March 2016 First Pulse

March 2016 Edition

On the radio broadcast “A Prairie Home Companion,” Garrison Keillor referred to March as “Mother nature’s hangover.”

Kind of an intriguing image, is it not?

While the winter season has been fairly kind to us this year, we never really know about March. There have been years when March is awful (weather wise)… just as there have been years when March was a foretaste of spring.

March is quite unpredictable. When I was in high school and playing on the baseball team, we had a “fooler” March. In mid-March, we were already outside with our practices. We were gearing up for an April 10th opening game. But we got a 17-inch snow storm at the end of March that caused us to cancel the first several games because the field needed to dry.

The last twenty years or so, March Madness has sort of made March tolerable – regardless of what Mother-Nature throws at us.

College basketball in March is big business. Admittedly, there is a lot that is wrong with college basketball! The salaries of coachesm, the enormous pressure to win at any and all costs, the viciousness of recruiting battles, the press that is always on the lookout for flaws and failures of people and institutions, and the extraordinary pressure on young student athletes to produce on and off the court, are just a few of the things that need to be altered. And yet, regardless of the flaws, I am hooked on March Madness. For years now, I plan my schedule so that I can “over-dose” on watching basketball games. I love it! It is fun to watch

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Intentional Faith Development

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www.grandrapidsfumc.org

the human interest stories with the behind-the-scenes look at players and families that have overcome tragedy or heartbreak. It is interesting to me to see how many underdog teams have their “one shining moment” and knock off the team that was supposed to win. It is fun to watch the surprises – as long as it is not my team that gets surprised.

While I would love for Pigeon and I to be on a beach in the Bahamas for the month of March, March Madness makes it tolerable to be at home with TV remote in hand, a full refrigerator, and popcorn ready to pop.

From a church perspective, March (this year) is focused on Lent and Easter. Now I have got to tell you, I am not a fan of Easter in March. When Easter falls in March, I am usually inundated with questions about “why?” So – here is the “why” answer. On the Gregorian cal- I DO hope you will make a special endar (the one that we use), effort to join us in these remaining Easter is the first Sunday after Sundays of Lent. Please continue the Paschal full moon, which to pray the Lord’s Prayer. is the first full moon on or after March 21. Easter thus always falls Now on a more serious note: I DO between March 22 and April 25. Since hope you will make a special effort 1997, there have been several attempts to join us in these remaining Sundays in the World Council of Churches to of Lent. Please continue to pray the set an Easter date in April. In fact, in Lord’s Prayer three times a day. And the United Kingdom, Parliament ap- then, join us for Maundy Thursday proved that Easter should be celebrat- Communion at 6:15 pm, the Commued on the Sunday after the second Sat- nity Good Friday Service from 12:00 urday in April, but they have not put it 2:00 pm at Central Reformed Church, into practice yet. our Good Friday service of music, art and readings at 7:00 pm, and then two Lent 4, 5, and 6 (Palm Sunday), Holy magnificent Easter morning worship Week (with Holy Thursday and Good services at 8:15 and 10:45 am in the Friday), and Easter Sunday are ALL in sanctuary.

March. While I adore the deeply spiritual meaning of the Lenten season, God Bless you, and God bless us all in Holy Week and Easter, from my per- our journey through March. sonal rhythm of things – there is just something wrong with Easter being Grace and Peace. over before the Final Four.  Pastor Bob Hundley

Compassionate Care

Extravagant Generosity 4

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1 Risk-taking Mission and Service

Passionate Worship

Radical Hospitality

Pastor’s Message

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Intentional Faith Development Moms’ Group at FUMC It takes a village to raise a child.

The internet has changed the way we interpret this African Proverb. History books tell me that fifty years ago, neighbors knew one another, kids played freely in each other’s homes and yards, and “the village” was tangible.

Moms, most of whom stayed home with their children, were relatively isolated apart from women’s circles like the United Methodist Women. Since the introduction of the internet, blogging and “online communities,” our idea of “a village” now includes people we’ve never met and who live all over the world. Moms, who are arguably less isolated now than they were fifty years ago, have instant access to millions of opinions and ideas about how to raise their children and have an open platform on which to share their own thoughts and ideas.

