Food Packing Day - Children's Hunger Fund

Children’s Hunger Fund – Food Packing Day

Sunday, April 28th 11:15-12:15 PM

 Everyone is invited to join us after worship to put together food packs for Children’s Hunger Fund.

 Children’s Hunger Fund is a local Christian non-profit that serves families in the DFW area and worldwide. Church and other organizations provide the food needed to fill the food packs.

 Each food pack feeds one child for one week.

 Once all the food packs are ready to go, they will be pick up and sent to their headquarters for distribution.

 Saturday, May 5th 10-12 PM our Youth Group would like to invite anyone who’s interested to join them at Children’s Hunger Fund. That morning the volunteers will be creating, sorting, and filling more boxes.

*Volunteer age cut off is Kindergarten. A parent(s) of elementary aged students (K-6th grade) must attend with their child.

Please RSVP to Shea Wilkins if you are interested in attending Saturday, May 5th.

Welcome to the Team and Easter Report

Dear Church Family,

I am very excited to introduce you to Chanel James, our new accountant at Spring Valley UMC! She is the mother of two teenage boys and lives in Frisco. Chanel moved to Texas from Los Angeles nearly three years ago. She will work in the office Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Welcome to the greatest staff team, Chanel!

I am very grateful for the work Carol Nicholas and Deb Tucker have done for us in the Business Office on a volunteer basis the last four months. And Cynthia Lee went wayyy beyond expectations finding us the greatest fit for the church and staff team, sorting through more than 100 resumes, conducting dozens of phone calls, and narrowing down the finalists. We have also recently transitioned to a more modern online software to help us with bills and payroll.  With Deb serving as Treasurer, Marci Armstrong and Terri Chepregi serving as Finance co-chairs, and the rest of the Finance committee making solid contributions, I am very confident in the finance ministry of Spring Valley. It’s only early April, and we have made significant improvements.

Wow, wasn’t Holy Week and Easter amazing?? Last Monday I was in a near vegetative state- no foolin’- Easter tired is something else. I am thankful our Staff/Parish team recently designated Easter Monday as a staff holiday in March. Allison counted up the numbers, an inclusive of every service between Palm Sunday and the second Sanctuary service for Easter, nearly 600 people participated! Roughly it looked like this:

o   Palm/Passion Sunday: 100

o   Holy Thursday: 44

o   Good Friday: 140

o   Easter Saturday service in Spanish: 17

o   Sunrise service: 23

o   9:00 Sanctuary: 85

o   10:30 Sanctuary: 180

Room to grow between now and April 20, 2025, but I was very pleased with the experiences of Holy Week and Easter. From the planning, design, communication, our staff, music ministry, facilities team, and especially our behind the scenes volunteers made it all possible. Thank you. What a gift to serve alongside such committed, loving, joyful people. We begin a new worship series this Sunday from 1 John, as we continue to live in the light of Easter. See you Sunday at 10:00.

Peace and Joy,

Pastor Frank

Living in the Light Sermon Series

We’ve celebrated Easter- now what? Join us for our next worship series, “Living in the Light,” April 7-May 12, as we continue to live out the Easter message. The series is based on 1 John, the tiny letter near the end of the New Testament. Our theme scripture is “God is light and in God there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5b).

Pastor Frank will offer a companion online Bible study, Mondays at noon, beginning April 15. Video call link: https://meet.google.com/jtr-qtjx-xzp

2024/2025 Ministry Plan

Spring Valley UMC family,

Back in January, nearly forty members of Spring Valley participated in a leadership retreat. We thought creatively about a metaphor for our congregation (a powerful recharging station), what we needed to do to become that metaphor, and how we would go about that work. This week all of these items, found below, were officially adopted by Spring Valley’s  Church Council. This work involved hours of deliberation, conversation, and negotiation. To become the church we envision will require intentional changes to how decisions are made, what questions we ask, and how we engage with those we seek to partner with in ministry. Stay tuned for new updates as our Church Council implements the plan.

I’m excited to see where God will lead us over the next couple of years!

-Pastor Frank

2024 and 2025 Ministry Plan

To become a powerful recharging station, we must …

• Invite the Spirit to fill us

• Create a culture of invitation and hospitality

• Demonstrate acceptance, care, and nurture

• Equip & inspire people to go out to meet the needs in our world

• Embrace the changes that will be necessary for this to happen

Spring Valley United Methodist Rule of Life

(This rule of life provides a framework for spiritual formation, community engagement, and living out the congregation's mission and values in daily life.)

• Rest and Sabbath, Prayer and Worship: Set aside time for Sabbath rest and recreation to replenish mind, body, and spirit. Dedicate time daily for personal and communal prayer and worship, fostering a deeper connection with Christ and nurturing spiritual growth.

