Vol. 10, No.

April 1, 2014

Welcome Spring!
Best for Last By the time you read this, most of you will have heard the news announced in worship on Sunday, March 30: In June I will be leaving Russell Memorial to become the new pastor of Faith United Methodist Church in Orange, Texas. I covet your prayers for my family as we prepare for the move, and I ask you to join me in prayer for the Bishop and the cabinet as they seek to discern the right person to serve as your next pastor at Russell. In the two months ahead of us, there will be ample time for all the goodbyes, well wishes, and tears that accompany these transitions in the life of a Methodist pastor and church. But first, we have a great work ahead of us. (cont. on pg. 6)

All-Church Workshop Please make plans to attend the All-Church Workshop on Saturday, April 26th from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. in George Hall. All of the input received will aid the VCI team of consultants in determining the prescriptions for our church. You dont want to miss out. We need everyones voice to be heard so that we can become the vibrant church God wants us to be.

In this Edition Children and youth (pg. 2) Help Wanted (pg. 2) Important Dates (p. 4) Calendar (p. 5)

Food Drive HELP! The Middle School back pack program needs food! This vital program sends backpacks filled with food home each weekend with students in need. Items should be easily opened and consumed by a child (nothing requiring a can opener). Small containers and single-servings are helpful, as well. I was hungry, and you gave me food. (Matthew 25:35) Join us on WEDNESDAYS from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Deen building. Bring your kindergarten through 4th grader for fun, food, and fellowship. Come at 5:30 p.m. for our K5 Kids Choir! Confirmation Class We will begin a confirmation class for 5th and 6th graders, as well as older youth, in April. The class will meet during the Sunday school hour in the youth room. All youth are encouraged to attend. Confirmation will be during worship on Mothers Day, Sunday, May 18.

The Youth Group is moving nights! Starting March 19th youth will meet on Wednesdays from 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Come join us for food, fun, and fellowship. We always have a great time! Dont forget to bring a friend, anyone in 5th through 12th grade is welcome! Opportunity Knocks... Are you looking for a way to help our K5 Kids and Youth Group? We need volunteers to help provide a light snack-supper each week. Or maybe helping directly with the kids is more your style. We are looking for folks ready to make a difference in the lives of these children. If interested, contact the church office. Help Still Wanted! As you may know, Russell Memorial is charter for our local Boy Scout Troop. As such, we have a position as chair person on their troop committee. This position has long been held by Mary Keller. She has faithfully served for many years, even after her son was long out of scouts. She is retiring from scouts and we need to find someone to step into this position. If you, or anyone you know, is interested, please contact the church office (903-873-2569). We would like to thank Mary for so many years of faithful service to the scouts on behalf of the church. We appreciate all you do!

Community Garden Have you signed up to help with the new Wills Point Community Garden? Have you placed a donation for supplies in the red bucket at the church? What are you waiting for? We are excited to be sponsoring this wonderful opportunity for our community! Please contact the church office to volunteer.

Our Sunday school classes have been hard at work remembering all the people on our prayer list.

Birthday Girls Birthday Girls are going to Tuscan Slice in Greenville on April 9th. Please be at the church by 10:30am if you need a ride, reservations are for 11:30am. RSVP to Linda Greenwald by April 7th.

Help Jana on Her 3 Day Journey Jana Davis, and her husband Damon, will walk in their 2nd 3 Day 60 mile journey in November to raise money for breast cancer research. They are walking in memory of Linda Glover. If you would like to help them meet their fund raising goal, forms will be available at the church or you can donate online at the3day.org. Keep an eye out for more opportunities to give to this cause.

Art Classes Art class is being offered for the month of April. 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m, Thursdays in the Deen Building. Learn how to paint on black. Find what is hidden in the dark! Please contact Patt AuBuchon 214-535-8644

Community Outreach Program Neighbor to Neighbor Lunch 11 am-1pm Fourth Saturday of each month Deen Building - George Hall OPEN TO ANYONE WHO CHOOSES TO COME

Please contact Gerda David for details (214-538-0192).

