November 3, 2008 - Northridge United Methodist Church

PUBLISHED
B I—W E E K L Y
November 3, 2008
Vol. 25, Issue 22
OFFICE: (818) 886-1555
FAX: (818) 886-9105
BISHOP MARY ANN SWENSON
WWW.NORTHRIDGEUMC.ORG
BISHOP
MARY
ANN SWENSON
DISTRICT
SUPERINTENDENT
CATHLEEN COOTS
WEEKDAY PRESCHOOL: (818) 886-4949
DISTRICT
SUPT.FERGUSON
CATHLEEN COOTS
REV. STANLEY
SUNDAY WORSHIP AT 9:00 & 11:00 AM
REV.
PAULA
ERICDR.
GLASS,
AGE FERRIS
LEVEL MINISTRIES DIRECTOR
REV. JOY PRICE
Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors
Open Your Hearts to the
Hungry In Our Community
The annual CROP Hunger Walk is coming
up on Sunday, November 9. CROP stands for
Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty and this is
an opportunity to raise money for needy people – with
about a quarter of the money staying in the community for
local food pantries and soup kitchens. The balance will be
used by Church World Service to help impoverished people throughout the world.
There are a couple of ways to participate in this interfaith walk. The first is to “walk the walk,” which has several optional lengths, the longest being a 10-k. The second
is to encourage the walkers with pledges.
This year, the Congregational Church of
the Chimes, 14115 Magnolia Blvd., in
Sherman Oaks is hosting the event. For
more information, stop by the CROP Walk
table on Sunday morning or contact Barbara
Shields.
Nigerian Minister to Open Minds
Our guest speaker on Sunday, Nov. 9, is Rev. Dr.
Eunice Musa Iliya, who has been appointed Director of
Evangelism and Stewardship of the United Methodist
Church in Nigeria. She will be speaking at both services.
She is the liaison person for Nigeria and the CaliforniaPacific Annual Conference, a newly formed position.
A native of Zing, a local government area of Taraba
state, Nigeria, Eunice joined the ministry in 1991. She
earned her first degree in theology at Jos ECWA Theological Seminary (JETS) in Nigeria, in 1996. She has
worked in different capacities as associate and senior
pastor of many Churches in Nigeria UMC.
She was also principal for a women’s leadership training center in Zing, from 1997 to 1999, before being
made conference treasurer in 1999-2003. She studied for
her Master’s in theological studies and in the doctoral
program in pastoral care and counseling at Claremont
School of Theology. She loves working with vulnerable
groups, especially battered women, abused children and
victims of HIV/AIDS. She has a special heart for the
youth in poverty. She is a mother of four children.
Daniel Doss Band Concert
Opens Doors on Nov. 15th
Northridge UMC will be hosting a concert on Saturday, November 15, for youth, young adults, and all
who might like to attend. The cost will be $5 per person. The doors will open at 6 PM with the concert to
start soon after.
You can go to the church website to see the band’s
bio – or you can check them out at:
www.danieldossband.com. We hope this will be a
wonderful experience and a great opportunity for the
church to reach out to our community and beyond.
Open Hearts
Congratulations to Nancy and Mike
Easterly on the birth of their latest grandchild,
Adam Patrick King, on October 19. Proud parents
are Kim and Ben King. Adam’s big sister is Lily.
Congratulations
to Matthew Brown on
receiving his doctorate in Musical Arts and Composition from USC. Matt sings in the Chancel Choir
and leads the band at the 11 AM service.
GYTTE Construction Funds Needed
On January 10th, NUMC will lead a Mission
Team to the GYTTE (“Give Ye Them to Eat”)
Training Center in Tlancualpican, Puebla, Mexico. We will be working on the construction of
the third dormitory for students who come to the
training site for courses in community-based healthcare,
agricultural development, livestock development, community development, and church & faith development.
The additional dormitory will allow GYTTE to expand
the outreach project of the Methodist Church of Mexico
to combat hunger and poverty in the rural sector.