• Community and Fellowship: Create an environment of love, support, and accountability within the congregation, seeking to resolve conflicts with grace and humility, and fostering healing and restoration.

• Service and Outreach: Commit to actively serving others, both within the congregation and in the wider community, embodying the principles of compassion and social justice.

• Study and Reflection: Commit to lifelong learning and growth as disciples of Christ, engaging in regular Bible study, and actively participating in opportunities for spiritual formation and discipleship.

• Stewardship and Sustainability: Care for the resources entrusted to us by practicing responsible stewardship of our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness, and promoting environmental sustainability.

• Hospitality and Inclusivity: Welcome all who seek to join our community with open hearts and minds, embracing diversity and celebrating the unique gifts each individual brings.

• Discernment and Leadership: Seek God's guidance and discernment in all decision-making processes, empowering servant leadership that reflects Christ's example of humility, compassion, and justice.

Enhance the Church's Impact and Integrity

• Inventory our resources, programs and ministries to focus our efforts

• Improve our internal communication, including Intentional and transparency about finances and fundraising

• Better visibility / marketing / less church-y / invite community to all that we do

Offer Need-Driven Programs to our Mission Field

a)        listen first to determine which needs to address

b)        have an external orientation in this work

c)        start small with experiments rather than large programs

d)        learn and grow based on those experiences

Holy Week at SVUMC!

Announcing Worship Arts Camp 2024!

Worship Arts Camp 2024

Worship Arts Camp is a weeklong camp encouraging children to tap into various fine arts as a tool for worship. 

Lift the hearts of your congregation with “What’s Up, Zak?"  The familiar tale of Zacchaeus is relived as one rich but lonely tax collector casts his ego aside and climbs a tree for just one glimpse of Jesus.   

Funny, lively songs introduce a town bustling to prepare for a visit from Jesus.  But the people who need love the most, the lowly beggars and the tax collectors, are not invited to the party.

The stories of Zacchaeus and Bartimaeus teach us about a Savior who knows us by name, and loves us, just the way we are! A wonderful story for believers of all ages.

·         Ages: Completed Kindergarten - entering 7th grade.

·         June 17-21

·         9:00 am-12:00 pm Mon- Fri.

·         Fri. ELEMENTARY students will have a special schedule for rehearsal - schedule TBA

·         Fri. - PERFORMANCE at 6 PM

Children will be participating in a full staged musical that they will put together in 5 days. This year we will perform, "What’s Up Zak".

Tuition is $100 and covers the cost of craft supplies, snacks, t-shirts, and staff costs.

Scholarships are available, we want all to be able to participate in all that God does during this amazing week.

Registration is Limited!!!

Youth Mission Fundraiser Update

Our Youth have raised $2,950 for their summer mission trip so far! They will still be accepting donations until the end of March to reach their goal of $5,000.

Preschool Closed for Spring Break

Save the Date - SVUMC Easter Egg Hunt!

Easter Egg Hunt Donations Needed

Donations Needed for Egg Hunt – Sunday, March 30th 10-12 pm

This year we are excited to host an Egg Hunt for our church family and community!

We need lots of Easter Eggs and candy to make this event possible.

Please consider donating Easter Eggs and candy for our upcoming Egg Hunt.

There will be a donations bin outside of Shea Wilkins office.

Thank you for supporting Spring Valley Children’s Ministry.

Please contact Shea Wilkins if you have any questions.

Youth Mission Trip Summer 2024

Youth Mission Trip 2024 – June 23-29

Registration is now open for this summer’s Youth Mission Trip to Austin, TX!

 This year our students will be serving with UM Army and partnering with United Methodist Churches from all over the Texas.

 This nonprofit works on home repair and maintenance needs for low-income, elderly, and disabled homeowners who are physically or financially unable to make needed repairs themselves.

 ADULT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

 Registration Deadline: April 15th

Cost: $275 

Payment Due: May 15th

 CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

 Contact Shea Wilkins – swilkins@svumc.org

Super Bowl Party

Let's get together to enjoy the game and fellowship!!!

Join us this Sunday, February 11, 5pm-9pm. The Drenner family will be hosting a Super Bowl Party at their house. Please bring a snack or drinks to share. Youth students be sure to invite your friends and family to watch the game with us!

Contact Shea Wilkins for more information.

Vision Retreat Notes and Invitation to Discernment

Dear Spring Valley Family,

 Two weekends ago we invited Mike Bonem, a clergy coach and consultant I have worked with for several years, to lead a vision retreat for our Church Council. The purpose of the weekend was to name four or five pillars or priorities for ministry at Spring Valley for the next couple of years. We will then use these priorities to evaluate our current ministries, so that everything is moving in one consistent direction. We started the weekend thinking about metaphors for where the church is today- who we are- and where we hoped to go- who we aspire to become.

