Our mission as a church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.  In order to do this together as one body, we need a place to where we are all headed together.  This picture of our preferred future is sometimes called our vision.  A vision is a dream of what we pray and hope that God wants us to be.

Working together to focus on the preferred picture of our future

As a church, we have focused on several goals as we head into the future with a dream.  Here are those goals we have discussed in service (and some tomorrow morning).  These goals have come from discussions with members, leadership gatherings, and time spent by our members in the community.

Worship focused goals:
- Offer a third worship service that is not on Sunday morning.  Goal – begin worship in 2013.

Mission/Service focused goals:
- CARES Project – Offer service needs to our immediate neighbors in Hutto.  Goal – begin immediately.
- Adult Mission Trip – There is just something powerful about getting adults out of their comfort zone and into God’s work.  Goal – offer first trip summer 2013.
- Spanish ESL Classes – Build relationships with the close to 20% latino/hispanic community in Hutto.  Offer hope to those who are “lost” in our community due to barriers in language.  Goal – begin classes during next school year.

Student focused goals:
- Kids’ Ministry – Wednesday night activities and connection for kids.  Goal – launched test in May, begin complete program in September.
- Strengthen Families – Continually offer opportunities for couples to grow closer in their marriage, strengthen tools for parenting, and focus on getting out of debt and saving for their family.

Administrative focused goals:
- Purchase another temporary building to have a closer nursery option and more space for large group activities.  Goal – purchase in 2012.
- Retire our large church debt ($350,000).  We still owe money on the project to move and renovate the sanctuary.  Goal – 3 year campaign beginning in January 2013.
- Build a Ministry Center – Once we have our debt in order, build a center that will allow for large group meetings, meals, and partnering with other ministries in the community.  A place to strengthen our service.

In all, our goal is to strengthen not our church, but the Kingdom of God in Hutto, Texas.  We must be a church that is about things greater than ourselves.  May we continue to strive to be about the work of God and not our own personal preferences.

If any of the goals above strike at the root of who you are, if you would like to step up to lead any of the initiatives above, please let me know.

I have always wondered where this odd word came from – “maundy.”  Many churches have Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday services, but I’m not sure any of us can really say what that word means.  I myself have led and participated in them for years.  A couple weeks ago, one of the farmers at my Wednesday breakfast asked me what the word meant – I can’t say I gave him a good answer.  Time to do some research…

First, I know it’s not “Monday Thursday” – as I have had a few church members here and there ask me.

After some looking around and reading of our United Methodist Book of Worship, here is what I can tell you… (HERE is a blurb from the umc.org)

“Maundy” is an old English word that comes from the Latin word Mandatum.  Mandatum is the first word in the Latin reading of John 13:34 (A new commandment I give you, that you love one another; as I have loved you).  So, one could say that Maundy Thursday is really about love – it’s a love service (take care as to how you go about advertising this).

We remember this commandment to love in two ways – footwashing and communion.  Footwashing and communion both remind us that Jesus was a servant to all (footwashing verses – John 13:1-7, 12-16, 34-35).

OK, I’m not gonna lie.  I have never been a big fan of the footwashing service.  I guess for me it reminds me too much of those younger years when my feet weren’t as clean as they are now.  Being asked to take off my socks and shoes (unveiling the funk) was almost like asking me to go up front in my underwear.  The embarrassment overtook the significant meaning to these services.  For me, it’s a personal space thing.

Although it isn’t as meaningful, I usually prefer to do a hand washing.  It gets close to the point without asking participants to worry about their pedi-issues.  If I were to do a footwashing service today, I would make sure everyone knew ahead of time.  They could prepare by wearing sandals I suppose.

So a couple things to hang onto about Maundy Thursday.  It’s a love thing and a servant thing.  We worship a God who is love (1 John 4:8).  This leads us to worship and be thankful for that love.

I would encourage you to allow Maundy Thursday to be part of your Lent/Easter journey.  Allow this time to be reminded again of the way God served us through Jesus Christ.

Hope you all have a happy weekend!

-Alan

Financial Peace University is coming to Hutto, Texas.

This past Sunday we began encouraging people to sign up for Financial Peace University.  It is biblically based financial planning from Dave Ramsey.  It’s a wonderful way to take control of your money and help open up lines of communication with your spouse.  If you would like to participate, anyone is welcome.  Please read below and respond either in the comments or to my personal email at alan@huttodiscovery.org.

I am so thrilled that we had a page full (with two on the back) of names for our first Sunday getting the word out about Financial Peace University.  I’d like to share a few brief points towards the class and then ask you to help us set our time/day of week.  I am strongly considering offering two times during the week.

