Volume 2 Issue 1 | Winter 2016
Music Ministry: a Celebration of Talent and Faith Read the story, page 3
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Our Church, Our Missions
Our Church, Our People
The Bigger Picture
Nearly $200,000 raised for local, national and international non-profit organizations through the incredible work of the Alternative Gifts Fair.
Our church is our people, driven to Shine God’s Love into Every Life. Our people make a difference!
United Methodist Women prepare for their 150th year of impacting the lives of women and children.
IMPACT | Magazine Volume 2 Issue 1 | Winter 2016
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Impact | Ministries usic Ministry M A Celebration of talent and faith
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Impact | Missions Alternative Gifts Fair Unique gifts for a cause
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Impact | Events Upcoming events and activities
Opening our doors to the community
21 Impact | Bigger Picture
United Methodist Women
15 Impact | People
Rev. Don Lee and long-time FUMC-Denton member Ruth Bowen
Prepare to celebrate 150 years in mission
22 Impact | From the Pastor estoring relevance R Rev. Jon Kendzie
24 • Impact | Next Big Thing Egg-citing
24 • Impact | Services Worship is at the heart of a
Free fun for children and families
mission-minded church. You are invited!
On the Cover: John Priddy, FUMC-Denton Music Director
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Editor’s Note
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IMPACT Magazine: A work of love
e are so excited to release our second issue of IMPACT! Our goal is to share First United Methodist Church of Denton’s vision, mission and people, but more than that, the impact it has in the lives of our members and friends, in our community and in the world. Throughout the year, we see God touching people’s hearts and opening their minds so they can open their doors and serve others, especially those in need. We all want the magazine to be a tool for inspiration and encouragement. I personally get involved with each story in the magazine. When I interview members and listen to their amazing stories, I understand the power of faith and commitment. They believe, in the depth of their hearts and souls, that their role in
2 SHINING GOD’S LOVE, TRANSFORMING LIVES
this church is simply their calling. They are here to impact lives. This magazine is a tool to share the many incredible ways that God acts, showing His love and forgiveness. But it is also a tool that reveals real-life experiences, showing the work Jesus Christ does through His followers—the members of our church family. This magazine is meant to help establish hope and faith; to show that even in turbulent times, God always prevails. We hope it will encourage people to join forces for good as they work together to eradicate hunger, provide education and to pray for all of humanity. It is about Christians encouraging people to get involved, take responsibility and act in faith. It recounts stories of God’s grace and
compassion. Whether through worship, music, prayer, missions or fundraising events, our church family is encouraged to get involved in ways that use their gifts while helping FUMC-Denton build a better world, one person at a time. IMPACT is about Shining God’s Love into Every Life! — 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 Photography Credits: Martha Ware Clay Thurmond
Kyle Biggerstaff
Our Church Our Ministries
FUMC-Denton Chancel Choir performing during worship service.
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UMC-Denton has a strong musical tradition. Denton County is surrounded by music schools and colleges and hosts some of the most popular music festivals in the state. This diverse and rich musical environment attracts people to our church and impacts the lives of many, always with the purpose of “Shining God’s Love into Every Life.” If you ask some of our long-time members about this church you will undoubtedly hear about its music. One of these long-time members, Dennis Fisher (professor and conductor of the symphonic band and associate director of wind studies, conducting and ensembles, at the college of music of the University of North Texas) said: “After moving to Denton 34 years ago, one of
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Story by Martha Ware
our first priorities as a family was to find a church home. After visiting FUMC and experiencing the inspirational and uplifting music that Dale Peters (church organist) and the choir provided every Sunday, there was no question that this was the place for us. Over the years, it has remained as one of the most important aspects of our church life at FUMC. The message that is communicated at every service through the music ministry touches us in a very special and profound way.”
Under general direction of John Priddy, director of music and worship, programs such as choirs, ensembles, instrumental ensembles and hand bells enrich our worship services and offer members of the church and the community a refined array of musical recitals, concerts and presentations. John has been with FUMC-Denton since 2001 and is very passionate not only about the music but about what this ministry has meant and continues to mean to so many people and the
“After visiting FUMC and experiencing the inspirational and uplifting music that Dale Peters (church organist) and the choir provided every Sunday, there was no question that this was the place for us.” — Dennis Fisher WWW.FUMC-DENTON.COM 3
IMPACT | Ministries Volume 2 Issue 1 | Winter 2016
difference that it made and still makes in so many Christian lives. Currently, eight choirs are part of FUMC-Denton music ministry. The Chancel Choir (the principal worship ensemble), Chamber Singers, Men’s Ensemble and Women’s Ensemble are formed by talented adults, both members and nonmembers of the church. Each one of them features a different repertoire. The Credo Choir is our Youth Choir. They perform a broad repertoire of classical, contemporary and popular sacred music, as well as Broadway show tunes and other secular favorites. Will Chandler leads the Credo Choir. Children of different age groups perform with the Challenger Choir, Chorister Choir and Cherub Choir under the direction of Jett Cheek. In addition to the vocal choirs, bell choirs led by Carol Lynn Mizell also serve to enrich the worship experience at FUMC-Denton. Because Denton is such a rich musical city and our congregation such a diverse and passionate audience has encouraged us to venture into different musical styles. The Connection Band is the Praise and Worship ensemble for the 9:45 am Connection Fellowship Service. FooMcBubba is a full-complement big band that plays occasionally in worship and often in the community and region, led by Barry Oosterwaal. And the Good News Gospel Group is an ad hoc group specializing in Bluegrass and Gospel Music led by Pat Peters. The Fine Arts Academy is also part of the music ministry and is under Jett Cheek’s direction. The teaching perspective is unique in that we purposefully and deliberately infuse the musical instruction with the Christian faith. Their goal is to enable our students to use their creativity to bring healing, justice and restoration to a beautiful but broken world. The Academy offers private classes for piano, guitar, bass guitar, voice, violin and more. And they will offer other classes such as ballet, drama, 4 SHINING GOD’S LOVE, TRANSFORMING LIVES
Top: Credo Choir performing during Bishop McKee’s visit to FUMC-Denton. Bottom: Connection Band, the praise band for our contemporary service.
painting and other arts disciplines soon. John Priddy, music ministry director, has many stories to tell and they all have one thing in common: music. He started playing the piano when he was six. Having the innate talent to pick out music by ear, he would go to his grandmother’s house next door when he got bored and play the piano. “I am never going to forget one Sunday when my parents came to grandma’s for lunch and I sat and played for them. They were astonished to see me playing and my mom said that she had no idea.
