The Campanile

October 17, 2017

Pastor’s Perspective

Volume 22, Issue 22

St. Philip’s United Methodist Church

The Campanile

November 14, 2017

Newest Member

Please welcome Tim

Ausburn, who joined

St. Philip’s UMC on

November 12, 2017!

Be sure to greet him

the next time you

see him!

Not so long ago famous people all over the world were polled by a magazine which asked

them the question - "if you could be granted one wish that will come true right now - what

would that be?" There were some very interesting responses - but one response im-

pressed the magazine's editors so much that they commented on. That response was

this - I wish that I could be given an even greater ability to appreciate all that I already

have.

This ability to give thanks for all situations in life was the source of joy in the early

church and it had incredible results in the lives of those disciples and apostles, and in the

lives of all those around them. They lived happy and triumphant lives, they rejoiced even

when they were being afflicted and persecuted, and their fellowship continually grew until

it reached the ends of the earth.

What do you think would happen if each one of us suddenly became a more thankful person? I know for

sure that as more thankful people we become more appreciative people – especially of the people we love

and far too often take for granted. And as more thankful and more appreciative people, we become more

content, less envious of others, and we live a more joy filled life. So as we come, once again, to the sea-

son of Thanksgiving, where is your sense of thankfulness? This year let us make a commitment to give

thanks. Give thanks in all circumstances. Give thanks for everything. Give thanks at all times.

Central South District Charge Conference

November 29, 6:30-8:30pm

Clusters will be at Westbury United Methodist

Church, 5200 Willowbend, 713-723-0175. We will be

meeting with Disciples, Bethany, St. Philip’s and

Westbury. Meeting will begin with Worship,

followed by Charge Conference Business, and end

with witness by leadership on “working through

congregational conflict” and “ creating multicultural

congregations”.

Glamour and Romance Next Senior Trip on Tuesday, November 28, 10 am—2 pm

Our next Senior Day Trip is to the Museum of Fine Arts to see Oscar de la

Renta ensembles, Tuesday, November 28. Bus leaves the St. Philip’s parking lot

(5501 Beechnut) at 10 am, returns about 2 pm. It is a self-guided tour of the ex-

hibit is $18. Arrangements for payment should be made at the time you sign up

for the trip. There will be no lunch stop, but food is available for purchase at the

museum. Due to a Precinct 3 regulation, this trip is only open to those age 50+.

If you want more information or would like to sign up, contact Tom or Tana

Wilkinson at wilkinsonsword@sbcglobal.net or 832-588-4783. Deadline to sign

up is Nov. 21 or whenever all tickets are sold.

P a g e 2 T h e C a m p a n i l e

Prayer Requests:

Please remember these persons in your prayers:

Lori Weiss, Royal McMullium, Myrtle Dawkins, Ann

Bevers, Richard & Barbara Drozd, Gilbert McFarllen,

Norman & Carmen Molina, Pennie Butler, Trish Car-

roll, Bax Shelby, Robert Duncan, Ann Evans, Gary &

Diane Seagle, Gladys Coleman, Hurley Criner II, Anita

Robinson, Roni Allison, Jon Ann Andrews, Joe Little,

Peggy McGowan, Phil McGowan, Walter Boyd, Marc

Barentine, Ximena Townsend, Steve Frazier, Joyce &

Gary Wright, Mary Linn, Philip Alexander, Gladys

White, Wava Jane Pritchett, Sam Garrett, Ken Szeto,

Jose Benavidez, Sally Jo Gifford, Ronnie Cortez, Terry

Shaw, Sybil Gruetzmacher, Bobby Curtis, Maryanne

Flory, Merlyn Bruce, Mike Frisco, Mona Adams, Jerry

Ray and Kevin & Kristi Lang. Members affected by

the flood: Martha Alexander, Ellie Auflick, Merlyn &

Lora Bruce, JoAnn & Mike Donovan, Marianne Drabek,

Brian Drozd, Ava Duncan, Julie Fessler, Kris Fields,

Jacob Greene, Bill Groves, Roy & Diane Hollingsworth,

Kinglan Hung, Barbara & Ed Kile, Marilyn Lacour, Jess

& Edith Pryor, Kim & Kevin Swan, Sally Waheed, Jay &

Lori Weiss, Lula & Eldean Williams, and Trina Williams.

