Volume 39, Issue 9
Be r ke le y U n i t e d Me t h o d i s t Ch u r c h
BERKELEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
2407 Berkeley Ave.
Austin, TX. 78745
(512)447-6633
Email: bumc78745@sbcglobal.net
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.
But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.
There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.
Non Profit Org.
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit #2713
Austin, Texas
Herb, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.
I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.
'And why's everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said, 'they're all in
shock.
No one thought they'd be seeing you.'
JUDGE NOT!
THE BERKELEY BUZZ
Berkeley CALLING ALL STEWARDS!
United Methodist Church SUBMITTED BY JUNELL TREECE
2407 Berkeley Ave. Stewardship begins and ends with the
understanding of God's ownership of all.
Austin, TX 78745
God’s word says:
(512) 447-6633
Fax: 851-8438 "Do not store up for yourselves treas-
ures on earth, where moth and decay de-
bumc78747@sbcglobal.net
stroy, and thieves break in and steal. But
www.berkeleyumc.org store up treasures in heaven, where nei-
ther moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves
Childcare Center: 443-3509 break in and steal. For
where your treasure is,
there also will your heart
Ministers
be." Matthew 6:19-21
Members of the Congregation
"To the Lord your
God belong the heavens,
Pastor even the highest heav-
Rev. Jeannie Whitehurst ens, the earth and every-
thing in it." (Deuteronomy
Youth Director 10:14)
Paul Seeman "All tithes of the
land, whether in grain
from the fields or in fruit
Director of Music
from the trees, belong to
Victoria Schwarz the LORD, as sacred to him." Leviticus
27:30
Pianist
Therefore we are all Stewards of God’s
Tyler Mabry
creation.
With this as our foundation, Berkeley UMC
Administrative Assistant has started our Stewardship campaign for
Tara Nash 2009. All we do as God’s stewards begins
with each of us individually. You will be
receiving an estimate of giving commit-
Childcare Director
ment card in the mail soon. Please take
Allison McGillicuddy some time to think about your church,
www.berkeleyumc.org
Everything Berkeley is at your fingertips on our
new and improved website!
Serving God +++Sharing Christ+++Receiving Mercy
S e p te m b e r 2 6 , 2 0 0 9
your church family and the needs faced
physically and spiritually to sustain and
grow as a body of Christ. With your own
personal budget in mind, please enter an
amount that will help Berkeley continue its
mission of “Serving God, Sharing Christ,
Receiving Mercy.” The estimate of giving
card will have a table on the back offering
examples to help compute your own con-
tribution. Please bring com-
pleted cards with you to ser-
vice and deposit them in a
basket provided or in the
collection plate. If you pre-
fer, you may return them by
mail to Berkeley, “Attention
Stewardship Campaign”.
Keep in mind that by taking
the time to make a pledge
you help Berkeley plan and
prepare a budget to meet
our needs. So, we thank you
in advance for your pledge
as a member of Berkeley, but also in rec-
ognition that we are all stewards of God’s
creation.
Estimate of giving cards are due by Sun-
day October 4th. So, we will celebrate as
all good Methodists know how to do, by
having a covered dish luncheon after ser-
vices on that day. You may help by bring-
ing side dishes and deserts. Main dish
will be provided. Hope to see you there!
In Christ,
Stewardship Committee
P age 2 V o l um e 3 9 , I s s ue 9 T H E B E R K EL E Y B U Z Z P age 7

