Sundays 8:30 & 9:45 a.m. Traditional
11:00 a.m. Contemporary and Spanish
Wednesdays 6:30 p.m.
Free Childcare on Sundays
4405 Main Street, Rowlett TX 75088 | 972.475.3667
Service Times
A Message from our Pastor following General Conference
February 27, 2019
Dear First Rowlett Family-
The special session of General Conference has been meeting in St. Louis over the past 4 days and came to an end Tuesday evening. There was much debate and many proposals and petitions considered, but the biggest outcome is that the Traditional Plan was passed by a 53% vote of the delegates.
This news will be met with mixed reactions in our congregation. This would be the case no matter which plan was passed. We are a diverse church with diverse opinions surrounding these topics that were taken up by our General Conference. While some will be relieved at this outcome, just as many will be disappointed by this decision. Others will be hurt as they interpret this decision to imply that those who identify as LGBTQ+ are not accepted in the church. This is not the case. Our Book of Discipline states, “We affirm that all persons are individuals of sacred worth, created in the image of God.” It is critical that as we move forward, we do so with a commitment to sharing the love of Christ in all that we say and do.
I will be in conversation with the staff and will attempt to find ways to keep you informed about what the decisions made at General Conference means for our denomination going forward. The passing of the Traditional Plan does not change anything in our immediate future. Although the General Conference session has ended, there will still be a Judicial Council review that could impact what actually takes effect.
I have already seen that many major news sources have picked up this story, and I expect that will continue to be a point of discussion in the media this week. Our delegation and Bishop are just returning from this conference, but I wanted to be sure that you were informed of the initial decision. As we know more, I will do my best to keep you informed. I trust that our Bishop will lead us through this time and give us guidance as we process the many questions that will be raised. As we look to the future, our main goal is to remain committed to our mission to make disciples of Christ for the transformation of the world. First Rowlett will continue to be a beacon of hope for our community, sharing the love of Christ.
Grace and Peace,
Pam
Rev. Pam White,
Senior Pastor
From the February 28 e-news
Greetings
"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." - Matthew 22:36-40
Jesus taught that the most important thing we can do is to love God and to love others. I know that this has been a week of strong emotions for many people as the United Methodist Church continued the conversation about matters related to human sexuality. I am saddened to know that in the wake of these discussions, there are individuals who have experienced pain instead of love.
As the United Methodist Church made decisions this week about whether to change our denominational stance, the passing of the Traditional Plan maintains our current stance regarding marriage and ordination while adding additional consequences for clergy who violate these prohibitions. In our congregation, we know everyone is not of one mind on the complicated issues of human sexuality.
But I still believe that people who don't think alike can worship together, break bread together, pray together, and serve others together. Jesus prayed that we be one, and that prayer continues. I will continue to do my best to be everyone's pastor because that's what I heard God say when I responded to the call to ministry. I know we have members who are LGBTQ+ and many of you have family members and friends who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. As your pastor, I need you to hear me say that God loves you, and I am sorry for any pain you feel as a result of this decision. My calling is to help every person find their place at the table of Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life, and to spend their lives in pursuit of loving God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love their neighbor as themselves.
Please know that I am available for any of you who have questions or would like to talk more about these decisions.
Grace and Peace,
Pam
Wonderfully Made Seminar
Friday, May 3 - Saturday, May 4, 2019
First Rowlett UMC Lighthouse
Wonderfully Made is a faith-based curriculum focused on helping pre-teens and young teens understand their bodies, the changes they are going through, and how God loves them now and always. This class will explain sexual anatomy as well as the different aspects of puberty, the influence of social media, decision making and how it is all wrapped up in how God created us Wonderfully Made.
This course is only a part of the education your child will receive regarding human sexuality and the values that you hope to instill in them as they grow. While the bulk of the class is for the young people, there are vital parts that parents (or other influential adults) will need to play in these young persons' growth and education when it comes to human sexuality. We look forward to partnering with you on this journey.
Registration includes materials, course, and lunch on Saturday. The class is designed for young people ages 9·12.
Early Bird Registration before March 31st - $45 Regular Registration before April 14th - $50.
Click HERE to register.
Contact Liz Harper for more infonnation. Liz.harper@firstrowlett.org.
Sign-up Here
for your free Family Photo Session
To celebrate our church family and strengthen the bond within our congregation, we welcome you to be a part of our upcoming new directory. We need you to make our directory complete.
We are partnering with Lifetouch for this important project. Lifetouch is providing the directory at no cost to our church.
Every family or individual photographed will receive a complimentary directory and an 8 x 10 portrait.
PHOTOGRAPHY DATES: March 25-29 from 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm
& March 30 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
For your convenience, all photography and portrait viewing will take place at our church with no sitting fee.
You will have a variety of poses taken and one pose will be selected for the directory. In addition to your complimentary 8 x 10,
you will have the opportunity to purchase additional portraits on the day of your portrait session.
Upcoming Events
Hang tight while we look up scheduled events...
-
Help is needed for children and youth on Sunday mornings.
Contact Brittany Wright for youth
Contact Liz Harper for children
Type the content for this list item here. This is just example text to show you what it will look like when you enter text content into this list item. Your unique, authentic, and appropriate text will be filled into this section.
