PDF Version

Two Sections – Section A
March 18, 2011 072000
Volume 157 Number 46
The bishop is coming to visit your district
We want to hear what you think
In an effort to better communicate
with clergy and laity in each North
Texas district, our Conference leadership team is coming to share and listen
to your hopes, dreams and concerns for
the church.
The North Texas Annual Conference passed the Strategic Plan last June.
The Cabinet, center directors and Core
Leadership Team have been hard at
work implementing the adopted plan.
But before we get too far along, we
want to share with you and hear your
comments and concerns about how to
improve our efforts.
A lot has happened in the conference
and in the general church regarding
congregational vitality and accountability. I trust that you as clergy and laity are
keeping abreast of the conversations. It
will be extremely important to become
an informed leader in the church regarding these upcoming changes.
On Ash Wednesday, I attended
service at St. Andrew UMC in Plano,
where I
heard the
Rev. Arthur
Jones preach
about the
need to go
through Lent
in order to
celebrate
and appreciate the resurrection.
I believe
Bishop W. Earl Bledsoe
we live in
a day where sacrifice and struggle over
difficult issues are sometimes avoided.
Repentance and reflection are part of the
change process that gets us to resurrection Sunday. I hope you will join me, our
Conference Lay Leader, and others in our
weekly prayer and fasting for the transformation of the United Methodist Church.
I believe God has given us a rich mission field ready for the harvest.Let’s work
together in reaching it.
By W. Earl Bledsoe
NTC Bishop
Spread the word! I am coming to
your district to talk about the Conference-wide Strategic Plan that we adopted last year, as well as other changes
in the North Texas Annual Conference.
I am bringing with me the directors
of each of the four centers – Leadership
Development, New Church Development, Missional Outreach and Connectional Resources – and the communication officer. We have a lot to share.
I promise we won’t waste your time.
We want to hear your thoughts and
answer your questions.
Clergy, this is a required event
for you. If you can’t attend the event
scheduled in your district, inform
your district superintendent and plan
to attend another one.
All lay persons are invited to attend, whether they are leaders or leaders in the making.
The Leadership Summit webinar for
UMC leaders around the world will be
held 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Central time April
6. There will be various sites around the
Conference and in your district to con-
nect online and have dialogue about
the Call to Action report. Contact your
district superintendent for more information on how you can get involved.
Rosenburg retiring after God-fueled career
Northwest superintendent says the
flames of faith can’t be doused
By SHERON C. PATTERSON
Editor
Ignited by the burning
bush biblical passage in
Exodus 3: 2-6, the Rev. John
Rosenburg, superintendent
of the Northwest
District, has been
on fire for the Lord
in the North Texas
Annual Conference
since 1982.
The verses have
fueled a prolific
ministry that has led
him from pastor to associate director of
the conference to his current position,
from which he’ll retire in June.
“I believe that God made it clear
to us all through Moses that if God’s
will was to be worked out, we human
creatures had to do it. We
are sent by God to free the
people from bondage – all
kinds of bondage – by proclaiming God’s love through
word and deed. When I read
this passage, the Bible bursts
into flames and God is talkNTC Staff
ing to me,” he said.
Ministry is in his blood. Rev.
see Rosenburg 5A
NTC circuit 4A
Plymouth Park UMC to sponsor cancer workshop
By DR. JOAN G. LA BARR
Special Contributor
Plymouth Park UMC in Irving
will host “Cancer: To Be Cured, To
Be Healed,” a free workshop for
survivors, families and friends, from
1-3:30 p.m. March 27.
Kathy LaTour, editor at large for
Cure magazine will give the keynote
speech, followed by a panel of people affected by cancer and experts on
the disease. They include:
Dr. Robert Mennel, medical
oncologist at Baylor Charles A.
Sammons Cancer Center, on the
perspective of both an oncologist and
caregiver.
Richard Hearne, Lay Leader
of the North Texas Annual Conference and bladder cancer survivor, on
spirituality and dealing with cancer
as a male.
The Rev. Dr. Isabel Docampo, associate professor of Supervised Ministry
at Perkins School of Theology and throat
cancer survivor, on her cancer experience
and spirituality.
Marty Graham, a retired registered
nurse, breast cancer survivor and Plymouth Park Health Ministry nurse, will
moderate.
