Sammy Speaks

Essential Truths from God's Word from

Our Associate Pastor Sammy Hargrove

New Ministry: Grief Share
January 11, 2010

I would like to share with you my brief message to the Charge Conference last night: Barbara and I love being here at FUMC Irving. I love the people here, I love what I do, and I love the folks I get to work with. We're glad to be here for another year to keep doing what we've been doing.

I do want to invite your participation in a new ministry that will begin Wednesday, January 27, following the Oasis dinner. The program is called Grief Share. It is a video based curriculum and it will be led by Jimmy and Phyllis Street, and I will be there to help out. This is for folks who are struggling with feelings of grief and loss following the death of a close friend or loved one. Workbooks will be available but aren't required for participating in the course which will last until May 5. Sign up by calling the church office. If you want to know more, call Jimmy, Phyllis, or me.

Grandparents Day Super Sunday
September 13, 2009

Thanks to all who submitted pictures for Grandparent’s Sunday! We had over 500 people for this very special Sunday, and it was especially great for so many to have their grandchildren here. I apologize to anyone who sent (or tried to send) a picture which was not in the video. My mailbox at the church overflowed and some emails didn’t come through. If that happened, send it again to my email at home (sammyhargrove@sbcglobal.net), and I will get the picture on the screen. All the special music was great, and I have heard many people who shared that opinion. The video, all the music, and the sermon are now on our church website. It was so interesting that both David and I (and our wives) had a new grandbaby within a week of Grandparent’s Sunday, and Ed and Jan Dame had one after us. Here is an anonymous prayer for grandparents I found on the web:

Dear Father in heaven, thank you for the gift of devoted grandparents. Thank you for their wisdom, love and generosity. Thank you for the time they are willing to spend with grandchildren in a world where many adults are in a hurry. Thank you for making them a rock where their families find security in a world of turmoil and change. Thank you for their faith which has weathered life’s storms.

Help them when they face the difficulties of old age and the “golden years” are not so golden. When their strength fails, be the strength of their heart. As they have been a refuge to many, be their refuge in life’s storms. Help us to imitate their faith and to reach the goal of heaven where our family will be reunited at the wedding feast of your dear Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, who died to give life to every generation. Amen.

Our Church's Videos
June 22, 2009

This week I want to encourage you to take a look at our new video web page. I know that not everyone has or uses a computer, but if you do, go to our website at www.fumcirving.org and go down to the link on the right hand side which is labeled FUMCi Video. When you click there you will be taken to our video page.

There are three options:; VIEW, LOG IN, and UPLOAD. Initially, just click on VIEW and you will then see the videos which have been uploaded. We are still in the early stages of uploading video, but already there are a good many to try.

In the search box at the top of the page type in the word "liberty" and then click on "search." You will see a video of the Chancel Choir that I uploaded that day, and you will see a video of the same thing that was taken and uploaded by Connie Riley. If you type in "VBS", you will see all the videos that were taken at our awesome VBS last week. If you just put a "7" in and search, you will see all the videos that have a "7" in the title which would most mean they were taken in July.

The other major thing about this site is that you can easily join as a member and upload your own videos. Just click on LOG IN on the opening page and put in your email address and choose a user name and a password. That’s all you have to do. Just remember that the user name and password is case sensitive.

After you have signed in, you can upload your own videos, and we encourage you to do this. This is mostly for church events, but if you have other video that you would like to share with the congregation, give it a try. The video won't appear on the web site until it has been approved by the video administrator - currently yours truly.

We are doing this video project on a 2 month trial basis. If not enough people use it to make it worthwhile, it will not continue. Therefore, if you think this is worthwhile, give it a try. Become a registered user (currently we have 12) and watch some of the videos, or better yet, upload something. Let me know what kind of videos you would like to see on here. The plan is to put the praise music, the choir anthem, and the sermon on the web site each week. Right now, they are there only for July 5, but others are coming.

Blessings to you and happy viewing,
Sammy Hargrove, Associate Pastor