The Methodist Messenger

Transcription

1 The Methodist Messenger In the Spirit of John Wesley Bringing faith into life by loving God and all people as God loves us 2017 December 2018 First United Methodist Church 505 N. Redington Street Hanford, CA Office (559) Fax (559) Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Pastor: Pablo Róvere

2 December 2018 A friend of mine just had a baby boy. He and his wife have been looking forward to it for the last nine months and now the boy is finally here. When I chatted with him the other day, he said, Pablo, I knew that there would be a ton of changes, but this is even more strange and different than I could have ever imagined. Christmas for us is predictable. It happens every year. Our customs and traditions change very little. We expect gifts and sweets and gatherings. We expect church and a sense of holiness. We expect Christmas carols and decorations and crowds at the malls. Our daily patterns change, but we have come to expect that. In other words, our Christmas has become very different from the first one How could Mary and Joseph have had any idea how much their lives were going to change? How could Cesar Augustus or King Herod have had any idea how their world had just changed? How could the disciples have known how their lives would change or what kind of an impact they would make on the world? Do we expect our lives to be changed somehow, someway, when Christmas arrives? Or has it become a rote tradition that we carefully unpack after Thanksgiving and return it to our attics and basements come January? Jesus birth was an earth shaking in-break of God into our world. It should still be. I hope that this year you will take advantage our special service and activities to remind us that Jesus came to shake things up: to bring peace where there was no peace and to bring light into darkness. Our schedule is as follows: Christmas Eve Service - December 24 6:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Dinner (details on page 13) 7:30 p.m. Family Worship Candlelight May you have a wonderful and Merry Christmas and may your lives be a little different because of that baby who came to save the world, Jesus Christ our Lord. Merry Christmas! Pastor Pablo Daniel Róvere 2

3 Poinsettia Dedications Mary Durham in memory of Ben Durham Richard and Janice Alves in memory of Walt & Helen Fowler Jim & Fel Beland in memory of Digna C. Tuazon Robert & Pollie Geissler in memory of Bob s parents Ted & Goldie Geissler, Pollie s parents Fernando & Fortunate Baquiran Debbie Headrick Bob & Jan Junell in memory of Jim & Lela Taylor, Leanne Nishida & Greg Junell Jake & Mary Jane Gozun in memory of Jake & Mary Jane s parents Carole Hester in memory of Walt & Helen Fowler and Marilyn & Dorothy Hester Jim & Karen Shoemaker in memory of their parents & Karen s brother, Grady Gray Bob Peden in memory of Jim & Lois Peden and Forrest & Glaydes Speck Sue Hensel in memory of Florence & Clyde Hensel John Meadows in memory of Penny Meadows Diana Boone in memory of Dale Dewitt and David & Jean Boone David & Vicki Beeman in memory of Verne Adams Brent Noonen in memory of Juliette Kim Thomas Patty Ferrell in memory of parents & loved ones 3

4 United Methodist Women 70th annual Bazaar, Fall Luncheon & Bake Sale Saturday, December 1, :00 am to 1:30 pm Founders Hall First United Methodist Church Redington at Center Street Meal Tickets: $10.00 Soup, Sandwiches and Dessert Children age 5 and under are free Treat yourself to some shopping! We will be selling beautiful, handmade crafts and delicious baked goods. Please call Andrea ( ) or Cat ( ) for information on where to purchase tickets 4

