News/Events
Rev. Douglas ordained at annual conference
Mineral Wells Index
As Rev. Eric Douglas begins his second year as pastor of First United Methodist Church of Mineral Wells, he does so as an ordained minister.
Rev. Douglas was one of 11 Methodist pastors ordained on Wednesday as part of the church's 2017 Central Texas Annual Conference in Mansfield.
“I’m overjoyed that this part of my life is complete, it has been the focus and work of my life for the last dozen years or so," said Rev. Douglas, who began the ordination process in the summer of 2004. "There are a lot of challenges facing the church in our day, but I’m confident that our God is bigger than any of them.”
Becoming an ordained Methodist minister is a calling, followed by a detailed process that typically takes several years before completing the various stages of candidacy. It is a process of time and patience.
A candidate for ordination requires one year of UMC membership and admission to the program through the district superintendent. Candidacy requirements are one year of ministry service, be a certified candidate for one year, evaluations, completion of graduate-level theology training and undergoing several interviews.
Following that, a person is then commissioned as a provisional member and enters a residency program for two to 12 years to review their effectiveness as a minister. During this time the provisional member is assigned a church and reviewed by their local district superintendent, an assigned clergy mentor, a special committee of lay people from the local church, a regional board of other ministers and the normal personal committee of their church. After being recommended by all of these various bodies, boards, committees and persons, a provisional member must then be approved by a two-thirds majority vote of all the Methodist pastors in their Annual (regional) Conference.
Once ordained, the minister can perform all church rites and ceremonies and is guaranteed a pastorate of a congregation until retirement.
Rev. Eric Douglas began his pastorate of FUMC Mineral Wells on July 1, his third senior pastorate. His first was at First United Methodist Church of Bartlett, Texas. Following that he served as senior pastor of Dido United Methodist Church, a small country church in northwest Tarrant County.
Before coming to Mineral Wells, Rev. Douglas was associate pastor for First United Methodist Church in Waxahachie.
He is a graduate of Texas Wesleyan University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Religion, and Asbury Theological Seminary, where he received his Master of Divinity degree.
Rev. Douglas and his wife, Brittney, are the parents of daughters Kalea and Anastasia.
Welcome Hannah Newcomer
On Sunday, April 2, the church welcomed Hanna Newcomer as our new Director of Youth Ministries. Hanna is a current student at Tarleton State University.
She comes to FUMC Mineral Wells after having served on the staff of the Wesley Foundation as an intern. She also has experience filling various pulpits throughout our district. A meet-and-greet reception followed worship service this morning.
We look forward to the wonderful work and leadership through Christ Hannah will provide our youth and teens. She is pictured with Rev. Eric Douglas.
Church benches placed downtown
A project of the church's Communications Team was to create downtown benches promoting and creating awareness for the church.
On Aug. 2, three benches were placed downtown, two on either side of Cole's House of Flowers, and another across the street on East Hubbard Street, just down from Coy's Barber Shop. Jason Nesmith made the high-quality metal bench frames and painted them. The Communications Team designed the graphics and Bobby Richards produced the colorful backings.
Bobby and Jason are pictured with church pastor Rev. Eric Douglas.
Thanks to Bobby and Jason for their work and creations. Very special thanks to Joy and Dwain Eaton, at Cole's House of Flowers, and to Coy and building owner Ron Smith for allowing us to place the benches downtown.
Let us know if you notice and like them.
Saying goodbye
Ella's baptism
In a beautiful ceremony during morning worship on April 10, little Ella Hill was baptized at FUMC, the same church her father, Tommy, was when he was a baby.
Ella's mother, Amy, said: "It was so sweet and such a blessing to share this day with our family and friends! Thank you to her Godparents for loving our daughter so much and making this day such a special one to always remember!! And thank you Lianne Frank Turner for such a heart-warming ceremony! We are blessed beyond measure to have such wonderful family and friends and we love y'all dearly! Thank y'all for a wonderful day!"
We are blessed to have the Hills in our congregation and we look forward to watching Ella grow to be an amazing young girl and Christian like our other Methodist youth.
God is good. All the time.
New pastor appointed for FUMC Mineral Wells
When you meet Rev. Eric Douglas, offer him a cup of coffee. Along with cars, technology and computers, coffee is among his free-time joys.
Members of First United Methodist Church of Mineral Wells, and the community as a whole, will soon start to get to know Rev. Douglas. He has been appointed pastor of FUMC-Mineral Wells beginning July 1. He will be replacing the church's current pastor, Rev. Lianne Turner, who has been assigned to lead Little River UMC, where she will be near her son and daughter-in-law.