My parents thought I would come over just to watch television. After that mom had the wonderful idea of having me take lessons,” John said. John struggled with the lessons, since he was very undisciplined as a pianist and hated someone telling him how to play. “When you start playing by ear and a teacher comes to you and says you have to play what is on the paper you think, ’That’s dull,’ and my version sounds better,” he added. John was also very active in the public school music program, just like so many kids in Texas. As a teen, he was involved in
IMPACT | Ministries Volume 2 Issue 1 | Winter 2016
bands, choirs and in a lay ministry movement, which gave him the opportunity to travel as a pianist for worship services all around the U.S. That was when he was connected
Service, where he studied conducting then he and his wife Jean, whom he met at graduate school, toured Germany auditioning for opera houses. John and Jean have been
“At church, you get to know families and their histories. You know people for a long time. Unless you live in a very small community, church might be the only place where you have that longevity feeling, the sense of belonging to a community.” — John Priddy to music as a spiritual medium. Through music he was exposed to many wonderful opportunities, far more than most people. He received a degree in voice from Texas Tech, at which time he was the tenor section leader for the United Methodist Church of Lubbock, where he served for the duration of his bachelor’s degree program. That was where he was first introduced to Methodism. His voice teacher saw that he had gifts in conducting and encouraged him to pursue a master’s at Indiana University. “I was one of those kids that proverbially happened to be at the right place at the right time on more than one occasion,” said John. While at Indiana University, John directed the chancel choir at First United Methodist Church in Bloomington because the dean of the school of music was also the organist for the church and hired him. He was the student assistant for a production of Boris Godunov when the conductor, during the final week of the performance became ill. John filled in for the remaining performances. In recognition for that work, the university sent him to Vienna, Austria where he worked with Leonard Bernstein in a private master class with the Vienna Philharmonic. To be suddenly thrust into that environment was an incredible experience for a sheltered kid from West Texas. This was followed by a year in Berlin, as a recipient of a fellowship from the German Academic Exchange
married for 31 years. “We were unbelievably lucky we were hired by the same house, Jean as a solo soprano and myself as a conductor and coach,” said John. “The percentage of professionals that are able to make it in classical music is so incredibly small that we felt extremely fortunate,” he added. They stayed there for eight years and moved to eastern Germany right after the reunification. “It was a tremendous experience to see this historical transformation of a country that was coming out of very dark years of Nazism followed by
almost 50 years of socialism. One of the greatest memories I will always have happened on the 50th anniversary of D-Day. I was conducting a rehearsal of an orchestra made of Germans, Russians, Bulgarians, Spaniard, for a Soviet ballet, Romeo and Juliette, and it was like just another day in the office. And I thought about how the world has changed after 50 years.” John advanced to be in management of 300 employees and a budget of $24 million, both stage directing and conducting. By that time his daughter had been born. “We think she may be the first American to be born in East Germany.” said John. At this point, as a family, they felt that regardless of the marvelous experience they were having, there was something missing—the unconventional schedule, the missing sense of community, not having the chance to socialize much. “It was time to go back home,” said John. “At church, you get to know families and their histories. You know people for a long time. Unless you live in a very small community, church might be the only place
John Priddy, Music Director, working on Worship service video loop. WWW.FUMC-DENTON.COM 5
IMPACT | Ministries Volume 2 Issue 1 | Winter 2016
where you have that longevity feeling, the sense of belonging to a community. We got to a point that we wanted to come back home and do something else,” said John. They came back to the U.S. having no idea what they were going to do. After landing in Sacramento in 1997 they started their job search but knew that anything in opera would be difficult to find and they did not want that “on-the-road life” that the small opera house jobs encompass. Someone told them that there was a lot going on in Branson, Missouri. John sent his resume to some places there and a theatre picked him up. They moved to Branson, a small community with a very big lake which has been a big summer fishing destination for a long time. Some people decided to start some jam sessions in the evenings and something just clicked. “By the time we moved to Branson,
there were more theatre seats in Branson than in New York City— six million visitors a year for a town of 35,000 people. The whole town works for the theaters. Performers like Andy Williams and Tony Orlando were frequent at that time,” said John. After two years of very hard work, Bobby Vinton offered John a job as his musical director and producer. But John and Jean felt that it was time to satisfy the heart. After being hired by the First United Methodist Church of Beaumont, they got back home to Texas. Three years and half later, Gary Mueller, Lead Pastor at First United Methodist Church of Denton hired him and he has been here ever since. “I loved the opportunity because as I always say, Denton is a wonderful sand box to play in because of the proximity of the University of North Texas, which may be largest college of music in the country. Lots of people will come here and study music and end up staying in Denton. They will have other jobs but keep their music up. There is a tremendous amount of talent here that wants to be utilized, so it is a great place to be when you are in the position to offer that opportunity for ministry. The longer I live the more I realize that it is less about
John Priddy
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the music and more about the ministry,” said John. Playing music, singing, directing choirs, whatever you do in music, is fed by the response from an audience. “It is thrilling to receive a standing ovation from a large audience but in the long term it is more gratifying when you hear from people in the congregation how music changed their day and impacted their lives,” John adds. He likes to work with talented musicians in a church setting where musicians are not frustrated because they have been trained to be soloists and ended up playing in a group, orchestra or band and don’t feel fulfilled by their job and experiences. “We have a mixed group—three soloists, section leaders and many extremely talented amateurs. They come to the rehearsals and performances because they want to, because they love music and they love God, love singing His message,” added John. “It is amazing the quality you can accomplish with a group of talented and dedicated amateurs. There is an
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inner transcendence that happens and these amateurs take away much more from the experience than if they were professionals.” John also says, “There are many talented people that don’t make a life in music but keep it in their lives in other ways, especially in churches doing it for pleasure and fun.” Music is John’s passion and being able to combine music and God is incredible. The impact his work has in people’s lives is rewarding. From the music for the services to a big band, we have it all. “We work very closely with the lead pastor on anything worshiprelated, since the music is there to complement his sermons. Once the pastor chooses the sermon topic we choose the music to underscore his message. There is an infinity
of hymns, and no, I do not know them all by heart. So, we go through the hymns and try to find those that will better reflect the message of the sermon. We work weeks in advance so I know what to look for and try to pick out something that will emphasize what he says. When
he decides to preach about dragons, that can be a little challenging.” he joked. “Occasionally, Andy Lloyd and I, both composers, just have to compose something,” John said. Music is very subjective and affects people differently, but at the same time, it’s a universal language
Top: Foo McBubba, FUMC-Denton big band Bottom: Men’s Ensemble performing during Imagine Luncheon
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that can draw people closer to God. There are people that go to church only to hear what the pastor preaches. Some only go because of the music. Ruth Bowen, long-time FUMC-Denton member said that, “Music nurtures my spiritual growth. I enjoy various styles of sacred and secular music. Relevant music is integral to my worship experience. The FUMC-Denton music ministry has a tradition of integrating a variety of instruments and styles into the 11:00 am Sunday worship experience, during holidays and special music events.” As with some other professions, music is about discipline and practice. “It is just like writing: you compose a lot, you use some, you toss a lot, but you are always practicing. You have to write two or three hours every day so you get better and faster,” he added. John intends to stay here “as long as the congregation wants me,” he said. He can’t imagine being without music in his life. FUMC-Denton
is part of his life. “My daughter was raised here. I feel that I belong here. There is a strong sense of community. I have great pleasure in playing for memorials here because I feel it is a great way for me to give back, to
“Music nurtures my spiritual growth. I enjoy various styles of sacred and secular music. Relevant music is integral to my — Ruth Bowen worship experience.”
