Centennial Rededications Continue

Rededication Schedule

The FUMC Prayer Ministry Needs You

Sunday School Teaching Opportunities

Worship Services Available on Video DVDs

Joyful Toon of the Week

The Tree of Remembrance

Changes in Building Use for 2008

WANTED: CURRENT E-MAIL ADDRESSES

DIRECTORIES FOR SALE

Attention Seniors – 50 and over

Please Let Us Know

NEW TAX-SAVINGS FOR DONORS 70½ YEARS AND OLDER

Parkinson's Exercise/Speech Therapy Group Needs Your Help!!

Concerns About Community Concerns

ENERGY COSTS HIGH AT HOME? THEY ARE HERE, TOO!

Senior Pastor David Turner
and
Associate Pastor Sammy Hargrove

Invite you to experience a new
Spirit of Revival
at
First United Methodist Church Irving - (972) 253-3531

Announcements & Messages

Sunday, May 18

Opportunities to Serve

... and be served

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. 1Cor 4-6

Do you remember the Sunday when you came before the congregation and took your vows of membership? Now that our church is celebrating its 100th anniversary, we want to give you an opportunity to renew your vows of membership. Looking forward to the second 100 years of FUMC, Irving, we want you to be a part of the Centennial Celebration by coming forward again, proclaiming your faith in Jesus Christ and your desire to support His church through your prayers, presence, gifts and service.

Rededications began on Sunday, January 27th, with those whose last names begin with the letter A. An attractive antique gold plate lapel pin bearing the FUMC Centennial Logo with our theme “Remembering, Rejoicing, Rededicating” will be presented to you. This same process will continue alphabetically through May 18th. Also, those who come down will have their names entered in a special commemorative book, which will be included in our church library for future generations to see. If you miss your appointed Sunday, come down another Sunday. We truly hope you will join us in rededicating your life to Jesus Christ and your membership to First United Methodist Church.

Peter McNabb, Evangelism Chair

Rededication Date	Last Name Begins With:	Rededication Date	Last Name Begins With:
February 10	B	February 17	C
February 24	D, E, F	March 9	G, H
March 16	I. J, K, L	March 30	M
April 13	N, O	April 20	P, Q, R
May 4	S, T, U	May 18	V, W, X, Y, Z

Remember that if you are unable to be present in worship on your appointed date, please come up on any of the other dates. Also Note that we are not doing the Rededications on Communion Sundays, Easter and Mothers Day, hence the gaps in the schedule. If you have any questions regarding Rededication, please call the church office at 972-253-3531.

Feed Your Spirit. Feed Your Church. Feed Your Community.

GO TO CHURCH AND SUNDAY SCHOOL - BE A PART OF THE FAMILY

OUR FAMILY / GOD'S FAMILY

You are invited to join our Prayer Ministry. For the programs and missions our church is preparing or has in process, we most definitely can use the strength and guidance that prayer can bring. The more that we pray the more of a closeness with the Father our church will have. A clearer discernment and understanding of His will and direction for our church is vital for us in the upcoming year and the remaining future.

It is vital that our church family pray for revival in our church, pray for our church and its leaders and pray for God's continued favor and grace to sustain and guide us as this centennial year. Contact Yvonne Mullen at 972-254-1888 for more information on the Prayer Ministry. To place a prayer request, fill out a prayer request form from the card rack on the backside of any pew or from the church office. You can also fill out and submit the on-line prayer request forms on this web site.

We now offer DVD recordings of our worship services. There is a request form on the back of the church bulletin for you to fill out. A DVD will cost $5 if you pick it up at the church or $7.50 if you want it mailed. Fill out the form on the back of your bulletin or this on-line web site form and then bring them to the church office with your payment.

Listen to FUMC Sermons on Your IPOD!

Download them to your MP3 player or iPod! You can play them on Windows Media Player, RealPlayer or your standard Windows media player. When you get to the multimedia audio page, click the link to listen to the sermon. Right-click, then select "save file as" to save the file for your MP3 player.

Here are a few samples ... just click and listen. If you have an iPod, you already know how to download and install the file. These are all simple MP3s.

Veteran's Day - 11/11/07	Sammy's Sermon 1-6-08	Respondability #1 - 1/13/08
Respondability #2 - 1/20/08

.. FUMC News Clips ..

NURSERY CAREGIVERS NEEDED !! !!

Please contact Joy or Keri if you or someone you know is interested in working in our church nurseries, especially on Sunday mornings.

Joy Turner,
Director of Christian Education
Call the church church 972-253-3531 or
Keri Moreno, Nursery Coordinator @ church nursery
972-259-2051 (leave message if no answer)

Support IRVING CARES!

