LAWRENCE FREE METHODIST CHURCH! AUGUST 2013

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THE UPDATE

Blended worship (nursery and pre-school care provided) ! 9:00 a.m.Contemporary worship and programs for kids and teens ! 10:35 a.m.

Sunday, September 22, noon-3:00 p.m. on the church lawn

Mark your calendars, and invite your friends and neighbors! Our annual Fall Kickoff returns Sunday, September 22, featuring fun games, Funky Fotos, great food and more! Keep your eyes peeled for more information in the coming weeks. If you would like to help in some way, contact Bethany Harvester at bharvester@lfmchurch.org. See you there!

Arts & Crafts FairSeptember 21 and 22

If you came to 4 for Others in June, you saw and perhaps purchased some great handmade items at the arts & craft fair. That was just a preview of a bigger fair to come this September, with proceeds going to Missions. Watch for

Save the Date!

more information in the coming weeks, but go ahead and spread the word to friends and neighbors! Plan to stop by for a little shopping with friends (for items by friends)!

Examples from our June fair include hand embroidered and crocheted items, a stained glass window, jewelry, cards, journals, canned goods, spice and dip mixes, and handcrafted wooden boxes.

Ca"ing A" Artisans!We’re looking for artisans just like you

to donate handmade items! If you would like to donate one or more items to our fair, please contact Jeanette Sanger (785-249-6295, sanger.jeanette12@gmail.com) or Kelly Monroe (785-764-0507, littlehawk12@juno.com).

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DISCIPLESHIP MINISTRIES • ADULT MINISTRIESEquipping men and women to walk with God, make disciples and serve Christ for a lifetime

One person can make a difference!The Ways of the Alongsider: Growing Disciples Life 2 Life

Jesus understood the worth of the individual and the significance and impact of relationships. His final command to His disciples was to "go and make disciples." He commissioned His disciples to become disciplemakers! It's time to clear away the clutter. Whether we're pastors, accountants, construction workers, or stay-at-home moms, our lives and ministries can get so cluttered that we miss out on what is most important. The clamor of competing demands can drown out our God-given mission to make disciples as we are going through life. The Ways of the Alongsider training will help you clarify your priorities and equip you to begin intentionally laboring in the lives of people.

Much is written about the curriculum and content of discipleship, but relatively few writers tell us how to make disciples. The adventure of becoming an Alongsider is more than reading a book, attending a class, or mastering some skills. The Alongsider journey is all about a lifestyle–ministering to people where they live, work, and play. The Ways of the Alongsider will help you understand the ways and principles needed to help people become wholehearted followers of Jesus. Small group leaders, parents, youth workers, teachers, and anyone involved in ministry will learn some helpful ways to disciple others.

Beginning in mid-September, Pastor Larry will facilitate a 12-session training series titled The Ways of the Alongsider: Growing Disciples Life 2 Life. The goal of the Alongsider training is not just to read or talk about disciplemaking, but to actually begin making disciples. We will begin with the foundations of the Alongsider ministry, then learn the ways or skills of an Alongsider. Those who complete the training will also

receive some helpful tools to use in discipling others. Our objective for those who complete all the training is that they can say: "By faith, I can do this. God can use me to make disciples!" When: ! Alongsider training

begins Sunday, September 29.

Where: ! Room 24/25 (next to the kitchen and Family Life Center)

Time: ! 5:00-6:30 p.m.Cost: ! $20 (includes training

manual and handouts)

If you are interested and have questions, please contact Pastor Larry for more information. lbaldridge@lfmchurch.org.

MOPSMothers of PreSchoolers

Back to MOPS Night is August 13 in the LFMC lobby from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. If you are interested in joining MOPS, please come register and meet other moms. You will be blessed by having a group of moms with whom to build relationships, and your children will have new friends, too. If you have questions or need more information, please call or send a text message to Kirsten Mock at 785-393-3309.

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PrimetimersThere were 11 hungry Primetimers who ate a

hearty breakfast at Perkins on July 9. The numbers might have been down but the enthusiasm was high! Our next meeting will be breakfast again at Perkins on August 13 at 9:00. If you are 50-or-better we hope you'll join us!

