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April 2015
Vol. 4 Issue 4
Connecting Generations to Grow Relationships with God, Others, and Creation
April at Latham UMC
Hughey Reynolds, Senior Pastor
April will be an exciting month at Latham UMC this
year. Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services will
prepare us to participate more completely in the joyous
celebration of Easter. On Easter Sunday, the worship
celebrations start with a youth led Sunrise Service in the
courtyard at 6:30 a.m. I will preach during the 8:55 service in Farley Hall for the first time in several years.
Fourteen of our youth who have finished Confirmation
classes will be confirmed during that service. Chris
Martin will preach during the 11:05 Traditional service
in the sanctuary.
Two weeks after Easter, Latham will host two huge
events. On Saturday, April 18, we will have another
Unity Festival to support The Hands of Christ Fund.
The Hands of Christ is a fund through which both members and non-members of Latham have received financial assistance with medical costs that their existing insurance would not pay. It has been a Godsend for dozens of families who receive this assistance anonymously. Barbecue prepared by some of the best grillers in
Huntsville, music by a wonderful variety of bands, as well as silent auction and bake sale items will be available for your enjoyment and purchase that afternoon. An admission ticket gets you all the BBQ you can eat
and admission into the band performances. See more about both of these events inside this issue of the Branch.
The very next day, on Sunday April 19, Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett, resident
bishop of the North Alabama Conference, will preach in The Orchard and 11:05
Traditional worship services at Latham. This is her first visit to our church so we
want to give her the warmest Latham welcome possible. There will be a reception
following the 8:55 service for greeting Bishop Wallace-Padgett with refreshments
provided by Latham United Methodist Women. This is also United Methodist
Women's Sunday when we will honor and celebrate the leadership of women in our
church.
Spread the word to your friends and family about these events and bring them with
you when you come.
R
Inside this issue:
Sermon Series
3
Financial Report
4
Unity Festival
5
Youth News
6
Calendar
11
Lifetree Café
12
Page 2
Holy Week and Easter
Chris Klaus, Minister of Music and Worship
As we close the chapter on yet another Lenten season, we prepare our hearts for the Easter season. We, with
great anticipation, celebrate the empty tomb and our risen Lord! Spring is among us and with it comes new
life, refreshing rain, and abundant sunshine. Such is the same with Easter. Out of darkness came light, Christ
is risen from the dead. Up from the ground He arose...Living Water... The Light of the World!
Join us for our special Holy Week services beginning on Sunday, March 29-Palm Sunday, as we celebrate
the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. We will also be celebrating the baptisms of nine of our students!
Thursday, April 2 @ 7pm, Maundy Thursday, we will remember the Last Supper of Christ with his disciples. This will be a communion service in our sanctuary. Friday, April 3 @ 7pm, Good Friday, will be a
service of darkness, Word, and reflective thoughts on the crucifixion in Farley Hall. Easter Sunday, April
5th at 6:30, 8:55, 11:05. Our students have been working diligently to prepare music and scripture to share
with us for our Sunrise Service in the Latham courtyard. We invite you to bring fresh cut flowers to decorate
the flower cross during the Sunrise service and before the start of our 8:55 and 11:05 services. There will not
be an 8:30 Morning Watch service scheduled for this day. We will also be confirming 14 of our students on
this festive Sunday in the Orchard!
Please consider inviting your friends and family! Share this wonderful time of celebration and remembrance
with us as we explore the very foundation of our beliefs, the sorrow and sacrifice that leads to abundant joy
and everlasting life!
EASTER EGG HUNT AND PANCAKE BREAKFAST
Saturday, April 4th, 9:15 AM
Ages infant through 5th grade are welcome to find
eggs filled with surprises!
The egg hunt is FREE and starts at 9:15am. For a
donation, you are also welcome to enjoy a pancake
breakfast hosted by the LUMC United Methodist
Men starting at 7:30am.
Suggested donation: $4 person or $10 family. Feel
free to invite your friends!
