PARSONAGE APPROVED AGAIN!

The Church Conference met May 28 to approve an increase in the money allotted for the parsonage construction. The first bids had been less than $170,000 and that was the amount approved. After obtaining new bids, prices have increased and the bids were more than the allotted amount so the Church approved the recommended amount from the Finance Committee of $182,000. Now we have a local builder, Hutton, who can start construction on the parsonage. Amen!

I was a little bothered by the fact that some members voted against the increase, but didn't voice their objections before the vote was taken. I would like to see all of us supporting the rebuilding of the parsonage and the church. This blog would be a good place for folks to voice their support or objections for discussion.

My prayers are that the church can now move forward. The decorating committee met with Pro-Cad on May 24 and new plans for the church are coming this week with a lot more detail on the building.
Charles

VBS PLANNING SESSION

EVERYONE COME AND HELP PLAN!!!!!!

A VBS planning meeting is scheduled for Wednesday Night, 7:00 p.m., at the Presbyterian Church. VBS looks like it will be fun and Melody needs help planning and people to help. Hope to see you Wednesday.

BETTER BLOG

I appreciate Jim adding his comments to the blog. Here is some news that I got by email from Jean McWilliams:
Just some news about the church!!!

We had a wonderful lunch today. After cleaning up, Arlene wanted to lay out the kitchen for the new church on the floor and add the cabinets, appliances, sinks, and etc. Several stayed Beth, Mary Beth, Judy, Carol, Donna, Jean, Jane, Cecil, and Wally. The laid the size out this tape, the cabinets with newspaper, arranged the icebox, stove, warmer, ovens and marked off the island. Just wanted to see how much room you had to work with and walk behind people working. Seems to have worked out real well. They did a great job.

Jane and Wally talked about the library and what he would need for the history and books. Worked on the outside of the church to see how the windows and cross would look at the front on the church. With the same kind of 3 windows on the gym end of the church to match the front of sanctuary.

Arlene said Tom's sister funeral would be graveside rites in Brownwood at Evergreen Cemetery(I think that is the name the one out by the hospital) at 2:00, Monday, May 22.

I would add that Hollis Shults told me Sunday that they buried Lyda's last brother last Tuesday, so add Hollis and Tom to your prayers.

Another good thing that I included in the minutes of the Building Committee was that the Methodist Home had contributed a Grand Piano to us. With some fixing up and tuning, it should be worth around an estimated $12,000. We continue to be blessed with donations.

Remember the Church Building Committee meets Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m.

Charles

Things are starting to happen.

Today the brush piles east of the church site were burnt.
Thursday three evaporative coolers were put the Presbyterian Church.
They will make it much nicer with the hot weather that is already here.
There are still other jobs to be done.
We need to build shelves to hold the speaker for the organ and many other little things.
If you can do the job or can help let me know and we will get it lined up and done.
Doesn’t it fell good to have things happening.
Jim Senkel

Church Conference

A Church Conference has been set for May 28, 2006 at 12:00 noon after church.
The reason for the Church Conference is because it has been brought to our attention by Dr. Shelly Brooks (District Superintendent) that the Church Conference on March 12, 2006 authorized spending no more than $170,000.00 on the parsonage and during the time in-between the March 12, 2006 Church Conference and now prices have gone up. Originally the Finance Committee set the budget for the parsonage at $182,000.00 and this was the figure the Parsonage Building Committee was think about.
The purpose for the Church Conference is to authorize or not authorize spending up to $182,000.00 to build the parsonage.
Jim Senkel

The Parsonage

There was a meeting of the Parsonage Building Committee Tuesday night.
First the committee met with the Methodist volunteers that are in Cross Plains building homes. The information that we received was that it would take much longer to get something built using volunteer labor and we would still need to hire someone as the project manager to line up the crews and hire sub-contractors to do some of the work.
All committee members present decided unanimously not to try and use volunteer labor to build the parsonage.
Next the Committee decided to hire Hutton Construction as the builder for the parsonage. This was also a unanimous decision of all present.
There have not been any changes made to the parsonage since their approval by the Church Conference on March 12, 2006 and the price is still under the budget that was set by the finance committee.

