PDF Version - North Texas Conference

Two Sections – Section A
Volume 154 Number 23
072000
October 12, 2007
City joins in Oak Cliff UMC 120th celebration
BY JOHN A. LOVELACE
Special Contributor
F
or its two-day 120th
anniversary celebration,
Oak Cliff UMC first
looked outward –
across the street,
specifically – then
inward.
Saturday morning, Sept. 29,
at the church’s initiative, the City
of Dallas Parks and Recreation
Department rededicated the
restored Turner Plaza as a public
park. Three months of fervent
volunteerism and generous
partnerships timed to the
church’s anniversary had turned
a nondescript plat into a
greenspace jewel at the intersection of Marsalis and Jefferson,
across from the church.
Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Elba
Garcia, speaking alternately in
English and Spanish, praised
the community spirit behind
the project, wished the church
a “Happy 120th” and praised it
for “making a difference in
this community.”
City Council member David
Neumann, whose District 3
includes part of Oak Cliff, also
commended the gift to the
community and expressly
thanked Oak Cliff UMC Senior
Pastor Rev. Diane Presley for
her leadership.
Rev. Presley, in turn,
identified the new associate
pastor, Rev. Edgar Bazan, as
having originated the idea for
the park restoration effort.
Rev. Presley, in her fifth year
at Oak Cliff, said she exclaimed
“Get real!” to Rev. Bazan,
appointed to Oak Cliff in June.
But as the hour-long Sept. 30
dedication program ended, she
asked the crowd of 100 or so,
“We did ‘get real,’ don’t you
think?” Lusty applause provided the answer.
As symbols of community
cooperation and ownership, a
four-member honor guard
from the Adamson High School
ROTC crisply presented the
U.S. and Texas flags; four little
girls from the School of Liberal
Arts and Science housed at the
church stole hearts with their
unison reading of thanks to the
church and the city, and a 17member choir from nearby
brand-new Felix G. Botello
Elementary School chanted an
uplifting declaration ending “I
am a miracle . . . we are a
miracle!” The Dallas Police
Department sent a friendly
Bishop Alfred L. Norris, left foreground, and Dallas South District Superintendent Rev. Milton Guttierrez,
join with “Oak Cliff ConeXion” praise band in singing a celebration hymn.
squad who placed special
“Dallas Police” stickers on
children’s welcoming limbs
and garments.
Sponsors in addition to the
church and the City of Dallas
included the Tornado Bus Co.,
an international line that shares
a city block with the Church;
Methodist Health System,
whose central hospital has
been an Oak Cliff/Dallas
landmark for decades; the
North Oak Cliff Greenspace
Group, Friends of Oak Cliff
Parks and the Old Oak Cliff
Conservation League.
Next day, Sunday, Sept. 30,
the tree-shaded park gleamed
like new as hundreds of
members, former members,
friends and guests gathered at
the church angled on the
northwest corner of the
Jefferson/Marsalis intersection.
The sanctuary dates to 1915,
two years after the name
change to Oak Cliff Methodist
Episcopal Church South —
and, coincidentally, two years
after the City of Dallas took
ownership of what now is the
newly rededicated Turner Plaza.
As worshipers gathered,
more than one person was
heard to say, “We were
married here.” A typical
conversation went like this:
“It’s so good to see you.”
“It’s good to be seen.”
Rev. Presley, welcoming the
congregation of approximately
300, said, “Isn’t it wonderful
what God is doing with this
church at this time?” She invited
everyone who wanted to get
monthly e-mail updates to fill out
request cards in the pews.
A call for all former members to stand brought perhaps
See “Oak Cliff” on Page 8A
Churches offered new Home for Christmas/Watch Night opportunities
The NTC Igniting Ministries (IM) team is offering local
churches new Home for
Christmas/Watch Night
resources and planning new
marketing and advertising
strategies for the 2007 Advent/
Christmas season.