The planning for our regular meetings, which begin again in September, is well underway. Our

first meeting will be September 10. The booklets should be available on Sunday, September 8. The programs will be interesting and entertaining. Stay tuned for additional information. Questions? Contact Ernie Dyer, epdyer@att.net or 785-841-2990.

Women's Bible StudiesLadies, we hope you will join us this

September as we begin three exciting studies. A" women of the church and friends are invited! Wednesday studies begin September 11 and Thursday studies begin September 12.

Sermon on the Mount On Thursday mornings from 9:30 to 11:30, Susan Hoisington and Dana Bryant will lead a Searching the Scriptures study with focus on the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew Chapters 5, 6, and 7.In this study, we will be challenged by the revolutionary words of Jesus to live in simple faith and honesty. Daily scripture readings from the sermon, personal applications, sharing with others, plus background teachings will help us discover what it means to be an authentic Christian in everyday life.

Class will meet Thursday mornings (9:30-11:30) at the church beginning September 12 for 13 sessions. Cost is $10 ($5 if you already have a notebook).

If you have questions, please call Susan (785-843-7660) or Dana (785-331-2795).

Sacred SecretsOn Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:00 we have a

very promising new study, “Sacred Secrets” by author Beth Moore. If you have wanted to try a study by Beth, here is your chance, because this one is only five weeks long! Childcare will be provided.

The world is obsessed with telling secrets for the sake of sensationalism. But not all hidden things are poisonous and dark. In “Sacred Secrets” we will explore secrets: some forgiven, some covered, and some just between you and God. Join us to find out what happens when we let God teach us "wisdom in the secret heart" (Psalm 51:6, ESV). Cost for the book is $10. For more information, or to sign up, please contact Brenda at 785-550-5422 or bflynn169@gmail.com.

The Beloved DiscipleThursday mornings from 9:30-11:30 will be an

exciting place to be as we study “The Beloved Disciple” by Beth Moore. Every disciple and early follower of Christ left a legacy for future believers. John's legacy was love. Perhaps like no other disciple, John understood that relationship is the point. Every command of Christ and call to obedience is to enhance relationship and place the recipient in a posture the Giver can bless. This study is about finding our way to the heart of Jesus and reclining so closely that our pulse begins to throb in tandem, loving what He loves and hating what He hates. Cost is $16 for the book. Jan Dyer will lead this group and you can contact her at epdyer@att.net.

Watch the women’s ministry table in the lobby for sign-up sheets in September. See you in class!

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Coming this fall: The StoryIf you love a great story, you will want to be with us every Sunday beginning this fall

as we begin a 9-month adventure together. The Story is God's story, told through the pages of the Bible, and this fall, we are going to dive into The Story for a 9-month adventure. The Story is designed to help people in churches everywhere experience the Scripture as never before. With selected verses from the Bible organized chronologically, we will engage with the Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. The Story is a church-wide experience that includes curriculum for preschool kids, elementary school kids, teens, and adults--all coordinated throughout the series to help families engage with The Story together.

We are hopeful that The Story will help you learn more about how God's story intersects with your story. This powerful and meaningful series is also a great opportunity to invite others to enter God's amazing story of love, forgiveness, mercy, and grace.

We'll have more details about The Story later this summer.

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CONTACTING THE UPDATEThe UPDATE is a monthly publication of the Lawrence Free Methodist Church. Letters to

the church ("thank you" notes, etc.) may be dropped in the UPDATE box in the church office, or e-mailed to update@lfmchurch.org. The deadline for the September issue is August 26, 2013. The online version is at http://www.lfmchurch.org/update.

DU in AugustAugust in DU will be bright as we continue to

Chase The Light! We are learning together about the people that Jesus came in contact with and how their lives were changed forever.

Each week, your child learns about one of the “misfits” that Jesus met through both video and live storytelling. We focus on one main principle, or Bottom Line, each week, and each Bottom Line will build on the previous week’s Bottom Line. By the end of the series, we want the stories of the “misfits” that Jesus spent time with to have a marked impact on your child’s life:

In July we learned about the wise men (Bottom Line: Fo"ow the light that is Jesus.), John the Baptist (Bottom Line: God wants us to te" others about Jesus.), the disciples (Bottom Line: God wants you to see you for who you rea"y are.), and a blind man (Bottom Line: Jesus showed us that God is good and can do anything.).