Unfortunately, this instant access to millions of ideas can perpetuate the myth that a woman can have it “all” (a successful and powerful career; an immaculate home; a happy marriage; healthy meals every day; a healthy body; perfectly done hair, nails, and makeup; the ability to stay home with her children; etc.), leaving the struggling mom to feel inadequate and lessthan-perfect.

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Moms’ Group is a safe place where moms can laugh, share stories, and build a reliable “village” around their children, far away from the pressure to have it “all.”

Cue Moms’ Group.

The new year has brought about a new direction for Moms’ Group. Beyond playdates and outings, we have started exploring our potential for service projects and have begun our own Lenten Book Study. We celebrated Valentine’s Day in February with pancakes, crafts, and playing. March and April will bring book discussion playdates of Anne Lamott’s new book, “Help, Thanks, Wow!” and Spring crafts led

by Kayla Domeyer, craft blogger and Moms’ Group Member.

In 2004, Sami Marasigan started First Church’s Moms’ Group with a small group of other moms with young children. She cites, “I really needed other moms!” as her reason for starting the group. Sami organized playdates and outings and built strong relationships.

Eleven years later Sami and most of the moms from the original group have moved on as their children have gotten older, but new moms of young children have given the group If you are a mom or know of a mom continued life. of a young person who is looking for a group of people with whom to share Moms’ Group is a safe your parenting journey, please join us! place where moms can A schedule of our events can be found laugh, share stories, and on the church website (grfumc.org/ build a reliable “village” momsatfirst). around their children, far away from the pressure Audrey Kawel to have it “all.” We eat toDirector of Children’s Ministry and gether, pray together, and Moms’ Group Organizer support one another on our individual and collective parenting journey.

Passionate Worship

This summer at the 2016 General Conference of The United Methodist Church, there will be a vote on legislation concerning the development of a new official hymnal that would be finalized and offered at the next General Conference in 2020. The official hymnal of the denomination is an important tool in expressing the theology of the church for each successive generation. In general, hymnals have been published every 20-30 years, and it’s fascinating to read the history of hymnal publication in the United Methodist Church. The United Methodist Publishing House was established in 1789, just five years after the Methodist Episcopal Church was formed in this country. The publishing of books and pamphlets was very important to John Wesley.

The hymnals are also vehicles for new worship materials such as prayers, litanies, affirmations, and other acts of worship.

I would like to explore several of these issues over the coming months, and would welcome your input as to what congregational songs you find particularly rich.

I leave you with an interesting hymn titled “Peace of Our Praying” that is found at number 3022 in “Worship and Song.” Written by Terry W. York, a professor of church music and ministry at Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary. I find the structure of the poetry to be interesting, and not typical of other hymns.

The phrases are all short thoughts, each of which could serve as a minimeditation. There is a micro and macro quality to each statement, and each In recent years, “supplements” to the statement points to finding God in all hymnal have become a good way to that we experience. introduce new music for congregational singing between publication of Peace of Our Praying – Terry W. York “The Hymnal.” In addition to “The Copyright 2004 Abingdon Press United Methodist Hymnal,” we have Reprinted under OneLicense.net A-703279 in our pew racks a supplement published in 2000 titled “The Faith We Peace of our praying, Sing.” You have no doubt noticed that Song of our singing, the hymns in this volume begin with Truth of our telling, number 2001 and extend to 2284 as Love of all loves, the last hymn in the collection. An- Health of our healing, other supplement titled “Worship and Gift of our giving, Song” was published in 2011, and has Life of our living, hymns beginning with number 3001 Light of all lights. and ending with 3190. “The Faith We Sing” has an ecumenical flavor, and Peace of our praying, is in use in many Protestant churches Christ of our crying, under a different cover. “Worship and Strength of our striving, Song” represents the growing diversi- Heart of our heart, ty of worship styles within the United Bread of our breaking, Methodist Church, and consequently Wine of our waiting, includes praise music, gospel songs, Blood of our boasting, world music and music from various Death of all death. ethnic traditions, music from Taizé and Iona, as well as newly written Peace of our praying, hymn texts and tunes. Hymnals are Faith of forgiving, also vehicles for new worship mate- Way of our walking, rials such as prayers, litanies, affirma- King of all kings, tions, and other acts of worship.

Breath of our breathing, Courage of caring, It is interesting to ponder what musi- Hope of our hoping, cal and poetic material the next United Life of all life.

