You prefer praise and worship music, but your Sunday school class meets at 9:30. Or your kids want a contemporary service, but you serve elsewhere in the building at 9:30.
A brand new worship service may be just the answer you were looking for.
Beginning January 29, Trietsch will offer a contemporary worship service at 11 a.m. in the Family Life Center!
Reign will provide the music, and Rev. Doug Meyer will be the service’s lead pastor, sharing time with Rev. Diane Presley.
The Family Life Center’s gymnasium was designed with contemporary worship services in mind, including state-of-the-art technology and the ability to control all environmental aspects, such as lighting.
We are looking for 100 members of the Trietsch family to commit to attending the 11 a.m. contemporary service for at least six months to ensure it gets the best start possible. Contact Doug Meyer at dougm@tmumc.org to get in on the ground floor of this exciting new opportunity!
December 2011
Your Feedback is Vital!
Dear Church Family,
I wanted to take this opportunity to inform you that in the upcoming weeks and months you may be asked to provide feedback on a variety of items related to the life of Trietsch.
In fact, the church’s Leadership Board feels so strongly about the importance of this issue that a subcommittee has been formed to address the matter.
The desire is to build a culture at Trietsch where we are constantly evaluating everything we are doing to determine its effectiveness, potential changes, and whether the program/initiative should continue or not.
The best way to collect data is from members/attendees, the individuals most impacted by what Trietsch is or is not doing. We will look at a number of areas including sermons, music, hospitality, parking, adult/youth/children’s ministries, Sunday School classes, special events, worship and the overall worship experience at Trietsch.
The intent is to use a variety of ways to gather information from our membership and visitors. These will include focus groups, written surveys, phone surveys, and other mechanisms (venues?) currently being explored.
The Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) is championing this initiative on behalf of the Leadership Board. We ask that you please participate if/when asked to provide feedback.
Know that the desire is to obtain the positive aspects of what we are doing at Trietsch, as well as areas needing development or attention. All responses will be consolidated to ensure anonymity.
The results will be given to the person(s) responsible for the area reviewed. This information will be used to support decisions related to the addition, improvement, enhancement or deletion of programs or processes.
Again, please participate (provide earnest feedback) when asked to do so and, thereby, enable Trietsch to continuously garner feedback that will enable us to develop programs and ministries that will help the congregation “To know Christ and make Christ known.”
In Christ, Joseph F. Moore
Chair, Staff Parish Relations Committee
Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Church
November 2011
Stewardship Campaign
On November 13, you had the opportunity to commit to new levels in your relationship with God by completing your Stewardship Promise for 2012. So far the pledges we have received are a decrease from last year, but our hope is since we are receiving commitments daily, we will surpass last year’s total. To maintain our current level of ministry, we will need all active members to participate. If you have already made your Stewardship Promise, thank you. If you have not yet had an opportunity, it’s not too late. Simply drop your Stewardship Promise in the mail, bring it by the church office, or put it the offering plate during any worship service. If you need another card, extras are available in the church office, in the pews or download a copy at tmumc.org/stewardship.htm.
Our hope is that everyone will prayerfully consider their whole commitment to the church. We use the financial commitments as a critical part of our financial planning for the upcoming year. We hope to hear from every active member, regardless of the amount of his or her commitment. Even if you can’t or choose not to give, please let us know this and complete your Stewardship Promise.
We are grateful for your financial support of our church. Your giving makes a difference in the lives of children, youth, and adults in our church, as well as in the lives of people everywhere we are in mission and ministry.
October 2011
Fall Festival Huge Success!
This year’s Fall Festival was a HUGE success, with over 700 people coming out for Trunk or Treat, games, and the first annual Chili Cook-Off.
Thanks to the judges (pictured below), who selected the chili made by the Becoming Better Christians Sunday school class. Zoe Paraskevopoulos, age 11, won the people’s choice award. The most creative decorated trunk winner was the Airport by Dee & Jim Masterson, Mary Dee & John Lawton, and Kevin & Rebecca Lessly.
October 2011
Serenity Moves from Trietsch
By John Featherston Pastor, Serenity Church
“I was a stranger and you invited me in...” (Matt. 25:35)
Almost exactly four years ago, Serenity Church was struggling to get on our feet. We were a brand new movement of God’s people, a true “mission church,” committed to taking Christ to drug addicts, alcoholics, and an incredible variety of profoundly “broken” folks in the 12-Step recovery community. Over the previous year, God had planted the seeds and began assembling the people that He would use to do this new thing for Him. What we desperately needed was a place to meet, welcome them, and worship.