Coming up in August:• Nicodemus (John 3:1-21) Bottom Line: We can

believe what Jesus said.• Mary Magdalene (Mark 15-16) Bottom Line: God

sent His Son to win the fight against sin.

CHILDREN'S MINISTRIES

• The men walking along the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) Bottom Line: We can trust that God has a plan and we should tell others about it.

• Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) Bottom Line: God wants you to help others see the light.

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to partner with you as you encourage your child along his or her spiritual journey!

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Waumba Land Snack Drive: Bon Appetít for Little Ones

It’s time to stock up on our nursery and preschool snacks for the year! During the month of August, please bring some snacks to Waumba Land so the children enjoy learning about their Heavenly Father with happy tummies!

Suggested Donations (off brands are fine)• animal crackers• Goldfish crackers• Ritz or Club crackers • graham crackers• mini pretzels (no sticks, please)

Please avoid chips, cookies, candy, and any snacks with nuts (for allergy reasons).

Simply bring your donations on Sunday and drop them off with the leaders in your child’s room.

Questions? Contact Katie Faulk (kfaulk@lfmchurch.org) or Kristi Keefer (Kristi@sunflower.com).

August 25 is Move Up Sunday in Children’s Ministries!

On Sunday, August 25, a new season of ministry will start in Children’s Ministries. New leaders will start and some kids will be moved to new rooms. This change will impact some children more than others.

Please look at this list to see which room your child will be in starting August 25.

• Infants (non-walkers): Infant room• Toddlers: Toddler room• Two-year-olds: Monkeys• Three-year-olds who are potty-trained: Lions• Kids entering Kindergarten a year from now:

Giraffes• Kindergarteners: The Jungle• 1st Graders: The room behind the K-6

registration area• 2nd Graders: The Reef• 3rd Graders: The Galaxy • 4th Graders: They will start in the Galaxy

and break out to different areas for small group time. You will be told where your child’s small group will meet on August 25.

• 5th and 6th Graders: They will start in the Galaxy. After worship, they will go to Room 24/25 for Club 56. Please make arrangements for a place to meet them after worship service since this group doesn’t need a claim ticket to be picked up.

(Re)register Your Kids For Our Sunday Morning Children’s Program

Each year we ask all parents to re-register their children (birth through grade 6) for our Sunday morning programs at Lawrence Free Methodist Church. This ensures that we have accurate information on each child and know which children we can anticipate having in our programs.

Registering your child(ren) now not only helps us prepare but also helps you avoid the registration line on Sunday, August 25, which is “move-up day.”

The registration forms will be available online by August 10 at http://www.lfmchurch.org/kids.

Thanks so much for sharing your child(ren) with us! It’s a delight to get to interact with kids and share the love of Christ with them each week.

Pastor Carolyn, on behalf of our Sunday children’s ministry leaders

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Young Teen Camp a HitThank you for praying for our middle schoolers

while they were at Camp Durley. Of course, the week was filled with a ton of goofy games and abundant energy, but it was also filled with the Spirit of God moving in the hearts of teens, drawing them to Himself and nudging them to go deeper in their commitment to walk with Him and live for Him. Each experience teens have like this move them further along in their spiritual journey and deepen their love for Christ.

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Club 58 Breakfast ClubThis summer 30 preteens and young teen girls

came together to become closer friends, have fun together and learn more about what how following God’s plan to deepen friendships and create a better foundation for life. Each Thursday morning the girls ate a scrumptious meal prepared by Jenny Flory, read and discussed God’s Word, swam, and did other fun “girly” things. Friendships were made and memories were built.

Some of the things the special girls have done this summer are paint canvases for the Teen Center, enjoy breakfast in South Park, and go to Sunfire Ceramics. On August 1, they extended their hands of service and served lunch at LINK. It’s been a great summer!

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Teens Help at VBS

A missions trip doesn’t have to be expensive; nor does it have to be far away. In July, 50 teens from our church got to be on mission by helping with our church’s VBS. Most of them were crew leaders, working directly with the children, loving them, helping the complete their projects and activities and helping them learn that they can face their fears by trusting God.