Our goal is $3,000 – to pay for building materials, for
their transportation to the construction site and for local
laborers who will lead us in the building of the dormitory. The dormitory will be built with straw bale walls,
one of the techniques taught in the training center. Please
make your donations payable to: NUMC for GYTTE Mission Team Construction Funds.
We still have openings available for additional team
members. Please contact Nancy and Mike Easterly or
Nancy and Greg Taylor.
Snack Sack Shopping List
• Bottled water (12-16 oz)
• Vienna sausages or tuna
• Applesauce or fruit cups
• Pudding cups
• Crackers with cheese or peanut butter
• Granola bars/cookies
• Hard candy (jolly rancher/peppermints)
• All items should be individual servings
Thank you, in advance, for your generosity. All donations can be left in the church office marked “Snack
Sacks.”
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Our condolences to Louie & Dorrel Atteberry
on the death of Dorrel’s mother, Dorothy
Docken, on October 26.
Our condolences to the family of Doris
Reynolds who died on October 14 in Carson
City, Nevada. Doris was a former member of
NUMC. Cards can be sent to her son: Scott Reynolds,
2519 Baker Dr., Carson, NV 89701.
Prayers of healing for:
Pearl Adams; Mel Anderson; Marilyn Bowen;
Marilyn Ewing (broken ankle); Sue Fischler;
Michael Gaba; Jeanette Koch; Ruth McGinnis;
Nancy Savacool; David Scott and Doris Witt.
Continued prayers for Bob King’s nephew, serving in
Afghanistan, and for his daughter, Kathy.
In Appreciation
Dear NUMC Family,
Charles and I had just celebrated our super 66 years
together, and then suddenly, with the whole Dugan clan
and all of you, we celebrated his life! This church family is so great……so loving, thoughtful, kind.
Each one of you has been wonderful…….you gave me
peace of mind.
Thank you,
Marion Dugan
Change in the World
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
NAME
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can. — John Wesley
The world is walking a tightrope and, to keep the balance, people must remember those in need. Our jars of
change may do a small part to help. Don’t forget to put
your coins in a jar and bring it to church. If you have
your name on the jar, it will be recorded as part of your
giving. — Peggy Howard, Mission Team
Open Hearts
Voices
Partner Church in Desperate Need
A headline on the front page of the Wall Street Journal:
“Lean Times, Tough Steps In Hungary”. Moves taken by
Hungary’s Central Bank and the seeking of aid from the
International Monetary Fund are both indicators of financial hard times that are affecting the whole country, including the Methodist Church. Our support of our Partner
Church, The Methodist Church in Budapest, is more important than ever before. As of now, our fund raising for
Year II is not yet complete. We need another $1500.
About $200 of this has been promised, but we do not
have the money in hand. We therefore appeal to both
groups and individuals to pony up some dough.
Can 25 or more people afford $1 per week? That is all
it takes to complete our fund raising. Let’s face it; 25 is
not a big number of people and $1 per week, or even
more, is not much of a sacrifice. Now, about those
twenty-five to fifty cent, one-time-only contributions:
They are greatly appreciated and help enormously.
Our Hungarian Partnership Program is part of a large
effort designed to help Methodist congregations in Eastern Europe and the Balkans that are struggling through
rebirth and survival after years of war and Communist
oppression. This is a very worthy enterprise that deserves
the support of everyone. Especially now!
Gordon Short, Missions Team
Steve Wheatley, Chair
Donate to Operation Christmas Child
Collections have begun for Operation
Christmas Child (filling a shoe box with
items for a young girl or boy). There will be
clear, plastic containers in the church narthex to take and fill – or you can use a regular shoe box.
Items to be collected include: pens, pencils and sharpeners, crayons, markers, writing pads, solar calculators,
coloring books, small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals,
harmonicas, yo-yo’s, jump ropes, toothbrush, toothpaste,
mild bar soap (in a plastic bag), comb, washcloth, hard
candy, gum, T-shirts, socks, ball caps, sunglasses, hair
clips, toy jewelry, watches and personal notes to wish
them well. In addition to the items, we need money to
help with shipping (approx. $7 per box).
You can pick up a complete list of items we need from
the church office. If you have any questions, see Eric.
