On Sundays April 22 and 29, Lake Cities UMC will be offering “Church Scene Investigation”.  This 2-week course is primarily for new and prospective church members, but open to all desiring to learn more about the church.

The focus week 1 is “Who We Are”

• History of The United Methodist Church.
• History of Lake Cities United Methodist church.
• The polity (governance) of the United Methodist Church.
• What United Methodists Believe.

The focus week 2 is “How We Live Out Our Faith”

• Our prayers.
• Our presence.
• Our gifts.
• Our service and witness.

We have numerous enthusiastic presenters, each knowledgeable in the area they will address.  The class meets from 5:00 to 6:00 and then breaks for dinner (either bring your own or partake of the meal provided by the church for a donation of $3 to cover the cost).  Meals will be brought into the classroom with mealtime being used to become better acquainted with each other.  The class will resume sometime around 6:30 and will end around 7:30.

We would love to have you attend this very informative class.  Please fill out a registration form and return it to the church office by April 15, either online or in person.  Should you miss that deadline, you may call Susan Anderson at 940-497-2707.  No one will be turned away, but we need to have an idea of who is coming to prepare for child care as well as meals.

 

Download Registration Form

Parent Meeting

On Wednesday, November 2, we will parent's Information Session with the Rev. Dr. Andy Stoker on the topic of bullying and how to talk to your students about it.

This meeting will be happening during children's and youth activities that evening for the parents.

The special event times for that evening will be posted soon.

We look forward to great turnout for this event.  Please invite your family, friends and neighbors who could benefit from this education session.  Any questions, please contact Beau or Dorothea at the church office at (940)321-6100.

HOME GROUP REPORT

Lake Cities United Methodist Church just launched its second Home Group, following the success of another Home Group that was formulated last year. Home Groups serve the church well in that they provide a setting for new members to become better integrated into the larger church. They also provide a learning environment for those who do not belong to a traditional Sunday School class.

Each group is bounded together by similar interests or stations in life. Lake Cities first Home Group is made up of younger families and individuals who have similar interests and needs. Likewise, the church’s second group is made up of older families who have similar needs.

Home Groups are launched at the home of the pastor. After matching new families with established families, the pastor sends out an invitation for interested individuals to attend a first meeting. At the first meeting, a model is presented for future gatherings which include a meal and a time for study. Participants are then asked if they would like to continue to meet and vote accordingly.

Each meeting starts with a meal. After a time of fellowship everyone gathers for a spiritual lesson. Each meeting lasts no longer than two hours. All family members are encouraged to attend, including children. At the end of the meeting, participants set the date and place for the next meeting. It is encouraged that families meet in private homes to develop personal relationships in a Christian setting. It is also encouraged that these groups meet at least once a month. The structure and setting of these meetings are designed to be simple and non-intrusive.

Oversight of these groups fall under the staff of the church. Study material is provided by the church or is endorsed by the church. Costs for materials are shared by the participants.

What makes Home Groups different from Supper Clubs? While each group hosts a meal, Home Groups have a different focus. Home Groups are support gatherings for the whole family. They devote time at each meeting for religious study. They are composed of the same group over their lifetime and work similar to a Sunday School class. Supper Clubs, on the other hand, are groups designed to promote fellowship opportunities with the various members within the church. They do not have lessons and change in participants from meeting to meeting.

What makes Home Groups different from Emmaus Reunion Groups? While each group meets as a small gathering, Home Groups are different than Reunion Groups in that they are open for everyone to attend, not just those who have been on an Emmaus retreat. Another area of difference lies in that Reunion Groups are more concentrated on spiritual support, while Home Groups focus on relational support.

Home Groups, while seemingly new, are actually historical in the United Methodist Church. Author Julie Gorman in her book Community That Is Christian notes:

"Outstanding in the history of small group influence is the name of John Wesley . . . For Wesley, the small cell was central to the church . . . These small groups promoted unity, quality, control, and fellowship and became sites for progress reports, praying . . . and enabling members to grow. Methodism brought this small group network across the ocean to the New World.”

