Self-Baptism

She got tired of waiting and decided to baptize herself.
At Kyle United Methodist Church 1/17/16

"Sunrise" Book signing w/ Author Scott J. Abel

Scott J. Abel Book Signing at Kyle United Methodist Church

Kyle, Texas Young Adult author Scott J. Abel held a book signing at the Kyle United Methodist Church on Wednesday, April 8. His book Sunrise was released on February 4, 2015.

Kyle Pumpkin Patch 2014

Manger - Kyle United Methodist Church

The Manger scene at the 9a service of the Kyle United Methodist Church - 12/2013

School Supply Drive in Kyle

, a photo by seanclaes on Flickr.

Hope & Love 4 Kids hosts an annual school supply drive in the Kyle Community. This is the donation spot at the Kyle United Methodist Church.

Visit http://hopeandlove4kids.org/ to find out where all of the donation areas are... and what school supplies are being collected. The information in on page 4 of the Newsletter PDF that you can download via the site (or here).

DSCF4348.JPG, a photo by seanclaes on Flickr.

My kickball team, PRAY BALL, took 5th place in the "B" league in the Kyle Parks and Recreation tournament a week ago. We had a lot of fun... and prayed with every team we played. It's a mission and a blessing to be able to exercise and be an example of Christians in the world.

...and it's a lot of fun. We start the next season on March 2, 2012... woot!

FYI.. this is our unofficial move... it's called the "CACAW!" and it works best if you actually say CACAW when doing it.

Children's Time @ Kyle United Methodist Church, a photo by seanclaes on Flickr.

Happy New year.

This past Sunday was "baptism Sunday" at the Kyle United Methodist Church... where folks were given the opportunity to reflect on their baptismal vows.

Here, during Children's Time, the kiddos got to pick a smooth stone out of the baptism water. The stone represented the idea of cleanliness and being washed in the spirit.

Pretty moving Sunday.

Here's the sermon, if you're interested. The guest liturgist was Bradford Johnson. Pastor Barbara Aziz was ill, so he filled in.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

It was another great year at the Kyle Pumpkin Patch.

Every year for the last 6 years the Kyle United Methodist Church hosts the city of Kyle's only pumpkin patch. Here's a few shots I got during the month.

 

Easter breakfast at Kyle United Methodist Church

I don't know if you know this about me or not, but I'm the coach of my church's kickball team. 

The Kyle United Methodist Church Co-Ed Kickball team, PRAY BALL, has been playing in the Kyle Parks and Recreation Department's Adult Kickball League for the last 6 seasons. We've had some amazing times being able to hang out with some great people and praise God while playing a kids game.

This is our logo:

The Spring 2011 season is starting this Friday. PRAY BALL has a new team (we change out about 1/2 of our members each season) and a game at 9:30p. Hope you can join us... if not this Friday then maybe one of the other season games.

Here's our schedule

PRAY BALL

Spring 2011 Schedule

Fri 3/4 at 9:30pm  vs. Got Balls?  (Home)             

Fri 3/11 at 9:30pm vs. Intimidators  (Home)           

Fri 3/18 at 7:30pm vs. Homecourt Ballers  (Home)           

Fri 4/1 at 8:30pm vs. The Kick Starters (Away)

Fri 4/15 at 6:30pm vs. The "B" Team (Away)

Wed 4/20 at 6:30pm vs. Texas Swag (Away)

Wed 4/20 at 8:30pm vs. Alcoballics (Home)           

Wed 4/27 at 9:30pm vs. My Bad (Away)

Wed 5/4 at 9:30pm vs. Shut Em' Up (Home)           

Fri 5/6 at 8:30pm vs. Silver Bullets (Away)

TOURNAMENT – SATURDAY MAY 21, 2011

The Winter 2011 PRAY BALL players

Find the KyleUMC online here: http://www.kyleumc.com
On Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/kyleumc

If this had audio you'd hear "GOOOOOOOD MOOORRRRNNNIIINNNGGG!"

This is the kids who participated in the Children's Time at the Kyle United Methodist Church at the 9:00 service a few weeks ago. My favorite part of Children's Time is when all of the kids yell GOOD MORNING to see who is louder.. the adults or the kids.

Hint.. it's always the kids. Young lungs scream the loudest.

