Times are A-Changin’ When it Comes to Discipleship! With no experience, you can jump in with both feet and be a disciple! Call them small groups, life groups, or Covenant Discipleship Groups. It does not matter. We are just people who “disciple” together. What does it look like to “disciple” together at KFUMC? Maybe you are interested in our various food ministries. Maybe you enjoy making hospital visits. Maybe you are interested in delivering flowers to homebound members. Maybe you would like to offer communion to those in nursing facilities. Maybe you love to sing, but cannot, so you are thinking about joining Haley Montoya’s Sing-a-Long group. Maybe you are good at home repairs. Maybe you love to read to others. Maybe you are a genius when it comes to second-grade math and can offer your skills as a tutor. Maybe you like to fold and sort clothes at Mustard Seed. On September 4th, KFUMC has a new group starting. This will be our 7th group in three short years! We are making a difference in our community, one group at a time!!! If you are interested in meeting some new people, forming new friendships, and “discipling” together, please come to our first meeting to learn more. I will be in room 203, on the second floor of the education building. You do not have to commit yet. Just come and check it out. See you on Sept. 4 at 5:30 PM! Blessings, Rev. Monica O’Donnell Mega Food PantryWe are so thankful for the San Antonio Food Bank and Amazing Unpaid Servants! Mustard SeedWe love our neighbors!
This week I am having the privilege of sharing with Camp Wesley Campers about all of the wonderful ways that Mustard Seed Ministries serves our community! They are learning about the history of Mustard Seed and about all of YOU! Without your support, Mustard Seed wouldn’t have the impact in our community that it does. Thank you for your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service and your witness! Small things, great love! If you would like to know how you can get involved in our food relief efforts, please reach out to Beth Palmer beth.palmer@kfumc or Tina Box [email protected] and we can get you plugged in! We currently need more people to add to our home delivery team. Let us know if we can give you more information. Thank you! Joy filled the Mega Pantry this week because of all of the amazing unpaid servants, the wonderful food that was delivered by the San Antonio Food Bank, and our awesome neighbors that we had the privilege to share with! And thanks to the the super Girl Scout Troop #672 helping at Mega! Get ready for our BACK TO SCHOOL free event coming this August! Nurse Theresa and Community worker, Emily, shared information about our Back to School Bash at the Glory Community Garden’s “Burgers in the Garden” event!
Everywhere you look, there is anger and hate being exhibited. In our community, as it is election time. In our state, as we hear about the border crossings. In our country, as protests are being held on college campuses. And throughout our world, fighting in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine quickly come to mind. And these are just a few examples. But Jesus said in John 13:35 that people will know that we are his disciples by our love for one another. So, as Christians we are to act differently than the world. To start, we are to be kind. Here is something I just read on Christian author and pastor Greg Laurie’s blog about being kind… Every now and then, cell phone videos showing someone on a rant pop up on social media or the news. The people in those videos are really upset about something, and they’re screaming and yelling. Don’t be like those people. Ever. You are a child of God, so be known for your generosity. Be known for your love and compassion, not for your anger. The Bible tells us, “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them” (Ephesians 4:29 NLT). If you disagree with someone, that’s fine. But don’t be obnoxious; be nice. I’ve found that the greatest joys in life come from a relationship with God and from relationships with others. Also, some of the simplest joys in life are before us every day. Savor the sunset. Enjoy the meal. Linger with your family and friends. Have fun. All too often, we’re thinking about what’s coming next: “When this comes, I will be so happy. When that happens, it will be so great.” But what about the present moment? Don’t be in such a rush to get to the next thing. I sometimes find myself in a group where everyone is on their cell phone. In such situations, I send everyone a text that says something like this: “Be here now. Let’s put these phones away. Let’s have a conversation with each other.” When you sit down for a meal, don’t take your cell phone to the table. If you’re wearing a watch that sends you alerts, take it off. Have a conversation with the people around you. As followers of Jesus Christ, let’s be known as encouragers, not discouragers. Let’s be known as people who build others up, not as people who tear others down. MEGA Food Pantry will be early this month due to Memorial Day at the end of May and due to the temperature increase that happens in Texas during the summer, the hours are earlier. Mega will be May 13 from 8-10am. Mobile Mustard Seed will be May 14 from 9-10am. MAY – SEPTEMBER 2024: FOOD RELIEF DATES - Light on the Hill May 6: Mustard Seed 9-10am May 13: Mega 8-10am May 20: Mustard Seed 9-10am May 27: Closed June 3: Mustard Seed 9-10am June 10: Mustard Seed 9-10am June 17: Mustard Seed 9-10am June 24: Mega 8-10am July 1: Closed July 8: Mustard Seed 9-10am July 15: Mustard Seed 9-10am July 22: Mustard Seed 9-10am July 29: Mega 8-10am August 5: Closed August 12: Mustard Seed 9-10am August 19: Mustard Seed 9-10am August 26: Mega 8-10am September 2: Closed September 9: Mustard Seed 9-10am September 16: Mustard Seed 9-10am September 23: Mustard Seed 9-10am September 30: Mega 8-10am Join us at Light on the Hill on Sunday, March 24 from 3 – 5pm for the PALM SUNDAY CELEBRATION! Easter egg hunt, live music, bunny petting area, bounce houses, face painting, crafts area, popcorn and ice cream! All FREE! Bring your family, neighbors and friends! Always grateful for our many unpaid servants helping at Mustard Seed Food Pantry! Join Us, We love our Volunteers!Calling all Kerrville VolunteersAre You a Volunteer in Kerrville?
