theConnectionF I R S T U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H C A R Y

September 1, 2017

Worship:

Sunday Sanctuary: 8:25, 9:45, & 11:05am

Sunday Celebration: 11:11am

117 South Academy Street Cary, NC 27511

Sunday 1st on Chatham: 9:45 and 11:05am

The Cary, 122 E. Chatham Street, Cary, NC 27511

office: (919) 467-1861

pastor on call: (919) 467-1862

firstcary.com

Lori Barmer Communications Coordinator

OUR MISSIONTo make disciples of

Jesus Christ who grow in faith and love through

worship, fellowship, service and witness to one another

and the world.

Sharing the heartof Christ from the

heart of Cary.

Family Ministry

As summer winds down, we transition into the seasonal rhythm of church life that the approach of autumn brings. You can feel anticipation in the air as we look ahead to the many opportunities for worship, ministry and outreach that are growing at First UMC Cary. There is renewed excitement

around the ever-evolving work of Christ’s church.One of these changes in our life together is our new structure of Family Ministry. Stacy Harrell, who has served us so capably as Director of Children’s Ministry for the past six years, has accepted our invitation to become Director of Family Ministry. In that new and expanded role, Stacy will provide oversight, mentoring, and leadership for our ministries to families and children from birth through high school. Both children and youth staff, as well as lay servants in those areas, will be guided by her as she continues to serve on the Christian Formation Ministry Team.

Alicia Shelton will serve as our Family Ministry Associate for Children, Beth Lilliston will serve as our Methodist Children’s Center (MCC) Coordinator and Ashley Bertz will serve on an interim basis as our MCC Administrative Assistant. Corey Dao-Forrester will serve as our Family Ministry Associate for Youth and will guide two Duke Divinity Interns this year. Christie Brown will serve as our Family Ministry Program Coordinator and Karen Schreiner will serve as our Family Ministry Administrative Assistant.

The Family Ministry Team kicked off the new school year with a couple of fun events: Sunday Sundae and Glow in the Dark. Kim Kitchings, Adult Youth Council Chair, said “Our Family Ministry team celebrated Move Up Sunday with a wonderful ice cream gathering for families—from infants to high school seniors—to rejoice in the start of the new year. It was the first time that the annual move-up day was celebrated with a Sundae Party in Templeton Courtyard and offered a great opportunity to reconnect families, attend new Sunday school classes and meet teachers. In the afternoon, there was a kick-off for the United Methodist Youth Fellowship (UMYF) that was themed “Glow in the Dark.” The celebration was planned by the Youth Leadership Team and reflected their desire to share faith, fun, fellowship and food to begin the new year. There was also a meeting with parents to introduce the staff and programs planned for the fall.”

Corey felt the events were a great way to start off the school year by reconnecting with our community, and remembering that we can be the light in the darkness. The number of children, youth, parents, and adult servants at both events was truly a blessing and a sign of the bright and exciting future to come.

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Karen Schreiner, Corey Dao-Forrester, Alicia Shelton, Stacy Harrell, and Christie Brown

Beth Lilliston and Ashley Bertz

Dear First UMC Cary friends,

You may be asking yourself, “Why should I donate blood?” It’s one of those things we don’t often think about until it touches us directly.

In the spring of 2011, our family learned first-hand the importance of blood donations. You may remember, my husband Brian suffered a near fatal bout with necrotizing-hemorrhagic-pancreatitis. He was hospitalized in ICU for nearly three months at Wake Med Cary. During that time, Brian received nine abdominal surgeries requiring over forty (yes, 40) units of blood and ten units of plasma.

Today, Brian is a walking testimonial to how important blood donations are to our fellow man. It was only through God’s grace, unbelievable care, and people such as yourselves, that Brian has survived to share this story.

We will be eternally grateful to the many folks who gave Brian the gift of life by donating their blood, but as Jesus teaches us, “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.” If you are able, we hope you will join us by participating in this year’s First UMC Cary blood drive on September 23.

To God be the Glory, Bettie Thompson

Share the heart of ChristEvery three seconds someone is in need of blood, and one out of every ten people entering a hospital will need blood during their stay. Because the need for blood is constant, so is the need for donations. You can help make sure our community blood supply stays above the need—our Health Ministry is sponsoring a blood drive on September 23!