Once again, all NTC congregations are offered complimentary oversize postcards in a
variety of designs. Each
church is eligible to receive
cards equal to one and one half
times its average worship
attendance as recorded in the
2007 Journal. Churches may
select from several Advent/
Christmas theme designs that
are displayed on The Crouch
Group Website:
African American Watch Night postcard design.
www.thecrouchgroup.com.
The IM team is particularly
proud to offer additional ethnic
ministry resources, including a
Spanish language version of
one of the most popular
Christmas designs. A special
run of the new Watch Night
look designed in consultation
with African-American members of the IM team is also
scheduled.
It is very important that
NTC Communications have a
sense of the demand for these
designs in order to determine
how many cards to print. It
will be most helpful if those
interested in either of the
designs will contact the
Communications Office, 972526-5000, 800-969-8201, or email: labarr@ntcumc.org.
All card orders are available
through The Crouch Group,
and church representatives are
invited to consult with Tim
Crouch or Ron Ray regarding
their advertising plans and
which products will best
enhance their efforts. Please
call 888-211-0273, or e-mail:
tim@thecrouchgroup.com or
ron@thecrouchgroup.com.
Also new this year is a userfriendly order form for the
complimentary cards and other
Home for Christmas/Watch
night promotional products.
The form is available on the
Website: www.thecrouch
group.com.
There are some changes in
the distribution process this
season, so the following information is of great importance.
See “Churches” on Page 5A
4 A NTCcircuit
Stonebridge UMC, McKinney
Mission golf tourney - 100 holes in a day
BY AMY PAWLAK
Stonebridge UMC, McKinney
F
or those who feel there
is no such thing as too
much golf, you are
needed Oct. 23 at the
Hills Golf Course at
Stonebridge Ranch
Country Club.
The Mission Ministry team
at Stonebridge UMC (SUMC),
McKinney, will host its second
annual Mission Golf Marathon
benefiting the group’s local
Disaster Relief, international
Proyecto Abrigo in Juarez, and
Living Water International in El
Salvador mission teams.
“The SUMC Mission Golf
Marathon provides family,
friends, co-workers, and
McKinney an opportunity to
support those in our church and
community that are passionate
about missions, specifically the
international and disaster relief
ministries of SUMC,” Trey
Worley, SUMC Mission Team
co-chair, said.
“Like any other ministry of
the church, Missions relies on
the service, prayers, and
financial support from the
community of faith. Some are
called to go and serve, but
many are unable to go and feel
led to support missions through
with their monetary gifts,”
Worley said.
Funds collected from the
Mission Golf Marathon will
help build homes for those in
need of adequate shelter in
Juarez, Mexico, drill water
wells to provide clean and
sanitary drinking water in
Central America, and provide
supplies and support locally to
victims of natural disasters.
So far in 2007, the church
has already sent 120 adults and
youth on to Juarez to build 16
homes. An additional 70 will be
heading back there in November. In August, 10 adults
drilled water wells in El
Salvador - with another trip
scheduled for Guatemala in
October- and just over 50
people are currently certified
for the Disaster Relief team.
This group has made several
trips up to Gainesville,
Sherman, and Oklahoma and
even down to the coastal
communities to help with
Hurricane Rita relief efforts.
To participate in the marathon, golfers are asked to raise
a minimum of $500 in pledges
to be turned in the morning of
the event. All golfers in the
community are welcome to
participate.
“In March 2006, this event
raised close to $30,000 with
only 20 players,” Dave
Omholt, SUMC member and
Mission Marathon golfer, said.
“This year we are hoping to
exceed that number to $50,000
with 50 golfers.”
The Mission Golf Marathon
will be played in shot-gun
format beginning at 8 a.m.
Tuesday, October 23. Players
will play in groups of two.
Each player will play one ball
on par 4’s and 5’s and three
balls on par 3’s. Since the hills
course is 27 holes, 39 holes of
golf will be played each time
players complete the course.
“I can’t imagine a better
way for golfers, their sponsors, and other mission
supporters to work together to
share God’s joy with our
neighbors near and far.
Raising these much needed
funds will help change the
lives of many of God’s
people.” Rev. Leslie Herrscher.
