The Point Monthly (Jan 2017)

THE WOODLANDS UMC

ISSUE 12 | JANUARY 2017 EDITION

NEWSLETTER

PLUS:

FIRST ANNIVERSARY AT THE CHURCH AT WOODFOREST

IN THIS

ISSUE: 4

PASTOR’S

MESSAGE

FOCUS ON STEWARDSHIP

Learn more about what it is and how you can participate

Dr. Ed Robb, Senior Pastor

Dear Friends

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We are entering our 40th year as a congregation. I’m tempted to linger over the fond memories and accomplishments we’ve shared through the years, but I honestly can’t take credit for any of it. I know deep down it is all God’s work through us. I want you to know how grateful I am to God for allowing me to be part of this remarkable ministry.

REMEMBERING YOUR VOWS

Pastors’ perspectives on church membership

As much as we have to celebrate, I know God is calling us to reach further in the days and months ahead. 2017 will be an important year in the history of The Woodlands UMC. We continue to experience increases in both church membership and worship attendance, two key indicators in the health and vitality of any church. Our membership is now more than 12,000 — and our average weekly worship attendance exceeds 5,000. Additionally, our campus is filled with activities and people from morning until night, seven days a week.

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GROWING UP GIVING

Thoughts on generosity from Ann Snyder

With the rapid growth of The Harvest worship community and The Church at Woodforest, plus the ongoing appeal of both Traditional worship and The Loft, we anticipate hundreds more visitors will connect with our church in the next 12 months. My prayer is that these people will feel the presence of Jesus here and that their lives are transformed because of it.

As you consider your financial commitment for 2017, I hope you sense the joy of knowing that your giving is truly making a difference. None of this ministry would be possible without you — and without your prayers, presence, gifts and service!

Our theme this year is “Will You Grow?” I hope the answer is Yes. I’m confident that if we will seek God’s direction, he will help us to find ways to grow in our generosity.

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HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

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CHURCH NEWS

The Church At Woodforest celebrates one year

Births, Deaths, New Members, Foundation Gifts

Your Pastor,

Ed Robb

Grow?

WILL

YOU

STEWARDSHIP

2017

A tenth of the land’s produce, whether grain from the ground or fruit from the trees, is GOD’s. It is holy to GOD. —Leviticus 27:30

Annual stewardship commitments make it possible for the church to budget and plan for the 2017 calendar year.

Financial contributions go directly to fund a wide variety of worship, discipleship programming, Missions outreach and ministry operations.

The table below estimates your monthly financial commitment based on your annual income.

I believe God provides everything I need, therefore I feel led to share with others. $ _________________ weekly | monthly | annually (circle one)

MY TOTAL 2017 PLEDGE IS $_______________ (please see other side to complete pledge information)

Full Name:_____________________________ Address:__________________________________ ANNUAL INCOME

2%

4%

5%

10%

12%

15%

$30,000

$50

$100

$125

$250

$300

$375

$40,000

$67

$133

$167

$333

$400

$500

$50,000

$83

$167

$208

$417

$500

$625

$60,000

$100

$200

$250

$500

$600

$750

$70,000

$117

$233

$292

$583

$700

$875

$80,000

$133

$267

$333

$667

$800

$1,000

$90,000

$150

$300

$375

$750

$900

$1,125

$100,000

$167

$333

$417

$833

$1,000

$1,250

$110,000

$183

$367

$458

$917

$1,100

$1,375

$120,000

$200

$400

$500

$1,000

$1,200

$1,500

$130,000

$217

$433

$542

$1,083

$1,300

$1,625

$140,000

$233

$467

$583

$1,167

$1,400

$1,750

$150,000

$250

$500

$625

$1,250

$1,500

$1,875

$175,000

$292

$583

$729

$1,458

$1,750

$2,188

$200,000

$333

$667

$833

$1,667

$2,000

$2,500

$250,000

$417

$833

$1,042

$2,083

$2,500

$3,125

$300,000

$500

$1,000

$1,250

$2,500

$3,000

$3,750

_____________________________________ City:__________________________________ State:________________ Zip:______________ Primary Phone:_________________________ Primary Email:__________________________ I Primarily Attend: Traditional Service Harvest Service

