Life and the life of faith are a journey for which we need nourishment – physical, emotional, and spiritual.  Join Rev. Troy Sims on Ash Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 12:00noon or 6:30pm in Perkins Chapel to begin considering finding this food.

Then, on February 29, 2012 at 12:00-1:00pm, we’ll continue these thoughts as we begin a weekly Lenten study (skipping March 14 for Spring Break) using Robert Schnase’s book, Forty Days of Fruitful Living: Practicing a Life of Grace.  The study will go through April 4, 2012.

Particular verses to consider prior to worship and during the study are:

• John 4:34 – Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work.” (NRSV)
• John 6:53 – So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” (NRSV)
• John 14:12 – Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. (NRSV)

Even if you choose not to participate in the study, we hope you’ll consider getting a copy of the book to read for personal devotional use throughout the season of Lent.  If you do use the book for the study or only personal use, you’ll start reading on Ash Wednesday, reading each successive day except on Sundays when you’ll read the unnumbered thematic introductions.

The book costs $12, and the church will not order the book for you until receiving the money.  Or, if you prefer to order the book yourself, click the image of the book or the title of the book above.

Register now below!

For more information,
contact Rev. Troy Sims
(tsims@fumcwf.org or 940-766-4231).

Order a book for you?

-- YES, and I understand I must pay for the book before the church will order it. NO

Name:

Phone:

e-Mail:

Comments:

Enter this Code:

A provocative new study will begin on Sunday afternoons beginning February 12, 2012 as the Sunday Afternoon Study Group discusses Gregory A. Boyd’s book, The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power Is Destroying the Church.

In writing of this book, Tony Campolo says that it “addresses a major concern of evangelical Christians who are fearful that patriotic zeal is being confused with Christianity and that Christianity is being used to legitimize a socio-political system that ought to be biblically critiqued.  We’ve needed this book.”

The author, Greg Boyd, is the founder and senior pastor of the mega-church, Woodland Hills Church, in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Here are details of the class:

• Sundays, beginning February 12, 2012
• 4:30-6:00pm
• In Room 302.
• Childcare available upon request
• Cost for the book:  $11 (you must pay for the book before the church can order it for you)
  (if you’d like to order the book yourself, click the image of the book above).
• Register NOW below!

For more information about this study,
contact Rev. Troy Sims
(tsims@fumcwf.org or 940-766-4231, x229).

Order a book for you?

YES, and I understand I must pay for the book before it can be ordered. NO

Name:

Phone:

e-Mail:

Need Childcare?

-- YES NO

Give names and ages of children for childcare.

Comments:

Enter this Code:

The Young Adult Singles will watch and consider the story behind the life of Christopher Gardner through the movie, The Pursuit of Happyness, on:

• Sunday, January 29, 2012
• 6:30pm
• On the 3rd Floor of FUMC
• Feel free to bring your supper with you!

After watching the movie on the big screen, Jessica Holley will lead a discussion focusing on:

• The misspelling of “happiness” – the constant why;
• The testament of the human spirit and overcoming great challenges life gives us; and
• That maybe God wants us to reach out and help others.  Does that constitute true happiness?

For more information about the Young Adult Singles,
contact Rev. Troy Sims
(tsims@fumcwf.org or 940-766-4231, x229).

We may not be in the Garden of Eden,
but we are planning a
Garden of Eatin’ Chili / Stew / Dessert Cook-Off!

Plan now to enter your recipes and to be present to vote for this wonderful event that supports our four primary mission focus:

• PowerPaks 4 Kids – 40%
• Texas Ramp Proj­ect – 25%
• Imagine No Malaria – 25%
• Faith Mission – 10%

Even if you do not enter a recipe, we hope you’ll bring your appetite and money to share (any cash donation or check accepted)!

• You’ll vote for your favorite chilis, stews, and desserts by placing money in a box by your favs.
• You can vote for as many as you want and give as much as you want when you vote!
• Cost to eat:
  $10 / Adult
  $5 / Child
  $25 MAX / Family

If you plan to enter a recipe, let us know by filling out the form below!  Good luck!

