Fill The Hole!

This Lent we've been taking on hundreds of projects to help fill the hole in our gospel and fulfill Jesus' invitation to us to serve the poor and the "least of these." The Lenten crosses have been filled with hundreds of tags with specific ways to help others. As the tags have been taken, more have been added and we've been hearing amazing stories of mountains moving. Please note that when you take an item off of the cross, you are responsible for following through with it by contacting the person indicated on the tag.  We will not be placing new tags on the cross this week in hopes that the remaining items will be taken. However, here are a few extra needs which have been brought to our attention. If you would like to help with any of these, contact Bev Campisi at beverlyc@fumcg.org or 817-797-4936. 

• Additional Wal-Mart Gift Cards for neighbors' groceries

• A new neighbor on S. Scribner is in need of bedroom furniture (adult), a washer and dryer, and a kitchen table/chairs

• Dental care for 3 neighbors with painful toothaches

• Help fund scholarships for 2 boys to attend the Creative Learning Center preschool for $155 per month or a total of $1395 per year

• Donate a VCR to a neighbor (used is fine)

• Donate a tree floor lamp (with multiple fixtures for directional lighting) for a neighbor.

As Lent comes to an end, we will also have on-going needs that you can fill any time. We will be keeping various needs in front of you, so watch for them in E-News and Sunday's bulletin. Here are some needs we know will be on-going:

• Support all of our local missions ministries (God Can, Project Read, Weekend Food, etc.) 

• Donate Box Tops for Education (clipped from commonly-used products) to Cannon Elementary. Click here for a list of products from which you can clip Box Tops.

• The Texas Center for the Visually Challenged badly needs your old computers. They are refurbished and equipped with special software that speaks to the users, then shipped all over the US. If you have an old computer to donate, Dick Guckel will gladly pick it up and deliver it for you. Contact Dick at 817-488-2005 (home), 682-553-8226 (cell) or  captain.dick@verizon.net. 

"The Seven Last Words of Christ"

The choir will be performing Theodore Dubois' work, "The Seven Last Words of Christ," on Sunday, March 21, at Heritage and Sunday, March 28, at the 10:10 and 11:15 AM services at the Downtown Campus. "The Seven Last Words of Christ" is a unique musical telling of the Passion story that dates back to the late 1700's. "The Seven Last Words of Christ" is presented in eight movements and will feature soloists Jennifer Chung (soprano), Scott Boiles (baritone) and Wren Robinson/Caleb Hailey (tenors). 

Please note that the choir performance will replace the traditional order of worship and message in the services in which "The Seven Last Words of Christ" is presented.  Dr. Cindy Ryan will deliver the sermon in the 8:50 and 9:00 AM services on Sunday, March 28.

Stephen Minister Dedication

This Sunday, March 21, we will dedicate a team of 13 new Stephen Ministers during the 11:15 AM worship service. These individuals have undergone 50 hours of extensive training. Stephen Ministers work alongside our pastors to care, encourage, and provide emotional and spiritual support to people who are going through a difficult time, such as divorce, grief, hospitalization, unemployment, terminal illness, relocation, chronic illness or loneliness. You will find Stephen Ministers available to pray with you at the altar after each worship service on Sunday mornings. You may also be assigned a specific Stephen Minister if you find yourself going through a difficult time. If you are in need of a listening ear and a little encouragement and would like to talk with a Stephen Minister, contact Rev. Rick Mang (817-481-2559 x114 or rickm@fumcg.org). More information about Stephen Ministry is available on our website. 

Church Conference

There will be a special Church Conference on Sunday, March 28, at 4:00 PM in Leach Hall. The main order of business is to approve one of our church members, Sela Finau, for ordained ministry. 

Church Conferences are open to all church members and anyone who is interested is invited to attend. Questions? Contact Ken (kend@fumcg.org).

Easter Flowers

Help us decorate the Sanctuaries and Founders Chapel for Easter by providing flowers in honor or memory of a loved one. Two types of flowers are available this year: Lilies ($15) and Hydrangeas ($20). Place your order through the Check-In insert in your bulletin starting this Sunday morning or in the church office. The deadline for orders is 5:00 PM on Monday, March 29. Please print legibly and include ONE DEDICATION per flower ordered. The dedications will be included in a bulletin insert on Easter Sunday morning. If you would like to take your flower home with you, you may pick it up after the 11:15 AM worship service on Easter Sunday, April 4.

