July 2012

Berkeley BUZZ
Berkeley United Methodist Church
Celebrating 40 years, 19722012

INTERN INSIGHTS
Over the past few months it seems that a particular topic keeps coming up, either in meetings that I have attended, in readings, in the lectionary Scripture passages, or in my own thoughts that of fear. I was a delegate to annual conference this year, and in several of the meetings regarding the unification of the Southwest Texas and Rio Grande Conferences, the theme of fear was present. I sensed it among those who had many questions about the financial implications of the unification, and I sensed it among those who were concerned about the mission field and reaching out to people who were not in the pews of our congregations. Fear has also been a theme in a novel that I am currently reading by Barbara Kingsolver called The Poisonwood Bible. It is a story about a Baptist missionary and his family that are sent to the Belgian Congo in 1959, and while they are there major political changes occur as the country fights for independence. The wife and daughters of the missionary are fearful of remaining in the country, as it has been advised that they leave; yet, the father decides that the family will stay. In the lectionary reading of Mark 4:35-41 from this past Sunday, the disciples experienced fear when a great windstorm arose on the sea, and when they sought Jesus he was asleep in the stern. They asked Jesus, Do you not care that we are perishing? Finally, I must confess that I also have experienced a tinge of fear. I will be finishing my final seminary classes in December and then will graduate in May. The big question is Whats next? At this time I do not know exactly whats next, but I can say that I feel Gods call on my life for ministry as my vocation and I am certain that full-time ministry is the right path for me. I also trust that God has a plan for all of us, as Gods beloved children, and I believe that God is everpresent with us. In the Gospel of John we are told that the Holy Spirit was sent to dwell among us and guide us. In Scripture, over and over again we are told, Do not be afraid. The words of the psalmist also remind us of the following: "Be still, and know that I am God. Thank you for warmly welcoming me to Berkeley UMC! I look forward to continuing to be a part of this community this summer and to worshipping God together. Katie Frederick, Pastoral Intern

Berkeley United Methodist Church

2407 Berkeley Ave. Austin, TX 78745 (512) 447-6633 Fax: 851-8438 www.berkeleyumc.org Childcare Center: 443-3509 Ministers Members of the Congregation Pastor Rev. Jeanne Devine [email protected] Director of Music Victoria Schwarz [email protected] Pianist Dr. Tyler Mabry [email protected] Administrative Assistant Tara Nash [email protected] Childcare Director Allison McGillicuddy [email protected] Pastoral Intern Katie Frederick
[email protected]

S P I R I T UA L S U M M E R R E A D I N G
SUBMITTED BY ROZ HODSON, SPRITUAL CARE COMMITTEE
"And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house...And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates." Deut 6:6,7,9

Newsletter articles and contributions are ALWAYS welcome..as well as suggestions for content. You can email the church or put submissions in the Admin. Assistant box in the church office.
Deadline: Sunday, July 22

Spiritual Care hopes to foster an interest in spiritual reading. There are so many good books available, and we certainly have some avid readers among us. Wouldnt it be nice to share more book reviews or recommended reading lists? I am Roz Hodson, a member of the Spiritual Care Committee, and I am rereading a book entitled Parents & Grandparents as Spiritual Guides: Nurturing Children of the Promise by Betty Shannon Cloyd. It was published by Upper Room Books in 2000. I thought this was a great book and would like to share some of Mrs. Cloyds suggestions. Her hope is to inspire parents, grandparents, and all adults to reclaim the role of spiritual guide to the children around us. First of all, she says you dont have to be a spiritual expert to guide children, but you do have to be a pilgrim on the journey toward God yourself. She urges us to be in partnership with our church in providing the spiritual foundation needed by each child. We can be strong advocates and faithful partners in this task. There are so many forces that pull our families off course--the drug culture, the pull of materialism, the pressure of the electronic culture, and the lack of morality that children see all around them to name a few. As we acknowledge God being present in our daily lives, we can teach our children to look for Gods presence in the events of their day. We can assure them they belong to God as in Isaiah 43:1-4 I have called you by name, you are mine. We can share Bible stories that teach them how God has guided His people since creation. She encourages us to live in the moment with our children, cherishing each smile and joyous occasion as well as each painful experience. Sometimes it is paying attention to the routine things that matter the most. Seeing life as a pilgrimage helps us to be aware of the importance of each daily awakening, each nights time of prayer, the hour by hour, the day by day, the year by year opportunity we have to be a spiritual partner in others lives. There are so many good suggestions in her book on how to encourage spiritual moments in your relationships. It leans heavily on us growing in our own life of faith in order to share it with others. I highly recommend this book as a review of those qualities we value in our spiritual life and want to pass on to those coming along behind us. It is my greatest joy to see Berkeleys young people growing up in faith and then indeed becoming the faithful person God intended them to be. They have been blessed with faithful pastors, weekly childrens sermons, Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, music leaders, and a community of faith that values them. May we continue to model this pattern of faithful living.