Name:

e-Mail:

Phone:

I'll bring the following food:

Chili:

Stew:

Dessert:

If in a Sunday School Class, choose it here:

Pre-School Children's (K-Grade 6) Jr. High Youth Sr. High Youth Aldersgate All Saints Berean Bi-the-Way Exodus Genesis Keystone LTQ Open Door The Journey Win-Some Zarepath

Comments:

Enter these characters:

New to the United Methodist Church?

Been in the UMC a long time
but not sure of our basic beliefs?

Just want to know more about the UMC?

This 4-week Sunday School Class is for you!

Led by our ministry staff, this class will cover:

• United Methodist History / Structure
• United Methodist Theology
• Programs of FUMC

This class will be held on Sunday mornings during the Sunday School hour (9:30-10:15am).  The class location will depend on how many register.

Please, register below so we’ll know how many to expect!

For more information, contact
Rev. Troy Sims (tsims@fumcwf.org or 940-766-4231, x229).

Name:

Phone:

e-Mail:

Comments:

Enter this code:

A lady in our community has been in the hospital and rehab for an extended period.  Almost two weeks ago, she was released by her doctor, but because she was did not have a ramp to get into her home, she had to stay at the rehab facility.

On Saturday, December 17, 2011, twelve adults and four children worked together to build a 39 foot ramp, allowing her to go back home.

To learn more about the Texas Ramp Project in the Wichita Falls area, contact Rev. Troy Sims (tsims@fumcwf.org or 940-766-4231, x229).

See more pictures from this build below!

This documentary follows former priest, James Carroll, on his journey of remembering and reckoning as he considers some of Christianity’s dark history.  It traces the legacy from the Emperor Constantine’s vision of the cross as a sword and symbol of power, to the rise of genocidal antisemitism, to modern-day wars sparked by religious extremism.

On:

• Sunday, January 22, 2012
• 4:00-6:00pm (we’ll start promptly at 4:00pm – PLEASE, don’t be late!
• On the 3rd Floor of the Education Wing

we’ll watch this movie on the big screen and briefly discuss it after the fact.

For more information, contact
Rev. Troy Sims
(tsims@fumcwf.org or 940-766-4231, x229).

Register now below!

Name:

Phone:

e-Mail:

Childcare?

YES NO

Enter this code:

Comments:

Many thanks go to all those in the Chancel Choir who went caroling at nursing homes on Sunday, December 11, 2011.  They truly brought joy all those who had the opportunity to hear them.

Here are more great pics:

“Beautiful service!”

“Now that was a Christmas service!”

These are just two of the comments about the special worship of lessons and carols with live nativity on December 4, 2011.

All vocal choirs (Cherub, Trinity, Wesley, Chapel, and Chancel) worked to make this event a success along with members from the Asbury Ringers, Elizabeth Yeager (flute), several youth and ministry assistants in the live nativity, and the ministry staff.

Special thanks also goes to all of those who brought goodies for Cafe le Paul in the Atrium prior to the service!

See more pictures here (courtesy of DeEdra Folmar):

Check out one of these great books in the FUMC Library on Sunday morning; or drop by the church during office hours, get the key, and follow the self-checkout procedures printed on the table of the Library!

