Chino Valley United Methodist Church The Chino Valley Chimes February 2019 Pastor Mike s Retirement Party Happening this month: Feb 3 ~ Holy Huddle Feb 4 ~ All-Staff Meeting Feb 6 ~ Men s Group Feb 6 ~ Lydia Circle Feb 12 ~ Pictures Feb 12 ~ Aroma s Feb 14 ~ Pictures Feb 16 ~ Pictures Feb 17 ~ Pioneer Home Feb 18 ~ Office Closed Feb 20 ~ Trustees Feb 20 ~ Finance Feb 23 ~ Leadership Training Feb 27 ~ Ad Council Staff Meeting ~ Mondays, 8:30-9am Weekday Adult Study ~ Mondays, 10am Choir Rehearsals ~ Wednesdays 6:00pm As you know, Pastor Mike will be retiring at the end of June. We are planning to have a retirement party, celebrating his work here and in the community and celebrating his retirement, on June 22, beginning at 2:00 pm. We have a committee working on plans for this event, but plans are not yet finalized. We are anticipating, with members of the congregation and Pastor Mike s friends and family, that we could have 10 to 200 people in attendance. If you would like to make a donation toward the cost of the party, please put your donation in an envelope and mark it retirement party, or write retirement party in the memo section of your check. You can bring or mail your donation to the office or place it in the offering plate. We are asking for donations now, through March 1, so that we can finalize our plans. Since summer is a busy time for weddings, we need to do this early. More details will be forthcoming as plans are made. Inside this issue: From the Pastor Lay Leader s Notes Shoebox Project Finance Committee Donations of Items Men s Group Missions Committee TOPS Directory Leadership Training Lydia Circle Holy Huddle 30th Anniversary Birthdays & Anniversaries Prayer List 2 3 3 4 4 6 6 6 7 7 PRAYER LIST CHANGE Beginning with the February 3 bulletin, the prayer list will no longer be printed on the back page of the bulletin. Instead, it will be included in the monthly Chimes, on the same page as Birthdays & Anniversaries. Updated information on persons who are ill will continue to be sent out on Knee Mail. The reason we are making this change is so that we can include a welcome to visitors in that spot on the bulletin. It is important that we make newcomers and visitors welcome and let them know that we are a warm and loving community.
PAGE 2 From the Pastor We are in the second month of a new year and if you look at the Book of Genesis, especially in the beginning, God was making new things every day, from the earth and seas, to the sky and birds, the humans and all the creatures. But let s talk about us humans. How many remember in Genesis Chapter 6 that the lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. And the Lord said, I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground for I regret that I made them. Wow! These are some serious things to think about, wiping out the human race and all the creatures. But then, along came Noah, who found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Why? Because Noah was a righteous man, a man blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. What does it mean to walk faithfully with God you ask? To have a right perception of who He is, that we obey Him completely and that we believe Him unwaveringly. Scripture speaks often of God s faithfulness. Over and over we learn that when God says He will do something, He does it (even when it seems impossible). When He says something will happen, it happens. If this were not the case, if God were unfaithful even once, He would not be God, and we could not rely on any of His promises. God is eternally reliable, faithful and unwavering because faithfulness is one of His inherent attributes. In His faithfulness, God protects us from evil; He sets limits on our temptations, forgives us of sin nd sanctifies us. When a person walks consistently with God, in humble service to Him, he or she can be called faithful. Faithfulness affects every relationship we have. The Bible says it is a gift from God. When we receive Christ as Lord, the Holy Spirit dwells in us and brings the blessings of love, joy, peace and faithfulness. The fullness of these blessings depends on walking with God and yielding to His Spirit. We should be faithful to read and abide by God s Word and to seek the Lord in prayer. The Old Testament taught that the just will live by faith, and that truth is quoted, amplified and illuminated three times in the New Testament. God is faithful to His children, and by His grace we will one day hear the words, Well done, good and faithful servant! Maybe we all should take a look at the beginning, in Genesis that is, and read the Bible from the beginning to the end. Peace and grace, Pastor Mike