G OT N E W S ?

G ENEROSITY AND B EYOND

SUBMITTED BY JEFF CECIL, STEWARDSHIP CHAIR

Wow! Much is happening in our church. We are a busy bunch. Reading below you will see only a portion of our work in Gods community. It is natural to want to help other people, but it is equally important that we care for ourselves. Recent events have placed a financial burden on our church. We are the church. Prayerfully consider BUMC in maintaining your pledge and special gifts to the church. Enjoy your summer and see you each Sunday in church. Here are just a few things that we have done since last month: June Mission Focus Offering: Peace with Justice $618. Berkeley UMW members and friends held a sewing bee on June 16 to sew school bags. Members are still sewing, but we estimate approximately 30 bags will be sewn in all! The bags will be used for school kits, a mission project for the UMW School of Christian Mission (SOCM) at Mt. Wesley in Kerrville (July 12-15), supporting UMCOR. UMYF participated in 30 Hour Famine, June 16-17: 11 youth and 4 adults participated overnight and helped raise over $850 for World Vision. Great job BUMC Youth! UMW Fair Trade Coffee sales: Proceeds support BUMW mission projects, the farmer, and the UMCOR Coffee Project. Outreach has purchased shoes for students at Cunningham Elementary. They will be delivered in August before school starts. Ineke Dunn was in charge of this project. Wonderful work! Opportunities to Give generously to the Glory of Jesus Christ. July Mission Focus Offering will go to school supplies for Cunningham and Widen Elementary schools. Saint Louise House Summer CookoutJuly 5: Contact Carolyn Brown (443-2600) to volunteer. UMW School Supply DriveSundays, July 29, August 5 & 12: Lists of recommended supplies appears on page 6. SWTX Conference UMW School of Christian Mission, Mt. Wesley, KerrvilleJuly 12-15: Studies are Haiti, immigration, and poverty. BUMC Church-wide mission trip to the Methodist Mission Home, San AntonioJuly 13-16 Your Pledge to BUMC: Please help keep your giving current. Our mission depends on you! BUMC Service: Volunteer to serve on a church committee. Contact Pastor Jeanne (447-6633). Wesley House: College student ministries at UT. Your donation is always welcome. Donate through our church or at www.texaswesley.com Capitol Area Food Bank. Volunteer your time. Bring your food donations to the church food pantry. www.austinfoodbank.org Visit a homebound or hospitalized member. Contact Claudia Wenzel (441-3285) or Mary Lynn Smith (282-6054) for this and other opportunities. Volunteer at the downtown Homeless Work Corner on Sunday morning. Contact Irma Trevino (552-3554). Expand your giving options: You dont use checks anymore? Set up an auto bank draft for your pledge to BUMC. Consider giving via your will or estate. Contact your bank and/or Berkeley Treasurer, Ray Curtis (280-1313), for details. Contributions to this column are always welcomeplease email Jeff Cecil at [email protected]

O U T S TA N D I N G G E N E R O S I T Y T O W A R D METHODIST MISSION HOME!

Last December, Berkeley members contributed a total of $1384 to the Methodist Mission Home in San Antonio. You may recall the Signs of the Times choir of hearing-impaired young adults, and the MMH staff, who shared in worship with us. A challenge grant doubled our dollars, to provide twice as much assistance to birth parents, adoptive families, children, and young adults with disabilities served by MMH. This level of generosity made Berkeley #6 among all UM churches in Texas and New Mexico with less than 500 members! We can be proud of the passion for Gods work which this ranking reveals. The only churches in our category in the Southwest Texas Conference who surpassed us were Sterling City (#3) and Liberty Hill (#5). Members of BUMC will contribute their time and labor during the Intergenerational Mission Trip to MMH, July 13-16. Our outreach in funds and hands-on ministry demonstrates the missional heart of the church. Amen!

