Thank you, Chapelwood! Through your generosity, we collected 400 Christmas boxes through the Children's Ministry and other Chapelwood members. Half of the boxes were given to Operation Christmas Child and the global ministries of Samaritan's Purse. The other half were delivered to churches along the Texas-Mexico border. Katie Mattingly and Georgia Harmon, OCC team leaders, traveled with Melissa Maher to deliver the boxes and share the joy.
Susan Hellums (First UMC McAllen, TX) and Willie Berman (GBGM Missionary and director of Manos Juntas) work with Methodist Border Friendship Commission. The two groups shared stories of ministry. Here are a couple of videos.
Willie Berman explains how the gifts are organized.
Before the pastors left to return to Reynosa and surrounding areas, they shared a prayer of thanks to Chapelwood.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Hear the Cry
Last Sunday, October 2nd on World Communion Sunday the community of Chapelwood participated in an urban slum experience. The Fellowship Hall was transformed into a section of a global village and persons were invited to become a villager and hear the stories of four persons. Each person faced health challenges as a result of their living environment. The challenges they faced were not because of lack of knowledge, work, desire or commitment...it was because they were born in a challenging environment.
This video is a brief tour through the village. Nate Paulk from SIFAT will walk you through. The invitation is to hear the cry.
Chapelwood then packed UMCOR hygiene kits to be given after natural disasters and World Vision healthcare worker bags given to rural caregivers.
Join the village...
This video is a brief tour through the village. Nate Paulk from SIFAT will walk you through. The invitation is to hear the cry.
Chapelwood then packed UMCOR hygiene kits to be given after natural disasters and World Vision healthcare worker bags given to rural caregivers.
Join the village...
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Colleigate Challenge program in SBISD
Check out this video from SBISD about the Collegiate Challenge program. Note the many Chapelwood volunteers included!
Friday, August 12, 2011
The Power of Mentoring
Mentoring is an incredible way to give back to the community and serve God. Check out these videos about Chapelwood mentors and their impact on SBISD.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The Power of One
Check out this video to hear why mentoring makes a difference!
Jeff Hoye, Chapelwood lay leader of Collegiate Challenge. "We have the opportunity to teach kids to dream!"
Monday, July 18, 2011
Wick and Jerry
Check out this dialogue with Wick Stuckey and Jerry Webber.
Video Part 1:
Video Part 2:
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Thoughts on an Integrated Life
I'm trying to make sense of some things for the sermon I'm to preach this weekend. I've moved -- gladly, I'll say – away from preaching three times a week, and more during certain periods of the calendar, to preaching maybe once a year. I don’t mind that at all.
I don’t need to do it any more, but I don’t mind doing it, either.
[At one point of life I think I would have said, “I need to preach” but would not have admitted what a big piece of my ego was tied to that act and the accompanying affirmation. Today I probably need not to preach more than I need to preach!]
So it’s not the preaching that I’m trying to make sense of today. I’ve been wrestling for weeks, though, with this idea of “missional living,” which is the topic that five of us will be dealing with in a month of sermons. The terminology is fairly new, as best I can tell. When I ask those who use the phrase what it means, I either get blank stares, textbook-quoted answers, or statements that don’t seem very new and original.
In fact, “missional living” seems very much like what we called “discipleship” when I was a teen-aged Christian. We talked about following Jesus and did some things that in hindsight seem just about as radical as what some of the “emergent” and “missional” folks are talking about today. That was 35 years ago.
In more recent days I would have talked about living an “integrated life” or a “congruent life,” that is, a life that is seamless, non-compartmentalized and unified. One of the terms used today would be "non-dual" (as opposed to dualistic, either/or, compartmentalized).
The core issue that the five of us will wrestle with this month in sermon form is this: “How do I live into a life-giving rhythm that includes both an intimate coming-to-Jesusand an ongoing offering of myself in the world for God, for good and for the sake of others?”