5 WORSHIP CONNECTIONS Worship Coordinator December 2 : Mary Jane Gozun December 9: Chris Payne December 16: Cat Barclay December 23: Peggy Gregory December 30: Mary Jane Gozun Lay Worship Leaders December 2 : Carol Collar December 9: Vicki Beeman December 16: Patty Ferrell December 23: Cat Barclay December 30: Larry McDonald Ushers December 2 : Jim Gregory, Mike Bertaina December 9: David Beeman, Mike Bertaina December 16: Jim Gregory, Mike Bertaina December 23: David Beeman, Jim Gregory December 30: David Beeman, Mike Bertaina Counting Team December 2 : Sue Hensel, John Meadows December 9: Jim Gregory, David Beeman December 16: Sue Hensel, Karen Shoemaker December 23: Vicki Beeman, Patty Ferrell December 30: Rebeccah Eversall, David Beeman Coffee Hour December 2 : Chris Payne December 9: Beemans December 16: McDonalds December 23: Shoemakers December 30: Gregorys Greeters December 2 : Chris Payne December 9: Mary Jane Gozun December 16: Cat Barclay December 23: Peggy Gregory December 30: Mary Jane Gozun *VACATION* Pastor Pablo (and family) will be on vacation December 25 through January 9. In case of emergency, contact Pastor Randy Bolen at or the Lemoore and Armona UMC s. 5

6 I hope that this article finds everyone well. I want to thank everyone that is praying for my ongoing recovery. We will be going in-active for our local UMW beginning the end of this month. Our UMW has been slowly going down in numbers and no one wants to hold an office. At the last UMW General meeting we had a motion and second for our unit to go inactive until there is interest in starting the unit back up. Our next board meeting is December 6, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. The next General meeting is December 16th after coffee hour. The Christmas Bazaar will be held Dec 1, 2018 from 11:00-1:30am. Tickets will be $10.00, children 5 and under free. The menu will be soups, sandwich, beverage and dessert. John Meadows will be cooking, and I hear that the men will be cleaning up. Please bring your home made crafts and treats to eat, which will be for sale in Mary Lane Hall. Please come and join us. You can come visit the craft room in Mary Lane Hall then eat in Founders Hall or eat then shop. If you want to help we would welcome that also. The Angel Tree is under way. I set out the angels on the Christmas Tree in Mary Lane hall. John Meadows did the calling and David Beeman will oversee the Angel Tree party. I want to thank those that are and will be participating. I appreciate every one of you. It is because of you that Angel Tree is a success. There are more angels that I will be putting on the tree a few Sundays, so you still have a chance of getting one or more angels. For those that don t like shopping for gifts, I or someone else will do it for you. Andrea McDonald (559) andreamcd1202@yahoo..com 6

7 For some of us an hour of ringing the bell at a red kettle for the Salvation Army brings a peaceful joy and a break from busyness during the holiday season. The UMM has volunteered Monday, December 10th, to ring the bell at the Hanford Post Office. It's open to everybody, so we only have a few opportunities left - the whole hour from 3:30 to 4:30 is available. - the half hour from 2 to 2:30 is available. - or you can ring as part of a team other hours between 9:30 AM and 5 PM If you have questions, just ask me.. Our next UMM dinner meeting is scheduled for December 10 at 6:30 PM. The agenda includes election of officers for next year and we have at least one volunteer you might want to vote for. Mary Durham has volunteered to organize our dinner that night. She promised cookies for dessert. Bob Geissler has already volunteered for January 14, and is so far a one man dinner team. Bob was also our speaker for our November meeting. We had the unusual observance of Veterans Day both on the 11 th and 12 th, so Bob spoke on the hidden scars many people have. He talked about where those scars come from. He mentioned the ongoing suicide rate of Vietnam veterans. He pointed out we can tell from the outside if someone has lost an arm or leg, but not as quickly if their hearing has been damaged, or if some trauma has left a person with PTSD or feelings of guilt. Some veterans feel that because they survived when others around them died. Most people carry those hidden scars their whole lives. Bob s talk made us consider how we might seek ways of helping hurting people heal from hidden scars. - David Beeman UMM President (559) dpbeeman@yahoo.com 7