Methodist Hymnal will include. A denominational hymnal has to represent Eric Strand the rich diversity and core values of Executive Director of the people that make up the church. It Worship, Music, and the Arts is not an easy job to select and curate such a huge wealth of material. The standards are high, and involve many questions as to language, theology, aesthetic, and style.

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Risk-Taking Mission and Service Your Coffee Can Dollars at Work

Heifer Project International By giving families animals, Heifer empowers them to turn hunger and poverty Each month, we spend a few noisy into hope and prosperity. Your gifts in minutes passing empty coffee cans 2015 were the equivalent of 7 goats. down the sanctuary aisles. Children dump coins they’ve saved into the can.

Adults throw in coins or bills from their wallets. Sometimes people write a check. Those few minutes make a world of difference in the lives of people most of us have never met. In 2015 nearly $9000 was collected and sent to ministries that feed the hungry and offer emergency relief.

Nicaragua Food Program Our medical mission partner, Dr. Mir, feeds children who are in need from her own home. Children are fed on Tuesdays and Thursdays, milk is provided on Sundays. $10 feeds one child for a month. Your gifts in 2015 provided 3 meals a week for a year for 15 children.

Cuba Food Program Our sister church in Herradura, Cuba, provides Sunday meals for children, families in need, and the elderly. Food is prepared and served by members of the congregation. Your gifts in 2015 helped launch this new ministry!

Haiti Hot Lunch This program provides hot meals three times per week to over 22,000 students. The program ensures access to nutritional meals, cooked on-site, to provide energy to learn throughout the day. Your gifts in 2015 provided 3 meals a week for a year for 16 children.

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Thank you! You are a generous congregation!

Tornado Relief for Portland United Methodist Church First Church sent funds to Portland UMC following a tornado that caused severe damage.

After 8 months of repair and rebuilding, Pastor Tish Bowman and the Portland congregation are again worshipping in their sanctuary!

UMCOR Emergency Relief UMCOR provides humanitarian relief and disaster response in the United States and internationally. UMCOR’s efforts are targeted in places where natural disasters, war, or conflict have done so Thank you! You are a generous conmuch damage that communities are gregation! unable to recover on their own. Your Laure Mieskowski gifts in 2015 provided disaster relief Executive Director of Faith Developin Jesus name. ment, Outreach, and Mission Westminster Food Pantry Our neighborhood pantry provides an emergency supply of food and personal care items to people in need while also promoting self-sufficiency through referrals and education. Your gifts in 2015 were used in conjunction with a matching gift from Meijer to provide $1200 worth of food for families in need.

Radical Hospitality Easter Sunday is one of the biggest days for people without a church home to attend worship. How do you welcome them in worship and make them feel at home?

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The following is a list of ways congregations, and more specifically you, 4. as a member or regular attendee of a congregation, can love any and all 5. who walk through our doors. This list is adapted from the book Now Go Forward by J. David Eschelman, who says, 6.

“Loving unbelievers the way Jesus did is the most overlooked key to growing a church…The command to love is the most 7. repeated command in the New Testament, 8. appearing at least 55 times.”

1. Every regular attendee is a host and not a guest. Making visitors feel welcome is primarily the responsibility of regulars, not the nebulous “church.”

2. The most important person for a visitor to talk to in order to feel at 9. home in a new church is you. It is not the pastor, or the greeter, but a regular attender. Eshleman says “One of the most impressive ges- 10.

tures we can extend to first time visitors is for people with no official position to take the initiative and welcome them.”

Treat first time visitors as guests of God, not strangers.

Look people in the eye and smile.

Take the initiative, don’t wait for visitors to initiate conversation with you.

Ask questions and learn about your guests. It is better to express interest in them than it their tour guide and helping them is to try to “sell” your church. find worship resources and visiGreet children at their level. tor sign-in sheet. Visiting a new Let children be children. Yes, church is like a cross-cultural exfamilies love children’s church and perience. child care. They also love it when 11. Tell people you’re glad they are you allow them to decide if their here. children should remain with them 12. Pray for them throughout your in worship. Even more when you week. Also pray for the visitors love their kids as kids (crying, that will be coming next week. playing, singing!) and don’t expect 13. Be yourself ! You are loving! You them to be grown-ups. have a good thing going! You have Invite visitors to join you at somethe capacity to love more people, thing, anything! Invite them to and to love more deeply. return next week to the forum, a class or an upcoming concert.

