august pdf - Community United Methodist Church

August 2016
220 Junction Road, Ruidoso, NM 88345
From the Pastor
Community United Methodist Church
Ph. 575-257-4170
www.ruidosocumc.org
by Rev. Judy Shema
It’s time for a grandbaby story! As Elora and Kiran walked
toward their preschool door, Elora said to Kiran, “If you feel
sad today I will sing you a song.” The purity of that little
three year old touched me deeply not only in the sweetness of her offer but also because she knew that sometimes Kiran is sad. When Momma Deborah told me the
story I knew it would preach.
I asked myself who do I know well enough to know they
are sad? Am I willing to sing them a song? What kind of
song do they need to hear?
Upcoming in August
August 8th-12th: Imagination Station
closed.
August 10th: United Methodist Men
breakfast at 5:30pm in FH
August 15th: Community Dinner at
5:30pm in Worship House.
Yet, Elora knew when Kiran was sad and was willing to sing August 15th-20th: Unity in the Church
study. Dinner starts at 6pm, followed
to her.
by the study.
May we learn to sing to each other, even knowing what
August 23rd: Finance meeting at
we know.
6:00pm in Library
August 25th: Trustee meeting at
6:00pm in FH
Kay Bridge
Church Council at 7pm in Fellowship
joined 7/10/16
Hall
Murray and Diane
Elora and Kiran are twins. They are with each other 24
hours a day. Sometimes they get very angry with each
other and sometimes they build castles together out of
card board boxes. Sometimes they take the other’s toy or
just out of pure meanness go push the other. They know
each other very, very well.
Murphy
Joined 7/24/16
Judy Shema, Pastor
[email protected]
Anna Fuqua,
Administrative Assistant
[email protected]
Julie Lucas
FCHM Nurse
Nurse Office Hours
Thursday 9am-Noon
The United Methodist Connection
Footsteps of a Hospital Chaplain
August 2016
by Maury St. John
Ages 15, 25, 42, 69, 73, 75, 77, 79, 80, 82-- what do all these ages have in
common? You don’t even have to guess because you know they were hospital patients when this chaplain made rounds this particular day. One room
had five visitors and they were having a “party”! Another room had only the patient but she was “comfortable”! All of the other rooms were occupied by situations in between
these two! At this point I’m really not sure what I wanted you to see but perhaps just to somehow feel as I did as the “mood” changed from room to room.
Does this remind you of your life? Do you shift from “quiet solitude” to being with a group of
people-- a “party”?
On Thursday mornings there is a “meeting” of adults in the Fellowship Hall-- “Coffee Time”!
Sometimes the group is fairly quiet while playing dominoes or bingo and sometimes they are
quite boisterous as we celebrate someone’s birthday! Do you need to be a part of this type of
group? Just to be with a group of people that love being Christians? Do let me tell you about
the real “party” that happens every week-- some of the Imagination Station children bring their
young lives into our older lives with what they are studying that week. It really does bring a
“party” into our lives!
This chaplain hopes for each of you both types of days-- “quiet solitude” and “parties”!
A New Book by Don Madaris “Reflections on the Pond”
During a season of uncertainty, transition, serious health problems,
stresses within and without, author Don L. Madaris traveled to the
family cabin in the mountains of New Mexico. Nearby, he found a
small, secluded pond off a little-traveled dirt road behind the cabin.
There, surrounded on all sides by the beauty, and reflecting. Don
wrote down his reflections and drew many accompanying sketches.
At that quiet pond he made contact with the God of peace and
found the tranquility and direction that he so desperately needed.
Here is his journal and his sketches, compiled by his widow, Kay W.
Madaris.
Available on Amazon e-books
The United Methodist Connection
August 2016
Imagination Station Preschool News
By Nisha Hoffman
He stood in the parking
lot, all decked out in flowers with a small cart. His name is Bubbles and he
is a miniature horse. He had come with Annette
Woods for a pony party to culminate our three
weeks of celebration of our western heritage. It
was a hot morning and Bubbles took each child
for a ride. He was amply rewarded with hugs,
kisses (Bubbles likes to kiss), pets and assorted
food offerings that had been stashed in pockets
for later. We even got our pictures in the paper.
