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AUGUST 2019 newsletter

Pastor’s Corner

Greetings Church!

I can’t believe it’s time to say that we’re gearing up for Fall…but I’m sure ready for the excitement of fall and the (hopefully) cooler weather coming! This year, we’re kicking off our Fall with Back to School Back to Church Sunday on August 18 in both worship services. We’ll be blessing the backpacks of our students and educators heading into a new school year. Be sure to bring your backpacks, briefcases, etc!

Our Sermon series that kicks off on August 18 is TOGETHER. Over these four weeks, we will discover together how we experience peace, love, strength, and purpose as we explore these themes:

August 18 Together We Find Peace August 25 Together We Experience Love September 1 Together We Grow Stronger September 8 Together We Can Change the World

Invite a friend. You never know who’s waiting for your invitation! You get them here…we’ll make sure they have a chance to worship the living God and hear and have a chance to respond to the Gospel!

Our RENEW Campaign work is well under way! There is a lot of behind the scenes testing, scheduling contractors and planning that helps to maximize the productivity of the great people we’ll have doing the work. Thank you for your faithfulness in praying, for your consistency in your generosity and for sharing in the great work of building the Kingdom of God! I’m very proud of what we’ve done already, and can’t wait to share the next update with you. Be sure you stop by and take a look at the Fellowship Hall!

I’m honored to be your pastor!

Blessings, Pastor Matt

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Staff

Rev. Dr. Matt Pennington, Lead Pastor Brian Sherman, Director of Youth & Family Ministries

Katrina Sherman, Dir. of Youth & Family Ministries Allison Davis, Director of Children & Family Ministries

Felicia Cantu, Office Manager Rosemary Hindman, Business Manager

Janelle Lester, Wesley Nurse Christina Menking, Organist

Bill Meadows, Pianist Sandra Jandt, Happy House Director

Beronica Riojas, Custodian

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Thank you!

Prayer Shawl Ministry, Thank you so much for your beautiful Prayer Shawl. It is such a special blessing to know all your prayers are with me as I surround myself with your comforting shawl. My mom is smiling knowing I have friends like y’all.

Blessings, Edith Lucas Dear First UMC Gonzales, Thank you very much for the Vacation Bible School set and supplies you gave us for our Vacation Bible School. The materials are wonderful and will help us immensely in our “roar” adventure in July. We truly appreciate your generosity. If we can ever help you, please let us know.

Sincerely, Paula Moore VBS Coordinator FUMC Luling

First UMC, I am honored to be the recipient of both the Traeger Family Scholarship and the FUMC Gonzales Memorial Scholarship. I have attached my class schedule for the fall. Your generous support will allow me to pursue a Doctorate of Physical Therapy. I'm so excited to begin this journey! Thank you for believing in me.

Sincerely, Seth Gibson Dear Church Family, Our words will never be enough to say thank you for all your prayers, concerns, text and calls for Bill and me during his aortic valve replacement surgery and recovery. Like the first time in 2011, we had thousands of people across the world praying for us! This is an amazing feeling! When you go through something like this, you discover that God puts people in your life, some complete strangers, to help you through it. I ( Willa) experienced this with a couple of cafeteria workers in the Methodist Hospital. They prayed for us and comforted and blessed me. I tell you this because again it shows God was taking care of us and answering prayers. Praise God! Thank you to Pastor Matt for visiting and bringing the beautiful prayer shawl. I wrapped up in it and immediately felt comfort and peace. And thank you for the food brought to us from the July 4

th celebration. We enjoyed several meals from it!

We are so thankful for our praying church and friends. Thank you to all of you and above all, Thanks be to God.