For more information, please
call the church office, 972-5295601 or e-mail Trey Worley,
trey.worley@guarantybank.com.
Special Needs Ministry resource guide
How best to serve special
needs persons and their
families is an important priority
among NTC congregations.
To meet this need, the NTC
Connectional Ministries Office
has engaged Rev. Liz Moen to
develop a Resource Guide for
Special Needs Ministry. She is
planning to develop a guide that
will include examples of Best
Practices around the NTC and
resources outside the conference as well.
This is a month-long
endeavor, so Rev. Moen needs
quick cooperation in order to
Poetry UMC Women’s Fellowship sews gifts
Poetry UMC Women’s Fellowship
members meet every Wednesday
morning to sew gifts of love to be distributed throughout the community
and to NTC-related agencies. The
photo at right shows off a lap quilt and
stuffed animals created to bring comfort to children and others who need
a warm, cuddly gift.
Shown above from left, are Janice Bentlley,
Claire Harper, Esta Basye and Janet Moon. In
the photo at left, Basye, Poetry UMC outreach
coordinator, presents a donation of animals,
tote bags, lap quilts and other items for victims of domestic violence to Mary Clemons of
Healing Hearts Ministry. (Photos courtesy of
The Terrell Tribune.)
O CTOBER 12, 2007 | N ORTH T EXAS C ONFERENCE N EWS
From left, Darryl Livingston, Jay Prudhomme, Trey Worley, and
Paul Lastrapes played 100 holes of golf on the Hills Course at
Stonebridge Ranch Country Club at the 2006 annual benefit for
the Mission Ministries Team at Stonebridge UMC, McKinney.
accomplish her task. One way
congregations can both help
and share their
own ministry
efforts is by
completing the
survey that was emailed to all
churches on Oct.
2. The survey
form is also
available on the
Website:
Rev. Moen
www.ntcumc.org.
The questions are simple and
to the point. Rev. Moen will
follow up with the contact
persons indicated on the form.
Her original goal
was to have all
responses by Oct.
10; however, she
welcomes additional responses
while she continues
to pursue the
project.
For more
information, please
call Rev. Moen,
972-526-5000, ext. 216, or email: moen@ntcumc.org.
Bishop William Willimon to be
Shipp Lecturer, Lovers Lane UMC
Dr. William H. Willimon,
• Oct 29: 7:00 p.m., Asbury
Bishop of the North Alabama
Hall, “Who Will Be Saved?”
Conference, will
The author of
present the 2007
over sixty books,
Tom Shipp
Bishop Willimon
Lecture Series,
was elected to the
Oct. 28 and 29 at
episcopacy in July
Lovers Lane
2004 and leads the
UMC, Dallas.
157,000 MethodThe church is
ists and 792
located at 9200
pastors in North
Inwood Road at
Alabama. He was
Northwest
Bishop Willimon
Dean of the Chapel
Highway.
and Professor of
Bishop Willimon will offer a
Christian Ministry at Duke
fresh look at the issue of
University, Durham in NC.
Christian salvation and its
The Tom Shipp Lecture
implications for living as
Series is sponsored by the
Christians today. Lectures are:
Lovers Lane UMC Foundation.
• Oct. 28 worship services:
The series is offered free to the
8:15 a.m., 9:30 a.m., and
public through the generosity
11:00 a.m., “Short Salvation”
of Phil and Teresa Lack who
• Oct. 28: 7:00 p.m., Asbury
established the series in 2001.
Hall, “Salvation in Jesus
For more information,
Christ: The Particularity
please call the Foundation
Christian Salvation”
office, 214-706-9561.
NTCcircuit 5A
Wesley Rankin benefit, An Evening Under the
Stars, at Frontiers of Flight Museum, Nov. 9
Wesley-Rankin Community
Center, Dallas, will host “An
Evening Under the Stars” as its
2007 annual benefit, Nov. 9 at
the Frontiers of Flight Museum, located at 6911 Lemmon
Avenue, near Love Field.