It was a wonderful experience for all. We ended
our Western series with a cooking project. We
cook with the kids on a regular basis all through
the year. To celebrate chuck wagon cooks we
made biscuits and bacon. They all were believing that that was the best camp sandwich they
had ever had. We also wrote a story about a
chuck wagon cook. I try to do at least one book
with my kids each year. I give them the first line
and they take it from there, When finished with
the writing they draw their own pictures. This
years offering is Coosie Ben and the Bear. A
copy of it is on Anna's counter if you would like
to take a look. They really surprised me with the
directions the story took this year. It is a good
one especially considering the age of the writers. Our summer program is looser than our winter preschool academics and we try to bring
some extras in to facilitate it. Our latest program
effort had to do with building robots. One of the
boys thought he was being supremely clever in
learning how to pray in robot. It was a short
prayer and totally in monotone. They believe in
maintaining character in whatever endeavor
we are doing.
Chapel is a constant year around joy. Once
each week we go to the sanctuary for chapel
with Mr. Ed, Ms. Pat, Maury, Judy or Cindi. They
have sung, danced, participated in stories, listened to “the prophets” in costume. They love it
and we so appreciate all who help make it happen. Each one of our chapel storytellers brings a
different approach to bible stories and lessons
and the children have learned to appreciate all
styles. It is a heart soaring experience.
As Ruidoso schools start on August 12th this year,
our summer is about over. Our future kindergartners are chomping at the bit or in the throes of
anxiety. Our regular kids realize they will be moving up in a couple of weeks and they too are
chomping at the bit or in the throes of anxiety.
Our fall enrollment is steady and we are looking
forward to a full and fun offering.
Circle Time is a chance for all to talk and about
anything they like. Try these on for size. “Max,
you look tired.” “I stayed up most of last night. It
was dark in my bedroom and I saw something
crawling up my wall. It was large with lots of legs.
I didn't want him in bed with me. He might sting
me.” “There is an invisible snake in the playhouse. He is camouflaged and we can’t see him
before he gets us. I’m not going in there.” (that
one was Kiptyn’s). “Girls shouldn’t play on the
trapeze if they don’t have shorts or jeans
on.” (That was Sadie who doesn’t much care for
the trapeze anyway). “I think we should have
called the robot Leo.” (We built a robot and
named him DaVinci. There is a ninja turtle name
Leonardo). “My Auntie tied a string around my
tooth and pulled it. I screamed really loud.” (that
was Becca and she can).
The United Methodist Connection
August 2016
Stories of Faith Community Health Volunteers
By Julie Lucas
I’ve wondered of our congregation thinks “what do the volunteers do each week and how
do they help our clients”, so I
thought this month I would tell a
few stories!!
1) Each week we call the 15 clients on our visitation
list. We visit on the phone and ask if they’d like a
visit. One week we called a client who is wheelchair bound- her husband is her total care giver.
The phone said “this number has been disconnected”. Now we thought- no way! So one of the
volunteers took off to go to the house and check it
out. Our volunteer could see the client in her chairshe waved- they did sign language through the
window, the door is locked- her husband is not
home. So we knew she was ok- we did not have
her husband’s cell. Her husband had gone to Roswell for a doctor appointment. When he got there
and tried to call her- he got the same message so
he headed back to Ruidoso. Plan: this started the
ministry building emergency contact numbers for
our clients and emergency ways to enter the
homes with client approval.
2) One day a client’s husband was very sick with a
medical emergency. He told his wheelchair bound
wife to call the “kids in Albuquerque”. She tried- the
kids didn’t answer- he said “call Jean with Parish
Health”. She did- Jean said “let me grab some
chicken soup out of the freezer and an overnight
bag and I’ll be on my way!” The husband drove
himself to the hospital, was airlifted to Albuquerque
- Jean spent the night and stayed until the kids got
there the next morning. This progressed to helping
the kids with information, a home visit to teach
them to transfer the client wheelchair to car, to
planning a funeral luncheon for a family of 25. They
told us they felt so blessed to have the love and
support of this ministry.
3) One client came home from the hospital on an
Friday night, weak after several days in the hospital.
