October First United Methodist Church. Living Beliefs the United Methodist Way

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1 October 2016 First United Methodist Church Points of Interest In This Issue Living Beliefs 1 Church Conference 2 Fall Festival 2 Trunk or Treat 2 Eternal Difference 3 Celebration Ministry 4 Honey Do s 4 Sacramento Shareholders 5 Church News 5 Around Community 6 Personnal Planner 6 Living Beliefs the United Methodist Way Have you ever wondered about what it means to be a United Methodist? How do we reclaim John Wesley s wisdom about cultivating Christian life and witness? If you would like answers to those questions, then join us for a 10 hour study about this very subject. The class will be held on Friday, October 14, from 6 to 9 pm and Saturday, October 15, from 8:30 to 4:30 pm, both in the Fellowship Hall. The cost is $15 for the class book. Bring your lunch on Saturday and snacks will be provided both days. To register (the deadline has been extended to October 7) or for more information, please see Gene McPeak, Vicki Hofacket or call Claire in the church office. Waste Less Article 7 Calendar 8

2 P a ge 2 Church Conference Our annual Church Conference will be held on Sunday, October 16 th, at noon in our Fellowship Hall. It will include a potluck meal and a celebration of ministry this past year. The signup sheet for the meal will be at the back of the Sanctuary. Be sure to save the date to join in our ministry celebration! We are having a Fall Festival on Saturday, October 22 nd, from 2 to 4 pm in the gym. ALL grade school aged children are invited to come for fun, snacks and crafts. We ll have a jumping balloon, several craft tables and games. Parents or designated adults are requested to please accompany their children to this event. The emphasis will be on FUN so be sure to bring your friends! Once more we ll be providing a safe Halloween for local children on October 31 st. To participate, please park your car in the paved lot by 5 pm. Trunk or Treat will run from 5:30 to 7 pm. Bring lots of candy as we often have over 400 people pass through the parking lots. If you live within walking distance, we ll put out chairs for your use. If you can t attend, but like to help, please donate extra candy which can be left at the church office. We usually have over 400 attending! Car decorations and costumes are encouraged. If anyone has sawhorses we can borrow to control access to the parking lot, please call the church office.

3 We all like to receive things. We like to receive presents; we like to get compliments. We wait with anticipation for the UPS truck to arrive, bringing that important package. Today, thought, I want you to think for a moment about things you give. Maybe you give advice. Maybe you give reassuring hugs. Maybe you re one of those people who have a knack for giving just the perfect gift. Some of you may give physical comfort to others. Others of you know just when and how to give a kind word to someone who needs it. Throughout our lives, we give and receive. The apostle Paul also received and gave. Paul wrote, Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God (Philippians 1:3). You see, the believers in the Philippian church had shown great generosity to Paul when he was with them, when he was away serving other church and when he was in prison. Paul received gifts from the Philippians and he gave thanks to God for the faithful believers in Philippi. Like Paul, our ministry has received your gifts and now we give thanks to God for you. You have given generously to us (prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness). Paul recognized that the Lord had created a generous, humble spirit of service in the believers at Philippi. And the Lord has done the same in you! God, who created you, gives you everything you have, including your talents and abilities blessings from God. Sometimes we are tempted to ignore or deny that. We consider our time our own. Sinful pride and selfishness sometimes get in the way of a humble and willing focus on meeting the needs of others. But because Jesus lived, died, and rose victorious over our sins, over our selfishness, and over our pride, God forgives our sins. He has given us the gift of eternal life in Jesus. That life starts now and extends into all eternity. Our Savior s love for us is, likewise, eternal and it eternally impacts our lives. The Holy Spirit enables us to treasure this eternal love and then freely offer ourselves and our service in love to others. That service makes an eternal difference. Your service makes an eternal difference! You may not always remember that. Some days, you may feel tired or discouraged or underappreciated. Some days, you may have second (and third and even fourth!) thoughts about serving. Even so, our Lord has promised that our service does matter. Our lives do make a difference. He says, It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it (Isaiah 55:11). You see, the God who made an eternal difference in you in Jesus is the same God who promises that your efforts and time and energy given in service to the Gospel are never in vain. His purposes will be accomplished. Even when you feel weak and ineffective, especially then, God is with you, working in you and through you. By his grace, you make an eternal difference. Jesus has made an eternal difference in your life and has promised that your service will make an eternal difference in the lives of other. Copyright 2016 CTA, Inc ( Excerpts used with permission.