The workshop will also break into
small groups for discussions of awareness, hope and spirituality in fighting
cancer.
LaTour, a founder of Cure magazine,
has been a writer and editor for 30 years.
with more than a decade concentrating
on cancer as well as supporting causes
related to the disease. Writing, editing
and supporting causes related to cancer.
A 25-year breast cancer survivor, she
wrote The Breast Cancer Companion,
based on interviews with more than 120
women and 75 men and health care
professionals. She also helped create
the Bridge Breast Center in Dallas, which provides diagnosis and
treatment for uninsured breast cancer
patients, and is a former president
of Gilda’s Club of North Texas, a
cancer support group. Additionally,
she wrote and stars in a one-woman
show called One Mutant Cell.
Although the workshop is free,
LaTour asks that free-will donations
be made to the Capital Campaign of
Grace UMC, where she is a member.
The workshop will be in the
church sanctuary, and a free luncheon in the Fellowship Hall will
precede the event. Child care will
be available, and children are also
welcome to the lunch.
Plymouth Park UMC is at 1515
W. Airport Freeway in Irving. For
Kathy LaTour,
Editor at large
Cure Magazine
Kathy Latour is a nationally
recognized speaker on cancer
reservations, contact Joan La Barr at
972-446-0068, or drjoanl@aol.com.
For more information, contact Dr.
La Barr or Marty Graham at msgraham@mindspring.com.
From Bogata to Burkburnett
Youth have lessons to teach us – ‘Just Ask’ and find out
One of disadvantages of being NTC
Conference Lay Leader and involved
in many committees, task forces and
meetings is that
I am not in my
local church on a
regular basis.
After being
away over
six weeks, I
returned to
discover that
it was Youth
by Richard Hearne
Sunday, when
the youth take on all the roles of worship
from preaching to serving as ushers. It
was also Communion Sunday as well as
Transfiguration Sunday. One of our senior high members, Lee Wiley, preached
an inspiring sermon, “Just Ask,” based
on Matthew 7:7–8 and chronicling his
life and support in the church. He told
the congregation that he knew if he ever
needs any support, all he needs to do is
just ask and the “church” will assist him.
At the completion of Holy Communion, Mary Hosch, 16, delivered the
Prayer After Receiving and just gushed
out, “Wow, that was cool!” And it
was cool for all of us to experience the
excitement of a young person given the
opportunity to serve in the church.
One of the goals that I set forth last
year in my Laity Address was to be very
intentional about including young people
in the life of the church. We officially
designated Rachel Magruder of First
UMC Rowlett the Conference Youth
Lay Leader, as well as district youth lay
leaders: Samantha McCulley of Trinity
UMC Duncanville in the Metro District;
Sara Finney of First UMC Denton in the
North Central District and Sarah Perkins
of Wesley UMC Greenville in the East
District (the Northwest District position
is vacant).
The leadership of the NTC has also
sought to include young people on committees and task forces but we have had
limited success. The good news is that
these young people want to serve God
and the UMC, but the bad news is that
their schedules are crowded and committed, so they can’t be there at the times
that work best for older members. At the
recent Day With the Bishop, neither the
Conference nor District youth lay leaders
could attend – although they wanted to –
because of other commitments.
We did have 10-15 young people in
attendance. I jokingly said that to get
young people to our next meeting, we
would schedule it from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
That got one of those nervous laughs of
people acknowledging the truth of an
uncomfortable statement.
I have learned through the reverse
mentoring from Ricky Harrison, last
year’s Conference youth lay leader, that
young people don’t see the world as
we older folks do, and their views and
beliefs about many issues often conflict
with the views of the majority of older
UM members.
But on the essentials that should
matter to all of us – the belief in the love
and grace of Jesus Christ – we are of one
mind.
Young people are not only the future
of the UMC, but also the now.
I challenge older folks to engage
with young people to learn how they see
the world. To youth, I remind them of
I Timothy 4:12, “Don’t let anyone put
you down because you’re young. Teach
believers with your life: by word, by
demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity.
Of course, I know that none of the
youth will see the column unless I put it
out in a digital form – a blog.