My oldest w/Santa at the Kyle United Methodist Church 12/12/10
She got her cast off Tuesday (broke arm on monkey bars)

SMILE!

These cute little girls were having their photo taken at the Kyle United Methodist Church Pumpkin Patch.... which is happening now until the 31st in front of the church on 408 W. Lockhart. Their mom let me snap a photo of them.

Here's a shot of the patch itself.. we do a maze every year. It's lots of fun for the kiddos to run through as their parents pick pumpkins out.

On Saturday Kyle, Texas became home to 663 new orange residents. The KYLE PUMPKIN PATCH at the Kyle United Methodist Church has arrived. Below is a photo of most of the volunteers who pitched in to unload the pumpkins. As of today, the pumpkins are arranged in a maze for the kiddos to run around in... and there's 2 staged areas for pumpkin patch photos.

If you'd like to visit the patch, come on my 408 W. Lockhart Street during operating hours (which are noted on the flier I posted at the end of this blog).

We've got ugly ones, green ones, perfect ones, bumpy ones, tall ones, small ones, short ones, and HUGE ones. Prices are from $1 (tiny ones I call "grenades") to $30 (you need two people to carry these). We've also got gourds, stickers, and various other things.

The Volunteers who helped unload 663 Pumpkins

 

This is "Pastor Barbie" a creation of my Sunday school class at Kyle United Methodist Church. We gave it to Pastor Barbara Aziz on the first anniversary of her being pastor of our church. Several members of got together and created this by beginning with a "Barbie Basics Doll #2" and then adding custom made pastor robe, glasses, plus a pulpit and a "baptism kit" complete with baby Kyle (one of the things you can do with "Pastor Barbie" is baptize babies). You can see more photos here - on my Flickr page.

Barbie can do ANYTHING.

Vacation Bible School at Kyle United Methodist Church is a BLAST. A "Galactic Blast." That's the theme. There's a 25+ foot rocket ship in the New Life Center and a hundred or more kiddos are on the trip to discover the awesomeness of God.

So... last Saturday was the Kyle United Methodist Church garage sale.
Some of the members had a little fun and made a bet.

I picked the most interestingly ugly item in the garage sale (not pictured but it was "stone" urn) and about 11 of us bet on what time it would sell.

The person who guessed closest to the time it'd sell (it sold at 8:02a.. I'd guessed 7:15a) won.

The reward for winning was... the winner got to pick 1 item each from the leftover items at the end of the garage sale to give to each person who was part of the bet. The recipient must then PROMINENTLY display said item in their home for not less than 1 month.

Here's 5 photos of people who didn't win and the things they must now have displayed in their home.
Yes.. that's me with the dragon hand-toy.

Good times.

Praying over Pastor Dave
Originally uploaded by seanclaes

Pastor Dave Dillon of the Kyle United Methodist Church is having surgery today (he would be in the middle or done by now). Last night at church Pastor Barbara asked that the members of the church in attendance lay their hands on him and we prayed over him.

RE-UPDATE: He's out of surgery.He had a complication so please pray for him.

Come Grow With Us. KUMC
Originally uploaded by seanclaes

Can I bother you with a little...plea?

This Saturday the Kyle United Methodist Church is having a "Reverse" Garage Sale to collect items for two organizations (Burke Center / New Life Children's Center) who give abused children a safe place to live and grow.

If you would.... anyone who's in the Austin/Kyle/Buda/San Marcos/New Braunfels area.... please mention this on your Facebook / Twitter / MySpace / of Blog.

Here's the details - http://seanclaesdotcom.blogspot.com/2010/02/reverse-garage-sale-at-kyle-united.html

Here's the link to the Facebook announcement

Thanks for your support.

PRAY BALL!

PRAY BALL is the kickball team the Kyle United Methodist Church formed to play in the Kyle Parks and Recreation Department's Adult Kickball League. Here's Pray Ball's Joshua Steubing kicking a home run against a team called "Got Balls."

It's a lot of fun... a bunch of adults playing a kids game. We decided to form the team as both a way to exercise and get to see other church members outside of the church... and as a way to get out in the public and share the Word. We begin and end all games in prayer and invite the team we play to join us. It's pretty fantastic.