Members of the Armed Forces: Andy Greenhill,

Thomas Tomaini, Austin Meyer, Ron Schoonover, Jef-

fery Wells, Dalton Dottie, Walter Coffee, Rochelle

Fuller, Iris Vance & Robert Rueter.

For Our Homebound Members: Cliff Ater, Walter

Boyd, Lora Bruce, Pennie Butler, Marilyn Curtis, Ava

Duncan, Leanna Ellis, Marshall Hatch, Lee Hartwell,

Ruby Jurden, Ruth King, Ann Link, Peggy McGowan,

Vivian Oliver, Lee & Ann Schrock, Betty Spargo, and

Gladys White.

First Responders: Christopher Szkody, J. D. Norman,

Ruben Johnson, Barry Curtis, Bryan Curtis, Seth Cap-

pen, Roslie Hutchison, Joanna Abad, Anthony Vale,

Matthew & Laurie White, and Rick Buckner.

Have a prayer request? Please call Prayer Ministry

Chairperson June Kitchens at (832) 767-1926 or call

the church office with your request at 713-666-2175.

Annual Christmas Dinner

December 1, 6 pm in Fellowship Hall

Hosted by the United Methodist Men & Women

with Traditional Turkey & Dressing with all the

Trimmings. Program is presented by gospel trio

featuring our own Braxton Ed-

wards. Dinner Cost is $15.00.

Children 12 and under free.

Please contact Allen Grant, Marcie

Gruetzmacher, Bill Gruetzmacher,

and Gary Wright or the church of-

fice for tickets. Deadline Nov. 26.

Church Sunday Schedule

Sunday School for all ages at 9:15am

Worship Service -10:30am

Youth Fellowship SPYRIT-11:30am

Community Thanksgiving Service

Sunday, November 19th, 4:00 p.m. Willow Meadows Baptist Church

4300 West Bellfort Ave.

A collection will be taken to benefit

Braes Interfaith Ministries.

A Reception will follow so that you may

visit with your neighbors.

November Sermon Series:

Theme: The Christian Life

Nov. 19 “Thanksgiving-More Than a Feeling”

Deuteronomy 8:7-18

Nov. 26 “The Last Word”

Ephesians 1:15-23

The Crossroads Class

Sunday School Advent Study:

Nov. 19 - Dec. 17

“Faithful-Christmas Through

the Eyes of Joseph”

We meet at 9:15 AM in Room 107.

Nov. 19 - A Carpenter Named Joseph

Nov. 26 - Whose Child Is This?

Dec. 3 - Raising a Child Not Your Own

Dec. 10 - The Journey to Bethlehem

Dec. 17 -The Rest of the Story

Save the date! Sat., Dec 9, 6-8:30pm.

An Evening in Bethlehem

Mary Pena will have Volunteer sign up

sheets in the narthex each Sunday.

Fellowship Sunday School Class New Winter Study

December-February “Faith in Action”

Unit 1: Faith in Christ Unit 2: A Living Faith in God Unit 3: Godly Faith

From Christian Life Series

We meet at 9:30 am in Room 101. Join us!