The heavenly evening will
include a silent and live auction
along with dinner, music and
dancing. Tickets are $75 per
person, or $750 for a table of
ten. The evening festivities will
begin at 6:00 p.m. with a silent
auction. Dinner will be served
at 7:30 p.m.
The Booker T. Washington
School for the Performing and
Visual Arts jazz band will keep
the evening swinging with live
jazz music.
Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert
and his wife, Laura, are
honorary chairs for the 2007
Wesley Rankin benefit.
Kay and Duncan Fulton are
the benefit chairs of the event.
For a preview of the event,
and an opportunity to bid online for the auction, visit
www.wesley rankin.org from
Oct. 25 to Nov. 8.
For reservations or ticket
information, please call Dana
Harkey, 214-739-3494.
For other information,
please contact Priscilla
Sanchez, 214-742-6674, ext.
101, or visit the Website
www.wesleyrankin.org.
Churches offered new Home for Christmas …
Continued from Page1A
• Deadlines for ordering
cards that are imprinted or
require other special handling at the church’s
expense is Nov. 19.
• Deadline for complimentary
cards delivered to district
offices is Dec. 3. Complimentary postcards may be
ordered after Dec. 3; however, these cards will go
directly to the churches and
postage will be at the
church’s expense.
Lawn banners have been very
popular ways to advertise
Christmas Eve candlelight
services. For the first time The
Crouch Group is offering double
sided full-color vinyl lawn
banners. Single sided mesh
banners are also still available.
Congregations continue to
request copies of the Home
for Christmas/Watch Night
workbooks. These are available through The Crouch
Group for $25, which includes
postage and handling.
Every church will have the
opportunity to advertise their
Christmas season (including
Watch Night) worship services
in newspaper ads purchased in
urban, ethnic and rural media
markets throughout the conference. Churches will register the
time and place of these services
through the district offices.
Nov. 28 is the deadline to get
information to district offices.
One different strategy will
be to regionalize the Dallas
Morning News advertising
with placement in the zoned
metro pages. Over the years
this ad has become unwieldy
and difficult to read. Dividing
the churches according to
region will not only allow each
church more prominent
placement, but it will more
precisely target persons most
likely to attend a church in a
particular area of the city.
There is also a possibility
that there will be more targeted e-mailings using professional services that have lists
of individuals who have
indicated openness to receiving such mailings.
More details on the final
marketing package, which is
always dedicated and directed
to the same goal of making
disciples of Jesus Christ, will
be forthcoming in the next
few weeks.
Anyone with questions,
ideas, or who would like more
information is invited to
contact the NTC Communications Office, 972-526-5000,
800-969-8201, or e-mail:
labarr@ntcumc.org.
Walnut Hill UMC, Dallas, Christmas and More Bazaar
2006 Project Transformation interns created this colorful mural
for the Wesley-Rankin youth center. The window frames volunteers from the May 2007 Highland Park UMC WillieBuild project
painting an adjacent room. Programming for children and teens
are high priorities for the Wesley-Rankin ministry.
New Spanish language oversize post card design.
Around the Conference
First UMC, Seagoville,
announces its “Annual
Barbecue,” Oct. 27 from 8:00
a.m. to 8:00 p.m. with live
entertainment and children’s
activities. For more information, please call 972-287-2228.
***
Perkins School of Theology,
SMU, Dallas, announces
its”Ministers Week,” Jan. 2830, 2008, and “Perkins
Theological School for the
Laity,” March 6-8, 2008. For
more information, please call
1-888-843-6564.
Sorrow
Marlin Joyner, father of Rev.
Ashleigh Joyner, First UMC,
Wichita Falls, died Oct. 3.
Services were held Oct. 6 at
First UMC, Coppell.
Positions Available
From left are Grace Buddin, Frances Hill, Berle Jackson and Dorothy Cox of Walnut Hill UMC,
Dallas, preparing for the “Christmas and More” bazaar Oct. 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A
special feature will be a Tea Room with servings of entrees, soups, salads, sandwiches, and
desserts scheduled from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The bazaar will offer a wide variety of handcrafted
items made by women of the church during the last three years. Books, baked goods, and
caricatures will also be on sale. Shoppers may stroll outdoors to purchase pumpkins to compliment the fall season. An on-site supervised playground will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00
p.m. For more information, please call 214-357-5656.