Loft Service Woodforest Service

The Woodlands United Methodist Church

2200 Lake Woodlands Drive | The Woodlands, Texas 77380

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STEWARDSHIP GROWTH IN FOUR STEPS 1 | PRAY

We believe returning a portion of our financial resources to the church is an act of worship and thanksgiving. Consider and pray over the ways God has blessed you during the last year. Listen for His voice and ask His guidance on how to best return some of those blessings back to the ministry of the church.

2 | DISCUSS

Check or Cash

Bank Draft*

Credit Card*

(please attach a voided check for monthly recurring payment)

Making financial decisions involving your tithes and offerings may include careful discussion with your spouse or family.

Actively and openly seek opportunities to discuss your current financial situation, giving options and the reasons for making a stewardship commitment. Please remember no one is telling you how much to give; that is a personal decision.

(monthly recurring payment)

Visa

Mastercard

AmEx

Discover

Name on Card:_________________________ Card Number:__________________________

3 | COMMIT

Fill out the pledge form included on the flap inside this newsletter. The process of completing the form converts a good intention into a deliberate action. Knowing upfront how much you will give each month helps with household budget planning. It also helps the church plan its budget.

Exp. Date: _____________________________ Signature: _____________________________ *Unless otherwise noted, the first recurring payment will be processed when the request is received and then beginning on the fifth day of each following month, ending on December 5, 2017.

OR PLEDGE ONLINE AT

thewoodlandsumc.org/give I also wish to pledge my prayers, presence, service and witness.

Daily Prayer

Presence in Worship

Sunday School Participation

Bible Reading/Bible Study

Service in Missions

Volunteer Within the Church

Share My Story with Others

4 | RETURN

There are a variety of ways to return a completed pledge card. You can mail it to the church or bring it to worship and place it in the offering plate. You can also give right now online: thewoodlandsumc.org/give There is no deadline for returning a commitment card, but an early response helps us finalize our 2017 operating budget without delay.

Mailing Address: The Woodlands UMC 2200 Lake Woodlands Dr. The Woodlands, TX 77380 ATTN: Finance

STEWARDSHIP Q&A What is a tithe and where does that come from?

A tithe is one-tenth of your income set apart as an offering to God. It was introduced as a standard of giving by Abraham in the Bible. Throughout Scripture, the tithe is mentioned in context of “first fruits” — the first and best fruit of agricultural crops.

What if I haven’t given money to the church?

It’s never too late, and no gift is too small. Consider starting with a monthly gift that fits your budget. You will feel good about participating, and you can always adjust your giving level by contacting our accounting office. Please return a commitment card regardless of your monthly gift amount.

What if I’m already giving money to the church?

Pray and consider the ways you might grow your financial commitment in 2017. If you haven’t yet reached tithing level, how might you shape your monthly budget to get there? Make a decision and return your completed commitment card.

What if I’m already tithing to the church?

First, thank you for your faithfulness. Pray and consider increasing your gifts beyond the tithe in 2017. A 1-3% increase will help us meet our ministry opportunities with even greater impact. Make a decision and return your completed commitment card.

OTHER RESOURCES Feeling stretched too thin? Don’t let financial hardship prevent you from participating and serving the church. Many people in our community are experiencing life changes due to job loss, divorce and other unforeseen hardships. The church is here to offer care and support for anyone living through a difficult season:

Financial Health | Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University has helped hundreds of people regain control of their personal finances. Learn more at thewoodlandsumc.org/fpu Prayer & Pastoral Care | We have pastors and professional counselors who can help you regain hope in a personal crisis — financial or otherwise. We also offer prayer from a team of dedicated volunteers who are ready to pray over your specific situation. Learn more at thewoodlandsumc.org/help Job Search Ministry | Developed to equip unemployed and under-employed individuals with spiritual encouragement and networking opportunities. Learn more at thewoodlandsumc.org/job-search

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LIVING OUT YOUR VOWS FIVE WAYS TO PARTICIPATE IN CHURCH LIFE

When a person chooses to join the United Methodist Church, they take Vows of Membership in which they commit to participate in the ministries of the church by their prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness. As we look at Stewardship in this issue of The Point and examine what it means to be a member of The Woodlands UMC, we asked some of our pastors to write about each of these five ways to participate in the life of the church.

