First United Methodist Church, Bonham, TX.

Family Life Center

Where did the month of June go! It has been an exciting month at the Life Center.

We have started a new program we are calling “Totally Tuesday.” We open the Center to grade school children from 6:30-8:30 pm and they can come and skate, play volleyball and play in the gameroom upstairs.

We began two weeks before Vacation Bible School and we were averaging around twenty kids a night.

Vacation Bible School was a great success or as Liz would say “the best VBS ever.” We had a great group of kids and everyone involved benefitted.

We also had two family reunions and a baby shower this month.

On June 28 the Bonham Pastor’s Alliance held a HOPE Rally for the victims of the apartment fire. Our dining room was filled with all ages from many denominations, inexcess of 120 people. The food and message was good, the spirit of the event was great. Churches involved contributed $3200 for the 16 families. If it wasn’t for some fool with a guitar (me) trying to sing it would have been a perfect event.

Another beginning at the center this month is music. Some of our youth and other members are getting together and practicing some tunes. We will see if this produces any fruit, but for now it is a work in progress.

Frank Conti has the exercise class going again on Sunday afternoons at 3:00.

This month the Bonham Public Library will host the summer reading program here at the Center on Tuesday mornings. Southeastern Oklahoma State University will host Kids at College the week of July 20. The Center has something going on most everyday of the week.

Hope to see you soon.

Rick Massey, Interim Director

Deep “C” Fishing. Going Deeper, Fishing for Christ.

“Put out into deep water, and let the nets down for a catch” (Luke 5:4).

A big thank you is in order to all who helped make the youth retreat, VBS and the Hope Rally such special occasions. Mary McDonald and Frank Conti did a super job at our Youth Summer Kickoff Retreat. The challenge course and its “challenge by choice” and discussions on what it means to be the prodigal son, the prudent son, or the loving father took us deep within ourselves and challenged our core beliefs and expectations of ourselves and of Christ.

Vacation Bible school was “the best VBS ever!” and we learned what it means to be a follower of Christ. With the amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ deep, deep within our selves, our faith will overcome our fears and doubts. Thank you to Beth Porter, Amy Easley, Jo MacConnell, Tina Rhinehart, Valerie Gentry, Heather Godbey, Sarahbeth Holman, Sue Griffin, Mary McDonald, Rick Massey, Lori Massey, Patti Felmet, Judy Keene, David Keene, Mary Minge, Debbie Baker, Phyllis Moss, Harriet Cockerham, Jack and Frieda Phillips, the Library Class, the Builders Class, the Fellowship Class, the Genesis Class, and all God’s littlest disciples who participated! I may have forgotten someone, so please forgive me! I also thank the families who shared these fine people with us, and the entire church for its support through prayers.

I’d also like to thank the people who attended the Hope Rally and showed such gracious hospitality. Thanks especially to Tom Talbert, Don Cockerham and Rich MacConnell for great work at the grill-100 degree heat and 200 chicken thighs is a lot! I’d also like to thank the youth and the kitchen crew who came forward with lots of eagerness and grace. We made an impression on the community gathered there-a great demonstration of the church family pulling together for God’s glory and to join God at work.

We continue to go deeper in our quest for Christ through the Means of Grace-practicing the presence of God through acts of piety and works of mercy; prayer, communion, worship, holy conferencing, giving to the poor, visiting the sick and imprisoned. On Sunday, we will experience Communion-an outward sign of an inward and spiritual grace. In the Big Backyard, the children and youth will make bread for us to use at the Lord’s Table. We will continue to have Big Backyard Sunday School experiences through the summer. You are invited to come and participate! (Unfortunately there are only a few grapes on the vines at the parsonage, so we will not have a grape stomping experience in the Big Backyard series, sorry!)

More about worship and works of mercy on the way! The Wednesday evening “Supper and a Service” events July 15-August 5, and the Youth Mission Trip July 27-August 1 need your prayers and support. We are going deeper still, fishing for Christ. Bring a friend to join us! When they see what God is up to at our place, they’ll be hooked!

“Receive and experience the amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, deep, deep within yourselves” (Phil. 4:23).

Liz

Military Prayer List

Rebekah Cowley, USMC Andrew Jones, US Navy, Oklahoma

Patrick Kelley, USMC Michael Page, USMC, North Carolina

Wendell Smith, US Army, Iraq Bobbie Herman, US Army, Iraq

Robert O’Neill, US Army, Iraq Shawn Thomas, US Army, medically retired

Cherie Thedford, US Army, Virginia Jesse Grace, USAF, Nevada

Daniel Herman, US Army, Hawaii Tanner Boyer, USAF, Texas

David Hodge, US Army, Iraq Ben Walker, USMC, California

Tyler Boyer, USAF, Afghanistan Sean Compton, US Army

Mark Olinger, US Army, Virginia Patrick Horton, US Army

Jeff Nichols, Iraq Nathan Anderson, USMC, Iraq

Kevin Littrell, USMC, California Ryan Campbell, US Army

Bob Diggs Brown, Jr., US Army, Somalia Clifton Miller, US Army, Iraq

Wednesday Evening Whatever (?)

July 15 at 6:00 p.m. we begin our Wednesday Evening “Supper and a Service” events. You are invited to think of a great name for our Wednesday evening events. Here’s what happens:

6:00-Food served, bring $3.00 for a light snack supper

6:30-A little bit o’music, singing, and fun

6:40-7:00-A story of transforming faith from among our family

Can you think of a “catchy” name? If all goes well, we’ll have a similar series in the fall. Come check them out and give us your suggestions about songs, food, and stories to be told.