How Far Can Your Dollar Stretch?

In January 15th’s 10:50 Sanctuary worship, $1 was distributed to each member of our congregation.  The challenge, as in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25) was to invest this dollar in a creative way to make a positive impact upon the Kingdom of God. We asked people to respond via email to report how they chose to use their dollar (click here to submit your story) & below are some of their inspiring responses (we will continue to add to this list as we receive more). To learn of various outreach opportunities, contact Rev. Kay Deblance. Your One Dollar Investments:

• Contributed $1 to Feed My Starving Children, an organization that provides nutritious meals to impoverished children - one dollar feeds four children their daily meal!
• Contributed $1 as seed money to help fund Scott Temple’s return trip to the USA after the completion of his medical mission on Mercy Ships in Sierra Leone, Africa.
• I used my dollar to mail handmade headwear to Head Huggers—an organization dedicated to donating headwear to patients all around the US who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy, or other head trauma. If you knit, crochet, or sew, check them out atwww.headhuggers.org

A Word From the Pastor

As 2011 has come to a close and we are a few days into what could be one of our greatest years ever, I write you with a heart full of thanksgiving and gratitude.  I am thankful for your prayers and faithful actions that have moved our life-changing ministry and outreach into this New Year with great strength.

MAGNIFICENT LAUNCH SUNDAY

I count Sunday as one of the most powerful and impactful days at Lovers Lane that I have experienced since 1998.  I am most grateful for the way you have worked together on so many different fronts.  As a staff we always hope and pray to involve our faith community in events that release energy in celebration of what God is doing, and Sunday was an explosion of energy. Sunday was the epitome of our Simpler, Stronger, more Spirited approach to enhance our Service and worship of God.  A few highlights:

•  Overall worship attendance, 1479. (8:15 worship was up 10%)
•  The Basics Bible Community had 238 in attendance in its first gathering
•  Children and Preschool attendance up 57% over last year’s average. 
•  Youth meeting as a Jr. High group and a separate Sr. High group netted an increase of 40%
• First-ever Shepherd’s Garden communion service had 78 worshippers at noon
• Many, many, many visitors

TREMENDOUS YEAR-END

Though we are still putting the finishing touches on the books for 2011, I cannot wait to give you some positive results.  At this time we are at least $30,000 “in the black” for 2011. We have met all of our connectional mission giving which was a gift of $454,612.  We carried some funds into the New Year in many designated ministry accounts, which was our hoped for result with our new stewardship strategy last year.  We have generously supported our Love Offering initiatives sending $42,500 to Christ Foundry, $27,000 to Zoe Geh Hospital in Liberia, a portion to be used for a transport vehicle, $5,000 to Moscow Seminary, $31,000 to Feed My Starving Children, $26,000 to Lydia Patterson Institute in El Paso, as well as healthy support for other local missions. Final reporting will come very soon.

CHURCH CONFERENCE COMING JANUARY 22^ND

On January 22^nd following the 10:50 a.m. worship services ALL members are invited to the Sanctuary for a report on a land purchase and funding plan by our Boards of Trustees and Stewards.  We have the Jackson property to our East under contract and will vote concerning its purchase.  The beautiful property has great potential for ministry and will complete our campus to the East, which has been a longstanding goal. It will also provide an ingress/egress that is extremely valuable to us for our Sunday morning movement.  Presently when our parking lot is full as it was on Sunday, we have to direct members and visitors out of the main lot onto Inwood Rd., right on Brookview to Meadowbrook and into the Meadowbrook parking lot.  The property will actually decrease our driving through the neighborhood and make us much more “visitor friendly”.   The Trustees and Stewards believe we will greatly benefit from this property.

We have not kicked off a new year with so much energy and promise in a long time.  Let me close by saying thank you for your prayers and incredible generosity resulting in the greatest budget-giving year in our recent history and perhaps ever in the history of Lovers Lane.  One request—if you are able, and can park on the CSD lot, it would be most helpful for our visitors; donuts and juice will be available for all of you who take up the challenge. A shuttle bus will take you to your destination entrance.  