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PRAYER Cliff Ritter

Pastor of Caring Ministry

Contact Cliff at critter@twumc.org or 281.297.5953

Will you support this church with your prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness?

The last of the three vows of commitment to become a member of the United Methodist Church begin to focus our attention on the more immediate context of our faith community.

The local church is the instrument by which we live into our faith in Jesus. We offer vows of faithfulness to Christ, as articulated in Scripture, and then we begin to put flesh on the bones of those commitments. We are called to be active and available in this relationship with God and in the company of others who make the same statements of faith.

Our commitments to the local church are undergirded by a call to be in relationship with God through prayer. God speaks to us through prayer and directs our devotional life through the Holy Spirit. Our endeavor to follow in the footsteps of Christ, to act according to God’s sovereign will, and to be in community with other believers begins with an act of humble submission in the presence of God. When we pray, we have opportunity to approach God, but, more significantly, we have opportunity to hear from God. In those moments, we hear that still, small voice within our soul that equips us for the work of the Spirit.

As followers of Jesus, we equip ourselves to do the work of Christ and the church by first listening to God. The subsequent vows offering our presence, gifts, service and witness are brought to life by a heart that is first touched by God in prayer. •

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PRESENCE Susan Kent

Pastor of Women’s Ministry and Worship

Contact Susan at skent@twumc.org or 281.466.8607

“You are here!” Have you ever seen those maps with the big red star telling you where you are located? Those maps help give us a sense of our surroundings and help us navigate so we can arrive at the place where we would like to be. It’s always good to know where we are, but it’s even better to know where we are going.

This year we want to grow in our presence in the work of the church and in each other’s lives. Where are you now? Do you feel connected with those around you and the ministries of the church?

It is good to know that when we gather together in community, we find ourselves at a place where we can regroup, find our bearings, discover our gifts and venture forward to follow God’s call. We do this as a church in worship and when we journey together in small discipleship groups.

When we are in God’s presence, we make ourselves available to Him so that He can work in and through us to change us and to bring light to our community.

— Rev. Susan Kent

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When we are in God’s presence, we make ourselves available to Him so that He can work in and through us to change us and to bring light to our community. When we don’t show up, we miss the opportunity to connect with God, and the church misses out on an opportunity to connect with us.

Where do you want to grow this year? Let’s embrace the challenge to grow in our “presence” in worship, in discipleship opportunities and in the life of the community.

We want you to be “here” so that together we can move closer to God. •

GIFTS

we’re here, what we are to accomplish with our lives and what matters most to us. Then we will find joy and fulfillment by giving our finances to those purposes.

Rob Renfroe

“Stuff,” Bach says, never produces a life that is exciting and satisfying. No matter how much we accumulate, things never create a life that is full and abundant. Only when we use our finances to further the causes we believe in will they create true joy.

Pastor of Discipleship

Contact Rob at rrenfroe@twumc.org or 281.297.5932

In his book Smart Couples Finish Rich, financial manager David Bach writes:

So, what’s your purpose? What do you value? Where’s your heart? If you want a life that’s full, put your finances there.

Before I start trying to figure out how much money my clients may need for their futures, I first help them get a clear idea of what they see as their purpose in life. What I believe is most important is first having a conversation about what it is that matters most to you … In other words, what are your values?

If you believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the hope of the world, give generously to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you believe caring for the poor is important to the heart of God, give generously to ministries that care for the poor.

Values are the key to living smart and finishing rich. The sooner you start putting your values first — and stuff second — the sooner you will start living a life that excites and empowers you both. Stuff may be nice, but it rarely pulls us anywhere worthwhile. Only values do that.