Page 3
April Sermon Series
In The Orchard:
April 5:
“He Is Risen!” based on Mark 16:1-8 (Hughey Reynolds)
April 12:
“Confronting Doubt” based on John 20:19-31 (Hughey Reynolds)
April 19:
“The Good Soil” Based on Matthew 13:1-9 (Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett)
April 26:
Prayer Sermon Series Begins (Chris Martin)
3-Week Sermon Series on Prayer
Pray Like Jesus
By Hughey Reynolds
Beginning April 26, I will preach a series of 3 sermons on prayer during the 8:30 Morning Watch and 11:05
Traditional Worship services. The sermons will include guides for practicing three different types of prayer
following the example of Jesus in the scripture. Here are the topics with the scriptural foundation for each
type of prayer that the sermons will teach:
April 26:
Praise and Adoration (Matthew 6:7-13)
May 3:
Intercession for Unity (John 17:14-24)
May 10:
Petition and Submission (Luke 11:9-13; 22:39-46
Welcome New Members
Adam & Amanda Miller
Carol Roden
James & Rhonda Springer
& Family: Kathryn, Hunter,
Alexia, Grant, Adrionna,
Jerzey, Nicholas, Addison, Devin
Page 4
Financial Committee Report
Marty Martin, Chairman
Capital Debt Paid In Full
Our Capital Debt was paid in full in December 2014, and we celebrated by “burning the mortgage” on 4 Jan
2015. Over the last 15 years we greatly expanded our church facilities to add a Family Life Center – Farley
Hall, a Welcome Center, a Choir Room, a Youth Center, a small gym, and several Sunday School classrooms.
We also purchased new Parsonages for both our Senior and Associate Pastors, and, now, thanks to your loyal
support and generosity it is all debt free!
After the business loan was paid, we had $11,604 remaining in the Capital Budget. The Finance Committee
decided to provide the remaining $11,604 to the Trustees Committee as funds, over and above those allocated
in the 2015 budget, to be used to pay for deferred maintenance (e.g., roof leaks, heat pump replacement, etc.).
2014 Operating Budget Despite many anxious moments by the 2014 Finance Committee and with numerous attempts to inform the
church membership of our dire financial straits and the need to honor the pledges we made to the Gratitude Campaign, we finished the year in the black.
We met all our expenses to include paying our full apportionments to the District and the Conference and
we were able to carry over $20,395 to our 2015 Operating Budget, so we will not start the year with a
deficit as we had feared.
The carryover from 2014 will be used to replenish the operating reserve we had to use to meet 2014
expenses.
2015 Operating Budget The Finance Committee met to review and finalize the 2015 Operating Budget. Requests from the Ministry teams and Committees totaled $938, 251. On the income side, we received pledges of $732,129,
and the Finance Committee estimates that we will receive $120,000 in “loose offerings”. These two
amounts (less $1,700 for projected eGiving fees) yields $850,429 in projected income - $87,822 less
than the amounts requested.
Using the Long Range Plan as a guide, the Finance Committee allocated funds to the Ministry teams and
Committees. The total amount of funds allocated is $862,674, a 6% increase over the 2014 budget.
While this is $12,425 more than our projected income, the $20,395 in carried-over income from 2014
will allow us to finish 2015 in the black.
Although we could not afford to fully fund the askings from all the Ministry teams and Committees, each
Ministry/Committee received an increase over the 2014 budget level.
Funds were allocated at the top level for each Ministry/Committee. The Ministry team/Committee will
decide how to spread the allocation to best cover the 2015 asking.
We increased the Staff Parish Relations budget line items by 3.5 % over 2014 levels to provide a raise
for our staff. This will be the first salary increase for our staff in four years.
We also budgeted to fully fund our District and Conference apportionments.
Financial Procedures Manual The Finance Committee is in the process of updating the Financial Procedures Manual (e.g., remove
references to rental income, etc.)