• FPU will be 12 weeks long for us and is biblically based.  Here is a video preview.
• We will start the week of Feb 19th and end the week of May 13th.
• The class cost is about $100 which includes the books, workbook and a few other items.  If anyone should be unable to pay, we will work with you or work to find scholarships.
• The class focuses on 7 “baby steps” which are $1,000 emergency fund, pay off debt (except house), 3-6 month emergency fund, invest, college funding, pay off home early, and then give.  It takes years to get through many of these steps.
• You will be encouraged to stop using your credit cards.  When I took (led) this class, I wanted to fight this.  Turns out it was a great move for us.
• The class is video led followed by group questions.  About 90 minutes altogether.
• You are highly encouraged to take this class with your spouse.  There is an added benefit of building your relationship during the class.  You can also take it with another immediate family member (one set of books).
• The class is challenging and just might change your life.  As a bonus, the videos are not boring.

To set our time and date, please respond back to all of the following time suggestions with Green, Yellow or Red.  Green is “go for it”, yellow is “I could but it wouldn’t be easy” and red is “no way I could make this time.”  We will do our best to offer one or two times which are best for us all.  We will offer childcare as needed and probably have parents pitch in to help cover.

• Sunday afternoon 3:30-5:00PM =
• Sunday evening 5:30-7:00PM =
• Monday evening 6:30-8:00PM =
• Tuesday evening 6:30-8:00PM =
• Wednesday evening 6:00-7:30PM =
• Thursday morning 8:30-10:00AM =
• Thursday evening 6:30-8:00PM =
• Saturday morning 8:00-9:30AM =

Thanks and make it a great week!

Hutto Discovery presents a unique ministry during the summer that I can’t say I have seen anywhere else – especially at a church of this size.  They offer a series of summer camps with various themes from computers to art to gardening.  It’s pretty exciting to think about how much the facilities are used during the summer when many churches will set empty except for their Vacation Bible School week.

Yesterday we invited anyone from the church to come to an initial planning meeting for our summer camp program.  This will be the fourth or fifth year of running the camps.  We had a table full of ideas, suggestions, and excitement to make this summer great – about ten people in all.  Our vision for the camps this summer is to focus on the smaller (and more manageable) camps and make them fun for different ages of kids while also keeping our volunteer base refreshed.  It was agreed by all that we would hold off on offering the super large camps and instead do really well at the interest camps.

Here is a tentative list of camps for this coming summer.  Registration will move to a day closer to the beginning of the camps (probably starting in May).  The themes for the camps may alter, but the week of the camps on the calendar should remain the same.  The specific dates, times and ages will be released at the end of February.

2012 Discovery Camps
Art Camp – week of June 11th
Grow Camp – week of June 25th (Junior Master Gardeners)
Underwater Camp (Vacation Bible School) – week of July 23rd
HeliOs Computer Camp – week of July 30th
Music (or Cooking) Camp – week of August 6th – hey, maybe a musical cooking camp!

If you are interested in volunteering for any of the above camps, please let me know or comment below.  We will work to lock in all of our needed volunteers in March to assure that we are spreading around the needs.

Finally, we intend to hire someone during the summer to serve as a camps coordinator/facilitator.  This person will be full of energy, organized to the hilt, able to spin 12 plates at a time while smiling, and willing to help us make this summer incredible.  I would imagine this would be a college student on summer break – so please start asking around if you know someone that might be interested.

Make it a great week and share the love of Christ with someone today!

This morning I have been preparing for a three week message beginning January 15th on personal finances and generosity.  Through all of these notes, a common theme continues to rise to the top - surrender.  To know the joy in generosity, we must surrender our need to live like our neighbor and surrender our desire to find our security in “stuff.”  Everything we have (even the ability to make money) comes from God.  I’ve probably mentioned this word five times in recent sermons, it just keeps appearing as I reflect on the Christian calling and life.  Maybe it is a word I need to reflect on more myself.

This past Sunday (January 1), we ended our Covenant Renewal with a prayer called “A Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition.”  While it is full of ancient words, it is full of deep meaning as we seek to surrender our whole selves to God.  I would encourage you to read this prayer again and again as you seek to love the Lord with all our heart and all our soul and all our strength and with all your mind.

I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things
to thy pleasure and disposal…Amen

May the grace of Jesus Christ dwell in you this week so that others will see the Good News living through you!

Some fun Christmas Hippo pictures for you!  Merry Christmas ya’ll!

We interrupt this churchy pastor blog to bring you some findings in the world of BBQ…

During my first week in Hutto, my Facebook comments turned into a Battle Royale when I asked where one should take their family for some BBQ.  As it turns out, opinions on local BBQ are strong and passionate.  Political conversation too strong for ya? – well then stay away from BBQ talk.  These tasty meats can bring a community together or tear a family apart.