Every day in the U.S. about 32,000 pints of blood are used for patients in need. Blood is used for:

• Accident victims: depending on the injury, between four and 100+ units

• Orthopedics (hip replacement or surgery): between two and eight units

• Open heart surgery: between six to eight units (or more if problems arise)

• Neurosurgery (spinal/brain surgery): between two to four units

• Premature babies: one donation can transfuse up to four babies, who sometimes need blood once a day until they are strong enough to go home.

• Cancer patients: usually use blood and blood products on an ongoing basis while undergoing cancer treatment. Apheresis platelets are the most common blood product used to support cancer patients.

The Rex Bloodmobile will be onsite offering a convenient opportunity for you to donate. REX Bloodmobiles are 40-foot coach buses with five reclining donation chairs (each with their own TV/DVD player) and a fully stocked refreshment area.

See the announcements for sign up information!

Hurricane Harvey: Things We Can Do1. Pray: Please pray for those whose lives have been impacted by Harvey. Please also pray for Early Response Teams, disaster coordinators, and the many volunteers who are working tirelessly to provide relief.

2. Make relief kits and volunteer at the MERCI Center.

The NC Conference Disaster & Response Committee is sending 2,000 flood buckets immediately. Countless more flood buckets and hygiene kits will be needed. We will collect kits at the MERCI Center in Goldsboro for shipment to UMCOR. Working through United Methodist Conference Disaster Response Teams in affected areas, UMCOR will distribute the kits that we send. UMCOR’s website includes assembly instructions for flood buckets and hygiene kits. Volunteers at the MERCI Center are also needed. For more information, contact Bill Haddock at 910.262.3831 or revbillh@nccumc.org.

3. Give to UMCOR’s relief and recovery efforts.

Offline: Make out a check to your church, write US Disaster Response Advance #901670 on the memo line, and place it in your church offering plate. Online: UMCOR’s website offers a secure path to online donation.

4. Donate ONLY those items requested. At this time, only relief kits are needed – no clothing.

5. Please wait for an invitation to volunteer.

Thousands are in shelters and rescue activities are continuing. It may be weeks before civil authorities have everyone out of harm’s way. If you are interested in going to the area when the situation stabilizes, contact Rob Pavone or Ed Rutenkroger through our NC Conference Disaster Response Center at 888-440-9167 or disasterresponse@nccumc.org.

Bridging the Gap in Downtown RaleighThis month marks the first anniversary of the opening of Bridge the Gap’s downtown Raleigh computer lab. The lab, at 130 East Morgan Street, is open every day to the community. Bridge the Gap servants, most from First UMC Cary, are on-site teaching classes on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Since we opened, we’ve seen many community members graduate from our classes. Classes include GED Language and Reading Skills, Basic Computer Skills, and Basic Microsoft Word. Every graduate gets a laptop or desktop PC to use at home. We have participants now who are taking online college-level courses, or just learning how to use email for the first time.

The computer lab is just one of the ways that Bridge the Gap serves the community. We also sponsor Book Bag drives, Easter Egg hunts, and collect coats for children.

After Labor Day we will start a new set of classes. To maintain our computer lab and in order to give every graduate a computer for home, we have a continuing need for PC hardware and software. If you have a Windows 7 or better desktop or laptop you would like to donate, contact Gil Arnold at arnoldemail@gmail.com.

Servants helping out at Bridge the Gap are Becky Viersen, Gil Arnold, Bob Umstead, Sallie Abbas, Bruce Leek, Jan Hedberg, and Cathy Busby. We’re grateful for your support!

About Bridge the GapBridge the Gap Mission is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) public charity. You may donate by credit card on our web site www.

bridgethegapmission.org or mail a check directly to Bridge the Gap Mission at 5000 Lilly Atkins Road, Cary, NC 27518. If you need more information, or if you would like to serve as a mentor in the lab, contact Becky Viersen at bviersen@aol.com.

– Becky Viersen and Gil Arnold

Bob Umstead helping a young man in the computer lab

InterAct Puts Family Safety FirstAs one of their outreach projects, the Agape Circle of First UMC Cary provides assistance to InterAct, a non-profit shelter for women and children in danger due to domestic violence.

