THE UNITED CHURCH OF LOS ALAMOS

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THE UNITED CHURCH OF LOS ALAMOS Email: ucoffice@unitedchurchla.org MAY Vol. 52 No. 5 Website: unitedchurchla.org Telephone: 505.662.

1 THE UNITED CHURCH OF LOS ALAMOS MAY Vol. 52 No. 5 Website: unitedchurchla.org Telephone: From the Pastor It is with deep appreciation for her many years of faithful service at The United Church that I inform you that Mardel Schmiedicke will be retiring on May 31, Mardel has been the Church Secretary since 2002, but volunteered and filled-in running the church office since Throughout these 16 years, Mardel has been dedicated to helping staff, members, friends, Canyoncito Montessori, outside groups, and many service and repair individuals (and builders!), all who needed information and assistance throughout any day of any week. There are not enough pages in this Chimes edition to list the responsibilities that Mardel fulfilled each week. Some of the work she did involved the publication of worship bulletins, Chimes newsletter, annual reports, special worship services, church directories, board member information, staff calendars and more. The many volunteers who help on Sunday morning are able to do their tasks because of all that Mardel prepared for each Sunday during the week. All of this and more were done while also answering the many phone calls the church office receives each day! As many of you know, all roads around here go through Mardel s office and she juggled all the communication and support needs effectively and faithfully! Mardel fulfilled her duties as Church Secretary (and then some!) not only as an employee or staff member of The United Church. She fulfilled a ministry to this congregation and beyond, as she lives out her on-going ministry. Along with her willingness to 1 Upcoming Events May 1 Sunday Worship Sunday School and Adult Education May 8 Mother s Day, Sunday Worship, 2 nd Grade Bibles, Senior Recognition, Sunday School and Adult Education, May 13 Maggie Davis Memorial at 11 am in the Sanctuary May 15 Pentecost Sunday Worship, All Church Potluck May 22 Sunday Worship, Teacher Appreciation May 29 Sunday Worship May 30 Memorial Day Church office closed Weekly Word Weekly Word If you would like to receive the I send out each week about the upcoming Sunday, please or call the church office and tell us to add you to the Weekly Word list.

2 help out around the church on Sunday mornings, Mardel also continued her ministry of teaching children during the Sunday School hour. Mardel will be missed in our church office even as we celebrate with her and Allen during this new chapter in their lives! We will celebrate Mardel s faithful work and retirement both during and following the 9:30 a.m. worship service on Sunday, May 15, If you would like to give a love offering to Mardel, please send it to the church office to the attention of the Treasurer; write Mardel Love Offering on the memo line. We thank God for Mardel Schmiedicke s many years of faithful employment and service and ask God to bless her and her family in the years ahead. Gratefully Yours, David Celebrating Mardel s Faithful Work! Join us on Sunday, May 15 th as we celebrate Mardel Schmiedicke s retirement with gratitude for her many years of excellent work and faithful service. This recognition will be during the 9:30 a.m. worship service, followed by a reception at 10:30 a.m. If you would like to give a LOVE OFFERING, you may drop off or send checks to the church office to the attention of the Treasurer. Please write Mardel Love Offering on the memo line. 2

MAY CELEBRATIONS Sunday, May 8th Mother s Day 2 nd Grade Bibles Monday 11:00 12:30pm Women s Book Study Lounge All women of the church

Their current book is Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhan Hanh.

Presbyterian Church Friday 10-11:30 am All women are welcome to come try out our Friday morning group!

3 MAY CELEBRATIONS Sunday, May 8th Mother s Day 2 nd Grade Bibles Monday 11:00 12:30pm Women s Book Study Lounge All women of the church and their friends are welcome to attend this group. The books for discussion are selected by the group. Their current book is Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhan Hanh. Graduation for High School Seniors May 15 th - Pentecost May 22 nd - Teacher Recognition Friday Morning Bible Study White Rock Presbyterian Church Friday 10-11:30 am All women are welcome to come try out our Friday morning group! We are largely comprised of women of The United Church, although not exclusively, and you are certainly welcome to bring a friend with you! We spend time each week in study and, equally as important, in fellowship and prayer. Our next study will be the Gospel of Mark. 3

basketball for some adult fun. United Families is an experiment, a new opportunity and a short time commitment (2 hours max maybe).