Page 5
Financial Committee Report, continued
Cash Flow Analysis Neither our income nor our expenses are equally divided into 12 monthly installments. The Finance
Committee is performing a cash flow analysis to see how our income compares to our expenses on a
monthly basis. This analysis will provide greater insight into our financial posture on a monthly
basis. For example, in 2014, we had 7 months in which expenses exceeded income and 5 months in
which income exceeded expenses. Cash flow analysis of the 2013 and 2012 budgets is in process to
validate the peaks and valleys we saw in the 2014 budget. Armed with knowledge, we can better
manage our finances to balance expenditures with income whenever possible.
Monthly Financial Report To better inform the church membership, the Finance Committee will publish a Financial Report in The
Branch on a monthly basis.
The Unity Festival Returns
United Methodist Women
Joe Martin
Judy Gillespie, UMW President
The Hands of Christ Fund was established by the
members of Latham United Methodist Church as a
way of supporting those people stricken by illness.
Because long-term illness can take so much out of a
family both emotionally and financially, Latham created this fund as a way to help cover those costs not
handled by insurance. Tragedy touches everyone
around us, so the Hands of Christ Fund is a fund that
is open to members of our community, not just
Latham members. Applications are available at the
church.
In order to sustain the Hands of Christ Fund, Latham
is bringing the community of Huntsville a wonderful
event called the Unity Festival. This is a fun-filled all
-you-can-eat barbecue and food festival with kids’
events, music, and a silent auction. During the event,
grillers and cooks will be filling your plates with a
variety of tasty foods. Kids can entertain themselves
in the kids’ area while the parents listen to live music
and browse the silent auction. It is guaranteed to be
an afternoon of fun! Tickets can be purchased at
Latham or on-line. A single ticket is $10, a family
ticket is $40, and kids under 3 get in free. This is
sure to be a crowd pleaser, so plan to join us on April
18, 2015 from 1 to 5 pm.
United Methodist Women Sunday
April 19, 2015
Bishop Debra Wallace Padgett has accepted our invitation to be our guest speaker for UMW Sunday,
April 19, 2015. We are very pleased to welcome her
to Latham. She will speak at the 9:00 and 11:00 services. There will be a “Meet and Greet” in Farley
Hall at 10:00. We hope everyone will extend a warm
welcome to Bishop Wallace Padgett. She has another engagement immediately after the 11:00 service, so the 10:00 hour was the only time to offer
members an opportunity to welcome her to Latham.
UMW had a very successful year in 2014. We did
not have a fundraiser but gave our members an opportunity to donate money in honor/memory of
someone to be used for our local missions. Members
generously donated $5,500!
Please check out the bulletin board near the nursery
for other accomplishments for 2014. We have a
great, hard working group of ladies in UMW at
Latham. We all have fun working together for the
good of our church and the community!
Page 6
Youth News
Adam Miller, Minister to Youth
Buchanan Scholarships
It’s time for our yearly Buchanan Scholarships to be awarded again. The scholarships go to members of our
church who are graduating and going on to college and also currently in college. The applications and recommendation forms for the scholarship are on the Lathamumc.org website under the Youth Ministry tab. The applications are due by April 10 and will be awarded in May. Further information is on the application form.
Thank You For the Warm Welcome
As most of you know Amanda and I moved here last month as I became the Minister of Youth. I want you all to
know that we have felt so loved and welcomed as we’ve come to Latham UMC. All of the gracious words that all
of you have spoken have made it easy for us to join in here and feel a part of the Latham UMC Family. We want
to thank you all for making us feel this way. We look forward to seeing what God has in store for Latham UMC as
we continue this new journey with the Youth Group.