InterAct provides domestic violence and sexual assault services, reaching nearly 62,000 Wake County residents annually by saving lives, rebuilding lives, and securing safer futures. Since the opening of InterAct’s Family Safety and Empowerment Center, demand for services has tripled. In 2009, seven families walked through InterAct’s doors each day. Today it is 23.

Specifically in the past year InterAct has:• Served nearly 9,000 direct victims of domestic and sexual

violence;• Responded to 7,500 crisis calls;• Provided 302 women and children with emergency shelter;• Delivered violence prevention education to more than 10,000

youth in grades three through twelve; and• Served 102 clients in our Solace Center, North Carolina’s

first community-based sexual assault forensic examination center.

Nationally, about half of all domestic violence shelter residents do not return to their abusers. More than 90% of InterAct’s shelter residents do not return.

As we look toward our future, we intend to build on our remarkable model of collaboration, to strengthen even further our community’s services and coordinated community response, and increase our focus on community-level change. We have already taken important steps in these directions, which include these systems-level initiatives: 1) the Lethality Assessment Program, 2) eFiling of petitions for Domestic Violence Protective Orders (DVPOs) at InterAct’s Family Safety and Empowerment Center, and 3) building on InterAct’s collaborative model to become Wake County’s Family Justice Center.

The United Methodist Men and a couple of Sunday school classes also pitch in to help InterAct. Anne Huffman said, “Thanks to First UMC Cary’s UMM for painting the InterAct shelter areas, and to Jeff Cook for donating the supplies. Agape is forever thankful for their services—as is InterAct!” In a letter to the Agape Circle, Christina Brewer, Associate Director of Communications, said, “Thank you for being such an amazing ambassador for InterAct. We greatly appreciate you and all you do to support our mission and the individuals and families we serve.”

If you are interested in supporting this ministry, please email Anne Huffman at grove1151@gmail.com.

Pastors On-Call Your pastors continue to seek ways to provide you with quality pastoral care while balancing the other demands of ministry. In an effort to be available, we have an “on-call” system. If you need to reach a pastor in an emergency situation, you may call (919) 467-1862 to reach the on-call pastor for that week. There is also an option to dial this line directly when calling the church office. When you call this number, the pastor on call for the week will respond as soon as possible. Please be mindful when calling this number, as it is for true emergencies only. This includes a death, sudden critical hospitalization of a member, or other such situations. Pastoral care for non-emergencies, such as scheduled hospitalizations, can be arranged through the front office.

Dinner begins at 5:30pmCost: $7 for adults, $6 for seniors 65+,

$4 for children 12 and under, $22 max

Small Groups begin at 6:30pm for adults, youth

and children

September 6: Bolivia Team Pork BBQ, red potatoes, slaw,

green beans, rolls

September 13: Hispanic Ministry Mexican-style baked chicken & rice,

refried beans, salad, rolls

RSVP by noon the Tuesday before at firstcary.com or call 919-467-1861.

“It has been beautiful to watch God at work for families at First Cary,” said Stacy. “It is clear to me that he has been preparing each member of this team for their role in ways we could not have imagined. The energy being focused on ministering to our families in a collaborative way is revitalizing everyone, and is perfect timing with the start of a new school year. I have personally felt transformed by this organic, Spirit-led process that brought me to this role at this time. I’m particularly excited to serve more closely with the Youth of our church family and to kick off our Parent Ministry. We are looking forward to our first Parent Ministry event on September 30—more details on that in the very near future!”

Rev. Martha McLean, Pastor of Christian Formation, added, “This structure is a wonderful approach to ministry that gathers up all age levels—children, youth and adults—in a holistic and

comprehensive way of discipleship. It will help us live into our baptismal covenant with God and one another by helping us to live more fully into life-giving relationships and service. This approach will offer practical support and will strengthen our existing ministry and discipleship. God has and continues to do some amazing work to bring people and opportunities together in a way that is benefiting our church and community.”

We are already witnessing some fruits from this ministry design as it strengthens our call to make disciples of Jesus Christ who grow in faith and love through worship, fellowship, service and witness to one another and the world. We are excited for the opportunity that God has for us in the future and we look forward to a renewed energy in our ministries with family, children and youth as we share the heart of Christ from the heart of Cary.

