the grapevine Charge Conference In this Issues:

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1 the grapevine January 2019 Newsletter of Oxford United Methodist Church Charge Conference In this Issues: Emmaus News Equipping the Saints Poinsettia Dedications Reflections from Pastor Doug Obituaries The charge conference is the basic governing body of each United Methodist local church and is composed of all members of the church council. All members of the charge conference must be members of the local church. The charge conference must meet at least once per year. The charge conference directs the work of the church and gives general oversight to the church council, reviews and evaluates the mission and ministry of the church, sets salaries for the pastor and staff, elects the members of the church council, and recommends candidates for ordained ministry. Please be in prayer for Oxford s Charge Conference which will take place on Sunday, January 6 at 3:30 p.m. All members of the Church Council are expected to attend. Our District Superintendent Rev. Greg Hackett will be in attendance. Prayers January Birthdays Worship Attendance New Studies Wednesday Night Study Love Does begins January 23 at 6:30 p.m. and The C.E.O. s Sunday School Class new study It s Not Supposed to be this Way starts January 20. Sign up in the Narthex.

2 Our Annual Silent Auction raised $2,100.00! Thank you to all who donated and to all who made bids! Special thanks to Sandra Peterson and Julie Thibodeaux for making our Silent Auction so great again this year! EQUIPPING THE SAINTS Saturday, February 2, 2019, 9:00 12:15 Windcrest United Methodist Church 8101 Midcrown San Antonio, TX Beginning at 9 A.M. with a plenary session in the sanctuary, participants will have a choice of the following workshops: Fresh Expressions, Project Transformation, VIM/ERT Training, Trusted Confianza Training (PLEASE NOTE YOU MUST PREREGISTER FOR THIS WORKSHOP), Church Communication, Justice for Our Neighbors, Youth Ministry, ABCD, Asset-Based Community Development, Trustees, Project Transformation, Finance, and SPRC. Contact Rev. Sharon Freeto at sharonf@riotexas.org or on her cell at for any questions you may have. Details to follow over the next weeks. De Colores! Chrissie Smith For pilgrim applications or more information about The Walk to Emmaus, visit

3 Poinsettia Dedications IN HONOR OF Mary Jenkins Our children and grandchildren Lyle H. Rosdahl & our children and grandson Jade and McKenna Mr. and Mrs. Felix Solis Jr. & Grace Carriker Doug & Teri Boldt Cecilia Garibay Flo Jackson IN MEMORY OF Don & Emma-Dee Castle and John & LaVerne Boldt Jeffrey Allen Castle Our parents, David & Etta-Belle Wise Our son Frank Tom Jackson and Randy Jackson Maxine (Rusty) Jacob Mary Pullin Lilly Robinson My husband Glen Waldron Roy Snyder Vernon Hamer Letta Hamer Bobbie & John Maroney Kenny Carriker Our grandparents GIVEN BY J D Hamer Doug & Teri Boldt Glenice Rosdahl Felix & Linda Grace Solis Felix & Linda Grace Solis The Oxford Chancel Choir Michelle Carey Michelle Carey GIVEN BY Doug & Teri Boldt Doug & Teri Boldt Doris Keeler & Frances Wise Jim & Bonnie Hinkel Janette Jackson Rene Jacob Karen Burgamy Helen Robinson Diane Waldron Rita Snyder J D Hamer J D Hamer Jody Maroney The Carriker family and Felix & Linda Grace Solis Felix & Linda Grace Solis