Children’s Choir performing during Evening in Bethlehem. 8 SHINING GOD’S LOVE, TRANSFORMING LIVES
I am lucky that I wanted this sense of community so badly and was able to find it here,” said John. He wants to encourage people to make music part of their lives. Many people have musical talent but
make people know that they were important to me. My parents were big bridge players here and they were very connected to people here. So I brought my parents here and here they had been very connected with a ready-made family. I buried them here. It is a lot of history,” he said. “There is no more sense of community anywhere. Schools have gotten to be so big that unless you are in sports or maybe music, you don’t form relationships. The same happens in the universities. You no longer know your next door neighbor.
because they compare themselves with trained and experienced musicians, they shy away from trying. He also wants to send this message: “Don’t lose sight of your talent. Music is not all about training. If you are willing to be open and try, we work in a non-threatening and supportive environment. Just about anybody can sing with us. Many of our musicians don’t necessarily read music and they make it happen.” But John does not do all the work alone. Other professionals involved with music at FUMCDenton are Will Chandler (Credo Choir), Carol Lynn Mizell (bells with children, youth and adults), Jett Cheek (children’s choirs and Fine Arts Academy), Joe Cross (Connection worship leader), Andy Lloyd (organist) and Barry Oosterwal (Foo McBubba). And Jean Priddy leads the Women’s Ensemble as a volunteer. They began meeting in the spring of 2014, giving women the opportunity to work on technical vocal issues unique to female singers, to form closer friendships within the group, to sing music intended specifically for female voices and to provide service opportunities outside the church. Carol Lynn became involved when Rev. Justin Tull and his wife, Lynn, came to serve as lead pastor and wife at FUMC-Denton. Through their encouragement, the instruments were introduced to our congregation and purchased through memorial gifts. Prior to her appointment as director of Bells Angels Handbell
IMPACT | Ministries Volume 2 Issue 1 | Winter 2016
Choir, Carol Lynn was already an active participant in the Chancel Choir at FUMC-Denton, other church choirs, worked as conductor of the Denton Community Band since 1978, orchestra conductor and oboist. She is also a composer and arranger. She has shared her music in worship here and in churches and festivals throughout the United States, England, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, and Hong Kong. She still performs on a regular basis in concerts and recording sessions. Andy Lloyd was hired in 2011 as the organist to replace Dale Peters, who was a magnificent organist. “His kind heart and delicate humor endeared him to the many generations of FUMCDentonites,” said Andy. “One of my first memories was when I visited Dale at the Good Samaritan with John Priddy. Dale was recovering from his cancer treatments and I was looking forward to his recovery and return to the organ bench. We got along well. However, shortly after this visit, he took a turn for the worse. On July 9, 2011, I performed my organ recital at UNT where Dale Peters had taught for so many years. Knowing his condition, I approached this recital with a heavy heart,” Andy stated. At the beginning of the concert, the Winspear Recital Hall upper balcony was full of people from FUMC-Denton. “I had an incredible evening as individual after individual came up to me and told me that they felt like they were hearing Dale play, and that Dale would have loved the recital and would have been proud. I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love expressed to me. A couple days later, I went to visit Dale and told him about all of the wonderful things I heard from his congregation. After a warm smile on his face, I left his room that evening. Dale Peters passed away the next day. Those experiences gave me strength and a small understanding of the abundant love found at FUMC-Denton,” he added. Even after four years, Andy says
that every week when he sits at our magnificent organ, he remembers Dale, and begins to play the organ with love in his heart, first and foremost for his savior Jesus Christ, and secondly for our beautiful congregation. “I am absolutely blessed to be a part of the vibrant culture and music ministry at FUMC-Denton.” Joe Cross is the newest member of the music ministry. He is the worship leader for our contemporary service, Connection Fellowship. “To me, it’s not just music but speaking to God through music. In the universal language of notes on a page, I find a direct pathway connecting my heart to the heart of God,” said Joe. Joe has been a musician his entire life, playing guitar from the age of three. He can remember
“To me, it’s not just music but speaking to God through music. In the universal language of notes on a page, I find a direct pathway connecting my heart to the heart of God.” — Joe Cross listening to Led Zeppelin’s album IV before he was even in his teens and figuring out how to play the songs on his beat-up old guitar. “I have always been drawn to music and always had a reverence for God. The two connected in early 2011, when God called me into music ministry,” said Joe. Joe sees something magical about recognizing that God has gifted people with a passion to serve Him, that there is something beautiful about getting the opportunity to worship God in many ways, every day of our lives. “In Acts 2, the Bible tells us about the different tongues of
those who are carrying the Gospel to the nations, and I feel that it applies today. I have been given the language of musical worship. Others have been given other “languages” in order to inspire and lead people into a relationship with Jesus Christ,” Joe adds. Joe says that every Sunday morning, as they pull together as a band, they bow their heads and pray that the message that they have been entrusted with falls on the ears that need to hear it. He also says that they pray that their talents are used for worship, and they recognize that their talents are for something greater than themselves. “We invite the Holy Spirit to guide our voices, hands, minds and hearts to lead others in worship. What an amazing opportunity that God has given us. What a blessing and honor we have to use our passion and talents to draw others close to God.” “Music is part of the soul of our church. When I greet newcomers, I always say, ’No matter what else you experience in this worship service, you will be blessed by the music.’” “Worship Director, John Priddy, is a genius. He is a composer, an arranger, a director, a fine pianist, a singer and even a cheerleader. Whether we hear an a capella arrangement by the men’s or women’s vocal groups or the full choir accompanied by orchestral instruments, our experience is divine,” said Risa Crews, another one of our long-time members. The passion expressed by these musicians when they talk about music, God and our church makes it easy to understand why many members openly say that what brought them to FUMC-Denton was the music. John responds by saying that we can pull off many things that other churches the same size can’t, and consistently. But more than that, our music is so great because of the people behind it, pouring their hearts and souls into each note played or sung and people love our music because they can hear God’s voice, words and messages.
