the grapevine Sandra Peterson Joins Oxford Staff Dates to Remember:

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1 the grapevine February 2014 Monthly Newsletter of Oxford United Methodist Church Sandra Peterson Joins Oxford Staff Dates to Remember: New Women s Bible Study starts up on Tuesday, February 4 at 10:30 am Kids Night Out Valentine s Night 6 pm Soup-er Bowl of Sharing Soup and Bake Sale Sunday, February 2 30-Hour Famine February Oxford Emmaus Gathering Sunday, February 23 at 4 pm When I hear the hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful, I think of Sandra Peterson because of the work she does and also because she always lights up a room! Sandra has been serving the Lord at Oxford for many years. She has taught Sunday School. She has led so many of our events, ministries and projects always with excellence. Currently her most notable work is with our Annual Rummage Sale and Silent Auction. Sandra has also been a big part of many of our facility and beautification projects over the years. God made it so that she will now be part of the Oxford staff as our Facility Manger. Sandra will work closely with our Trustees on various facility projects. She will also help work with the various outside groups that use our facilities. This is a parttime position. Sandra will fulfill her duties on a flexible schedule. She will be on site for Tuesday staff meetings, and she will attend Trustees meetings as well. Sandra has been a part of the Oxford family for many years. She and her husband Paul were married here, and they have raised their sons James and Matthew in the Oxford family. All of us on staff love Sandra like family, and we feel very fortunate to now have her on the team. Michelle Garibay-Carey, Grapevine Co-Editor

2 UMW News START THE NEW YEAR OFF RIGHT! WAYS TO STAY FIT AT OXFORD! Zumba Class Wednesdays at 6:15 pm in the Family Life Center. Childcare provided. Co-Ed Volleyball Tuesdays at 7:00 pm in the gym. For more info contact Michelle Carey at What a wonderful start to the New Year! We have three new UMW members. We have celebrated and had good fellowship and information at our meetings. Consider joining us if you would like to know God through Jesus Christ and be a part of a creative and supportive fellowship which expands concepts of mission by participating in global ministries of the church. Friendship Circle meets Sunday Feb.9 in the Family Life Center at 1:00pm. They will be exploring the Affordable Health Care Act Access. Feel free to bring a sack lunch. VALENTINE S DAY Friday, February 14 from 6 pm 10 pm The cost per child is $5 with a $15 maximum per family. Please call the church to RSVP by Thursday, February 13!! Dorcas Circle meets Tuesday Feb.18 in the Family Life Center at 9:30am. Their program will be Calling to Act from the United Methodist Women s Program Book. Our first fund raiser to support the mission work of the church will be the All-Church Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper March 4 at 5:30pm in the DeKing / Gym. Mark your calendars now for this culinary experience and fellowship. Laurel Olson, UMW President laurelolson7@hotmail.com Congratulations! Way 2 Go! Spend 2 Hours in Church on Sunday! Sunday School at Oxford Classes for all ages meet at 10:30 am every Sunday! visit We are pleased to congratulate Kerri Glaspie upon receiving her Associate of Arts/Foundations in Business Degree from the University of Phoenix San Antonio Campus. Way to go Kerri!

3 NEW Women's Bible Study Our next Women s Bible Study will begin February 4, 2014 at 10:30 am. We will doing a study called Healing Waters. Below is a synopsis of the study. It s impossible to pass through life without experiencing some kind of hurt or loss. We all need healing at different points in our lives-and often the path to healing is paved in some form of forgiveness and grace. In Healing Waters, popular Christian fiction author Melody Carlson draws upon her novels in the Inn at Shining Waters trilogy to invite women on an exciting journey toward healing. Using the stories, themes, and characters of the novels as a back drop, this eight week study explores the need for forgiveness and mercy in our lives and the role that second chances and new beginnings play in healing our spirits and relationships. Through the study of Psalm 103 and other selected Scriptures, women will: *gain new understanding and appreciation for God as the Lord who heals; *recognize that God makes the journey with them, inviting them to experience divine love and mercy every step of the way *walk the roads of forgiveness and grace, learning how to embrace these gifts for themselves and their relationships; *learn how to restore broken relationships and live in life-giving community; *celebrate the God who loves second chances and who is devoted to transforming and blessing us with surprises and new beginnings. This book is an all-inclusive guide providing summaries of the three novels (River s Song, River s Call, and River s End) and character sketches of the main characters, excerpts from the novels, and five daily Bible study readings for each week. Each day s reading includes reflection questions with space for recording responses, a short prayer, and an As You Go idea or suggestion. Although reading the novels is not required to participate in the study, women may choose to read the novels in tandem with the study to enrich the overall experience. Please visit the table in the narthex to sign up for the study. For more information contact Teri Boldt at teri@oxfordumc.org