Douglas, 31, has been serving as associate pastor of Waxahachie First United Methodist Church. He has been married eight years to his high school sweetheart, Brittney, and they have two daughters, Kalea, 6, and Anastasia, 5. Also a member of their family is Baby Kitty.
In announcing his appointment to his current church's staff and congregation, Douglas stated: “I want all of you to know that God is in this movement. In the seasons of our ministry we often lose sight of the reality that all things have a season. For me, that season here at FUMC Waxahachie is ending, but it also means a new seasons for someone else is about to begin. Please be in prayer not just for me, but for the person who will follow me here and for blessing in whatever role they assume in our congregation.”
Rev. Douglas possesses a bachelor's degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, in Fort Worth, and a Master of Divinity degree from Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky.
In his role a associate pastor at Waxhachie FUMC, Rev. Douglas has had oversight of the Reclaimed (contemporary) Worship Service, communications, adult discipleship and assists with administration and long-range planning.
“Recently, I've taken on the student ministries on an interim basis while the congregation is searching for a new director of student ministries,” he stated.
“My passions in ministry include preaching, development of relational discipleship in small groups and helping to develop congregational vision,” he said. “In my time at Waxahachie FUMC, I have helped develop a 30-year campus vision, with phase one implementation beginning in April. I've also strengthened the discipleship ministries of the church by launching a handful of small groups centered around spiritual development. I have also helped lead FUMC Waxahachie to packaging over a quarter million meals with Kids Against Hunger, to combat the issues of food insecurity around the world.”
The Mineral Wells congregation anticipates meeting Rev. Douglas in the coming weeks, leading up to the beginning of his official July 1st appointment. The church also looks forward to welcoming he and his family to the church and the community.
BACK PACK BUDDIES FISH FRY AND KARAOKE FUNDRAISER
Please join us Friday, April 8, for an evening of good food (fried fish and all the trimmings) and karaoke fun presented by local DJ favorite, Kim Duley!
This event will benefit Back Pack Buddies. Help us in our effort to eliminate childhood hunger in our community! Advance tickets are $12 and can be purchased at the Chamber of Commerce, Cole’s House of Flowers or by calling First United Methodist Church at 940-325-4707.
We ask that you purchase advance tickets so we will know how many to prepare for. Advance ticket holders will be served first. Tickets at the door will be $15. Children’s tickets for those 10 and under are $6. Drive through and takeout will be available.
Please share this with your friends to help us spread the word, and we hope to see you there. This will take place at FUMC Mineral Wells located at 301 N.E. 1st St., the church behind the Baker.
HOLY WEEK
Local churches, including First United Methodist Church , will be taking part in a slate of Holy Week services March 21-25. FUMC will host the noon service on Thuesday, March 24, led by Pastor Dan Rasmussen.
SHROVE TUESDAY PANCAKE SUPPER
FUMC will mark Shrove Tuesday, or "Fat Tuesday," with its annual pancake supper at 6 p.m. in McMaster Fellowship Hall.
ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE
Our Ash Wednesday service is 6:30 p.m. Feb. 10 in the sanctuary.
ZONTA'S BOWLS OF LOVE AT FUMC ON FEB. 4
Zonta Club of Mineral Wells' annual Bowls Of Love is Thursday, Feb. 4, at First United Methodist Church in the Fellowship Hall.
The church is located at 301 N.E. 1st Street, behind the Baker Hotel.
The event will take place 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with 100 percent of this year’s proceeds benefitting Back Pack Buddies. There will be choices of chicken and rice soup, taco soup, chili with beans served with all the fixings, and a desert. A small bowl is $6 and a large bowl and to go orders are $8.
Bowls of Love will be available for purchase in a silent auction.
Back Pack Buddies is a community-driven organization working with Mineral Wells ISD to ensure that no child goes without, or too little, to eat over the weekend until the return to school Monday. Nearly several hundred children every Friday are provided a bag of snacks to take home. Deliveries of the food packs to the schools are made by local law enforcement and fire fighting/EMS personnel.
APPRECIATION PLAQUE
Palo Pinto General Hospital Auxiliary members on Dec. 22, 2015, presented First United Methodist Church of Mineral Wells, and Rev. Lianne Turner, a plaque of appreciation to the church for hosting community blood drives at the church for the past 35 years. Pictured from left are Carol Durkee, Turner, Pat Talkington and Arlene Olson.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS
A luncheon and fundraiser for Back Pack Buddies following worship service the morning of Dec. 20, 2015, included a birthday celebration for Jesus, including the singing of "Happy Birthday" and the blowing out of candles on his cake.