I had a long, deep, relationship with Trietsch — rooted in many years of involvement in the Emmaus Community. Many of the sweetest relationships in my life are part of the Trietsch family. I knew you. I knew who you are. I knew that God had built Trietsch deeply rooted in serving the community around you and meeting people’s needs. Based on all of that, I came and asked for a place to build this new thing. Your response was exactly what I knew it would be. You threw open your doors to us and made us much more than welcome!
As a result, God has done more than we could ask for or imagine since we came to your home. We’ve added several ministries to our outreach that have all exploded. The number of people who are a faithful part of us has much more than doubled. We now regularly minister, feed, and clothe hundreds of homeless folks in the name of Christ. We had three teenagers when we came to you. This summer, over 30 went on our youth group mission trip. There are people who had no hope who have Christ today. There are people who were dying who are alive today. All of that was possible because you threw open your doors to us and gave them a place to find all of that.
We have reached a point in this movement of God where we need a permanent place to minister all week. It takes us 4-5 hours every Saturday to set up, take down, and store away the equipment that we need in the Ministry Center. We desperately need offices and a permanent location where we can meet, be reached, and minister all week. We’ve had a strong relationship with a church in The Colony that will be moving into wonderful new facilities by the end of the year. They have offered to permanently install our equipment in their new worship center so we can just show up, plug in, and concentrate on the people around us. They will provide a suite of offices for us to settle into, and minister from, throughout the week. Those opportunities will make it possible for us to move into a whole new level of ministering in our next chapter. We have accepted their offer.
It’s so important to us that our family at Trietsch understand how deeply we love you, how grateful we are to you, and that your place in our hearts will not change at all with a few miles of distance between us. You will always be beloved family to us. If we can ever bless you — all you need to do is call, and we’ll come running. If we need you, you have proven to us over and over that all we need to do is ask. We’ll still be right down the hall every Saturday night for the next few months. Please drop in, worship with us, and give us a chance to love on you! May God richly bless you...as you so richly bless us.
September 2011
5,000 Shop at Fall on the Mound
On September 24, Trietsch hosted its 19th annual Fall on the Mound Arts and Crafts Show. It was a beautiful fall day that brought out an estimated 5,000 people to shop from 250 booths of arts and crafts. Booths were located in the FLC & main building as well as outside.
Fall on the Mound is the primary fundraiser for Trietsch’s Women in Christ, which donates to the Methodist Children’s Home, provides scholarships for students, helps pay for church childcare services, and other missions.
Several church ministries participated in the craft show. These groups were the Baptism Quilters, the Adult Choir, Christians Cut-ups and Missions of Trietsch. The revenue raised by the craft show was over $22,100 for all ministries combined. The Women’s Ministry will allocate their funds towards Trietsch ministries as well as local and world missions.
This year’s Fall on the Mound Committee members are Kaye Sandridge, Jan Deering, Peggy Zappavigna, Melva Jones, Ruth Hamilton, Trish Sims and Joan Dorr.
The FOM Committee appreciated all the wonderful volunteers that helped make this event possible and looks forward to next year’s show on September 22, 2012. If you would like to be a part this ministry next year please contact Kaye Sandridge at k.sand@verizon.net.
June 2011
Rev. Lyle Benson Appointed to Aldersgate UMC
Rev. Lyle Benson has accepted a Senior Pastor appointment at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Carrollton effective
July 1.
Lyle has been the Executive Associate Pastor and Pastor of Discipleship at Trietsch since July 2007. Additionally, Lyle has done an excellent job overseeing the construction of the Family Life Center. Dr. John Allen shared “With a sense of joy, gratitude and regret, we congratulate Rev. Benson on this fine promotion and recognition of his leadership and pastoral skills. We will deeply miss Lyle’s pastoral style and strong leadership here at Trietsch. We have been quite lucky to have a pastor of Lyle’s ability and skill for the past four years.”
Lyle will preach on his last Sunday, June 12 and the SPRC has planned a reception for Lyle and his wife Kris at the end of each service. This is an opportunity to stop by and thank them for their service to Trietsch and wish them well.
A message from Lyle:
Dear Trietsch Family,
It truly has been a pleasure serving Trietsch and you over the past four years. Kris and I have felt loved and accepted from the moment we walked through the doors. Words fail to adequately describe how thankful I am for the opportunity to be in ministry with such supportive, wonderful and passionate people. I am excited about my new position, but sad about leaving Trietsch. Trietsch will forever be part of who I am as a pastor and as a follower of Jesus Christ.