4 Reflections from Pastor Doug Let me introduce you to Joe. Joe had owned a restaurant for many years, the proverbial Joe s Diner. And it had been an icon in the community for decades, with patrons coming from miles around. Famous for gigantic burgers, creamy shakes, homemade pies, and of course, the infamous Mrs. Joe s Pot Roast simply to die for! There was never any need for advertising (that was for the weaker big city cafes, Joe would often boast) because their stellar reputation simply spoke for itself. Life was good for Joe and his wife, he had a show to be proud of. But then a new century dawned, both literally and symbolically. Joe noticed that business began to wane, many of the old customers were dying off, but the new generation was not replacing them. Joe needed to do something and do it quick before he lost the business altogether. So Joe swallowed a huge gulp of pride, and surrendered to that which he vowed he would never do: he set out to advertise his quickly fading establishment. And I have the perfect idea, he announced to his wife one day. New and improved, that s it, new and improved isn t that what all them city slicker restaurants are always saying? A bewildered Mrs. Joe could only shrug her shoulders and shake her head. Thus a rejuvenated Joe proudly hung a new sign out front that boldly proclaimed, New and improved! Bigger burgers than ever, enormous shakes, and a whole new twist to Mrs. Joe s pot roast! Joe was convinced the customers would come swarming in. All he needed to do was step up his game, and this would do it for sure. But the new patrons never came and Joe s enthusiasm began to fade even quicker than his business had. But discouraged as he was, one day he stood in front of his restaurant and considered greeting potential customers as they passed by on the sidewalk, and sure enough a young man stopped and read the sign. Barely in his twenties, he called Joe by name, and Joe returned the favor, for he knew the boy well. Joe, you know that my daddy and my grandpa came here to your diner for years, and I grew up coming here too, but in all due respect Joe, I don t think you get it. You see, bigger burgers and shakes are not what people are looking for. It s restaurants in general that are the problem. The problem is, Joe, people don t trust the food industry. They see places like Joe s diner as overpriced and out of touch. It has nothing to do with you personally, or what you serve. Increasing the size of your servings and revamping recipes will not impress people. You ve got to work on changing their image of restaurants overall. I have no idea how you do that, I just know that that is the crux of the problem. I m sorry Joe. Alright then, Joe thought, I know exactly what I ll do! The next day he hung out yet another sign that read Shakes now served with double the whipped cream on top! More toppings for burgers and 10 new menu items! And as fate would have it, the same young man walked by again and greeted Joe with a sadness in his voice. You really don t get it do you Joe? You see.. but he trailed off, and made no further attempt to make Joe understand for he could see the distant glint in Joe s eyes as he pondered more culinary improvements, having lost himself in the fantasy that if only I could find that one perfect gimmick. Eventually the bank foreclosed on Joe s Diner and Joe spent his last days forever scheming, looking for that one hook that would bring the customers back. He never did get it. And so it is with the church my friends. Like Joe, we spend so much time pondering new programs and events that we are convinced the world will see and come flying through our doors as a result. Perhaps it s the latest fad in Christian education that will do the trick or building that new facility as we drift off blindly imagining the endless possibilities. All the while the world passes by and says to the church, you really don t get it do you? We are not impressed with all the hoopla. You are all impressed with each other and you ve misinterpreted that as success in your churches. You see (the voice of the world continues, if only we would listen), it s the reputation of the church in general, moreover Christians specifically, that you need to work on. That s where the problem, and consequently the solution lies. Yet the American church presses on with its new and improved while the world shakes its head saying, you just don t get it do you? It s 2019, a new year, and so what is the Christian to do about this fate? It s an age old story, but it bears repeating: The man was seen standing on the beach hurling starfish back into the ocean. A passerby inquired as to what he was doing, to which the man replied, I m saving the starfish, you see if they re out of the water too long, they ll die. The puzzled inquirer replied, But you don t possibly think you can save all these millions of starfish, do you! The man picked up yet another of dying creatures, and quickly flung it back into the water. There, he replied, just saved one more. And therein lies the answer. The reputation of the church and Christians will be forever changed as each one of us sees every living human being in our path as one to which we can be the Jesus that they might not otherwise see. That s how it s done, one soul at a time.. Rev. Douglas C. Boldt

5 March 9, December 5, 2018 Ruth M. Heskew entered eternal rest December 5,2018. Born in Staten Island,NY to Allen and Margaret Mildrum on March 9, 1925; she now reunites with her parents and sisters: Margaret, Dorothy, Audrey; and husband Marvin Heskew. Ruth's main passion was being a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She put her family first, and chose to continue her education after her youngest child was in the 2nd. grade. She was persistent in obtaining her degree. After many years of flexibility and hard work, she obtained her Bachelor's in education, graduating Summa Cum Laude from St. Mary's University and taught for Northside ISD. Upon retirement, Ruth enjoyed traveling with her late husband. She leaves behind to cherish her memories her children: Linda, Edward, and Carole (Paul) Wood; grandchildren: Scott (Princess), Karen (Nick), Kevin (Kristina); great-granddaughters Sara and Katie; and numerous nieces and nephews. On angel wings to Heaven, Mary Alice Bert, was born in March 12, 1948 to Parents Edward Howard Bert Sr. and Ramona Belle Tofpi Bert. She went to our heavenly father on Friday, December 7, Mary Alice grew up in Carnegie, Oklahoma and raised her two children, Chance Leslie Lynn and Paula in San Antonio, Texas. She received her Associate s degree in Applied Science from San Antonio College, San Antonio, Texas and studied Cosmetology for over 50 years. Mary Alice was a honor member of Oxford United Methodist Church, San Antonio, Texas and Cedar Creek United Methodist Church in Oklahoma. Mary, Kiowa Native American, loved attending her heritage Pow-Wow s (a North American Indian ceremony involving feasting, singing, and dancing) and visiting her family and passing kin at the Carnegie Cemetery and Cedar Creek Cemetery in Carnegie, Oklahoma. Mary Alice Bert was preceded in death by her son, Chance Leslie Lynn Bert, and her first grand-daughter, Vivian Marie Goff Washington. Survived in memory, daughter, Paula Patricia Washington, grand-daughter, Genevieve Geraldine Krueger Washington, sisters: Janel Bert Tonahcot,Lawton OK, Susan Elaine Bert Holmes, Edmond, OK, three loving brothers: Edward Howard Bert Jr., Denver CO, Raymond Lee Bert, Oklahoma City, OK, Mathhew Tofpi Bert, Lawton OK, nieces and nephews: Carla Rae Bert Guiterrez, David Anthony Morris, Michelle Lee Holmes, Samantha M. Holmes, Jessica Goingkeen, Andrea Yvonne Brinkman, Michael Von Asch, Jr., all her caring friends and her beloved Yorkshire Terrier dog, Cowboy. A memorial gift may be made to the Oxford United Methodist Church at 9739 Huebner Road San Antonio Texas Chance Leslie Lynn Poker Bert of San Antonio Texas, age 47, went to his heavenly father on Friday, November 30, Chance was born on January 17, 1971 in Lawton Oklahoma to Mary Alice Bert and raised by his father, Paul Washington.