PAGE 3 Notes from the Lay Leader OUR FUTURE Years ago, Moses was on the verge of entering the Promised Land, the border of Canaan. Moses was an old soldier, a veteran warrior who led the army of the Lord for many years. Moses was 120 years old and did not enter the Promised Land. He knew he was going to die. God told him to climb up Mt. Nebo and there he could see the land of Canaan. From Pisgah, the summit of Nebo, Moses could see all the Land of Promise, the land God had promised to give the people so many years before. They could have entered it sooner, if only they had been obedient and not sinful. Young people learn that lesson early in life: if you are a Christian, then you will enter into a wonderful promised land. You will not be just a church member, but a joyful Christian living in the power of the Holy Spirit. When Moses died, the people were without a leader. God and Moses had made provision for this. Joshua was to succeed Moses for he was full of the spirit of wisdom. Joshua loved his church and was loyal to it. In it, he had training for future leadership. It was also difficult to take the place of a famous man. Too often we are compared to the person we are taking over for. Sunday school and church prepare you for the jobs ahead just as it did for Joshua. In church, we learn about God and his love for us; about Christ and how he died for us. That is why Joshua was such a good successor to Moses. He learned that God is unchangeable. As with Moses, I will be with you. Joshua finally brought God s people to the Promised Land. And so it is with us. Dave Starnes SHOEBOX PROJECT Nancy Mitchell has done a wonderful job of coordinating the annual shoebox project for more than 10 years. We have increased the number of boxes sent from the church each year, and in 2018 we sent 134 boxes. This cost members of the church $1,206 in postage, plus the cost of the items in the box. Nancy has told us that it is time for her to retire from this job. This was part of a long discussion at the Ad Council meeting in January. Ad Council has decided that we will not participate in the shoebox project as a congregation. If you have been filling boxes and wish to continue to do so, we will publish the location of where you can deliver your box or boxes in November. The Missions Committee will research other types of projects that would be available and report that information to Ad Council at their February meeting.
PAGE 4 Committees and Groups Greeting for the New Year from the Finance committee. Hope you have survived the Christmas and New Year celebrations. We have, but the weather sure has turned cold, plus some snow and ice!!! The church did quite well with our stewardship drive during December. We had an actual dollar increase of 12% over last year s pledge drive, with an additional four persons pledging for a total of 30 family units. This pledge amount is almost 0% of our 2019 budget. The remainder of the income comes from plate offerings and other sources. For year 2018, we have come out in the plus side on our balance sheet, first time in several years. This small positive amount is held in reserve to get us though the lean months of the coming year. Regardless, if you pledged or not to the church, please continue as you have been doing in 2018. As you all know, Pastor Mike is retiring at the end of June and whoever replaces him may bring further financial challenges. We need to be prepared. Not everything stays the same! You should have received your giving statement from the church. If you have any questions or don t understand what it all means, please call or see me directly and I will be glad to explain. Praise the Lord, and please keep in prayer those who are suffering serious health conditions in this New Year. Ray Benny If you have items to donate to the church, please check with the church office before leaving them at the church. If they are items for the trustees, please check with them before leaving them at the church. If we are unable to use these things, we will let you know so you can donate them to someone who can truly make use of them. Thanks for your help.
PAGE The next meeting of the Men s Group will be Wednesday, February 6, at 7:30am. ALL YOU MEN COME ON OUT AND ENJOY A GATHERING OF MEN AND WORSHIP WITH US. Committees and Groups TOPS CLUB AZ #9168 Taking Off Pounds Sensibly Meets Every Tuesday: Chino Valley United Methodist Church Remp Hall 73 E Road 1 South, Chino Valley, AZ Weigh in 7-8 a.m. Program and Meeting 8-9 a.m. National Dues $32 per year Local Chapter Dues $2 per month 2019 Chino Valley Chapter #9168 only JANUARY MARCH ******SPECIAL = No local dues For more information, talk to Donna. MISSIONS COMMITTEE The Missions Committee is in the process of being reformed. Sandy Jones is the new chair of the committee and Mary Taken and Joyce Wise have already expressed an interest in being part of the group. If you are interested in being on the Missions Committee, please contact the church office or Sandy Jones. Thank you. PLEASE MAKE THESE CHANGES IN YOUR DIRECTORY A revised directory was sent out in October. Please let the office know if you need a copy. A new directory will be available in early February. A Church Leadership Training class is scheduled for Saturday February 23, 2019 from 8 am to 12 noon. This is open to the congregation, but Pastor Mike would like for all chair and co-chairs to attend. This class will be based on the 2016 Book of Discipline section V, Servant Leadership, 138 Chi Rho Chi and rho are the first two letters in the Greek spelling for Christ (XPICTOC, pronounced Christos ). The blending of these two letters into one symbol formed a sacred monogram. Early Christians created many such symbols as codes to indicate their discipleship while avoiding detection by Roman persecutors. Many variations of the Chi Rho symbol exist, incorporating a cross, a shepherd s crook, the Greek letters alpha and omega, an anchor and other images.