Lyle and Kris Benson
May 2011
Family Life Center
Open House
It was so exciting to receive our Certificate of Occupancy for the Family Life Center on May 20 and two days later be able to have a “sneak peek” on Sunday, May 22 as we celebrated the Open House. More than 1,000 of us surrounded the FLC and prayed for the future lives that will be transformed by the ministries that will happen there.
On August 28, 2011, we will celebrate the Grand Opening of the Family Life Center and invite our whole community to a huge festival with a ribbon cutting, food, fun and activities for the whole family! It will be a day you won’t want to miss.
Now that the furniture has been delivered and we have started moving in, we have begun ministry in the new building. The youth have already started meeting there.
This is such an amazing time in the life of our church. The outreach that we can provide through the New Family Life Center to our congregation, community and beyond is immeasurable. We have waited for this moment not only for the year since construction began, but for the years of planning behind the scenes to make it a reality.
We would like to extend a special thank you to the Building Committee that has been working on this project for a few years. The Committee members are
Darren Evans, Chair,
Dr. John Allen
Rev. Lyle Benson
Stacy Brown
Doyle Damron
Mark Gray
Rev. Beth Lutz
Dianne McDougal
Kris Melvin
John Shiver
David Surratt
Chad Taylor
Their tireless efforts and many hours of planning have brought the reality of the Family Life Center to fruition.
If you would like more information on the Family Life Center, contact Rev. Doug Meyer. If you would like to contribute, visit tmumc.org/giving.htm.
May 2011
Silent Auction Raises Over $24,000 for Mozambique
The Annual Mozambique Silent Auction was held April 3-17. We had over 500+ items donated to the auction by individuals, Sunday school classes, local business and groups.
We had everything from jewelry, bedding, stuffed animals, live plants and floral arrangements, many gift baskets of every description, lots of pictures, and an array of certificates, as well as a signed Dallas Cowboy stadium chair and all those condos.
Thanks to your generosity, the final amount raised for our missions in Mozambique was more than $24,000! All proceeds go directly to help our mission efforts in Mozambique, Africa.
We give special thanks to Peggy Swann and Melva Jones who co-chaired this event and made it the big success it was. They gave countless hours and much dedication to the project. We also thank the committee members for their wonderful talents and willingness to help.
This year’s committee members were Janis Rader, Candy Day, Linda Doherty, Dawn Eberhart, Diane Almand, Elizabeth Hinkel, Joan Dorr, Marj Conger, Martha Smith, Mary Turner, Shelly Boggess, Sue Arthur, Donna Overton, Betty Baker, Pat Keeble and Kimberly Jones.
The MSA Committee wants to recognize the Trietsch Staff for all they do for the auction, for the Theophilites Sunday School group generous donation which was used to purchase needed basket items and for the Baptism Quilters providing lunch during auction closing.
Also, the MSA Committee applauds all the wonderful volunteers that gave their time on Sunday afternoon to close out the auction.
Look towards next year’s auction because it’s never too early to think about what special basket your small group can donate to next year’s auction. Also, if you would like to assist with the auction next year please contact Peggy Swann or Melva Jones.
April 2011
Together Everyone Achieves More - Spring Break Youth Mission Trips
We have great youth at Trietsch! They spent their spring break being the hands and feet of Christ. The Junior High were in South Dallas working with C2K doing work for those that were unable to help themselves. They repaired and painted two houses and grew as a team through service, fellowship and worship. Their theme during their mission trip was TEAM - Together Everyone Achieves More. Their hard work and great attitudes truly lived up to that theme.
Our Senior High traveled to Globe, Arizona on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. The San Carlos Apache Reservation is one of the poorest Native American communities in the United States. The Trietsch team joined forces with AMOR Ministries and built four houses for families who had no residence whatsoever. What a joy to have their own residence now! During one of their daily devotionals the youth learned about selfless living. Sleeping on the ground and working long hours on spring break for some of the most impoverished people in our country is truly selfless.
Thank you to all the youth for such an awesome job and the adult leaders for their great leadership. What an amazing group of youth serving Christ!
If you would like to know more about the Re-Ignite Youth Ministry, contact Denise Robinson for Senior High at deniser@tmumc.org or Leann White for Junior High at leannw@tmumc.org.
March 2010
Exciting Milestone Reached!