Each afternoon about 30 teens gathered for “Teen Time,” an hour designed just for the teens so they could share their experiences with one another, get suggestions for how to be better equipped to help, learn a couple verses about giving their worries to God, hang out with one another, and enjoy dinner together.

Our teens did a fabulous job serving and loving the children who attended VBS this year and had a great time, too!

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Capital Campaign Update

Here is an update on our capital campaign, God's Generosity–Our Stewardship–Our Commitment to God’s House, and our use of funds through May 2013. This LFMC capital campaign was initiated in April 2011 to reduce our long term mortgage debt and undertake facility repairs and improvements over a three-year period without incurring any additional debt. We are now 25 months into this 36 month campaign (70% of targeted three year campaign). As of May 31, 2013, we have received $454,953 toward our $601,151 pledged total for this campaign, including receipt of $14,878 in non-pledged contributions. These receipts put us on-target (73%) for reaching our total campaign goal by April 2014.

As you may recall, the initial $100,000 received in donations was set aside in a mortgage reserve fund to be used by LFMC in the event that monthly general giving was unable to fund monthly mortgage payments. We are pleased to report that so far we have not had to utilize this mortgage reserve fund due to your giving to the general fund budget. For this, we are thankful! This banked $100,000 reserve fund will be entirely used to pay down on outstanding mortgage balances after the completion of this campaign.

For every $1 received in donations above the $100,000 reserve fund, $0.58 is being used systematically pay down on our mortgage balance on an ongoing basis. Applying this formula, we have received $205,872.74 in donations for paying down our mortgage to date, and payments totaling $164,825 have been made through end of May 2013 to pay down on our existing mortgage loans.

For every $1 received above the $100,000 reserve fund, $0.42 is being used to pay for priority campus upgrades and for the expenses of running this campaign. Applying this formula, we have received $149,080.26 in donations for campus upgrades, and for campaign expenses which totaled

$5,500. To-date we have made significant repairs to our fire safety sprinkler system, upgraded our sanctuary audio/visual equipment, and have repaved our parking lot. Looking ahead, we project enough funds, based on your faithful campaign contributions, to be available for interior upgrade of our bathrooms, flooring, and walls.

We again thank each of you who have faithfully contributed to this capital campaign, God's Generosity–Our Stewardship–Our Commitment to God’s House. If you are new to LFMC, or have not yet had the opportunity to contribute, and wish to join us in this campaign, please know that your participation would be most welcomed and would further help create a vital, financially healthy church with even more ability to further God’s work both locally and abroad. Please contact either Dan Flynn or Doug Yoder, campaign co-chairs, for information on how to contribute. God’s blessing to you and our church body in 2013.

Dan Flynn (785-312-9950, dflynn@deciphera.com)Doug Yoder (785-842-9885, dougyoder@sunflower.com)

Upcoming "Visioncast" from the BishopsAugust 4, 6:00 p.m. CDT, http://fmcusa.org/live

On August 4 the Board of Bishops of the Free Methodist Church USA will present another in an ongoing series of streamed video "visioncasts," available for viewing at http://fmcusa.org/live. During this broadcast, the bishops (Matt Thomas, David Roller, and David Kendall) will outline their vision for three of the denomination's central strategies: to train and develop leaders, multiply ministries, and partner with others.

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Giving online is easy!If you've been considering using our online giving system but you're a little apprehensive about

setting it up, we can help. Contact Doug Heacock at dheacock@lfmchurch.org or call him at the church at 785-842-2343.

Updates from Dustin and Megan, serving in the Middle East

Dustin and Megan are Free Methodist missionaries serving in the Middle East, and they recently sent out some exciting updates about their lives and ministry:

Perhaps the best news coming out of the Middle East this week (at least we think so) won’t be reported on CNN. It’s true. We’re having a baby. Megan is just finishing her first trimester and is due mid February. We’re obviously thrilled and so excited to share our joy with you. Recently we visited a doctor and had our first ultrasound. God is at work knitting together such a tiny baby. So amazing!