We got a call that she could not stand well, did not
have a commode for transfer chair to commode,
color was not good. Could we come- home visit
found her recliner chair was sitting on her oxygen
tubing- we cleared that, put new tubing on, filled
the water bottle and her color improved. We
called all over town after hours to find a commode
- found a medical service company who agreed
to come bring one at 8pm. We called home health
and set up an appointment for her to be assessed
Saturday morning. We met home health Saturday
morning and made a plan- taught her husband to
use a gait belt, set up physical therapy, meals on
wheels. We visited every day or two- got pill containers taught her the names and actions of her 15
medications- set up her pills for a week. We set a
ramp to help EMS get her out of her house for doctor appointments. Her wonderful Sunday School
class came to clean house. Within a week she was
transferring independently, she states she felt so
loved and cared for that she has seen the love of
Jesus in our care.
4) We have started a music ministry because we
have a fabulous talented volunteer who is going to
client’s homes, currently who have pianos, and
playing and singing! We have had an offer of an
electric keyboard for the ministry so she can take
music to everyone. She also goes to Mescalero
once a month and takes music to our clients. It’s
unbelievable to see the smiles and people tapping
a foot.
5) One day I offered communion to a client who is
shut-in and has not been able to come to church.
She and her husband cried. They said “we have
never been offered communion in our home- how
big the love of God is!”
In conclusion our ministry is growing through love and
hugs, smiles and compassion. We have built a loaner
closet with crutches, walkers, wheelchairs and a commode. We have had CPR classes and have 28 people
trained in CPR and place3d an automatic external defibrillator in the Worship House. We have had four education luncheons this year with an additional three
planned for this fall (watch for fliers for our September
topic- “Our Hospital and the Bond Election”!). We are
a growing ministry!! We share the love of God with our
community!!
The United Methodist Connection
August 2016
The Bible and Human Sexuality Study
This study is to be a dialogue and safe environment to encounter the differences in society and within the church over issues
related to divorce, gender, abortion, and homosexuality. What
are the responsibilities of those who enter into a marriage covenant? What about same-sex couples who love each other, including couples raising families?
The Scriptures are a part of our differing interpretations. What do they really say? Looking again
into the Bible, the way it was formed, and how it is to be understood in today’s world, is a demanding task, but it is one that we need to undertake of we would bear Christ in our own personhood.
This study is an excellent way to begin to understand what part of our understanding of sexuality has been defined by culture and what part reflects the vision of God for God’s people. Perhaps as we study, pray, and act, we will move toward a sexual ethic defined by a consciousness of Jesus Christ. This is a way to participate in the current challenge before the General
United Methodist Church as the Council of Bishops discern the path for our world wide church
regarding these issues.
You are invited to attend this study on Tuesday September 13, 2016 in the Fellowship Hall from
10:00am- 2:00pm. Be sure to bring your Bible and a dish to share at the lunch break. Please call
Tanya Barlow if you have any questions, 257-8169.
An interesting legend is associated with the
painting “The Last Supper.” Some say Leonardo
daVinci used a rival’s face for Judas. Then
when the painter tried to create Jesus’ face, all
he could see was that of his enemy.
Supposedly, daVinci was able to complete
Jesus’ face- and the entire masterpiece- only
after making peace with his enemy and repainting Judas.
This tale shows the necessity of forgiving other people so we can accept Jesus’ forgiveness
for ourselves. As Jesus says in Matthew 6:14-15 (NIV), “For if you forgive other people when
they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive
others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
-adapted from Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks by Wayne Rice.
The United Methodist Connection
August 2016
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Building Committee
has made the minutes from
meetings and other information
available to the congregation.
Financial Report
as of June 30, 2016
General Fund receipts $125,419
Total Expenses $112,072
General Fund receipts less
expenses $13,347
To view, come by the church
office during office hours or on
Sunday morning.
If you would like to be added to
the mailing list to receive this
newsletter by email each
month,
please email Anna at
[email protected].
Community Dinner
Every third Monday of each
month. To volunteer, contact
Jean Ballard.
If you have an announcement
for the newsletter, call or email
Anna at the church office.
Deadline the 20th.
Community United
Methodist Church
220 Junction Road
Ruidoso, NM 88345
(575) 257-4170
In the Military Josh Crawford, Curtis Ballard, Joseph
Neal Harrison, Chase Rankin
Home bound Phyllis Russell,
Marilyn Schoof
In the Care Center Miriam
Smith