Sincerely, Bill and Willa

Book Club News

When we wonder how a whole nation could have been duped by one leader, Adolph Hitler, we forget that there were resistors who stood up to him to the point of death. Our July book selection, The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck tells the story of some of these brave men and women. Shattuck used her own family stories as a basis of part of the novel. One of the lessons we learned was the great lengths to which people go in order to protect their children or to survive. Perseverance, valor, and loyalty were themes of this readable novel set after the July 20, 1944 attempt on Hitler's life by some high-ranking Nazi officials who recognized the horror of his ways. The women in the castle were their wives whose lives were endangered by the actions of the husbands. Ginny Briggs led the discussion. For August, we go around the world to North Korea for the true story of Lee Hysonseo as told by her and John David, The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector's Story. The book gives a vivid picture of life in North Korea, one that is unimaginable for those of us who have always had the privilege of living in a free society. Book Club will meet on Thursday, August 22 at 9:30 in the church library. We would love to have you join us. For info, call 672-9307.

Martha Jo Whitt

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Altar Flowers for August are given by:

August 4-Kelly Allen Family ~ In Memory of Sandy Allen

Bill and Juanita Blundell ~ In Honor of Their 65th Wedding Anniversary

William and Cheryl Meadows ~ To the Glory of God

August 11-Linda Stulting ~ In Memory of Thomas and Christina Stulting and Thomas Ray Stulting

Mary Ella and Hensley Hurt ~ In Memory of Harold Wilson

August 18-Barry and Lauren Boothe

August 25-David and Mona Bivins ~ In Memory of Blaxton DuBose and Yvonne DuBose

Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Lacy

AUGUST Birthdays 8/01 Glenna Reese Haley Clampit Melissa Clampit 8/02 McKenzie McGuffin 8/03 Houston Keck 8/04 James Gottwald Rowdy Ehrig 8/05 Jennifer Rosenauer 8/06 Kevin DuBose 8/07 Teresa Reed Stewart Frazier Sascha Kardosz 8/08 Stacey Havel 8/09 Crystal Gray 8/10 John B. Lester Larry Gray 8/11 Caeleigh Riedel 8/12 Barbara Atkinson Norma Jean DuBose Tom Lester Jr. 8/13 Mia Schauer 8/14 Tara Carleton Blaine Davis

8/15 Ann Keck Faith Lester 8/16 Josie Stowers 8/17 Leann Weathermon 8/18 Wade Miller Paige Cantu Kailyn Lyles 8/19 Scott Keck James Dreyer Natalie Tenberg Gary Clack 8/20 Lee Williams 8/21 Stacey Dawson Rick Frazier 8/23 Ricky Lester 8/24 Tracey Neitsch Taylor Davis 8/25 Herbert Thigpen Nancy Burns Mike Davis Sue Boothe Dylan Mills Keri Hornung

8/26 William Ploetz Bill DeBerry Kamrynn Zella 8/27 Bitsy Henderson Bethel Lester Allison Davis Madalin Kocian 8/28 Donna Hisey Marian Gindler Erwin Ckodre Debbie Robinson Dana Williams 8/29 Terry Towns Mary Carter 8/30 Bill May Jon Dawe Michael Mercer 8/31 E.T. Gibson Frank Hurt

8/2 Steve & Laurie Taylor 8/7 Bill & Juanita Blundell 8/8 James & Janie Massey 8/9 Dwayne & Kaylin Petras 8/10 Daniel & Tiffany Lester 8/13 Jerry & Julia Oakes Bill & Ann Reaves 8/17 Tom & Tammy Lester Kenneth & Doreen Fink John & Edith Lucas

8/19 Vic & Sally Brown 8/20 Bill & Coylene Oliver 8/22 Ralph & Lori Raabe 8/24 Dick & Dana Hamilton 8/25 Derrick & Janelle Lester 8/26 Herbert & Barbara Thigpen

Anniversaries

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August 4, 2019 8:30 SERVICE 10:45 SERVICE Reagan Daniel Nate Pennington ACOLYTES Blakely Mercer Dylan Storey Sydney Clack Weston Ruddock (cross)

