LA GRANGE FIRST UNTED METHODIST CHURCH
“LOVING GOD & LIVING GRACE”
La Grange First United Methodist Church P.O. Box 89 1215 Von Minden Road La Grange, Texas 78945 Phone: 979.968.832
Andy Smith Donna Stockton Lead Pastor Office Manager [email protected] [email protected]
Nancy Hajek Eva Gregory Director of Classical Church Music Finance Office [email protected] [email protected]
Lauren Shaddix Bretz ~ Director of Children & Youth Ministries [email protected]
Non-Profit Organization
U. S. Postage Paid
La Grange TX 78945
Permit No. 52
Time dated material.
Please deliver
as soon as possible.
Address Service Requested
Methodist Men's meeting will be decided on by June 11th. Our Methodist Men's group will
keep the congregation informed with what we have planned for our future monthly meetings.
Adrienne Armstrong June 4 Sammey Smith June 12 Seth Pyle June 22 Brittany Neves June 8 Karlie Sneed June 14 Christopher Menefee June 23
Alexandra Gaylord June 10 Wyatt Sneed June 14 Henry Morgan June 23
Mary Lloyd June 10 Weston Pyburn June 15 Charlene Baker June 24
Marcia Bennett June 11 Christie Webber June 15 Kadence Hampton June 24
Myra Homer June 12 Connor Menefee June 17 David Connor June 26
Myra Simmons June 12 Paul Wyble June 21 Cody Webb June 27
Debra Hall June 28
Mike & Linda McBroom June 1 Henry & Barbara Buscher June 12 Jon & Beverly Quinn June 1 Larry & Kim Joost June 12 Warren & Adrienne Armstrong June 3 David & Jan Jenkins June 16 Orvel & JoAnne June 3 Homer & Maureen Lange June 28 John & Sherri Van Dresar June 7 Marvin & Janice Alexander June 30
The following items have been found in the Sanctuary or Fellowship Hall. If any of these items belong to you, they can be picked up in the office.
Worship Booklet for Pilgrams—Walk to Emmaus
Gold Hummingbird Brooch with different colored rhinestones
Gold & Green Wreath Brooch with clear rhinestones
No Sages and Saints programs until September, depending on the Covid Virus situation. Below is the tenta-
tive Fall Program Schedule:
Thursday, Sept. 10th—Games and Pizza Night
Thursday, Oct. 8th—"The Singing Raefs" and Peter's Bar B Que
Thursday, Nov.12th—Mary Ann Hatfield " Salute to the Veteran's" Apple Pie and Ice Cream after the Pro-
gram.
Saturday, Dec. 12th—Ugly Sweater Contest. Tell us about your most memorable Christmas. Catered Meal.
Patty Ingalls
LAY LEADER’S LINCHPINS
In God we trust. Not just a slogan, but the foundation of our faith. Fully embracing that truth
your Pastor, church staff and security team have taken some additional steps to keep your
church safe from not only bad guys but bad bugs, as well. Thanks to Charlie Learned’s efforts
we now have a state-of-the-art virus mist which we will be using Sunday the 31st before and
after services, as well as Wednesday evening. The safety team has been trained to use the an-
ti-viral mist to make it the most safe and effective. It will require leaving the sanctuary imme-
diately after the service for the cleaning process.
In God We Trust,
Jim Howse
This Summer we will be holding our VBS online! We are so excited to see God work through
and in your homes, as you come together as a family for just two hours (11am - 1pm) for these 3
days in June:
- Monday June 22nd
- Tuesday June 23rd
- Wednesday June 24th
How This Works:
After you register for VBS on our website, we will send you access to all of the documents and
videos that you will need to perform VBS at home! DO NOT WORRY...this will be minimal prep-
aration, easy to follow instructions, and a video that leads you and your kids step-by-
step through each of the 3 days. Our curriculum is Backyard BOLT...Towards Faith in Je-
sus! And this is designed to bring all of the fun and faith of Vacation Bible School into the cozy
confines of your home. It’s so simple!
We will kick-off each morning with a quick Zoom meeting at 11am and then your videos will
walk you through every step of fun games and Bible lessons for each day.
The link to register on our website is: https://www.lgfumc.org/vbs-2020/
PASTOR’S PONDERING INSPIRING READS
Pastor’s Pondering Choir Notes by Nancy Hajek Important Dates to Remember Single Board Meeting Sages & Saints Lay Leader’s Linchpins Lost and Found Introducing Shelby Youth Gathering Guidelines Birthdays Anniversaries The Methodist Men
We’ve been on a journey with this Coronavirus, and hopefully we are now emerging from this valley of quarantine. As our community reopens, so does our
opportunity to resume public worship services. Praise God! We’ve been prep-
ping for this moment and want to share the details of our next steps.
First off, please do not be pressured to immediately return to church. If you
have any concerns about your health, then it’s okay to wait. The Live Streaming
option will continue. Second, please do not attend if you’re experiencing any
symptoms.