The food supply at Irving Cares is very low. Canned meat is a real need as is personal hygiene supplies.

Cleaning supplies	personal hygiene products	cereal
baby items	(diapers, formula, food)	soups
can veggies	box dinners	pasta

Partners in Education

Each school year FUMC sponsors a volunteer program for mentoring and tutoring at PAUL KEYES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, our Partner in Education. Contact Barbara Cardwell at 972.255.5721 (home) or 972.252.8519 (office) if you have questions or wish to volunteer your services.

Community Outreach

Our Centennial is Here!

Let us all pray for God's forgiveness, love, grace tender mercy, guidance and direction at this time of transition and growth. May the Holy Spirit guide us in all that we do. Find an activity or a need and participate in your church's history and future.

if anyone has historic memorabilia such as plates, cups, softball uniforms, rec., bearing the "First United Methodist Church, Irving" name that represents our church throughout the years, please bring them up to the church office so we can proudly display them, with your kind permission, during our celebration! Please call Charles Brown at 972-253-4936 for more information.

	Susan's Notes
Susan Smith, Director of Music Ministry	The Spirit in Spring
	As the earth breathes forth new life, the sounds of spring can provide us with lessons to inspire our spiritual journey. With an attentive ear, we can hear the sounds of birds and insects breaking their winter silence as the warm winds renew the earth. This is also the time to listen to the inner invitations of the Spirit. God speaks to us in awesome ways; through the music of children playing chimes, the tinkling sounds of the beautiful brass handbells, the warmth of the human voice lifting its praise to heaven, and the collective voices of men and women dedicated to touching the hearts of people with their song. My heartfelt thanks to the choirs of FUMC Irving for blessing our worship services week after week with music. Your faithfulness and dedication to the Lord is an inspiration to our congregation and to me. Come join us if the Spirit is nudging you, come back to us if you have been out, come and be blessed by the wonderful way that music can touch your heart and draw you closer to God. We are waiting for you with open arms!! The invitation is always there for you!! “Those who sing, pray twice” St. Augustine Susan

Courtesy Mike Waters

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Teaching Sunday School takes a very special kind of person, maybe someone like you? Do you love Jesus? Do you love children? Do you love to see their eyes light up with delight and wonder at the miracles of Jesus, or the adventures of the prophets, or the glimpses of angels in the Bible? Are you willing to be a “living sacrifice” for God? Really? Will you be a Sunday School teacher this year?

June 1st is Promotion Sunday for all children & youth. Children will be recognized for their accomplishments in Sunday School this term and their promotion to the next grade will be celebrated! Our Graduating Seniors will be honored with a Banquet at noon.

New classes start on Sunday, June 8th. Classes will be divided into three sections: Early Elementary (gr. K-1st), Middle Elementary (2nd, 3rd, 4th); and Upper Elementary (5th). Teaching teams will be forming. Each section needs 3 team members to commit to the class for the next year. Team teaching allows the children to see familiar faces each week. Teachers have a support system in place. We’ll also need a team of Substitutes.

Since January, there have been 13 people who have been on the Elementary Teaching Teams; 3 on the Music and Worship Team; 3 on the Substitute Team. Some of these precious dedicated selfless Christians have already given themselves to the Lord for this next year of service! God bless all of you who have been so faithful to teach this year!

Some cannot continue this year, and there is an opportunity for others to share in the blessing! If you have interest in teaching Sunday School, please talk to Joy Turner. There are some openings in the Elementary area and also in the Senior High Sunday School Class. Please be in prayer for our teachers and listening to the Lord. If He calls on you, say “yes, Lord!” Those He calls, He equips!

The Connexion

LOOK FOR IT IN YOUR MAILBOX!

What is the "Connexion"? It's the next edition of our in-house every-other-week newsletter. If you think we have misspelled "connection", it is actually "an old Methodist word for the community of Methodists engaged in a common mission to witness to the saving grace of Jesus Christ in the world". It's even in Webster's Dictionary. So, look for "Connexion" in your mailbox at the beginning and middle of the month or read it on-line.

Prayer is the one weapon the enemy cannot duplicate or counterfeit.

First of all, as of January 7th we have a new janitorial service coming each evening Monday – Friday. They will be responsible for cleaning most areas and will then lock our facility each evening by 10 PM. Paula Gonzales will continue to serve as our custodian all weekdays. Please familiarize yourself with the following:

Please be sure that any meetings or other functions being held during the week are completed by 10 PM.
When scheduling use of the church buildings, please complete a form in the office for any special requests and setups needed.
All weekly activities should be held using rooms on the first or second floors to minimize the need to cool, heat, lock and unlock the facility.
When using the main building on any day other than Sunday, please enter and leave by using the SOUTH ENTRANCE doors closest to the church offices. Energy costs will increase during 2008, so we all need to be diligent stewards of our church buildings by remembering to turn off lights, air conditioning and other appliances whenever we finish use of a room including restrooms.
Any need for custodial services on Saturdays must be requested THROUGH THE CHURCH OFFICE prior to the date needed.