SAINT LOUISE HOUSE S U M M E R C O O K O U T , J U LY 5

BUMC is hosting our first Summer Cookout for residents of Saint Louise House on Thursday, July 5, at 6:30 p.m. What a great opportunity to show these families the Love of Christ! The congregation has an opportunity to participate in this ministry. If you can help, sign up after worship or contact Carolyn Brown at 443-2600. We need: BBQ Grills Cookies, brownies, Rice Krispy treats, etc. Help with setup, serving, cleanup, and activities for the families.

Celebrating in

July!

END OF SUMMER COOLDOWN! AUGUST 15

Mark your calendars now for Wednesday, August 15, for our 3rd annual ice cream social/hymn singa-long! Spiritual Care will be serving up a variety of ice creams while Vikki and Tyler lead us in singing your hymn requests. This is an event that we invite our elder neighbors from Carestone and Englewood to attend and gives us a chance to mingle with them. The start time is still to be determined, but well begin no later than 6:30 p.m. and wind down by 8:00 p.m. Volunteers will be needed to help set up and serveplease find a member of Spiritual Care (Donna Bostick, Kathy Beth Stavinoha, Teresa Errington), or contact Rachel Trudell at 694-3688

Birthdays 7/1 Summer Kaylor 7/2 James Hamilton 7/3 Nicole Cecil 7/6 Louis Thigpen 7/8 Adam Wenzel 7/9 Jackie Goerke 7/9 Barbara Lupo 7/10 Robert Kaylor 7/11 Tasha Johnson 7/11 April Starnes 7/13 Hugh Moore 7/18 Carolyn Brown 7/18 Charles Hempel 7/27 Susan Curtis 7/29 Jenette Hamilton 7/31 Sue Bordovsky

F I F T H S U N DAY P OT L U C K , J U LY 2 9
The Spiritual Care Ministry and Family Education Ministries are sponsoring the 5th Sunday Potluck on July 29th. You know the routine: great food (homemade or store bought) and lots of fun and camaraderie. We traditionally ask for "cool" foods for the summer potluck, so that we do not have to use the oven, stove, or warmer. Kathy Beth Stavinoha will give a presentation on her April mission trip to Liberia. There will be a slide show, photo albums, wood carvings and a talk about her experience. Please plan to join us on the fifth Sunday of July after services.

Welcome Becky Harrell,

General Board of Global Ministries Missionary in Costa Rica
July 8, 2012 Both worship services Reception on deck during Sunday school hour
If you can help by providing cookies or punch, please contact Carolyn Brown at 443-2600

M ISSION & O UTREACH

"Love is the root of missions; sacrifice is the fruit of missions" Roderick Davis

BERKELEY UMW ON THE MOVE IN MISSION AND FELLOWSHIP

SUBMITTED BY JULIA LANCASTER Blessing of school bags: On Sunday, July 8, Rev. Devine will bless handmade school bags, lovingly sewn by the Berkeley UMW and friends. The bags will be delivered the following week to the UMW School of Christian Mission, Mt. Wesley, in Kerrville, then travel to UMCOR in Baldwin, Louisiana, for distribution of school supplies to children throughout the world. Summer luncheon: The Berkeley UMW invite all women to our annual summer luncheon on Saturday, July 21, at 11:30 a.m., in the CLC. The menu will be summer salads and our mission focus will be school supplies (see list below). Come join us for food, fellowship, and providing for others! School supply drive: The Berkeley UMW school supply drive will take place over three Sundays: July 29, August 5, and August 12. A collection box will be in the narthex each day. Here are items we will collect for Cunningham and Widen Elementary Schools: Cunningham: Back packs Composition notebooks (approx. 8" x 10", 60-100 sheets, black marble or black and white) Colored pencils Zip pencil bags Folders with brads Widen: Underwear for boys and girls, sizes 4 thru size 16 Socks Navy or gold polo shirts, sizes 4-16 Back packs Plastic folders, any color