PAGE 6 The next meeting of Lydia Circle will be on Wednesday, February 6, at 1:00pm. All ladies are invited to attend. MORE INFORMATION DID YOU MISS the Holy Huddles? These meetings are talking about the upcoming national conference of the United Methodist Church, where some significant changes are up for a vote. If you did miss these meetings, you have one more chance - Sunday, February 3, from 2-4pm. This meeting will be by Zoom (a computer program), where you can see and hear people at the meeting and can respond to what is said. The meeting will be here at the church. We would love to have some new members as we are planning some new things for this year. If you wish to attend, please RSVP to the office by Thursday, January 31, as we have to RSVP to the conference to get the link for Zoom. Joyce 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION We will be celebrating Chino Valley United Methodist Church s 30th anniversary on Sunday, June 2. We will be inviting past pastors to attend the combined service and stay for a potluck following the service. Joyce Wise is heading up this celebration. If you have any specific ideas or would like to help, please contact her. A mosaic consists of thousands of little stones. Some are blue, some are green, some are yellow, some are gold. When we bring our faces close to the mosaic, we can admire the beauty of each stone. But as we step back from it, we can see that all these little stones reveal to us a beautiful picture, telling a story none of these stones can tell by itself. That is what our life in [the church] is about. Each of us is like a little stone, but together we reveal the face of God to the world. Nobody can say: I make God visible. But others who see us together can say: They make God visible. [Christian] community is where humility and glory touch. Henri J.M. Nouwen
PAGE 7 Readers and Ushers BIRTHDAYS 2/1 Sally Reese 2/6 Jean Henry 2/8 Gail Stoecker 2/10 Donald Mastin 2/13 Dan Terry 2/13 Beth Vandeberg 2/1 Dave Starnes 2/20 Andrew Lam 2/20 Pete Mensing 2/21 Jan Harlow 2/21 Cindy Myers 2/21 Tina Rodriguez 2/26 Don Warren ANNIVERSARIES 2/3 Bill & Sue Mitchell 2/ Pastor Michael & Janet Keffer 2/12 Doug & Fayne Pender 2/14 John & Cynthia Giles February 3 Readers: Janet Keffer, Janet Warren Ushers:Bob Haslett, Jean Henry, Bill Brooks, Janet Bailey February 10 Readers: Molly Schnieder, Marti Hays Ushers: Deryl Jevons, Tony Botel, Irene Rampley, Bill Mitchell February 17 Readers: Dave West, Joyce Wise Ushers: Dave Starnes, Pat Clingman, Nancy Mitchell, Ann Moses February 24 Readers: Molly Schnieder, Jean Henry Ushers: Ray Benny, Marti Hayes, Don Sappington, Joyce Wise Prayers are asked for... In our thoughts and prayers this month: Our church & church family, Pastor Mike & Janet, our youth, President Trump, our country and its leaders, our military men & women, Chino Valley Police Department, Chino Valley Fire Department, those in nursing homes. Home bound: Alma Holt, Marge & Don Mastin, Pat Jones, Lyall Miller, Bob Reese. Church members: JoAnne Ledbetter, Sandy Sorenson, Sally Reese. Friends & family of members: Merle Houston, Chris Everidge, Haley Morrell, Christine Clement, Alice Herod, Caitlin, Kyle Larsen, Linda Wiseman, Nikki Clement. If you would like a name added or deleted from the prayer list, please call the church office.
CHINO VALLEY UNITED MET HODIST CHURCH 73 East Road One South Chino Valley, AZ 86323 Phone: 928/636-2969 E-mail: chinovalleyumc@gmail.com OFFICE HOURS: Monday-Thursday, 8:00 am 12 noon If you do not wish to receive this publication, please contact the church office. Coming Events Watch this space each month for coming events in the next few months. February 23: Leadership Training March 6: Ash Wednesday April 14: Palm Sunday April 18: Maundy Thursday April 19: Good Friday April 20: Holy Saturday ~ Prayer Vigil April 21: Easter Day May 26: Combined services for the summer begin June 2: 30th Anniversary Celebration June 22: Retirement Party for Pastor Mike American Legion of Chino Valley will be hosting Yavapai County Health Department Food Handler Certification training at the American Legion, Monday, April 1, 2019 at 9 am. Free for food handler volunteers. The food handler certificates that we have now are expired or are expiring this year. If you are interested, please call the office as we need to RSVP to the American Legion. We need at least people to attend!