Minute to Win It at UMT

In case you missed it elsewhere, we wanted you to see the fun that the kids had a couple of weeks ago when minute to win it came to the Temple!

New Videos - VBS

Here is a look at VBS 2010. This video will be used to show folks how much fun our VBS is every year!

Take a look and tell us what you think!



Watch for these to start showing up on our web page and look for more new videos later this year!

New Videos - General Worship

This video gives an overview of 3 of the services that we have here at the United Methodist Temple. Check it out and let us know what you think!



Tomorrow's video preview will take a look at Lent and Holy Week!

New Videos - Children's Ministry

This video takes a look at our children's ministry here at the United Methodist Temple.

Take a look and let us know what you think!



Tomorrow's video will take a look at worship. Don't forget to check back then!

New Videos - Temple Day School

Over the next few days, we will be sharing with you the videos that are being produced for our use on our website and on a DVD that can be given to first time guests. We will also be utilizing these videos on our website so folks can view them there as well. As a matter of fact, some of them are already there...but we wanted to put them up here as well so we could get feedback on the work that is being done!

Here is the first that has been completed involving the Temple Day School and the Mother's Day Out programs here at UMT.

Russell and Forest in Tyler News

As many of you know, Forest and I recently went to Tyler, Texas to finish our training for Mustard Seed Ministries. While we were there, the Tyler branch of Mustard Seed Ministries was interviewed about their ministry. Considering that we were expanding this ministry to Port Arthur, the news crew also interviewed me and got some video of Forest and I. The video has been included below for anyone that missed the link on Facebook!

Spotlight on Ministry - Week of December 7, 2009

Do you enjoy working in the kitchen? Is your favorite thing in the world creating delicious meals for others to enjoy? Then we have ministry opportunities for you!

Every month there are numerous opportunities to serve in kitchen related ministry. From Meals on Wheels to Midweek Encounters and from Thanksgiving meals (or other special events) to feeding guest mission teams at our facility, the kitchen is a happening place with lots of opportunities to serve.

If you have a passion for cooking and serving, then we encourage you to contact the office and we will get you connected to a kitchen ministry that works with your schedule!

Spotlight on Ministry - Week of November 9th, 2009

We are beginning a new series here at the UMT Port Arthur blog entitled "Spotlight on Ministry". We are increasingly getting questions about how to get into the flow of service here at UMT. To that end, we want to offer this ongoing discussion and series of posts that highlights the ministries of the church and offers you opportunities to step into service.

This week we want to highlight the Good Book. The Good Book is the bookstore inside our church that offers a wide array of Bibles, reference books, fiction and non-fiction by Christian authors and a variety of other items.

Currently, the bookstore is open on Wednesday afternoons and Sunday mornings. We would love to be able to offer this resource to folks coming in for Saturday evening services and at other times. In order to do this, we need your help!

If you would be interested in learning the ropes and serving in this ministry, we invite you to contact Ray Cline at: rjcline@hotmail.com and he can give you more information.

Blessings on your journey!

Hands on Mission

Today was an awesome day! Nine folks came together today to serve. We had a few folks from each of our services (Contemporary, Traditional, and Encounters) participate together. We spackled, hung doors, hung protective sheeting in a shower to make it usable, got a garage door opener working, replaced 17 cabinet closures, and a couple of child latches. It was a very productive day.

We got most of the things on the list that we wanted to get done, done. We will be returning on October 10th to finish patching the cracks and painting. If you would like to join us to help complete this Random Act of Kindness, please contact Russell Hall in the church office or at acts242@hotmail.com

More about Encounters

Over the last couple of days, we have come across a number of people that are still unclear about what Encounters is and what it is not. In an attempt to help clarify, I want to offer the following details:

Encounters is the name that we have given to a very large outreach program here at the United Methodist Temple. Currently, there are a number of different ministries that are occurring under the "Encounters - an outreach of the United Methodist Temple" label.

#1 - Saturday evenings we are having a worship service (currently taking place about every other week, but scheduled to be weekly after the first of the year). This is a third worship service at UMT and is open to EVERYONE. The service follows a different order of worship and has a different style and feel to it, but it is a worship service that is open to anyone that wants to come. At this service, we preach a relevant gospel message that is applicable to everyone. This is not, I REPEAT IS NOT, just a service for folks in recovery. This is a service for anyone wanting to grow in their relationship with Christ (just like any other service here at the Temple).