Join Us in Celebrating
“A Night in Bethlehem”
Join us on Sunday, December 14, at 5 PM. This will be
a great way for families to continue their Advent celebrations. Step back in time to the marketplace of Bethlehem
when Jesus was born. There will be activities! If you are
interested in helping with this event, please let Eric know
as soon as possible.
You can email him at: [email protected].
The Receptive Congregation
Have you ever thought how easy it is to come to church
on a Sunday? You attend with the expectation that greeters will be standing by the door, Charlie Atteberry will be
stationed by the boards containing our name tags, ushers
will hand you the church bulletin, flowers will be on the
altar, there will be a collection of our tithes and offerings,
and afterwards, coffee and refreshments will be available
in Fellowship Hall. All these details satisfy our mindset
about what we anticipate on a Sunday morning.
Now, what we expect to happen does not take place by
accident. These events are not random acts of kindness
that just somehow take place in the church. No one has
made a wish, hoping all will go well during the time the
congregation has gathered in the sanctuary. After all, we
need to be prepared in such circumstances as these for
those unanticipated results, some of which may not have
been intended.
Yes, it is obvious, ministering to a congregation, caring
for church buildings and grounds, planning programs and
activities and meeting the fiscal requirements all call for
organization, support, personnel and a sense of purpose.
The next time you visit the Northridge United Methodist Church, for whatever reason, take time to look around
and note what is taking place. You might want to thank
someone, reach out with a handshake or a hug, say hello
to a friend, or say a little prayer in appreciation for all
that has gone on to make you feel welcome and glad you
are present.
The birthday balloons are bobbing at their tether, flowers are in abundance, a robed choir readies for the downbeat, greetings are joyously made, the sermon begins,
ushers stand on call and the service proceeds in accustomed fashion. How can you not be at peace and spiritually lifted?
Charles Mortensen,
For the Membership Team
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Open Minds
Cooking Class Was Fun and Delicious! — Everyone
who attended the Cooking Class with Chef Zel Allen had fun
preparing and then eating their creations. Rumor has it the
food was healthy and delicious. If you are interested in joining the January 2009 class with Chef Allen, please contact
Eric Glass or the church office.
Board Manages Garden Development
This is the thirteenth in a series of articles featuring
the various teams that serve NUMC. A different team
will be showcased in each edition.
The mission of the Memorial Garden Board is to
oversee the development and management of the
NUMC Memorial Garden for the benefit of members
and friends of the Church.
The purpose of the Board is to provide a beautiful and
peaceful place where family and friends can come to
honor and remember the deceased and to provide a
beautiful and inviting environment for meditation and
reflection. It will give families the opportunity to place
the remains of loved ones in a columbarium in a beautiful and loving setting at a considerable cost savings
when compared to commercial facilities.
The Memorial Garden Board is elected by the Charge
Conference and reports to the Church Council. It consists of nine members: the Chairman, Vice-Chairman,
Secretary, Treasurer, four at-large members and the Senior Pastor. One of the at-large members is a representative from the Board of Trustees. Members are elected
for a three-year term. However, the Chairman and two
at-large members serve three years, the Vice-Chairman
and Secretary and one at-large member serve two years,
and the Treasurer and one at-large member serve one
year.
Current members of the Board are: Norm Wendler,
Chair; Nancy Easterly, Vice Chair; Anne Early, Secretary; Char Anderson, Treasurer; at-large members Phil
Alcorn, Dick Flaharty, Susie Reed, Virginia Jackson and
Mike Shields; Pastor Ferguson and Tandy Wilson (exofficio).
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NVCS Needs Volunteer Tutors
North Valley Caring Services in North Hills needs volunteer tutors one or more hours a week, between 3 and 6
PM, Monday through Friday. The kids are friendly, English-speaking 1st to 5th graders who need one-on-one
reading, writing and arithmetic help.
Spend an hour a week doing for our little brothers and
sisters in Christ what you do/did for your own children,
grandchildren, nieces, nephews and little cousins. Come
alone, or bring a friend. It's fun and rewarding!