Confirmation Class of 2015
Page 7
Confirmation Update
Chris Martin, Associate Pastor
Confirmation is a very important time in the lives of our young women and men here at Latham UMC. While
it is certainly a time of preparation and teaching, it is even more importantly an opportunity for these youth to
respond to the work of God’s grace in their lives. Our confirmation class of 2015 has been meeting since Sunday February 1 and we are fast approaching their confirmation service on Easter Sunday (April 5). Our Confirmands and their mentors for this year are as follows:
Confirmand
Mentor
Confirmand
Mentor
Zoey Frost
Gina Smith
Sierra Geisinger
Janet Watson
Madison Gore
Jane Smith
Jenna Hazelrig
Catherine Beck
Crawford Hope
Joe Martin
Christina Kruse
Debbie Rose
Graham Martin
Jeff Langhout
Laura Myles
Karen Pollard
David Parsons
Tim Hastings
Madison Simmons
Jessica Martin
Kathryn Springer
Debbie Ingleright
Christian Sutherland
Frank Barger
Ethan Wood
Justin Stiles
Zachary Wood
Chris Terry
We have ten Confirmands who will be baptized on Palm Sunday (March 29) and then all fourteen Confirmands will be confirmed on Easter Sunday (April 5). Both the baptismal service and confirmation service will
be held in Farley Hall during our contemporary worship service that begins at 8:55 (The Orchard). This is a
great event in the life of our church, and it is very important that we as a church family be there to support and
celebrate this significant event in the lives of these young people.
Confirmation Retreat
We held our Confirmation Retreat the weekend of February 27-28, and even though it required a change of
plans because of winter weather, the event was a great success for our Confirmands and Mentors. One of the
activities that seemed to really resonate with our Confirmands was having them work in groups to re-write the
Lord’s Prayer in their own contemporary language. We shared one of these prayers in “The Orchard” and have
had many people request that we share them all – so here you go!
The Lord’s Prayer (Crawfish Version)
God in Heaven You are awesome; You are above the rest; Your Kingdom joins us; Your will be done everywhere; Thanks for loving us every day; Sorry dude for my screw-ups; And forgive those other screw-ups; Help
us from getting in trouble; Protect us from bad things; For you are the man; You rock!
The Lord’s Prayer (Loose Screws Version)
Our Lord, who is in Heaven, holy is your name. Let your will be done in our lives. Give us what we need today. Forgive us for the things we have done wrong. Help us forgive people that have hurt us. Help us protect
ourselves from bad choices and evil. The Kingdom, the power, and the glory is yours forever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer (“Juan-mess Version)
Our Father, in Heaven, holy is your name. Make earth like Heaven. Give us our daily necessities. Forgive us
and we’ll forgive others. Show us the way. You are everything. Amen, Bruh!
The Lord’s Prayer (Unicorn Version)
Dear Dad in Heaven, your name is holy. Bring Heaven to Earth and do everything your way. Please give us
what we need, and forgive our sins, as we forgive meanies. Lead us away from wrong things and free us from
evil. For you are epic forever. Peace out.
Page 8
Child Development Center
Traci Harris, Director
Oh how we are ready for Spring! With all the crazy Winter
weather at the end of February and into March we are definitely ready for warmth and sunshine, not to mention blossoms and green! March was full of Dr. Seuss fun (including
silly sock day), Weather, and Spring. Last week was "Down
on the Farm" and we made homemade butter in Enrichment
class.
There was a lot of shaking and dancing going on and it was
well worth the work when tasted!
April will prove to be a busy month
filled with Easter Egg Hunts, Week
of the Young Child Celebration, St.
Jude's Trike-a-Thon and our annual Family BBQ & Spring Program.
Registration is in full swing for our 2015-2016 Half Day Preschool Program (9:00am
-1:00pm) for children ages 2-4. We are looking forward to seeing returning friends
as well as welcoming new friends. If you know of anyone who is looking for a half day program for his or her
child for this coming Fall, LUMCDC is THE place to BE!
"Superheroes of the Bible" is the theme for our 2015 Summer Camp. It will begin June 2 and run six weeks
through July 16. It is a half day program from 9:00am-1:00pm every Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday for children ages 2-2nd grade. The ever popular Water Wednesdays will return.
Registration is happening now but be aware that many of our classes fill quickly.
So many wonderful things are happening at LUMCDC to bring us together as a school, as families, as a community. Let's hear it for an Awesome April!
Page 9
In Reach Ministries
Liz Hall Zeman, Lay Leader
Intergenerational Women’s Retreat is a Joyful Success!