If you believe that true religion is aiding the widow and the orphan, as James tells us — if you believe that caring for others in the name of Christ is more important than the car you drive, the house you live in, the place you vacation or the clothes you wear — then the only way money will bring you joy and fulfillment is to give generously to the ministries that serve those causes.

Before money can be a blessing in your life, Bach says we must determine our purpose in life. We must determine why

As a pastor friend of mine tells his congregation, “Don’t give until it hurts. Give until it feels good.” •

So, what’s your purpose?

What do you value? Where’s your heart? If you want a life that’s full, put your finances there.

— Rev. Rob Renfroe 9

SERVICE John Hull

Pastor of Missions

Contact John at jhull@twumc.org or 281.297.5924

A few weeks ago, a friend asked me, “How do you think others see Christ in you?” It was a great question that made me think two things: Number one, do others see Christ in me? And number two, in what ways? I quickly realized that my life — what’s in my heart and what I do — matters.

It matters because I want the Christ that lives in me to define who I am. And it matters because the way I live my life communicates the message of Christ to others.

It also matters because His love needs to be expressed through me to others. If we have the compassion of Christ, we should live it out by caring for others — especially those in need.

Serving others requires that we have a heart of humility, a desire to make something better, and a willingness to sacrifice time and talent. When we serve, we see a need and are willing to step out in faith to make the situation better.

When we serve, we see a need and are willing to step out in faith to make the situation better.

— Rev. John Hull

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Serving takes many forms: • We can serve within the church: to build the Body of Christ, to provide a place where others can come to worship God, to help people grow in their faith, to plant seeds in the lives of their children, and to be a witness to our community.

• We can serve those around us: to offer hope to the homeless, to provide for the poor, to empower foster children, to build a church in a foreign land, to embrace the hurting, and to save the lost.

1 Peter 4:10 says, Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

So now the question comes to you: “How do others see Christ in you?” •

WITNESS Mark Sorensen

Harvest Lead Pastor

Contact Mark at msorensen@twumc.org or 281.297.5919

One of the most difficult vows to live out, even for a pastor, is the promise to be a witness. Often our immediate association with the word is “evangelism,” which isn’t necessarily wrong. Evangelism is tough because it implies that you believe something enough to want other people to believe it as well. That sets up the potential for us to be rejected, which is never fun for anyone.

But here’s the thing: witnessing is simply sharing the story of what God is doing or has done in your life. And when you truly see God at work, you’re going to want to tell someone, because it’s an incredible sight.

When I was on a trip to India, I found myself face to face with prayers prayed “in the name of Jesus,” a phrase I had picked up somewhere along the way but never thought much about. I think that might be because I’d never truly witnessed firsthand the power that came as a result of that phrase until that trip.

I saw and heard story after story of people being healed of sicknesses and others being delivered through spiritual warfare, all in the name of Jesus. I witnessed firsthand as an unbeliever threw bricks on the roof of a worship service and, in the name of Jesus, the sound disappeared as God’s children worshipped below.

In John 14:12–14, Jesus said to His disciples that not only will they be able to do what He had been doing, but they would be able to do even greater things through the power of His name. They just needed to ask.

I wonder if we truly believe in the power that comes in the name of Jesus the way our brothers and sisters in India do.

When, like them, we have nothing else to fall back on except the saving power of the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit to bring healing and deliverance through the saving name of Jesus Christ, we will see amazing things — things we just can’t keep to ourselves. •

Witnessing is simply sharing the story of what God is doing or has done in your life. And when you truly see God at work, you’re going to want to tell someone, because it’s an incredible sight.

— Rev. Mark Sorensen

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EMBRACING A LIFESTYLE OF GENEROSITY.

By Ann Snyder

Dr. Ann Snyder Executive Director of Generosity

When I was a little girl, smaller than all my friends, I constantly worried that I would not grow and “get bigger.” My mother and father always told me that yes, I would grow, but that my worth was not in stature. It was instead about growing in spirit. Looking back, I probably did not fully comprehend what they meant at the time, but their words of wisdom have greatly affected my life in so many ways.