Emmitt Currie (Lead) Pal Lester (Lead) USHERS Sue Boothe Mike Davis Billy Boothe Bitsy Henderson Jimmy Borrer Jeffery Braune Gary Clack Greg Griffin

Commie Hisey Katrina Sherman LITURGIST Kiley Allen Kiley Allen CHILDREN’S SERMON

August 11, 2019 8:30 SERVICE 10:45 SERVICE Will Miller Paisley Gibson ACOLYTES Megan Tenberg Addyson Kardosz Hadley Borrer Macy Sample (cross)

Emmitt Currie (Lead) Pal Lester (Lead) USHERS Erwin Ckodre Mary Tomas Kenneth Fink Justin Pope Dena Fritz Jim Benedict Herman Grauke David Bird

Cheryl Meadows Pam Lester LITURGIST Lisa Gindler Lisa Gindler CHILDREN’S SERMON

AUGUST WORSHIP ASSISTANTS

August 18, 2019 8:30 SERVICE 10:45 SERVICE Kenley Wyant Dixie Lester ACOLYTES Lana Lucas Ellie Lester Braden Clampit Parker Storey (cross)

Emmitt Currie (Lead) Pal Lester (Lead) USHERS Joe Britt Hindman Tom Lester Sr. Commie Hisey Bobby Morgan Cheryl Meadows Ray Neitsch Ronnie Menking Leslie Ploeger

Martha Jo Whitt Deanie Ploeger LITURGIST Commie Hisey Commie Hisey CHILDREN’S SERMON

If you are unable to serve on the date scheduled, please contact the church office, 672-8521.

August 25, 2019 8:30 SERVICE 10:45 SERVICE Emma Balfanz Joelee Lester ACOLYTES Miller Balfanz Faith Lester Cade Davis Kylee Watson (cross)

Emmitt Currie (Lead) Pal Lester (Lead) USHERS

Greg Sengelmann David Bird Steve Taylor Jeffery Braune John Whitt Greg Griffin Martha Jo Whitt Brian Sherman

Terry Towns Lisa Gindler LITURGIST Kristi Mercer Kristi Mercer CHILDREN’S SERMON

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Wesley Nurse News – Life Transitions

Dear Church family – ” Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

- 2 Corinthians 5:17 Life never stays the same. There are several stages with unique challenges that make each one memorable. As new parents you add new responsibilities and a baby to your life while trying to establish yourselves as a couple. This new role means sharing your partner with someone else; so, make sure you talk to each other, have a date night, and share your struggles. Adjustment is easier when you know what challenges exist. The next stage is the teen years and the bid for independence. This coincides with financial concerns such as maintaining a home, supporting the family, preparing for college, and possibly helping an elderly parent. Know that the caregiver role for your child is starting to end. To prepare your child for adulthood, teach him/her about financial and personal responsibility and be open with your spouse about any conflicts you have about letting go. Next is sending your child off to college, career, or marriage. You are no longer the parent/controller but a friend/advisor. If this is your last child, it may mean reconnecting with your spouse since the previous years have been focused on your child(ren). You might also be adding the role of caregiver for a parent. Keep in mind as you struggle with your changing roles, your parent is also struggling with his/her loss of independence. Be patient, include your parent in decisions when possible, ask siblings and friends for help, and be honest about your feelings. The last stage is retirement where some have a loss of identity because they no longer work while others find new beginnings. To make the transition successful, consciously look for things to do. Resurrect an old hobby or find a new one. Travel to visit family and spend time with your grandchildren. If you can’t travel, call them on the phone or use email. Stay connected and interested and you will find a whole new world. “The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old.”

- Proverbs 20:29

Your Wesley Nurse,

Janelle Lester, BSN, RN Reference: Merila, N. & Slutz (2009) Seasons of Wholeness Monthly themes and programming for faith community ministry. Volume VI. International Parish Nurse Resource Center; St. Louis, MO. Magellan Health Services. < www.magellanassist.com/mem/library >

Announcements and Upcoming Events – ­ The Dementia-Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support group meets monthly. This month, we will meet

on Wednesday, August 7th at 1 pm in the Bridal Parlor.