Thirty-seven women of LUMC enjoyed a retreat experience at Camp Sumatanga in March. The topic was
“Joyful Spirituality,” and both ideas were explored through humor (Joan Williamson) and balancing life’s demands (Liz Hall Zeman). A keynote presentation was given by Sheri Ferguson (from the North Alabama Conference of the Methodist Church) on the difference between happiness and joy and how to achieve joyfulness
through spirituality. In between, we ate, laughed, ate, did yoga, ate, sang, ate, and had small discussion
groups. Younger and older ladies enjoyed the fellowship and intergenerational connectivity.
The retreat would not have been possible without the efforts of so many on the Planning Committee. Those on
the committee were: Amma Barnes, Carolyn Peters, Faye Cook, Louise Avery, Shirley Fugit, Ramona Bowden & Windy Geisinger. A special thank you to Jackie Shivers for the meaningful service we had on Sunday
morning. We left camp with a new sense of “Joy” between sisters in Christ!
Elderberries Note
Rose Battle, Program Chair
Our guest for the Elderberries Program on April
16, at 11:30 AM. will be Traci Harris, Director of
Latham’s Child Development Center. Please join
us in a great lunch, and to hear Traci.
Health Ministry
Fay Cook, Lay Leader
Latham is sponsoring an Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Support Group—Our next meeting is April 17th, The
program will be on all types of dementia.
10:am – 11:30am in Room 151.
Speaker Brandi Medina, M.S., Director of Programs
and Education at Alzheimer’s Association.
Page 10
Hello, from Chacraseca!
Kid’s Corner
Leslie Penrose, Just Hope
Susan Terry, Minister to Children & Connect
Hope everything is well in Huntsville! The picture
is some of the 36 High School students you all are
supporting this year. Each one is getting $200
cordobas per month (about $8). The Comite has
meetings every other month that they have to attend
to get their funds. Thanks again for making it possible for these 36 young people to continue going to
school! It will help change the future of Chacraseca!
MAKEOVER COMING…
Farmers Market
Sherri Ryan
On May 5th come celebrate Cinco de Mayo
AND the opening of
The Latham Farmers
Market! Hours are 3 PM
until 6 PM with ten
farmers and eight vendors; our market is one
you do not want to miss!
Piñata party at four and five o’clock for the young at
heart and lots of sampling of goodies for all. The
strawberries and greens are coming. Waygu beef,
homemade breads, specialty soaps, jellies and cheeses
are just a few of the offerings at the Latham Market.
See you there!
Beginning in April, the Kid’s Corner in the Office
Wing will begin to get a facelift. The Children’s Department will be using this space for ALL Sunday
night activities in the fall and possibly for Sunday
morning Sunday School as well. There will be many
pieces to this makeover, and you are welcome to
come and give of your talents as you have time. We
will be cleaning walls first (to get gooky stuff off),
cleaning out closets and
organizing, using Kilz to
cover up old murals, then
painting. After all the
painting is completed, we
will replace the carpet.
While we can cover some
of the costs for the makeover in our Children’s
Budget, we will be offering
fundraisers throughout the spring and summer to
cover the cost of carpeting. Watch the announcements and please come and support the Children’s
Department as we put a fresh face on the Kid’s
Space!!
NEW BOOK STUDY
Some of the leadership in the Children’s Department
will be doing a book study on “The New Breed: Understanding and Equipping
the 21st Century Volunteer.”
While we are studying this
for church volunteers, it has
applications in the private
sector as well. If you work
with volunteers, either at
Latham or outside, we welcome you to join us. To order
a book or for more information, contact Susan Terry at
256-881-4069 or
susanterry@lathamumc.org.