YOUTH NEWS
SUBMITTED BY KALLIE GREEN AND MATT CECIL

The youth of Berkeley got together on the weekend of June 16-17 to participate in World Visions 30 Hour Famine, a 30 hour juice fast, to raise funds and awareness for world hunger. Eleven youth and four adults participated and spent the night in the CLC. Our time was filled with games, movies, worship, and service projects, many of which helped teach the youth about world hunger and other challenges. On Saturday afternoon, we passed out fliers for Vacation Bible School in part because the Capital Area Food Bank will be offering free meals to kids and youth. Early on Sunday morning all the youth went to the Work Corner to serve food to

the homeless. The experience was wonderful for everyone involved. In addition to raising our own awareness and understanding of world hunger, the youth raised money for World Vision that will help save the lives of many children. We have collected over $800 and money is still coming in. We would like to thank the congregation for their support through prayers and contributions.

WHY DOES CHILDRENS MINISTRY MATTER ?

SUBMITTED BY LETHA PETERS Recently a website was brought to the attention of the Family Ministries team that we wanted to share with the congregation. Quoting the author, Tony Kummer, Kids matter to God and they should matter to us. For more information visit http://ministry-to-children.com/benefits/. Weve shared a few reasons below: How does childrens ministry help kids? It can help counter balance worldly influences. Kids need positive influences to tip the scale. How does childrens Ministry help families? It supports godly parenting. The church was never meant to be the exclusive faith teacher of children. Gods plan was for the two institutions (church and family) to form a partnership. How does childrens ministry help the church? It helps the church to pass on the faith. Former Berkeley pastor Rev. Rick Ricker once said Our faith is only one generation from extinction if WE dont pass it on. More important than our own existence as a congregation is the obligation to make Disciples of Jesus Christ of all generations. How does Childrens ministry help everyone? Good for Society. Children who understand Gods moral law and how to love their neighbors will make the world a better place. How Does Childrens Ministry help kids learn? It helps maximize spiritual development at every developmental stage. So, the next time you see a child, think about how they could benefit by being involved with the Childrens Ministry at Berkeley.

THANK YOU!
Dear Friends: We have received a donation of baby sweaters to UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) Sager Brown. Thank you for your loving support. Gifts such as this, help us perform the mission that we have been called to fulfill. Thank you again for your support. Grace and Peace, Kathy Kraiza, Executive Director Former Berkeley pastor, Jeannie Whitehurst, and her husband Whitey are happy to announce the addition of three little girls to the Whitehurst family. Tom and Sabrina Whitehurst will be adopting the girls, ages 7, 5 and 4, through Child Protective Services. Three new grandchildren for Jeannie and Whitey! Congratulations to the Whitehurst family! Please keep them in your prayers during the adoption process and the transition of a new family.

AVERAGE ATTENDANCE MAY 2012 YTD 2011 WORSHIP 154 133 138 SUNDAY SCHOOL 41 41 49 MEMORIAL FUND $379.27

GIFTS AS OF MAY 31 MONTHLY INCOME: $19,638 MONTHLY EXPENSE: $23,420 ENDOWMENT FUND $53,117

BERKELEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 2407 Berkeley Ave. Austin, TX. 78745 (512)447-6633 Email: [email protected] ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

From the Bottom of my Heart

Dear Berkeley Family: There will never be sufficient words to express my thanks to so very many of you who helped me prepare to move out of the district parsonage on June 26. Most definitely, I could not have done this without you!!! I know all of you held Angela and me in your prayers for peace and strength as we approached the task and the day. We definitely felt the strength and effectiveness of your prayers. Specifically, I want to thank those who came to the house and packed, cleaned, or trucked unneeded items to Goodwill: Doris Lyon, Jane Wade, Buddy and Sandy Cox, Greg and Katie Frederick, Betty Barnes, Bridgette Reece, Ray and Susan Curtis, Carolyn Brown, Rachel Trudell, Jeff and Nancy Cecil, Matt Cecil, Claudia Wenzel. Then Ginger Wahlers and her son, Darian Crevier, helped me unpack our short -term lodging effects. Until our new home is ready, Angela and I will be at Extended Stay America at 5100 W. Hwy. 290 (access road, just west of Mopac). Phone: 892-4272. I will keep regular office hours at Berkeley (mornings, Monday through Thursday) and Tara can reach me in emergencies. We look forward to moving into our new home at 10809 Desert Willow Loop, Austin TX 78748, as early in August as possible. May God bless all of you for your kindness and generosity! --Rev. Jeanne Devine