The first part of the rhythm is an inner movement. The movement toward God means stepping toward the Center.
The, the movement into the world flows outward. Most earnest Christians live well in one or the other, but have difficulty finding a rhythm that includes both the inward andthe outward.
I don’t have bunches of answers, only lots of hits and misses.
In re-reading Henri Nouwen’s The Selfless Way of Christ a couple of months ago, I did see again how crucial the question is. Nouwen, a Dutch Roman Catholic priest, wrote honestly about his own struggle to live an integrated life. He, too, had questions about this rhythm of encounter/experience with Jesus (inward movement) which became the basis for mission/witness (outward movement).
Here are some of Nouwen’s thoughts:
“Yet this witness, which takes the form of preaching and teaching, of celebrating and counseling, of organizing and struggling to alleviate the suffering of our fellow human beings, is a true witness only when it emerges from a genuine personal encounter, a true experience of love. We can only call ourselves witnesses of Jesus when we have heard him with our own ears, seen him with our own eyes, and touched him with our own hands.
“The basis of the mission of the twelve apostles was not their knowledge, training, or character, but their having lived with Jesus. Paul, who was not with Jesus while he was traveling with his disciples, encountered him on the road to Damascus. This experience was the foundation on which all his apostolic work was built.
“There has never been a Christian witness whose influence has not been directly related to a personal and intimate experience of the Lord. This deep and personal encounter can take as many forms and shapes as there are people, cultures, and ages. Ignatius of Antioch, Anthony of the Desert, Gregory the Great, Benedict, Bernard, and Francis, Ignatius of Loyola, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Martin Luther, John Wesley, George Fox, and John Bunyan, Charles de Foucauld, Dag Hammarskjold, Martin Luther King, Jr., Thomas Merton, Jean Vanier, Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day – all these witnesses have seen the Lord, and their actions and words emerge from that vision.
“Thus, ministry and the spiritual life belong together. Living a spiritual life is living in an intimate communion with the Lord. It is seeing, hearing, and touching. Living a life of ministry is witnessing to him in the midst of this world. It is opening the eyes of our brothers and sisters in the human family to his presence among us, so that they too may enter into this relationship of love.
“When our ministry does not emerge from a personal encounter, it quickly becomes a tiring routine and a boring job. On the other hand, when our spiritual life no longer leads to an active ministry, it quickly degenerates into introspection and self-scrutiny, and thus loses its dynamism.”
[Henri Nouwen, The Selfless Way of Christ: Downward Mobility and the Spiritual Life(Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2007), 14 - 16]
I don’t need to do it any more, but I don’t mind doing it, either.
[At one point of life I think I would have said, “I need to preach” but would not have admitted what a big piece of my ego was tied to that act and the accompanying affirmation. Today I probably need not to preach more than I need to preach!]
So it’s not the preaching that I’m trying to make sense of today. I’ve been wrestling for weeks, though, with this idea of “missional living,” which is the topic that five of us will be dealing with in a month of sermons. The terminology is fairly new, as best I can tell. When I ask those who use the phrase what it means, I either get blank stares, textbook-quoted answers, or statements that don’t seem very new and original.
In fact, “missional living” seems very much like what we called “discipleship” when I was a teen-aged Christian. We talked about following Jesus and did some things that in hindsight seem just about as radical as what some of the “emergent” and “missional” folks are talking about today. That was 35 years ago.
In more recent days I would have talked about living an “integrated life” or a “congruent life,” that is, a life that is seamless, non-compartmentalized and unified. One of the terms used today would be "non-dual" (as opposed to dualistic, either/or, compartmentalized).
The core issue that the five of us will wrestle with this month in sermon form is this: “How do I live into a life-giving rhythm that includes both an intimate coming-to-Jesusand an ongoing offering of myself in the world for God, for good and for the sake of others?”
The first part of the rhythm is an inner movement. The movement toward God means stepping toward the Center.