Patsy McGillivray Help first time visitors by being Director of Invitational Ministry

Extravagant Generosity IRA Charitable Giving Becomes Permanent

Congressional approval at the end of 2015 once again brought Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) back to life and made it permanent. This ends years of last-minute renewals and provides certainty for those looking to take advantage of this charitable gifting strategy.

up to the annual $100,000 limit. The benefit of the QCD is that the amount transferred from the IRA to a charity is not included in your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) for the year.

By not including the distribution in AGI, a donor can potentially avoid the loss of exemptions, deductions, credits, and phase-outs; the alternative minimum tax; the 3.8% surtax on investment income; and the increase in Starting this year, donors can satisfy social security premiums for Medicare their yearly IRA Required Minimum Dis- Part B and Part D. Jane would not have tribution (RMD) up to the $100,000 an- to include her $30,000 RMD in her AGI for the year, which may potentialnual limit. ly preserve valuable tax breaks for her.

For example, if Jane has a $30,000 RMD for the year, she could do a A QCD is also a way for a donor who $30,000 QCD to the church and satis- uses the standard deduction, which fy her RMD. Jane could even contrib- many older donors do, to get a tax ute more than her RMD if she wishes, break for a charitable contribution.

The key planning point to remember is that QCDs lowers your AGI. This makes the QCD a more tax-efficient way to give to the church. In other words, the cost of the donation is lower due to the additional tax savings from using the QCD provision, as opposed to including the IRA distribution in income and taking a deduction for the charitable contribution.

Donors who are eligible to do a QCD are IRA owners and IRA beneficiaries age 70-1/2 and older. If you are considering a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from your IRA, please consult with your tax advisor and/or estate planning attorney about your unique individual situation. If you have any questions in general relating to this topic, you are welcome to contact Sharon Sorensen at sharons@grand rapidsfumc.org or 451-2879, ext. 124.

Dan Miller

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Compassionate Care Caring Connection Are you a parent of an active toddler?

Someone who travels often for your job? A senior who doesn’t drive anymore? A recent retiree? What you may all have in common is the ability to join our Caring Connection!

Think back to a time when you lost a loved one, were recovering from surgery or an accident, had a new baby, were going through cancer treatment, or had just gotten married. What helped you through these challenging times? Likely the cards and notes you received in the mail gave you the lift you needed.

I clearly remember when my mother died after almost 8 months of hospitalizations. One of the things I looked forward to each day was getting cards in the mail. They were cards of encouragement, notes saying the sender was holding all of us in their prayers, thoughtful Bible verses, and expressions of sincere sympathy and support. There were many times I would come home exhausted, pick up some of the cards and reread what had been

“Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He anwritten. When I was too tired or swered, “Yes, Lord, you know that grief-filled to pray anymore, it I love you.” Jesus replied, “Take was so comforting to be remind- care of my sheep.”” John 21:16 ed that others were there, praying and caring!

As I visit our members going through all kinds of trials in their lives, I almost always hear how the cards and prayers help them through. I visit our homebound and see the cards you send on their bedside tables or tacked to their bulletin boards. Even our 90+year olds appreciate birthday cards!

So what exactly is Caring Connection? Formally, it is a small group of

Join us for our Third Annual

Adoption HoeDown Saturday March 12 5:30–8:00pm in The Vine Pizza! Auction! Cupcakes! Guaranteed Family Fun! $10 per person/$30 family max

people who meet at 9:00 am on the third Wednesday of each month with our chaplain, Jim Lucas, at New Beginnings Restaurant on Michigan St NE. After some fellowship time and a tasty breakfast, Jim gives them a list of 6 to 10 people, complete with their addresses, who could really benefit from cards and prayer support that month.

Can’t meet for breakfast? I would be more than happy to email or send you the list each month. Some of the names you may recognize from recent prayer announcements in worship or from the Weekly Pulse. Others may be the names of our homebound, those with upcoming surgeries scheduled, those grieving a loss, or those adopting or celebrating the birth of a baby.

Don’t have any cards to send? I can provide you with some! The addresses are provided on the list making it easy to take a few minutes to write a note or sign a card and drop it in the mail.