6 Mia Carey 1 1 Jonathan Cantu 1 3 Berlene Eppright 1 5 Kierre Benton 1 6 Aaron Tarr 1 9 Laine Lee 1 12 Emmer McIntosh 1 16 Ryan Beckmann 1 16 Ben Cervantes 1 18 William Huggins 1 18 Kay Wright 1 22 Joseph Nava 1 22 Kristi Forister 1 23 Russell Huggins 1 23 Ruth Taylor 1 23 Barbie Tarr 1 28 Bill Howell 1 28 Michael Maxwell 1 29 Vijaymithran Komalatha 1 29 Mario Espino 1 30 Dec 23, 2018 Contemporary Worship 89 Dec 23, 2018 Traditional Worship 89 Dec 16, 2018 Contemporary Worship 126 Dec 16, 2018 Traditional Worship 95 Dec 9, 2018 Contemporary Worship 95 Dec 9, 2018 Traditional Worship 120 Dec 2, 2018 Contemporary Worship 87 Dec 2, 2018 Traditional Worship 91 John 15:5 If we missed your Birthday this month, please send your birthday info to michelle@oxfordumc.org 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. The January Birthday Bash will be on January 27.

7 Prayer List Our World Our service men & women Our nation Our Bishop and Clergy Kairos Ministry Shepherd Ministry Stephen Ministry The Residents of The Heights Meals on Wheels clients Ongoing Prayer List: Jimbo Frazier Michele Frazier Ernie Garibay Robison family Janie and Israel Garcia Lyle and Glenice Rosdahl Elda Flores Family protection from ex- family members John Dave and Joanne Sygeel Ruth Martinez Helen Taulbee Janet Haby Ruth del Cueto David and Henrietta Cervantes Sharane Stanley Dennis and Sue Moses Nancy Kaminsky-Miyagi Ray Davis Matthew Baby Logan McCall Barbara Maxwell Alicia Herrera Linda Persyn Audrey Howard Olga Nava Jose Moya Jason Fenstad Fred and Susan Mayfield Melissa Alayli and family Pray for our Troops Active Military: Andy Bravo, Jeff Davis, Josue Rudy Garza, Damian, Mendez, Arturo Longoria Jr., Roland Riley, Sarah Garibay, Peter Cortez, Kevin Rodriguez, Shane Shovelton Join the Prayer Chain Join the Oxford Prayer Chain and receive weekly s! Contact Michelle Carey at Current Prayers Julie Thibodeaux Prayers for finances of church 1- year old Jackson Rene Jacob Prayers and guidance for Youth Group Zachary Family McCullers family Ruth Campbell Kellye Gray's family Mom and family Jeanine A Campbell and Sue McClaughlin Allie and Katie Cortez Jimmy Curtis Rick Navarro Pam Polonis Jyothsna Matt Lieber Bill Lieber Berlene Eppright Mia Valerie McCullers Margaret Mason Kristen Lockhart Britt Laura Lowman

8 Oxford United Methodist Church 9739 Huebner Road San Antonio, TX CHURCH STAFF Pastor Rev. Juan Cantu, Jr. Director of Programming & Communications Program Ministry Assistant Michelle Garibay-Carey Teri A. Boldt Traditional Music Director Douglas Boldt Facility Manager Sandra Peterson Custodian Jose Moya Contemporary Music Director Pat Carey Mother s Day Out Director and Nursery Coordinator Rosana Orr mdo@oxfordumc.org Youth Ministry Janie Rose Alejandro, Interim youth@oxfordumc.org Traditional Worship at 9:15 am Sunday School for all ages at 10:30 am SUNDAY SCHEDULE ELEVATE Contemporary Worship at 11:30 am Children s Church at 11:30 am O Positive Youth at 1:00 pm