	Perkins School of Theology: A Centennial History by Joseph L. Allen. This history gives major attention to how Perkins deans have interpreted and carried out their roles and how faculty members have worked together throughout Southern Methodist University’s theology school’s first one hundred years.
	One Summer by David Baldacci. A moving family drama about learning to love again after heartbreak and loss.
	Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante. A uniquely entertaining literary thriller, LaPlante’s portrayal of the prime suspect’s escalating dementia, told from her point of view, is gripping, unnerving, and utterly brilliant.
	Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson. Memories define us. So, what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love – forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may be telling you only part of the story. Welcome to Christine’s life.
	The Darling Dahlias and the Naked Ladies by Susan Wittig Albert. A new series featuring the ladies of a garden club in Darling, Alabama, who also dabble in digging through clues – the Darling Dahlias.
	Adrenaline by Jeff Abbott. On a bright, sunny day, CIA agent Sam Capra receives a call from his wife, Lucy, while he’s at work. She tells him to leave the building immediately. He does – just before it explodes, killing everyone inside. Lucy vanishes, and Sam wakes up in a prison cell. As the lone survivor of the attack, he is branded by the CIA as a murderer and traitor. Escaping from the agency, Sam launches a desperate hunt to save his wife and family while clearing his name.
	Now You See Her by James Patterson. To save her own life, Nina Bloom vanishes into thin air. Now, to rescue an innocent man, she confronts the killer she thought she had escaped forever many years ago.
	Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer. This epic tale of Harry Clifton’s life begins in 1920 with the words, “I was told that my father was killed in the war.” A dock worker in Bristol, Harry never knew his father, but he learns about life on the docks from his uncle, who expects Harry to join him at the shipyard. But an unexpected gift wins Harry a scholarship to an exclusive boy’s school, and his life will never be the same.
	The Gap Year by Sarah Bird. This book is told with perfect pitch from two points of view.  We meet Cam Lightsey, a divorcee still secretly carrying a torch for her ex who dumped her and Aubrey Lightsey, the daughter who is tired of being the dutiful, grade-grubbing band geek.
	Lethal by Sandra Brown. The bestselling author, Sandra Brown, returns to the bayous of Louisiana to deliver a heart pounding tale of corruption, betrayal, and murder.  The stakes couldn’t be higher.
	Split Second by Catherine Coulter. A serial killer is on the loose, and it’s up to FBI agents Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock to bring him down. They soon discover the killer has blood ties to an infamous and now long-dead monster.
	The Mayor’s Daughter by James Hoggard. An American heartland saga with the power and elegance of a Greek tragedy combined with the rawness of a developing culture whose people are hardly more than a generation away from the wilderness.
	What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty. A knock on the head has misplaced ten years of Alice’s life, and she’s not sure she likes life ten years later.
	Merciless by Diana Palmer. Can assistant Joceline Perry convince FBI agent Jon Blackhawk to let down his defenses when he’s set on guarding his heart? A mesmerizing story of romance and intrigue.
	Lost December by Richard Paul Evans. When Luke Crisp graduates from business school, his father, CEO and co-founder of Fortune 500 Crisp’s Copy Centers, is ready to hand over the family business to him. Luke has other plans. Taking control of his trust fund, Luke leaves home to pursue a life of reckless indulgence. From one of America’s most beloved storytellers comes his most spiritual book: a modern telling of the prodigal son.
	The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks. Forced to confront painful memories, two former lovers will discover undeniable truths about the choices they made. In the course of a single, searing weekend, they will ask of the living, and the dead: Can love truly rewrite the past? This is Sparks at his very best!
	The Litigators by John Grisham. This is a tremendously entertaining romp filled with the kind of courtroom strategies, theatrics, and suspense that have made John Grisham America’s favorite storyteller.
	The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory. This is the remarkable story of a woman named Jacquetta, who navigated the treacherous path through the battle lines in the War of the Roses. It is a sweeping, powerful story rich in passion and legend.
	Heartwishes by Jude Deveraux. What if your closely guarded secrets began to come true? That is exactly what begins to happen to Gemma Randford as she begins cataloging the documents of one of Edilean’s oldest families, the Fraziers. Jude Deveraux delivers another guilty pleasure historical romance.
	Following Atticus by Tom Ryan. A remarkable, true journey about middle-aged, overweight newspaperman and his miniature schnauzer, Atticus M. Finch, who have become very unlikely mountaineers. An extraordinary relationship and an unforgettable saga of adventure, friendship and family.

Recent Memorials to the Library

• Mr. & Mrs. Herbert R. Smith in memory of Virginia Bird, mother of Trudy Wilcox

• Mr. And Mrs. Howard Allison in memory of Patricia (Pat) Ringle.

• Win-Some Class in memory of Pat Ringle.