We will resume public worship on May 31 with a new schedule that complies
with public health standards and promotes the safest environment possible. Be-
ginning that Sunday, we will offer 3 morning services:
8:30am Traditional Service
9:50am Traditional Service (also Live Streamed)
11:15am Contemporary Service
Our safety measures include adequate time between services to clean all pub-
lic areas. The Board of Trustees has secured professional products that will thor-
oughly and quickly disinfect all areas, including pews, chairs, countertops, and
restrooms. Volunteers will immediately begin sanitizing the church after every
service.
When coming to church, we ask for your cooperation in the following ways:
• Only use the south parking lot and enter the foyer through the south-
facing church doors. Before entering, ushers may ask to take your tem-
perature using special thermal thermometers.
• Upon entering the foyer, please use the provided hand sanitizer.
• Facial masks are optional.
• Avoid using any roped off pews. This ensures proper social distancing.
• Please keep at least two empty seats between parties in any row, except
for members of the same household.
• If the maximum seating capacity is reached in the sanctuary, overflow
seating will be available in the foyer or Fellowship Hall.
• After the service, please exit the sanctuary so it may be disinfected.
• Do not congregate in the foyer. Any visitations can be done outside or in
the designated area of the Fellowship Hall.
• Some of us suffer from seasonal allergies. Just because someone coughs
or sneezes does not mean it’s a contagion.
• Tithes and offerings may be placed in the specially marked boxes in the
foyer.
God is good, and God will still accomplish His good and perfect Will despite
this pandemic. So be encouraged and we look forward to see you in church!
In Christ’s Service,
Andy
Disclaimer: All scheduled events in this Newsletter, throughout the month of June, are subject to change according to the CDC recommendations.
Dear Friends in Christ,
Well, normally, I’d be letting you know that several of us will be attending the Texas Conference Choir
Clinic this month, but that’s been cancelled. In fact, one thing I want to share with you is that choirs world-
wide may be taking a longer hiatus than we’d like due to COVID-19. I listened to a YouTube meeting on
what happens with the virus among choral rehearsals, etc. It's very sobering and doesn't look good for
choir rehearsals, voice lessons, etc. for the next 1 - 2 years. This comes from the ACDA - American Choral
Director's Association, NATS - National Association of Teachers of Singing, Barbershop Harmony Society,
and Chorus America:
I'll sum up for those who couldn't attend the ACDA/NATS/Chorus America/Barber Shop national
Pandemic webinar:
1) There is no safe way for choirs to rehearse together until there is a vaccine or 95% effective
treatment in place, most likely 1-2 years. Singing could perhaps occasionally be outside in
small groups, but only when the wind is not at your back. Masks and spacing DO NOT protect
your singers from contagion, and singers are super-spreaders.
2) Though there may be some mitigation using a combination of UV lights and fan/atmosphere
scrubbing inside, it is not 100% effective and the UV in particular may be both expensive and
dangerous.
3) No concerts or public performances this fall, and frankly, maybe not for 1-2 years, though we
actually don't know.
4) Once rapid testing becomes available, possibility to rehearse with immediate testing before
every rehearsal with iron-clad agreements from choir members.
Info from the webinar:
Some particles can travel up to 16 feet from singers. Wide-spread testing is not safe for testing sing-
ing groups/choirs. To return, there must be acceptance of risk by the group/sponsor or both; screen-
ing criteria at the door; home PCR test done at the door; symptom screening; temperature checks;
pulse oximentry check; privacy issues - all of this is HIGH RISK. No barriers (face masks) are safe
for singing.
I shared this with my choir members a couple of weeks ago. It just makes me sad. But God is good. We’re
able to begin worshipping in the sanctuary again, and that makes my heart soar.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Nancy
Monday, June 8th—5:00pm—Room #15—Council on Ministries Meeting
Monday, May 15th—4:30pm—Room #15—Single Board Meeting
Monday, June 22—Wednesday, June 24—11:00am—1:00pm—Online Vacation Bible School
Sunday, July 19—Thursday, July 23—UM Army (details to follow)
CHOIR NOTES BY NANCY HAJEK
SINGLE BOARD MEETING Monday, June 15th
4:30PM ROOM #15
GATHERING GUIDELINES
When coming to church, we ask for your cooperation in the following ways:
1. Only use the south parking lot and enter the foyer through the south-
facing church doors. Before entering, ushers may ask to take your tem-
perature using special thermal thermometers.
2. Upon entering the foyer, please use the provided hand sanitizer.
3. Facial masks are optional.
4. Avoid using any roped off pews. This ensures proper social distancing.
5. Please keep at least two (2) empty seats between parties in any row, except
for members of the same household.
6. If the maximum seating capacity is reached in the sanctuary, overflow
seating will be available in the foyer or Fellowship Hall.
7. After the service, please exit the sanctuary so it may be disinfected.
8. Do not congregate in the foyer. Any visitations can be done outside or in
the designated area of the Fellowship Hall.
9. Some of us suffer from seasonal allergies. Just because someone coughs
or sneezes does not mean it’s a contagion.
10.Tithes and offerings may be placed in the specially marked boxes in the
foyer.