For more information, please call Eric Duran at 1818-891-0481, extension 22.
Support Our Youth Programs
The youth still have several 2009 NUMC Calendars
for sale. They are $20 each – please see Eric or the
church office to pick one up. The youth group greatly
appreciates your support!!
Fall Boutique Offered Bargains
The UMW Fall Boutique, held Saturday, November 1,
did more than raise funds for the many missions projects
the UMW supports. It offered handmade holiday gifts for
our friends and family, beautiful hand-crafted decorator
items and a delicious luncheon. New members are encouraged to get involved with the Monday morning Arts
& Crafts group who make these lovely items. For more
information call Phyllis Nelson.
Open Minds
Members Exchange Thoughts
“ShakeOut” Set for Nov. 13
The Book Club will meet on Monday,
November 24th, at 7 PM, at the home of
Ralph and Harriette Anglea, to discuss
Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s book, “Infidel.” Please
call Ralph or Harriette if you would like to
join us.
There will be no meeting in December.
The earthquake we felt a few months ago was kind of a
wake-up call to get better prepared for a major earthquake. One way of doing this is to participate in the
Great Southern California ShakeOut. This earthquake
drill is scheduled for Nov. 13 at 10 AM, with participants
acting as if a major earthquake has occurred and practicing “Drop, Cover and Hold On,” where you drop to the
ground, take cover under a table or desk and hold on for
60 seconds -- as if there was a magnitude 7.8 earthquake.
This event is a chance to look around and notice what
could fall down or get damaged during a major quake,
which could actually last as long as two minutes. People
in Southern California are invited to register for this
event as individuals as well as registering their work and
other organizations. Registering takes just a few minutes
and participants will get information about the drill, how
to prepare for an earthquake and what to do in the aftermath. For more info, go to: http://shakeout.org
Have Lunch With Pastor Stan
Pastor Stan’s Discussion Groups meet from noon to 1
PM in the Library and are exploring two different books.
Bring your lunch and join the discussion.
The Monday group is exploring “A Christmas Carol”
by Charles Dickens. Wednesday’s discussion is on
“Walking With God” by John Eldredge.
… Run After Them
I'm sure that many of you have seen the infamous "The
Last Lecture," given by Professor Randy Pausch. He gave
this lecture, his last lecture, several times - to the students
at Carnegie Mellon University in 2007. His lecture was
given again on Oprah, it has made the internet round, and
was turned into a book by Randy, with the help of Jeffrey
Zaslow. I first came to be acquainted with Randy and his
now infamous lecture when he was giving it on The Oprah
Winfrey Show - I'm not sure who directed me to the
show's website - but somehow I got there.
To give you a little background - Randy was 47 years
old when he was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. He was a professor at Carnegie Mellon and was asked
to participate in their "Last Lecture" series - for him, it
ended up being his last lecture there as he was moving to
Virginia with his wife and three young children. The title
of Randy's lecture was "Really Achieving Your Childhood
Dreams." While this may sound silly to some, his words
could be no clearer. We need to make the most of our life
and really go after our dreams.
Randy's dreams included working for Disney, being a
star athlete, being an astronaut...you see where this is going. Things that as children we imagine ourselves doing
...we dream of these things. The difference between
Randy and a lot of people is that he achieved all of his
childhood dreams in some form or fashion. Along the
way, he touched a lot of people - impacted their lives for
good or bad. He met his wife, they had three children to-
gether. In short, with both his life and his incredible last
lecture, Randy made ripples that have affected the lives of
so many people.
Randy lost his battle with cancer earlier this year (June
2008). But his message is still being shared by so many
today. He didn't just sit and wait on others around him to
make ripples. Instead, he ran into the pond waist-deep
and started making as many ripples as he could. I encourage you to watch the lecture online or to read the book - I
have done both. If you will truly take the time to think
about what he says, I can't see how your life cannot be
touched and even changed. The website is:
http://www.thelastlecture.com/index.htm.
There is so much more to this story than I have told you,
but I hope I have told you enough to peak your interest. I
hope that after you see, hear, or read more about this, you
will want to keep chasing your own dreams - to make ripples like Randy made.