­ The Cancer Support group meets monthly, on the second Tuesday of the month. This month we will meet on Tuesday, August 13

th at noon, in the Bridal Parlor.

­ Diabetes Education – On Thursday, August 8th from 8:30 am – 3:00 pm, we will have a

Diabetes Educational Class at thrive HEALTHPLEX Create. Lunch will be provided at this event by our local hospital. Registration is necessary, please call me in my office to register.

­ Next month, on September 15th, we will have our third Blood Drive of the year. If you are able

and willing, please make note of the day and be sure to fully hydrate yourself the entire week before the drive. Thank you in advance for being a Champion in our community and giving the gift of LIFE to others who are truly in need.

If you need any of the Wesley Nurse services or would like to visit about the services I am able to provide, please call 830.672.1031 to set up an appointment or email me at jlester@mhm.org

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Earth Angels

The women of Earth Angels continue to work on quilts. Our July Sew Day was a success! I believe we now have around 150 quilts for the Silent Santa project. Now, to continue with our Neighborhood quilt project. Women who are interested in quilting make up our group called Earth Angels. Meetings are usually held at 6:00 PM on the second Tuesday of each month in the FUMC Fellowship Center. A typical meeting involves an inspirational reading, the mentioning of persons who may be in need of prayers or a quilt, as well as interesting programs, sharing ideas, showing quilts, and engaging in quilting projects. Fellowship and learning play a major role in Earth Angels. Come to a meeting; we’d love to have you. Our next meeting will be on August 13.

STATISTICAL REPORT JUNE 2019

Attendance

DATE 8:30 10:45 TOTAL SS

2 118 130 248 85

9 98 92 190 71

16 139 184 323 77

23 123 127 250 81

30 108 95 203 76

TOTALS: 586 628 1214 390

AVG: 117 126 243 78

Finance Jan - Jun

Ordinary Income/Expense Income

43000 · Donations 331,811.07 45000 · Facilities Rental 2,437.50 49900 · Credits, Refunds, Rebates 2,880.00

Total Income 337,128.57

Gross Profit 337,128.57 Expense

40000 · Facility Operations 62,646.50

60000 · Ministry Work Areas 18,236.55

65200 · Lawn Care 1,945.00

66000 · Payroll 174,026.53 66100 · Staff Benefits 12,879.77

67000 · Church Clergy Expenses 20,767.55

76000 · Apportionments/Conf. Treas. 30,358.19

Total Expense 320,860.09

Net Ordinary Income 16,268.48

Net Income 16,268.48

A Student's Prayer for a New School Year

Lord Jesus, I ask for Your help as I begin this new school year. Allow me to experience Your presence in the many blessings You put before me. Open my eyes to the new challenges and exciting opportunities that this new school year brings. Open my heart and mind to new friends and new teachers. Give me a generous spirit to be enthusiastic with my studies and courage to accept new opportunities. Help me to be attentive to my teachers and let me experience Your presence in my new friends. Jesus, inspire me to do my best this year! Amen.

https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Account/Invite/GONZALES

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Children’s Corner

Summer has been jammed packed with fun activities, vacation and family time. We are currently on day 2 of BTC Camp. We are truly blessed by First Victoria, who coordinates this opportunity for our kids to experience a Christ filled camp. This year serving as members of the camp staff are Quilty Bee (aka Rosemary) and myself SuperGirl. We brought 12 campers with us, Blakely Mercer, Dixie Lester, Paisley Gibson, Kinley Mauldin, Kate Morrow, Raegan Barfield, Keatyn Barfield, Joelee Lester, Braelyi Williams, Nate Pennington, Will Miller and Layton Ervin. We are all having a fabulous time making new friends and strengthening our relationship with Christ. It’s time to start thinking about Pioneer Club. I will be again looking for volunteers to serve our children each Wednesday. Registration will open August 25

