The site plan shows the new facility fronting Goldsmith, sharing a wall with the Fellowship Hall wing of our current building, with a paved accessway running behind the new building, connecting Goldsmith and Robbins Streets.  Future growth in worship, educational, activity, and parking space are also represented on the drawings, making almost full use of the properties we own.  Click here to view the site plan.

The multi-use facility shows an auditorium-like area that will accomodate over three times  the current Fellowship Hall's capacity, with a large platfform that will easily handle special services or other productions. The building also features a large kitchen, three new classrooms, an office, an upstairs media room, restrooms with showers, a consideralbe amount of much-needed storage space, a covered entryway, and convenient access from outside and from our existing building. The plan calls for conversion of  the Fellowship Hall into a new Youth center, and includes modifications to today's Friendship classroom. Click here to see the floor plan, as well as elevations and roof plan for the new building.

This "Phase I" project addresses many of the needs we have identified for this church, but not all of them.  The bigger picture includes additional phases - revamping parts of the sanctuary, addition of a music and performance rehearsal hall, and classroom expansion - all important projects that depend on successful completion of phase I.

Meeting God

 By
J. I. Packer

“When we meet God we are changed. 
His majesty fills our thoughts. 
His love softens our hearts. 
His holiness purifies our lives. "

In this guide, J. I. Packer, author of the best seller Knowing God, leads us through twelve key passages that enlarge our vision of the God we worship and serve.

This new short-term Bible study and discussion will meet on Tuesday mornings from 9:30 until 11 in the Open Door classroom. Join us.

Begins Tuesday, June 17th
Concludes Tuesday, July 22nd

 We’ll cover two study guide chapters weekly.

 Register by contacting Sharon Thomas.

 Study materials can be ordered at Heavenbound Books and Gifts, 903.763.2780, at a cost of about $8.00.

(From the umcom.org website)

Do you want to experience the 2008 General Conference? You can! Today—more than ever before—technology can deliver General Conference to you via the Web and other media.

In long and prayer-filled days April 23-May 2, the future of The United Methodist Church will rest in the hands, hearts and minds of 992 General Conference delegates.

The action begins April 23 at 6 p.m. CT when delegates, alternates, bishops, staff and guests from United Methodist congregations around the world gather at the Fort Worth [Texas] Convention Center. Celebratory, inspirational worship opens the quadrennial event.

Even if you cannot go personally to General Conference, you can keep up with what is happening while it is happening.

The General Conference Web site, gc2008.umc.org, offers the most up-to-date information. Visit there now to access video and audio of panel discussions from the Pre-General Conference News Briefing in January as well as the General Conference schedule and other information about the April 23-May 2 session.

During General Conference, use the official United Methodist Web site, www.umc.org and gc2008.umc.org to:

• Track petitions.
• Watch live video streaming of worship services, special addresses, celebrations and selected sessions.
• Read news articles and watch video stories produced by United Methodist News Service, umns.umc.org.
• Hear a daily audio newscast.
• Subscribe to an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed to place General Conference headlines on your local church Web site as United Methodist News Service stories are posted.
• Subscribe to receive a daily digest of General Conference news stories.
• Order videos of major events and a summary video.

Check your annual conference Web site for localized reports from General Conference. Some annual conference and local church sites will feature delegate blogs. Many annual conferences will produce daily e-mail reports. General agency Web sites, accessed through the directory section of www.umc.org, have information about legislation they are proposing to General Conference and will carry reports.

Interpreter magazine, which has included stories about General Conference 2008 in each issue since July-August 2007, will feature a report in its July-August 2008 edition. Read the articles at www.interpretermagazine.org or order back issues of the magazine by calling United Methodist Communications Customer Service, (888) 346-3862.

The Daily Christian Advocate [Cokesbury, (800) 672-1789, www.cokesbury.com], produced each day of General Conference, carries verbatim coverage of the proceedings as well as feature stories and other information.

--Kathy Noble, Editor, Intepreter Magazine, www.interpretermagazine.org

Date Created: 3/12/2008 12:09:54 PM

"Creating a Church Home"
April 9,2008 FUMC/Liberty UMC

 Introduction: The Pastor's Role in Membership (April 2)

Session I:( April 9) Background

The Trinity of the Godhead

Judaism/ Christianity

Discipleship Through the Ages: Early Church

Beginnings of the Church /Pentecost/ Paul's Travels

The Creeds of the Church

Church Reformation: Martin Luther, John Calvin, Henry VIII

John Wesley: Methodism in England/America

Session II: (April 16) Being a Contemporary United Methodist

John Wesley: Holiness in faith and practice

Social Principles of the UMC

Organization of the UMC: Legislative, Executive, Judicial branches

Session III: (April 23) Methodist History

John Wesley: Life, Ministry, Early Meetings,

1735- Methodist Societies in America

1738- Wesley's return to England:

Aldersgate Experience; Field Preaching: Revival in England

and Social Holiness

Charles Wesley: Hymnody

Methodism in America: Asbury, Otterbein, Albright, Circuit Riders: Cartwright, Oglesby, Smith, Embury, Willard, Hosier, Alien, Bethune