It is a true JOY to be your pastor!

Stanley R. Copeland

Labors for Neighbors

This weekend, January 13-15, our fearless Young Adult Pastor, Kay DeBlance, will lead a team of twenty-five adults as they travel to Anadarko, Oklahoma. The group will be serving at an American Indian Reservation and working with Labors for Neighbors to puts roofs on houses for those in need. 

Labors for Neighbors has been raising roofs since 2005, when they responded to an urgent need at Sabine Pass United Methodist to replace their roof. After the overwhelmingly successful mission, the efforts have been mostly focused on disaster relief, partnering with organizations such as UMCOR and the like to assist in home repair for hurricane victims.

Focusing efforts on their Southeast Texas neighbors, Labors for Neighbors mission projects emphasize what they call, “The 4 C’s” — Christ, Community, Cooking and Construction. Each trip is designed to be a joyful, team building experience to spread the love of Jesus.

The young adults from Lovers Lane are excited to take part in this service opportunity. Please be in prayer for those they are serving, for the team as they work together, & for traveling mercies.  May the name of the Lord be magnified as they love & serve. 

Photo courtesy of Nat Ng

Serving the Special Needs Community

This Friday, December 16th is our last Night Lights event of the year. Rays of Light and Lovers Lane extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers who faithfully served the DFW area special needs community this year! What an incredible year it has been! Our first annual Shine On! Gala was a huge success, raising $84,000 for our organization! Our families and volunteer base has multiplied and we are continually seeking more volunteers in order to provide assistance to the ever-growing needs within our metroplex.  In fall of 2012, we hope to add yet another Night Lights to each month with the goal of offering it every Friday.

Rays of Light, a Texas 501(c)(3) corporation, is dedicated to serving children with special needs and their families in the Dallas metropolitan area. Rays of Light serves these special families primarily through a twice-monthly respite program called Night Lights, which gives parents of special needs children a rare evening to themselves. Parents drop off their children —most of whom have the kinds of medical diagnoses that frighten outsiders—at Lovers Lane UMC.  For the next four hours, volunteers supervise and entertain the children and their siblings. For these parents, who are usually emotionally and financially stressed and who rarely, if ever, can find a nurse/babysitter to watch their children, the program is a godsend. The children, of course, adore Night Lights with its variety of games, gym activities, therapy dogs, petting zoos, water slides, and more.  As of today, 48 families regularly benefit from our program. Each year, 200 volunteers serve 2,000 people at Night Lights.

For more information, or to volunteer, contact Alice Sutherland, Executive Director.

Follow Rays of Light on Facebook & Twitter:

The Basics: Living a Balanced Life

Are you single?  Dating?  Married?  Do you have kids?  Do you hope to one day?  The Basics is for you.

One of several fellowships anchoring our newly-reformatted Bible Communities hour at 9:30, The Basics is built upon practical, Biblical teaching and personal, authentic relationships.  The fellowship will be led by Dr. John and Punky Tolson.

These days, so many of us live our lives unbalanced, struggling to make sense of our relationships, our families, and ourselves.  The Tolsons will use Biblical truths and time-tested advice to bring balance back to your life.

Dr. John Tolson is the former chaplain for many pro sports teams, including the Dallas Cowboys.  He has a deep passion for one-on-one mentoring with men.

His wife, Punky, was a career woman until she met John and fell in love—with him and his passion for ministry.  She now works full-time by his side, mentoring women across the country. 

Together, they formed High Impact Life, an organization through which they conduct seminars & events to teach their passion for discipleship, based upon the command of Jesus from Matthew 28:19 “to build our lives into one another and teach future generations the love of Christ.” 

If The Basics sounds like something you’re interested in, check it out starting January 8th in Asbury Hall.

Check out this personal invitation from John Tolson: