T R I N I T Y T R A N S F O R M E R A monthly publication of Trinity United Methodist Church Our Mission: To Be Lovingly Obedient To Christ Vol. 4 No. 09 November 2013 Dear Gifted People, Do you realize that you are a gift from God? You are very special and have a wonderful way about you especially when you use your talents and gifts. This month we are going to look at gifts and what that means to us as United Methodist. John Wesley was convinced that there is a direct connection between our discipleship and the use of our financial resources. He called money an excellent gift of God and was clear that the love of money, not money itself, is the root of all evil. He challenge early Methodist to gain all you can save all you can and give all you can as an essential practice of the Christ-centered life. A biblical understanding of the relationship between our money and our faith begins not in what we do but in what God has done in Christ Jesus. We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). We give because Jesus gave (Titus 2:14). Our generosity is a finite response to the infinite generosity of God. Followers of Christ find joy in sharing rather than hoarding, giving rather than taking. It is a countercultural way of life that grows in us through the practice of spiritual disciplines that enable us to experience the joy of giving. This month we focus our attention on the spiritual discipline of financial responsibility and the practices that contribute to joyful giving. We will see that Christian generosity is modeled after nothing less than the extravagant generosity of God s love to us in Jesus Christ so that what goes around comes around. It s a circle of generosity. God s generosity to us results in gratitude, which we then express through our generous acts and living. This circle of generosity changes our lives, bringing us to the realization that we are stewards of God s free gifts rather than the owners of what we have. Once that circle is complete, we then realize also that we are gifts. Gifts that God has created and therefore, we are from God. It all works out for the good and for us to recognize the gift in each other and that gift is Christ Jesus. So you are special, you come from God and you are a gift, come and join each other and give back to God what belongs to God, our whole selves. Thanks be to God! Pastor Tweedy Rev. Tweedy Sombrero Food Bank Sunday is the first Sunday of each month! Please bring non-perishable food to support The Yuma Community Food Bank.
Our November Birthdays 2... Edna Hartman 2... Roy Raas 3... Betty Wallick 7... Jean Benton 8... Debbie Hoag 8... Lauren Norris 8... John Olin 8. Marcus Sakariason-Stoller 9... Robin Evans 9... Sarah Munger 11... Peggy Pitzer 11... Gertrude Simpson 12... Larry Hunt 12... Melba Stone 13... Sandy Greifenstein 15... Cora Lee Schingnitz 20... Mary Klein 21... Anthony Mosqueda 21... Christian Sollars 23... Ema Lea Shoop 25... Dusty Wohlgemuth 29... Ron Caffee 29... Jean Rivers 30... Louise Schoening Join us on Sunday, November 24 th for Birthday Cake following the service! United Methodist Women will meet Tuesday, November 19 th at 1:00 P.M. in the Freeman Library. The program will be the presentation of our THANK OFFERING. Election of officers for 2014 will also be held. Marion Perry, President Constance Stone Circle The Constance Stone Circle will hold its regular monthly meeting in the Muriel Freeman Library at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, November 13, 2013. All ladies are invited to join us for devotion, study and fellowship. Carmen Hawk, Circle Coordinator The United Methodist Men meet regularly on the first Saturday of each month at 8 AM in Muriel Freeman Library for a time of fellowship, study and prayer. All men are invited to join us. Dick Lueck A Special Thanks to all those who helped at the United Methodist Women s Annual Rummage Sale. The sale netted approximately $3,600. Thanks to those who helped set-up, sort, price, sell, cook and clean-up. Thanks, also, to all who contributed items for the sale. Without the help of all you loyal and generous people, the sale would not have been such a big success. This year s fall festival was a success. I would like to thank all of the volunteers that helped with the booths, the people that participated in the trunk or treat and everyone that were kind enough to bring in wrapped candy and small toys for prizes. Thank you everyone!!! Becky Cooper sends her love and thanks to all those who prayed, called and visited with her while she was in the hospital and recuperating.