#2 - On Thursdays we are offering a Bible study that we are currently calling Midweek Encounters (but the name is subject to change) that discusses the 12 steps of recovery from a biblical perspective. Because the steps came out of the scriptures we feel that they have some relevance to all Christians whether they are in a 12 step program or not. We believe that the 12 steps are 12 steps to a life of freedom in relationship to Jesus Christ and as such, everyone can benefit from studying them. Very basic Christian principles are at the heart of these steps. Things like honesty, faith, hope, love, confession, amends making, etc are all taken directly from the scriptures. These are things that all Christians are directed towards. As such, this class is open to anyone that wants to explore the relationship between the scriptures and the steps as it relates to their lives.

#3 - Came to Believe is the name of our Christian 12 step meeting that is specifically directed towards people in recovery. It operates like any AA, CA, NA or other 12 step group, but is open to people wrestling with any kind of addiction. This is a place where we can hold one another accountable to our programs of recovery and process what is going on in our lives from week to week. It is also a place where we do not have to check our relationship with Christ at the door.

#4 - Random Acts of Kindness are just our ways of being missional and evangelistic. Maybe a better way to put it is that these are additional opportunities to reach out to our community with the love of Christ. Sometimes this means taking care packages to families waiting in ICU, while other times it means working on a house (painting, etc). Through small gifts of service we are able to share the love of Christ with people in our communities.

#5 Lifegroups - Because the larger faith community meets on Saturday evenings, they miss out on Sunday school opportunities. Lifegroups is the small group version of Sunday School. These groups get together to pray for one another, study together, and serve together. These little communities help keep people from becoming disconnected in the larger community of faith here at the United Methodist Temple.

I hope that these descriptions have been helpful. I would ask that you do me a favor: if you are still unclear about any of the new outreach ministries or about our new worship service, please ask. It is important that everyone know and understand what is happening. With the right information, we can help direct people to the best fit for their worshiping and growing needs here at the Temple. To meet with me or find out more information about these happenings, please call the church office or email me at acts242@hotmail.com.

Many thanks and many blessings,

Russell

Encounters Update

There are a couple of really important things getting ready to take place with our new ministry - Encounters - and we wanted to take a moment to pass along the information to you.

MIDWEEK ENCOUNTERS:

What is it?
- a 13 week study that looks at the twelve steps of recovery from a biblical perspective. It will be a time of worship, prayer, testimony, Bible study and growth.

When is it?
- Thursday evenings beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Where is it?
- The United Methodist Temple, 4101 Highway 73, in the Life Lessons room.

Who can come?
- Absolutely anyone. Whether you are just curious about the workings of the 12 steps and how they relate to the Bible or are looking to grow in your own journey of recovery, all are invited to come.

Additional info:
- Childcare is being provided free of charge
- A sandwich dinner is being provided free of charge
- All materials are being provided free of charge

Please RSVP to the church office or by emailing acts242@hotmail.com if you are planning on attending to where we can have enough food and materials for everyone.

LABOR DAY FAMILY FUN DAY

On Monday, September 7th, we are going to open our hearts and doors to family and friends for a day of bounce houses, super slides, games, food, door prizes and other give aways...all absolutely free of charge. The best part is that the majority of the activities will be indoors, so we will play and fellowship come rain or shine (and think about how nice it will be to beat the heat for a little while!)!

If you and your family or friends are not doing anything on Labor Day, come by and see us at the church between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to join in the festivities.

ENCOUNTERS WORSHIP

Mark your calendars for Encounters first worship service at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 19th! Childcare and a children's program will take place during worship (we will release the kids part way through the service).

This is the first of our preview services, which gives us (and you) an opportunity to worship together and iron out any glitches between now and the time we launch in January. We will have about 7 or so of these between now and the end of the year.

Please join us for these and other events coming soon here at the United Methodist Temple! And keep an eye out here, in the Messenger and Template for even more news.

Things to Remember

We wanted to take an opportunity to remind you all of a few important things going on in the life of the church.

First, if you have not already signed up for portrait time with Life Touch, please do so in the narthex on Sunday or go online to our website to make your appointment. This is not Olan Mills...there will be no hard sales and when we are done, we will have a beautiful and up to date photo directory of our church family. Remember that the directory won't be complete without your participation! If you are unable to make an appointment in the time slots available, contact Carol Wommack to submit your own photo.

