The Courier First United Methodist Church of Canoga Park
Transcription
The Courier First United Methodist Church of Canoga Park
T h e Couri e r First United Methodist Church of Canoga Park November 2014 22700 Sherman Way, West Hills, CA 91307-2396 Telephone: 818.340.2950; FAX: 818.340.2951; Preschool: 818.340.6639 [email protected] website: www.umccp.org Join us at church Sundays at 10:00 am Heart to Heart The day Mark and Marilynn were moving, I went to keep Marilynn company. I arrived before the movers came, because the day could be confusing for a person living with Alzheimer’s. At first, we sat on the patio. Marilynn said, “I like the trees; they are lovely.” She said, “Look at the sky; it’s beautiful.” And she said, “See the birds; I like to watch the birds.” Once again, she said, “I like the trees…. Look at the sky…. See the birds….” Then, we circled back to trees, sky and birds. We found our conversation stuck in a loop like the phonograph needle repeating the same few seconds on LP records when I was a teenager. Eventually, she said, “I’ve had a wonderful life. I am blessed. God is good.” We talked about children and grandchildren. Sometimes she remembered their names. Then, she said, “I’ve had a wonderful life. I am blessed. God is good.” When it got hot outside, Marilynn and I moved inside to the table. We talked about her children and parents, both of whom are alive and dead at the same time in her mind. And every time one of four movers came into the house, she asked, “Does he belong here?” She also talked about a wonderful and blessed life and said, God is good. I took Marilynn to lunch and helped her with her order. When our lunch came, I was going to pray, but Marilynn began praying. And suddenly her words came together with beauty and power, as she talked to God with gratitude for our many blessings. As we ate, Marilynn kept asking, “When is Mark coming?” She also wanted to know, “What’s happening next?” And in-between, she said many times, “I’ve had a wonderful life. I am blessed. God is good.” When I went home at the end of the day, I was tired. I thought about the people who care for a loved one living with Alzheimer’s. The care they provide is a labor of love, but it is labor nevertheless. So I whispered a prayer for care-givers, for strength and patience. And I prayed that I live a life filled with gratitude. If I were to forget so many things like Marilynn, I hope I will still remember with her absolute conviction that I’ve had a wonderful life; I am blessed; and God is good. Pastor Lynn Pastor Lynn Westover Preschool Director Wendy Finley Music Director/ Accompanist Paul Cady Christian Education Director Margaret Cates Administrative Assistant Rebecca Roe Courier Layout Sharon Mountford Resident Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño North District Superintendent Rev. Cedrick D. Bridgeforth, EdD November Calendar Weekly Activities Birthdays 1 Kenneth Dimmick 2 Gabrielle Dimmick 3 Thomas Roe Chandra Seeger Analyssa Tallas 5 Sharon Mountford 11 Shawn Alvarado 15 Alondra Laguna Frank Wilken 19 Jane Bayless 21 Laura Gazca Hernandez 22 Elvera Deonik 30 Midge Herder Doris Hood Jean Smith Henry Willauer Anniversaries 13 Mark & Karen Yokley 15 Martin & Margaret Shuler If your special day is missing, please contact the church office. Sunday Peace Evangelical Church, Hall, 9:30 am Hindi Urdu UMC, Sanctuary, 5:00 pm Monday Senior Exercise Class, Hall, 9:00 am Tuesday Shower Ministry, 10:00 am - noon Sacred Dance Rehearsal, Sanctuary, 7:00 pm Boy Scouts, Scout Room, 7:00 pm Wednesday Men’s Stag AA meeting, Parlor, 7:00 pm Thursday Choir rehearsal, Choir Room, 7:30 pm Other Activities Saturday 1 Men’s Fellowship Breakfast, Denny’s, 8:30 am Topanga Canyon Blvd., just north of Roscoe Blvd. Sunday 2 Daylight Saving Time ends All Saints Sunday CROP Walk Tuesday 4 Leisure Club, Lounge, 11:00 am Thursday 6 UMW Mission Team, Room 10, 10:00 am Monday 10 Administrative Committee, Library, 7:00 pm Tuesday 11 Veterans Day, Church office closed Saturday 15 Courier deadline for October issue Sunday 16 Dessert Musicale, Gym, 6:30 pm Tuesday 18 Prayer Shawl Ministry, Library, 10:00 am Sunday 23 Thanksgiving Sunday, Joint Worship, 11:00 am Wednesday 26 Education Ministry, Library 4:00 pm Thursday 27 Thanksgiving Day, Church office closed Friday 28 Church office closed Sunday 30 United Methodist Student Day Upcoming in December Monday 1 Advent Study: Travel the Highways of Advent, Library, 11:00 am and 7:00 pm Tuesday 2 Leisure Club Christmas luncheon Saturday 6 Men’s Fellowship Breakfast Sunday 7 Hanging of the Greens, Sanctuary, 2:00 pm 2 Liz Rogers in honor of the ladies of the Prayer Shawl Ministry 9 PJ Umphres