Holy Week & Easter

Palm Sunday, March 28 
Children’s Easter Party - 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM - Lawn, Playground, Family Life Center 
"The Seven Last Words of Christ" - The choir will perform during the 10:10 and 11:15 AM worship services at the Downtown Campus. Dr. Cindy Ryan will speak at 8:50 and 9:00 AM. 

Daily Devotions, March 29-April 3 
An informal time of lay-lead devotions and reflection each day of Holy Week - March 29-April 3 (Monday-Saturday) at 6:30 AM in the Heritage Sanctuary.

Maundy Thursday, April 1 
Worship/Communion Services: 7:00 PM in Founders Chapel | 7:00 PM in the Heritage Sanctuary 

Good Friday, April 2 
Bilingual Service of Darkness: 7:00 PM in Founders Chapel

Easter Sunday, April 4 
Sunrise Services: 7:00 AM in the Grapevine Botanical Gardens | 7:00 AM on the lawn of the Heritage Campus 
Regular Worship Services: 8:50 AM in Founders Chapel | 9:00 AM in the Sanctuary | 10:10 AM in the Sanctuary | 10:30 AM in the Heritage Sanctuary | 11:15 AM in the Sanctuary
Childcare is provided for all worship services except for Sunrise Services. No Sunday School Easter Sunday.

Easter Volunteers

Would you like to help make our church a welcoming place on Easter Sunday? We'll need lots of extra smiling faces at all of the services that morning. See Check-In online or in this Sunday's bulletin to sign up to help!

Easter Offering

This year's Easter Offering will go to the Kenyan Guest House project and to the Metropolitan Board of Missions:

Kenyan Guest House:  Over the past few years, we have developed a close relationship with the Kaaga Synod of the Methodist Church in Kenya. One of the projects that they have found to be successful is the use of guest houses for generating income. Individuals and groups pay to stay at the guest house, and the funds are used by the church to help the church and community to become more self-sufficient. We have committed to assist  Bishop William's Synod in the completion of their guest house.

Metropolitan Board of Missions: The Metro Board of Missions is the local mission arm of the Fort Worth and Mid-Cities Districts of The United Methodist Church. This group distributes funds to 41 local charities who are helping people right here in our neighborhood. These groups fall into six categories: Advocacy/Special Services, Children/Youth/Young Adult, Emergency Assistance, English-As-A Second Language, Homelessness, and Rehabilitation/Re-Entry/Offender Services, Women’s Service. Many of the charities you may recognize - like Habitat for Humanity and UTA Wesley Foundation. Others - like Community Storehouse and Hugworks - may be new to you. For a complete listing of the ministries who benefit from the Metro Board of Missions, visit http://www.metroboardofmissions.com/ministries.html. 

For information about all of our Missions Ministries, visit our website.

News to Change the World

Blood Drive
Blood donations are down this spring and we'd like to invite you to help fill the need. Our spring Blood Drive will be held tomorrow, Thursday, March 18, 4:00 to 7:30 PM in Leach Hall,  and we still have openings on the quarter hour from 4:45 to 6:30 PM and 7:00 to 7:30 PM. You may make your appointment online now or by contacting Cheri Rutledge (817-481-2559 x 110, cherir@fumcg.org) by noon Thursday, March 18. *Please bring a picture ID and have a meal before donating. All donors receive a T-shirt, mini-physical, including blood pressure and iron level check at the time of donation, and cholesterol results following their donation.

Spring Into Missions - April 24, 2010
Save the date for Spring Into Missions - Saturday, April 24. This is the day we head out into the community to help our neighbors by doing yard work and home repairs. Watch for more information coming soon!

God Can for GRACE
Bring your non-perishable food items for the GRACE pantry to the designated bins in the Sanctuary Foyer, Founders Chapel Atrium and outside the church office. GRACE's needs right now are: Cooking oil, canned meats, dry rice, pasta, toiletries.

Weekend Food Needs
Weekend Food needs are individual packs of: easy mac, ravioli, ramen noodles, applesauce, fruit cups, pudding cups, breakfast bars, instant oatmeal. Please bring your donations to Room 1006 in the Family Life Center. Questions? Contact Debbie Price at depdjp@aol.com or 817-821-3858. More info on Weekend Food.

Mission Green Tip of the Week: Bring Your Lunch
Apart from your health and wealth, takeout food packaging is a huge waste of resources. When you walk down the street at lunchtime, nearly everyone is carrying plastic-wrapped food and plastic utensils in a white plastic bag. Takeout food packaging creates 1.8 million tons of trash in the United States every year. The alternative? Bring your lunch. Find great quick lunch recipes at www.cooks.com.

For information about all Adult Ministries, visit our website.

News for Adults

Grief Support Group
It's not too late to join the Good Grief Support Group, meeting Sundays at 4:00 PM in Room 2011 of the Family Life Center.  Of all the human experiences, one of the most devastating is the death of someone we love. The Good Grief Support Group, based on the booklet Good Grief by Granger E. Westberg, is a six-week journey in grief work that will include examination of patterns of grief, remembering with less pain and strengthening the ability to cope. The group is interactive with reflective assignments between meetings. Topics that will be addressed during the six weeks are: telling our stories, understanding the grief process, tasks of grieving, individual factors of grieving, how children grieve, sudden death, stress management, holidays and anniversaries. The group will be facilitated by a licensed professional counselor intern.  Class size is limited to 10 participants. Please RSVP to Katherine Hunter (817-481-2559 x130 or katherineh@fumcg.org).

Prayer Gathering
Please join the Prayer Team for a special prayer time this Sunday, March 21, from 8:15 to 8:45 AM in Room 2002 of the Family Life Center. During this time we will pray for the pastors and ministries of our church. We hope to see you there! 

New Horizon with Dr. Paul Benson
On Tuesday, March 23, New Horizon, a group of 55-plus Christian individuals, invites you to a dinner and program at 6:30 PM in the Family Life Center. Dr. Paul Benson, a college Professor of Humanities, will present a program with the catchy title of "Fruits and Nuts, America’s Strange Marriage of Business and Religion," which promises to be both entertaining and informative. Dr. Benson was with us about two years ago and was well received as a very memorable speaker who gave us a thought-provoking evening of fun. The cost of the evening is $10 per person including catered dinner. Reservations must be made by noon the Monday before (March 22) by calling 817-430-4965 or 817-488-4136. 

Women in Transition - Conversations
Beginning in April, the Women In Transition Program will have a continuing monthly event - called "Conversations" - on the first Monday of each month. The first program will be "Soul Tending for Women" presented by Dr. Cindy Ryan on Monday, April 5, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in Room 2008 of the Family Life Center. This group is for women who have completed the Women in Transition program at either First United Methodist Church Grapevine or at Whites Chapel United Methodist Church. Any women interested in attending the Women in Transition program in the future may attend while waiting for the next WIT 12-week structured program. Affiliation with either church is NOT required. "WIT Conversations" is facilitated by Douglas Anderson, a formally trained Life and Executive Coach. Questions? Contact Douglas at 817-456-6125.

College Sunday School Class
We are getting ready to start a new Sunday School class for college-age adults (18-24). Our goal is to strengthen our connection with God through relevant studies. If you are interested in more information about this class or would like to share your input, please contact Barbara Howe at 817-320-1912 or fumcgrapevine.college@gmail.com. 

Questions about Youth Ministries? Contact Jenny Davidson at jennyd@fumcg.org or 817-705-2264 (cell).

RevolutionX News for Youth www.revolutionXonline.com

Wednesday Bible Study Locations - March 17
Bible Studies will not meet tonight due to Spring Break.

