Hillview United Methodist Church

Transcription

1 Hillview United Methodist To live the teachings of Jesus as we share God s unconditional love JULY 2018 Sisterhood: Building Relationships A UMW Fall Retreat September Place: Trinity Pines Camp and Conference Center Facilitator: Pastor Brenda Sene Registration open now until August 30. Lodging and meals are included. Cost: $70 (a $120 value) See below for how we can make this happen! July 1: Baby Shower for Leeland Nelson July 4: Office closed July 7: Movie Night July 8: Friendship Feast July 10: Lady Vets Lunch July 19: Ice Cream Social July 25: Community Meal Worship Training July 28: Nichole Pitts & Buddy Stephens Wedding July 29: One Worship Service at 10 a.m. followed by potluck Ice Cream Social July 19 at 7 p.m. Worship Assistants Training July 25 Have you ever wanted to be an acolyte, usher, greeter or liturgist but you were afraid you didn t know all the steps? This training is for you. No previous experience necessary, just a willingness to help on Sunday mornings. July Stewardship Challenges Choose to do one or all! *Attend Camp or make it possible for someone else to attend. *Review your giving. Bring your pledge current if you have fallen behind. *Bring in donations for the VIM trip to Salt Lake City.

2 Offerings ~ THE CONNECTOR We have heard much recently about immigration, from the horrifying pictures of people held in huge cages, to the audio of children crying for their parents, to the individual stories of parents trying to find information about their children. We have read where Democrats and Republicans have blamed each other for the policies. We have witnessed the increasing divide in our country over immigration and asylum issues. I have heard from just a couple of people in the church that I should not be bringing any of this into the worship service. They cite the separation of church and state, and remind me that worship is not a political arena. My personal view is that separation of church and state is not meant to put a muzzle on a minister to stop her or him from speaking out against injustices. Our gospels would look very different if we took out every verse where Jesus stood up against the injustices of his day. I could quote many Bible verses about immigration and about children, but I really don't want to get into proof texting. Just as we can't simply bring things forward from scripture about other issues (since it was a very different culture), we also cannot assume that the cultural issues around immigration are the same as they were 2,000 years ago. I was surprised, as were many people, to find out that Attorney General Jeff Sessions is a United Methodist. I was invited to sign a letter requesting that he be brought up on charges within the United Methodist. The charges would be that he broke with The Book of Discipline in how we treat children and how we use scripture. I thought about it, and I remembered how many times I have heard people say, Hitler died a Catholic in good standing. Our heritage from John Wesley is strong on holding each other accountable. It is okay if you disagree with me, but I chose to sign the letter. The goal of the letter is not for him to choose to leave the United Methodist, or for the church to exclude him, but for Jeff Sessions to have a meeting with his minister and district superintendent and be reminded of our values as United Methodists. I also represented our church at a meeting with Casey, an aide for Senator Crapo. A group of United Methodist, Catholic, Episcopalian, and Mennonite ministers met on June 25 at Senator Crapo s office. Casey took copious notes to give to our senator, and assured us that his views were very much in line with our views. He does not want parents separated from their children, he wants those who have been separated to be reunited, and he wants immigration reform. He is also concerned with how Idaho s economy would be impacted without undocumented immigrants working in agriculture. I often feel like we have no voice in our government. We do not get to meet face to face with our senators and representatives. We call and send letters, but we receive form letters in return that often do not even address the issues we have raised. It was good to hear from Casey that Senator Crapo receives a daily report with details about the number of phone calls and letters pro and con, and with specific sections of letters and calls highlighted. My daughter, Sarah, said that it sounds a lot like prayers. We pray, knowing that God hears us, but not always getting an answer. My take-away from all of this? Stand up against the injustice of parents and children being separated, the dehumanization of immigrants, and the lack of compassion for asylum seekers. Continue to call and write your political leaders, even if it feels like they are not listening. Do not politicize children and their parents, but treat all people the way you would want to be treated. Be motivated by love, not by fear. Grace and Peace, Brenda Page 2

3 Page 3 VOLUME 4, JULY 2018 Finance Together We Do More! Today we are traveling to Lima, Peru. Dr. Dora Canales Nuñez is a missionary serving as president and professor at Wesleyan Theological Seminary. Wesleyan Seminary was started in 2008 to meet the theological education needs of the Methodist of Peru and other Protestants in the Andean region. Dr. Canales is working with the Peruvian church to shape a curriculum appropriate to the area (with a strong focus on regional culture) and to Wesleyan theology. She has a Bachelor of Theology degree, a graduate degree of theology, and a Doctor of Theology degree from institutes in Chile, Argentina, and the Netherlands. Aware of God s presence from an early age, she received a call to religious service at age 19. She had prepared for pastoral appointment but felt led to seminary teaching. Dr. Canales is a native of Chile. She has two adult children and two grandchildren. Thank you for being in Peru! We are the church at work. We were $ 1,608 ahead on 5/31