Asbury UMC, Denton, is
seeking a part-time pianist.
Persons interested may call
Rev. Jerry Simmons, 940387-6487.
***
First UMC, Mt. Vernon, is
seeking a youth minister.
Persons interested may send
a resume to Andrea Abbott,
office@fumcmv.org.
Creekwood UMC, Allen, is
seeking a part-time director
of preschool ministries.
Persons interested may send
resume to Rev. Mary Beth
Hardesty-Crouch, mcrouch@
creekwoodumc.org.
***
Wellspring UMC, McKinney,
is seeking a part-time choir
director. Persons interested
may call Rev. Andy Lewis,
972-741-9035.
North Texas Conference
United Methodist
Reporter
Joan Gray LaBarr editor
Lee Zastovnik prod. assistant
Milse Furtado, staff writer
Becki Ozmun circulation
Ozmun@ntcumc.org
P.O. Box 866128
Plano, Texas 75086-6128
972-526-5000 • 800-969-8201
Fax 972-526-5003
www.ntcumc.org
NORTH TEXAS CONFERENCE NEWS | O CTOBER 12, 2007
8 A NTCcircuit City joins in Oak Cliff UMC 120th…
Continued from Page 1A
three-fourths of the crowd
to their feet. Similarly recognized were 12 to 15 former
members of Boy Scout Troop
8, chartered in 1936, and a halfdozen or so members of
Warren UMC in south Dallas
who found a temporary home
at Oak Cliff UMC within the
past 10 years after their church
near Fair Park was destroyed
by fire before it was replaced
by new facilities.
Current Oak Cliff UMC
members, asked to stand,
totaled a few dozen. Rev.
Presley called them “stalwart
saints . . . dear, dear people.”
Former pastors who helped
lead the service were Rev. Noel
Bryant (1954-1961), Rev. Ben
Shinn (1986-1993) and Rev.
David Blackmon (1995-1999).
Before reading the Old
Testament text from the
Psalms, Dallas South District
Superintendent Milton
Guttierrez commended Oak
Cliff for “daring to believe
what God will continue to
bless this church to do.”
Special music was provided
by the 11-member Chancel
Choir, a predominantly Hispanic praise band and singers
named “Oak Cliff ConeXion”
with Rev. Bazan on drums, the
Carillon Ringers bell choir with
Rev. Presley ringing two bells,
flutist Mary Shinn and guest
organist Margaret Gumma.
Rev. Bazan’s invitation to
the children’s sermon produced something of a twodozen rainbow. After a brief
message, he had them join
hands for a prayer.
Bishop Alfred L. Norris
and the North Texas Annual Conference
announce a reception honoring
Mary Brooke Casad,
NTC Director of Connectional Ministries
Sunday, October 28, 2007
3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
at the NTC Ministry Center,
500 Maplelawn Drive
Plano, Texas
Please bring cards or other expressions of gratitude to
the reception. A gift will be presented on behalf of the
conference, honoring her ten years of service as she
leaves to become Executive Secretary of The United
Methodist Connectional Table
Bishop Alfred L. Norris,
who had participated patiently
during the first hour, noted
with a grin that “it’s after 12
and I’m just getting up to
preach.” He jokingly asked
ushers to “lock the doors” and
explained “I’m gonna be here a
few minutes and I want you
here with me.” Throughout his
20-minute message, numerous
“Amens” and occasional
applause indicated that they
were, indeed, “with him.”
As his text he took the 10
verses of First Thessalonians
Chapter 1. Noting that the Apostle
Paul had changed the order from
his “faith, hope and love” letter to
the Corinthians, the bishop
preached on “the three-dimensional church” built on, in this
order, faith, love and hope.
In the “love” section,
referring to “people who don’t
look like us,” he admitted “I
almost shouted” when the
children came forward at Rev.