We have now reached our first goal of $2,000,000 in pledges received to our Family Life Center building project. This is a huge step in the development of this project. This gives the building committee what they need to sign the necessary documents and contracts to start construction. Praise God!
This is just the first step. Now comes the hard part of building the structure, finishing our capital goal of $5.4 million and using the building for the development of ministry that we have all dreamed about.
Thank you for all the hard work that you have done. My excitement grows as we get closer to achieving the vision that God has put upon the hearts of the people of Trietsch. Now is the time to make the most of this most visible part of the project.
The above video was shown in worship in December 2009 and e-mailed to those who have OPTED IN for electronic communications. This video represents a small sampling of God at Work at Trietsch in 2009.
November, 2009
Trietsch Receives Furniture Donations
Some of you may have noticed some different furniture, chairs, plants and other supplies around the church. We have been very blessed by a recent donation through our relationship with Serenity Church and their merger with New Hope Church in Dallas. The Pastor of Serenity, John Featherston shares the story in next month’s December inTOUCH and on our website, but we wanted to be sure and make you all aware of this generous donation. CLICK HERE for complete story.
We received numerous items including over 350 chairs, tables, desks, plants, greenery, refrigerator, credenzas, book cases, file cabinets and a Steinway & Sons Upright Piano just to name a few.
Please thank any members of Serenity and New Hope Church for such a wonderful donation. We would hope that all of you would welcome the worshippers of New Hope, just as we have welcomed Serenity to be part of our family. If you want to be a part of a special worship service on Saturday night or know anyone who might, Serenity worships in the Ministry Center every Saturday at 7 p.m. You can visit their website at www.serenitychurch.net.
The purpose of the Good Samaritan Award is to provide United Methodist churches a means to recognize an individual youth who demonstrates the attributes of the Good Samaritan as described in Luke 10:25-37.
This award recognizes ministry to others through outreach, humanitarian assistance or advocacy.
Youth that receive the God and Church and/or God and Life award are eligible for the Good Samaritan Award. Less than 2% of all United Methodist youth recipients receive this honor, which is the highest youth award in the United Methodist Church.
We are lucky to have two recipients at Trietsch this year, William “Shelby” Maddie and Joshua Glazer. Both are Scouts and were presented their award by the United Methodist Men at their breakfast on October 17.
Join us in congratulating these young men and their parents on their accomplishments.
If you would like more information on the God and Country program in the church, contact Jeanette Goodnight at jeanetteg.tmumc.org.
It’s official! Trietsch will build a Family Life Center complete with a multi-use gymnasium and stage area, youth gathering area, classrooms and offices.
At a special called Charge Conference of the congregation on October 8, members approved construction of the 32,839-square-foot building beginning in January. The builder, Medco Construction, estimates construction would take approximately 10 months.
Breaking ground is contingent on collecting $2 million in pledges from the Growing in Faith Capital Campaign. Currently, Trietsch has collected $1.3 million of the $5.5 million pledged. Several large donors were waiting for the vote before sending their pledges, so church leaders are confident the $2 million mark can be reached by the end of the year.
The new Family Life Center will be a two-story building on the Dixon Lane property at the south end of the Trietsch campus. The current small church building will be removed, and Upward sports fields will be placed at the southernmost portion of the property. The Family Life Center is to be situated on the land nearest the current Trietsch church building.
H&H Architects also took the placement of the Veterans Memorial Plaza into consideration in the building’s design, and someone at Trietsch will be able to see through the open plan of the Family Life Center to the Veterans Memorial Plaza on the west.
Among the highlights of the Family Life Center are the large multi-use area with state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment for worship services and stage productions. It will also function as a full-size gymnasium, and could be set up with tables for all-church fellowship meals.
The building will also feature a youth fellowship area with games on the second floor. Office space for the youth staff is nearby.
Two sports fields are included in the plans, and Upward soccer, flag football and cheerleading will be able to continue to grow and pull in families that don’t have a church home. The facility has storage space for all the sports ministries needs and office space for its staff.
On each of the two floors, there are six classrooms separated by heavy-duty room dividers that will block sound while in use. When moved, the space can be set up in many configurations.
As Senior Pastor John Allen said, “This building gives us great capacity to feed His children, His people. We are the church.”
United Methodist Church story on "Theology of Twitter" series
Click on the followng link to view the complete story from the United Methodist Church on the series "Theology of Twitter" about the church being the ultimate social network. CLICK HERE.
