UMCTO Connect. Friday, April 5, A Weekly Eblast of News & Newsmakers from UMCTO

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1 UMCTO Connect Friday, April 5, 2019 A Weekly Eblast of News & Newsmakers from UMCTO PARKING LOT ALERT! Temple Etz Chaim is sponsoring the Walk to End Genocide this Sunday. The Walk starts at 12:30 p.m. and runs until 2:30 p.m. Volunteers will be showing up earlier to set up booths that will be located on the Temple property so the parking lot will be a bit busier. All UMCTO members and the community are welcome to participate. Registrations fees (includes a tee-shirt) are $30 adult and $18 ages Pastor's Corner Growing up in my father s church and during my 23 years as a pastor of United Methodist Church, I have seen many people who have given shocking and extravagant gifts to the church and to the Lord. In some cases, unfortunately, people form their own suspicions over a large donation; they question the donor s reasons. Is there strings attached? Is it given as a way to peddle influence?, etc. Such extravagant gifts will certainly spark debate over its use. But in the process, people also discover the beautiful intention of those who give extravagantly In John s passage this Sunday (John 12:1-8), we encounter a similar scene in Mary s Anointing of Jesus. She took the costly perfume and anointed Jesus feet and wiped them with her hair. It was an extravagant gift and act of devotion. So, Mary, counting no cost, anointed him. Then there was Judas and his objections: Why was this expensive perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor Judas was counting? The objection has its point. All churches struggles with similar tension. Why do we need a $45,000 Steinway grand piano when that money could be spent on behalf of the poor? Jesus response, Let her alone! There are two important and necessary questions for us to consider as we prepare for this Sunday s message. We could call them the Judas question and

2 the Mary question. First, the Judas question: What is the thing you are not able or willing to see? What is God trying to show you? What is someone close to you trying to say to you? Second, the Mary question: What is the beautiful thing you are being called to do? Is there something you are drawn to but shy away from because it seems too costly, too crazy or too extravagant.when other people see your life, what do they see? See you at church, Pastor John EASTER WEEK 10:00 a.m. PALM SUNDAY - April 14 Worship service with Children s "Palm Sunday Reenactment" and Music 7:00 p.m. MAUNDY THURSDAY - April 1 Service with Communion and Choir (youth participating, stay tuned for details) 7:00 p.m. GOOD FRIDAY - April 19 Tenebrae Service "Nails of the Cross" 5:00 p.m. HOLY SATURDAY - April 20 Messy Church and Easter Vigil MESSY CHURCH & EASTER VIGIL Theme: God's Easter Surprise! En Espanol: Sorpresa de Pascua de Dios Date: Saturday, April 20, 5 PM What to Expect: Messy Church "Surprise" Activities, Easter Egg Hunt, Dinner, and Holy Saturday Vigil! Come and Celebrate a night of faith, family, and community! EASTER SERVICE EASTER SUNDAY! - April 21 Easter Service of Resurrection with Choir Cantata "Journey of Hope", children and youth participating.

3 Following Easter Worship Service, celebration on the patio! Easter Lilies Sale Continues 2 more Sundays only! See Rose on the patio. Cost is $9 to purchase a lily plant that will grace our sanctuary on Easter morning. Take your plant home after worship! SHIFT 2.0 at UMCTO Read the book and mark your calendars for May 5! Church members are encouraged to read Shift 2.0 by Dr. Phil Maynard. Copies of the book are available in the church office. North District Superintendent Jim Powell will be at UMCTO to preach on May 5 and he will lead a study on Shift 2.0 after church. The class will be held in the Wesley Room and lunch will be provided. Kids Church News HELP NEEDED We are having a few Easter Egg Hunts! and need help collecting surprises that will go into our plastic eggs! It can be candy, it can be religious items, or you can just donate $5+! We will collect items between April Here is a list of ideas! From any Grocery Store: Mini Chocolates, Mini Eggs, Bubble Gum, Jelly

4 Beans, Reeses, Small Packages of Gold Fish/Mini Pretzels (for little ones), tatoos, etc. Online Ideas: Oriental Trading Religious # , # , # , # Don't like to shop? You can also donate $5 - $10 - $15 to help! THANK YOU! Questions? Dori dfotsch@verizon.net Youth News Important Confirmation Notice! FUN VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY for IMAGINATIVE PEOPLE (OR NOT - can you use a glue gun? Perfect! We need YOU!) APRIL 13 (Saturday) Work party will build sets and safari vehicles & equipment...all hands on deck! Bring your glue guns and spare paint. I'll supply the food and drinks. In order to accommodate end of school year activities and graduation, confirmation will be postponed. Stay tuned for the new dates. We apologize for any inconvenience. Sierra Service Trip - Chiloquin, Oregon August 3-11 For youth grades $30 deposit holds your space. Contact Patty Cogles or Tim Snyder Get Ready for Summer Camp! For more info visit: to find out all about these two options: Camp Wrightwood JR High (Grades 6-9): July 14-20, 2019 SR High (Grade 9-Graduated Senior): July 7-13, 2019 Camp Lazy W JR High: July 14-19, 2019 SR High: July 21-27, 2019 HOMER DICKERSON SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE The Homer Dickerson Scholarship Endowment Committee is accepting

5 applications from students eligible for this scholarship. Per the Fund's rules, applicants must be Conejo Valley students pursuing college degrees in a human service field, such as the ministry, medicine, teaching, etc. The one-page application form and attached reference forms are available from a Committee member (Laura Cifuentes, Larry Ciuffitelli, or Linda St. Clair), or you can pick up an application in the church office. Deadline for applications is May 1, Who was Homer Dickerson, you might ask? Besides being the person who our fellowship hall is named for, he was a Methodist pastor, father to Ruth Canfield, grandfather of Laura Cifuentes, great-grandfather of Mackie and Ana Cifuentes. There are a couple copies of a booklet of his thoughts and autobiography kept in the church office, Humble Homer's Phables and Philosophies. Check it out sometime. Homer's thoughts on death and separation are particularly precious and comforting. His Statement of Belief is reproduced below.

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7 Bottom of the Page 2019 WOMEN'S RETREAT The theme is Cozy Mountain Lodge. At the Serra Retreat Center. May We have different options this year. Look for the table om the patio after service with registration information. Please sign up ASAP. Click here for the application brochure and more information.

8 LANDSCAPING PART 2 We are ready to spread 4 cu yards of soil in the flower beds and also put down the road base and DG next to the driveway. We can definitely use some hands this Saturday starting at 8am as this will be a lot of material to move. The Scouts will be spreading wood chips around the facility at the same time. Bring shovels, rakes and a wheelbarrow if you have them. Please let me know if you are coming so we can plan accordingly at richardlolley@gmail.com If it gets done this weekend, then we can plant the following weekend and the Landscaping for the playground project will finally be complete. Thanks for your assistance on this. Photos show the forms that have been laid down for the DG and road base surface.

9 THANKS... for the blood! Our Blood drive 2 weeks ago collected 26 units of life-giving blood. Thank you to all who donated! Our own Jill Elsemore won the drawing for the Amazon gift card. Our next blood drive will be Saturday August 3rd... mark your calendars! Thank you so much, Heidi Kane United Methodist Church of Thousand Oaks E. Janss Road umcto.org