4 United Families On Sunday, May 1 st at 12:30pm...we are going to try something a bit different. We ll gather under the pavilion at Urban Park, have a potluck picnic and spend some time chatting, letting our kids play on the playground and maybe we ll even grab a volleyball, kickball or basketball for some adult fun. United Families is an experiment, a new opportunity and a short time commitment (2 hours max maybe). Basically, time to eat and fellowship, as well as let the kids be together off the church property in a spot where they can be active and run til their little hearts are content. So bring a picnic for your family and an extra portion to share. You can come and go as you like and we will have very loose structure. (Structure? What is that?) You are responsible for your child s meal and safety. The thought is perhaps a sack lunch and Jemez Hike/Valle Caldera hike the first Sunday in June. Curious? Come on out and have some fun. Keith Lewis Sunday School Teacher Appreciation May 22, 2016 Join the Christian Education Board: Come in showing your appreciation for the hard work and dedication of our Sunday School teachers. Please gather in the atrium of the CE Building during Coffee Hour on Sunday, May 22 for a reception honoring these wonderful volunteers! 4

All Church Camp Labor Day weekend, Sept. 2-5, 2016 Back by popular demand, Richard Rohrbaugh, our featured speaker, is the Paul S.

Richard has been among the pioneers in using anthropological studies of Mediterranean culture to set the New Testament in its ancient social

He is a founding member of The Context Group, a working group of international scholars using the social sciences in the task of biblical

5 All Church Camp Labor Day weekend, Sept. 2-5, 2016 Back by popular demand, Richard Rohrbaugh, our featured speaker, is the Paul S. Wright Professor of Religious Studies (Emeritus) at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Richard has been among the pioneers in using anthropological studies of Mediterranean culture to set the New Testament in its ancient social and cultural context. He is a founding member of The Context Group, a working group of international scholars using the social sciences in the task of biblical interpretation. His 2014 appearance at Ghost Ranch was enthusiastically received. Plan on doing this again or joining us for the first time for fun, fellowship, food, and learning in the midst of God s beautiful Ghost Ranch creation, a great place for kids of all ages. Volunteer to help make it happen! Contact Jim Cobble

6 LOVE VITAMINS for MAY 2016 SHARING OUR FAITH LORD, make me an instrument of your peace Where there is doubt, let me sow faith. Some amazing people just seem to exude the Holy Spirit and are very inspirational in sowing faith Can I sow faith if I also have doubts, negative thoughts, worries? I believe honesty about doubts and fears, yet focusing on what God has done for me is a key. Faith is not without doubt.perhaps doubt is one of the biggest signs of true faith. The Bible is full of messed up people placing themselves in God s hands. Being weak and letting God be strong is strength indeed. I share again a Ghost Ranch guest speaker s view on evangelism at its best: 1- truly notice a person. 2-pray for him or her. 3- listen carefully and compassionately, reflecting back what was said.. And only then, 4- share my own journey if it seems appropriate, not as a comparison but letting the person see how God has been working within me. Jesus told his disciples, who might get arrested, at that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. (Matthew 10:19) I am fortunate not to worry about being arrested, but still need to remember that our Father will speak through me if I let Him. Verses of Hope, like Philippians 4, have been good to share not as a prescription fix but as an example of what helps me. When people, that don t claim to be Christians, ask me to pray it shows they have seen my faith. I often feel my faith is not enough.yet, God is all I need it is not my faith that transforms people, it is God s LOVE Sometimes faith just equals not knowing what to do and handing it all over to God. Small things make a difference, too. I don t have to be profound. When things were very difficult, a friend told me to just live breath by breath, which made a huge difference. I have in turn shared with others Breath just breath, Let My love fall on you, a chorus from a popular Christian song that I keep in my head. I John 4:21b says, Whoever loves God must also love his brother. Saying, God loves you sounds shallow without compassion. Being Unconditional Witnesses (from Bread for the Journey, Henri Nouwen) Good news becomes bad news when it is announced without peace and joy. Anyone who proclaims the forgiving and healing love of Jesus with a bitter heart is a false witness. Jesus is the savior of the world. We are not. We are called to witness, always with our lives and sometimes with our words, to the great things God has done for us. But this witness must come from a heart that is willing to give without getting anything in return. The more we trust in God's unconditional love for us, the more able we will be to proclaim the love of Jesus without any inner or outer conditions. On behalf of all good imperfect relationships, Betty Smith 6