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IMPACT | Missions Volume 2 Issue 1 | Winter 2016
Paper for Water origami Christmas ornaments.
Our Church, Our Missions > Story by
O
Martha Ware
ur congregation is comprised of 1,750 members and has held services in downtown Denton for 158 years. We strive to make a difference in our community and in the world. As a community of believers committed to living out our vision to “Shine God’s Love into Every Life,” we have been hosting the Alternative Gifts Fair for 28 years. This fair is different than most. It is not a fundraiser for the church but an opportunity for shoppers to purchase unique and one-of-a-kind items with all proceeds going to missions and non-profits. In the last four years FUMC has raised nearly $200,000 for missions at this event. The Alternative Gifts Fair was born in 1986 when John Mollet, assistant pastor and staff representative to the Missions Committee, received literature from Heifer Project International suggesting that FUMC-Denton get involved in promoting their program. He shared the material with Mike
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Volume 2 Issue 1 | Winter 2016
Vendors representing different non-profit organizations and shoppers in Flinn Hall during the Alternative Gifts Fair.
Mizell, chair of the committee at that time. Mike’s love for animals and for helping people were the “perfect ingredients” to fire up the idea to start hosting an Alternative Gifts Fair featuring Heifer animals and handmade crafts from around the world. “For the first several years of AGF, I managed to get teams from First Presbyterian, St. Andrews Presbyterian, Trinity Presbyterian, Christ the Servant Lutheran and several FUMC Sunday School classes involved with the fair. Each group was assigned a Heifer animal and assortment of crafts/products to promote. We also featured Sierra Club calendars, Greenpeace products, UNICEF cards, and special non-competitive games. After several years of peddling essentially the same products to the same crowd, interest gradually waned. Thanks to Janet Fisher’s energetic efforts the past three years, AGF has seen a vibrant rebirth and has once again become a huge event, helping people locally and internationally,” Mike recounted. Now, the idea of the fair is to offer our members and the Denton community an alternative for their
holiday shopping. Over 25 vendors sell their one-of-a-kind artisan items providing an alternative for gift giving and, at the same time, raising money of which 100% benefits the non-profit organizations represented. The spirit of AGF is in the people that organize and participate, whether as a volunteer, as a vendor, as a shopper or just a bystander. Those hearts pulse with the passion and resilience to prove that a church family and friends can make a real difference in the world! Fair trade goods, handmade merchandise by third-worldcountry artisans and merchandise donated by both church members and Denton locals make the fair
craziness of the malls. Some of the vendors have participated in the fair for a long time like Redbird Mission (RBM). RBM is a mission of the United Methodist Church located in Beverly, Kentucky. It was begun in 1921 when its Christian school began serving students in the Appalachian Mountain region of southeastern Kentucky. The school currently serves students in Pre-K through 12th grades. Missions include a community housing improvement program, community resale shop and craft store. Donna Gregory, long-time FUMC-Denton member, first got involved with supporting RBM
“I love AGF! Where else can you find such an array of unique items from all over the world and support so many cottage industries and good causes? There is really a feel of the Global Village.” — Ruth Davis an event not to be missed. People from around our region come to the fair year after year to buy creative and unique items in a fun and safe environment, avoiding the rush and
when she assisted Mike Mizell at the Heifer Fair (former AGF) where they supported and sold RBM merchandise. “RBM has always touched my mission heart as it is WWW.FUMC-DENTON.COM 11
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our connection as United Methodists where staff and volunteers are the hands and feet of God to the wonderful people of Appalachia.” Another organization involved with AGF is Our Daily Bread. Together with AGF, ODB has worked to raise awareness of the need for feeding the hungry people in Denton. By providing space for ODB to tell its story of a “home town” mission effort to prepare and serve daily meals, AGF has made countless people aware that there are
“Goodies Galore, one of the largest AGF’s booth, keeps coming back to the fair because of the amazing fellowship the fair promotes, allowing so many talented people to use their gifts to make an impact not only here in the US but in countries all over.” — Jodi McGuire hunger issues here in Denton. Our Daily Bread helps meet the need with a hot meal each week day. Since its beginning, ODB has served over 600,000 meals and assisted clients with many other social needs or referrals. Virginia Gallian, Sharon Kremer, Carol Rogers, Jeff Springer, Kathryn Stream, all members of First United Methodist Church of Denton, serve on the Board of Directors. Alternative Gifts Fair raised nearly $3,000 in 2014 to help ODB feed the hungry. For the first time last year, we introduced “matching grants.” Left: Janet Fisher, head of the Alternative Gifts Fair together with Sherry Cobb and Jan Dickson, members of AGF committee and event organizers. Bottom: Michael Mizell with Trade Exchange during AGF.
12 SHINING GOD’S LOVE, TRANSFORMING LIVES
Businesses and individuals from our community “matched” the amount that their chosen booths have sold. Vendors decorated their booths and were excited to have the chance to double their money through the grants. The results were amazing. Every booth that had a matching grant donor earned the grant money. We raised over $64,000 for the participating non-profit organizations. We have many success stories that together we can make a difference in our community and the world. “Every 15 seconds a child dies because they don’t have clean water,” says Isabelle Adams from Paper for Water, in an interview to the Dallas Morning News. Paper for Water gives origami ornaments in exchange for donations. These
donations are used by Living Water International to drill clean water wells in developing countries. Through sales and matching grants, Paper for Water raised over $8,000 at the 2014 AGF and built a well in Sue Ta, Liberia. Over 500 people now have to clean water access thanks to this amazing mission. Heifer International’s mission is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. It empowers families to turn poverty into prosperity by bringing sustainable agriculture and commerce to areas with a history of poverty. Heifer’s animals provide food and reliable income. “Passing on the gift” allows families to share the offspring from their animals with others. For over 25 years Heifer has been the most popular booth at the Alternative Gifts Fair, thanks to Mike Mizell. Hoping to find a way to increase the amount raised for Heifer during AGF, Mike learned that a donor was offering a grant, which would match dollar for
Top: Children’s Day Out team with AGF volunteers celebrating their matching grant. Right: Items made by CDO’s 3s.
