding members, Bunny Hodges, Nelia Thorp and Alex Lieban, were joined by James McDade and Diana Dunclau in designing the look of the thrift store and in getting it off the ground. After opening the doors to the remodeled facility, the ministry just kept growing. Then Ruth’s Room Too came in 2012. This shop sells books, tapes, records, CDs, etc. In June of 2011 Ruth’s Room donations to Habitat for Humanity of Denton County surpassed $1,000,000. As of 2013, Habitat has built three houses in honor of the volunteers at Ruth’s Room. Terry has been volunteering at Ruth’s Room for many years. “Volunteers make that shop run. I believe there are only a couple of paid employees, all the remaining “workforce” comes from churches, civic groups and corporations’ volunteers.” He has been on the Adult Discipleship Leadership Team (ADLT) for a few years. “Celia Williamson, ADLT Committee Chair, is very
“If you put everyone in a dark room, what color are they? We have to stop being complainers, we have to be doers. Not just talk the talk, but walk the walk.” — Terry Brantley experienced and capable and I hope I can contribute to the development of the ministry. We are all called to be disciples of Christ and this ministry is a great opportunity to do that. ADLT committee has been researching and discussing new opportunities to make disciples of Jesus, to help people serve using their talents and gifts.” He has also participated in the Walk to Emmaus for several years and thinks it is an incredible experi16 SHINING GOD’S LOVE, TRANSFORMING LIVES
Terry spending some grandpa time with Gretchen.
ence. Walk to Emmaus is an experience of Christian spiritual renewal and formation that begins with a three-day short course in Christianity. Afterwards, participants gather in small groups to support each other in their ongoing walk with Christ. “We discuss all kinds of experiences, matters that happen in our everyday lives, marriages, work. Situations where we most need God’s help.” Really close to his heart is Hope Inn Christ, where he volunteers and is a member of the Board of Directors. “Kids who come from juvenile detention need help to make good choices, to get on the right track, and that is the help we try to offer. Some of them don’t know who their father is. I tell them that I wore that shirt and know how it feels. I identify with them and hope they identify with me. If we can help one kid, I will feel very accomplished. Don Willis, said many times that we cannot change them all, but if we can change just one, it’s worth it!” This is an organization that is obviously very close to his heart as he was very emotional when talking about those kids. “We talk about
God, study the Bible and they have chores. They clean, feed the animals, read the Bible.” Hope Inn Christ’s mission is to give these boys hope for a promising future, to bring these young men to a Christian environment and prepare them for life as a productive member of society. It is a 5400 sq. ft. house located in 17 acres west of Denton. Terry’s service is exemplified by his favorite Bible verse which serves as his motto: “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:45. People like Martha and Terry represent many of the people who make up this church. They make a difference in the world. They inspire and encourage, they touch our hearts and bring a smile to our faces. They are our church family!
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IMPACT | Events Volume 2 Issue 2 | Fall 2016
Experience IMPACT at FUMC-Denton
November 27 Christmas Concert Monroe – 5:30 pm
November 18 Viernes de Película Flinn Hall, 7-10 pm - Christian movie, appropriate for any audience, in Spanish (with subtitles in English), coffee or chocolate and cookies. And of course, we couldn't leave the delicious popcorn out!
December 24 Christmas Eve Sanctuary - 3, 7 and 11 pm. 5 pm, Christmas Family Service in Monroe. 7 pm will be televised at Charter channel 191 and Frontier FIOS channel 39. 3:00, 7:00 and 11:00 pm— Lessons and carols of the season, including communion and candle lighting. 5:00 pm—Family service, telling story of Jesus’ birth with giant puppets, communion, and candle lighting.
December 2 Evening in Bethlehem Church grounds – 5:30 – 8:00 pm - Live Nativity, live music, door prizes, petting zoo, storytelling, crafts, food, wassail, piñatas and more. For years, our church hosts this Christian celebration and opens its doors to the community.