Growing up, church was always a large part of my family’s life — our nightly prayers, choir, Sunday school, junior and senior high fellowship, Sunday worship, Vacation Bible School, Bible studies, mission work … the list goes on. Yet, my parents instilled in me that “church” was not just on Sunday and Wednesday nights. Church was also a means of opening up to God, and growing in giving was lifelong. Through giving, I was opening my heart to God. Beginning in 1st grade Sunday school, each of us (my siblings and I) had our very own offering envelope for us to give to God each Sunday. To this day, I still remember how important and integral this was in being a part of our church. On Saturday evening, a weekly allowance was given to each of us by my father.

Part of our allowance was to “go to the church;” however, the choice of “how much” was somewhat negotiable and an independent decision.

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Imagine the awesome responsibility for a seven-year-old to decide and follow through with that commitment. One Sunday — several years later — I gave half of my weekly allowance to my church and was surprised to discover that I really did not miss or need that extra amount. Throughout the years, life has taught me that growing spiritually is directly correlated with growing in giving.

My parents always reached out to help others. I remember riding in the car with my father early one morning as a teenager while he was making a house call to a patient who did not have transportation. This patient lived in a part of my hometown that I am embarrassed to say I didn’t know even existed.

When we arrived, Francis, someone I had seen at school, opened the front door. I remembered that Francis had, that previous winter, made a financial contribution at our junior high school for a family that had very little during the Christmas holidays. After visiting her home, I realized that she had truly given more to that family for their Christmas season than any of our peers or me.

After my father was finished examining Francis’ dad, her mom gave my father a small sack of vegetables from her garden as payment. My father thanked her for her generous gift and said, “It’s too much.” This particular morning truly touched me in so many ways and taught me to question that although I thought I had always been so giving, was I really generous? All these years later, I still remember that morning, and it impacts me to this day.

Life has taught me that generosity begins with yourself. My mother’s very wise and daily reminders of “you can do

more” and “good things are for sharing” continue to be instilled in me today.

Before asking from others, I need to be the first to give without expecting anything in return. It is important to build a lifestyle of generosity, which will in turn expand God’s work. One of life’s greatest lessons that I have learned and continue to work on in many ways is that being generous needs to be in all aspects of my life through my actions and state of being. Simply, you get to a point in life when it is time to take care of others the way you have and are being taken care of every day.

My life has truly been enriched by giving and embracing a lifestyle of giving. I am always looking for ways to continue to grow as I experience God’s blessings through generosity and the generosity of others. Simply, I have been blessed in so many ways and most recently blessed to see the incredible work of our church through the eyes of staff and to be a part of God’s work. “Good things are for sharing.”

So, my closing thought is “What about you?” What does generosity mean to you? Imagine all of the great things our church could do if every person in our church supported it financially!

Faithful generosity creates generosity in spreading God’s work. •

Contact Ann at asnyder@twumc.org or 281.466.8618

Her mom gave my father a small sack of vegetables from her garden as payment.

My father thanked her for her generous gift and said, “It’s too much.”

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ONE YEAR AND STILL GROWING

THE CHURCH AT WOODFOREST FIRST ANNIVERSARY

By Nathan Nix

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This past Christmas was ex tra special for The Woodlands UMC as it marked one year since the launch of The Church at Woodforest, our first worship community to meet away from our campus in The Woodlands.

Led by Pastor Brent Parker, it meets at Stewart Elementary in Woodforest, a newer community located northwest of The Woodlands off of Fish Creek Thoroughfare. Since its first service on January 10, 2016, attendance has grown to average around 320 adults at its Sunday morning services, a remarkable response Brent attributes to both the move of God and the faithful stewardship of The Woodlands UMC members as they heeded God’s call to grow beyond our campus in The Woodlands.