in memory of her two sons 16 Judith Austin in memory of her parents 23 Open 30 Jasper Hood in honor of Doris’ birthday Liturgist Schedule for November 2 9 16 23 30 Pastor Lucas Stan Westover JoAnne McColloch Geri Allen Judith Austin November 11 UMW Mission Team Meeting Thursday, November 6, at 10:00 am Room 10. Angel Tree 2014 Our annual Angel Tree will be placed in the Parlor on November 23 and remain until December 14. It will be decorated with angels, each bearing the name of a child in the care of the Department of Children and Family Services through the Adopt-A Child-AbuseCaseworker program. We hope you will participate in this program by taking an angel and purchasing a gift for the child. Quiet Disciple At the UMW Santa Barbara District annual meeting, Ruth Albrecht was awarded a Quiet Disciple award. She was recognized in church on September 28, where she received her certificate and a lovely peace lily. Candle of Commitment Our unit submitted the name of Pat Ferrin, who was honored at the Cal-Pac UMW Annual Celebration on October 25 at Bell Memorial UMC with the burning of the candle for one minute. The Candle of Commitment supports the mission programs of the United Methodist Women. UMW Afghan Robin Abernathy was the recipient of the beautiful afghan made by Ruth Albrecht at the annual church barbecue. Proceeds from the sale of tickets go to UMW mission projects. g UMW Annual Christmas Silver Tea Saturday, December 6, 2014 at 1:00 pm All are invited: mothers, daughters, grandmothers, granddaughters, sisters, aunts, friends and neighbors. Some husbands enjoy attending. There will be beautiful decorations, lots of pretty tea sandwiches and cookies and plenty of time for visiting. Come and enjoy musical entertainment and fellowship. UMW women are encouraged to donate finger foods. A goodwill offering will be taken for our Good Samaritan Fund. Please RSVP to Shirley Thomson at 818-348-0414 or by e-mail to [email protected]. UMW Circle Meetings g Bookends Faith, Hope & Love Sarah Circle Thursday, November 13 10:00 am ... Library The selection of books for 2015 will be made. Wednesday, November 19 7:00 pm Nancy Summer’s home Thanksgiving basket will be prepared. Thursday, November 13 9:30 am Breakfast at Coco’s News from our Preschool Last month, we had our Back-to-School Night when each teacher shared her plans for the school year with the parents of their students. We also had pictures taken and, of course, our Halloween festivities, which included our parade, Trick-or-Treating, and singing our Halloween songs. A big thank you to Pastor Lynn and Rebecca for joining in the Trick-or-Treating! Thank you to our church friends who came and joined our Halloween celebration as well! In November, we look forward to Thanksgiving and our communal feast. The children will all participate in bringing and sharing food, and we’ll include a canned food drive to help them understand about sharing on a larger scale. School will be closed on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of Thanksgiving week. Wendy Grant Simmons (standing), Stan Westover and Tim O’Connor cleaning the kneeler pads Our Guys at Work Again A fall cleaning project found Grant Simmons, Tim O’Connor and Stan Westover using our new Rhino Carpet Extractor to clean all of the pew and communion kneeling cushions in the sanctuary. Our many thanks. What will their next project be? Would you like to help? Outreach Videos Know someone who can’t make it to church? Sometimes school, work, health or other circumstance keeps us from being here in person. The church is producing videos so that wherever we are we can be part of our church family’s worship. The first video is on YouTube at: youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=o39g8CGVcrA If you’d like the link sent to you, just email the church office. Please share the link with family, friends and anyone who would enjoy being part of our family. From the Mailbox Special thank you to all on our prayer chain and others praying for the success of my eye surgery and during my recovery. My eye is very much improved, yet is still in the healing process. Thank you also to those who sent encouraging notes, cards and calls. It is really good to know of your caring. I am encouraged. God is good! . . . Your brother in Christ, Roger Johnson Dear Church Family, I wanted to let all of you know how much I appreciate all the prayers, cards, emails, calls and Shirley‘s visit with my beautiful pillow from the United Methodist Women. Louis and I also appreciate the prayers of condolences in the passing of my father-in-law. Love and blessings to all, Anita Parrinello Dear Prayer Shawl Committee, Thank you so