4 P a ge 4 Celebration of Ministry You are invited to the Celebration of Ministry of Beverly Wood on Saturday, October 8, at 2 pm, at Trinity First UMC (in El Paso). Beverly will retire from the position of Ministry Assistant of the El Paso District that she has held for 43 years! Beverly has served as the Ministry Assist of 14 District Superintendents (include me Eddie Rivera) and her contributions to the overall ministry of our District are I invaluable. If you cannot attend, please send a Thank You card to the District Office, thanking Beverly for her dedication to God s Kingdom in our District. (The mailing address for the District Office is 6401 Belton Road, El Paso, TX ) Honey Do s While our list isn t quite that long, there are few small projects for which the church could use your help. We need the mailbox reanchored, the Prayer Garden sign installed (and possibly paint it), solar lights installed on the outdoor sign, someone to join the rotation schedule to re-do the pews (a weekly job that is rotated among volunteers), someone to make a run to the Animal Shelter with donations of products we ve accumulated, the same type of run to Deming Helping Hand, and someone to take aluminum cans to the recycler to turn into cash for camp scholarships. If you can help with any of these, please contact the church office and thank you! Sacramento Shareholders What is a Sacramento Shareholder? It is an opportunity for friends of Sacramento (our conference church camp) to support essential projects needed for growth in ministry. Started in 2006, this program is vital in helping Sacramento on its journey to becoming the premier camp and retreat facility in the region. Twice a year, Sacramento asks its Shareholder to invted their pledged Shares ($25/share) toward a project when the Call is made typically Spring and Fall. 100% of the money received for that Call goes towards the designated project which is approved by Sacrament s Board of Directors. You can pledge one or more shares as an individual or a group. Anyone and any group can become a Shareholder. Past projects have included improvements to their water and sewer plant, road paving and a new roof for the dining hall (where some very good food is served!). This fall s call is to repair Forrest Lodge parking and sports field retaining walls, as well as the retaining wall at the Chapel Prayer Garden all necessary since many of the structures are built into the side of the mountain. And if you think camp is just for the summer, it s not! Sacramento is open year round. For more information, please call them at or visit their website at

5 P a ge 5 Around The Church October 1 Memorial Service for Early Veeder at 10:00 am (this is the correct time), in the Sanctuary. October 2 Communion Sunday; we ll be collecting canned goods for the local food bank and donations for the Pastor s Mission Fund used to help those in need. This fund was recently used to purchase gas vouchers so a family could take their child to Albuquerque for medical treatments that aren t available in our area. What a wonderful gift to give this family! October 3-7 Fall Break (no school or afterschool programs) plus the SWNM State Fair is that weekend. Be sure to attend to support the hard work of our school and 4-H kids. October 8 Celebration of Ministry for Beverly Wood (who is retiring after 43 years of service) at 2 pm, Trinity First UMC in El Paso. October 8 Line Dancing Jamboree in the gym October 9 Trustees Committee meeting, 11:45 am, Fellowship Hall October 10 Finance Committee meeting, 5:30 pm, Memorial Classroom October 14/15 Living Our Beliefs the United Methodist Way study; registration deadline is October 7 October 15 United Methodist Women s meeting, 2 pm, Chapel and Parlor; refreshments are served following the program. All women are welcome to attend. October 16 United Methodist Men s breakfast meeting, 7 am, Memorial Classroom; all men are invited. October 16 Church Conference and potluck meal, noon, Fellowship Hall. Everyone is invited! October 16 Break Basket Sunday; our special offering will benefit the orphanage in Palomas which provides a home and education to young girls. October 22 Fall Festival, 2 to 4 pm, in the gym ALL grade school age children are invited. October 25 Church Council meeting, 5:30 pm, Memorial Classroom October 31 Trunk or Treat! Park by 5 pm. Hand out candy and treats from 5:30 to 7 pm. Donations of extra candy may be left at the church office. November 4-6 Sacramento Camp and Conference Center is hosting their 4 th Annual Thanksgiving Celebration and Open House. Registration has already begun. Join the camp staff for a weekend of fun, food and entertainment! You can visit their website at for more details or the register. Or please call them at A heartfelt Thank You is extended by the Conference director for disaster response. Your generosity to our September Bread Basket offering for NM Fire and disaster relief will help the disaster response team to purchase much needed supplies to re-stock their trailer. These supplies enable the team to assist victims of fires and other disasters, providing a helping hand and hope for their future. Weekly groups who meet: Pickleball, Mondays and Wednesdays, 1:30 pm, gym, Mondays, 3:30 pm, Memorial Classroom Chancel practice, Mondays, 5 pm, Sanctuary Men s soccer, Monday, 6 pm, gym Praise Team practice, Tuesdays, 5 pm, Sanctuary Men s basketball, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 pm, gym Zia Zingers Line Dancing, 5 pm Intermediate and 6 pm Beginners, gym Christ First Karate, 5 and 6 pm, gym