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IMPACT Events December 16 Viernes de Película
December 25 Christmas Day Service
Flinn Hall, 7-10 pm - Christian movie, appropriate for any audience, in Spanish (with subtitles in English), coffee or chocolate and cookies. And of course, we couldn't leave the delicious popcorn out!
10:30 am Sanctuary – ONE SERVICE
December 24 Bilingual Worship Service
January 1 New Year’s Worship Service 10:30 am Sanctuary – ONE SERVICE
Flinn Hall, 8:30 pm (Spanish/English)
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IMPACT | Bigger Picture Volume 2 Issue 2 | Fall 2016
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IMPACT Bigger Picture
We Are Part of a Worldwide Church
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irst United Methodist Church of Denton is part of a connection or network of churches around the world that are identified not by its many parts, but by being part of a marvelous whole. Following is a primer on the governance of our expression of the Body of Christ. General, Jurisdictional, Annual, District and Local—While most of our church experience happens on the local church level, the United Methodist Connectional System organization is different than congregational churches. One of those differences is that we do not “call” our pastors. Our pastors are “sent” to us through the basic unit of our governance, the Annual Conference. Each conference is presided over by a bishop and a cabinet made up of District Superintendents. Each conference provides a variety of services designed to help the local church fulfill the mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. FUMC-Denton is part of the North Texas Annual Conference presided over by Bishop Mike McKee who was elected to the Episcopacy (the fancy term for a group of bishops) which is organized into four districts. We are part of the North Central District led by our District Superintendent, Dr. Ron Henderson. Each local church elects lay persons as members of the North Texas Annual Conference convened each year in early June. That conference has an equal number of lay and clergy persons who hear reports and act on legislative items pertinent to the operation of the conference. Each annual conference is part of a Jurisdiction. The U.S. has seven geographic jurisdictions. Our conference is part of the
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Both clergy and lay delegates representing the worldwide church meet every four years in General Conference.
South Central Jurisdiction. The primary purpose of the quadrennial meeting of the jurisdictions is to elect bishops. The electorate is made up of lay and clergy persons elected every four years at Annual Conferences. The most recent Jurisdictional Conference was this past summer when Bishop McKee was again appointed as our bishop for the next four years. And every four years, delegates elected at all the Annual Conferences of the church worldwide gather in what is called the General Conference. Lay and clergy delegates meet for two weeks to consider and pass legislation that will impact the book of governance for the United Methodist Church called The Discipline. The last General Conference was this year in Portland, Oregon. Our own Tim Crouch led the North Texas delegation at that Conference. The Discipline is the “law book” that governs the operation of the United Methodist Church. While each church has considerable latitude to organize itself for effective mission and ministry, there are certain key committees that are mandated by The Discipline. The primary governing body is the Church Council (we call it the Administrative Board). Other mandated committees are the Board of Trustees, the Finance Committee, the Committee on Lay Leadership (sometimes called Nominations), and the Staff Parish or Pastor Parish Relations Committee. Each of these four committees is responsible to the Administrative Board
and each has a specific set of roles and responsibilities. The Trustees are essentially responsible for maintaining the buildings and property of the church, receiving bequests to the church, and acting as the Board of Directors for the church as an incorporated body. The Finance Committee is responsible for creating and recommending an annual budget for the church and ensuring adequate funds are raised to meet the budget. Lay Leadership nominates persons to serve on the various committees chaired by the lead pastor as mandated by The Discipline. The SPRC serves as a Human Resources oversight group to help ensure we have the right lay persons in the right staff positions, consults and advises clergy leadership and represents the members of the church as it prepares an annual church profile and evaluation of pastors. To learn more about the organization and governance of the UMC, and sign up for the next Methodist 101 class which has an entire session dedicated to this topic. FUMC-Denton is a great church! But we do not stand alone. We are part of a worldwide movement started in the late 18th century by John Wesley. Along with millions of other United Methodists around the world, we are dedicated to making disciples of Christ for the transformation of the world!