The, the movement into the world flows outward. Most earnest Christians live well in one or the other, but have difficulty finding a rhythm that includes both the inward andthe outward.
I don’t have bunches of answers, only lots of hits and misses.
In re-reading Henri Nouwen’s The Selfless Way of Christ a couple of months ago, I did see again how crucial the question is. Nouwen, a Dutch Roman Catholic priest, wrote honestly about his own struggle to live an integrated life. He, too, had questions about this rhythm of encounter/experience with Jesus (inward movement) which became the basis for mission/witness (outward movement).
Here are some of Nouwen’s thoughts:
“Yet this witness, which takes the form of preaching and teaching, of celebrating and counseling, of organizing and struggling to alleviate the suffering of our fellow human beings, is a true witness only when it emerges from a genuine personal encounter, a true experience of love. We can only call ourselves witnesses of Jesus when we have heard him with our own ears, seen him with our own eyes, and touched him with our own hands.
“The basis of the mission of the twelve apostles was not their knowledge, training, or character, but their having lived with Jesus. Paul, who was not with Jesus while he was traveling with his disciples, encountered him on the road to Damascus. This experience was the foundation on which all his apostolic work was built.
“There has never been a Christian witness whose influence has not been directly related to a personal and intimate experience of the Lord. This deep and personal encounter can take as many forms and shapes as there are people, cultures, and ages. Ignatius of Antioch, Anthony of the Desert, Gregory the Great, Benedict, Bernard, and Francis, Ignatius of Loyola, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Martin Luther, John Wesley, George Fox, and John Bunyan, Charles de Foucauld, Dag Hammarskjold, Martin Luther King, Jr., Thomas Merton, Jean Vanier, Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day – all these witnesses have seen the Lord, and their actions and words emerge from that vision.
“Thus, ministry and the spiritual life belong together. Living a spiritual life is living in an intimate communion with the Lord. It is seeing, hearing, and touching. Living a life of ministry is witnessing to him in the midst of this world. It is opening the eyes of our brothers and sisters in the human family to his presence among us, so that they too may enter into this relationship of love.
“When our ministry does not emerge from a personal encounter, it quickly becomes a tiring routine and a boring job. On the other hand, when our spiritual life no longer leads to an active ministry, it quickly degenerates into introspection and self-scrutiny, and thus loses its dynamism.”
[Henri Nouwen, The Selfless Way of Christ: Downward Mobility and the Spiritual Life(Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2007), 14 - 16]
Monday, July 4, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
How to Stop Living Life as a Plate Spinner
With all the roles you fulfill in your life, do you ever feel like one of those old plate spinners, trying feverishly to keep the plates from falling off the poles? I do. Problem with living as a plate spinner trying to find balance in life is that you end up always feeling guilty – some role in your life is ALWAYS not getting enough attention and threatening to fall off the pole!
That’s why I have been encouraged to view “living missionally” as an integrating concept in my life. From Mark 3:13-15 (I encourage you to stop now and read it!), we discover a “rhythm of grace” for living missionally – being with Jesus, and being sent by Jesus. Just as both breathing in and breathing out are essential to physical life, this two-fold rhythm of grace is necessary for our spiritual life. We become unhealthy if we spend all our time trying to be with Jesus in meditation, reflection, spiritual retreat, etc. without the matching rhythm of being sent by Jesus to do Kingdom work. Likewise, we become spiritually unhealthy if we are always doing Kingdom work without spending time being with Jesus. Healthy spiritual life is a rhythm – “breathe in” (be with Jesus), “breathe out” (be sent by Jesus).
The beauty is we can live in this rhythm in all the various roles in our life and we don’t need to feel guilty about being unbalanced!