Session IV: (April 29) Division/Unity in America

1784-MEC; 1816- AME; 1821-AME-Zion; 1830-

Methodist Protestant Ch.; 1844- Wesleyan M.C.,

1845- MEC,S ; 1870-CME; 1939-M.C.;1968-UMC

Church Structure

General Conference, Jurisdictional Conf., Annual

Conference, Districts, Local Churches

Our Churche's "Mission Statement"

Session V: (May 7) Ministry of The Local Church

God's Gifted People

Baptism and Confirmation, the Seal of the Covenant

Our Promises to God and Christ's Church

Fulfilling our Baptismal and Membership Vows

Resources:

The Denomination- http://www.umc.org

The Discipline of the United Meth.Church

The Social Principles of the UMC

The Conference- www.tacumc.org

The Annual Conference Journal

The Church Directory

The Church Monthly Newsletter

The Charge Conference Report

The Church Council members

Fellowship Friends

All we need to turn these into reality is YOU!. They are all practical, affordable ideas, but none of them can succeed without passionate people to make them happen.  If you want to help, please contact the church office.

The "Top Eleven" are shown below.  For a printable version, along with a list of all of the issues and ideas the workshop dealt with, click here.

The highest-priority ideas – ideas identified as initiatives we want to launch as soon as we can find leaders to give them life – are:

1. Increase youth participation in worship:
   -        Open 11:00 services with music for, or by, our youth.
   -        Have youth lead some services (every 5^th Sunday, perhaps)
2. Develop a “mission mindset” in our youth, with on-going, local mission activities.
3. Organize “Response Teams” to respond to member and community service needs. These teams would be made up of members from youth to adults.
4. Split youth group into two – by grade.
5. Summer events and programming:
   -        Consider extending WNL into the summer.
   -        Extend C.O.M.E.-like services to needy children in the summer, including summer picnics, etc.
6. Consider seasonal or special-occasion “Mother’s Day Out” (complementing that already offered by FBC).
7. Institute “Couples Night Out” at church (marriage enrichment content and events).
8. Create more and better literature describing our church, Sunday School classes, activities, opportunities, etc.
9. Become a local referral service for people with special needs, and advertise how to invoke that service.   (This will require a knowledgeable contact person, and that same person might coordinate the Response Teams referred to above.)
10. Serve people who are “alone”:
    -        Identify people who are alone for the holidays.  Offer covered-dish dinners, seasonal decorating, etc.
    -        Actively befriend home-bound, nursing-home-bound, and assisted-living-bound individuals.
11. Work with C.O.M.E., through local churches, to better address the needs that it serves, plus those that we ask it to serve.
    
    

WHAT?-- Come dine on entrants favorite SOUPS, CHILI,  STEW, or GUMBO. $3.00 per adult, and kids eat free. Your tips determine the winner!!!  Come nourish your soul and stomach with us.

WHEN?-- Sunday 01/27/08 immediately following 11:00 service.

WHERE?-- Fellowship Hall

To enter the cook-off, please sign-up and cook your famous STOUP - AND BRING IT ON THE 27™.

Sit ‘n Spit

Come and bring a friend.

Monday, January 14^{th -} 6 to 8 PM

Tackle House at Lost Creek Ranch
(aka “Duckbutter International HQs”)

4307 State Highway 182
(just west of the Lake Fork Dam)

Gumbo, fellowship, dominoes, bonfire

Led by Don Thomas and Darrell Gary

Let us know you’re coming….
 dethomas(at)lcii.net 
or
leave a message: 903.765.3137

Q and A
Wednesday Night Live - Wednesday, January 9th
6 to 7 PM

Power Point Overview of SPT Recommendations for:
Ministries, Staffing and Facilities
Followed by:
Q and A

The entire Strategic Planning Team recommendation document
and the Power Point presentation can be viewed online: (log on, Church Business, Committee work, Strategic Planning)
or
you may request a paper copy in the church office
All SPT minutes and ministry interview notes are still available online.

In 2007, Christmas Sharing-PLUS, manned entirely by volunteers and funded by many individuals and organizations in this community,   distributed canned goods, staples, clothing, and toys to 204 households, touching 674 people, 338 of whom are children.  All of the recipients reside within the Quitman school district.

That "PLUS" on the end of the project's name was added to reflect the fact that their giving is no longer limited to just Christmas time.  Working with the Quitman schools, they also help provide school supplies, partner with the local Lions Club to help fund eye examinations, and provide coats for children who need them.  They have even given gift cards to the Elementary and Jr. High teachers.

The project has been so effective and well received within the Quitman community that similar programs have sprung up in several other towns in Wood County.  That little idea born in a Sunday School class years ago has become the most widely supported community charitable organization in town, focusing thousands of dollars on the needs of hundreds of people in our community.

"Thank you" to all of the volunteers who work so hard to make Christmas Sharing happen.

 Click here to see some of the volunteers in action - on Distribution Day, 2007.