LA GRANGE FIRST UNTED METHODIST CHURCH

“LOVING GOD & LIVING GRACE”

La Grange First United Methodist Church P.O. Box 89 1215 Von Minden Road La Grange, Texas 78945 Phone: 979.968.832

Andy Smith Donna Stockton Lead Pastor Office Manager andy@lgfumc.org office@lgfumc.org

Nancy Hajek Eva Gregory Director of Classical Church Music Finance Office nancy.hajek@lgfumc.org finance@lgfumc.org

Lauren Shaddix Bretz ~ Director of Children & Youth Ministries lauren@lgfumc.org

Non-Profit Organization

U. S. Postage Paid

La Grange TX 78945

Permit No. 52

Time dated material.

Please deliver

as soon as possible.

Address Service Requested

Methodist Men's meeting will be decided on by June 11th. Our Methodist Men's group will

keep the congregation informed with what we have planned for our future monthly meetings.

Adrienne Armstrong June 4 Sammey Smith June 12 Seth Pyle June 22 Brittany Neves June 8 Karlie Sneed June 14 Christopher Menefee June 23

Alexandra Gaylord June 10 Wyatt Sneed June 14 Henry Morgan June 23

Mary Lloyd June 10 Weston Pyburn June 15 Charlene Baker June 24

Marcia Bennett June 11 Christie Webber June 15 Kadence Hampton June 24

Myra Homer June 12 Connor Menefee June 17 David Connor June 26

Myra Simmons June 12 Paul Wyble June 21 Cody Webb June 27

Debra Hall June 28

Mike & Linda McBroom June 1 Henry & Barbara Buscher June 12 Jon & Beverly Quinn June 1 Larry & Kim Joost June 12 Warren & Adrienne Armstrong June 3 David & Jan Jenkins June 16 Orvel & JoAnne June 3 Homer & Maureen Lange June 28 John & Sherri Van Dresar June 7 Marvin & Janice Alexander June 30

The following items have been found in the Sanctuary or Fellowship Hall. If any of these items belong to you, they can be picked up in the office.

Worship Booklet for Pilgrams—Walk to Emmaus

Gold Hummingbird Brooch with different colored rhinestones

Gold & Green Wreath Brooch with clear rhinestones

No Sages and Saints programs until September, depending on the Covid Virus situation. Below is the tenta-

tive Fall Program Schedule:

Thursday, Sept. 10th—Games and Pizza Night

Thursday, Oct. 8th—"The Singing Raefs" and Peter's Bar B Que

Thursday, Nov.12th—Mary Ann Hatfield " Salute to the Veteran's" Apple Pie and Ice Cream after the Pro-

gram.

Saturday, Dec. 12th—Ugly Sweater Contest. Tell us about your most memorable Christmas. Catered Meal.

Patty Ingalls

LAY LEADER’S LINCHPINS

In God we trust. Not just a slogan, but the foundation of our faith. Fully embracing that truth

your Pastor, church staff and security team have taken some additional steps to keep your

church safe from not only bad guys but bad bugs, as well. Thanks to Charlie Learned’s efforts

we now have a state-of-the-art virus mist which we will be using Sunday the 31st before and

after services, as well as Wednesday evening. The safety team has been trained to use the an-

ti-viral mist to make it the most safe and effective. It will require leaving the sanctuary imme-

diately after the service for the cleaning process.

In God We Trust,

Jim Howse

This Summer we will be holding our VBS online! We are so excited to see God work through

and in your homes, as you come together as a family for just two hours (11am - 1pm) for these 3

days in June:

- Monday June 22nd

- Tuesday June 23rd

- Wednesday June 24th

How This Works:

After you register for VBS on our website, we will send you access to all of the documents and

videos that you will need to perform VBS at home! DO NOT WORRY...this will be minimal prep-

aration, easy to follow instructions, and a video that leads you and your kids step-by-

step through each of the 3 days. Our curriculum is Backyard BOLT...Towards Faith in Je-

sus! And this is designed to bring all of the fun and faith of Vacation Bible School into the cozy

confines of your home. It’s so simple!

We will kick-off each morning with a quick Zoom meeting at 11am and then your videos will

walk you through every step of fun games and Bible lessons for each day.

The link to register on our website is: https://www.lgfumc.org/vbs-2020/

PASTOR’S PONDERING INSPIRING READS

Pastor’s Pondering Choir Notes by Nancy Hajek Important Dates to Remember Single Board Meeting Sages & Saints Lay Leader’s Linchpins Lost and Found Introducing Shelby Youth Gathering Guidelines Birthdays Anniversaries The Methodist Men

We’ve been on a journey with this Coronavirus, and hopefully we are now emerging from this valley of quarantine. As our community reopens, so does our

opportunity to resume public worship services. Praise God! We’ve been prep-

ping for this moment and want to share the details of our next steps.

First off, please do not be pressured to immediately return to church. If you

have any concerns about your health, then it’s okay to wait. The Live Streaming

option will continue. Second, please do not attend if you’re experiencing any

symptoms.