Happy Birthday! Linda Greenwald 4-1 Maxine Clopton 4-7 Lois Butts 4-11 Andrea Brown 4-12 Zac Moore 4-12 Scott Miracle 4-12 Daniel David 4-13 Thomas Butts 4-15 Jim Ruckart 4-17 Barb Lathem 4-20 Lori English 4-21 Michael Keller 4-24 Angie Smith 4-24 Abby Wilcoxson 4-25

Haley Fincher Robert Whitaker Suzanne Hetmer Benny Scott Daniel Turner

4-26 4-28 4-29 4-30 4-30

April Worship Assistants Altar Guild: Joni Tunnell (Chair), Beth Basham, Phillis Humphrey, Charlotte Conn, Bernadette Kolb, Sherry Moore Ushers: Robert Greenwald (Head), Barbara Lamb, Dave Lutzinger, Dee Lutzinger Our Presence and Our Gifts March 2 March 9 45 44 74 80 71 119 $5,763.00 $7,836.25

Feb 23 the early service 48 Sunday School 99 Traditional Worship 99 $3,093.75

March 16 56 94 109 $5,5279.60

March 23 38 78 89 $2,107.96

Calendar of Events for April

Dates to Remember! April 5th, 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Rummage Sale April 12th, 6:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Supper Club April 17th, 7:00 p.m. Maundy Thursday Service April 18th, 7:30 p.m. Seven Last Words of Christ April 25-27 VCI Consultation Weekend April 26th, 11:00 a.m. Neighbor to Neighbor April 27th, 12:00 p.m. Potluck

April

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday
1 7:00 pm Cub Scouts

Wednesday
2 4:00pm Girl Scouts 5:30pm K5 Choir 6:00pm K5 Kids & Youth 6:00pm Hand Bells 7:30pm Sanctuary Choir 9 11:30am Birthday Girls 4:00pm Girl Scouts 5:30pm K5 Choir 6:00pm K5 Kids & Youth 6:00pm Hand Bells 7:30pm Sanctuary Choir 16 4:00pm Girl Scouts 5:30pm K5 Choir 6:00pm K5 Kids & Youth 6:00pm Hand Bells 7:30pm Sanctuary Choir 3

Thursday
4

Friday

Saturday
5 8:00am Rummage Sale

6 8:30 am Early Service 9:45am Sunday School 11:00am Worship 5:00pm K5 Choir 5:30pm Youth K5 Kids

7 10:00 am Prayer Group 6:00pm Trustees

8 7:00 pm Cub Scouts

10

11

12 6:30pm Supper Club in George Hall

13 Day Light Savings Time Begins 8:30 am Early Service 9:45 am Sunday School 11:00 am Worship

14 10:00 am Prayer Group 6:00pm Finance

15 6:00pm Jesus Girls 7:00 pm Cub Scouts

17 7:00pm Maundy Thursday Service

18 19 7:30pm Seven Last Words of Christ

20 7:30 am UMM Breakfast 8:30 am Early Service 9:45 am Sunday School 11:00 am Worship 12:00pm Church Council 3:00 pm Crestwood

21 10:00 am Prayer Group 6:30pm Day School

22 7:00 pm Cub Scouts

23 10:00am Sunshine Circle 4:00pm Girl Scouts 5:30pm K5 Choir 6:00pm K5 Kids & Youth 6:00pm Hand Bells 7:30pm Sanctuary Choir

24

25 VCI Consultation Weekend

26 VCI Neighbor to Neighbor Lunch 11 am1pm

27 VCI 8:30am Early Service 9:45 am Sunday School 11:00 am Worship 12:00pm Potluck

28 10:00 am Prayer Group

29 7:00 pm Cub Scouts

30 4:00pm Girl Scouts 5:30pm K5 Choir 6:00pm K5 Kids & Youth 7:30pm Sanctuary Choir

Seven Last Words of Christ-Good Friday Any inactive choir members that would like to join in for this moving performance are more than welcome. Please join us for rehearsal on April 9th and 16th at 7:30 p.m. so we will be ready to go!