much for the beautiful prayer shawl given to me while I was hospitalized. It’s absolutely beautiful and most comforting during my recovery. You are all angels doing the Lord’s work. God Bless, Lori Dimmick Howard Anderson died on Friday, October 10. He served his churches as treasurer, choir member and as a gifted oboe soloist. United Methodist Student Day November 30, 2014 Embraced by a New Family When he was growing up, Ricky Blue’s parents were addicts. “We often didn’t know where our next meal would come from,” he recalled. “I thought, ‘If God loved me, why would he put me in this situation?’” One of the low points in Ricky’s life came in the seventh grade when his father lost their home due to gambling. Then a friend invited him to attend Luling UMC. Beginning with his first visit, the congregation embraced him. Members of the United Methodist Women took turns bringing Ricky to church each week and making sure his life was on track. These acts of kindness, including assurance he had food each day, deeply nurtured his faith journey. “Thanks to my home church,” Ricky said, “I began to understand that God had a purpose for me and the rest of my life.” He eventually felt God’s call to become an ordained minister. His church, with less than 100 members, raised $4,000 for Ricky to begin school. In addition, he received a Gift of Hope scholarship made possible by contributions to the United Methodist Student Day offering. Ricky works in Illinois at Troy UMC, where 100 students are active, thanks largely to his Leisure Club In Memoriam Tuesday November 4 11:00 am Lounge At our October meeting, Doris Hood treated us to a fascinating presentation about Art Fraud. Some of the most famous paintings in the world have been copied by great artists in their own right. They were so perfect that they were sold for millions of dollars. Unbelievable! She had pictures of many of the counterfeits. Coming up in November, Norm Coleman has prepared a collection of pictures taken of a recent vacation trip he and Bonnie made to Hawaii. Bring your dish to share, and we'll enjoy having lunch together. Be sure to come. Generosity – 2015 Through October 21, we have received 61 Estimate of Giving cards totaling $136,542.80. A complete update will be provided by year’s end. Thanks to everyone who has sent in a card! From the Librarian Bonnie Coleman Please check around the house for the following books which have gone AWOL from the church library. Drop them off on the desk in the library or give them to Bonnie. Touch Longing to Pray More Bad Girls of the Bible The Noticer They Poured Fire On Us Amish Grace Caring for Mother Two Old Women The Other Game After Anne A Monk in the Inner City leadership. He is a certified candidate for ministry and hopes to be appointed to a retreat ministry that will enable him to reach out and minister to other young people. When you support United Methodist Student Day, you make it possible for more students like Ricky to serve the world God loves. All Saints Day Travel the Highways of Advent November 2, 2014 A Small Group Study for Adults All Saints is a day of remembrance for the saints, with the New Testament meaning of all Christian people of every time and place. We celebrate the communion of saints as we remember the dead. We plan to have an Audio-Visual presentation including pictures of all the saints important in our lives, including parents, spouses, siblings, children, friends, etc. The names of the following persons who have died in this congregation since All Saints Day last year will also be solemnly read in worship. Howard Anderson Darold Cates Mel Davis Connie Durham Nancy Elliott Dodie Mandel Margaret Nelson John Rowe This Bible study, written by Stan Purdum, is based on particular pathways to Jesus during Advent. The focus of the study is to encourage the readers to engage in spiritual practice or do something specific that will help them grow in faith. This small group experience is designed for transformation and for applying the study of the Bible to everyday, practical life experience. It is intended to nurture and encourage faith development and spiritual growth. December 1 - The Straightened and Leveled Highway December 8 - The Highway of Reversal December 15 - The Highway In Between December 22 - The Highway of Enthusiasm Thanksgiving Sunday Worship November 23 at 11:00 am World Communion Sunday Worship with the Hindi Urdu United Methodist Mission congregation was a joyful service. We worshiped and ate together. We enjoyed strong attendance 186 in worship and 150 for lunch. We look forward to another Joint Service on Thanksgiving Sunday, September 23, at 11:00 am. As we worship together, we can become friends and discover how to work together for God. Write the date and time on your calendar. Fellowship Time Workers Each Sunday, we have a team of workers providing food, serving and cleaning up for the Fellowship Time following worship. 