Bazan’s invitation. The bishop
added, “If the children can
model for us, then God be
praised.” The congregation
applauded.
Concluding, the bishop
commended Oak Cliff UMC
“on your faith, love and hope.
The people of the North Texas
Conference are praying with
you and for you. They believe
in you, and they celebrate with
you . . . Thanks for inviting me
to your party.” Applause at
12:25 p.m. seemed to indicate
the celebratory congregation’s
appreciation.
Rev. Presley, noting the
abundance of people and
promising an abundance of food,
followed with explicit directions
to restrooms, stairs, an elevator
and lunch available in Wesley
[fellowship] Hall and several
classrooms. The old walls
hadn’t been so joy-filled in a long
time.
Craft Bazaar
19th Annual Harvest
7700 Spring Valley
October 20 • 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
First UMC, The Colony
4901 Paige Road • 972-625-1281
Over 70 crafters featuring jewelry, embroidery, knitting, ceramics, quilts, sports memorabilia,
baby and children’s items, scrapbooks, candy, stained glass, home decor, holiday
decorations, yard art. Kettle Korn, and more!
Please bring a non-perishable food item per family for the Food Bank
in exchange for a ticket to the Opportunity Drawings
O CTOBER 12, 2007 | N ORTH T EXAS C ONFERENCE N EWS
Dallas Park Board member Delia Jasso (at the podium) praises
Oak Cliff UMC for the Turner Plaza project as District 3 City Council
member David Neumann, right, listens to the presentation.
DBC children’s Star-Lit Festival
St. Andrew UMC, Plano, Oct. 20
The fifth annual Star-Lit, a
Children’s Literary Festival
benefitting Dallas Bethlehem
Center (DBC), will be Oct. 20,
from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
at St. Andrew UMC, Plano.
Children of all
ages, parents,
grandparents,
teachers and
librarians are
especially invited.
This year’s
outstanding
authors and
illustrators include
Laura Numeroff
(author, If You
Give a Mouse a Cookie), Will
Hillenbrand (illustrator, The
Biggest, Best Snowman),
Kimberly Willis Holt (author,
When Zachary Beaver Came to
Town), Bryan Collier (author,
Rosa), Dee Scallan & Daniel
Myers (Moby Pincher’s
Hurricane Adventure), Kim
Brown (inspiration for D.W. in
Marc Brown’s Arthur series),
Cynthia Leitich Smith (author,
Jingle Dancer), Greg Leitich
Smith (author, Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo), and Tracy
Dockray (illustrator, Ramona
the Brave).
Starlene Stringer, morning
show co-host and news
director for 94.1 KLTY radio,
will serve as Honorary Chair
for the festival.
Activities include presentations by all attending authors;
an on-site bookstore sponsored
by Borders; book signings by
all authors; food, face painting
and balloon animals; and a
scavenger hunt. Participants
can win prizes, such as a
Nintendo Wii, I-Pod, Webkinz
and more.
A unique aspect of this
literary event is that participants
will be able to attend small
group gatherings with the
authors/illustrators with
plenty of time for
questions and personal
interaction.
In celebration of
Star-Lit’s fifth
anniversary,
admission will be
free to the public.
Concessions will
be available for
purchase
throughout the event.
A bonus to the festival is the
chance to join authors and
illustrators for the annual
“Breakfast with the Authors,”
from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Only
100 tickets will be sold which
includes breakfast with attending authors, a book to have
signed by one of the guest
authors and an event goodie
bag. Tickets are $30 each and
may be purchased online:
www.dallasbethlehemcenter.org/
star-lit/ticket.html.
Star-Lit is a family event
that benefits the DBC, a notfor-profit organization dedicated to providing the children
of South Dallas a positive
environment for growth,
regardless of their economic
status or family situation. All of
the event proceeds go to DBC.
St. Andrew UMC is located
at 5801 Plano Parkway, Plano.
For more information,
please contact Gina Eckerman,
gina@eckermangroup.com
or call 214-868-7500.