— Lori Barmer

Favorite ScriptureRomans 8:38-39 (nrsv)

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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ZOE Hope Grows InvitationMaybe you missed it… All First UMC Cary members are

invited to develop an Income Generating Project (IGP) to raise money for ZOE*. Proceeds from your project will help fund Income Generating Projects that ZOE’s orphans and vulnerable children do. Just like the orphans, you get $150 seed money to start your 90 day project. At the end of your project, or by December 15, turn in your seed money and any profits you’ve made. Maybe you’re stuck, thinking “what can I do?” Here is a sampling of what other FUMCC members have done.

• Children - Lemonade stands, bake sales, jewelry, game stands, photo booths, and much more

• Youth – Yard work, pet sitting, personal sports coach, music lessons, etc.

• Families or groups– Neighborhood BBQ (with donations from attendees), car wash/car detailing, yard sales, progressive dinners (a few people cook and attendees make a donation), family fun night.

• Adults – Specialty food sales, bicycle cleaning, child care, de-clutter and sell items on Craigs list or ebay, gourmet dinners, unique handcrafted items (woodworking, knitting, painting, to name a few), or let your creative mind loose to come up with your special IGP.

To get your $150 seed money, contact Jeff Briggs at jwbnc@mindspring.com or Helen Papageorgiou at helenpapageo@gmail.com. Start your project and see how Hope Grows!

*Learn more about ZOE at https://wearezoe.org

MannaFest 2017: September 16 and 17SATURDAY MORNING AT FIRST UMC CARY9:00am: Breakfast in the fellowship hall (reservations needed,$5 each)

9:45am: Panel Discussion with Rev. Frazier and Rev. Jim Harnish

11:00am: Service opportunities (ZOE Soup Preparation and Rise Against Hunger Meal Packing)

SUNDAY MORNING AT KOKA BOOTH AMPHITHEATRE10:30am: Worship Service and Holy Communion at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre. (Gate opens at 9:30am)

12:00pm: Everyone is invited to bring lawn chairs and enjoy a Danny’s BBQ catered picnic lunch

Christian Formation has a number of books by Rev. Harnish available for individual or group study. Contact Rev. McLean at mmclean@firstcary.com.

Fall Children’s Consignment SaleFriday, September 22, 6:00pm - 9:00pm• Shop for $5 donation 6:00pm - 7:00pm• Power consigners shop for Free!• Free to public 7:00pm - 9:00pmSaturday, September 23, 8:00am - 11:00am• Free admission• Half price on those items marked with discount “YES” on tab

Visit www.ConsignWithFUMC.com for more information.

Mighty Mondays Math Help Starting on September 18, 2017 “Mighty Mondays” is providing math help for 4th and 5th grade Hispanic students. Math help will be offered on Mondays from 5:00pm to 6:00pm at First UMC Cary. Our goal is to get 20 or more servant Tutors and Tutoring Assistants. This way they will have the flexibility to help tutor once or more a month based upon their availability. Servants should be of High School age, College age or Older and do not need to speak Spanish. Adult age servants will need to complete the church’s “Safe Sanctuary” program online. Contact Eric Christian: cell/text 919-630-3191, or email hristiancay@gmail.com.

NC State Fair Servant Sign UpsIt is almost time for the Fair! Please plan to work some shifts at the fairbooth restaurant this year. It is fun and all proceeds go to local and global outreach ministries. Visit the link below to learn more and sign up to serve.http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0c45ada82e5-ncstate6

State Fair Ham & Biscuit Cooking WorkshopSaturday, September 30 at 9:00amThe State Fair Booth Committee is offering a State Fair Ham Biscuit Workshop Saturday, September 30. The workshop will take place in the church kitchen at 9:00am. Please bring an apron. All other supplies will be furnished. Biscuit making and ham cooking will be taught by Fair Booth veterans. You can come to sharpen your skills or learn something new. Biscuit makers will be expected to apprentice alongside veterans for two shifts at the Fair and ham cooks should plan to work two shifts as well. You must be over 21 to participate due to food preparation regulations.