Reverend Dave Browning notes in his book, Hybrid Church, “Small groups are a side door into the church . . . some people are attracted by the small fellowships and then find their way into the public worship service.”

In comparison to Sunday School, Home Groups is yet another option to discover a safe and alternative way for fellowship and religious study within the church. Like Browning, Lake Cities UMC view these groups as yet another way to help people become more involved in the church.

If you are interested in joining a Home Group, please email Pastor Rene’ Lawson at rlawson@lakecitiesumc.org. If you are interested in joining a Supper Club group, please email Pastor Dyan Dietz at dyan@lakecitiesumc.org.

Susan Anderson

will facilitate

Becoming a Love and Logic Parent®”

A seven-week parent training program developed by

Jim Fay, Charles Fay, Ph.D., and Foster W. Cline, M.D.

of the

Love and Logic Institute, Inc., in Golden, Colorado

Would you like to:

 Feel more confident as a parent?
 Have more fun parenting?
 Feel more relaxed at the end of the day?

Would you like answers to:

 How can I get them out of bed on time to catch the school bus?
 How can I stop my children from bickering and fighting?
 How do I get my children to help with the chores without an argument?
 Is there a way to discipline my toddler in public without creating a scene?
 How can I get my teenager to come home at the agreed upon time?
 How do I get him to stop spitting his peas and whining at dinner?
 And many other day-to-day frustrations?

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With an investment of 14 hours of your time you can learn practical skills that you can use immediately and will last a lifetime.

Dates: Sundays, Oct. 23, 30, Nov. 6, 13, 20, 27, and Dec. 4. (May need to adjust dates due to Thanksgiving Holidays.)

Time: 5:00 to 6:00; break for dinner; 6:30 to 7:30.

Place: Lake Cities United Methodist Church, 300 East Hundley Drive, Lake Dallas

Cost: $15 per person for workbook (couples may share workbook).

Susan Anderson, Independent Facilitator of

Becoming a Love and Logic Parent®

940/497-2707

cda.sra@gmail.com

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Please fill out the following form and mail your $15.00 to:

Susan Anderson, Lake Cities UMC, 300 E. Hundley Drive, Lake Dallas, TX 75065

The Dead Sea Scrolls…

A class offered by Pastor Dyan Dietz
at Lake Cities United Methodist Church

Since their first discovery in 1947 by a Bedouin shepherd, the Dead Sea scrolls have ignited the imaginations of scholars and non-scholars alike. Amid confusion, speculation, international politics and religious passion, these scrolls and fragments, representing around 900 documents, have sparked research and debate for decades.

Beginning October 16, Lake Cities United Methodist Church will sponsor a six-week class exploring issues concerning the Dead Sea Scrolls. This class will look at the discovery of the scrolls, archaeological work at nearby Kirbet Qumran, various theories concerning who wrote and hid the
scrolls, and the scrolls themselves.

This is a six week course that will cover the discovery of the scrolls, the politics and controversy behind the possession and interpretation of the scroll materials, archaeology of the site at Kirbet Qumran, and the significance of the scrolls for Christianity today.

The course will be taught by Rev. Dyan Dietz who is a PhD student at Brite Divinity School studying second temple Judaism with a focus on the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The course will meet for six sessions on Sunday evenings at 6:30, beginning October 16.   

The cost is $10.00 per person.  Come join us for dinner each evening at 6:00pm ($3/person).

Register online or call the church office @ 940-321-6100.

This class is open to anyone in the Lake Cities area or beyond.  

From the Desert to the Web: Bring the Dead Sea Scrolls Online

Please join Susan Anderson beginning on October 9 (new date) for “Becoming a Love and Logic Parent®”, a 7-week parenting program designed by Love and Logic®.

You will learn practical parenting skills that can be used immediately and will get answers to questions such as: “How can I stop my children from bickering and fighting?” “Is there a way to discipline my toddler in public without creating a scene?” “How can I get my teenage daughter to come home on time?” And many other day-to-day parenting challenges.