Richard Hearne is Laity Leader of the
North Texas Conference, which stretches
from just this side of Bogata to just that
side of Burkburnett. E-mail him at rbhearne@sbcglobal.net.
istock
NTC circuit 5A
Distinct varieties of worship blooming across NTC
By JIM OZIER
The Grace Avenue daughter church held an
afternoon “preview” service in the clubhouse of a new housing development in the
What a great time in the North Texas 380 Corridor of Denton County. There I
Conference! I just spent a weekend visit- was, crowded in with more than 100 launch
ing new ministries taking root in Dallas team and prospective members, mostly
— each as inspiring as the others and
young adults and their giggling, gushing
each as distinct.
children but also a sprinkling of an older,
wiser generation of folks with a pioneering
Nueva Dia
spirit and the dedication to making God’s
A simple meal, a simple service, a
grace known to a new population.
profound experience. Nueva Dia celCross Way promises to be “where faith
ebrated its worship launch in the New
and life meet.” The Rev. Chris Yost, plantDay style. Shellie Ross, serving as
pastor, said so much without speaking a ing pastor, blended an outstanding message Nueva Dia meets at Wesley-Rankin Community Center in West Dallas.
word. As we gathered at Wesley Rankin with overflowing gratitude for his lay leadership. One young mother, watching her
Center in West Dallas, I laughed with
husband lead worship, told me, “We love
a homeless man, practiced my Spanish
with tres señoras from the neighborhood being a part of Grace Avenue, but we are
so excited about having a new church right
and rejoiced at God’s goodness with
here in our neighborhood where we can be
seminary students seeking a way to be
totally involved!”
the church as Jesus Christ. After breakMy friends, exciting things are happening bread together, we sat in an everexpanding circle for worship led by a lay ing in the kingdom of God, and you can get
a glimpse by peering through the window
couple from the New Day ministry, she
doing the Spanish part and he translating of the NTC in Nueva Dia and Cross Way.
I thank God for my job, being a window
for the rest of us.
washer so we can see what God is doing a
Cross Way
Planting pastor, the Rev. Chris Yost, ( far right) shares the excitement with
A new way, a new day, a new church. little more clearly. Glory be!
Director of New Church Development
others at a Cross Way event.
Rosenburg retirement
ROSENBURG Continued from page 1A
Rosenburg is the son of a Methodist
minister who served in the Northwest
Texas Conference for 50 years. His
brother, James, is a pastor in the Florida
Conference. The Rosenburg family represents more than 100 years of ministerial service.
Rev. Rosenberg has led the Northwest district for seven years and
amassed an impressive track record
there.
“I have been thrilled by the spirit of
the pastors and laity of this district,” he
said. “They are a people who take pride
in being United Methodists. As a district, we have 17 years of 100 percent
apportionment payout.”
His influence extends beyond his
district to the North Texas Conference,
North Texas Episcopal leader Bishop W.
Earl Bledsoe said.
“John has offered great insight and
depth to my Cabinet over the years.
He served as dean of the Cabinet from
2007-2009, and his contributions have
been vital,” Bishop Bledsoe said.
Rev. Rosenburg has served on various boards and agencies, including the
Board of Ordained Ministry for Elders
and Deacons, the Conference Agenda
Committee and the board of directors of
Lydia Patterson Institute in El Paso.
Before his current position, Rev.
Rosenburg was senior pastor of First
UMC Coppell for nine years. Under
his guidance, the congregation more
than tripled in size to 2,800 members,
a ministerial staff of nine and a support
staff of six. A new 1,000-seat sanctuary
and additional education and fellowship
space was opened in March 2000.
“My fondest memories are the days
before we built the sanctuary at First
Coppell,” he said. “All we had was the
overcrowded worship space. By using
a paper sack pattern, we could shoehorn
512 chairs in the room. With very small
aisles, we could hardly move. There
was a time we had to cancel Communion simply because we couldn’t move.
“It was great fun. We were close and
felt good about the church. With multiple services, I never got out of my robe
on Sunday morning. Wow! Easter was
a real ordeal -- it was wonderful. When
we opened the new sanctuary, families
brought candles, lit them on the parking
lot and streamed into the first service. It
moved this pastors’ heart.”
His wife of 50 years, Connie, has
been at his side all through his career.
“She is a real asset to my ministry because she is in this with me all the way.
She says I can retire but I can’t come
home until 7 p.m.,” he joked.
The couple have a son, Eric, a graduate student and restaurateur in Arizona.