4 The Purpose of UMW United Methodist Women shall be a community of women whose purpose is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to develop a creative, supportive fellowship; and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church. THE CONNECTOR UMW Happenings United Methodist Women s Ice Cream Social Everyone is invited to attend our annual UMW Ice Cream Social on Thursday, July19, at 7p.m. in Ballantyne Hall. Plan to enjoy ice cream with all the toppings and to fellowship with others. Page 4 Hillview United Methodist Women s Circles (Subunits) Hillview United Methodist Women offers five circles to provide fellowship, spiritual growth, and expand our understanding of mission. All ladies are invited to visit and participate in these groups. Lydia Circle: Meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month in the Hillview library from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Contact Judy Halverson at Morning Book Club: Meets the 2nd Monday at 9:30 a.m. at Barnes & Noble. A book to read and discuss is chosen each month. Contact Kristen Guyon at Evening Book Club: Meets the 2nd Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the church kitchen. Contact Darlene Smith at or Michelle Ward at Fellowship Circle: Meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. in members homes. There is a variety of programs. Contact Betsy Baughman at Friends of Phoebe: Study group for women ages 18 to 99 meets once a month at the Youth House. Contact Jenn Knecht at Hillview UMW Book Report Two familiar names worldwide are Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his Holiness the Dalai Lama. This year we purchased The Book of Joy, Lasting Happiness in a Changing World. Nobel Peace Prize Laureates his Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have survived more than 50 years of exile and the soul-crushing violence of oppression. Despite their hardships, or as they would say, because of them, they are two of the most joyful people on the planet. Celebrating together His Holiness s 80 th birthday they created what they hoped would be a gift for others and answer a question: How do we find joy in the face of suffering? By the end of a week filled with laughter and punctuated with tears, these two global heroes had stared in the abyss and despair of our times and revealed how to live a life brimming with joy. We listen in as they explore the Nature of True Joy, and then offer us the Eight Pillars of Joy that provide the foundation for lasting happiness. Oh, this book is in large print! Enjoy the summer. Karen McAlister

5 VOLUME 4, JULY 2018 Page 5 Youth News (by Claire Chambers) July Schedule On June 12 th, 30 youth and their chaperones from Lakewood UMC in Jacksonville, FL, invaded Hillview. These delightful youth shared a meal and music with us before heading on to Portland. Their tour will take them up through Montana before heading back down to Colorado to catch their flight home. This is an annual tradition for their church that is over 30 years strong. They expressed their hearty Thank you for the hospitality Hillview provided. Our church was the only one where they were receiving a meal, housing, and performing. From the youth I talked to, they were especially appreciative of the meal since they had been subsisting on fast food during the last several days. 29 th 11:30-1:30 Wet and Wild Pool Noodle Hockey! A twist on our traditional game In the works, a visit to the Birds of Prey Center with a tour by our very own Valerie Baldwin! Also, horsing around with Marissa Lumley and her horses and a possible lock-in. IT S BBQ TIME! Come enjoy the first BBQ of the season at the COMMUNITY MEAL on July 25 (6-7 p.m.). Food and helping hands are welcome and needed. We need large side dishes, salads, and desserts that will go with BBQ fare. Please use the sign-up sheet in the Gathering Area to help with the meal. Please call Marilesta Nelson at with any questions. Lunch Bunch Come join us on the second Thursday of the month for good conversation and food. This month we will meet on July 12 at 11:30 a.m. at Sizzler on Cole Rd. Please sign up in the Gathering Area, or call the church office at

