What is your "Empty Bowl"?

When I started this blog I set some ground rules for myself; that this is a site for our church and about our church. It was not intended to be a place for me to write about me, my family or the things we do in the church. That would get old quick! Please allow me to take a few liberties with these ground rules. I think it is worth it.

This is story about my sister Janet Rodriquez. Janet and her family (my brother-in-law and two nieces) live in Fort Worth where they are parishioners of St. Rita's Catholic Church. Janet is an extremely talented potter who owns a pottery business in East Fort Worth. For the past 5 years she has been involved the Empty Bowls Project. The basic idea for Empty Bowls is simple. Participants create ceramic bowls and local restaurants provide soup. Guests choose a bowl to use that day and to keep as a reminder that there are always Empty Bowls in the world. In exchange for soup and the bowl, the guest gives a donation. The proceeds from the event go to the Tarrant Area Food Bank. Janet and her pottery students created and donated over 500 bowls to the Empty Bowls project in 2008. The event raised $117,000 for TAFB which equals more than 585,000 meals.

Events like this usually start as one person with a thought and the commitment to follow that thought where ever it takes them. This is what we are called to do as a church and we are called to do as individuals. What will be the "Empty Bowl" story at Good News UMC? More importantly what will be YOUR "Empty Bowl" story?

Thank you, Janet for being a role model for your brother down in Leander.

Sunday School - Holy Week Journey

The teachers and children of Sunday school reenacted the Holy Week Journey. (mouse over the photo to pause the slideshow, remove mouse pointer to continue)

Aldersgate Gifts

Our highlighted ministry for February was the Aldersgate Enrichment Center. Because of your generosity Good News is making a donation of $97. Thank you for your gifts for this wonderful ministry.

About Aldersgate...Aldersgate Enrichment Center is a not-for-profit sheltered workshop with a vocational program and a residential program. It is a ministry related to the Central Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church to meet the needs of physically and mentally challenged adults. Employment and life-skills training are provided for those of our society who otherwise would be considered unemployable.

The highlighted ministry for the month of March in UMCOR. Watch the newsletter and listen for announcements about this organization each Sunday in March.

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'Everything' Skit

I clicked over to the youth site earlier this week and there is a link for God Tube on right navigation bar. It is a link to this video above. The skit was performed by a group out of Baltimore and seen live here in at Winterfest 2006 Smoky Mountain Saturday Evening. I wanted to give it a little more exposure to the to the readers of Going Forth. If you have grade school age kids you may want to watch it to see if it is appropriate for your child. Well, you should always know what you kids are seeing on the net. I guess what I am saying this is a good one to watch and discuss with your teenager/young adult. The message is very powerful and very true.


I have known about Lifehouse for a few years but only through a few of their songs on the radio and by a 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon thing through my brother in law. I think I am going to download a few songs and give them a closer listen.

In Him all things are possible!