Grace United Methodist Church, Alamogordo
Transcription
Grace United Methodist Church, Alamogordo
UPCOMING EVENTS (CALENDAR) Sunday, March 15 Ministry Leaders 9:45 AM Confirmation Class 12:30 PM Praise Team Practice 2:15 PM Real Steel 3:00 PM Pans of Grace 4:00 PM Pantastic Praise 5:00 PM GUMY Facility Manager: Ralph McGee Monday, March 16 Youth/Young Adults: Alan McMillen 7:00 PM Faithful Joy Circle 7:00 PM Young Women’s Bible Study Tuesday, March 17 9:00 AM Trustee Meeting w/ Mr. Garcia 6:00 PM Praise Team 6:00 PM Young Adults Time Executive Secretary: Pat Lyman Treasurer: Tamara Valdez Finance/Membership: Terri Koehler Children: Stacy Sanchez Worship Arts: Holly Boyle Community Care: Sarah Cox Pastor: Rev. Dustin Wilhite Wednesday, March 18 9:00 AM Care Team 9:30 AM S.P.A. 11:00AM Cokesbury 2:30 PM Accordions 5:00 PM God’s Promise Ringers 6:00 PM Grace Ringers 7:00 PM Chancel Choir Thursday, March 19 8:30 AM Folders and Stuffers 9:30 AM Kindness Circle 2:00 PM Happiness Circle 6:00 PM Bible Study—Miracles, Science & The Bible Friday, March 20 4:00 PM Shared Table Food Prep 4:45 PM Puppet Practice Saturday, March 21 11:30 AM Shared Table Sunday, March 22 12:30 PM Praise Team Practice 2:15 PM Real Steel 3:00 PM Pans of Grace 4:00 PM Pantastic Praise 5:00 PM GUMY SUBMIT INFORMATION Deadline is the Monday before the Sunday you wish for information to appear. Send to: scoxgumc@qwestoffice.net We’re Social WEBSITE: ww.graceumcalamogordo.org Like Us on Facebook Grace United Methodist Church www.facebook.com/ graceumcalamogordo Grace United Methodist Youth GUMY www.facebook.com/pages/graceunited-Methodist-youth-group-gumy SPA for Moms www.facebook.com/spaformoms Children of Grace www.facebook.com/ childrenofgraceumc Follow us on Twitter @graceumcalamogo March 15, 2015 — March 21, 2015 Welcome to Grace United Methodist Church! Grace United Methodist Church 1206 Greenwood Lane, Alamogordo, NM 88310-5740 575-437-7640 Prayer Ministry Extravagant Generosity If you would like to submit a prayer request or join the Prayer Chain to pray for others, please contact Helen Menefee, 437 -3350 or helen.menefee@gmail.com or Carol Hackett, at 437-8700 or gramcrl@gmail.com Gifts —Rehanna Young (daughter of Chuck Douglas); prayers for peace and comfort. —David Prell; prayers for healing, peace and comfort after back surgery. —Sheri Maness; Praise the Lord, she has no brain damage from her seizures. Thank you for your supportive prayers. —Rose Holycross; (correction-she did not have cataract surgery) —prayers for peace, comfort and healing. Thank you to the ladies who faithfully baked mini loaves for the Welcome center. We are making changes to the Welcome area and in the future we will not need the loaves; however, we wanted to express our appreciation for your dedication and faithful service to provide these gifts. May God continue to bless you. 2 Budget for 2015: Received Year to Date (YTD): Expenses Year to Date (YTD): Net Balance: $615,724.00 $123,907.17 $110,442.11 $13,465.06 Presence: 8:30 AM Service = 11:00 AM Service = Total Worship Attendance = Sunday School = 175 96 271 129 The Grace UMC Endowment Foundation has many scholarships available at this time. To apply for any of the available scholarships, or to find out more information regarding each scholarship, please visit www.graceumcalamogordo.org and click on Scholarships. The application deadline for all scholarships has been updated to March 31, 2015 by 4:00 pm. 7 Our Journey Through Lent By Holly Boyle Pastor Dustin peered into the orange Home Depot buckets. “Rocks?” he queried. “Yes,” I said. “Rocks.” And so the Altar Guild began enhancing the Sanctuary and surrounding areas for the season of Lent. Rocks and mesquite, wood and burlap. How do these simple enhancements help us observe Lent? Four years ago when these displays were created, I tried to answer that question for myself. In Matthew 4:1, we read about the Temptation of Jesus. “Then the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness so that the devil might tempt him. After Jesus had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was starving.” The definition of a wilderness is “ a wild and uncultivated region, as of forest or desert, uninhabited or inhabited only by wild animals; a tract of wasteland.” Here in New Mexico we don’t have to travel very far before we are in a wilderness. Rocky, arid, barren…. During Jesus’ journey through the wilderness, he crossed this treacherous terrain seeking the answers that would lead him into his ministry. We must do the same as we make our journey through Lent, find the answers that will bring us to Christ and life everlasting. The rocks remind us that the journey will not be easy and that there will be many stumbling “blocks” along the way. The mesquite branches with its thorns remind us that it will be a painful experience. The thorns also bring to mind the crown of thorns that adorned Jesus’ head when he was tortured and crucified. The wood ...the cross that Jesus carried to his death. The burlap, rough and uncomfortable fabric to wear, torn and frayed again reminding us that our journey is uncomfortable. The colors of the earth, mundane colors that beg for something more are paired with the purple of royalty which the soldiers mockingly draped over Jesus after his trial. (John 19:1) And our Lenten journey continues…. 6 Intentional Faith Development A Lay Servant School will be held in Carlsbad on Saturday, March 21, 2015 at Mount Sinai UMC. Basic class will be taught and some advanced courses. An email was sent out to Lay Servants a couple weeks ago asking them to reply to the District Office on what they wanted or needed, so these classes might be offered. Please send your requests to them so they can be included in the decision of what will be offered at this school. All Classes are held from 9:45 to 10:55 a.m. Adults: ABC Class – Room 9-10 Trinity Class – Room 3-4 Back to Basics – Room 14 Women’s Study – Room 11 God’s Way Out – DH108 JOY Class – Room 12-13 There are many opportunities at Grace UMC to practice intentional faith development. We are a church community that encourages and fosters active discipleship training in various formats. We have multiple Sunday School classes and circle groups, Bible studies for young adults, young and older women, and also a thriving youth group. Silver Singles is for those who are mature and seek fellowship at this stage of life. We have children’s ministries and a current Bible study on Miracles, Science & The Bible. The United Methodist Women provide fellowship and discipleship opportunities as well. We have all this and so much more going on at our wonderful church to provide you with a discipleship course that will meet your current spiritual needs and help you to grow! Don’t delay, join a discipleship group (or course) today! Youth: Jr. High – DH206 Sr. High – DH209 Children: 2 year olds – Room 21 2nd & 3rd Grade – DH106 3 & 4 year olds – Room 22 4th & 5th Grade – DH105 3 Risk-Taking Mission & Service Passionate Worship Easter All-Church Clean Up! GUMY Box City Recently, the Trustees of Grace UMC finished our annual inspection of the Sanctuary and the classrooms. We have decided to have a pre-Easter clean up on March 28, 2015 from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon. We are asking all church members to join in and help to spruce up our church. If you would like to participate, please meet with us on that day at 9:00 am in the Parlor. The Trustees will be in the Parlor to greet you and provide supplies to accomplish specific tasks. The tasks will consist of cleaning, painting and relocating church items. Wear work clothes and bring gloves. The YOUTH are reaching out to ask for your help to meet needs, help heal the hurting, and share the word of Christ in our community. On Saturday, March 28 starting at 1:00 PM in the Grace UMC courtyard, our youth group will be learning to experience life the way many people all over the world do...by sleeping in cardboard boxes. Each member of the youth will be bringing their sleeping bags and tooth brushes and big cardboard boxes. The cardboard boxes will be their homes overnight. The project is intended to raise more awareness about the homeless within our community. Through the experience we will raise money and take donated items to the House of Prayer for the homeless and needy. Rain or shine the "Box City" will be held. Soup and bread, hot chocolate, coffee, and water will be provided to the youth. Radical Hospitality We take pride in our reputation in the community as the Caring Church in Alamogordo. These are some of the many examples of how caring hospitality can show people the love of God. “My family and I would like to extend our sincere gratitude for all the support the Grace family has offered during the challenging times we have endured over the past year. Since Charlie’s diagnosis, we have received continuous prayers as well as cards, hugs and well wishes. There are not enough words to express how much the kindness and concern from the church members have meant to our family. Please accept our sincere and heartfelt thank you for all you have done.” — Susan Wride “The United Methodist Women of Grace UMC would also like to extend a thank you to all helpers and those who donated to the UMW Rummage Sale.” The UMW rummage sales at Grace UMC are excellent fundraisers and provide goods to members of our community are nominal costs. —Grace UMW “To our Spirit-filled church, a thank you for your prayers, cards and kind words for me while I was in the hospital and recovering. I feel blessed and may God bless all of you.” —Frances Tharp 4 Items needed to donate to House of prayer include: fruit cups, applesauce, Jello, raisins, granola bars, crackers, juice boxes, toothbrush, travel sized toothpaste, chap stick, germx hand sanitizer, travel pack wet wipes, canned meat products that can be opened by thumb tabs (Vienna sausages, beans). Also needed are rain ponchos, sleeping bags, and tarps. We also encourage members of the congregation to write a note or card with a message of hope or encouragement. March 29, 2015 Celebrating Together! 9:00 AM Sunday School 10:00 AM One United Worship Service The Youth will lead worship and Serving others in the field of missions is an act of worshipping our Lord Jesus Christ. We celebrate and appreciate the hearts of the youth in wanting to serve Christ and share His love with the world. Any questions regarding items or this event, please contact Alan McMillen, Youth Director at 437-7640 (ext. 105). share their Box City experience. 5