 This work is ongoing, and we will continue to workshop everything at Monday’s Church Council meeting (6:00 p.m.). Everyone is welcome to attend and participate. In advance of the meeting, I sent the members an abbreviated form of Mike’s notes from the weekend, including five faithful next steps we named, and an invitation to discernment. I’m sharing it with you so that you know what we are working on, but keep in mind it’s still in development for now.

-   Pastor Frank

Vision Retreat Notes and an Invitation to Discernment

From Mike Bonem:

To become a vase of diverse and beautiful flowers, a powerful recharging station, and a miraculous phoenix that is rising from the ashes, we must …

• Invite the Spirit to fill us

• Create a culture of invitation and hospitality (that draws people in)

• Demonstrate acceptance, care, and nurture

• Equip & inspire people to go out to meet the needs in our world

• … and embrace the changes (that will be necessary for this to happen)

Our next faithful steps to do this will be …

1.     Establish a “rule (habit) of life”

2.     Inventory what we have (resources, programs) and focus our efforts (doing too much)

3.     Offer need-driven programs

4.     Better visibility / marketing / less church-y / invite community to all that we do

5.     Improve our internal communication / Intentional and transparent about finances and fundraising

 Comments

• The top section of this page is a synthesis of where the group seemed to coalesce. It

should be treated as a draft that can still be revised as needed.

• The 3 metaphors and the five categories of “next faithful steps” inform SVUMC’s vision

to be “an inclusive church that loves God, grows spiritually, serves others and shares hope through Jesus Christ.” I believe that acting on the faithful steps will give more clarity to the church’s identity than revising the vision statement.

• The last 2 faithful steps are related and could be combined into one.

• Offering “need-driven programs” is a step with endless possibilities. It is extremely important for SVUMC to (a) listen first to determine which needs to address, (b) have an external orientation in this work, (c) start small with experiments rather than large programs, (d) learn and grow based on those experiences.

• For each category of faithful next steps, leadership should decide specific steps to be taken and determine who will be responsible for leading those steps.

Discernment: to recognize and follow God’s will

Hoped for result of discernment: insight and wisdom

There is a difference between discernment and planning.

Planning asks: What are we doing?

Discernment asks: What is God doing?

I invite you to consider the notes above and come to the meeting Monday night after pondering these questions:

Where is Christ’s presence needed most? What is the biblical story we are now inhabiting?

 What is the difference God is calling us to make in this season of ministry at Spring Valley?

 What is God doing among our neighbors and how can we be a part of it?

What are the gifts and skills of the people around us? What could they teach us?

Who can teach us what we don’t know?

Why is it we get stuck here often? How did we get into this? Where are we out of balance?

Estudio Biblico

Many of you know that last year, we had our first Spanish Christmas Eve Service, and it was amazing! We were excited to meet three people and interested in returning. 

Pastor Frank and I sat down, and I presented the idea of starting something new: a Spanish Bible Study. 

This new study will begin on February 4th and will continue for three months, with meetings happening every other Sunday at 12 p.m. During this time, we will be providing lunch and childcare to those who attend. 

We are excited to connect with our community and see the amazing things God is already doing around us. 

We invite you to share this news to pray without ceasing for this new ministry, and if you want to help out by sharing flyers in the community and businesses in the area, please reach out to me (rortiz@svumc.org).

I pray for the work of the Holy Spirit through each one of you as we continue to share God’s love and grace. 

Blessings, 

Pastor Rosedanny! 

UWF Bake Sale

Join us on Sunday, February 11th for another wonderful bake sale!

Easter Sunday Schedule

Looking Ahead to Holy Week

Coffee + Jesus Returns This Sunday

Coffee and Jesus small group returns this Sunday at 11:15 a.m. We will continue with our study, Called by Rev. Susan Rob.

We are studying six biblical characters and their call stories. We have discussed Abraham, Samuel, and Esther. Now, we will talk about the call stories of Jonah, Mary Magdalene, and the beloved disciple.

Our small group is not a typical Bible study. We mostly have a study through conversation and relating what we are learning to our own lives. We always have fun, so much coffee, and lots of Jesus!

Pastor Rosedanny hopes to see you!

New Sermon Series

The beginning of the year is an excellent time to recommit one’s goals; but have you ever thought about putting that same energy into your spiritual life? God’s faithfulness means God’s commitment to humanity is constant, but if we are honest, our commitment to God wavers. Over the next five Sundays, we will explore various covenants God made throughout the First Testament: with the creation and with God’s people. This series will provide tools to strengthen our relationship with God throughout 2024 and beyond.

Birth of the Messiah Study

New study in the New Year! The Birth of the Messiah study with Pastor Frank will be January 7-24, 2024. Think of it as an extended Epiphany! This class will go from 11:15am-12:00pm on Sundays after worship. The class will study images of classical art and the accompanying narratives of Jesus' birth. Who's in?