dollar on any donation for goats, up to $3 million. Mike took AGF money that was donated for goats together with all undesignated money (which totaled over $5,000) and received the matching grant. Our church just bought $10,000 worth of goats for Nepal! To quote Mike, “Those goats started multiplying right away!” Janet Fisher has been the head of AGF for the last three years. Her passion for her mission work is mesmerizing! Originally from Kansas, both Janet and her husband Dennis are lifelong Methodists. Years ago they moved to Texas for a job opportunity, making Denton their home and FUMC-Denton their church home. During a trip to Saratov, Russia they found a Methodist church where they attended worship. In order to make a difference to that tiny church, Janet worked with the Saratov’s Lead Pastor, who agreed to create some artwork on note cards and became an AGF vendor. When-
Left: Baked items sold by Goodies Galore at AGF.
ever Janet sees the opportunity of offering unique items for FUMCDenton members and the Denton community and at the same time help struggling non-profit organizations she finds a way to make it happen. This year, AGF had more than 25 vendors including Paper for Water, Habitat for Humanity, Dawn of Hope International, Fred Moore Day Nursery, Empty Bowls, Goodies Galore, Heifer International, Threads of Hope, among many others. Shoppers love AGF, not only because they know 100% of the money collected goes to non-profit organizations but because the products are unique, they don’t need to face the “mall crowed” just before Christmas and they can shop in a safe environment. WWW.FUMC-DENTON.COM 13
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Jody McGuire and Ann Houston running Goodies Galore, the largest booth in the Alternative Gifts Fair.
Linda Johnson, a member of our church, not only shops for gifts at AGF but volunteers during the fair. “I would use one word to describe the Alternative Gifts Fair— AWESOME! It offers a wide variety of unusual items at reasonable prices. Even though I know some people volunteer for a few hours, I love AGF and I volunteer for the whole fair. I just have too much fun!” “I love AGF! Where else can you find such an array of unique items from all over the world and support so many cottage industries and good causes? There is really a feel of the Global Village. I can always find the special gifts for the special people of all ages on my long list. It is a wonderful event, so well run, getting bigger each year. It is not to be missed! Such a help to me and my list!” said Ruth Davis, an enthusiastic shopper and member of FUMC-Denton. This year the Fair raised over $71,000.00. We counted over 130 volunteers and 36 vendors, eight of them participating for the first time. It was a huge success! Jodi McGuire, said that, “Goodies Galore, one of the largest AGF’s 14 SHINING GOD’S LOVE, TRANSFORMING LIVES
United Methodist Women’s soup mix at AGF.
Threads of Hope booth at AGF.
booth, keeps coming back to the fair because of the amazing fellowship the fair promotes, allowing so many talented people to use their gifts to make an impact not only here in the US but in countries all over.” Goodies Galore supports FUMC-Denton Lenten Rebuild, a program that every year gets a family in need into a safe and clean home. (For more infor-
mation about the program at http://fumc-denton.com/getinvolved/missions/lenten-rebuild/). If you did not have the chance to visit AGF this year, make sure to sign-up for our newsletter by emailing mware@fumc-denton.com or to “Like Us” on Facebook (First United Methodist Church Denton), so we can keep you updated for the 2016 fair!
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IMPACT | People Volume 2 Issue 1 | Winter 2016
Our Church, Our People + Darren Meritt
O
ur people make our church. They carve their footprints not only within our church family, but in our community and the world. They inspire, they serve and make a difference! Among many wonderful and active members are Darren Merritt, Laney Braack and Ruth Bowen, whose stories we will share with you. When you mention Darren Merritt to any of our members, they smile. They all know Darren, one of our very active members. Darren was born in the oil crossroads of America—Cushing, Oklahoma. He grew up in Stillwater, Oklahoma,home of the Oklahoma State Cowboys, but he is a Sooner fan all the way! He has worked for Citigroup for the last 17 years in many capacities, most recently in Third Party Oversight, where he oversees the vendors that Citi employs to perform
Laney Braack
Ruth Bowen Story by Martha Ware
various outsourced services. Darren said that his tenure with Citi has been a rewarding experience, especially since that is where he met his wife, Christi. Christi and Darren have been married for 12 years. In Darren’s words, “I can’t believe she still puts up with me!” They have a lovely daughter, Hannah, who is now 12, and he has two step-daughters, Shelby who is 23 and Samantha, 21. His grandmother was the spiritual influence in his life. She ensured that he attended church on a regular basis. They attended First United Methodist Church of Cushing, OK. “What I remember most about the experience was that, before church, we would pick up her sister (my great-aunt) and I would ask my great-uncle for a quarter to put in the plate to pay for my seat in church! (I was about eight then). After church, we would stop at the Tastee-Freez where a quarter would
buy a soft-serve vanilla cone for me to enjoy on the 30-minute trek back to Stillwater.” Before becoming FUMC-Denton members, Christi and Darren were attending a Catholic church in Frisco, and God had put in his heart to “Feed my sheep.” They did not feel that they could serve in
Darren Merritt helping Pastor Don cook beignets during Mardi Gras. WWW.FUMC-DENTON.COM 15
IMPACT | People Volume 2 Issue 1 | Winter 2016
a satisfactory way, fulfilling their calling, so they began a search for a church home that would provide both spiritual growth and nourishment. “Labor Day weekend in 2009 was our first attendance at FUMCDenton and we were greeted with warmth and open arms.” Darren immediately got involved in the life of the church. “I enjoy cooking and the men’s group needed some help cooking at a pancake breakfast and I volunteered to help cook pancakes. I am still cooking pancakes today at First Meal, a free breakfast for those in need, hosted by FUMC-Denton. I guess you could say that IHOP now asks me for pancake recipes! Just kidding...” he said playfully. Today, Darren is serving as chair of Council of Ministries, cooking and presenting a short message at First Meal, teaching sixth grade
“Allowing me to have the opportunity to be involved with this church has hopefully presented me as an example to others who need to understand God’s love for them. If He can love me in all of my imperfections, then he can love anyone.” — Darren Merritt confirmation class and serving on the Wesley Foundation board at the University of North Texas (UNT). “What a wonderful way to be a part of the church! Pastor Don and I are talking about reviving the men’s ministry right now too.,” Hannah, his daughter, has become very involved in the church as well. She just entered the sixth grade this year and has become involved in Youth. She is a part of Credo Choir, has been involved with Mission Possible Kids and 16 SHINING GOD’S LOVE, TRANSFORMING LIVES
participated with Darren on various opportunities. “I hope to be the guiding light in her spiritual life as my grandmother was for me,” he added. When asked about what he most likes about FUMC-Denton he said: “That’s easy, it is my church family!” Church has helped shape who he is. Darren said that he is “a work in progress and probably always will be.” He thinks that, more importantly, the church is helping him to shape future disciples of Christ. In the process, he hopes it is also shaping him to be what God expects from him in the future and beyond! “In the meantime, I just have to keep listening for His word and follow the direction he provides,” he humbly said. This is a very active church and it impacts the lives of many. “Allowing me to have the opportunity to be involved with this church has hopefully presented me as an example to others who need to understand God’s love for them. If he can love me in all of my imperfections, then he can love anyone,” Darren said. “First Meal is an example of that. I’m not sure how I got involved in giving the message and often times walk away wondering what makes me worthy to deliver God’s word to those who might need most to hear it, but hopefully they see me as someone who has been there and also needs to come to understand the depth of God’s grace,” he added. Darren remembers the many times he was approached at work by people that he has very little interaction with, who say they were in Denton and saw him at one of our church’s activities such as Evening in Bethlehem (EIB). They frequently say that they were so impressed with the activity that we staged. They feel that church has an impact on the community in the works that it does. “Last year, when we were serving hot dogs at EIB, a man with a son and daughter less than 10 years of age asked me how much the hot dogs were. When I told him
Darren Merritt, 6th Grade Sunday School teacher, with youth during Fall retreat in Bridgeport.