Sunday School Teacher Needed The education committee is looking for a Kinder 5 th grade Sunday school teacher. All material for the class is provided. If you or if you know anyone that may be interested in teaching from 9 9:45am on Sunday mornings please let Sarah Akins know at church or via e-mail sarah@trinityyuma.org. Thank you. Annual Charge Conference and Yuma Cluster Celebration Sunday, November 3 rd 2:00 PM First United Methodist Church 298 West Third Street Yuma Each year we join our brothers and sisters from the other Yuma area United Methodist Churches for a brief annual meeting (each church meets separately) and then a combined Worship Celebration. Please plan to attend! Saturday, November 23 rd 12 Noon to 2:30 PM The Education Committee will be hosting a Lunch and Movie. We will be serving hot dogs and chips and then show the Disney movie Brave. We are inviting the whole church to come and please bring a friend or two to join us. Christmas Pageant This year s Christmas Pageant will be on Sunday, December 15 th. We will be having a dress rehearsal on Saturday, December 14 th for all who are interested in joining this year s Christmas Pageant. More news on this will follow in next month s newsletter. Reaching out in Christ's name to others is a big part of Trinity's mission. With that in mind, your Outreach Team presents to all of you missionaries in the congregation some opportunities. Many of you have participated in Angel Tree throughout the years, and that will be available on December 1 st and 8 th. Everyone will have an opportunity to learn more about it during a mission moment in worship. Also, another mission moment will tell all about the Alternative Gift Market scheduled for December 15 th and 22nd is all about. Featured at that celebration will be Heifer Project, UMCOR, Habitat for Humanity of Yuma, and Imagine No Malaria. Let's help to share a happy celebration of Christmas as we reach out to a world hungering for the message of the Gospel. Jean Rivers, Outreach Team Corporal Thomas Rugg, began attending Trinity shortly before his deployment to Afghanistan. We would invite you to send Thomas words of encouragement. His wife Morgan remains in Yuma and can be found on Sundays here in worship. Cpl. Rugg, Thomas VMM-166 (F/L) Unit 26052 FPO AP 96427-6052
Nurture Notes... Seldon and Melba Stone started the Coffee Fellowship over 46 years ago. Judy Carmen has assisted the last 11 years. Thanks again for their faithful service! Thanks to all those who pitched in to help with fellowship hour during the summer. In order to continue the Fellowship hour and involve more people, different church groups will now host fellowship each month. Please invite guests to join the fellowship in Morris Hall. Then remember to talk with new and different people each Sunday, so no person is left sitting or standing alone. Trinity is considered a friendly church! Everyone can help with a friendly smile! Thanks to David Combs for putting the coffee pots on early each Sunday morning! Condolences to the families of Blanche Martin, Jane Peterson, Justine Lemke, and Edith Sweet who have died since the last newsletter. Winter resident Oliver Jensen died this summer and his wife Lois is in a care center in Minnesota. Please inform the office if you have news of other winter residents. Former member Jennifer Harris enjoys getting Trinity newsletter and wishes everyone the best! Charlie graduated from NAU and is working in Flagstaff. Wes and Sam are working in Washington and George graduates from high school in 2016. Jim has a couple more years in Navy service and then they hope to find a warmer/sunnier climate for a change. Marlene Evans, Chairperson Where are we? Our expenses for the first three quarters of the year have exceeded our income by close to $3,000, and we have not been able to fund our commitment to apportionments giving beyond the local church to fund mission and ministry around the world. Our income through September 30 th has been $172,858. Last year, through this same period we had received over $185,563. That s a decrease of $12,705. Please prayerfully consider your financial commitment to God through the work of Trinity. CANCELLED Friday, November 15 th through Sunday November 17 th Leadership Retreat Our Planning Retreat for Church leaders has been cancelled at this time. Look forward to an opportunity to help us set the direction of Trinity in early 2014. Trinity on the Web!!! The Trinity website has recently been updated. You can submit prayer requests directly on the site. The SAMM Loops with weekly announcements are also now available. There is a place for first time guests so they can get information about Trinity including driving directions. First time guests can also leave their information should they want contact. The site continues to be a work-in-progress so take some time and take a tour around www.trinityyuma.org! Jeanne Barnes Chapel OPEN Tuesday and Friday 6:00 AM to 7:00 AM (door faces Oak Street) And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35 ESV Need a quiet moment just a moment to get your day started off right? Try Open Chapel!
Handbell Notes YEAH Bells! We are getting excited and we are also getting quite tired of Christmas songs, considering we have been practicing them since, well, April. The annual Christmas Concert is getting close so please put the following dates in your calendar: December 7 & 8 at 4pm in the Sanctuary. Our theme this year is Movies, specifically Christmas music in movies. Some of the pieces we will be playing are, Believe from Polar Express, Toyland and Parade of the Wooden Soldiers from Babes in Toyland, Silver Bells from Lemon Drop Kid, and White Christmas well you know where that particular piece comes from. We also are planning to do some traveling, and we haven t quite set all those dates as yet. But keep checking the Choir s Face book page for updates. The November pieces for Church are Battle Hymn of the Republic with the Chancel Choir and We Gather Together. The Choir always enjoys pieces with the Organ and Choir. As always we thank the church for you support of the Handbell Choir!! Prayers ٠ Presence ٠ GIFTS ٠ Service ٠ Witness A Five Month Focus On Our Commitment GIFTS It s the promise we make and renew every time someone joins the congregation. It s a vow unique to the United Methodist Church as we stand with those who join with us in our mission and ministry. In that moment we also remember the promise and vow we made when we first joined the church. It s a powerful statement about who we are: our commitment to one another, our dedication to serve others, and our promise to God. The world is held together by the promises we make, the commitments we keep, and the vows we hold sacred. November Gifts Our commitment to uphold the Church by our gifts is a thankful response from the heart for all God has given us. Such a commitment serves to remind us of our role as stewards over what God has entrusted to us. The systematic giving of our money also helps to establish and maintain ministries that no individual or single congregation could fund alone. These worthy causes include hospitals, colleges, rehabilitation centers, food and clothing distribution, evangelistic and educational work, and emergency relief. During the month of November we will be focusing on our pledge to support the Church by our gifts. That means sharing all that God has so generously given to us prayerfully and faithfully.