I’ve been eating my way around town, but not yet to the point where a cable network will offer a show deal.  Southside Market in Elgin had incredible sausage.  The local Salt Lick was overall very good, but maybe a little too uptown for my authentic BBQ desires.  The opposite of Salt Lick was the Taylor Cafe where you step back in time to eat BBQ the way it has been done since just after WWII.  Finally, a church member took me this past week to Louie Mueller in Taylor.  They had what had to be the biggest and juiciest slice of brisket I have ever seen.  That was really a special meal on a chilly wet day.

Enough of the talk, let’s see some pictures…

This mass quantity of food was from a simple order of two slices of brisket and a rib - careful how you order!

Louie Mueller also had some history on their walls.

You really have to know where you are going to find the Taylor Cafe.

Not the greatest picture, but you can see Mr. Vencil Mares sitting in his normal chair at the very end of the bar. He has been there since WWII.

I'm going to assume this deer has seen a few plates of BBQ in his day at the Taylor Cafe.

The heater at the Taylor Cafe will take you back.

The Babu (my dad) bought the food, so we just might have had more than we needed at the Southside Market.

You are worried about two things right now.  First, YES, I am going to the gym many times each week and eating some salads in between meats.  Second, YES, I am working my way around to the breakfast tacos – so that should come next.

Speaking of the gym – I’ll see ya there in 5 minutes.  Make it a great weekend and don’t forget to check out the Live Nativity at the Taylor Immanuel Lutheran Church tonight or tomorrow night.

This past Sunday the sermon was about finding joy through loving others.  John 15:11-12 says, “I have said these things to you so that my joy will be in you and your joy will be complete.  This is my commandment: love each other just as I have loved you.”  For all the ways we seem to make the Bible confusing, this commandment seems pretty straight forward – do works of love for others.  When we work outside ourselves, we find real joy.

Saturday was a day full of witnessing the joy in serving others.  Orange Santa, Coats for Kids, Hutto Food Pantry, Bethlehem Live, and on and on – I had a chance to see so many from this community helping out to make a better life for others.  It even continued into today as a group of accountants from Dell showed up to the church to give a few hours working in our flower beds at the church.  Way cool!

Oh, and don’t tell these Dell folks that I took this picture on an iPhone!

The sermon ended by asking the question, “What is the opposite of love?”  Is hate too easy of an answer?  Maybe the opposite of doing acts of love is not doing acts of love – that doesn’t sound like hate to me.  If “not doing acts of love” is the opposite of love, then this means that my busy life can keep me from love…and then joy.  Many of my selfish actions and selfish time management can lead me to be the opposite of love.  Ouch! That stings a little if you see it that way.

The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of beauty is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, but indifference between life and death.  – Elie Wiesel

Jesus came that we might have life and have it to the full.  May we all be encouraged to continuously strive to find places in our life where we can put ourselves aside, serve others and find the gift of joy offered through that service.

One huge part of church communication is the website.  In my opinion (and for this blog that is really all that counts….right?), A church website is built mainly for the community person trying to check out a church (members can get their weekly newsletter).  One need not dress up and come into a new place on Sunday morning – they can visit the church in the comfort of their own home (wearing whatever they want).

So what to put on the website?  I’m a churched person – I grew up in the church and know no life outside of the church.  So it’s hard to imagine what it is like looking into a church for the first time.  If the website is their first peek into the church, What would someone look to know?  What would they need to feel comfortable enough to give it a go?  Are they afraid of getting yelled at?  Are they afraid of having to stand up for a big introduction?  What basic beliefs do they want to read without getting too academic?

Sometimes our job as a “church person” is to see the church with the eyes of someone new.  Maybe not even new to the faith, but new to the community or church.  We have to be careful not to use jargon that only “insiders” know.  For instance, one of my former churches had this great big room called the CLC.  Frequently, we would make announcements and invite people to the CLC.  If you were new to a church, would you know what a “CLC” is?  But we can do this all the time if we aren’t careful…SPRC, UMW, Narthex, Trustee, etc.  We can really confuse some first time guests if we want.  Does everyone really come into the church having memorized the Lord’s Prayer?

So I’m really rambling on with this two-topic post.  But these have been some of the thoughts as we look to launch a new website for the church.  Our current website was created by someone that has moved.  So, we are looking to build something that is quicker, simpler, and more easily accessible for people needing to know some basic information.  If you would like to watch the construction in progress, you can visit the site at www.allforgreenmoms.com.  (Don’t ask why we hid it there, just check it out).  And again, this site isn’t nearly finished yet.  Some areas of it look like 79 heading through Taylor right now.  Construction should be finished by mid-December.  We have a couple great photographers (Ken and Connie) working to bring some beauty to the site.