Fill The Hole!

Don't just give up something this Lenten season... take something on! Throughout the season of Lent, there will be opportunities for you to "fill the hole" we've been talking about in The Hole in Our Gospel. Look for the cross displays in the Sanctuary foyers and Founders Chapel atrium. Each tag displayed lists a way in which you can make a difference in the lives of those who are needy - both in our community and around the world. New on the cross this week (note that new tags on the cross will have a different color ribbon than the brown used in previous weeks): 

• Provide an eye exam and new eye glasses for a neighbor in need.

• Buy new pair of black, slip on, loafer style dress shoes for a neighbor in need.

• Provide toilet paper, toothpaste, bath soap, detergent, dish soap, cleaning supplies for a neighbor in need.

• Help for a neighbor in need in her flower bed

• Provide cash for a neighbor in need to buy required work shirts through her company.

• And much more!!

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. Need help choosing or need more information? Contact Volunteer Coordinator Bev Campisi at beverlyc@fumcg.org or 817-797-4936. Click here to see a more complete list of some of the opportunities available.

Recycle Your Book!
If you are no longer using your copy of The Hole in Our Gospel, you may return your book to the church office. We will pass it on to someone else who would like to read it, or to another church that's doing the study.

Safe Sanctuaries Training

If you are interested in volunteering with youth or children, it is required that you first take the Safe Sanctuaries training class.  Safe Sanctuaries training is held on the first Wednesday of each month. The next class is TONIGHT (Wednesday, March 3) at 6:30 PM in Room 2010. Please RSVP to Nathan to let him know to expect you. 

For more information about Safe Sanctuaries, please visit our website.

Communion Offering: Justice For Our Neighbors

This Sunday, March 7, is Communion Sunday.  Our altar offering will go to Justice For Our Neighbors (JFON). JFON is a program of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) that provides free, professional legal services to immigrants in monthly clinics. This program connects a national network of church-based, volunteer-led immigration clinics to asylum seekers and immigrants who need a helping hand to navigate the maze of rules and laws that affect their lives in the United States. JFON was instrumental in helping us to reunite Monique and Julien Kibugu with their children, spending hours upon hours working through the red tape to have the children brought here from Rwanda. JFON has also presented informational clinics for our Hispanic Ministries.

Memorial Service for Dr. Ed Lancaster

Dr. Ed Lancaster passed away on Sunday evening, February 28. Dr. Ed was a pillar in this church and in the Grapevine community and he will be greatly missed. Drs. Ed and Minnie Lee Lancaster touched many lives by first opening the Grapevine Clinic Hospital, which is now Baylor Grapevine. A memorial service for Dr. Ed will be held on Saturday, March 27, at 3:00 PM in the Sanctuary.

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

News to Change the World

First Saturday - Meet & Greet the Troops
Join us in welcoming home our heroes from Iraq and Afghanistan for their holiday leave. We'll meet and greet this Saturday, March 6, at DFW Airport Terminal D. Call the flight information line at 972-574-0392 late Friday night or very early Saturday morning for the recorded scheduled arrival time and location. Call again before leaving home to ensure no flight delay. Wear red, white and blue and bring a flag to wave! Parking vouchers are provided by the airport. Questions? Contact Donna Chabot (940-262-0366 or chabot113@juno.com).

Sponsors in Waiting
A couple of months ago, we extended our AIDS Orphans Ministry to "Sponsors In Waiting." We only need three more Sponsors in Waiting to have enough to go to the Methodist Church in Kenya to request the children. The financial commitment for sponsoring a child is $20 per month for 3 years (which is equal to $240 per year or $720 total). If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, contact Donna Chabot at 940-262-0366 or chabot113@juno.com. See today's Updates section below for a note from Bishop William about the state of things in Kenya.

Blood Drive
Our next blood drive is coming up Thursday, March 18, from 4:00 to 7:30 PM in Leach Hall. Visit our website for the link to make your reservation online. Please bring a photo ID with you. All donors receive a T-shirt and a mini-physical including blood pressure and iron level check at the time of donation and cholesterol results following their donation. Please have a meal prior to donating. Questions? Contact Sandra Nasr.

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. Click here for a full list of GRACE Pantry's current needs (PDF).

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: Grow Your Own
Lawns surrounding 85 million U.S. residences take up at least 25 million acres. Digging up just a fraction of this real estate to grow chard, lettuce, peas, and tomatoes would be a marvelous development. You would save money on food, and some of the millions of gallons of oil used to ship it from farm to market. Apartment dwellers take note: an amazing amount of produce can be grown in containers or window boxes, especially greens you can cut and grow back. For tips, browse Agricultural Extension Services online or check out McGee and Stuckey's Bountiful Container (New York: Workman Publishing Company, 2002).

For information about all Adult Ministries, visit our website.

