January New Year s Greetings to our Sedona UMC Family & Friends,

Transcription

1 Sedona United Methodist Church SUM GOOD NEWS January 2019 New Year s Greetings to our Sedona UMC Family & Friends, The month of January is named for Janus, one of the few Roman gods without a Greek counterpart. Janus was depicted as having a double face One face looked to the past for wisdom and the other looked ahead to the future. Janus was thought to influence beginnings and endings and was often found depicted at doorways and entrances. January is the time of year when many of us take inventory of the past and make resolutions for improvement in the future. Since an honest in-depth inventory of the past is sometimes difficult for us we tend to skip over the difficult and embarrassing situations that undermine our favorable self-image and dwell on the things and places that put us in a more positive light. Oh, we will search the events of the past year to find a few not so bad things we thought, said, or did, and exercise enough superficial honesty to distance us from the real challenges in our lives. Then we will make a few simpler resolutions such as eating less candy, exercising more, being nice to animals and small children, and attending church more often. Thus, we try to fool everybody, including ourselves, while the real resolutions that would lead us into a significant new beginning never cross our minds. Does that sound like anybody you know? How do you think I know about these interesting avenues of escape from reality? Well, I have been there. The open door is a powerful symbol to anyone who is ready to truly leave the troubled past and launch out on a new beginning. One of the great I am proclamations of Jesus is I am the door (John 10:9 ESV). The symbol of the door held open by irresistible divine power This door held open by divine power suggests that God in Christ has already acted in our behalf. We do not have to knock or open the door; we only need walk through it. The symbol of Janus in January reminds any thoughtful person to consider a new beginning for some aspect of their life. It is a timely reminder that comes once each year But, the open door in John s gospel is not an annual proposition It is an anytime proposition. There can be a new beginning in your life whenever you are ready. January is a great opportunity for us to look back and take inventory of the past so that we may be prepared to move into the future that God has placed before us, a future filled with hope. (Message continued on page 2)

2 Office Hours: Tuesday Thursday, 9 a.m. 4 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon ; Fax: sedonaumc.az@gmail.com Website: Published monthly by Sedona United Methodist Church, keeping members and friends informed of the missions and ministries of the church and reporting news about the congregation. Worship Service: Sunday: 9:30 a.m. Communion: first Sunday of the month. Celebrations: last Sunday of the month. Children s Sunday School: 9:45 a.m. Our Church Staff: All Members of the Church Ministers Rev. Fred Mast Senior Pastor Rev. Arland Averill Pastor/Retired Wayne Light Lay Leader Jan Van Kooten, Laurie Rathbun Choir Directors Bob Martin Bell Director Mary Luttrell Organist Laurie Rathbun Pianist Jenny Mast Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper Dr. Rick Brothers; Pat DiMillo Wellness Ministry Janie McDaniel Caring Lay Ministry As we bid a fond farewell to 2018, we look forward to new and exciting horizons in this New Year. We indeed continue to learn from our past experiences and with God s help strive to make our future bigger, better, and brighter by God s grace and leading. We have so many new and exciting visions & opportunities before us, some are known and many yet unknown. But we have the faith and confidence to face them with the strong assurance that God is at our center and whatever we encounter we can meet it with strength, compassion, confidence, and the knowledge that we are doing it for the honor and glory of God! As a New Year dawns there will indeed be new visions and dreams. I hope and pray that you are as excited as I am about the future God has in store for Sedona UMC and this community. And I pray that you will join with me in welcoming with open arms this New Year filled with hope and opportunities, and for new sights that God has set for us, new journeys we will travel together, and the new destinations we will arrive upon by God s grace. WITH GOD SURROUNDING US Let us pray for A year full of new opportunities An abundance of warm people among us & A life with God center in our midst Wishing a very Happy & Blessed New Year! Grace & Peace, Pastor Fred Bishop Robert T. Hoshibata Desert Southwest Annual Conference Rev. Nancy Cushman District Superintendent In Loving Memory: Rev. David Ellsworth, Founding Pastor Rev. Phyllis Averill, Rev. Tom Bush, Retired Pastors Drewer Johns, Maude Johns, Retired Missionaries 2

3 NEWS FROM MISSIONS Christmas Missions Update: Toys for Tots: Your generosity in this mission resulted in two large boxes of toys being delivered for the children in our area. Many more toys were donated at the Ross annual party Senior gifts: Thank you so much for helping our senior adults in the Verde Valley. The very first Sunday our angel tree came out, all the angels were gone! Verde Valley Caregivers were so appreciative of your wonderful generosity! The combination of these missions resulted in over $1200 in gifts! Thanks to Glen and Jan Allen with Faithworks who introduced us to Tony and Amy Casali. They will be taking over the Allen s position this year in If you would like to participate in any of Fairthworks missions, please see the 2019 schedule included or visit their website at Pamphlets are available for these missions in the Narthex. 3

4 Assisting in Worship for January at 9:30 a.m. January 6 Liturgist: Dale Compton Ushers: Jim Keller, Willi Waak, Rick Brothers, Jack Ross & Camilla Ross Communion Servers: Balcony: Mike & Jean Givler Tray (gluten free): Ellen Brooks Organ side: Barney & Annie Garrison Pulpit Side: Lyle Branch & Dawn Bush Prayers Please pray for these churches: Staff of Desert Southwest Conference Wesley Community Center Golden Gates Community Center Justa Center, Phoenix January 13 Liturgist: Joyce Kohan Ushers: Terry Sidwell, Don Reilly, Mike & Jean Givler January 20 Liturgist: Glenn Snowberger Ushers: Terry Sidwell, Larry Herman, Charles Black, Denny Decker January 27 Liturgist: Don Reilly Ushers: Jim Keller, Willi Waak, Rick Brothers, Jack Ross & Camilla Ross 2019 Fellowship Teams JANUARY Usher Team FEBRUARY Finance MARCH Worship APRIL Congregational Care & Wellness Team MAY SPRC JUNE Missions JULY Choir AUGUST Welcome Team SEPTEMBER Christian Education & Library Team OCTOBER Nominating Committee NOVEMBER Trustees DECEMBER Lay Members Like us on Facebook! Website: Check out: Sunday Sermons online; Online Prayer Requests; A Photo Gallery 4

5 January Celebrations 7 Barb Hoffman 15 Carol Taylor 18 Wayne Light 19 Jim Keller 22 Willi Waak 26 Jan Van Kooten 31 Arland Averill 21 Paco & Mary Luttrell January 21 WE HAVE MORE BASHAS EXERCISE YOUR BODY AND SPIRIT! We continue our prayer walking on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the Month at a new time of 8:30 a.m. with Pastor Fred. January s Dates are 1/4 & 1/ OFFERING ENVELOPES SHOULD BE HERE THE FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY. WATCH FOR THEM TO BE AVAILABLE FOR PICK UP! COMMUNITY CARDS AVAILABLE! We have new cards available in the office with a value of $20. These cards are easy to use when you buy your groceries, and the church gets 6% of your purchases automatically! Just keep loading your card at the registers before you check out and you can give SUMC that little extra with ease. 5

6 COMMITTEE CORNER Trustees: The trustees have completed the install of new carpet squares in the front office and Pastor Fred s office. It is hard work and we really appreciate all the time they have spent. A new light was installed on the walkway between the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall. A second light will be installed soon. New chairs were purchased for the Fellowship Hall with many of our green chairs going to the Restore. And the Sanctuary projector install will begin soon! The Missions Committee: Thank you to all those who participated in the Christmas Missions with the Toys for Tots and with Verde Valley Caregivers. Toys for Tots had 800 children in the Verde Valley to serve and you helped with that! And the Verde Valley Caregivers we so happy with our response to their call! Way to go SUMC. On Dec 17th we served at the Sedona Community Dinner at St. Andrews with 50 in attendance. Our next date to service the dinner will be February 25th. Would you like to help our Worship Service by being a Liturgist, Communion Server or Usher? Please see Dawn Bush if you can help. Thanks to our Worship Team and their hard work in making our Sanctuary beautiful for Christmas. Our Bell Director, Bob Martin will be offering a beginning Bell Ringing Class. If you are interested, please contact him at or nitrambob@aol.com. Try something new this year! How many of you invited your friends and neighbors to church last month? Holiday events are a great way to introduce our church to those who don t have a church home. Look for other opportunities in the coming months to invite, pick up and bring someone to an event or Sunday worship! Watch for another event with Accord Hospice as they show the Being Mortal film on February 27th. We need your help! Please take the time to rate Sedona UMC on Google. Just go into and search for Sedona United Methodist Church. The Sedona UMC business profile information will appear, click on the reviews, it will take you to a page where you can add your own 5 star rating. Thanks to everyone who likes the Sedona UMC Facebook page. We recently hit 200 Likes! 6

7 COMMITTEE CORNER The SET team thanks all those who brought a soup for our Christmas Open House and Soup Luncheon it was yummy! Our SET team reported that the Holiday Boutique, 2nd & 3rd Chance Boutiques brought in almost $2800 overall. Thank you all for your support as our Holiday Boutique proceeds go towards Outreach programs. Christian Ed Committee - The Sunday School children were awesome in the Nativity Pageants and their musical puppet performance! Thanks to all who worked with the kids! Watch for new studies to be offered in the New Year! Planning for the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper (3/6/19) will also begin volunteers will be needed! S.A.G.A.P. Sedona Area Gap Asist Program. MONETARY AND ITEM DONATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED. LOOK FOR THE DONATION BIN IN THE NARTHEX WITH A LIST OF ITEMS NEEDED. Monetary donations can be made in the offering plates, online, or in the office. This program is being set up to help the Sedona residents currently on assistance with those items not covered by state programs. (Hygiene products, cleaning products, diapers, over counter medicines, paper products.). Please contact DeNise if interested in helping with this important ministry. CARING LAY MINISTRY TEAM: Thank you to our Caring Lay Ministry Team for coordinating the Nativity Pageant last month. Outstanding! Accord Hospice is partnering with our group by providing a Sudden Loss Support Grief Group every other Monday. This group is open to the community watch the calendar for dates. We took time to recognize this wonderful, caring group of people on 12/2/18. Thank you for all you do! HAVE YOU BEEN LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO SERVE? SUMC is always looking for help on one of their teams. Prayerfully consider serving on one of our ministry teams: Stewardship Team, Trustees, Welcome Team, Christian Education, Congregational Care / Wellness /Prayer Ministries, Missions and Outreach, Special Events/ Fellowship, Worship Team, Communications, Helping Hands, Reaching New People, Finance, Endowment, Columbarium, and Library Team. 7

8 SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN at 9:45a.m. Offered Sunday mornings. MEN S BIBLE STUDY Every Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. in the conference room. All men are invited. This group now studying the Book of Luke. Jan Shuman rtshuman@hotmail.com Christian Education Coordinator ANNA s CIRCLE BIBLE STUDY Every Thursday at 9:45 a.m. This women s group meets in the conference room. They are currently studying the book of Isaiah. Sedona Muses Lecture Series - For the Love of the Land At Sedona United Methodist Church January 14, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. Arizona Stinks: Adventures in Biodiversity in the Desert Southwest Speaker: Dr. Larry Stevens, MNA s curator of Ecology and Conservation February 11, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. How Did I Get Here? The Intersection of Personal and Professional History on the Colorado Plateau Speaker: Kimberly Spurr, MNA s Archaeology Division Director March 11, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. Howlin For The Plateau Speaker: MNA s, Artist in Residence, Ed Kabotie April 8, 2019 at 7 p.m. A Century of Climate Change in Flagstaff Speaker: MNA s Research Associate, Dan Campbell For more information, please call x 219 8

9 Family Movie Night Join us Friday, January 11th at 6 p.m. Featuring I Can Only Imagine Growing up in Greenville, Texas, Bart Millard suffers physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his father, Arthur. When Arthur becomes terminally ill, he finds redemption by embracing his faith and rediscovering his love for his son. Years later, Bart's troubled childhood and mended relationship with his dad inspires him to write the hit song "I Can Only Imagine" as singer of the Christian band Mercy Me. The fun starts at 6:00 p.m. with lots of great food and great fellowship! The movie starts at 6:30 p.m. COMING NEXT MONTH AT THE MEN S BREAKFAST: February 2nd at 8:00 a.m. Location change: SUMC Fellowship Hall Featuring Jack Ross Squadron Carrier Briefing VF-32 RSVP sedonaumc.az@gmail.com or call the church office Saturday, January 5th 8:15 a.m. At THE GOLDEN GOOSE! Super 8 Sedona, 2545 AZ-89A, Sedona, AZ Please bring a can of food for the Food Bank First time guests get breakfast free! 9

10 We began the Christmas Season with our Ladies Christmas Dinner on December 5th. Once again Pastor Fred cooked one of his family recipes and the men of the church served their favorite ladies. An inspirational program was given by Pastor Fred s sister Debbie and her friend Jane. It was a great way to enter into Advent. On December 23rd our service was packed full with music and the Sunday School children participating in music, a puppet performance and our Nativity Pageant 10

11 Thanks to our CLM Team which put on the Nativity Pageant with help from many volunteers. Thank you for bringing the Christmas story to life! Our Christmas Eve Service was bursting to capacity in a beautiful service which included Lessons, Carols, Candlelight and Communion. We were also treated to music which included a brass quintet from the Community Cottonwood Band. What a glorious way to celebrate the birth of Jesus! 11

12 Classes include: Behaviorial Health Caring for Others Discipling Systems Congregational Care Ministries Going Green Not My War The Anatomy of Peace FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CLASSES OFFERED, SEE THE NARTHEX FOR THE FLIER 12