Hopefully these changes will make us more efficient and help lower our building use expenses through 2008. Thank you!

The Tree of Remembrance has now been installed on the wall of our sanctuary narthex. It includes gifts to the building of the sanctuary in amounts of $200 and up for the time frame through 2004. It does not include gifts of hymnals and Bibles; these honorariums are noted in each book given.

The tree has blank leaves and rocks on it for additions, the first of which will take place after the current pledge time frame is completed in March, 2008. The tree is designed for the addition of islands to either side and above the tree and of course rocks at the bottom. These will be added as needed.

Should you have any questions about the inscriptions or other information regarding the tree, please call Barbara Canafax, our Financial Secretary, at 972-253-3531.

In case you haven’t heard, postage rates are going up and, as a result, so will our expenses. It’s possible that, for those who have email, we can save some costs. If you will commit to checking your email regularly, we can save money by using this form of communication. So, please update your email addresses with the church office ASAP.
(Ph. 972-253-3531) Thanks!

If your email address has changed, please let us know!

At the present time we have some additional FUMC directories available. All are $10. Have you ever considered sticking one in your car? Or taking one to your office?
Well, these won’t last forever. Come by the church office and we’ll be happy to help you. Also, we do have a very limited number of the “mini” directories.

Where will you be next Sunday morning at 9:45 a.m.? If you are a senor (50 and over) you could be meeting with the KEYSTONE SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS and gaining a better understanding of the SCRIPTURES as presented by our experienced teachers.
Why not start next Sunday? We are on the ground floor (room 102) of the Family Life Center and we will be looking for YOU.

If you have a question about the KEYSTONE CLASS, please feel free to call Wanda Lanier at 972-255-3127.

Please, when you know of someone who is in the hospital or who has lost a loved one, notify the church office. Do not assume that someone else has notified us. In the past few weeks we have not been able to give our support to members of our church family because we, in the church office, were not made aware of the need. We would much prefer hearing the same report several times rather than missing it once.

All help will be greatly appreciated.

Congress has recently taken important steps to strengthen America’s retirement system while encouraging additional charitable giving. The Pension Protection Act of 2006 offers you new opportunities for tax-free charitable giving to your church.

You may contribute funds if:

You are 70½ years or older.
The gifts do not total more than $100,000 per year.
You make the gift on or before December 31, 2007.
You transfer the funds directly from an IRA or Rollover IRA.
You make the gift to a public charity. This includes First United Methodist Church, Irving, but excludes gifts made to charitable trusts, donor advised funds and supporting organizations.

Please contact Barbara Canafax in the church office if you have questions. 972-253-3531 or barbara@fumcirving.org

Please, unless you are physically unable to do so, do not use the parking lot by the church office. We need to save these spaces for our physically handicapped church members.

Thank you!

If you have Parkinson's, or know of anyone that does, please come join our exercise group. We meet every Tuesday and Thursday at 10:00 a.m. for one hour at the First United Methodist Church in the Parlor.

It is FREE to all people with Parkinson's and their caregivers. This special group is offered as a service from the Dallas Area Parkinsonism Society (DAPS) and is conducted by a licensed Physical and Speech therapist.

Group meetings are in a very relaxed, comfortable atmosphere that allows you to exercise at your own pace and activity level.

Speech therapy is offered from 11:00-12:00 on Thursdays only. For further information please contact Deb Cantrell at 817-801-1247 or simply visit us at anytime on Tuesday and Thursday.

Knowing that we all want to do what we can to help those who have real need whether it be housing, food, clothing, bus fare, etc., we need to be cautious in how this is handled. The church office keeps records that include driver's license numbers and Social Security numbers in order to be aware of who and how these requests for assistance are handled.

Giving out cash is not an effective way of handling them. In an effort to address these requests, the church office presently has a policy in place. We would encourage all requests, whether in the parking lot, the hallways, or on any other of our church property, be directed to the church office or to the pastors.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD

Difficult moments, SEEK GOD

Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD

Painful moments, TRUST GOD

Every moment, THANK GOD

Please note that our average ELECTRIC BILL is $6,112 per month. PLEASE be responsible to TURN OFF AIR-CONDITIONING UNITS AND LIGHTS as you leave rooms/buildings. If you're not sure whether you should or not, please ask someone in the church office. If in doubt or you can't find someone, just TURN THEM OFF!