If so, we'd like to invite you to join in a group photo shoot of Kerrville volunteers THIS Saturday, March 23rd at 2pm at the Museum of Western Art on Bandera Highway. Whether you volunteer on a regular basis or just on a project, we want you to be a part of this celebration that leads up to April's National Volunteer Month. The Mayor will be welcoming the group prior to the photo and there will be light refreshments and complimentary museum tour afterwards. We welcome all ages of volunteers - adults as well as youngsters. In addition, throughout the year we'll be spotlighting those who volunteer for our fabulous non-profits, either in health, education, social services, animal welfare, military or other worthy organizations. We've always felt that Kerrville is the most giving community in the Hill Country. Your participation will help us prove it! Do you remember that song, “I’ve got that joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, where? Down in my heart, where? Down in my heart to stay!” I used to sing that song with my kids when they were young, and then when they got older, if they were in a bad mood, I would sing it just to aggravate them. But in all seriousness, if we have Jesus, we have everything we need to have joy. Sometimes, when we are going through a difficult time, we need to be reminded of this. I pray joy over each of us today! Thank you to all of our amazing unpaid servants who blessed our community with wonderful food on Monday at the Mega Food Pantry! You brought joy to many! Thank you to all of our new unpaid servants who served at Mobile Mustard Seed on Tuesday! Methodist Healthcare Ministries Leadership Meeting!Mark your calendars for the Palm Sunday Celebration! Want to help? Contact Beth at [email protected] or call (830)459-5847
I read a good article in Outreach Magazine from Michael Kelley. He is the author of the book Growing Down: Unlearning the Patterns of Adulthood that Keep Us from Jesus. I was reminded of this article as I am praying about how to make this year the best ever as many of you are, too. And here we are…it’s the beginning of a new year! And because we are, most of us are considering resolutions. There are the standard promises of healthier diet, more exercise, more reading, and a host of others. Chances are if you are like me, you’ve made one of these resolutions before. Maybe it worked out, and maybe it didn’t. If it didn’t work out, then perhaps you’re doubling your efforts this year. Maybe you have some kind of plan that will make this year different. And maybe, because you do, you are like me and you are repeating the same resolution you’ve done before.
As followers of Christ, there is one resolution we should indeed repeat over and over again. There is one thing we need this year as much as we did last year. Share the gospel this year. Share it with yourself and share it with others. Share it with the Christian and non-Christian, share it with the one who has believed for decades and to the one that is still considering. Share about the hope and the love and the grace and the mercy of a Savior that gave His life for even a wretch like me and you. And then, do it again. And again. And sometimes even use words. And when we’ve done it for a year, we will turn around and do it again. It is for the child and the adult, for the student and the retiree. It is for the people who are so much like us and for the people that are very different from us. The life-giving message of Jesus Christ is for everyone. This is the message we need to hear in 2024 just like we did in 2023. This is what’s most important for our forgetful hearts and lethargic souls. Make a resolution, then, but let it be a lasting one. Resolve to do the same thing you did yesterday and then to it again tomorrow. Share the gospel over and over again until faith becomes sight. The second week of Advent focuses on peace. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace! We pray for peace… "God of peace, as we light the second Advent candle of peace, may Your peace fill our hearts and our world. Help us to be peacemakers in our relationships and communities. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen." It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at KFUMC and Light on the Hill! HOPE… The first week of Advent and the first Sunday of Advent mark the beginning of the Advent season in the Christian liturgical calendar. Advent is a period of preparation and anticipation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day. Each of the four weeks of Advent has a specific theme, and the first week typically centers around the theme of "Hope" or "Expectation." Advent is a time for remembering and reflecting on the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Let us turn our hearts towards Christ as Christmas approaches. Let us not get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season this year and miss the chance to celebrate the gifts of hope, peace, joy, and love, that God sent to us on that first Christmas. Every word in scripture points to the gift of hope that we have because of Christ Jesus! God, the Christmas story wasn’t the beginning of that message of hope because the Old Testament is full of glimpses of Your plan to redeem Your people and restore them to a relationship with You, but we are able to truly begin to see and understand just how great Your love for us is when we read the story of Jesus’ birth. That first Christmas, You gave us the gift of hope wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. Thank you, Father, for Your immeasurable gift! HOPE AND CONNECTION—IN PRISON AND OUT Incarceration can strain family ties to the breaking point. By providing Christmas gifts on behalf of incarcerated parents, Prison Fellowship Angel Tree allows local churches to extend the hope of the Gospel to families with loved ones in prison. In addition, Angel Tree invites congregations to integrate Angel Tree families into church activities year-round, resulting in mutually beneficial relationships that foster growth, support, and encouragement. We want to develop relationships that go beyond the Christmas season. Our church will be helping 43 families in our community this Christmas. We are able to provide the 94 children from these families with Christmas gifts, their own age-appropriate Bible in English or Spanish, and an Advent Devotional for the entire family. Thank you for supporting our church financially. It is through your tithes that we are able to support outreach ministries such as Prison Angel Tree. Please join us in covering these families in prayer. It has been said that, “It takes a village to raise a child.” This means that an entire community of people must participate in the lives of children in order for them to grow in a safe and healthy environment and be able to flourish and realize their hopes and dreams. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of these children! We are so blessed to be a part of our wonderful community! Thank you to the San Antonio Food Bank and to all of the awesome unpaid servants that shared 34,000 pounds of food at the Mega Food Pantry!
|
HubShareStay tuned to the latest LOTH news, articles, events, and community happenings! Archives
September 2024
Categories
All
|
|
Light on the Hill at Mount Wesley is a Texas nonprofit corporation recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (Federal Tax ID: 83-3263624).
Site created by vMarque, LLC