they were free, he said nothing is free anymore. I missed an opportunity to let him know that God’s love is. He was appreciative and I hope that a connection was made between him and God as a result,” he said. Council on Ministries, which Darren currently chairs, is involved in many community involvement projects, which makes him very excited. However, his heart is in First Meal and he thinks that is the most important ministry he is involved in. “Teresa Starrett does a great job of coordinating that ministry and communing with our guests. I feel that ministry really puts the face of Jesus on many of the participants, guests included. I can’t tell you how many times I speak with a guest after the message, that I don’t feel as though the Holy Spirit has directed them to me so that I can learn something about God and His love for us. I think I may get more spiritually from the experience than they do,” Darren said. “God’s plan for me is to make disciples of Christ, one at a time.”
“I think our pastors and leaders spend a lot of time in prayer regarding the direction of our church. My part is to embrace that vision and help to lead us into the future with God’s plans. Our vision should be tied to that mission and I am there to see it through,” he added. “When we have visitors to our church, I can only hope that I represent God and all of our church family in that same fashion. I know I have work to do there though. There is a lot of unconditional love in the walls and halls of our church. I think that is the greatest example of God’s love that there is.” “How can I describe this church in three words? Three words is really not enough to describe all of the great things inside this church, but if I had to express it in three only they would be, “My extended family!” Laney Braack is one of our most active youth. She has been participating in FUMC-Denton’s activities since she was in elementary school, by attending The Way of the Bible study and children’s choir. Then in middle school, she started participating in the youth program (or UMYF) every Sunday night. Currently, besides being a varsity cheerleader at Denton High School, she is very involved with the youth group by going to youth every
Top: Laney Braack (center) during youth Fall retreat. Bottom: Laney (left) during the Fall retreat with some of her youth friends.
Sunday night and being on Youth Council. She not only thinks people at FUMC-Denton are friendly, but they are also great life examples. “I’ve made many friends that have influenced my life in a positive way, including adults like Reverend Deana, Kyle Biggerstaff, Kent Carpenter, Mike Eubank, Julie Renner and many more. The youth group is so amazing in many ways that it could change anyone’s life.”
Laney and Carly Biggerstaff during “Paint War.”
She also loves how the church offers several activities for every age group. “I love to participate in anything the youth or church has to offer. I go on as many mission trips, camps and retreats as I can because they are truly fantastic. I love worship because of the songs we sing, the lessons that are being taught and the atmosphere it offers.” Since third grade, eight years ago, Laney has been to every summer camp at Lake Bridgeport as well as three midwinters (a weekend retreat in February, just like camp). “My favorite camp memory is when I was a junior counselor the summer after my eighth grade year. I met so many new friends that I am still in contact with today. I also made a new friend that goes to our WWW.FUMC-DENTON.COM 17
IMPACT | People Volume 2 Issue 1 | Winter 2016
church, Aly Beard, and she is one of my best friends today. Camp is my favorite week of the whole summer, actually, the whole year,” Laney said enthusiastically. The youth group fits perfectly into the church’s mission and vision by supporting its initiatives and programs and supporting the community. One weekend in October, for example, they gathered almost 300 pounds of canned goods and took to the food center near our church, shining God’s love into every life. “We do anything we can to show our love for the church and for others,” Laney said. The impact this church has in its members, friends and community is outstanding. One of the greatest examples of the impact youth has in our community is through our adopted school, Thomas Rivera Elementary. The youth do many things for the students and staff there; from helping organize the literacy library to making snack trays and much more. “We love helping Rivera,” Laney affirms.
“We do anything we can to show our love for the church and for others.” — Laney Braack Missions are something dear to Laney’s heart. “After my freshman year, we went on a mission trip to the Appalachian Mountains called ASP (Appalachia Service Project). I and five others, Rebekah Cheek, Quint Rickert, D’Andre Smith, Kyle Biggerstaff, and Jessica Dean worked on the roof of a lady and her mom’s home. It collapsed during a snowstorm earlier that year. Jeannie, the lady whose roof was damaged, was so thankful for what we did for her, even though it seemed so little on our part. She came to our church back in August and visited us. And we made it in her town’s newspaper! We love helping anyone we can,” she added. 18 SHINING GOD’S LOVE, TRANSFORMING LIVES
Ruth and Larry Burton during BE the Church volunteer fair.
