District Newsletter

AUGUST 2010
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ERADIO VALVERDE, JR.
District Superintendant

Everything I Know About Life I Learned in Sunday School
1. Everything about God and God’s love was explained on a flannel board.
2. All the cares of the past week disappeared as I shared a glass of Kool-Aid or punch with store-bought cookies.
3. There were no better friends than the ones who shared my faith each and every Sunday.
4. I knew I mattered because my Sunday school teacher was always there eagerly awaiting my arrival.
5. My first Super Heroes were the ones brought to life in the stories from the Bible. And yes, they made their appearance on the flannel board!
6. As far as everyone was concerned we could all really sing and do the motions that taught us about God.
7. When it was time to pray my Sunday school teacher closed her eyes; I knew she believed in the power of prayer and so should I.
8. It felt great to drop a quarter, nickel, or penny into that bamboo bowl each Sunday. The teacher said it went to help in the work of Jesus. That made me feel a part of an important work.
9. Christmas was more special to those of us who got to wear bathrobes and march in a play as we took wrapped cigar and Kleenex boxes to the baby Jesus.
10. Sunday school always seemed to be fun and for a long time, more fun than what followed next.
You could add your own list to the life lessons you learned from Sunday school. I remember with great fondness that small Sunday school room in Kingsville that was in every sense of the word, the happiest place on earth. Unlike a high priced, short-lived Disney vacation, what I learned in that Sunday school room blessed my life in helping mold who I am today. Sunday school was a life-long experience. And it was free.
My Sunday school teacher that impacted my life the most was Mrs. Flores. She was there as my awakening mind was asking questions about God and life and love, and she seemed to know all the answers. As difficult a week that I might have had, everything seemed right with the world when I was in that classroom for that one hour each Sunday. Mrs. Flores was an imposing figure in the spiritual and physical sense, and I knew of her love for all of us in that one hour of her life that she shared with us. I know she prepared for the lessons, but as far as I was concerned that great hour was a God-send. Little did we know in those days that the economy in those days would change in dramatic ways for all of us. The Missouri Pacific roundhouse would close and those children whose dads worked there would find themselves moving either to Houston or Harlingen. We were safe for a while as long as the Hygeia Diary was open there in Kingsville. It closed too soon and my dream of being a milkman like my dad would change as well. My dad tried other jobs and finally found work in Houston, leaving us alone, worried, scared and relying on those lessons of prayer that I had learned at home and at Sunday school. I believe that somehow in all that followed, the closing of businesses and the having to move to bigger or different cities worked for the best in all our lives. Little did I know that those Sundays and the move to Houston would lead to God’s call on my life.
I am now a pastor, and in some ways, thanks to Mrs. Flores. She laid the foundation of a faith that at an early age became very real to me, and it still is. She cared enough to study and prepare for our class, to get up earlier than us, and to arrive at church early enough to be the first in the class. That made it easier for us to hear her voice as she said welcome and as she asked how our week had been.
Now that I am a pastor I am saddened by the number of children who don’t know the same experiences that I had because their moms and dads don’t take them to Sunday school. I have to confess I had to be taken to Sunday school at first, when I wanted nothing more than to stay in bed and at home. Now I know my life is richly blessed because of that one hour I spent, once a week, in the class of Mrs. Flores.
Sunday school in my opinion is the best deal in town where it is still offered. In many churches where there are Sunday school classes for the kids inside, there are laughter, learning, and life-long preparation going on. And that one hour per week spent in a Sunday school is, in every sense of the word, the truly happiest place on earth. Who knows, these same kids will come back to make the earth a more livable place, as we look forward to the “new earth.”
Make time to take your children, and yourself, to attend Sunday school. I know there is a class just for you. If you don’t find one, ask about starting one. The blessings and benefits you will receive are out of this world!
*felt boards were folding board with felt cloth on the front. The teacher would tell a story and add felt cloth characters to the board. Both being of felt material, the character would stick to the board. Quite a tool, some would say better than PowerPoint lessons any day!

LINDA MORROW
Director of District Ministries

As you may have noticed the summer is quickly coming to an end and fall is just around the corner. Children and teachers are preparing to return to school. Summer crops are being harvested. Many of the churches in our district are preparing to reach out to the community through pumpkin patches and fall festivals. Plans are being made for new events. Sunday school classes are forming, and preparations are being finalized for the season of Advent.
Often times we look forward to fall knowing that we can get back in our old routines. Yet, this year as fall approaches, I wonder if God is calling us to remember that every season is different and unique. What worked in a previous time may not be appropriate during this season. Maybe as we look at the bountiful harvest and think about the golden colors of those big round things called pumpkins, we need to realize that God calls us to grow ever bigger and stronger in our faith. Maybe we need to ask: What is it Lord that you would have me take on during this season of life? Or: What is it that the Lord is asking me to let go of at this time?
The District is hosting a Spiritual retreat on October 1-2 at the Mustang Island Retreat Center on Padre Island. It will begin on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. and go through Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. This retreat called “The Christmas Package Marked ‘Return to Sender’”. Finding the Silence in Silent Night is designed to allow you to take time to answer these two questions. The cost of the event is $100 per person/double occupancy. Rev. Carol Pifer will be the retreat leader. I invite you to go to the Corpus Christi website for the brochure and registration - www.ccdistrictumc.org fill them out and join others in the district as we seek to prepare ourselves so that we can re-present Christ to our communities.

You may want to mark your calendar for these opportunities:
• District Celebration (South)  – September 18, at First United Methodist Church, Corpus Christi. 5:30pm. Celebrating Disciples in the southern part of the District.
• Lay Speaker Training – September 25 at First United Methodist, Portland, 8:30am-5:30pm. Both Basic and Advanced; go to the website for registration.

August
24 District Clergy Family Picnic – St. John’s UMC – 6:00 p.m.
26-September 3rd – DS Training

September
2 Sea City Workcamp at District Office – 6:30 p.m.
2 Leadership Development Meeting at District Office – 10-Noon
6 District Office Closed
7 Pastor’s Report due at District Office
9 District Professional’s Meeting in Goliad – 9:30 a.m.
14 Newsletter Deadline
18 District Celebration at FUMC ,CC - 5:30 p.m. Bishop Dorff will be attending.
25 Lay Speaker Training in Portland
28, 29 Cabinet Meeting

October
1, 2 District Spiritual Retreat at Mustang Island
7 Pastor’s Report due at District Office
7 District Professional’s Meeting in Robstown
7 Sea City Workcamp Meeting at District Office – 6:30 p.m.
12 Newsletter deadline
14 Older Adult Meeting at District Office –1:00 p.m.
24 Taft 100 year Celebration – Bishop Dorff preaching
25 Eradio Valverde’s Birthday
26, 27 Cabinet Meeting

November
4 Sea City Workcamp at District Office – 6:30 p.m.
7 Pastor’s Report due at District Office
11 District Professional’s Meeting at Rockport – 9:30 a.m.
15 Newsletter deadline
17-19 Cabinet Meeting
24-26 District Office Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday.

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	Title	Date	Options
	District Newsletter -August	08/26/2010
	District Newsletter -July (corrected)	07/01/2010
	District Newsletter -June	06/01/2010