7 Camp Loma Verde La Jicarita Cluster Camp Loma Verde in the beautiful Taos Canyon was acquired many years ago by the Presbyterian pastors and Missionaries serving in the mountain villages of Northern New Mexico. It has a separate Board drawn from the membership of the 12 congregations that comprise La Jicarita Cluster. The buildings include a boys dormitory and a girls dormitory - each housing approximately 20, a chapel / assembly hall, a kitchen with dining room attached, cabins for a nurse and camp director, separate toilets for boys and girls, and a residence. The residence is occupied year-round by a contractor who maintains the camp in good order in exchange for free housing. It is open only in the summer months, since the facilities are not winterized. Though Loma Verde is used by congregations for family camps and officers retreats and by families in the North for annual reunions, its principal use through the years has been for summer youth camps. These camps are sponsored and subsidized by La Jicarita Cluster, made of the Presbyterian congregations of Chacon, Chimayo, Dixon, Las Vegas, Mora, Penasco, Rancho de Taos, Raton, Taos, Truchas, Santa Fe Westminster, The United Church of Los Alamos and White Rock. The camp not only serves the Christian Education purposes of the Cluster, but also is a mission outreach since it serves the youth of the Cluster communities as well as the Cluster Churches. There is no other camping facility or program in this mountain area. Loma Verde offers a summer camping experience of an ecumenical Christian character at a nominal cost. 7

AND NOW A NOTE FROM OUR SPONSOR THE MISSION & SERVICE BOARD: Saturday, June 4, 2016 9:00am 4:00pm Spring Clean Up Day at Camp Loma Verde Join others from the United Church getting Camp Loma Verde

It is a day of community & connections, helping our neighbors, healthy work at whatever level you can do, fresh mountain air, delicious eating (pot luck lunch), and just plain fun!

8 AND NOW A NOTE FROM OUR SPONSOR THE MISSION & SERVICE BOARD: Saturday, June 4, :00am 4:00pm Spring Clean Up Day at Camp Loma Verde Join others from the United Church getting Camp Loma Verde ready for the summer season. It is a day of community & connections, helping our neighbors, healthy work at whatever level you can do, fresh mountain air, delicious eating (pot luck lunch), and just plain fun! Contact Jim or Janet Hall ( ) (janethall@newmexico.com) and let them know that you will be there. 8 Do you have a musical talent you would like to share with our congregation this summer? If you would like to provide a solo, duet or be part of an ensemble (vocal or instrumental) providing special music for Sunday worship, please call the Director of Music Ministries, Suzanne Johnson at or at home Congratulations High School Seniors 2016! The school year has gone by so fast and now we look towards graduation at Los Alamos High School. We are excited for the bright futures that await our young people and feel a sense of honor and pride that we have been their church family as they have grown up in the Los Alamos community! On Sunday, May 8 th (Mother s Day) during the 9:30 service, we will recognize Sierra and Madison Foley and Michael Keeler as our High School Graduates of Please join us as we celebrate this milestone achievement! Keith Lewis

9 In 2016, the MISSION & SERVICE BOARD is focusing on one mission recipient in the CHIMES each month. Please keep LA JICARITA CLUSTER in your prayers during May. The purpose of La Jicarita Cluster is to strengthen the life of each member congregation through involvement in common activities that recognize the Lordship of Jesus Christ and lead to more sharing, more enthusiasm, more participation in working for the concerns of the churches and the mission of the Church in the world. La Jicarita Cluster is a partnership of Presbyterian congregations in Chacon, Chimayo, Dixon, Las Vegas, Mora, Penasco, Ranchos de Taos, Raton, Taos, Truchas, The United Church of Los Alamos, White Rock, Westminster in Santa Fe. There is a governing board with a chair person, secretary, treasurer, and representatives from each Cluster congregation. The Cluster facilitates quarterly gatherings of the churches for fellowship and for programs that relate to mission planning. It conducts leadership training events and work projects in the churches and communities. A major focus is on Camp Loma Verde in the Taos Canyon and its program and development, including planning now for a Crafts Cabin. Through their camps they touch the lives of about 50 young people each year with an emphasis on Christian Education, ecology, health, community, and responsibility. The Cluster has had a program to train Commissioned Lay Pastors, several are now serving Cluster churches including Pat Slentz from our United Church. The Cluster sponsors an annual spiritual retreat. It also administers the Mission in the North project which provides grants to organizations in their area related to youth and family, health and community organization. Scholarship assistance for youth and adults is provided for leadership development and for Camp Loma Verde. Local Contact: Janet Hall ( ): janethall@newmexico.com 9

PRAYERS Please continue to hold these persons in your prayers during the month of May. HOMEBOUND: Jane Hamada, Grace Ogden, Murlin Nutter, and Bob Malone.

Strong, Nancy and John Bliss, Suzanne Johnson, Lori, Jody and Xander Rigg and Rosie Shalek. Prayers for friends and family of Maggie Davis. Her memorial is on Friday, May 13 th at 11 am.

10 PRAYERS Please continue to hold these persons in your prayers during the month of May. HOMEBOUND: Jane Hamada, Grace Ogden, Murlin Nutter, and Bob Malone. THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN ILL: Ina Coulter, Nona Brandt, Nona Bowman, Doug Cross, Sandy Brownell, Lesley Olsher, Bob Nance, Larry Luck, Corine Christman, Kathy Converse, Lucy Thomas (Fred s mother) Ron Strong, Nancy and John Bliss, Suzanne Johnson, Lori, Jody and Xander Rigg and Rosie Shalek. Prayers for friends and family of Maggie Davis. Her memorial is on Friday, May 13 th at 11 am. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ MAY BIRTHDAYS Barbara denevers 02 Joseph Gonzales 02 Arthur Guthrie 07 Laura Erickson 08 Claudia Hilko 08 Phyllis Foley 10 Mary VanEeckhout 10 Beth Dermer 12 Charles Nunnelley 15 Chris Sierk 18 Robert Hockaday 19 Donald Hanson 20 Deb Worley 22 Charlie Bowman 23 Adda Moldt 24 Bobby Hockaday 26 Aaron Jenkins 29 Dee Wilson 29 Wendy Huff 31 10

WEEKLY CALENDAR MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY Women s Book Study (11 am Lounge) Staff Meeting (10 am Lounge) Thrift Shop (8:30 12:30 pm) Men s Koffee Klatch (9:30 am in Lounge) TFFN (3:45 pm in

11 WEEKLY CALENDAR MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY Women s Book Study (11 am Lounge) Staff Meeting (10 am Lounge) Thrift Shop (8:30 12:30 pm) Men s Koffee Klatch (9:30 am in Lounge) TFFN (3:45 pm in Craig Hall) FRIDAY SUNDAY Friday Bible Study (10 am White Rock Presbyterian Church) Sunday Worship (8 & 9:30 am) Children s Worship, Sunday School and Adult Education Thursday 9:30 11:30 pm Men's Koffee Klatch CE Building, Lounge May 1 May 8 MAY CALENDAR Sunday Worship, Adult Education and Sunday School Mother s Day, 2 nd Grade Bibles, Senior Recognition, Adult Education and Sunday School May 15 Pentecost, Sunday Worship, All Church Potluck May 22 May 29 May 30 Sunday Worship, Teacher Appreciation Sunday Worship Memorial Day Church office closed All men of The United Church are invited to coffee, refreshments, and fellowship! There are no lesson plans, no required or suggested topics, no devotions, no leaders, but there is a lot of fun! Hosting duties are passed around within the group. The wit and wisdom shared cover all sorts of topics and the discussions have proven extremely interesting, informative, and supportive. We laugh a lot! See you there! 11

12 THE MAY CHIMES Newsletter The United Church of Los Alamos 2525 Canyon Road NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Los Alamos, NM POSTMASTER PLEASE DELIVER BETWEEN April

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NEW YEAR OPPORTUNITIES

NEW YEAR OPPORTUNITIES 1 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 4 V O L U M E 5 0 N U M B E R 1 E M A I L A D D R E S S : U C O F F I C E @ U N I T E D C H U R C H L A. O R G W E B S I T E : W W W. U N I T E D C H U R C H L A. O R G T E L E P