She also says that the youth group loves when new people join them. So, if you fit in this age group, just give them a shot! Born and raised in Texas, Ruth Bowen is a life-long Methodist and since 1978, a very active FUMCDenton member. There is probably not one member who has not heard of her. Her parents were always actively involved in the church so she sometimes says she grew up in the church. “I don’t mean that I was brought up Methodist and its traditions, I mean that sometimes I felt I woke up and went to sleep in church,” said Ruth. Ruth is married to Walter, whom she met at high school in 1976. They have two children: a 33 year-old son and a 27 year-old daughter. “It was a God thing. After high school we did not see each other for years and, then one day, he just called. It was just meant to be,” Ruth said. She is a retired Registered Nurse and spent her career working with
Ruth talking to Rev. Lee
children and youth. The last part of her career was spent in School Health Nursing, as a coordinator of school nursing and health services for Dallas ISD. As soon as they moved from San Antonio to Denton in 1978, her first mission was to find a church. Together with her husband, she visited FUMC-Denton “When we visited FUMC-Denton, it was the largest church I’ve ever attended in my entire life and we felt it was a good fit.” At the time, the lead pastor was the late Rev. Dr. Bill Crouch. Both her kids were baptized and grew up in this church, being very
IMPACT | People Volume 2 Issue 1 | Winter 2016
involved as children. Since Ruth was 18, she has been involved with the United Methodist Women (UMW) as was her mother, her role model. Ruth’s grandmother was involved in UMW even when it had a different name. She has always liked their mission and believes it is a group that is a fit for her. She is a member of “Reliable Ruths,” one of the subgroups or “circles” of UMW at FUMCDenton. “Our church’s UMW is formed by an outstanding group of women. The encouragement to read, to learn, to educate you through what is now called MissionU, learning about different cultures, different issues like climate change, keeps me interested. This is a dynamic group of women in this church that have
Ruth Bowen
when Martha Colbran was with the Children’s Ministry. She was the first coordinator to introduce the evening Bible school and we have been having evening VBS since then. For the last three years Ruth has been involved with Adult Discipleship, what is now called Adult Discipleship Leadership Team
“Regardless of where we live, we experience many common needs and issues, and it is always good to share experiences and nurture your own growth and development. [UMW] is a great way to get connected with other women, to network, even if it is through a book club or something.” — Ruth Bowen always been my “other mothers.” UMW provides the opportunity to meet women of different backgrounds and life experiences, the opportunity to learn about different organizations and groups that need help and support, to learn about issues going on around the world. “Regardless of where we live, we experience many common needs and issues, and it is always good to share experiences and nurture your own growth and development. It is a great way to get connected with other women, to network, even if it is through a book club or something.” Children are very close to Ruth’s heart. She has taught children’s Sunday school and Vacation Bible School (VBS) in the past and thought it was a lot of fun. She has also been Director of our VBS, back
(ADLT). One of the great things this group did was the Advent Devotional book, completely written by, designed and produced by church members and our business administrator Alan Heath. Most recently, they producted the Lenten Devotional Booklet for 2016. Ruth’s eyes shine when she speaks about God and she knows God impacted her life many times. When she was in college, she was going to major in history and be a teacher. At least that’s what she thought. Two years into college, she was not making the grades she believed were good enough to become a teacher. She knew something had to change. One day, she traveled from San Antonio to Houston to visit a longtime friend, who was going to Houston Baptist University for nursing. While there, she
went with her friend to a student/ nurse meeting. “I really liked what they were saying, what they were talking about,” Ruth said. She got on the bus back to San Antonio, a three-hour ride with a lot of time to think. Ruth was enjoying the pretty countryside trip with lots of rolling hills and farmland. She remembered a book she read, To See a Different World, by Robert F. Kennedy, as well as her experience with her friend at the meeting she had just attended and thought that she really wanted to make a difference. So, she considered changing her major. She had that conversation with God during her bus ride and by the time she got home, she made the decision to change her major to nursing. She graduated from University of Texas in Health Sciences in San Antonio. “Loving one another, helping people whenever you can are phrases that Ruth lives by and she taught her kids to do the same. That includes being tolerant and respectful of different faiths and belief systems, embracing and appreciating people’s differences, helping others in any way I can and trying to make a difference in someone’s life.” No matter how old you are, what interests you have, we have a ministry, program or activity for you. We want you to be part of this amazing family and help us make a difference, one small step at a time. We want you to join us in shining God’s love into every life. For more information on our church, go to our website at www.fumc-denton.com.
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IMPACT | Events Volume 2 Issue 1 | Winter 2016
Experience IMPACT at FUMC-Denton
March 19 Egg-citing Easter Event 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, Egg hunt, Easter crafts and more.
February 28 Stone Soup Sunday 11:30am to 12:45pm, The Stone Soup Sunday is coming: February 28, 11:30 am - 12:45 pm in Miller Center (Soup-to-go from 9 am to 12:30 pm). Donations will benefit the Denton Community Food Room.
March 27 Easter Sunday *Complete Easter Service Schedule below Worship services celebrating Easter
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IMPACT Events February 14, 21, 28, March 6 Christianos Classes
March 25–27 Easter Services
12:30pm Four-week discipleship dealing with the John’s Wesley’s Quadrilateral. Classes will be taught by our lead pastor, Don Lee.
Maundy Thursday 6:30 pm, in the Sanctuary 7:00 pm, Bilingual Service in Flinn Hall
Session One: The Primacy of Scripture Session Two: The Illumination of Tradition Session Three: The Vivification of Experience Session Four: The Confirmation of Reason
March 1 and March 6 Credo Talent Show March 1, 7:00pm, March 6, 4:00pm Annual fundraiser event with youth musical performances. Benefits Credo Choir.
20 SHINING GOD’S LOVE, TRANSFORMING LIVES
Good Friday 7:00 pm, in the Sanctuary 7:00 pm, Bilingual Service in Flinn Hall Easter Sunday Services 6:30 am, Sunrise 8:30 am, Traditional 9:45 am, Connection Contemporary 11:00 am, Celebration 1:00 pm, Bilingual (Spanish – English)
July 24–28 Vacation Bible School 5:45pm to 8:30pm We hold VBS each summer, usually during early July. The purpose of VBS is to teach religious education through stories, Bible readings, skits, songs, and other visible activities. One of the main goals of VBS is to make the Bible more understandable for children. We are already preparing for July 2016! We will catch the wave of God’s Amazing Love!"
IMPACT | Bigger Picture Volume 2 Issue 1 | Winter 2016
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IMPACT Bigger Picture
United Methodist Women Focus on Women, Children and Youth
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s an international organization, United Methodist Women (UMW) traces its historical roots 147 years back to 1869 with the founding of the Methodist Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society. Since that time the organization has gone through various iterations as the church we know today as The United Methodist Church was the result of reorganization and denomination mergers. In 1973, United Methodist Women became the women’s organization of the United Methodist Church. As of 2012, it became autonomous having previously operated under the auspices of the General Board of Global Missions. But a common vision through the years has been the support of mission throughout the world and to serve as an advocate for women. UMW’s stated purpose is to “be a community of women whose purpose is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to develop a creative, supportive fellowship; and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church. Today, with over 800,000 members, UMW continues the legacy born so many years ago as it focuses its efforts not just on women, but also on children and youth. “A special emphasis…is children, because women care for children. Children often do not have a voice...so United Methodist Women cares for them and advocates on their behalf.” In addition, “A special emphasis…has been to involve young women in all of the ministries and leadership” of the organization. [UMW website, Our Mission]. International offices of United Methodist Women are located in
Top Left: United Methodist Women luncheon with guest speaker Vicki Busby, talking about Abundant Health. Top Right: UMW Deborah’s Daughter’s against human traffic. Bottom: UMW members assembling kits for UMCOR
the Interfaith Center, 475 Riverside Drive, New York City. For more information, please visit their informative website at www.unitedmethodistwomen.org. UMW Impact at FUMC-Denton Just as UMW has a long tradition in the denomination known as The United Methodist Church, women associated with UMW and its predecessors have a similar tradition and legacy at FUMCDenton. According to an historical report presented to a UMW meeting on September 1, 2015 by Anna Raye Tolson, the local organization was organized as the Ladies Aid Society in 1878, just nine years after the founding of the now international organization. Later the Missionary Society was organized in 1925. The FUMC-Denton UMW is organized in three “circles.” Our website lists the following: Deborahs’s Daughters, Reliable Ruth and
Dorcas Mission Group. In addition, UMW sponsors the weekly Quilting and Crafting group. UMW provides support for a number of local charities through their fundraising efforts including Denton City-County Day Nursery, Fred Moore Day Nursery, Denton Christian Pre-School, Denton County Friends of Family, Hope and Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). In this limited space, there is not enough room to catalog the immense impact UMW has had on our world and in the lives of countless women and children around the world. But their legacy is alive and well as they prepare for the celebration of their 150th anniversary in 2019.