4 Prayer List Our World Our service men & women Our nation & its leaders Our Bishop & all clergy Oxford UMC Kairos Ministry Adonis Castillo Alex Zavala Alma Obel Andrea, John, Sylvia Syl Annette & Patrick Antonio DeLeon Baby Ehvee Barbara Maxwell Bea Cody Bernice Adamietz Betty, John and Michael Krepelka Daniel Schott David Wright Dennis Moses Dick Wilson Ellen Burns Ena Ventura Ernest Loredo Family & friends of Lauren Bump Family & friends of Officer Robert Deckard Family & friends of Rev. Harold Mims Fred Ginger Elich Grandma & Grandpa Henry Schott Jackie Duke Jacob Jarvis Means Jennifer Baker Jennifer family John Johnny & Ernie Villarreal Joyce Johnson Joyce Woy, Catherine Woytek Kaitlyn, Kailey, Baby Tony Karen Keeler Kathy Katrina & Josh Lena Phillips LG Hargis Margaret Mason Mark Chavarria Marty Pray for our Military Pray for Our Military- All active military service men and women throughout the world. Andy Bravo, Jeff Davis, Kyle Faulkner, John McCann, Zach Mullins, Austin Kvapil. Afghanistan Alex Zavala Sarah Cadena Sgt. Flowers Steve The Gonzales family The Valera family Tracie Noble Trevor, Bill, Erna and Suzanne Vinayagam Warren Ward Young married couples Mike Layman Milton Lindemann Missing girl in Tanglewood Norm Taylor Omar Sanchez Patti Wyrick Richard Sal Manirakiza Sandy & Ulli Egeler Sarah Sarah Cadena Dick Wilson Bea Cody Tom Jackson Family & Friends of Sally Casillas Maria Kleitz Margie Cervera David Meyer Dave L. Juliana Josie If you would like to join the weekly prayer team and the prayer chain, please contact Prayer Ministry Leader Marty Donohue at

5 Pastor s Perspective Through last month s Christ Child offering our church made a beginning on paying our 2014 apportionments (funds sent for projects beyond our local church), and we made contributions to two ministry projects in India and in Cambodia. The first project is the Underprivileged People Upliftment Program through Cottage Industry project located in Kallakurichi, India. This is in southern India in an area not far from where some of our Indian worshipers come from. It is an area where there are many poor people, working for very low daily wages. The idea behind the project is to initiate smallscale industries and employment for a few families in the region. The idea is to provide necessary materials for the projects so that they may market and sell handmade goods like juice, pickles, and baked items. The project also intends to lead people to Christ through Bible study and prayer. We have also given support to a missionary named Clara Mridula Biswas as she works with a street children s ministry in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. In this project we partner with our denomination and the Cambodia Mission Initiative. Street children in Cambodia, including children living in orphanages and in poor communities, have limited access to local public school education, proper nutrition, fellowship activities, or opportunities to learn about the Bible. In each of the four communities they work in, the project works toward alleviating these problems. The goals and objectives are 1) to hold weekly Sunday School programs in each community throughout the year, culminating in special Easter and Christmas programs; 2) to continue to provide weekly computer, music, art, and basic education classes for students in each community throughout the year; 3) to continue to send older students who will not continue higher education to vocational job training run by local NGO s; 4) to continue to donate new school uniforms every few years, or as needed; 5) to provide funds each month for the CLCA (?) orphanage to provide a balanced diet for the children; and 5) to provide funds for water filters for orphanage facilities and families in the communities. Because the Board of Global Ministries administers the funds we have contributed and their costs are paid for by denominational apportionments, 100% of the funds we have contributed go to the projects we have selected. I hope you feel good about what you have done. Thank you, Pastor John Are you interested in helping change lives? You can do just that by participating in Habitat for Humanity. Oxford will begin working with habitat soon! Stay tuned for more information. If you d like to be part of this project, please sign up in the narthex or infocenter@oxfordumc.org