Sunday Night Youth
Sunday Night Youth on Sunday, March 21, will be at Southlake Gymnastics Academy (280 Commerce St. Suite 150, Southlake) from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. The cost is $3 per person... bring your friends! We have access to all of their equipment (trampolines, beams, bars, foam pit, etc). We will have a snack supper and play. Parents, please drop off and pick up there. Jenny will be taking the church van from the Downtown Campus... so the first 12 middle school students to contact Jenny can ride the van!  Please DOWNLOAD AND COMPLETE this required release form (doc)

Mission Trip Registration Begins
Registration has begun for 2010 High School and Middle School Mission trips! Register online at www.ctcym.org. 
2010 High School Mission Trip: June 13-19 to Ponca City, Oklahoma with FUMC Watauga. Participants include current 8th through 12th graders. Sponsors must be at least 20 years old and have completed Safe Sanctuary Training. Early bird registration has ended. The cost is now $235 cost/$100 deposit due April 8 - price for late registrations is $250.
2010 Middle School Mission Trip: July 18-23 to Menard, Texas. Churches at the Menard Living Center will include: Bedford-Martin UMC, Comanche FUMC, Grapevine FUMC, Hico UMC, N. Richland Hills-Richland Hills UMC. Participants include current 6th-7th graders. Sponsors must have been out of high school for at least a year and completed Safe Sanctuary Training. Cost: $200 Early Bird cost/$100 deposit due April 8 - price goes up afterwards.

Looking for a Way to Help the Youth?
We are still in need of people/groups/Sunday School classes to provide a meal for Sunday Night Youth. If you are interested, please email Sue Schultz at seg1024@yahoo.com. 

Buy a Light Help the Youth
Visit http://www.bogolight.com/?Click=8372 to purchase a solar-powered flashlight and support the youth! Click here for more info.

Questions about children's ministries? Rev. Nathan Firmin at nathanf@fumcg.org or 817-481-2559 x129.

KidsTown News for Children & Families www.firstmethodistgrapevine.org/children 

Children's Easter Party!
Kids, come celebrate Easter with us at the Children's Easter Party on Sunday, March 28, from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM. We'll enjoy lunch, egg hunts, plus a carnival on the front lawn with a bounce house, carnival games and bunny pictures! Lunch will be BBQ with all the trimmings, served from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM. The cost is $3 per person, with a family maximum of $15. The carnival will run from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM. There will be age level egg hunts held on the playground starting at 1:00 PM. There will be a Scavenger Hunt for 3rd-5th graders. We have opportunities to help in all areas. You may also donate candy for the hunt in collection buckets around the church or donate cookies for the lunch.  You may sign up in Sunday morning Check-In, or by contacting Dianne Hackney at hackney_family@att.net. We will need RSVPs for both the lunch and for the egg hunt by age.  Please RSVP to Linda McClure (817-481-2559 or lindam@fumcg.org) by March 23. 

Creative Learning Center Registration
The Creative Learning Center is continuing registration for the 2010/2011 school year, and would love to have your child join us for learning and fun. We have classes for 18 month olds, two, three and four year olds, as well as a wonderful Transitional Kindergarten class for five year olds. Our mission is to provide "Quality Education and Care for the Young Child in a Christian Environment." The CLC preschool has been an important outreach ministry of the First United Methodist Church of Grapevine since 1965! We look forward to welcoming you to the CLC. Come visit us for a tour, or call for more information. (817)329-8444. For more information, visit www.clcgrapevine.org. 

Common Sense Media
Parents, I would like to share a media resource with you called, Common Sense Media. I subscribed several months ago and have followed its content and found some great articles. We will run a link to this site in the Children's Ministry section of E-News and on our website. Please check it out and share your thoughts and ideas.  ~ Nathan

Click here for this week's edition of Common Sense Media.

Updates, Recaps, Gifts, Thanks, Photos, etc.

Gifts Given

A gift has been given to the Endowment Fund in memory of Dr. Ed Lancaster by the Jed Gibson family.

A gift has been given to the Be Our Guest ministry in memory of Dr. Ed Lancaster by The Pittman family.

A gift has been given to the Memorial Fund in memory of Randy Roberts by the Historic Downtown Grapevine Association.

Pastors On Spring Break
Several of the pastors have been out of the office over Spring Break, but not all are on vacation! As you can see, Nathan has been working hard at a Children's Pastor's Conference, and Ken has been playing around in Chicago at a conference for the General Board of Pensions and Health Benefits.