The CW, Channel 33 covered the sermon series "The Theology of Twitter" on May 24. The broadcast was picked up on affiliates around the country, CNN, ABC, Dallas Morning News and dozens of other sources. The Fox national morning show, FOX & Friends also covered the story which will air the week of June 1. Fox 4 News locally covered the series on May 31, which was broadcasted on all three newscasts that day. Following is the original press release about the series and then the Channel 33 and Fox 4 coverage follows.
Beginning May 17, Dr. John Allen will begin a three-part series about “Theology of Twitter,” at Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Church in Flower Mound. As part of the series, Dr. Allen is encouraging everyone to follow his daily thoughts on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jallenjr.
Social networking is all the rage these days, with over two-thirds of the global online population visiting these “member communities” – a percentage that puts it ahead of personal email, according to the Neilsen Company’s March report.*
But what accounts for the dynamic growth of Twitter and Facebook? Simply put, people don’t want to be alone; they want to be connected to other people, and online communities are an easy way to do it.
“There is interdependence among people, a need for each other,” Dr. Allen said. “The church is called to be the ultimate social network.” In the series, Dr. Allen will address the role the church should play in connecting people to each other; how there is unity in diversity, based on the scripture in 1 Corinthians 12.
Trietsch exists with a three-fold agenda – to come, to grow and to serve together. The church should not be just about coming together for weekly worship, but about growing together in community and in faith, and in serving together to help those in need. Our mission is “To know Christ and to make Christ known.”
Dr. Allen will also address the backlash against Twitter and Facebook, which is in many ways the same complaints people have against the church. That those involved are narcissistic and only concerned about themselves. The one element that separates the narcissistic from the true community is love, based on 1 Corinthians 13. If you care about your followers on Twitter and your friends on Facebook, you no longer are acting out of selfishness but out of genuine affection.
In the final week of the series, which is Pentecost (the celebration of the church’s beginning), Dr. Allen will issue a call to action based on Acts 2 to move community from the virtual to the real, from just being involved in online communities to finding community in the church. He will also talk about ways the church can use social networking sites to take care of each other.
One Trietsch member recalls posting on Facebook having to make a midnight run to the emergency room, and how within seconds had almost a dozen replies from members of his online community with offers of help and prayers.
We encourage you to join us for this insightful and inspiring series about “The Theology of Twitter,” from May 17 to May 31 at all three worship services – 8 a.m. traditional, 9:30 a.m. contemporary, and 11 a.m. traditional.
Trietsch is located at 6101 Morriss Road, Flower Mound, Texas, 75028. You can find out more about Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Church ministries at www.tmumc.org or by calling 972-539-8547.
Len Wilson is listening. But he's also tweeting tidbits about the morning service at Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Church in Flower Mound. Len Wilson says, "People look to social networks to find community. Our point is for the church to be the ultimate social network, the place to find community."
It's part of a 3 week sermon series called the Theology of Twitter. It's designed to get congregation members to better connect with family, friends, the community and church.
Pastor John Allen says, "Our world doesn't operate one hour a week or one day like it used to. The world is 24-7. We've got to use whatever means as a church to be 24-7 for each other."
Today, week 2, was about love. Pastor Allen asked every one to get out their phones and text someone. "Let them know you care about them and want to connect with them."
Several members told us the gratification was as immediate as the message sent. Church member Pam Taylor says, "I just kind of really got on twitter a few weeks ago, so it was new to me. But it was fun."
Youth Minister Kris Melvin was new to Facebook. Some of his teens helped him set up an account. Now he returns the favor readings theirs. Kris Melvin says, "A lot of times they share what's going on in their daily lives and what happens is if they're struggling with something, I call them I text them."
Other members told us this use of social networking sites feels natural. After all, we use our phones and computers for everything else. Kristi Webb says, "We need to use today's technology to do more to help others." Pastor Allen realizes this might be difficult for some people, especially older members of the congregation, but he's encouraging everyone to try. He says it's not really about Facebook or Twitter or whatever, but all about the message.
FLOWER MOUND, Texas - Changing technology is finding its way into north Texas churches. One house of worship, Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Church in Flower Mound, is now urging the congregation to "Tweet" during Sunday service. FOX 4's Dionne Anglin has the story.
Rev. Lyle Benson has accepted a Senior Pastor appointment at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Carrollton effective 
It was so exciting to receive our Certificate of Occupancy for the Family Life Center on May 20 and two days later be able to have a “sneak peek” on Sunday, May 22 as we celebrated the Open House. More than 1,000 of us surrounded the FLC and prayed for the future lives that will be transformed by the ministries that will happen there.