“What we’re experiencing out there is unheard of — it’s not normal,” Brent says. “Part of it is because of our team, but a large part is the faithfulness of The Woodlands UMC and their big visions, as well as the strategic steps they took out of a desire to be faithful. They got all their ducks in a row and were very intentional about every step of the way. They recognized that Woodforest was a community a lot like The Woodlands; they recognized that they already had a number of families living in Woodforest; and they recognized that there was only one school and one piece of property in Woodforest that was master-planned to hold a church. None of these things were accidental.”

The establishment of The Church at Woodforest was a key part of our Imagine Campaign. Brent says that the funds raised through that capital campaign allowed his team to walk into Stewart Elementary on the first day with all the resources they needed to offer a firstrate worship experience. In addition to being able to utilize the church’s creative and administrative staff during the week, the venue was equipped from day one with a stellar sound system operated by trained professionals, a well-designed worship space, and topnotch marketing and wayfinding materials, all of which cultivated immediate trust in everyone who attended those first few weeks.

“People showed up and saw a new church that’s already functioning like one that’s five years old,” Brent says. “When a new church comes to town, people are coming and kicking the tires for months, just to see if it’s going to make it. When they show up at our place, they have a sense that this church has been here awhile, which we really haven’t. And they have a sense that this church is going somewhere, which we definitely are.”

In fact, The Church at Woodforest was only expected to be averaging 150 adults by the end of 2016 and 225 by the end of 2017.

“We’re almost averaging our 2018 end-of-year projections,” Brent says. “And it’s not just the number of people showing up that’s far exceeded expectations. For us to be witnessing such a strong and vital financial commitment from our folks, having not even done a pledge campaign, is huge. The people at the Woodforest worship community have already caught the spirit of generosity.”

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Brent says that generous spirit is, in and of itself, one of the key draws for many who attend. When he first felt called into the ministry years ago, he sensed God giving him a vision for a “front-porch church” — one where life is lived out in the open on front porches, and neighbors would walk with each other through good times and bad.

Little did he know he would end up leading a church in Woodforest, where front porches are a prominent feature of many of the houses. In the church’s first five-week series, Brent laid out the five practices of what he terms “front-porch people.” In the year since, he’s seen those ideas become a part of the DNA of weekly attendees.

“I think what’s happened because of that is when someone in our community has a need, it’s immediately met because we know the people who are in need,” Brent says. “It’s not some stranger living next door. Something goes wrong, the neighbors rally. Somebody is in need, the neighbors rally. It’s sort of the spirit of Woodforest, as well as the spirit of our worship community. I think people are coming for that.”

Brent is the first to recognize that much of what makes Woodforest special has nothing to do with man’s planning.

“There’s also just some really interesting things that God’s doing that all the planning in the world could have never imagined,” he says. “And those things show up in the stories of lives being changed. At the end of the day, God’s doing the work in the heart.”

Now that a solid foundation has been laid and the worship community has reached a critical mass showing up every week, The Church at Woodforest’s goal for 2017 is to go out into the community and reach its neighbors.

“This next year is really about, ‘How do we make ourselves known in the community?’” Brent says. “We represent about 10% of the community.

So for the other 90%, how are we loving them? How do we care for them? How do we get in front of them with the Gospel? How do we get in front of them with a helping hand? How do we get in front of them with just being a good neighbor? How can we be a little bit more intentional about figuring out what’s going on in the community and jumping in. Basically, 2017 is about growing as a church and enlarging the porch for others.” •

FOLLOW WOODFOREST fb.com/churchatwoodforest 16

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CHURCHNEWS

This information removed for online viewing.

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CHURCHNEWS

FOUNDATION GIFTS

OCTOBER 31 - DECEMBER 31, 2016 In Memory of Annabelle Armbrust, Mother of Joyce Woodley Billy and Sheri Brown Steve and Becky Hamrick Thom and Glenda Hudson In Memory of Tommy Ault, Husband of Norma Ault Norma Ault In Memory of Floyd B’Hymer, Father of Pam Tesch Steve and Becky Hamrick In Memory of Garnet Boldrey, Mother of Cathy Wright Dave and Dee Megee In Memory of Rita Jo Duff, Mother of Jimmy and Randy Duff The Emptying Nest Sunday School Class Peter and Elaine Poulsen In Memory of Jeanine Early, Wife of Tom Early Jerry and Kim Larance