6 THE CONNECTOR Trustees Additional Trustees Items The Trustees suggest that any Extra Mile Giving be designated to the Trustees Fund as the fund has been drawn down to zero because of the need to replace the old furnaces in the original church. Significant funding is needed for major projects such as parking lot repair and restriping ($15K) and Phase 1 of the roof replacement for the Hansen Wing, Offices, and Gathering Area (20K). Volunteers are Needed If you have time, there are some tasks around the church grounds that need attention: weeding around the trees and landscaped areas in front of the church and clearing pine needles from the walks and lawn areas. In addition, the rose bushes outside the church offices could be trimmed. A special thank-you to Boy Scout Troop 40 for repairing the wooden fence on the south side of our property. VIM Needs Hygiene Kits (all items must be new) Hand towels (15 x25 to 17 x 27 ) Adhesive bandages ¾ to 1 Washcloths Bath-size soap, 3 oz. and larger (no Ivory or Jergens) Adult-size toothbrushes Combs longer than 6 inches Metal nail clippers Gallon-size sealable bags Money to purchase toothpaste Cleaning Kits 5-gallon round buckets with resealable lids Clothespins Liquid household cleaner, oz. that can be mixed with water Dish soap, oz. bottles Scotch-Brite Dobie All-Purpose Pads, or Lysol Multi-Purpose Durable Scrub Sponges, or Scrub Daddy Original Sponges Heavy-duty trash bags, 33- to 45-gallon size Can air fresheners, aerosol or pump Liquid laundry detergent (50 oz. or two 25 oz. bottles) Handi-wipes Work gloves, cotton or leather Kitchen dishwashing gloves, durable Dust masks Scouring pads (no stainless steel or Brillo or SOS pads) Scrub brushes (plastic or wood handles) Insect repellent spray (6-14 oz. aerosol or spray pump)

7 VOLUME 4, JULY 2018 Open the Door to Spiritual Growth Hillview United Methodist Women have a plan to raise $1,000 to keep our retreats affordable and are offering you an opportunity to open a door for spiritual growth by helping us reach that objective. Our goal is to allow even more women to attend our Annual Fall Retreat. We want to enable any woman who would like some time from the hustle and bustle of everyday life to fellowship and to allow their lives to be enriched, not only with each other, but also have the time to get closer to God. The goal is to offer our retreat at a reasonable and moderate price of $70 (instead of the regular cost of $120). This year s retreat will be held at Trinity Pines Camp and Conference Center in Cascade, Idaho, on September Pastor Brenda will be the facilitator. We aim to raise $1,000 to do just that. Any funds we receive that are beyond the needs for this year will be saved toward future retreats. Donations can be given to any member of our UMW Executive Board. Those members are: Leah Platt, Judy Halverson, Betsy Baughman, Darlene Smith, Karen McAlister, Pam Linger, Sue Cook, Brenda Carpentier, and Christi Perkey. Look for more opportunities in the future to help us maintain this vital service. We will be diligent in opening doors, as the United Methodist Women shall be a community of women whose purpose is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to develop a creative, supportive fellowship; and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church. Thank you for helping with this mission! I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. (Revelation 3:8 NIV) Camp News The Camp Scholarship Breakfast raised $1,685 toward helping to send our kids to camp this summer. The fund has a total of $4, The following kids will be attending camp: Elementary Camp July 8-14 Junior Camp July 8-14 Sr. Hi Camp July Colt Adams Arleigh Adams Malcolm Chambers Laura Cook Veronica Cook Megan Gallas Claire Macrae-Smith Brooke Fonnesbeck Ryan Hanson Hailey Navarro Aubrey Sprague Josh Gallas Bonnie Macrae-Smith Katie Ralls

8 THE CONNECTOR Page 8 COFFEE HOUR HOSTS The Welcome, Invite and Membership Committee (WIM) has a sign-up sheet for Coffee Hour Hosts. The hosts will provide snacks such as cookies, cake, crackers, fruit or veggies, etc. They would be responsible for bringing the goodies and setting them out on the table near the coffee on Sunday mornings. We would like to have two families per Sunday. Please help us make this a success. There is a sign-up sheet in the Gathering Area. Thank you all, and let s get snacking at coffee hour. For more information, call Deborah Hochhalter at Faith in Action Family Service Day Thank you to everyone who helped this year! First Fruit Stand The First Fruit Stand is back in the Gathering Area ready for your extra seeds and plant starts. As the gardening season continues, you may share your bounty by bringing in your produce and flowers to share. For those of you who do not garden or are not raising the same crops, please feel free to take the fruits, veggies, and flowers that are brought in on Sunday mornings. Milk and Cereal for Corpus Christi In July 2016 a call went out to the congregation to donate milk and cereal to those who use Corpus Christi House for assistance during the day. The church committed to donating 10 gallons of milk and 4 large bags of cereal every week to provide breakfast for these individuals. Since that time, many of you have brought milk and cereal to meet the need. Some commit to bringing it every week, others once a month, and some bring as they are able. We may think, What difference am I making with just one gallon of milk and a bag of cereal? Together WE are making a difference, each week, with each gallon of milk, each bag of cereal. Together WE can make a difference for one person, then another person and so on. Keep up the good work. Thanks so much to each and every one of you! There s a sign-up sheet on the table in the Gathering Area. If you forget to sign up but still want to donate milk and/or cereal, your donation is happily received. Faith in Action Team