Page 11
April 2015 Event and Birthday Calendar
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Every Monday:
Every Wednesday:
8:30a Bend & Stretch 10:00a Ladies Bible Study
6:00p Just Faith
10:30a Staff Meeting
6:00p Praise Band
1:30p Wesley Singers
Every Tuesday:
6:00p Boys Scouts
7:00p Tutoring
6:00p Jubilation Handbells
Every Thursday:
7:00p Ladies Bible Study
8:30a Bend & Stretch 7:00p Chancel Choir
6:30p Lifetree Café
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
2
3
4
9a Bob Ross
Painting Class
Noon Discipleship
11:30a Stations of
the Cross
6p Discipleship
6p Discipleship
7:30a Pancake Breakfast
Tim Hopper
Ingrid Felts
2p Discipleship
7p Maundy Service
Judy Sumrall
7p Good Friday
Service
Sharon Windham
Donna Bowers
9:15a Easter
Egg Hunt
Dee Maples
Sara Johnson
Ronda Springer
Rem Och
5 Blood Pressure
Checks
6
8
9
10
6:30a Sunrise Service
1p Morris Tutoring 5a Discipleship
6p Discipleship
10a Circle 5
6p Discipleship
10a Alzheimer’s
Gina Smith
10a In Stitches
Monica Esslinger 9a Paper
Drive
Beth Gordon
1p Morris Tutoring
Noon Discipleship
Robert Borders
2p Discipleship
Aaron Knaack
6p Discipleship
Heather
Porter
Mark Manush
Joan Chrisman
Dale Peters
Jennifer Stricklin
Jack Matheney
Katie Mooty
7a UMM Breakfast
No Evening
Activities
7
11
Catherine
Beck
Neeve Weinberger
12 Food Pantry
13
12:30p Board of
Stewards Mtg
1p Morris Tutoring 5a Discipleship
Lauren Stiles
14
15
16
17
18
10a Circle 2
11:30 Elderberry
Program/Luncheon
Laura Rau
1p Unity
Festival
2p Jo Walton Liter- 9:30a Circle 3
6p Discipleship
ary Group
1p Morris Tutoring
6p Discipleship
1:30p Circle 1
Paula Stutts
Sally Kostrzewa
Noon Discipleship
Amy
Robinson
2p Discipleship
Jody Jordan
6p Discipleship
Marguerite
Roberts
Paul Thompson
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
UMW Sunday
1p Circle 6
5a Discipleship
9:30a UMW
10a In Stitches
Lyle Langston
6p Discipleship
10a Elderberry Trip
Marlene
Thomas
1p Morris Tutoring 9:30a Circle 4
6p Discipleship
1p Morris Tutoring Connie Rogers
Noon Discipleship
Jack Cheek
6p Back Packing
2p Discipleship
Jeff Cleary
6p Discipleship
Eunice Bellingrath
Christy Plemons
John Clausen
Brian Arnold
26
27
Bill Lee
29
30
1p Morris Tutoring 5a Discipleship
6p Discipleship
Noon Discipleship
6p Discipleship
1p Discipleship
Janice Nolin
2p Discipleship
7p Circle 7
Kay Brewer
Joe Martin
28
6p Discipleship
Rachel Braswell
Jeremy Rogers
Every Sunday:
7:45a Band Rehearsal
8:30a Morning Watch
8:55a Orchard Service
10:05a Sunday School
11:05a Liturgical Service
5:00p Pastor’s Bible Study
5:00p Treehouse-Children
5:00p Youth
5:30p Celebration Choir
Latham United Methodist Church
109 Weatherly Road
Huntsville, AL 35803
Phone: 256-881-4069
Fax: 256-880-0305
On the web: lathamumc.org
Connect with the Staff
Rev. Dr. Hughey Reynolds, Senior Pastor
hughey@lathamumc.org
Chris Martin, Minister of Discipleship
chrismartin@lathamumc.org
Susan Terry, Minister of Connect & Children’s Ministries
susanterry@lathamumc.org
Chris Klaus, Minister of Music & Worship
chrisklaus@lathamumc.org
Adam Miller, Minister of Youth
adammiller@lathamumc.org
Marvene Borntrager, Staff Coordinator for Inreach
office@lathamumc.org
Anita Banks, Business Administrator
admin@lathamumc.org
Traci Harris, Director of Child Development Center
lathamcdc@lathamumc.org
Cherry Keeton, Organist
Joey Evans, Pianist
April 9th
April 23rd
April 30th
April 16th
April 2nd
Lifetree Café
Join the conversation each Thursday Night at 6:30 PM. An hour long experience is packed with
interesting stories, fascinating people, and lively conversation that will feed your soul.