A WORD FROM PASTOR JEANNIE Middle School Sunday School Class News
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant SUBMITTED BY BARBARA HUFF
and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, The Middle School Sunday school class recently
a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be took a religious literacy quiz. See how you would
silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
do.
We lost one of our dear and faithful members Thursday, September 24th as Cornelia Moore went to be with her Lord 1. Name the four Gospels.
and Savior and our souls are weeping. Yet, in her last few days of life this devoted woman wanted all of us to re-
2. Name a sacred text of Hinduism.
member to believe. This one word sums up what we all know of Cornelia’s life—she believed. She lived her life re-
flecting God’s love and direction in everything she said and did. She loved everyone and shared God’s love with eve- 3. What is the holy book of Islam?
ryone and touched so many lives with her gentle spirit. We will miss her greatly. 4. According to the Bible, where was Jesus born?
Berkeley has been molded by dedicated and loving servants such as Cornelia for 35 years and a strong foundation
5. When former President George W. Bush spoke
was laid. It is our duty as a faithful community to continue to help others know God’s love and build on our founda- of the Jericho road in his first inaugural address,
tion with God’s purpose and guidance. During times of transition and change we are called as disciples of Christ to what Bible story was he invoking?
trust and believe in the direction God has planned for us. The saints watching over us remind us that all things are 6. Name the first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible or
possible with God. BELIEVE!
the Christian Old Testament.
~Pastor Jeannie 7. What is the Golden Rule?
8. Is “God helps those who help themselves” in the Bible? If so, where?
B E R K E L E Y F A L L F E S T I VA L 9. Is “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God” in the Bible? If so, where?
10. What words can be found in the Catholic, Protestant and Jewish versions of the First Com-
AND YARD SALE
SUBMITTED BY KELLI HANSEN
mandment?
(Answers in the next Buzz.)
It’s time to clean out your closets and consider ways The class is also planning how they will participate in the Children’s Sabbath worship service on
The Berkeley childcare renovation is com-
plete and we applaud the Berkeley trus- you can be involved with Berkeley’s fall community October 11th. Members are Leyla Washington, Marilyn Wasson, Jonathan Kaylor, Robbie Gaston,
tees and numerous volunteers who yard sale on Saturday, October 17th from 8:00 am—
worked tirelessly behind the scenes . Elizabeth Walters, Kate Noll and Kyle McClanahan.
12:00 pm. As usual, we’ll have lots of fun activities,
The parents, teachers and children are
thrilled with the drab to fab transforma-
entertainment, and bargains to make it a great time for
the whole family. May we suggest:
tion and brightly colored rooms! What a
blessing to be a part of such a loving and
CHOOSING PEACE IN A FRIGHTENING WORLD
Contributing baked goods to sell. SUBMITTED BY DONNA BOSTICK
supportive community.
Donating your used plastic shopping bags.
The Academy for Spiritual Formation presents this five day retreat January 11-16, 2010, at Zephyr En-
With gratitude, Volunteering to price, setup, help during the sale, campment on Lake Corpus Christi (near Mathis, Tx). Led by Pastor R. Grace Imathiu and Elise Eslinger,
Allison McGillicuddy, Childcare Director and take down. this retreat will focus on prayer, silence, worship, and peace. Persons wishing to attend must register by
Volunteering to help coordinate activities. December 1st, 2009, and must include an accompanying statement of why they desire to experience
these days apart. Double rooms are available for $250 and private rooms for $350 for the length of the
Dear Reverend Jeannie Whitehurst, The yard sale is always retreat. Make checks payable to “SWTC Treasurer” and mail to SWTC Registrar, 16400 Huebner Rd, San
One of your community members so gra- a big success, but we Antonio, Tx 78248-1693 or visit the following website for more information www.umcswtx.org/academy-
ciously delivered thirty-two boxes of can’t make it work with- spiritual-formation-five-day.html
brand new school shoes for our Cunning-
ham students. We have parents and
out YOU! Call Tara in
teachers who have been asking for shoes the church office for
for the children, so what a blessing to be information, or see a
able to fulfill their request. Please let the member of the Young
church community know how much we
AVERAGE ATTENDANCE: GIFTS AS OF AUGUST 31: MEMORIAL FUND:
appreciate their support for our Cunning- Adults or Cape Cru- AUGUST 2009 YTD 2008 $9,715.29
MONTHLY INCOME: $18,779
ham family. Thank you very much for saders Sunday school WORSHIP 140 144 120
your support.
ENDOWMENT FUND:
classes to sign up.
Sincere.y,
SUNDAY SCHOOL 46 43 40 MONTHLY EXPENSE: $18,755 $65,633.95
Cunningham Staff
P age 6
V o l um e 3 9 , I s s ue 9 T H E B E R K EL E Y B U Z Z P age 3

SPECIAL CHURCH CONFERENCE CALLED

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 12:30 P.M.

Over twelve years ago the Building Fund was established to fund the construction of our Chris-
tian Life Center. The goal to have the pledge drive for this fund last three years was not
reached, however, some congregational members have continued to contribute to the Build-
ing Fund, which is used to pay the monthly mortgage payment of $2,077.75.

Various opinions of the purpose of the Building Fund surfaced when the need arose to pay the
insurance deductable on the recent small fire near the sanctuary, and to pay for some minor
remodeling to make the men’s restroom a handicap accessible facility. Our search for docu-
mentation indicating the intended purpose of the Building Fund has been unsuccessful, with
the exception of a line item called “Building Fund debt retirement” on the 2003 Annual Stew-
ardship Campaign Card. So, the Administrative Council voted unanimously on September 22nd
to hold a Special Called Church Conference to allow all church members to voice their opinion
of the use of the Building Fund and to have a written record of its purpose.