6 New Members Baker, Irma 02/05 Cadena, Sarah 02/27 Campbell, Doris 02/17 Curtis, Steve 02/23 Antonio and Beatrice DeLeon joined Oxford on Sunday, January 5 at the 11:30 am Elevate worship service. Antonio and Beatrice have been worshiping here for a couple of years along with their daughter Yvette, son-in-law Richard, and granddaughters Kaitlyn and Kailee. Antonio and Beatrice are also part of the Cross Trainers Sunday School Class. We are blessed to have them as our newest members. Eakin, Rose 02/10 Hoffer, Jennifer 02/22 Holloman, Lisa 02/05 Ingram, Patti 02/12 Martinez, Juana 02/11 McGuire, 02/07 Charlene Shelburn, Sabrina 02/08 Smith, Camille 02/02 Solis, Felix 02/12 Steubing, Bernice 02/05 Tearney, Terry 02/25 Vargas, Nicci 02/11 Zavala, Kim 02/01 Sunday Worship Attendance December 22 9: : Nursery 3 Total 207 Sunday School.85 December 24 Christmas Eve 4:00 pm 90 7:00 pm 192 December 29 9: :30 a.m...80 Nursery.3 Total Sunday School.70 January 5 9: : Nursery..5 Total 223 Sunday School.83 January 12 9: :30 85 Nursery..4 Total 215 Sunday School.91 January 19 9: :30 94 Nursery..4 Total 203 Sunday School.93 If we missed your Birthday this month, please send your info to michelle@oxfordumc.org

7 Youth News You Can Use Here are some O positive upcoming activities: February 2 Super Bowl of Caring soup and bake sale to support 30 hour famine Confirmation begins 9 Parent s day at youth! All youth parents are invited for a meal, info and fun! SOS Leadership Summit in Memphis, TN. We are sending Sabrina Shelburn and Nick Zavala. Please pray for safe travels and a lot of learning opportunities hour famine. Famine begins at 6 am. Lock in begins at 7 pm. 28 March 1 Acquire the Fire Conference March Acquire the Fire Conference 2 Youth Cook Breakfast (please arrive at 7 am) Spring Break Trip to Camp Eagle Adventure Camp Confirmation Class Pastor John will be beginning the 2014 confirmation class at 10:30 on Sunday morning, beginning February 2. The class is for all un-baptized or unconfirmed students in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Confirmation itself is scheduled for Sunday, June 8. Confirmation is the event in a person s life in which one makes a public profession of the faith into which one was baptized as a child. The training consists of instruction in the faith so that when one comes to make one s personal profession of faith, he or she has an understanding of the faith. Those persons who were not baptized as infants or children have the same opportunity to be instructed in the faith so that they too can make a proper affirmation of faith and commitment. Anyone knowing of possible candidates for confirmation or baptism is encouraged to promote the class to them. For more information contact the church office.

8 Oxford United Methodist Church 9655 Huebner Road San Antonio, TX Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid San Antonio, TX Permit # 1325 CHURCH STAFF Pastor The Rev. John G. Hargis pastorjohn@oxfordumc.org Program Assistant Teri A. Boldt teri@oxfordumc.org Facility Manager Sandra Peterson sandra@oxfordumc.org Traditional Music Director Doug Boldt doug@oxfordumc.org Youth Ministry Director Kristi Forister kristi@oxfordumc.org Custodian Jose Moya Breakfast at 8:00 am Traditional Worship at 9:15 am Director of Communications and Programming Michelle Garibay-Carey michelle@oxfordumc.org Contemporary Music Director Pat Carey pat@oxfordumc.org Mother s Day Out Director Rosana Orr mdo@oxfordumc.org Nursery Coordinator Josie Rodriguez SUNDAY MORNING SCHEDULE Sunday School for all ages at 10:30 am ELEVATE Contemporary Worship at 11:30 am OFFICE HOURS Monday thru Thursday 9 am 4 pm Office Closed Friday