First Connections Feb-Mar 2011

2011 is a year full of possibilities for First United Methodist Church Richardson!

With all of the ministry opportunities God has given us, and all of the challenges we face both individually and as a church, there is one simple thing that should never be overlooked: Caring about one another. This is so basic to who we are as Christians, yet so easy to let slip in the midst of all of our demands. Maybe it Dr. Clayton Oliphint, should be one of our goals for the year—simply to take time to care about each Senior Pastor other: members, guests of our church, and strangers we encounter in the world.

One of my first District Superintendents, Rev. Pete Robertson, told me, “People don’t care what you know, until they know that you care.” Good advice for all of us, not only in terms of how we treat one another in church, but also in how we live our lives in the world.

In this issue of FIRST Connections you will learn more about our Caring Ministries here at FUMCR In the wake of Rev. Ken Shamblin’s death, we have reorganized this area of ministry. Rev. April Bristow leads this department and Rev. Rich Rindfuss has joined our staff to help in this area, as well as to work in Discipleship. All of the clergy are involved in Pastoral Care, and we also believe strongly that our job is to help equip you to be involved in this ministry. After reading about all that we are doing, you may be inspired to get involved. This is one of the ways you can really make a difference in helping us share the love of Christ with others.

For the season of Lent we have a series called “24 Hours That Changed The World,” based on a book written by my friend and colleague, Adam Hamilton. Adam was my seminary classmate at Perkins School of Theology and is pastor of Church of the Resurrection in the Kansas City area, which is the largest United Methodist Church in our denomination. We are encouraging every member to join us in this study in worship, Sunday School, small groups, and personal study. It will make our celebration of Easter that much more meaningful to understand what happened this last day in Jesus’ earthly life.

Join us for worship every Sunday morning at 8:45, 9:45, or 11:00 a.m., or on Sunday afternoon for access at 5:00p.m. We are a caring church because we serve a God who cares!

In Christ, Clayton Oliphint