So, where do you need to focus attention today? Being with Jesus? Being sent by Jesus? Just a thought. (Bob Johnson)
That’s why I have been encouraged to view “living missionally” as an integrating concept in my life. From Mark 3:13-15 (I encourage you to stop now and read it!), we discover a “rhythm of grace” for living missionally – being with Jesus, and being sent by Jesus. Just as both breathing in and breathing out are essential to physical life, this two-fold rhythm of grace is necessary for our spiritual life. We become unhealthy if we spend all our time trying to be with Jesus in meditation, reflection, spiritual retreat, etc. without the matching rhythm of being sent by Jesus to do Kingdom work. Likewise, we become spiritually unhealthy if we are always doing Kingdom work without spending time being with Jesus. Healthy spiritual life is a rhythm – “breathe in” (be with Jesus), “breathe out” (be sent by Jesus).
The beauty is we can live in this rhythm in all the various roles in our life and we don’t need to feel guilty about being unbalanced!
So, where do you need to focus attention today? Being with Jesus? Being sent by Jesus? Just a thought. (Bob Johnson)
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Extending Grace on the Streets
Chapelwood member Neal Robinson packs up his car several Saturdays a month to deliver sandwiches and water to Houston's homeless. He has personally done this ministry for more than six years. Over this period of time, he has come to know many of Houston's homeless by name.
KHOU recently featured Neal in one of their stories about what is right in the city. Neal sees homeless men and women as God-sent friends.
Neal quotes this verse when he thinks about his unique friendships:
John 13:16-20
Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
KHOU recently featured Neal in one of their stories about what is right in the city. Neal sees homeless men and women as God-sent friends.
Neal quotes this verse when he thinks about his unique friendships:
John 13:16-20
Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Dress a Girl from Around the World
On Saturday, March 26th dozens of girls and women gathered to Dress a Girl from Around the World. This project is lead by Chapelwood member Nicole Wright, featured in the video. Over 50 dresses and 100 prayer dolls were made on this day and will be shared with girls in Uganda. Imagine the smiles on the faces of these girls as they receive a beautiful hand-sewn dress from girls right here in Houston! Truly grace will be shared and received.
Monday, March 28, 2011
We Need You!!!
Calling all Chapelwood members, WE NEED YOU!!! Be sure to upload your submissions to be posted on the Embody Grace blog! Tell you friends and family too! Remember this is not just a Chapelwood blog, but a blog for anyone and everyone who serves. Get out those cameras and smart phones and upload some pictures or video of your serving story! If you are unsure how to upload a video, check out the clip below.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Drum Roll Please...
PS: Check us out on twitter (@embodygrace) and at our youtube channel (embodygrace)
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Spotlight: Prayer Shawl Ministry
The Prayer Shawl Ministry meets 4 times a month to pray, share, knit or crochet and bless shawls, patches, scarves and hats that have been completed.
Over 900 prayer shawls have been given away by this ministry since its inception in March 2007. Additionally, we have distributed countless hand-knit scarves, hats and prayer patches to those less fortunate who live on the streets of downtown Houston India , Nepal and Myanmar Cambodia , Estonia , and Tapachula , Mexico
A number of other Prayer Shawl groups have been started with the help of Chapelwood, including a group at St. Stephen’s UMC. This group recently began knitting neck warmers to be mailed overseas to soldiers serving in the Middle East . St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Corpus Christi
Our Faith in Action project last year was to knit 120 prayer patches that were sent to a member's nephew. He and his company are currently serving in Afghanistan Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonia for distribution to soldiers and their families.
Two years ago we hosted a day retreat at Chapelwood which was led by the founders of the Prayer Shawl Ministry, Janet Bristow and Victor ia Cole-Galo from Connecticut Texas Houston , Austin , San Antonio , Pearland, and Fort Worth
Monday, March 14, 2011
What Does Embody Grace Mean?
The Rev. Bob Johnson, aka BOJO, has taken out some time in his day to explain what it means to embody grace (Hey! Thats the name of the blog!). Bob is the executive pastor at Chapelwood and wise beyond his years. Also, check out Bob's embody grace blog HERE.
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