8 At FUMC Hanford, we take the vows of membership very seriously. We have promised to uphold the United Methodist Church through our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness. Please keep the following in your prayers this month: Prayers of Health Concern and Other Prayer Requests: Prayers for The victims of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting and other victims of natural disasters and of violence across our nation and in all parts of our world. With Christians around the world, we pray for peace with justice and for health, safety and well-being of our neighbors near and far. Thanksgiving for all the church volunteers; Prayer for: Dianna Newton and the Castanon family for their wellbeing; the health, healing, comfort and well-being for Casey Howard (cancer); Lindora Perez and her family; Andrea McDonald as her chronic pain continues; Jessica Maris mother; Bob & Jan Junell, Marilyn Peden, Jennifer Wagner, Sherrie, Dorothy Jensen; Bob Geissler s brother-in-law, Russell, passed away; Bob s sister Aida and family; Bonnie Peters; Frank & Bonnie Butterway s son Richard enduring health problems; Mary Delgado for patience while healing from hip surgery so she doesn't re-break it; the family of Verne Adams in his recent passing; the family of Debbie Harmon, mother of Taylor Harmon, with her recent passing on October 11th; and all of their families & loved ones. Building & Grounds Report Jim Gregory Rivera s Air installed the second cabinet furnace in Founders Hall. The crew extended the stove pipe up about four feet before going through the wall. They were requested to return and reposition the exhaust vent pipe so it exits straight through the wall to the exterior, which they did. This is a much better situation than this time last November, when the The Gas Company turned off the gas due to several gas leaks. Now, Founders Hall has two more efficient floor furnaces, no leaks, and three ceiling fans. McKelvey Hall was cleaned, in preparation for Verne Adams memorial service. Most items in the room were moved upstairs to the first classroom. A new custom built door with a tempered safety glass panel for the pastor s office has been ordered. The electrician has been requested to change the four-foot fluorescent bulbs in Millie Kraft room with LED bulbs. Southern California Edison has announced to commercial customers, which includes Hanford UMC, new Time of Use or TOU time periods for electrical use costs, starting in March Winter and summer months from 4 PM to 9 PM, both week days and weekends, will have the highest charges. The new TOU schedule will be posted on the hallway bulletin board. The lender for the mini-mart east of the church parking lot foreclosed on the family operating the store and gas station. The mini-mart property is currently vacant and for sale. The listing price is $536,000. Brent Noonen has winterized the swamp coolers. 8

9 Shower Ministry/Canned Food Drive Two Plastic Baskets There are two white baskets in the church narthex. One is there to collect soap, toothbrushes and toiletries for the shower ministry at the Pentecostal Church of God at the corner of Green and 11th Streets. Dental floss, toothpaste and small (like hotel rooms have) bottles of shampoo are especially welcome. The other basket is there to collect nonperishable food items for the ministry at the Soup Kitchen at the Episcopal Church on Douty Street. Please check the dates on these non-perishables, as we can t share expired items. We participate in these established ministries rather than duplicate them, and they do depend on us. If you haven t had the opportunity to donate in a while, well, the baskets are still there. LAUNDRY LOVE IS A COOPERATIVE EFFORT AMONG SEVERAL CHURCHES IN OUR COMMUNITY TO OFFER A REGULAR OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY TO COME AND DO THEIR LAUNDRY. LAUNDRY LOVE PROVIDES SOAP, MONEY FOR THE MACHINES AND FELLOWSHIP. Our next Laundry Love event is planned for Thursday, December 20, 2018 from 3-8 p.m. Volunteers are needed! Talk with Peggy Gregory or just come on by! God bless you. Budget Update As of November 30 General Fund Income $ 120,922 General Fund Expenses $ 147,385 Deficit $ 26,463 Monthly Amount Needed for General Fund Budget $13,684 Average Monthly Income to Date $10,993 Please help us close the gap between income and expenses. Feel free to ask questions and offer suggestions to the Ministry Support Team. Mission Service Opportunity Friday, December 21, a.m. to noon Salvation Army 380 East Ivy Street Join us in helping distribute fresh food to those in need in our community. Volunteers are needed! Many hands make light work! 9