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The Annual Teacher Appreciation luncheon will be held Wednesday, August 14 in the fellowship hall. We are asking for volunteers to bring salads to serve the staff of GISD. Children, youth and parent volunteers are needed to help set-up, serve and clean up from 10:45am to approximately 1:00pm. Come say hello to your old teachers and meet your new teachers! Save the Dates….. ­ Aug 14 - Teacher Appreciation Luncheon-children, youth and parents are encouraged to

come assist. ­ Aug 18 - Back Pack Blessing! Presentation of Bibles; Sunday School Teacher; Pioneer Club

Volunteer Appreciation and Recognition. ­ Sept 11 or Sept 18 - Start of Pioneer Club, dependent on all volunteer positions filled.

“SUMMER ROAD TRIP: Are we there yet?!”

“Into your hands I commit my very life. Lord, set me free. You are my faithful God.” Psalm 31:5

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Youth News

WHAT’S BEEN GOING ON? Revive Summer Camp July 7-11 we took a group of 16 to Revive summer camp in Kerrville at Mount Wesley! We had an AWESOME time! We really saw the love of Christ shine out through our youth in the way they worshipped, treated others, and served the community there. Our youth were given the opportunity to help clean up the camp-grounds and help out a little at the Methodist Church in Kerrville with a food drive. It was a blessing to see God work in the lives of our youth and to see Him work through them.

WHAT’S COMING UP? Servant Team Application deadline August 14. Youth leadership opportunity at Gonzales First UMC! Ages 15-18 can apply at fumcgonzales.org/youth-ministry

Costa Rica Mission Trip 2020 June 13-20, 2020 RSVP by September 1 with $100 deposit. Must be 16+ years old to be unaccompanied by a parent. Limit of 25 people. Fundraisers will begin THIS FALL!

Volunteer with us! Be a Junior High Volunteer, High School Volunteer, or Meal Volunteer! Sign up at fumcgonzales.org.

Junior High Volunteer 5pm-7pm Engage with Junior High Students, participate in lesson, eat dinner & play games.

High School Volunteer 6pm-8pm Eat Dinner with High School Students, play games, have conversations, participate in Bible Lesson.

Meal Volunteer - prepare, serve and clean up dinner for all youth and volunteers.

SAVE THE DATE August 7 Last Poolside Bible Study August 18 Back to School, Back to Church August 21 Wednesday Night Youth Group Begins October 4-6 Come & Take It Festival October 9 Fields of Faith October 12 Rocky Creek Haunted Corn Maze

WEEKLY PROGRAM Youth Group every Wednesday JH: 5-6PM, Dinner/Games: 6-7PM, HS: 7-8PM

CONTACT: Brian Sherman Katrina Sherman Director of Youth and Family Ministries Director of Youth and Family Ministries (830)377-2279 (956)202-9992 bdsherman7213@gmail.com ksherm0331@gmail.com

Sendhub To get weekly updates of youth events…. Parents, text the word “parents” to (956)752-3909 and follow instructions. Youth, text the word “gonzales” to (956)752-3909 and follow instructions.

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PRE-SORTED Standard Non-Profit U.S. Postage Paid

Gonzales, Texas 78629 PERMIT NO. 4

Annual Educator Appreciation Luncheon Wednesday, August 14th

We will be treating the Gonzales Independent School District Employees and other area educators to an appreciation luncheon in our fellowship hall. We will serve from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and anticipate approximately 400 guests.

The menu will include:

Sandwiches, Salads, Chips, Crackers, Relishes Lemonade, Tea, Coffee & Sherbet

We’re asking the congregation to provide salads and we need volunteers to work in the kitchen. Call the church office if you can help.