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— Alan Heath, Executive Editor WWW.FUMC-DENTON.COM 21
IMPACT | From Feature the Pastor Volume 2 Issue 1 | Winter 2016
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IMPACT From the Pastor
Restoring Relevance: Young Adults Must Lead the Way.
M
uch has been said about the millennial generation. They are more technology-driven. They are more collaborative. And some say that only young leaders can lead young people. Young people have always adapted to technology better than the generations before them. Maybe you were one of the first people in your family to get a TV. Maybe you were on the cutting edge with hi-fi stereo. Maybe you were one of those fashion leaders wearing a WalkMan. Were you among the first to get a home computer? A car phone? A laptop? A cellphone? A two-way pager? Maybe you were excited to show everyone your new Palm Pilot, and how you could organize your life on it. Today’s generation has better technology, and more of it. Young adults (generally defined as adults aged 19-29) are collaborative. It is hard to tell for sure whether their collaborative nature was driven by social media, or if social media simply arose from that nature. I’ll bet, if this technology was available when you were a young adult, you would have taken to it like a jogger to a Walkman. The point is, young adults today aren’t really any different
than when we were young adults. They’re just as idealistic and just as passionate as we were. But one thing has changed. They are not as patient. Our microwaveable, credit card, download-now world has transformed our society into one of urgent gratification. If they cannot have it now, they don’t need it. And this is why we have seen such a rapid decline in young people in church.
“As young Christians you are not only a part of the future of the Church; you are also a necessary and beloved part of the — Pope Francis Church’s present.” We are living a lot longer than we did even 50 years ago. Retired people have more time to volunteer in church, and these days, there are a lot more active older folks than there were just a generation ago. As a result, we are increasingly filling our churches with older leaders, and leaving fewer places for young leaders. It is not intentional: it is simply easier to fill our church leadership vacancies with available retirees who want to stay active. Fifty years ago, we needed to recruit younger people into leadership to fill all the vacancies. At one of my former churches, a member proudly proclaimed how he had been the church’s superintendent of Sunday Schools for 52 years. On the one hand, that is an impressive commitment. But on the other hand, it means that for over fifty
— Rev. Jon Kendzie, Associate Pastor 22 SHINING GOD’S LOVE, TRANSFORMING LIVES
years, no one else had the opportunity to serve in an important leadership position! (Note also, it meant he started as the superintendent as a young adult himself: when he was 24 years old.) Today, we have plenty of active older adults who are willing to serve, and we have a society that demands more and more of our younger people’s time. It’s easy to fill church leadership with the readily available active older adults.
It is misguided to say that only young people can lead young people. Young people love their grandparents, elder teachers, and many crave older mentors. But I would suggest that, if we are to lead young people, we need young people represented among our leadership teams. As Pope Francis so aptly noted in a recent address, “As young Christians you are not only a part of the future of the Church; you are also a necessary and beloved part of the Church’s present.” If we want the church to reclaim its position as the central agency defining our communities, we need to bring young people into the church; to see the church as relevant here and now, not just for some lives, but for all people. For that to happen, we need young people involved in church life. And if we want to bring young people back to church, we must be intentional in recruiting young leaders into positions as equal partners in ministry. Young adults crave involvement. They want to make a difference.
IMPACT | From the Pastor Volume 2 Issue 1 | Winter 2016
They want to transform the world, and make it a better place. (I know I did when I was young…and I still do!) Young adult leaders crave leadership opportunities. When we take the easy route in filling our church leadership, young leaders feel no place has been made for them. They feel turned-out from the church, often developing resentment toward the church as a place “no longer relevant” to them. And these leaders then flex their leadership skills in other directions, often leading other young adults away from the church. In order to reclaim our community, we need to have strong, young leaders present as partners and peers among our leadership. We need young leaders in the church who can lead young followers back to the church. We need to train our young leaders to see their elder lead-
ers, not as obsolete, but as partners in ministry, and partners in life. In so doing, we not only restore the relevance of the church to the younger generations, we also restore the value of elders as partners in life. This urgency is at its greatest right here in Denton, Texas. Denton is one of the youngest cities in Texas. The median age in Denton is 28.8. That means 50% of our population is under the age of 29. In fact, 29.3% of Denton’s permanent residents are “young adults” between 19-29 years old. That’s larger than any other demographic! Larger than children and youth combined. Larger than Hispanics. Larger than empty nesters and retirees. And take note: that’s the permanent resident population. If we add nonresident college students, that jumps up significantly. While school is in
session, 58% of Denton’s population are young adults! Here, at the heart of Denton, we have an unprecedented opportunity to be a center for developing Christian leaders, and restoring the church as not just relevant, but as a central source for vibrant Christian community. If we can be intentional in recruiting young adults into leadership roles within our church— young adults whom we see as equal partners, not future leaders in training—they will lead the young adult community back into our churches, and bring their passion for transforming the community with the hands and feet of Christ. And the church will again become a center of community enrichment. (Rev. Kendzie is associate pastor for congregational care and youngadult ministries).
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WWW.FUMC-DENTON.COM 23
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IMPACT The Next Big Thing
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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. Meeting in Flinn Hall Lounge during Monroe Center Renovation.
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.
First United Methodist Church Of Denton 201 S. Locust Street | Denton, TX 76201 (940) 382-5478 | (940) 381-9124 (FAX)
www.fumc-denton.com
9:45 am – Sunday School classes for all ages each Sunday 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
1:00 pm – Ministerio Éxito Familiar (Ministry for Family Success) Bilingual Service (Spanish/English). A ministry focused on families. Located in Flinn Hall