(cont. from pg. 1) A little more than a year ago our congregation was invited to embark on the Vibrant Church Initiative, a process designed to help us discern where and how God is leading us into a vital future. Those involved in the initial phase gave greatly of their time to read, study, and meet with members of other congregations engaged in the same process. The lessons learned in those months have been making their way into the life of our church family through Sunday school lessons, discussions in the hallways, and messages from the pulpit. Phase two saw the Church Council complete a months long task of compiling data from our congregation and from our community to aid our discernment process. During this time we were also visited by guests who provided feedback on their time with us. On the weekend of April 25-27, we will be visited by a team who has poured over the data provided by our Church Council and the feedback from our guests. To this they will add the fruit of meetings and interviews conducted the Friday and Saturday of their visit. I urge all of you to attend the workshop they will be holding on Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in George Hall, where they will continue to seek your input. Then on Sunday, April 27, following the 11:00 worship service, they will provide us with their final report, based on the data they have gathered from us: a finding of the five greatest strengths of our church family, the five greatest challenges we face, and five prescriptions to help us overcome those challenges, that we might be the vibrant church God is calling us to be. In the weeks that follow we will hold a series of town hall meetings, where we as a church family will wrestle with those prescriptions. We will ask questions, seek clarifications, and consider the implications of the prescribed actions for our future. Then, at a called Church Conference, a meeting in which all members of our congregation present possess both a voice and a vote, on Sunday, May 18 (date to be confirmed and time to be determined by the Church Council in April), we will vote to either accept or reject our prescriptions. Yes, we have a great work ahead of us in my last two months as your pastor. It may well be the most significant two months of our four years together, as our response is certain to drive the foreseeable future of this church family. Indeed, it is as if God has saved the best for last. Isnt that just like him? I cant wait to see what he has in store for us! Grace & peace,

STEWARDSHIP REPORT We have received 50 pledges for 2014 for a total of $151,794. These pledges equal 60.24% of our proposed budget for this year. In addition we have another $5,220 pledged specifically for the Deen Building I want to thank you all for your response to our pledge drive. If you have not yet sent in your pledge, its not too late! Mail your pledge card or place it in the offering plate. If you dont have a card, you can get one at the church office, or if you contact me, Ill enter your pledge in the pledge log. Frosty Tunnell, Stewardship Chair frosty@powerlabinc.com, (903)873-2693

Thank you for the lunch you provided at the Lone Star. Very nice of you to do this for the family. Elizabeth (Ellis) was a great Hostess. Mary (Fletcher) Monning RMUMC Thank you for allowing us to use your beautiful Deen Building for the play, Brick. We appreciate your generosity and all you do for the betterment of Wills Point. PAC Board, Jane Hunter Remember in Prayer: Family of Jean Silvers Families of the passengers and crew of Flight 370 America Auction Chairperson Bennie Scott Bill Lacy Bo & Maxine Clopton Caleb & Stephanie Stephens Cotton & Lue Miles Chris Cagle Danny Harris Dennis Basham Don & Judith Hollister Eldon Hiler Methodist Church (RMUMC) Henry Watson Ida Mae Jones Inez Wade

April Supper Club Dinner and Dancing Saturday, April 12, 6:30 -9:00pm, we will host the Supper Club dinner at George Hall. Music of all kinds will be provided. Well be calling members with food requests; and you may also include your favorite music requests. We invite everyone to join us to welcome in spring---just bring a side dish! Call Marilyn Roddy or Kelly Teel with any questions.

Israel, Egypt, Syria, Russia, Ukraine, & Venezuela Jane Webber Jay & Marty Miller Jennifer Langford Johnny & Laura Bates Joni Tunnell Judy & Walter Cook Ken Davis L.N. Hill Liz Ellis Louis Carter Londell Green Lopez Miles Mack Waller Margaret Butler Marie Shastid Martha Waldrop Mary Helen Castleberry Matthew Burgess

McKenzie Williams Norma Hundley Our Armed Forces Our World Richard McCambridge, Sr. Ryan Massey Robin & Gigi Pruitt Shari Magar Thomas Hill Travis

Dr. Billy Watson, Pastor Dr. Bob Gilbreth, Music Director Nancy McDonald, Office Administrator Fritz Gilbreth, Organist Theresa Turner, Ladies Hand Bells Director Mary Keller, K5 Kids Coordinator Denise Ross, Pianist Jackie Cockerham, Financial Administrator Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday-Thursday

Contemporary Worship @ 8:30

Join us Sunday Morning! Sunday School @ 9:45 Traditional Worship @ 11:00

The Russell Report

Russell Memorial United Methodist Church A Family Rooted in Christ and Reaching Out in Love 201 S. Fourth Street P. O. Box 335 Wills Point, TX 75169

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