To leave you with one final thought - as you chase your
dreams, make ripples, and achieve great things, remember, as John Steinbeck said, "It is the nature of man to rise
to greatness if greatness is expected of him." I think that
greatness is expected of us as Christians. But I think so
many get lost in the definition of greatness that they feel
defeated before they even begin. So go forth, be
great...and make ripples!
Blessings!
Eric
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Open Doors
Vocal Recital Set for Nov. 8th
A Vocal Recital will be presented at 7 PM,
Saturday, Nov. 8th, in the Sanctuary. This free
concert will feature soloists and friends from
the Chancel Choir. Music will be sung in English, Italian, Spanish, French, German and
Latin with songs by Bernstein, Robert Schumann, Gustav Mahler, Vaughan Williams, Aaron Copland and
others. Many of the singers are students or former students of Larry Jarvis. Dr. Joseph Lee will accompany
on the piano.
Jazz Vesper Returns Nov. 9
There will be another Jazz Vesper Service at 5 PM,
Sunday, Nov. 9th, in the Sanctuary. This service of
God’s Creative World has a lot to offer.
As in August, the service of inspiration and celebration
will be a special NUMC twist on the traditional jazz vesper service, which came out of the Anglican “Evensong”
service of choral music and Biblical readings. Our service will include many fine arts that make up God’s
Creative World.
November Movie Night
Features a Classic Film
Church and Society will be presenting the classic film
“Gentleman’s Agreement” on Tuesday, Nov. 11th, at 7
PM, in the Kendall Building. This movie won three Oscars in 1948 (best picture, best director for Elia Kazan
and best supporting actress for Celeste Holm). It focuses
on a reporter (Gregory Peck) who is doing a story on
anti-Semitism and decides to experience it personally by
telling people he is Jewish. The movie portrays the prejudice he encounters, both subtle and obvious.
Come and experience this movie again, or for the first
time, in the “new and improved” Kendall Building where
the ceiling has been lowered to improve the sound quality for screenings.
UMW Noon Fellowship Meets
The Noon Fellowship group of the Northridge United
Methodist Women will meet at 11:30 AM, Tuesday,
Nov. 18th. Lunch will be served at Noon. Following
lunch, Edie Silvey will present a program on how to enhance your wardrobe using scarves. All women of the
church are invited to attend.
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New You Meets Nov. 3rd
New You will meet at 7 PM, Monday, November 3rd at the home of Joann DeSantis. We
will be repeating our “Fish Bowl” program as we
explore ideas and suggestions for future meetings. Our meetings are open to all women of the
church. Please call Joann DeSantis or Barbara
Hamilton for more information or if you need
transportation.
Please Remember to Vote
Please remember to vote on November 4th.
If you would like to verify your registration
status, find out where your polling place is located, or
sign up to be a poll worker on election day, call the
Registrar-Recorder/L.A. County Clerk Department’s
toll free number 1-800-815-2666 and select the option
number for that service. It is important to vote at the
polling place listed on the back cover of your Sample
Ballot Booklet. If you choose to vote at a polling place
other than the one designated on election day, your
name will not be listed on the Roster of Voters so you
must vote provisionally and you may not be able to vote
for all contest and measures for which you are eligible
in your own precinct.
For fellowship & fine dining.
November
fé
Soul Food Ca
Wednesday, November 5th
6 PM
In Fellowship Hall
Free-will Offering
Please sign up after Church
or call the office
@ 886-1555
The Soul Food Café is open
the first Wednesday of the month.
In order to make enough food for everyone, the Soul
Food team needs to know how many to prepare for.
Please sign up after church or call the office.
Dinner Bridge
Sat., Nov. 8th – 5:30 PM
In Fellowship Hall
For reservations, please call one of our co-hosts, Sally
Brunken, Ted Knox, Edith Berry or Joann De Santis by
Tuesday, November 4th.