10 *Please consider this your official notice of the Charge Conference* December 9 in the Sanctuary immediately after worship At this charge conference we will celebrate the past year and elect key people to help lead us in the year to come. Our District Superintendent Rev. Debra Brady will be here to lead us. We are holding it at that day and time because your presence is needed as part of this body to validate what we are doing. We need your review and questions. - David Beeman interim chair of the MST Advent Bible Study A Season of Refection inviting us to see our daily lives through the lens of Jesus birth. A four week Bible study. Beginning Wednesday, November 28 6:00 p.m. Including a Soup Supper At First United Methodist Church of Hanford 505 N. Redington Street Hanford, CA 10

11 Purchase a Poinsettia $12.00 per plant Each poinsettia is red, grown in a 6-inch pot with decorative foil wrapping. Proceeds from the poinsettia sales will help fund Laundry Love. The plants will be decorating the sanctuary Sunday, December 9th. You may leave your plant there or take it home at any time. Order by December 2nd. Here is what we are asking of church members: Spread the word in the community. This is open to all. Anyone feeling festive is invited to decorate Founders Hall Make Your Plans and Mark Your Calendars for Christmas Eve, December 24 CHRISTMAS EVE DINNER 6:00 pm CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE 7:30 p.m. Adopt a table to decorate. We have red table cloths and flatware for the round tables and those who like to decorate would be invited to decorate and show off their favorite Christmas centerpiece and even their dishes if desired. Help clean up after dinner. 11

12 Board of Discipleship BOD is the "Think Tank" of our church at which all church participants dream and suggest programs to help us all in our journey of faith and service. At the BOD meetings everyone is welcome to bring an idea or a concern about any of the following practices: Worship Christian Education Service to the Community Mission and Outreach to the World Spiritual Growth Social Activities in the church Youth Activities Meetings are always on the 1st Wednesday of the month Next BOD meeting: December 3:30 p.m. Christmas Morning Breakfast OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY 8:30 A.M. 10:30 A.M. **Those of you who want to volunteer, Please call Chris Payne ( ). You re welcome to work or just sit and have breakfast and visit with the families** Ministry Support Team (MST) MST is the leadership group in our church that is tasked with caring for our resources; money, staff and building. They meet every second Thursday of the month at 6:00 p.m. MST will be considering Available Program Grant requests at its December meeting. 12

13 Angel Tree This is another opportunity to serve our community. Angel Tree is a wonderful way to express Christ s love. It warms the heart to know that you helped members of our community; all our kids are from Kings County this year. All the angels are on the tree in Mary Lane Hall. Here is the background of the program: Over the summer, Angel Tree applications are provided to the prison Chaplains. Restrictions do apply. The Chaplains pass these out to prisoners who have children. The Chaplains then send the completed applications to Angel Tree. The applications are scanned and entered into the computer. The applications are then assigned to churches, organizations etc. (Visit for more information.) Our roles: Each child s name will be on the Christmas tree twice, one will be a toy and the other clothes. The child s name, age, type of gifts the child wants and a personal note from the parent in prison will be on the angel on the tree. When you pick the angel you want, either I or a helper needs to write the child s name and code number also with your name and number. All presents are due back by December 15, If you need an extension, please let David Beeman know. Gifts: Cost is between $15.00-$20.00 only; you can wrap, or one of the elves will wrap. If you wish, an elf can buy the gift for you just give the donation you want spent, and the elf will do the rest. Volunteer help needed: Wrap/buy gifts Need to go in groups of two to deliver gifts Set up and tear down Christmas decorations, etc. Volunteers to help at a party to distribute gifts December 16, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. Person to contact: Andrea McDonald or David Beeman

14 CHRISTMAS TEA AT HANNAH S HOUSE Our Methodist Woman s Annual Christmas Tea at Hannah s House will be Friday, December 14, 2018 from 8:30-10:30 A.M. Please RSVP to Jetta Lenox at If you plan on attending, if you would like to bring a dish to share, please let Jetta know what you will be bringing. 14