News for Adults

Men's Breakfast and Bible Study
The Thursday morning Iron Men Bible study that meets weekly at Old West Café is beginning a new study on Thursday, March 4, at 6:30 AM. We’ll study the book "Dare to Be Uncommon: Discovering How to Impact Your World" by Tony Dungy. If you would like to attend this series please rsvp to Kevin Mitchell at kmitchell@grapevinetexas.gov so we can have enough books for everyone. Visit the Iron Men website for more information about weekly Bible studies.

The Well with Natalie Witcher
The next gathering of The Well is tomorrow (Thursday, March 4) at 7:00 PM in the Family Life Center.  We welcome guest speaker Natalie Witcher, with special music by Josh Ingram. Natalie will speak on "Gucci or Goodwill: Either Way It's Still Baggage!" We ask that you bring a gently-used purse to donate to a local women's shelter. Tickets sales have ended, but if you would like to be placed on the waiting list, call the church office at 817-481-2559. Visit our website for more information about the March event and to get season tickets for the remaining Well events for 2010.

Women's Book Study
The Wednesday morning book study group has started a new study. Join us as we explore the question "How could God allow suffering and evil?" We meet on Wednesdays from 9:30 to 11:00 AM in Room 2011 of the Family Life Center. Questions? Contact Betsy Hayes at 469-323-3731.

Help for Sudan - UMW Unit Meeting
With all the violence tearing through Africa, Southern Sudan has been almost forgotten. The UMW Unit Meeting on Tuesday, March 9, 7:00 PM in Leach Hall will feature Clarita Dennis presenting a study on conditions in the Sudan. She will discuss both Sudan and nearby Darfur and how the conditions there affect the women who struggle to live there. She will also present what the Methodist Church is doing to help. Please join us for this informative gathering!

Grief Support Group
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 will meet Sundays starting March 14, from 4:00 to 5:30 PM in Room 2011 of the Family Life Center. 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). 

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 3
5:30-7:00 PM - Middle School - Heritage campus
7:00-8:30 PM - High School - at the Crater's

Sunday Night Youth
This Sunday, March 7, youth will meet from 5:00 to 7:00 PM in the Family Life Center.

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. Cost: $225 Early Bird cost/$100 deposit due March 11 - price goes up afterwards.
2010 Middle School Mission Trip: July 18-23 to South Central Texas. 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 8th - 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 

Bryan's Buddies Respite - March 7
Bryan's Buddies, a part of the Dream Team Ministry, is respite care that provides a safe and fun evening out for special needs children and their siblings. This allows a much-needed time off for parents to relax and refresh. Our next event is Sunday, March 7, 1:00 to 4:00 PM in the Family Life Center. We would love to bring in new families with special needs children to Bryan's Buddies. Please invite friends or neighbors to our events. Just remember, they must fill out an application form with much needed information for us to provide the best care for their children. Click here to download the registration form (pdf). If the family has a fragile child, we will need to be contacted ASAP by phone so that we may fill their needs with medical care as well (call Joyce King, Dream Team Coordinator at 817-488-9141). Visit our website for more information about Bryan's Buddies and other ministries for children with special needs and their families.

Save the Date for the 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. 

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.

Letter from Bishop William (Methodist Church Kenya)
Dear Ken,
Greetings in Jesus Name. It is our prayer that you are all doing well, my family and the entire Synod is doing well and we thank God now that most parts of the Synod had enough rain and food. We want to thank you and your church for the support you have given us. The Sangaa Water Project in Masai area is already completed and now they have enough clean water. They are now putting up the storage tank. The Guest house is going on well and we have used all the money you sent to us. The child sponsorship program for orphan and venerable children is doing well in their studies. We thank God for all your support. 
May God Bless you.
William

An Hour to Help Haiti
We had about 80 people come out for An Hour to Help Haiti and we raised about $2,800. The leading fundraiser was by far Will O’Brien and the Dream Team. We had a great day as it was an absolutely glorious morning. It was a great time of fun, fellowship and filling the hole! Click here to see more pictures from the event.

Pancake Breakfast
Our thanks to all of you who came out and ate breakfast with us at the Youth Pancake Breakfast last Sunday!  We raised $850 for the summer youth mission trips. Click here to see more pictures from the event.

Gifts Given

Anonymous gifts have been given to the Endowment Fund in memory of Bobbie Cherry and Randy Roberts.

Gifts have been given to the Memorial Fund in memory of Bobbie Cherry by the Van Pelt family and Mary Louise Spangler.

A gift has been given to the Compassion Fund in memory of Don Fowles by Odell and Barbara Evartt.

A gift has been given to the Creative Learning Center in memory of Louise Carter by Sharon Moffett.

An anonymous gift has been given to Stephen Ministry in memory of Rodney Humphreys, Rebecca Himmelberg's father.