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— Alan Heath, Executive Editor
IMPACT | From the Pastor Volume 2 Issue 2 | Fall 2016
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IMPACT From the Pastor
Loving Our Neighbor: Children and Youth Model God's Love
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s we head home from high school mission trip I am overwhelmed by the emotions I am feeling after spending the last five weeks at camp and/or on mission trips with our youth and children. They continue to amaze me by their love for each other and for God, the way they care for others (even those not in their circle of friends), their excellent leadership, their passion for mission and their ability to stand strong for what they believe even in challenging conditions. This summer has been jam-packed with a week of camp for children (thirdfifth grades), middle school youth and senior high youth, plus a weeklong mission trip for middle school and one for high school youth, followed up by a week of VBS. And our youth were highly involved in all of it! Just a few short months ago we were setting out on a summer of trips. We looked
forward to seeing old friends and meet new ones. We prepared to use our hands and feet for Christ. With both excitement and uncertainty we expected to share our love for God with everyone we would met. And now, here we are back in Denton, back in our church home. We wonder how we take what we learned this summer back to school with us. We learned through the people in Cleveland, Texas, that
around them. Youth help make that happen. So as we reflect on the story we created this summer, we see how we live as disciples of Jesus Christ. When we offer ourselves in a deeply vulnerable way by being true to our God, we find ourselves woven together like a tapestry, living out the scripture the way God intends. We are all God’s children – both those who chose to be a part of our
“When we offer ourselves in a deeply vulnerable way by being true to our God, we find ourselves woven together like a tapestry, living out the scripture the way God intends.” — Rev. Deana Mason many people are challenged beyond anything we ever imagined. Sometimes they lose their faith in God. But a simple gesture of cleaning up a lawn or painting a fence or building a wheelchair ramp can give them a glimpse of the God who loves them. We learned that some youth come to camp because their parents or grandparents make them go. Those of us who love Bridgeport encouraged them and loved them in a way that they left loving God (and Bridgeport) as much as we do! We learned that even children with special needs have a desire to grow closer to God and to their friends
summer adventures and those who were chosen to be served and witnessed to through God’s hand. We are all woven together into God’s family. Truly acting on that call is to be true to God in everything that we do as we live each day. I am so proud of the youth and children in our church and I am truly blessed to be their pastor! — Rev. Deana Mason, Associate Pastor to Children & Youth
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— Deana Mason, Associate Pastor
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IMPACT Shining God’s Love from Generation to Generation
We are a Bible-based church who welcomes believers and seekers of all ages, promoting an intergenerational place of worship and spiritual growth.
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FUMC-Denton Service Times
Worship with Us It’s our members who make FUMC-Denton a welcoming church. We hope you will join us. Visit our website www.fumc-denton.com to learn more about the different services.
Sunday Worship Schedule: 7:30 am – First Meal A free breakfast for those in need followed by an informal worship service. Located in Monroe Fellowship Building.
8:30 am – Traditional Worship Traditional, formal worship service featuring liturgy, organ-led hymns and choral music. Located in the Sanctuary.
9:45 am – Connection Contemporary An informal service in a relaxed, contemporary setting with a praise band. Located in Monroe Fellowship Building.
9:45 am – Sunday School classes for all ages each Sunday First United Methodist Church of Denton 201 S. Locust Street | Denton, TX 76201 (940) 382-5478 | (940) 381-9124 (FAX)
www.fumc-denton.com
11:00 am – Bible Study in Spanish 11:00 am – Celebration Worship (livestreaming and televised on Charter 191 and Verizon 39)
Incorporates elements found in traditional worship supporting the Bible-based preaching of our lead pastor. Located in the Sanctuary
11:15 am – 3rd Day Family Service (third Sunday every month) A family service, designed to help children find their place in worship. Located in Flinn Hall
12:30 pm – Bilingual Service (Spanish/English) Based on the Bible and principles that lead a Christian life. Located in Flinn Hall