Second, we want to thank everyone that helped fill all of the bags of school supplies for United Methodist Women and UMCOR. If you missed the opportunity to be a part of that hands on missions activity, don't worry, Encounters is still collecting school supplies for children in the Port Arthur ISD. You can pick up a list of supplies online (or ask Russell for one) and you can drop your supplies off in the tubs provided outside of the sanctuary. Remember that we are partnering with the Rotary Club to provide 200 backpacks to children in need in our immediate area (they are providing the backpacks and we are including some basic supplies). We are asking that all donated supplies be at the church by Sunday, August 16th (and if you would prefer for us to do the shopping, we will gladly welcome your donations and do the shopping for you!).

Finally, remember that this is the last Sunday to order your new UMT shirts. Whether you choose mesh, T, or button up, we encourage you to support UMT (and the communications department) by purchasing and wearing one of our new shirts. With all of the designs, styles and colors available, there is a shirt for everyone! See Ruth in the narthex for more information or to submit your orders.

On a completely different note, this weekend Russell Hall will be preaching both services here at the Temple. This will give Russell and opportunity to meet more of the congregation and vice versa. Come join us this weekend as we take a look at the opening verses of chapter 8 in the Gospel of John and explore the realities of "The Gospel Truth"!

Encounters Update

This past Saturday (July 11th), we launched our first Christian 12 step meeting called Came to Believe. The meeting was both well attended and well received. Finally, Port Arthur has a 12 step group where Christ is central to the recovery process.

This meeting is an ongoing meeting that takes place every Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m. and we want to encourage everyone to help spread the word about this fantastic ministry. If you know of someone that may be interested they can contact Russell in the church office for more information or to pick up flyers for the meeting.

This is just another step in our process toward launching a 3rd service and a larger recovery ministry here at the United Methodist Temple. The larger ministry, known as Encounters, is beginning to take on a life of its own. Much has been done in the past month to further the process along, but there is still much to do.

If you have heard about Encounters and wondered how to get more information or get plugged in, then this is for you:

This coming Thursday (July 16th) at 6:00 p.m., we will be hosting an Encounters launch team meeting in the Life Lessons room at the Temple. The meeting is open to everyone, whether you are just seeking more information or are looking for somewhere to serve; all are welcome.

This week we will take a closer look at our upcoming schedule of events and get updates on what teams are forming and what some next steps are to stay on track for our target launch date of January 9th, 2010.

Come join the excitement and see what God is doing here at the United Methodist Temple!

Recovery at the Temple

We believe that love, mercy, grace, redemption, and reconciliation are at the heart of the gospel. With this in mind, we want to continue to be intentional about meeting people where they are at and providing resources and opportunities for them to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ.

To that end we would like to introduce you to a new outreach at the United Methodist Temple.

On July 11th, we will launch our first Christian 12 step meeting called Came to Believe.

This meeting utilizes the 12 steps, principles, and promises that are a part of other 12 step organizations (that were originally birthed out of a Christian organization known as the Oxford Group), but recognizes that the God of our understanding is found in the triune God whose face is Jesus Christ.

This group is open to all regardless of what the issue is that we wrestle with. This is because although we have found that our behaviors of choice may manifest themselves in a variety of ways (codependence, alcoholism, drug addiction, food issues, sex, gambling, cutting, relationship issues, and so on), we have discovered that the underlying causes of these issues are quite similar. Additionally, we have discovered that there is but one solution - a growing relationship with Christ.

If you or someone you know is looking for a safe place to process and work through these various issues, we invite you to join us for Came to Believe!

Here's the 411:

CAME TO BELIEVE

What:

A Christian 12 step meeting focused not on the differences of our dependencies, but rather on the healing and wholeness that is offered to us through Jesus Christ.

Who:

For anyone looking to strengthen their relationship with Jesus Christ while journeying the 12 steps of recovery.

When:

Saturday evenings at 7:00 p.m.
Beginning July 11, 2009

Where:

The United Methodist Temple
4101 Highway 73

Meeting will be held in the Life Lessons Room
(Just look for the signs near the East entrance of the church)

For more information (including directions to our facility) contact Russell at the church at (409) 962-5762.