1st Sunday: Mervin Hewitt, Dixie Smith and Linda Woods 2nd Sunday: JoAnn Chadwick-Ellis and Toby Lane 3rd Sunday: Barbara Caldwell, Shirley Ilgenfritz and Lynne German 4th Sunday: Margaret Cates and Bonnie Coleman Pastor Lynn Westover will lead the class on Mondays at 11:00 am and 7:00 pm. You are invited to preregister for the class, so that enough paperback books will be available. When shopping on-line, remember the Methodist portal which benefits your church with every purchase you make. Sign up at UMCmarket.org. Mary Mackay helps to coordinate the Fellowship Time, and our thanks to Ann Peterson for being a floater and always willing to help. If you would like to help provide refreshments on a given Sunday, let these people know. There is a sign-up sheet each month. Our many thanks to Ken and Lori Dimmick for serving as a 4th Sunday team for so many years. We are giving them “time off” while Lori regains her health and strength. CROP Hunger Walk Congratulations, Marjorie Forrester! 2014 The 39th annual San Fernando Valley CROP Walk will be held on Sunday, November 2, 2014. The sponsor is the Northridge United Methodist Church, 9650 Reseda Blvd. Registration is at 12:30 pm with the walk starting at 1:30 pm. There will be a 5K Walk,10K “Fun Run” and a Tot Walk. See Joe Buttemeier if you would like to participate. FUMC of Canoga Park has been a active participant for over 20 years. Walkers come from businesses, schools, colleges, churches, synagogues and community groups. They have ranged in age from 4 months to 94 years. All donations to the CROP Hunger Walk are tax-deductible. Church World Service (CWS), founded in 1946, provides sustainable selfhelp and development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance around the world. Twenty-five percent of the funds raised in this year’s Walk will benefit the Meals on Wheels program and Food Pantry Coalition of Valley Interfaith Council, based in Chatsworth. The remainder of the funds will benefit the programs of CWS, providing tools of hope that empower people to meet their own needs in the U.S. and in more than 80 countries worldwide. The Valley CROP Hunger Walk typically raises about $20,000. See Joe Buttemeier if you would like to walk or make a contribution. Marjorie has served the church in remarkable ways. She was recently awarded a pair of frilly plastic gloves recognizing her steady service cleaning up after fellowship time. When Marjorie was still able to attend church, Pastor Lynn always found her at the end of the morning with her hands in the kitchen sink washing dishes. Marjorie touched the lives of our young people. Brian Mountford remembers a Sunday School class she taught about the kings of the Old Testament. When he took a literature class in high school that covered the kings of the Bible, he knew more about them than the students who had gone to Hebrew school. Rebecca Roe holds dear the memory of her letters and thank you notes. “They were works of art,” says Rebecca, “and I received a card at every milestone – at junior high and high school graduations and for awards I received at school.” Dessert Musicale Sunday, November 16 eeeee Come for a scrumptious dessert and the great singing of the San Fernando Valley Youth Chorus Howie Anderson and Janine Stanley (in the death of their father, Howard Anderson) Erin Landrum Johnny Ramirez Jack Taylor Delores Butler Dawn Hromadka Marjorie Forrester Pat Ferrin Walter Deonik Barbara Dimmick Hope Schmidt George and Jackie Dutcher John Caldwell Willie Wilhelm Jack Falgien Jonathan Ferrin Evelyn Heim LaDean Owen Robin Abernathy Paul Morrison Pat Eaton Martin & Margaret Shuler Churches to pray for November 2 Tarzana: St Paul’s UMC Ventura: First UMC November 9 Simi Valley: UMC Van Nuys: UMC November 16 Thousand Oaks: UMC Newbury Park: St Matthew’s November 23 Santa Clarita: UMC Ministry Candidates & their Mentors November 30 Clergy Spouses & Families Camp Arroyo Grande MN To receive Prayer Chain e-mails, please contact Robin Abernathy at [email protected] 7 FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF CANOGA PARK 22700 Sherman Way West Hills, CA 91307-2396 Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Canoga Park, CA Permit #1 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED November 2 Your Scout Troop We had a blast, thank you so much for making your wonderful space available to us. It was a great recruiting opportunity. Cub Scout Sleep-Over