6 P a ge 6 Around the Community If you are interested in what our local candidates have to say, please attend the Candidate Forum that will be held on Tuesday, October 4 th, from 6 to 8 pm, in our gym. Local and state candidates are being invited so you ll have an opportunity to hear from many of them. And please remember to prayerfully exercise your right to vote on November 8 th. Your empty shoes boxes (at least 8 wide) are needed for this year s Operation Christmas Child program. Empty shoe boxes may be dropped off at the church office. Please bring them no later than October 16 th as our pick up and return dates are rapidly approaching! This month suggested items to buy for the boxes include frilly things and pink items for girls, tools and sports items for boys. The October Show at the Deming Arts Center will be the annual Black Range Artist Exhibition. The artists will show paintings, sculptures and works in other media. See pieces that honor the traditions of Southwestern art alongside works that depart from tradition to explore different styles and subjects. There will be an artist reception on Sunday, October 2 nd, from 1 to 3 pm. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm each of those days. The show will run from October 2 through 27. The gallery is located 100 S. Gold, the corner of Gold and Pine. For more information, please call , check out the website at or visit their Facebook page. The Guatemalan Mercado returns to the Deming Arts Center on Friday, October 28 (11 am to 4 pm) and Saturday, October 29 (10 am to 4 pm). You won t want to miss this opportunity to shop for unique gifts, clothing, jewelry and more. It is well worth your time to view the workmanship that goes into these beautiful items. Personnal Planner Are you looking for a starting point for planning for your future health and financial needs? Items that perhaps we overlook would include online accounts and passwords, passing on your family s history to the next generation, and more. While not a how to, the office does have a short document that outlines items for discussion and to research as you look to the future. There is also one containing basic information, possible resources and questions to ask for those with care issues for elderly parents. Call Claire in the office for your copy.

7 P a ge 7 Excerpted from How Christians Can Waste Less by Laura Dolak The earth is the LORD s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein. Psalm 24:1 The concept of stewardship is that everything we have is God's, temporarily given to us to take care of and use in order to further God's Kingdom. I first encountered it in seventh grade confirmation class. This life-changing idea awakened my spirit of gratitude as I became aware of God s gifts. It inspired my creativity as I brainstormed how to use these gifts. It infused my life with meaning as I saw my source of meaning (my relationship with God) interacting with everything I did. It motivated me, enabling me to thrive. I still rely on this idea of stewardship. In my vocation as a structural engineer, and in the rest of my life, I strive to invest resources optimally. For any given goal, investing too little makes failure inevitable, while investing too much creates waste. In my field, waste simultaneously depletes financial budget, architectural space, and environmental quality. Churches and charities have a great opportunity to minimize waste, specifically by reducing how much is sent through the postal system. I realize that there are members in your congregation who still rely on paper media. The goal of this post is not to exclude those members but rather to invest the right resources in the right people in order to create the most efficient system possible. Waste significantly harms two important parties: the environment and the church or charity generating the waste. In simplest terms, waste harms the environment by depleting things that are good and creating things that are bad. I acknowledge that these effects can be devastating for the planet and for humans. I believe that, as a church, being insensitive to the concerns of people who do believe that environmental care is a moral obligation will do little to further our efforts to expand God s Kingdom. Christianity does not look winsome to tree huggers watching Christians shirk off environmental responsibility as unimportant. The eternal life of our fellow humans is unarguably the most important item God has entrusted to us. It is imperative that we strive for both truth and compassion. More obvious, but no less important, waste reduces the effectiveness of the church or charity generating it because the wasted resources (energy, time, money, space) could be better used in other ways. What changes can churches and charities make to waste less? There are many opportunities out there. It is my hope this post helped change your mindset to look for them. If we never think about ways to waste less and keep our world clean and healthy, what are the chances we ll make the simple changes to do so? Let s each use our God-given gifts and creativity to do our job as stewards and take care of our Creator s world. Editor s Note: What small changes can we also take at home to waste less? Even one small change, added with everyone else s small change, will have an impact. This is especially true if we receive a lot of catalogs or mailings from various companies and organizations. The church has undertaken a campaign to reduce catalog mailings by regularly calling companies and asking to be removed from their mailing list. While not a total success, the number of catalogs we take to the recycling station has decreased significantly. This small change, added to your small changes, will make a difference in our part of the world.

8 P a ge 8 October Communion Sunday Pickleball Praise Team Line Dance Pickelball PIckleball Praise Team Line Dance Pickelball First Karate Pickleball Praise Team Line Dance Pickelball First Karate Pickleball Praise Team Line Dance Pickelball First Karate Pickleball

9 1020 S. Granite Deming, New Mexico ( ) Phone: The First United Methodist Church in Deming, NM welcomes YOU... to its on-line web presence. Please stay on-line with us for a while and visit the multiple program and worship opportunities available at First United Methodist Church; the feature The Pastor Speaks allows us to share audibly the recent messages/sermons prepared by our pastor. plan to visit and worship with us. Sunday Worship Services 8:00 am and 10:30 am Nursery Available!! Bible Study Classes for everyone!! Yes we are on the Web!!!! Facebook: FUMCdeming