Thoughts on Tithing Reprinted from the December 2011 Trinity Transformer Several Sundays ago I asked to stand in front of the congregation and talk about giving about tithing. I did some research on the web, read Bible references; talked it over with others debated; and prayed A LOT!!!! I must admit I found quite a variety of topics and opinions on the subject of tithing and was more than a little surprised at the vast amount of literature on tithing both in support of and not. For me it is a given everything that I have; everything that I am, is from God Giving to God the FIRST 10 th of all of that well it is the least I can do the very least I can do. As I read some of the research it was noted that first fruit giving requires just that theological premise that all our possessions and assets ultimately belong to God. All that we have in life is a GIFT from God. Faithfilled, first-fruit-giving is our opportunity to return to God a small portion of God s abundant blessing in our lives. We are called to give to God what is right not what is left and our first fruits are not leftovers. God is the creator of everything that exists. He owns EVERYTHING and we are simply stewards of what we have been entrusted with. The tithe principal is this He gives unto us, we give back to him one-tenth of all that He has blessed us with. Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can. (John Wesley) As the story goes John Wesley made 30 pounds teaching one year. He lived on 28 pounds and gave 2 pounds away. The next year he earned 60 pounds. He lived on 28 pounds and gave 32 pounds to the poor. The third year his income jumped to 90 pounds. Again he chose to live on 28 pounds so he could give 62 pounds away. The 4 th year he received 120 pounds. He kept his expenses to 28 to 30 pounds and GAVE AWAY 90 to 92 pounds. This is heritage of Methodists. Brothers and Sisters in Christ I have good news. In fact, I have GREAT news. Tithing works! I am sharing this with you just like I would if I found an AMAZING investment opportunity that was guaranteed to give you dividends 10 times over your investment as a member of your family I am letting you in on just such an opportunity. For years I lived paycheck to paycheck and some weeks not so well. I had insufficient funds notices; second notices on bills; and had to borrow money from my folks on more than one occasion. Years ago more than 15 but less that 20 there was talk of tithing at church. George Gibson offered a six week class on Christian Money Management or something to the effect. During the first class I indicated sure, I want to tithe you show me how on this budget and I will. Six weeks later and after a lot of prayer and giant leap of faith, I started tithing. I have not bounced a check since and have not had to borrow money from family. I have been blessed beyond measure. I continue to be blessed to the point that I am able to tithe and give. I am still accountable for the good stewardship of the remaining funds but I give to God first off the top. I give electronically it comes out of my checking account each Monday morning whether I am in church on Sunday or not; or on vacation; or at the cabin for the summer. I encourage you to try it - tithe for 6 months. At the end of that 6 months look back and see how you have been blessed all the ways God has kept His promise to you. Please take a few moments in silence to open your hearts to the depths of God s faithfulness in your life. Now reflect on how you are going to respond to His promise. Have a little faith Have a lot of faith Have faith Your Sister in Christ, AnnaMarie Sollars
Trinity United Methodist Church 3030 South 8 th Avenue Yuma, Arizona 85364 Phone: 928/344-3013 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit #149 Office Hours Monday through Thursday 8:00 AM 12:00 Noon 1:00 PM 5:00 PM Rev. Tweedy Sombrero, Pastor e-mail: TrinityPastor@roadrunner.com Bob Klein, Church Administrator e-mail: TrinityOffice@roadrunner.com Return Service Requested www.trinityyuma.org Church School for all ages Sunday at 9:00 AM Worship Sunday at 10:00 AM Take Note.... Staff Parish Relations Committee will meet on Saturday, November 2 nd at 2:00 PM. Board of Trustees will meet on Monday, November 4 th at 6:00 PM. Transformation Team will meet on Wednesday, November 13 th at 4:30 PM. Finance Committee will meet on Thursday, November 14 th at 4:30 PM. Nurture Committee will meet on Monday, November 18 th at 1:00 PM. Staff Meeting on Monday, November 18 th at 5:00 PM. Christian Education Committee will meet on Wednesday, November 20 th at 5:30 PM. Outreach Team will meet on Wednesday, November 27 th at 5:30 PM. Deadline for the December 2013 Trinity Transformer Newsletter is Wednesday, November 20 th! Please email your information to TrinityOffice@roadrunner.com. Special Church Office Hours in November: Monday, Novemnber 11 th Closed for Veteran s Day Wednesday and Thursday, November 20 th and 21 st Closed at Noon for a Conference meeting. Wednesday and Thursday, November 27 th and 28 th - Closed for Thanksgiving