Classes will be from 5:00 to 7:30PM with a 30-minute break for dinner at 6:00. Registration forms are in the church office. If you have any questions, call Susan at 497-2707 or email her at cda.sra@gmail.com. Click here TO REGISTER.

Learning Opportunities

Would you like to take advantage of a unique opportunity to learn more about serving God and/or enhancing your spiritual life?  The North Central District Lay Speaking Ministries is offering training on October 8 and 15 from 9:00 to 3:30 at Stonebridge UMC in McKinney, TX.

Many people don’t realize that lay speaking does not equate with preaching but with serving.  Some lay speakers do bring the Word of God to people, but that is only a small part of what we do.  You may also not realize that lay speaker training is open to anyone, even those not desiring to be lay speakers.  In a nutshell, lay speaker training develops leaders for the church and enhances spiritual life.

           

Courses offered in October are:

Lay Speaking Ministries (required as a first course for those desiring to become a lay speaker as well as to anyone), text is Basic Course;

Grow Spiritually through Daily Discipline (an advanced course for lay speakers, open to everyone), text is Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition;

Prayer (an advanced course for lay speakers, open to everyone), text is

Let the Whole Church Say Amen.

            Susan Anderson will be co-teaching the Prayer course with David Taylor from Denton, so anyone wanting to attend can carpool to McKinney with her.

            For more information contact Susan Anderson at 940-497-2707 or cda.sra@gmail.com.  Or you can download the informational flyer about the classes and the registration form.

CSI – Lake Cities UMC Style

Church Scene Investigation begins this Sunday at 5:00 PM in the Family Life Center.  This is a 2-week course designed for new and prospective members - but also open to anyone desiring to know more about Methodism and Lake Cities UMC.

The focus of week one is “Who are we?”  Topics will be the history of the United Methodist Church, the history of Lake Cities UMC, the leadership of the church, and what we believe as United Methodists.  

The focus of week two is “How do we live out our faith?”  Topics will be our prayers, our presence, our gifts, and our service and witness.

We will meet on September 11 and 18 from 5:00-6:00 PM, break for dinner from 6:00-6:30, and then meet again from 6:30 to 7:30.

If you plan to attend CSI, please let the church office (940-321-6100), or Susan Anderson (940-497-2707/ cda.sra@gmail.com) know.  We will be providing information packets for attendees and want to be sure we have one for everyone.
 

Our families, friends and community and have been impacted in various degrees by the recent deaths of two Lake Dallas Independent School District students. In an effort to provide practical information with a Christian perspective of these tragic events, Lake Cities United Methodist Church is presenting a special session Sunday, March 27th starting at 6:30 pm in the Sanctuary located at 300 E. Hundley Drive in Lake Dallas TX (map).

This session will help educate you regarding:

• High risk groups for suicide
• Signs of someone at risk of teenage suicide
• How to respond to those at risk of teenage suicide

This session will be presented by Pastor Rene’ Lawson, senior pastor at Lake Cities United Methodist Church. Private discussion will be available after the session for anyone needing additional assistance.

All are invited to attend and child care will be provided.

We especially welcome and encourage Junior High and Senior High students, as well as any parents or other adults who wish to participate from AROUND THE COMMUNITY - ALL are welcome.

Lenten Study Series  - March 20th - April 17th

Dare to explore some of the deeper questions on God? Pastor Rene’ will be leading a discussion on some of the complexities associated with our relationship with God through Jesus the Christ. Younger and older adults are invited to the class. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and share their faith at a desired comfort level. While the purchase of study material will not be required, discussions will be based on Andy Langford and Mark Rall’s book entitled Is This All There Is? And Other Big Questions about God and Life. Contact the church office for more information.

Lenten Study Series "Big Questions about God"

Sunday, 6:30 - 7:30 PM, Sanctuary

1. March 20. “Who Is Jesus and Why Should I Care?”

2. March 27. “If I Don’t Feel Lost Why Do I Need to Be Found?”

3. April 3. “How Do I Speak to God and How Does God Speak to Me?”

4. April 10. “What Happens When I Die?”

5. April 17. “Why Should I Join Any Group That Will Have Me as a Member?”