WORSHIP ATTENDANCE August 20 August 27SANCTUARY: 755 781CELEBRATION: 54 651st ON CHATHAM 213 209TOTAL: 1,022 1,055

GriefShareGriefShare is a 13-week program designed to encourage healing by walking with others who are also grieving. They share how they were able to find a “new normal” in their lives, filled with joy and hope for the future. If you have lost a loved one and are struggling with your grief, we encourage you attend GriefShare. There is a fee of $15 for the GriefShare workbook. If you are repeating the series and already have your workbook, there is no fee. We will meet Thursdays, beginning September 7, 2017 and end on December 14, 2017 at 7:00pm in room 125. Register at firstcary.com.

United Methodist Men’s BreakfastJoin us on September 9 at 8:00am for the Best Breakfast in Town for $5. Our guest speaker will be Chief A.C. Rich, Deputy Chief of the Northern Wake Fire Department organization. All are welcome and first time guests’ breakfast is ‘on the house.’ Click the “registration” button in the middle of the home page to R.S.V.P.

United Methodist Men Golf EventTee Up Fore Charities Golf Classic: This year’s 23 Annual Golf Classic will be held on Monday, September 11 at MacGregor Downs Country Club in Cary, NC. For more information about the event, please contact Eric Christian by cell/text 919-630-3191 or email hristiancay@gmail.com.

What You Need to Know about Advance DirectivesHow many of us have plans in place to make our wishes known to our loved ones regarding our future medical and other care? Just thinking about advance directives can be scary, but it’s a gift to yourself and your family to have those plans in place. Stephen Ministry invites you to join us for a presentation on advance directive practical tips from Transitions LifeCare on Tuesday, September 5 at 6:30pm in room 200. Hope to see you there!

Chicken Pie Sale The United Methodist Women’s Chicken Pie Sale is almost here. These pies are all chicken and are made from a secret recipe given to us by a church in Winston-Salem and are like the Moravian Pies made in Old Salem. Our pastry and pies are made in our church kitchen. The order form will be in the Sunday School class folders beginning on September 3 or you may order your pies on Easy Reg. If you do not have computer access, you may call the church office or Michele Dyer at 919-274-0330 and leave a message for number of pies and your phone number. All pies are $10.00 and should be paid for when they are picked up on September 9, between 10:30 and 1:00 at the church kitchen. We have a few more pies left before they are sold out so don’t wait too late and miss out.

Health Ministry Blood Drive First UMC Cary, in partnership with UNC Rex Healthcare, will hold a blood drive Saturday, September 23 from 11:00am to 3:00pm. Registration will be in room 114. You are encouraged to have some food and water before coming to donate, and be sure to bring your photo ID. You can call the church office at 919-467-1861 with questions. Sign up here: http://signup.com/go/sharingtheheart

Agape Circle InterAct FundraiserOn Sunday, September 10, Agape circle will be selling Country Cotton dishcloths and towels in the main lobby and the adult Sunday school entrance. These dishcloths and towels have been sold at the Raleigh’s Southern Women’s Show and Southern Seasons in Chapel Hill. They are 100% cotton and USA made here in North Carolina. Christmas is not that far away! They make wonderful gifts for friends, neighbors, teachers, and co-workers. All proceeds are for InterAct of Wake County to support domestic violence victims. Thank you for your continued support of this outreach.

Monday Morning Women’s Bible Study We are a group of women 50 and over who come together to grow and support each other in our faith journey. Our first half hour is for fellowship allowing for varied arrival times. Join us for an inspirational year of study and fellowship. We begin the year with “Freefall to Fly” by Rebekah Lyons. Future studies determined by the group as the year progresses.

Beginning September 11 in room 210. 9:00 to 9:30 is fellowship time. 9:30 to 11:30 is Bible Study time.

T4! Thursday Teaching, Talking & Tasting Starting on September 14 in room 231 from 10:30am to 12:00pm, the study will be on Phillip Yancey’s “What’s So Amazing About Grace?” Lisa Banks and Doug Richmond, will be co-facilitators.

New Small Group Study“Mental Illness, Movies and My Faithful Response:” For nothing will be impossible with God (Luke 1:37)The class will be Thursdays from 7:00pm-8:30pm, October 12 through November 16. We’ll keep you posted when the location is determined.

Music Ministry Kick-Off Dates Children’s Choirs first full rehearsal: Wednesday, Sep 6Chancel Choir: Wednesday, September 6Spirit Ringers: Thursday, September 7Youth Handbells: Sunday, September 10Carillon Handbell Choir: Monday, September 11