Reflecting on his career, he said, “I
am beholden to so many.” In addition
to his father’s influence, “I also need to
mention the small churches I served as
a student, who civilized me and put up
with me and trained me. These churches
all over Methodism are the unsung heroes in shaping ministers.”
“Retirement means redefining my
ministry,” he said. “I want find a place
to be useful to the church.”
See what’s going on
around the conference.
Visit our new youtube
channel.
theNTCnews
Learn to “Love to Pray”
Outsiders might think all is sweetness and light within
church staffs and congregations. Insiders too often know different. And “The Church’s Call to Conflict”, www.
ntcleadingfromthecenter.org is all
about resolving the sticking points.
The workshop, from 9 a.m. to 2
2
p.m. at the North Texas Conference
Ministry Center, will cover topics
including “Where Two or Three
Are Gathered” (theological call
to conflict); “Change:
Who, Me?” (approaches
to change) and “Do You
Hear What I Hear” (the
art of listening, difficult
conversations and communication strategies).
It’s $15, which includes
materials and lunch. And
who could
get mad about that?
Hamilton Park United
Methodist Church is hosting
a “Love to Pray Conference”
from 9 a.m. to 3:30 Saturday,
March 26. The Rev. Alvin
Vandergriend, author of Love
to Pray: A 40 Day Devotional
for Deepening Your Prayer
Life, will lead the conference.
The conference covers:
•Believers who want to
learn to love to pray.
•Pastors who want to ignite
istock
prayer in the local church.
•Intercessors who want to develop their prayer ministry
skills.
Registration fee is $15, with lunch included. Register on line at www.hparkumc.org (deadline is Thursday,
March 24) or call the church at 972-235-4633. Online registration fees are paid at the door on the day of the event.
Hamilton Park UMC is at 11881 Schroeder Road in Dallas.
HONORS
Scholarships awarded
The Texas United Methodist College
Association has given scholarships to 11
students from the North Texas Conference for the current academic year. The
scholarship money comes from United
Methodist congregations in Texas for
use by students from these congregations
to attend Southwestern, Lon Morris,
Southern Methodist, McMurry or Texas
Wesleyan, said Bishop Dan E. Soloman,
president of TUMCA. The recipients are:
Lon Morris College
Peta Limerick, Lovers Lane UMC, Dallas
McMurry University
Blaine Willett, First UMC Archer City
Southern Methodist University
Meredith Alloway, Lake Highlands
UMC, Dallas
Kelsy Chriss, First UMC Richardson
Lauren Schick, First UMC Rowlett
Raychel Yearsley, First UMC Richarson
Southwestern University
Jessica Vittorio, Grace Avenue UMC,
Frisco
Michelle Widmann, Trietsch Memorial
UMC, Flower Mound
Texas Wesleyan University
Barron Branch, Lovers Lane
UMC, Dallas
Kathryn Fruit, The Woods UMC, Grand
PrairiePaige Jennings, First UMC Irving
St. Luke pastor honored
Congratulations to the Rev. Tyrone
Gordon, pastor of St. Luke Community
UMC, who will be inducted into Morehouse College’s Martin Luther King Jr.
International Board of Preachers. The
ceremony is April 7 at the campus in
Atlanta.
k
istoc
Workshop to address church conflicts
Are You On THE LIST?
Join Bishop Bledsoe’s text
list and receive updates on hot
topics around the
North Texas Conference.
Text “Laity”
to 313131
Remembrance Event
Dallas Bethlehem Center Auxiliary
is holding a Remembrance Event and
Luncheon at 10 a.m. April 7th at Hamilton Park UMC, 11881 Schroeder Road in
Dallas. If you would like to make a memorial contribution or one in honor of a
living loved one, you can send the name
to DBC Auxiliary, Louise Bosco, 8429
Bocowood, Dallas 75228. The luncheon
is $15; donation levels are Friend ($1$49), Supporter ($50-$99), Benefactor
($100-$499) and Star ($500 up). Reservations are due by April 4.
Correction
The Feb. 18 issue of the Reporter had
the wrong byline on the article “AfricanAmerican Scouts achieve Eagle rank.” It
was written by Denise Johnson Stovall.
The photo of the Eagle Scouts was taken
by Deanna Stovall.
31
31
ber is 31
ne num
o
h
p
,
e
Y
h
T
IT
word LA
Type the send.
ss
then pre