Please pray about joining this easy yet meaningful Congregational Care Ministry! I look forward to hearing from you!

Peace and joy,

A benefit for the First United Methodist Church Adoption Ministry

Dance and toe tappin’ music provided by our favorite band

Gooder’n Grits

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Marj Timmerman RN Executive Director of Congregational Care

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February 28 - March 9 Prayer Labyrinth in Wesley Hall March 1, 5:30 pm Staff Parish Relations 6:00 pm Trustees March 2, 10:00 am The Way at Clark 6:00 pm Praying the Hymns We Love to Sing 6:00 pm Young Adults Thanks! (Dinner, Study, and Prayer Labyrinth) March 3, 10:00 am Moms’ Group Lenten Study: Help, Thanks, Wow 6:00 pm Jubilation Ringers 7:15 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal March 4, 7:00 am Men’s Lenten Breakfast March 6 Communion and Blood Pressure Sunday 8:00 am Infant and Toddler Nurseries Open 8:15 and 10:45 am Sunday Worship 8:30 am Children’s Chapel (dismissed from worship) 9:15 am Church School for all ages 10:45 am Children & Worship and Shine (dismissed from worship) 5:00 pm Kids’ Club, Jr and Sr High Youth, Disciple Bible Study March 7, 11:00 am Retiree Bible Study 1:00 pm Executive Team 6:30 pm Stephen Ministry March 8, 5:30 pm Finance Committee 7:00 pm Vision Meeting March 9, 10:00 am The Way at Clark 6:00 pm Praying the Hymns We Love to Sing 6:00 pm Young Adults “i am human” 7:00 pm Refresh Worship (Taizé) March 10, 9:00 am Fixin’ ‘n’ Fellowship 10:00 am Moms’ Group Lenten Study: Help, Thanks, Wow 5:00 pm Trustees 6:00 pm Jubilation Ringers 7:15 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal March 11, 7:00 am Men’s Lenten Breakfast March 12 Confirmation Field Trip 6:30 pm Adoption Ministry Hoedown March 13, 8:00 am Infant and Toddler Nurseries Open 8:15 and 10:45 am Sunday Worship 8:30 am Children’s Chapel (dismissed from worship) 9:15 am Church School for all ages 10:45 am Children & Worship and Shine (dismissed from worship) 12:00 pm Kids’ Club, Jr and Sr High Youth 5:00 pm Disciple Bible Study

Mark your calendars March 14, 11:00 am Retiree Bible Study 1:00 pm Staff meeting March 16, 9:00 am Caring Connection 10:00 am The Way at Clark 6:00 pm Praying the Hymns We Love to Sing 6:00 pm Young Adults Bingo!

March 17, 10:00 am Moms’ Group Lenten Study: Help, Thanks, Wow 6:00 pm Jubilation Ringers 7:15 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal March 18, 7:00 am Men’s Lenten Breakfast March 19, 8:30 am Feeding America March 20 Palm Sunday 8:00 am Infant and Toddler Nurseries Open 8:15 and 10:45 am Sunday Worship 8:30 am Children’s Chapel (dismissed from worship) 9:15 am Church School for all ages 10:00 am Palm Sunday Pancake Brunch 10:45 am Children & Worship and Shine (dismissed from worship) 11:45 am Palm Sunday Pancake Brunch March 21, 11:00 am Retiree Bible Study 12:00 pm 60+ Luncheon 12:00 pm Executive Team 1:30 pm Staff meeting 6:30 pm Stephen Ministry March 22, 5:30 pm Moms’ Group: Easter Craft and Dinner March 23, 10:00 am The Way at Clark 6:30 pm Missions Commission March 24, 9:00 am Fixin’ ‘n’ Fellowship 6:15 pm Holy Thursday Service and Meal March 25, 7:00 am Men’s Lenten Breakfast 7:00 pm Good Friday Service March 27 Easter Sunday 8:00 am Infant and Toddler Nurseries Open 8:15 and 10:45 am Sunday Worship 8:30 am Children’s Chapel (dismissed from worship) 9:15 am Continental Breakfast 10:45 am Children & Worship and Shine (dismissed from worship) March 28, 11:00 am Retiree Bible Study March 31, 6:00 pm Jubilation Ringers 7:15 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal