Health and Wellness. Valley View United Methodist Church. February 2014 Newsletter

Transcription

1 Health and Wellness Valley View United Methodist Church February 2014 Newsletter Valley View Cares About You and Your Health! Look through this newsletter and read about the ways we can help you live a healthy life and feel good! Health and Wellness Team Valley View has a Health and Wellness team! Our goal is to promote a healthy congregation. Look for more information about us in the coming weeks. We have had our first meeting and would love to have more people join us. If you are interested in being a part of this team, please contact Pat Wicke at or Elsa Moneymaker at Blood Pressure Checks 3rd Sunday of the month (8:00-9:00 & 10:00-10:30 AM) Health care volunteers from our congregation are available in the library to check blood pressures. Blood Drive In Memory of Jan Crews Monday, March 31 (3:00-7:00 PM) Help the American Red Cross restock its shelves! Make an appointment (or walk in) to give blood to help hospital patients in need. The blood drive will be held in the Off Court Rooms of the Community Life Center at Valley View. Look for sign up information next month. This blood drive is in memory of Parish Nurse, Jan Crews. Emergency Response Team The Emergency Response Team members are those people designated to respond to medical emergencies in the sanctuary during worship. In particular, each member is trained in CPR and use of the AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) device. The Emergency Response Team is looking for people to join the team! If you have an interest in serving one week per month during either worship time, or as a substitute, please contact Mark Able at No previous medical experience is required. Training in CPR will be provided, if needed. February is American Heart Month Go Red For Women National Wear Red Day is Friday, February 7. Wear red to raise awareness in the fight against heart disease in women. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the United States, claiming more lives than all forms of cancer combined. Flu Vaccines Just a reminder to get a flu vaccine each year! Our health and wellness team schedules a flu shot clinic at Valley View each fall. Our Mission is To Make Disciples of Jesus Christ For the Transformation of the World! Valley View United Methodist Church 8412 W. 95th St. Overland Park, KS valleyviewumc.org

2 A Message From The Pastors Quick! Think of a February holiday. Got one? Now read on. There are a number of observances during this month, including Presidents Day and Black History Month. February is even national Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month. Seriously, we aren t creative enough to make up that last one (although, Neil is quite fond of bunnies). With all of the celebrations and observances to choose from, we are guessing that St. Valentine s Day was your first thought. According to St. Valentine was a Priest, martyred in 269 at Rome and was buried on the Flaminian Way. He is the Patron Saint of affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travelers, and young people. He is represented in pictures with birds and roses. Ah, how sweet, love, roses and plague. Over the years, the anniversary of his martyrdom has become an excuse to sell greeting cards and assortments of mystery chocolates. But, one theme has remained constant: LOVE. If our faith can be summed up with just one word it is love. John 3:16, For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. And Matthew 22:37&39, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. These lessons are a summary of the Gospel. 1) God loves us. 2) We love God. 3) We love our neighbors as ourselves. It is literally as easy as All of our complex theories of the Trinity, Incarnation, Atonement, and more are simply attempts to understand how this love is made known. This Valentines Day do something nice for those persons who hold a special place in your heart. But, also remember the words of Jesus Love one another as I have loved you. John 15: In Christ s Love, Pastors Bridget & Neil Page 2

3 Did You Know? Care and Support Ministry Spotlight: Congregational Care Team Did you know? Valley View s Congregational Care Team stays connected with members who are no longer able to attend church. We make phone calls and visits, send cards, offer communion, and mail audio C.D.s of the worship services. We deliver Thanksgiving meals and sometimes run errands. Most importantly, we pray for these members who aren t able to get to church. Many hands outside of Congregational Care assist with the above tasks, as well. In addition, we send sympathy cards and the "Journeying through Grief" books to members who are listed on Valley View s prayer list as having a death in their family. Get Well and Thinking of You cards are sent to those who are listed as ill or undergoing treatment on Valley View s prayer list. If you or someone you know would like to be contacted by Congregational Care, please contact the church office or Sharon Tucker at Support Valley View While You Shop Online! Go to UMCmarket.org and join by entering your address and a password. Find Valley View Overland Park, KS. Now, it s time to shop! Browse through the list of stores. Every time you shop, the stores will donate a portion of your purchase back to Valley View. Make sure to log in before going to the stores and to have an empty shopping cart before you start to shop. Next to every store you will see the percentage that they have agreed to pay back every time you make a purchase. Every month, when Valley View has an accumulated value from donations that have been approved of $100 or more, Valley View will receive a check from UMCmarket. UMCmarket has partnered with hundreds of stores who ve agreed to give back a portion of your purchase! Eating Disorder Caregivers Support Group Tuesday, Feb. 11 (7-8:30 PM) in the youth lounge Caring for a loved one struggling with an Eating Disorder is often times a thankless and difficult task. If you are caring for a family member with an eating disorder, please join us in supporting and learning from one another on the second Tuesday of each month. Contact Suzy Ayres at suzyayres@kc.rr.com. Stephen Ministry A Stephen Minister is a trained member of the congregation who will visit with you weekly, listen, pray with and for you, and offer Christian love and support. Stephen Ministers are caring, supportive Christian people who have been trained in how to provide distinctively Christian care. Contact a Stephen Ministry Leader (Barbara Campbell at or Carri Whitaker at ), or call the church office to speak with a pastor. Moms Grief Support We gather in support and in fellowship for those mothers who have lost children. We meet on the third Friday of the month at 10:00 AM in the parlor. Please enter through the northwest entrance to the building. Contact Marilyn Taylor if you have questions. New Beginnings Wednesday, February 26 at 10:30 AM Friends and relatives who have been left alone due to the death of a spouse or companion are welcome to attend. Contact Pat Raney at or Kay Arnott at (or the church office) if you have any questions. Our next meeting is Wednesday, February 26 at 10:30 AM at Perkins Restaurant (11200 W. 87 th Street). The restaurant is located on the north side of the street next to the I-35 entrance. Page 3

4 Sermon Series and Classes Children and Families Ten Commandments Sermon Series Continues Through February 23 (worship bulletins are found online at valleyviewumc.org>calendar/communications) February 9- Honor Your Dad and Mom; Do Not Kill; No Adultery February 16- Do Not Steal; Do Not Desire Other People's Stuff February 23- Do Not Lie About People Bible Study on the Book of Revelation Wednesdays Beginning Feb. 5 10:30 AM and 5:30 PM Join Pastor Bridget for a thirteen week study on the book of Revelation. How are readers today to discern God s message in this peculiar part of the Bible? Breaking the Code provides a trustworthy guide to the rich symbolism of this important biblical book. New Member Class What Does It Mean to Be United Methodist? Sundays, February 9 March 9 (Following 10:30 worship) Topics are: February 9- Wesleyan Heritage February 16- John Wesley s Theology February 23- Wesleyan Quadrilateral March 2- Sacraments March 9- How Do United Methodists Do Church? You are invited to chose which sessions you would like to attend or attend all of them. This class is for new folks who want to learn about the church and for folks who want a refresher class or learn about a particular topic. Lunch and childcare will be provided. RSVP for childcare at valleyviewumc.org or by calling the church office. The class will meet in room 50/51. Valley View Children and Family Ministry Parents, be sure to like Valley View Children and Family Ministry on Facebook to stay up to date with all the latest in our programming! Children s February Curriculum Our faith is growing by leaps and bounds with our weekly visits to Leaper s Point! In February, we will focus on Jesus ministry; concentrating on the big idea that God sent Jesus to teach us how to live. App for Grow, Proclaim, Serve Would you like to follow what your children are learning in Sunday school? If so, there is an APP for that! Download the new Grow, Proclaim, Serve APP today from Cokesbury. It's free for iphone and Android devices. Weekly Children s Offering God has blessed us richly in this life, and the natural reaction to that blessing should be a desire to give back. The Bible also tells us that God loves a cheerful giver. In that spirit, we will begin taking a weekly children s offering. As we teach our children to be good stewards of their money, they are encouraged to set aside some of their money for giving. Children will have the opportunity to bring their offerings forward to our special basket during our gathering time in the upper room after we are dismissed from the sanctuary. Vacation Bible School: June 16-20, 2014! This year s VBS, Workshop of Wonders, will be June The time is yet to be determined. You won t want to miss the fun! Page 4

5 Weekday Programs and Boy Scouts Valley View UMC Preschool and Parent s Day Out Enrollment Begins February 3 Enrollment for current and former patrons begins Monday, February 3 at 8:00 AM. Enrollment for the public begins Monday, February 10. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a tour, please contact Leona Murphy ( or preshool@valleyviewumc.org) for Preschool and Shelley Dopp ( or shelley@valleyviewumc.org) for Parent's Day Out. More information is available at valleyviewumc.org. Boy Scout Sunday February 9, During the 9:00 AM Worship Scouts will receive awards for God and Family. Look for Boy Scouts from Troop 256 and Pack 3258 participating in worship. Adults at Valley View Food, Friends, and Fitness! Wednesday, February 19 at 11:30 AM Join us for food, friends and fitness (for your brain)! We will gather in Fellowship Hall at 11:30 AM for a potluck lunch. Bring a main, side dish and/or dessert to share. Valley View will provide everything else. At 12:30 PM, we ll enjoy a special presentation titled Memory: All About Brain Fitness. This is a FREE community event! We know about physical fitness, but how do we keep our brains fit and healthy? Learn the five elements of brain fitness and how what you eat, how you move, and how you relax is as important as regular mental and cognitive stimulation. A St. Luke's Hospital Brain Fitness Specialist will discuss those elements and other ways to maximize your mental functioning. United Methodist Women Circles Go to valleyviewumc.org (ministries and programs) for updates on circle meetings throughout the month. All women are invited to any meeting! Faith Circle meets Wednesday, February 19 at 9:30 AM in room 52/53. Friendship Circle meets Tuesday, February 25 at 1:30 PM in room 50/51. Hope Circle meets Tuesday, February 4 at 6:00 PM at Susan Sims' home for our annual soup supper and member book review/exchange. Joy Circle meets Tuesday, February 25 at 11:30 AM at Princess Gardens restaurant with a presentation by Paul Masao from the Kansas City Rescue Mission. Cycling For Fitness Valley View United Methodist Men Saturday, February 15 at 7:30 AM Did you know that Valley View's own Gary Schultz has completed the "Bike Across Kansas" and "Bike Across Iowa? He has completed the race in Kansas a number of times. He will share some of his biking expertise and tips on cycling for fitness. Please join us at 7:30 AM for breakfast followed by Gary's talk. It should be fun and informative! Page 5

6 Special Needs Ministries Exercise Opportunities at Valley View Happy Health, Wellness and Safety Month, Valley View! Find those key theme words below and how they re connected to our guests with special needs. EC-3D Players (drama, dancing and drumming) - read about this program on the back cover of this newsletter. Evening Care meets on Thursdays at 6:30 PM. February 6 Making Valentines. Loving others is a feel good sense of wellness. February 13 Valentine s Dance. Dancing keeps us healthy. February 20 Making sandwiches for the hungry. We keep others fed and well; and that promotes a feeling of wellness in us. The premier of Bullying is all about safety (see the back cover). February 27 Mardi Gras Party with KUMC Occupational Therapy students leading a fun carnival. Having Fun leads to wellness. Evening Care Bakery bakes on February 6 and sells those delicious cookies (for $2 per package of three large cookies) after both worship services on February 9 outside Fellowship Hall. EC Bakery has a new location the beautiful Youth Lounge kitchen. Are these cookies healthy? Exercise/Yell Squad, directed by Twylia Church and Laci Beavers, does super work keeping guests cheered and healthy! Exercising this month is dancing and cheering at the Valentine s Dance. Starz Sunday School meets Sundays at 9:30 AM in room 39. Marilyn Harrold writes a special curriculum and many from the class attend the Praise Worship. Sunday School and worship keep our faith alive and growing. Knowing God covers health, wellness and safety! Tone Chime Choir meets on Thursdays at 6:30 PM. Director Tom Mueller is busy rehearsing the Chimers for a performance for the elderly at Freedom Pointe Nursing Rehab of Overland Park on February 15. Helping others allows us to have a feel good sense of wellness. Directors: Nancy Cowles and Ginni Duggan On the Web at valleyviewumc.org By at eveningcare@valleyviewumc.org On Facebook at Evening Care Special Needs Ministry By phone at ext. 322 Page 6 Walk in the Community Life Center! According to Harvard Medical School, an hour of brisk walking burns about 372 calories. Walking, particularly brisk walking, is an excellent form of cardiovascular exercise. Enjoy the warmth and easiness of walking in our Community Life Center. Twenty laps equals one mile! Call Susann Bendrick in the church office to see what days and times are available. Gentle Yoga (room 52/53) Monday and Friday 8:50-9:50 AM; $40 per four classes Experience the power of yoga for pain relief, muscle balancing, and stress reduction. This is a mixed level class appropriate for beginners to intermediate students. Please bring your own yoga mat. The cost is $40 for four classes. The first class is FREE! Contact Katie Hurkomb at hurkate@gmail.com. Read more at ineedmyyoga.com/ Low Impact Aerobics (Community Life Center) Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8:15-9:15 AM; $1.50 per class. The class consists of 30 minutes of cardio and minutes of strength training with weights and resistance bands and sometimes exercise balls. It's fun, energetic, and keeps you moving! Twylia Church is the instructor. Line Dancing (Community Life Center) Fridays 10:45-11:30 AM Grab your tennis shoes and join Louise Evans for foot stomping fun, fellowship, and cardio exercise to good ole tunes. All ages welcome! Easy Exercise In Chairs (off court room 40) Tuesdays, 1:00-1:50 PM; $1.50 per class. Anyone can participate and feel they have exercised. It includes stretching, cardio, light weight (2-3 lbs.) work, coordination, resistance bands and...we do this all in a chair! Twylia Church is the instructor. Yoga in Chairs (room 52/53) Thursdays 10:00-10:55 AM; $45 for five classes; First Class is FREE! Do you need a gentle yoga class that doesn t involve getting down on the floor? Classic yoga postures are adapted for chairs both sitting and standing- using the chairs for balance or support. Andrea Beattie Nelson is the instructor. Read more at practitioners.pryt.com/andreabn/.

7 Missions and Service Missions and Service Serving Those in Need at the First Baptist Church of Stilwell Each Tuesday, two or three members from Valley View UMC go to First Baptist Church of Stilwell to help distribute food to families in need. We join with other volunteers from local churches to re-package food from Harvesters. A large portion of this food consists of vegetables and fruit. A grocery cart is filled for each family unit and these groceries are loaded into vehicles. Most of the remaining food is allocated to four or five other groups including Valley View s Hope Chest food pantry. We are beginning our third year for this program which gives all members of Valley View the opportunity to follow John Wesley in helping the less fortunate. To date, 28 men and women from Valley View have volunteered at Stilwell. Loading and unloading the food can be strenuous, so we try to have two members available who can do the required lifting. If you feel called to serve in this way, contact John Church at jchurch107@aol.com or (913) or Gordon Gifford at Gifford@everestkc.net or (913) Most volunteers will readily tell you that they receive much from the Stilwell experience. If you would like to volunteer for Valley View s Hope Chest food pantry in a less strenuous activity, please contact Michelle Hess at hopechestfood@yahoo.com or Free Tax Preparation at Valley View Mondays, February 3 - April 7 (3:00-8:00 PM) Next Step KC (formerly called KC C.A.S.H.) is once again offering free tax help to taxpayers with incomes of $58,000 and below who cannot prepare their own tax returns. Certified, trained volunteers help prepare and electronically file basic tax returns. The Outreach Team will provide greeters and runners (to pick up printed returns from our printers and bring them back to the clients) each Monday evening. If you can help out on any of these Mondays (3-6 PM) or (6-9 PM), please contact Jeanette Grenz at jgrenz@sbcglobal.net or If you know of anyone who could use this service, please share this information with them. Adult Mission Trip: Midwest Mission Distribution Center Informational Meeting is Sunday, February 9 Join Steve and Ginni Duggan for a mission trip to the Midwest Mission Distribution Center in Chatham, Illinois! MMDC is a disaster relief facility located on an eight acre campus, four miles south of Springfield, Illinois. MMDC is a caring ministry related to the Illinois Great Rivers Conference and the North Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church. MMDC is also a cooperating depot in the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) Relief Supply Network. This mission trip is for adults of any ability. No matter what your abilities, there is an important job that needs to be done. Examples of work that are offered are: pack kits, sort items, sew children's hospital gowns, fill shipping containers, build desks for Haiti and Africa, box goods and so on. Our assignments will be made when we arrive and will be based on our abilities. We will leave the afternoon of Wednesday, March 5 and return Sunday, March 9. For more information about MMDC, go to midwestmissiondc.org. An information meeting will be held Sunday, February 9 at Valley View between worship services. If you have any questions, contact Steve Duggan at Donations for the Midwest Mission Distribution Center Share your gifts and talents! Our adult mission trip team will take the following items with them in March (see the above article). Donate unwashed cotton fabric for children s hospital pajamas Donate two hours of time to cut fabric for book bags and pajamas (at Valley View) Sew book bags or pajamas (in your home) Contact Marilyn Spatz at mspatz45@gmail.com or and let her know how you can help! Page 7

8 Keeping Each Other Safe More Information Safe Gatherings is a biblically-based boundary awareness and abuse prevention program developed by the Kansas East and Kansas West conferences to certify volunteer workers, staff and clergy, enabling them to work with children, youth and adults with developmental disabilities in accordance with the policies of the conferences. (To become certified or to view Kansas East s, Kansas West s and Nebraska s policies for the protection of children, youth and vulnerable adults, go to Those who work with children, youth, or the special needs population at Valley View must be Safe Gatherings certified. Contact the church office or the leader in your ministry area to make sure you are certified. Certification is done online at your own pace and is very easy! Special Needs Ministries EC-3D Players Teach Us About Bullying EC-3D Players (drama, dancing and drumming) meets Tuesdays at 6:30 PM in the Upper Room. The troupe is directed by Deb Campbell and is creating a piece about Bullying. You can schedule EC-3D Players to perform for your group at church or in the community! EC-3D Players also meets Thursdays, February 20 and 27 at 6:30 PM. On Thursday, February 20, the very special premier performance of Bullying will take place. Knowing more about the dangers and management of Bullying keeps our vulnerable population with special needs safe. Ash Wednesday is March 5, 2014 Ash Wednesday Services: 12:00 and 6:30 PM Lent begins on March 5. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of this period of reflection and penance. In the Bible, sprinkling oneself with ashes was traditionally a sign of one's sorrow for having committed sins. In the Christian tradition, Ash Wednesday also marked the beginning of preparation for the understanding of the death and resurrection of Christ. Pick Up Your Pictorial Directory Don t forget! Directories are available in the church office. Even if you didn't get your photo taken, each family is welcome to have a directory. Publication Deadlines The March newsletter deadline is Monday, February 24 at 5 PM. The Valley View E-News and worship bulletin deadlines are each Monday at 12 PM. Please information to jennifer@valleyviewumc.org. Winter Weather If the Shawnee Mission School District cancels its activities due to weather, Valley View cancels its activities as well. Check our home page at valleyviewumc.org or listen to the recorded message on the main office phone ( ) for weather related cancellations. Valley View UMC will be listed on local TV stations' closings lists. Sign up to receive text alerts about building closures at valleyviewumc.org. Follow us on Sunday Mornings at Valley View UMC at 9:00 AM: Traditional Worship and Sunday School for Children & Adults at 10:30 AM: Praise Worship and Sunday School for Children & Adults (Go to the Web for the youth schedule on Sundays)