9 Page 9 July 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 8:30 &10:30 Worship 9:30 Sunday School 1:00 African 1:00 Micronesians 2:00 Baby Shower 2 10:00 Art Group 7:00 of God 3 9:30 Lydia Circle 11:00 Sermon Study 2:00 Civil Civics Discussion 7:00 Young Adults 4 Happy Fourth of July Office Closed 5 2:00 & 7:00 Forgiveness Class 6:30 Praise Band 64 :00 African Choir 7:30 p.m. of God 7 8:00-4:00 African 6:00 Movie Night 6:00 Micronesians 8 8:30 &10:30 Worship 9:30 Sunday School Friendship Feast 1:00 African 1:00 Micronesians 9 9:30 Morning Book Group (Barnes & Noble) 10:00 Art Group 6:30 Evening Book Group 1010:30 Lady Vets Luncheon 11:00 Sermon Study 2:00 Civil Civics Discussion 7:00 Young Adults 11 6:00 Bible Study 6:00 Bell Choir 12 11:30 Lunch Bunch at McGrath s 13 7:30 p.m. of God 14 8:00-2:00 African 8:00 Men s b-fast, The Original Pancake House 6:30 p.m. Pinochle 15 8:30 &10:30 Worship 9:30 Sunday School 11:45 Worship Team 1:00 African 16 10:00 Art Group 7:00 SPRC 7:00 Trustees 7:00 Congregational Care 17 9:30 Lydia Circle 11:00 Sermon Study 2:00 Civil Civics Discussion 7:00 Young Adults 18 6:00 Bible Study 6:00 Bell Choir 19 6:30 Praise Band 7:00 Ice Cream Social 20 7:30 p.m. of God 21 8:00-2:00 African 10:00 Phoebe Circle (Youth House) 10:00 Whitney Sack Lunch Program 22 8:30 &10:30 Worship 9:30 Sunday School 9:30 VIM Team 1:00 African 1:00 Micronesians 23 10:00 Art Group 6:30 Praise Band 7:00 Council 24 11:00 Sermon Study 2:00 Civil Civics Discussion 7:00 Young Adults 25 6:00 Community Meal Worship Training 6:00 Bell Choir 26 6:30 Praise Band 27 7:30 p.m. of God 28 8:00-4:00 African 6:00 Movie Night 6:00 Micronesians 29 10:00 Worship 1:00 African 1:00 Micronesians 30 10:00 Art Group 7:00 of God 31 11:00 Sermon Study 2:00 Civil Civics Discussion 7:00 Young Adults Please remember to call the church office with any scheduling requests or changes. Just because a day may look available on the calendar, it does not mean that it is. This is our church calendar. We have not included Boy Scout activities, preschool, outside groups, Fit and Fallproof, and other activities. Please be considerate and flexible with room use.

10 Office Hours: 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m.-noon, Friday We are a Reconciling Congregation, welcoming all persons into full participation in the life of the congregation regardless of age, sexual orientation, gender identity, family configuration, racial or ethnic background, economic status, or mental or physical abilities. As we journey to the reconciliation of all persons as children of God, we celebrate our human family s diversity. Hillview United Methodist Staff Pastor Brenda Sene bsene@msn.com Family Ministry Director Alison Lehrman Administrative Assistant Claudia Flora claudia.flora@hillviewmethodist.org Choir Director Duane Conitz Praise Band Director Lani Nelson Youth Director Claire Chambers cilongpre@yahoo.com Custodian Mariya Gavrilutsa Nursery Director Peggy Sheldon Hillview United Methodist 8525 W. Ustick Road Boise, Idaho churchoffice@hillviewmethodist.org It Was a Great Boise Pride Festival! Hillview proudly participated in the Boise Pride Festival on June 15 and 16. We had a booth in Capitol Park with our banner, brochures, newsletter, rainbow fish stickers, taffy, and sunscreen. Why were we there? We want to show love and support to LGBTQ people who are denied basic human rights in this state. On Friday night there were many young teenagers who were eager to chat. They were surprised and pleased to see a church present. We let them know they are welcome at Hillview. Most of them will never show up at our church, but it is important for them to know they are valued and loved by God and us. The rally and parade were on Saturday, June 16. Hillview walked with the Interfaith Equality Coalition and about 100 United Methodists who were present for our Annual Conference. The Episcopal Diocese also walked with us. We probably had around 200 people total. It was a wonderful celebration complete with rainbows and beautiful balloon creations made by a UMC pastor. There were people of all ages. Go to the Hillview Facebook page at HillviewUMC/ to see photos from the Interfaith Equality Coalition.