We will resume public worship on May 31 with a new schedule that complies

with public health standards and promotes the safest environment possible. Be-

ginning that Sunday, we will offer 3 morning services:

8:30am Traditional Service

9:50am Traditional Service (also Live Streamed)

11:15am Contemporary Service

Our safety measures include adequate time between services to clean all pub-

lic areas. The Board of Trustees has secured professional products that will thor-

oughly and quickly disinfect all areas, including pews, chairs, countertops, and

restrooms. Volunteers will immediately begin sanitizing the church after every

service.

When coming to church, we ask for your cooperation in the following ways:

• Only use the south parking lot and enter the foyer through the south-

facing church doors. Before entering, ushers may ask to take your tem-

perature using special thermal thermometers.

• Upon entering the foyer, please use the provided hand sanitizer.

• Facial masks are optional.

• Avoid using any roped off pews. This ensures proper social distancing.

• Please keep at least two empty seats between parties in any row, except

for members of the same household.

• If the maximum seating capacity is reached in the sanctuary, overflow

seating will be available in the foyer or Fellowship Hall.

• After the service, please exit the sanctuary so it may be disinfected.

• Do not congregate in the foyer. Any visitations can be done outside or in

the designated area of the Fellowship Hall.

• Some of us suffer from seasonal allergies. Just because someone coughs

or sneezes does not mean it’s a contagion.

• Tithes and offerings may be placed in the specially marked boxes in the

foyer.

God is good, and God will still accomplish His good and perfect Will despite

this pandemic. So be encouraged and we look forward to see you in church!

In Christ’s Service,

Andy

Disclaimer: All scheduled events in this Newsletter, throughout the month of June, are subject to change according to the CDC recommendations.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Well, normally, I’d be letting you know that several of us will be attending the Texas Conference Choir

Clinic this month, but that’s been cancelled. In fact, one thing I want to share with you is that choirs world-

wide may be taking a longer hiatus than we’d like due to COVID-19. I listened to a YouTube meeting on

what happens with the virus among choral rehearsals, etc. It's very sobering and doesn't look good for

choir rehearsals, voice lessons, etc. for the next 1 - 2 years. This comes from the ACDA - American Choral

Director's Association, NATS - National Association of Teachers of Singing, Barbershop Harmony Society,

and Chorus America:

I'll sum up for those who couldn't attend the ACDA/NATS/Chorus America/Barber Shop national

Pandemic webinar:

1) There is no safe way for choirs to rehearse together until there is a vaccine or 95% effective

treatment in place, most likely 1-2 years. Singing could perhaps occasionally be outside in

small groups, but only when the wind is not at your back. Masks and spacing DO NOT protect

your singers from contagion, and singers are super-spreaders.

2) Though there may be some mitigation using a combination of UV lights and fan/atmosphere

scrubbing inside, it is not 100% effective and the UV in particular may be both expensive and

dangerous.

3) No concerts or public performances this fall, and frankly, maybe not for 1-2 years, though we

actually don't know.

4) Once rapid testing becomes available, possibility to rehearse with immediate testing before

every rehearsal with iron-clad agreements from choir members.

Info from the webinar:

Some particles can travel up to 16 feet from singers. Wide-spread testing is not safe for testing sing-

ing groups/choirs. To return, there must be acceptance of risk by the group/sponsor or both; screen-

ing criteria at the door; home PCR test done at the door; symptom screening; temperature checks;

pulse oximentry check; privacy issues - all of this is HIGH RISK. No barriers (face masks) are safe

for singing.

I shared this with my choir members a couple of weeks ago. It just makes me sad. But God is good. We’re

able to begin worshipping in the sanctuary again, and that makes my heart soar.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Nancy

Monday, June 8th—5:00pm—Room #15—Council on Ministries Meeting

Monday, May 15th—4:30pm—Room #15—Single Board Meeting

Monday, June 22—Wednesday, June 24—11:00am—1:00pm—Online Vacation Bible School

Sunday, July 19—Thursday, July 23—UM Army (details to follow)

CHOIR NOTES BY NANCY HAJEK

SINGLE BOARD MEETING Monday, June 15th

4:30PM ROOM #15

GATHERING GUIDELINES

When coming to church, we ask for your cooperation in the following ways:

1. Only use the south parking lot and enter the foyer through the south-

facing church doors. Before entering, ushers may ask to take your tem-

perature using special thermal thermometers.

2. Upon entering the foyer, please use the provided hand sanitizer.

3. Facial masks are optional.

4. Avoid using any roped off pews. This ensures proper social distancing.

5. Please keep at least two (2) empty seats between parties in any row, except

for members of the same household.

6. If the maximum seating capacity is reached in the sanctuary, overflow

seating will be available in the foyer or Fellowship Hall.

7. After the service, please exit the sanctuary so it may be disinfected.

8. Do not congregate in the foyer. Any visitations can be done outside or in

the designated area of the Fellowship Hall.

9. Some of us suffer from seasonal allergies. Just because someone coughs

or sneezes does not mean it’s a contagion.

10.Tithes and offerings may be placed in the specially marked boxes in the

foyer.