Open Doors
November 2008
Regularly Scheduled Meetings
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Schedule of Events
November
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1 UMW Fall Boutique from 9 AM to 2 PM
In Fellowship Hall
2 All Saint’s Sunday
4 Election Day
5 Vision Team @ 5 PM in Library
Soul Food @ 6 PM in Fellowship Hall
SPRC @ 7 PM in Library
8 Dinner Bridge @ 5:30 PM in Fellowship Hall
9 Jazz Vespers @ 5 PM in Sanctuary
10 Missions Team @ 7:30 PM in Kendall Bldg.
11 Movie Night @ 7 PM in Kendall Bldg.
15 Christian Concert for Youth & Young Adults
16 Church Council @ 12:15 PM in Fellowship Hall
17 Methodist Money Makers @ 7 PM in Library
Church & Society @ 7 PM in Kendall Bldg.
18 Caring Team @ 4 PM in Library
Finance Team @ 5 PM in Library
Membership Meeting @ 7 PM in Kendall Bldg.
Membership Class @ 7 PM In Pastor Stan’s office
Trustees @ 7:30 PM in Library
23 Taizé Service @ 6:30 PM in Sanctuary
24 Combined Thanksgiving Service @ 7 PM in Sanctuary
Reception to follow in Fellowship Hall
27-28 Church Office closed for Thanksgiving
30 1st Sunday in Advent
Articles Due For Next Newsletter
Articles for the next newsletter should be
submitted to the church office by 4 PM,
Thursday, November 6, 2008. The next issue
will be dated Monday, November 17th.
Mondays:
Discussion with Pastor Stan
Tuesdays:
Cracker Barrel
Sr. Exercise Class
Wednesdays:
Maintenance Volunteers
WORMS
Discussion with Pastor Stan
Celebration Ringers
Thursdays:
Chancel Choir
Fridays:
Cracker Barrel
Sundays:
Adult Study
Sunday School & Nursery
Sunday School & Nursery
Youth Study
Adult Sunday School
Children’s Choir
Cherub’s Choir
Grief Healing Support Group
Noon
10:00 AM
11:30 AM
Library (Bring lunch)
Library
Fellowship Hall
8:30 AM
9:30 AM
Noon
7:00 PM
Church Office
Kendall Bldg.
Library (Bring lunch)
Room 5/6
7:30 PM
Sanctuary
10:00 AM
Library
8:00 AM
9:00 AM
11:00 AM
10:15 AM
10:15 AM
10:15 AM
10:15 AM
10:30 AM
Library
Library
Ed. Bldg.
YAC
Kendall Bldg.
Fireside Room
Room 5/6
Library
United Methodist Women
Contact Person
Pat Small
Ruth Sanders
Betty Kinzy
UMW
Prayer Chain
Hearts & Hands
November 2008 ACTIVITIES
WEEKLY:
Mondays
at 9 AM Arts & Crafts in Kendall Bldg Phyllis Nelson
Wednesdays at 9 AM Bowling Matador
Joann DeSantis
MONTHLY:
3 Monday at 7 PM
New You
Barbara Hamilton
4 Tuesday at 10 AM
Magpies Bridge
Jean Thompson
10 Monday at Noon
Executive Board Meeting in Kendall Bldg.
18 Tuesday at 11:30 AM Noon Fellowship Luncheon in Kendall Bldg.
21 Friday at 1:30 PM *Friday Lunch Bunch
Win Wheatley
*(Friday Lunch Bunch is on the 3rd Friday due to Thanksgiving)
25 Tuesday at 10 AM
Bluejays Bridge
Pearl Adams
Ongoing Support Groups
Sundays: Narcotics Anonymous at 7 PM in Fireside Room
Mondays: AA (Women) at 6 PM in Fireside Room
Alanon at 8 PM in Room 5/6
Tuesdays: Alanon at 10 AM/AA Book Study 8 PM in Fireside Room
Thursdays: AA at 7 PM in Fireside Room
Fridays: Alanon at 12:30 PM in Fireside Room
Boy Scouts - Troop 911: Tuesdays 7 PM in Fellowship Hall
Call John Orlick at 818-886-6229
Cub Scouts – Call Scott Anthony at 818-268-4762
Girl Scouts - Call Nancy Leverage at 818-368-4844
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