Debt
Our debt on the Christian Life Center as of 9/23/09 is $74,087.39.
The monthly payment of $2,077.75 comes out of the Building Fund.
The Building Fund started the year with a balance of $21,951.69. Since
1/09, we have taken in $14,777.26 from pledges to this fund. Our ex-
penses since 1/09 total $16,622 leaving a balance of $19,905.95.
How shall we pay off our debt for the Christian Life Center?

The bottom line is we have a debt that needs to be paid and we need funds to make improve-
ments and do the ministry of Christ. We will address the debt requirements at the Church
Conference on October 11th at 12:30 in the Sanctuary and we will address the needs for new
funds at a later date.

YOU’VE BEEN BUZZED!

GETTING TO KNOW THE PEOPLE OF BERKELEY UMC
Are you interested in finding out other, and because YOU MATTER!
noteworthy tidbits about your
Berkeley family? Then tune in next
To begin we will need volunteer interviewees. Any-
month for the inaugural column
one? Anyone? You might be asked questions like
UMW ATTEND DISTRICT MEETING AT L A K E T R AV I S U MC titled “You’ve Been Buzzed”! We
“where are you from”, “what do you love most about
SUBMITTED BY BARBARA HUFF hope to better acquaint you with
Berkeley”, or “do you like to sing”. And feel free to
the people in the church by inter-
Junell Treece, Vikki Schwarz, Julia Lancaster, Susan Curtis and Barbara Huff enjoyed worshipping, provide us with a surprising, juicy morsel of informa-
viewing and highlighting a person
studying and socializing with UMW in the Austin District. Three School of Mission studies were tion that few people know! Rachel Trudell will be
or family each month in this fun
offered: Sudan, Food and Faith and Native American Survival. Vikki was the presenter for the conducting the interviews for the first few columns
and informative piece. We are for-
Native American Study. Vikki was also elected to the District Nominations Committee, of which and would certainly appreciate any “Buzzers” who
tunate to be a part of such a diverse and wonderful
Junell is chair. During the luncheon retired Bolivian missionaries, the Verastiguis, shared high- would like to help with future interviews and arti-
church family and think this will be a fun and mean-
lights of their ministry and shared their witness. cles. Please call her at 694-3688, or contact Tara
ingful way to further appreciate and know each
in the church office.
Page 4 V o l um e 3 9 , I s s ue 9 T H E B E R K EL E Y B U Z Z P a ge 5

Each Week:
SUNDAY
6:30 am Work Corner Prep
8:30 am Worship
9:00 am Children’s and Youth Choir 10/2 Joe Bitner
9:40 am Sunday School 10/3 Kelli Hansen
10:50 am Worship 10/5 Reno Bostick
5:30 pm UMYF (FH)
10/6 Richard McPhail
5:30 pm Covenant Group (9)
10/8 Myrna Cavender
5:30 pm Financial Peace (7)
10/10 Lois Johnson
MONDAY 10/10 Patrick Walters
10:00 am Women’s Group (7) 10/12 Sandy Cox

Serve
7:00 pm Covenant Group 10/12 Chris Funke
WEDNESDAY 10/18 Julia Lancaster
the 10:00 am CC Chapel 10/20 Jean Ridenour

LORD
6:00 pm Handbells 10/21 David Denton
7:15 pm Choir 10/21 Mary Lou Hempel
with THURSDAY
10/21 Don Wolfe
ss
Gladne 6:30 pm Disciple One Bible Study (FH)
10/25 Jeff Cecil
10/25 Brenda Johnson
10/28 Stephen Trudell
10/29 Brian Peters

Save the date! On Saturday, October 24 the

10/1 Kimberly & Scott Gamble
BridgeBuilders ministry will host a picnic at Wesley 10/13 Jim & Betty Barnes
UMC (1160 San Bernard) from 1:00—5:00 p.m.
There will be good food, fellowship, games for the kids
Don’t see your birthday or anniversary?
and fun for all. Contact Tara in the church office—447-
6633 or bumc78745@sbcglobal.net

O C TO B E R I N T E N T I O NA L P R AY E R C A L E N DA R
October 4-10: For Christians everywhere!

October 11-17: For all children and their relation to their creator.

October 18-24: For discernment in individual calls to service.

October 25-31: For persons of other faiths to be called to Jesus’

light.