Weekly Updates

     Since we have been “staying at home” due to the Coronavirus, and not gathering together in the sanctuary and will not meet on a regular basis until July 12, it was decided to have a Weekly Update.  After July 12, we wiil start having monthly newsletters, once again.
​ Pastor Ben Shinn will continue posting through July 5 the weekly Sunday morning worship each week and on the church's Facebook page   (www.facebook.com/ForestburgUMC)  In addition a Weekly Update will be posted and sent out.  

Watch your emails, the Forestburg UMC Facebook page, and this website for more information.

Week of June 29-July 5
Week of June 15-21

Meet Pastor Greg Parr

​    Pastor Greg Parr and his family have moved into and are making our parsonage their permanent home.If you have a prayer concern/praise or any information for the congregation, please call or text Pastor Greg.  His cell number is 940-841-3183, the parsonage number is 940-964-2278, or leave a message on the church phone, 940-964-2370, Pastor Parr will be checking messages on a daily basis.  He is looking forward to serving Forestburg UMC!

Sunday Service, June 14

Sunday Service, June 7

We have exciting news!  A new pastor has been appointed.

 We are extremely excited to welcome Rev. Greg Parr and his wife, Melody, and their family to our congregational family at Forestburg.  They will reside in our parsonage and will be very active in every aspect of our church and community life.  Reverend Parr is a Local Licensed Pastor.  He will be serving in a Full-Time capacity.  He is excited to be coming to Forestburg, stating that this opportunity to minister to us is “a dream come true for him.”  The following is his biographical information.
    “Reverend Greg Parr felt the call to ministry in 2004 when he began hosting a Sunday night worship service in his hometown church of Nocona, Texas.  At that time he attended classes and became a lay speaker for the church and even taught courses for the District.  He was then encouraged to begin the journey towards full-time ministry by starting the candidacy process for local licensed ministers in 2011.  In December of 2011, he began serving Vashti UMC as the youth leader. He completed licensing school in May of 2013, and has served as Senior Pastor to both Bellevue and Vashti United Methodist Churches since July of 2013.
   Greg is a native of Nocona, Texas.  He holds degrees from Cooke County College and DeVry University.  He is currently working in the Course of Study through Perkins and attends classes at the North Texas Conference Center in Plano, Texas.
   Greg serves with passion for the people of his congregations and desires relationships with them.  He strives to support, love and guide those that are entrusted to his care.
   Greg was baptized at the age of 13 at the Nocona FUMC by Merwin Turner, who had a very influential role in his life.  He and Melody were married in 1994 and they have raised four daughters – Katie, Rachel, Genna and Josie.  Rachel and Genna are both currently pursuing Religion degrees through Methodist Universities.”
 ​
Week of June 8-14
Week of June 1-June 7
The weekly worships by Pastor Ben Shinn and weekly updates are archived after a couple of weeks.  If you wish to view previous videos of our worship or read the weekly updates, follow the weekly worships/updates link above.
Please Welcome Reverend Parr and his family to Forestburg UMC!

Guidelines for Reopening In-House Worship
(All are welcome to attend no matter age or health.)

We know that the virus that causes COVID-19 can be spread to others by infected persons who have few or no symptoms. Even if an infected person is only mildly ill, the people they spread it to may become seriously ill or even die, especially if that person is 65 or older with pre-existing health conditions that place them at higher risk. Because of the hidden nature of this threat we will follow the following guidelines as we reopen Forestburg United Methodist Church.
  1.  We will encourage our at risk congregation (those 65 years or older, especially those with chronic lung disease, moderate to severe asthma, chronic heart disease, severe obesity, diabetes, chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis, liver disease, or weakened immune system) to stay at home.
  2. We will seat persons in every other pew and use painters tape to designate six feet of spacing between attendees.  Two or more members of the same household can sit adjacent to each other with six feet of separation on either side. We may need to set up chairs in the fellowship hall.
  3. We will encourage every worshipper to wear a mask and will have masks available. The pastor will wear a mask.
  4. We will not sing and will read the words of the hymns from the overhead monitors.
  5. There will be hand sanitizing stations at the entrance to the sanctuary.
  6. Instead of bulletins we will have the order announced by the pastor and utilize our overhead monitors.
  7. Offering plates will be placed at either end of the chancel rail and will not be passed. The congregation will be invited to walk up and place their gifts in the collection plates observing social distancing.
  8. Initially, we will not have communion.
  9. We will not serve food and coffee or have indoor fellowship.
  10.  Those who volunteer to clean the building shall wear a mask and rubber gloves which are to be disposed of following cleaning. Prior to leaving the building we will wipe all door knobs, and the bathroom and kitchen counter tops.
  11. We will not encourage shaking hands or hugging each other. We will observe social distancing.
  12.  At this time there will be no Sunday School.
  13.  We will not have special musicians and soloists during the month of June.
  14.  If someone who has attended a weekly service is diagnosed with the coronavirus the next week following worship, the church will self-quarantine for 14 days.
  15.  At this time there will be no children’s programming or activities.
  16.  Weddings and funerals will observe social distancing.
  17.  We will continue to have members of the Administrative Council call assigned church members each week.
  18.  We will enter the building from the North and South side sanctuary doors and exit through the kitchen on the North side and the South side exit door by the nursery and restrooms.
  19.  We will meet every other Sunday through June starting June 14. We learned that the COVID-19 virus lives on objects for 9 days. Having volunteers clean the building, it was felt that the safest schedule to worship was to meet every 14 days or every other week which would eliminate the threat of a lingering COVID-19 virus.
 Ben Shinn, Interim Minister
Theresa Gentry, Lay Leader
Liz Johnson, SPR Chair
Carolyn Wood, Trustees, Chair
Mike Carter, Trustee
Forestburg UMC's mission:
To joyfully praise and worship the Lord;
while unconditionally sharing
God’s truth, grace and love
with everyone God puts in our path.
Kids' Klub will starting meeting again on a weekly basis
​once it has been deemed as safe by the CDC.
Country church. Family values. Growing with God.

Come
      Grow
            with
                  us!
We are a country style church with relaxed traditional
worship and conservative stance on the scriptures.
Together, we celebrate God’s love and grace revealed
in Jesus Christ as we grow in our Christian journey.