The community was invited to join in the celebration while also donating to the community project that aims to see nochild goes hungry over a weekend.
To learn more about Back Back Buddies, and how to contribute, get involved or make a donation, go here. You can also find BPB on Facebook.
BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR JESUS, BACK PACK BUDDIES FUNDRAISER
First United Methodist Church of Mineral Wells is inviting the community to worship Sunday morning, followed by a luncheon and fundraiser benefitting Back Pack Buddies.
All donations will go to the community project that, in cooperation with Mineral Wells ISD, sees that identified underprivileged children do not go hungry over the weekend. Dubbed a "Birthday Party for Jesus," the lunch will include birthday hats and cake.
The church will provide the meat, with those attending asked to provide a side dish and a donation to Back Pack Buddies.
"What better way to make Jesus happy on his birthday than to help feed a hungry child," said FUMC lay leader Sue Overton.
The morning worship service, which begins at 10:30 a.m., will be all music featuring the church's handbell choir, the choir and music leaders Don Owens, Twila McCown and Adam Hull leading and performing traditional and contemporary music to provide a joyful Christmas celebration.
The church is located at 301 N.E. 1st St., behind the Baker Hotel.
LIVE NATIVITY DEC. 21-22
A Christmas holiday tradition, First United Methodist Church of Mineral Wells is planning a new version of its live nativity scene.
The live nativity will take place Monday and Tuesday evenings, Dec. 21st and 22nd, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ through music and scripture and watch as it was that night long, long ago in a stable in Bethlehem.
The telling of the Christmas story will begin at every half hour. The nativity scene will be on the lot west of the church on N.E. 1st Avenue, across from Western Auto, between the Baker Hotel and the Woman's Club Building (historic post office).
There will be coffee, hot chocolate and cookies for the public.
FILL A SHOEBOX FOR OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD
First United Methodist Church of Mineral Wells is once again taking part in Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan's Purse.
Operation Christmas Child was created in 1990 by Dave Cooke and his wife, Gill, for children in Romania. Each November, thousands of churches, groups and individual donors prepare and collect shoeboxes filled with toys, school supplies, personal items, and other small gifts. An booklet of Bible stories is often distributed alongside the shoebox gifts, which are given to children based on need alone, regardless of their faith. These boxes are then distributed overseas by volunteers. As of April 2015, more than 124 million boxes have been delivered.
You can pick up an official Operation Christmas Child shoebox at the church, or use a shoebox of your own. We are hoping to fill 50 boxes through the church. Here is what to do:
Find a Shoebox
Start with an average-size cardboard or plastic shoebox. If you want to wrap it, cover the box and lid separately. Better yet, pick up a shoebox at the church.
Girl or Boy?
Decide whether you will pack a box for a girl or a boy, and the age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14.
Fill With Gifts
Select a quality “wow” toy such as a doll, soccer ball with pump, or stuffed animal. Then add other fun toys, hygiene items, and school supplies. Include items that children will immediately embrace such as toy cars, yo-yos, jump ropes, balls, toys that light up and make noise (with extra batteries), etc. Give school supplies like pens, pencils and sharpeners, crayons, markers, notebooks, paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books, etc. You could provide non-liquid hygiene items like toothbrushes, bar soap, combs, washcloths, etc. Clothing accessories such as T-shirts, socks, hats, sunglasses, hair clips, jewelry, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries), etc., are also good ideas. Make your own items such as hair bows, finger puppets, and friendship bracelets. You may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family. If you include your name and address, the child may be able to write back. Do Not Include Used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives, or military figures; chocolate or food; out-of-date candy; liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snow globes or glass containers; aerosol cans. Pray Most importantly, pray for the child who will receive your gift. You can also include a personal note and photo.
$7 Tracking Labels
Donate $7 online and receive a tracking label to follow your box and discover the destination of your shoebox gift.
Drop-Off
Place a rubber band around your shoebox and take it to a local drop-off location during National Collection Week, Nov. 16-23. FUMC is a drop-off point.
For more information, go to http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/pack-a-shoe-box/. Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ.
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LIGHTS. CAMERA. ACTION!
The church's sanctuary was the scene for filiming of an independent moving, "Three Days in August," filming in the Mineral Wells area. Music Director Don Owens, along wiith this photo he captured, were featured in a Mineral Wells Index story about the movie, which you can read here