We will be heading back to the states at the end of August where we will be on home assignment for four months (September-December). Our schedule is beginning to fill up on weekends but if your church is interested in having us, we’d love to see if there is a time that would work. Although our personal financial support is doing well, the country budgets we are responsible for raising are lagging significantly in support. We are looking for 6 new churches that can partner with our national churches in Egypt, Jordan, Iraq and Israel. If your church (or small group/Sunday School) would be interested in information on what a partnership would look like, we’d love to connect with you on this.

The Lord is up to lots in our region. Check out some of the stories below. We especially want to ask you to pray for three things this week. 1) Pray for Megan and the baby, 2) Pray for the Youth Camp we are running in Jordan Aug 1-3 (see the story below), 3) Pray for our new work in Israel.

Learning obedience, practicing trust, grounded in love, Dustin and Megan

New Work in Israel

We are in the beginning phases of starting a new Church Planting network in the Galilee region of Israel. Several months ago a like-minded organization with no work in our region connected us with a very gifted and spiritually mature Arab church leader living in Nazareth. Pastor Nabil graduated from Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky with both his M. Div and D. Min. He is currently serving as a dean with Bethlehem Bible College in Palestine and overseeing their extension program in Israel.

Dr. Henry, IME’s Director, and I began discussions with him this past Spring. Quickly we realized his heart and strategy for church planting is closely in step with ours. This summer we began moving into more detailed planning and expect to see some of our first home groups up and running this fall. We will begin by concentrating on the Galilee region (Nazereth, Cana, and Tiberias), amongst the densely populated Arab communities. We are excited about this open door.

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Summer Youth Camp in Jordan

August 1-3 is our annual youth camp in Jordan. A short- term group from Ohio arrives tonight to help. We have 83 youth and volunteers registered. Megan, Josiah (my brother), Shaun (an American intern), and I are highly involved in helping plan and run the camp along with a devoted team of nationals. The theme of the camp is “Hosanna: God Save Us” and will use the three chair diagram to illustrate that God not only wants to be in our life, but on the throne of our lives. Many youth who have signed up to come know little of who God is. We believe God has big plans for this week. Please be praying each day for the teens that are attending. Pray that many would begin to follow Christ and begin to receive the abundant life He offers.

Egypt Update

You may be aware that Egypt has gone through a second significant round of protests. The military deposed the Muslim Brotherhood president. Peace and security continues to elude Egypt. One close ministry partner wrote us this week and shared that a house he owns (and was selling) has been stolen. Although the court may later return the home to him, it will be years of court battles to resolve it. Christians are reporting a significant increase in kidnappings and threats of kidnappings. The nationals we work with in Egypt asked that I cancel a trip I was to have taken at the beginning of July for a training conference.

In the midst of all of this, our leaders continue to endeavor in ministry. Churches continue to be planted and leaders continue to rise up. Please be praying for Dr. H, Pastor R., and Pastor H., who lead our church planting work in Egypt. Please also be praying for Bishop Yousif who leads the Free Methodist Church in Egypt.

LAWRENCE FREE METHODIST CHURCH! AUGUST 2013

Sunday services and programs

9:00 a.m. Blended Worship, programs for nursery and preschool

10:35 a.m. Contemporary Worship, programs for nursery through senior high teens

Nursery available 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Church Office InformationOffice hours: Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. to noon and

1:00 to 5:00 p.m.Phone: 785-842-2343

Fax: 785-842-2351E-mail: info@lfmchurch.org

Web: http://www.lfmchurch.org

E-mail contactsBill Bump, Senior Pastorbbump@lfmchurch.org

Larry Baldridge, Pastor of Discipleshiplbaldridge@lfmchurch.org

Carolyn Heacock, Family Pastorcheacock@lfmchurch.org

Bethany Harvester and Katie Faulk, Secretariessecretary@lfmchurch.org

Leslie Sharp, Children's Ministries Directorlsharp@lfmchurch.org

Doug Heacock, Director of Media and Contemporary Worship

dheacock@lfmchurch.org

Jonathan Thomas, Director of Choir and Blended Worship

jthomas@lfmchurch.org

The UpdateLawrence Free Methodist Church3001 Lawrence AvenueLawrence, KS 66047