FOUNDATION RESTRICTED The Luc William DeVeau Endowment Fund In Memory of Luc William DeVeau, Son of David and Melissa DeVeau Deborah DeVeau The Patricia Ann and Jack Powell Endowment Fund Jack Powell In Memory of Annabelle Armbrust, Mother of Joyce Woodley John and Cathy Wright In Memory of Eleanor Smith, Mother of Mike Smith Jack Powell The TWUMC Missions Endowment Fund In Honor of Tony Benedetto Tommy and Mamie Polk

In Honor of Dr. Mark Lewis Bette Cox

In Memory of Milton Cole, Husband of Eula Cole Ed and Glenna Wandling

In Memory of Charles Lloyd Mrs. Rex Shanks, Jr.

In Honor of Martin and Pat Craighead Matt Krohn

In Memory of Sean McGowan, Son of Bobby and Sally McGowan Bobby and Sally McGowan

In Memory of Rosemary and Joe Nachman, Parents of Rick Nachman Deborah Stanford

In Memory of Elizabeth Prince Jim and Elizabeth Patton In Honor of Cliff and Mary Satterfield Bette Cox In Memory of Kaden Serafin, Son of Carmen and Kristi Serafin Phillip and Sophia Howard In Memory of Jerry Slaven, Brother of Joyce Nesmith Charlie and Sue Stephenson In Honor of Debbie Stanford Pat Thompson

This information removed for online viewing.

In Memory of Troy Jay McQuain, Son of Charles and Wanda Williams The Perspectives Sunday School Class In Memory of Gary Pringle, Father of Debra Wymore The Perspectives Sunday School Class In Memory of William “Bill” Stanford, Husband of Deborah Stanford Deborah Stanford The Woodlands Methodist School Scholarship Endowment Fund Justin and Laurie Shults

THE POINT

Published by The Woodlands UMC.

Dr. Ed Robb Senior Pastor Mike Sims Editor/Creative Director Scott Brinkmeyer Art Director Michelle “Micki” Mensio Project Manager Contributing Writers Dr. Ed Robb Cliff Ritter Susan Kent Rob Renfroe Dr. John Hull Mark Sorensen Dr. Ann Snyder Nathan Nix Copy Editors Nathan Nix Sally Bacon

FOUNDATION UNRESTRICTED Christina Fuller Charles and Rebecca Shirley

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NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

N. HOUSTON, TX PERMIT #280

2200 Lake Woodlands Drive The Woodlands, TX 77380

SELECTED UPCOMING EVENTS

Find a listing of spring Bible studies beginning in January at thewoodlandsumc.org/grow

JANUARY

15 | Starting Point

15 | Quest Bible Study Begins (Sundays)

15 | Financial Peace University Begins (Sundays)

16 | Financial Peace University Begins (Mondays)

17 | Financial Peace University Begins (Tuesdays)

15 | Quest Bible Study Begins (Tuesdays)

18 | GriefShare Begins (Afternoons) 18 – 22 | Belize Mission Trip 19 | Radiant Bible Study Begins (Thursdays)

22 | Radiant Bible Study Begins (Sundays)

23 | Biblical Hebrew Course Begins

23 | The Bible in 90 Days Begins

23 | GriefShare Begins (Evenings)

24 | New Roots Begins (Tuesdays) 25 | New Roots Begins (Wednesdays)

27 | Seniors’ Afternoon at the Movies 27 – Feb. 5 | India Mission Trip

29 | Decision Sunday

29 | Blood Drive

FACEBOOK

FEBRUARY

1 | Prime Timers

5 | Confirmation Crash Course Begins

6 | Women’s Spring Expressions Begins

7 | Pastor-Led Study (“Prayer”) Begins 7 - 11 | Honduras Mission Trip

12 | Special Blessings Basketball Begins

13 | Women’s Valentine’s Luncheon

16 | Abortion Recovery for Men Begins

24 | Seniors’ Afternoon at the Movies

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