Jim Senkel

FOOD PANTRY UPDATE

I have neglected my updates as Charles reminded me. We are still giving food to some of the fire victims. We supply food for an estimated 40 families a month, which includes the fire victims. This month Curtis Cooper donated a whole hog to us and Frankie Hyles donated the processing. The US Post Office did a food drive for us on Saturday, May 13, and we received 530 pounds of food from that. Today, May 16, we received food and paper goods from the citizens of Crane which was brought to us by Keith Coburn whose brother Charles lives there. They wanted to help the fire victims and it was channeled through the food pantry. I will be attending mandatory training in Abilene on Wednesday, May 24, to learn new requirements that we must meet. I am hoping some of the volunteers will go with me. We still need paper sacks so please ask for them at the grocery stores.

CPFUMC

This is just to say that I will be adding to the blogs on this site.
I will see if I can help keep everybody up to date and maybe be able to put some pictures and other things on here.

BIG BLOG DISAPPOINTMENT

I started this blog as an opportunity for the church to keep up with what is going on. I took Lou to the emergency room early last Monday morning and she had surgery at 5:30 that day. I have spent all day in Abilene at the hospital until we brought her home Saturday. I had hoped to read some Methodist news on the blog, but no one has posted anything. How did the revival go? Has any building committees met? I haven't had a call on any meetings. Has the church shut down? Judy was going to post Food Pantry info and I haven't seen anything lately. Is it still in business?
Am I the only person who looks at this blog?

Lou is doing much better under the care of my daughter's fine cooking. She ate a good breakfast and lunch today. Home health care visited and suggested she try using a cane, but that just made her mad enough to get up and walk around on the porch and listen to the cardinals serenade us.

Charles

BUILDING AND BLOG

Progress has been slowed on the buildings. The church did move forward on approving the floor plan for the church last Sunday, but it was followed by the bad news Monday that our contractor decided he couldn't work with our committees. The parsonage committee met Tuesday night and are distributing the plans and specs to new bidders. The lot preparation continues so there is some progress. The church committee will meet tonight to map out their actions.

If you want to post to this blog, I have to approve you. We have Judy Porter and Sharon Pope who have requested permission. To post you click on the blogger icon and then on the next screen click on new post, type the post with a title and then click on publish. Sometimes it puts it in the archive rather than posting it where it should. Still have not perfected technology.
Charles

TOMMY BLANTON SERVICES (brother-in-law of Mary Ann Chaffin)

THIS IS THE INFORMATION FOR SERVICES FOR TOMMY BLANTON:
MEMORIAL SERVICE
WHEN: FRIDAY, MAY 5, 200610:00 AM

WHERE: HONDO FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
1006 16th STREET
HONDO, TX 78861
830-426-2073

MILITARY GRAVESIDE SERVICE
WHEN: FRIDAY, MAY 5, 20062:15 PM

WHERE: FT. SAM HOUSTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
1520 HARRY WURZBACH
SAN ANTONIO, TX 78209
210-820-3891

MEMORIALS TO:
HONDO FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION
PULMONARY HYPERTENSION ASSOCIATION

BUILDING PROGRESS

Yesterday after services many of the congregation stayed to make their recommendation on the floor plan they wanted the building committee to work on. By a vote of 39-2 Plan A was approved. The building committee will continue with that plan.
The parsonage dirt work is progressing this week preparing for the foundation. The parsonage committee has a subcommittee working on selecting the colors for the metal roof and brick siding with the plan being to coordinate with the same features on the sanctuary. They have asked that anyone with suggestions contact their decorating subcommittee, chaired by Jane Bonner.
The report on Nathaniel Swift is that he is recovering from his long operation.
Mary Ann Chaffin has a travelogue that has been shared with FUMC members who have an email address. She and Richard are making a long sad journey back to Texas to attend the funeral of her brother-in-law and will then go back to South Carolina to be with the Bennetts.
Charles