13 Lay Servant Ministries 2019 Calendar January 18 & 19 Epworth UMC, Phoenix Basic Lay Servants as Christian Transformational Leaders February 8 & 9 Desert Chapel UMC, Apache Junction Basic, Discover Your Spiritual Gifts March 15 & 16 Dove of the Desert UMC, Glendale Basic, Called to Preach, Justice in Everyday Life April 12 & 13 St. Matthew UMC, Mesa Come to the Waters, Leading Worship May 3 & 4 Gila Mountain UMC, Yuma Planning Worship, Leading Bible Study July 26 & 27 Payson, UMC Life Together in the United Methodist Connection Planning Worship August 16 & 17 Mountain View UMC, Cottonwood Basic Course, Leading Worship, Discover Spiritual Gifts September 13 & 14 First UMC, Gilbert Called to Preach, Teaching Adults October 11 & 12 First UMC, Phoenix Dancing with Words Life Together in the United Methodist Connection November 15 & 16 Grace UMC, Mesa Living our United Methodist Beliefs, Leading in Prayer For Class Registration CONFERENCE MISSIONS TRIP TO PUERTO PENASCO! The Desert Southwest Conference is sponsoring a 3 day Home Build in Mexico, March 1-4, A number of congregations and individuals have already expressed interest and/or registered for this unique opportunity to spend a weekend with likeminded missionpassionate volunteers building a home for a low-income family. Travel will begin on Friday, March 1st. The home will be built on Saturday and Sunday. Finishing about noon on Monday. Returning home will start Monday afternoon with memories and sore muscles! If interested in joining this wonderful opportunity, please contact Mike and/or Lorraine Eyer at clnmwe@gmail.com 13

14 ESOL NEWS! The ESOL Group had their Christmas Party on December 18th. The Fellowship Hall was filled with families who participate in this important program and everyone was given a gift! Songs were sung, wonderful food was had and fellowship was wonderful. If you would like to be a part of this wonderful mission, please contact the office and we can connect you with one of the board members. Tutors are always needed. LADIES, THE HEART TO HEART WOMEN S EVENT IS COMING ON FEBRUARY 9TH. PLEASE REGISTER NOW FOR YOUR TICKETS YOU CAN GO ONLINE TO REGISTER AT H2HSEDONA.ORG OR SEE JENNY IN THE OFFICE. Your Ticket includes: Event access, Lunch, Tote Bag with Workbook, Chance to win Door Prizes, and the Keynote Speaker s Book. SEE THE FLIER IN THE NARTHEX FOR MORE INFORMATION. 14

15 WELLNESS NOTES January 2019 WHAT ARE STEM CELLS and STEM CELL TREATMENTS There is a new field of medicine called Regenerative Medicine, where Stem Cells are used to generate healthy cells, to replace diseased cells. In the world there are over 600 Stem Cell Clinics that are treating patients with Stem Cells. So it is important for all of us to know what stem cells are. Stem Cells are the primordial cells (undifferentiated) of the body from which all of the body's specialized cells (differentiated) are generated...cells that make muscle, bone, brain, blood, skin, hair, cartilage etc. Think of Stem Cells as the "raw material' our Creator uses to bring into being a new member of the human race...or really any new living organism. Where do Stem Cells come from? There are 2 sources:. 1.Embryonic Stem Cells and 2. Adult Stem Cells. Embryonic Stem Cells come from embryos 5-6 days old when the embryo is a mm in size and just a ball of cells...that are undifferentiated, called a blastocyst. This is made up of approximately 150 cells. Adult Stem Cells are in most of our tissues, but are currently being harvested from the patient's Bone Marrow or Fat for Stem Cell Therapy. Beginning in 2009 the National Institutes of Health created guidelines for human stem cell research. This research as resulted in the formation of the Regenerative Medicine Specialty or Stem Cell Therapy. Embryonic and Adult Stem Cells are currently being used to treat many diseases and debilitating conditions. I will explain and examine the current Stem Cell Therapeutic modalities in my February Wellness Notes. Well, enough for now.. God Bless You and "To Your Good Health"! Lyman R. Brothers, III M.D...Dr."Rick" Information is from: The Mayo Clinic Foundation for Medical Education and Research, "Stem cells: What they are and what they do", 11/26/2018. BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING WILL BE SUNDAY, JANUARY 20TH, AT 10:45 A.M. IN THE FELLOWSHIP HALL CLASSROOM SUMC Health Corner The SUMC Health Corner features informative articles by Lyman R. Brothers, III MD and Pat DiMillo on health and nutrition. These articles are written by health professionals from the congregation as a service to their church family. If you have any ideas about future articles, please let Jenny Mast in the office know and she will pass on the requests to us. Disclaimer This article is for information only and is not intended to replace evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment by your health care professional. 15

16 SUM Good News Sedona United Methodist Church 110 Indian Cliffs Road Sedona, AZ Phone: Fax: Website: Get Connected and Stay Connected sedonaumc.org You asked for it! Electronic Giving By popular demand SUMC now offers you the ability to make your tithe and offering donations using your debit or credit card on our website Sedona United Methodist Church Mission Statement Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ by Welcoming all people, Worshiping God joyfully, Caring for each person, Discovering Christ s transforming love, and Serving God s world. Vision Statement To share the happiness that is Christianity for all people. 16