P a g e 3 V o l u m e 2 2 , I s s u e 2 2

The first Sunday in November is an important day in the life of our Church. We are asked to bring to the altar our pledge for giving in the year ahead. This past Sunday, thirty-three (33) pledge cards were submitted. Last year, on the same first Sunday in No-vember, fifty-one pledge (51) cards were submitted. This is not a hopeful trend. I hope and pray that we are just a forgetful lot, and I pray you will remember to bring your 2018 pledge next Sunday or as soon as you can. In 2017, this year, our identified giving is expected to be just over $310,000. Pledges made in 2016 to support 2017 totaled $244,000. We promised almost eighty percent of what is given to support St. Philips. That promise supports about fifty percent of the total budget of our Church. If our pledges go down in support of 2018, we will not be able to sustain or grow the ministry of our Church for each other, for our community, and in service to our Lord. Pledging is an important component to supporting a successful church. I received blind data regarding the 2016 pledge amounts. I do not know who pledged any amount (except my own pledge). The graph below uses a logarithmic scale to display the pledge amounts. Logarithmic scaling can be confusing, but its value is in its ability to more precisely measure the individual pledge amounts. In the graph, the median pledge, the pledge made at the fiftieth percentile is read from the y-axis as approximately $2,800 for the year. (The actual mid-point pledge is $2,780.)

This means that half of the pledgers gave less than $2,800 per year and half gave more than that amount. Twenty five per-cent of pledgers promised just over $6,000 per year ($6,210). Ten percent of pledgers promised $11,000 per year ($11,100). The highest pledge was $16,900; one pledge card was for zero, but the next lowest pledge was $300. Your pledge is between you and God. I hope you will be generous by whatever standard you hold dear. You and I are the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. We bring Christ to our community. As Methodists, we are called upon to participate in the ministries of our Church with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness. Pledging is a significant part of that commit-ment.

Blessings to you all. John Guest Chairman, Finance Committee

Promises for Giving to St. Philip’s United Methodist

Upcoming Events

Nov 19, 4pm Community Thanksgiving Service

Willow Meadows Baptist, 4300 W.Bellfort

Nov 20, 7pm UMM Meeting (107)

Nov 28, 10am-2pm Senior Trip to MFAH

Nov 29, 6:30-8:30pm Charge Conference -

Westbury UMC. 5200 Willowbend

Dec 1, 6pm UMM/UMW Christmas Dinner and

Program. Tickets $15 are on sale now!

Join us for Hanging

of the Greens

Worship Service

December 3, 10:30am

Celebrate the beginning of the

Advent Season with carols, scrip-

ture and decorating the Chrismon

Tree.

9:15 am Sunday School

DATED MATERIAL– November 14, 2017

St. Philip’s United Methodist Church

5501 Beechnut Street

Houston, Texas 77096

Voice 713.666.2175

Fax: 713.666.2349

Email: staff@spumc.com

Church Staff

Lisa Callaway, Pastor

Braxton Edwards, Director of Music Ministries

Ryan Pennington, Organist/Accompanist

Shelley Foreman, Administrative Assistant

Marc DeRome, Youth Director

Deanna White, Treasurer

Theresa Burnett, Day School Director

Find us at www.spumc.com

Non-Profit Org.

U. S. Postage Paid

Permit No. 65

Bellaire, Texas

FAMILY FUN DAY was a success!

Our first second Saturday Family Fun Day was

held on November 11. The families who attend-

ed had a great time painting pumpkins, playing

turkey tail tag, competing in a pumpkin roll re-

lay, making marshmallow turkeys and many oth-

er games. We hope to grow our attendance and

outreach in the community throughout the year.

The next event will be “An Evening in Bethlehem”

on December 9.

Day School Fireman Puppet Show and Halloween Parade

On Wednesday, October 25th

the Houston Fire Department Community

Relations Department came to our school to perform a puppet show on

fire safety. The Pre-K, Preschool and Toddler II Class attended the pup-

pet show. The children and the staff really enjoyed the puppets, the

songs and the stories. After the show ended the fire fighters invited any

of the children that wanted, to put on a genuine fire fighters’ coat and

helmet and be photographed with the fire fighter. Many of the children

participated in trying on the coat and helmet . One of our Toddler II chil-

dren wanted to do it at least three times. She really enjoyed the experi-

ence.

On Tuesday, October 31st

we held our annual Halloween Parade. The

children dressed in their Hallo-ween costumes and paraded through the

classrooms, the music room, the director’s office and the church of-

fice. They “trick or treated’ and received a lot of goodies. The families

were invited to take photos of their child’s class in their costumes as well as take individual photos of their

child/children in the pumpkin patch. It was a fun time for all. Theresa Burnett, Day School Director