Newsletter - Arcata United Methodist Church

The
Sea Breeze
M ARCH 2014
Pastoral Note
As is always the case, people who worship with a congregation come and go. Some go in death, some because
work or family or circumstance or health make it necessary for them to move and find a faith community in
another town. And there are always those who leave because there is a conflict around something: what or how
the pastor preaches; personnel decisions that are made; actions that a committee takes that are disagreed with;
denominational politics such as the stance on homosexuality, same-sex marriage, divorce, adoption,
immigration, climate change, recycling and on and on.
Conflict, disagreement, hurt feelings and messiness always have been and always will be a part of our
communal life. Because we are conflicted, disagreeing, hurting, messy human beings who stand in need of the
grace of God. Always. As July 1 approaches, there has been some conversation about how to invite persons
who have left, but not found another place to call their church home and are hoping to return to worship at
AUMC once I am gone. All of the ideas that have been suggested have a flaw in them somewhere that has the
potential to injure and cause even more hurt feelings.
There is no perfect, fool-proof way to make sure that everyone who has ever left because they have become
disgruntled with something or someone at the church gets invited back. The very closest we can come is this: if
you know someone who you think fits the above description give them a call or send them a note telling them
that you miss them and you want to make sure they know that they will be warmly welcomed and are
encouraged to return to worship and the life of the community. This is your work as a member of this
congregation. The second thing that can be done is this: if you think of yourself as someone who fits any of the
above descriptions and you are aching to come back to worship here as soon as July arrives, imagine the voice
of the Divine, Holy, Loving, Inclusive God calling out to you saying, “Beloved, you are invited. I am inviting
you. I want you to find a church home. I want you to find a place and a community to love you and support you
and welcome you and nurture you in your spiritual journey. Come. Please. Come home.”
I won’t be in worship on July 6 to worship with you. But there will be worship and if you are among the
aching, longing, waiting ones, you are and will be welcome.
Your Pastor,
Cindy
ARCATA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
1761 Eleventh Street, Arcata, California 95521
707-822-1963 Fax: 707-822-1935
[email protected]
www.arcataumc.org
Reverend Cindy Storrs, Pastor
[email protected] 707-834-3507
Worship and Church Family Information
March 2
March 9
March 16
March 23
March 30
Liturgist
Rev. Cindy Storrs
Martha Longshore
Rev. Cindy Storrs
Judy Longshore
Barbara Ratzlaff
Greeter/Ushers
Darryl Wood
April Joyce & Ella Melendrez
John & Maralee Davis
Elwood & Deanna Bartlett
Patsy Svarvari & April Joyce
March Birthdays...
Sharon Sligh (3) , Susan Marshall (7), Neal Sligh (9), Joyce Harmon (10),
Kate Longshore-Neate (13), Colman Fockens (17), David Goodman (26),
Carol Moore (27), Trudi Walker (28)
and Anniversaries…
Matt Coke & Adrienne Arnold (10)
Richard & Gail Paselk (18)
Thank you to...
… Martha, Autumn and Judy Longshore for their weekly hosting of the college and young adult ministry
meeting (12-stones);
… Judy Longshore for her hard work in securing a grant from the Board of Higher Education and Campus
Ministry for the 12-stones college ministry group;
…Dr. Michael Fratkin for joing the 12-stones Fellowship for a “Death Café” - conversation about life and living and dying well - and all the other conversation that is a part of that;
… Larry Wood for the “mud fence” and straw in the courtyard to help save the grass;
… the Chancel and Handbell Choirs for their inspiring “duet”;
… Those who have assisted with Coffee Hour and the Breakfast meals.
In Our Prayers…
Judy and Daniel Byers; Rev. Wanda Celli; Cap and MaryAnne Ioelu; Jean
Nearn; Bethany Wilson; Adrianne Arnold; St. Bernard’s Parish and the Humboldt County Catholic community; Patsy Svarvari and her family; Ella Melendrez;
Mary Lou Razetto; Ali Ware and Family; LoBerta Gwin; John McNeely; Larry
Wood; Family and friends of Marjorie Fitzpatrick; Walter Sweet; Ray Rice; Rev.
Michael Pina; Marlan & Helen Stover; Mickey Mossman; Dot Sundstrom; NPA
student and faculty.
Sea Breeze ~ page 2
S U N D A Y
M O N D A Y
T U E S D A Y
W
E D N E S D A Y
T H U R S D A Y
F R I D A Y
NPA weekdays 7:30am to 4pm
Church Office Hours Monday-Friday 8-11am
1
S A T U R D A Y
10-11 pm AA (FS)
8
9-3:30 Readiness 360 at the
Church of the Joyful Healer
10-11 pm AA (FS)
7
5pm Centering Prayer (PO)
6:30-7:30pm DBSA (7)
7-8pm NA (FS)
6
9-11am Tiny Tots (SH)
4pm Kidco (SH)
5pm Centering Prayer (PO)
5-6:30pm Bones (7)
7:15-8:45pm Nar-Anon (7)
5
4pm Kidco (SH)
5pm Centering Prayer (PO)
7pm Ash Wednesday Ser. (S)
7:30-8:30pm AA (FS)
4
5pm Centering Prayer (PO)
6:30-9:30 NPA meeting
(S/SH)
6:30pm Trustees Meeting
(PO)
29
22
15
4pm Kidco (SH)
5pm Centering Prayer (PO)
6:30pm Fat Tuesday Potluck
at Jason and Bethany’s in
Blue Lake
7-8pm Al-Anon (7)
7:30-9pm AA (FS)
14
2-5pm Ukrainian Egg
Decoratting (SH)
10-11 pm AA (FS)
13
5pm Centering Prayer (PO)
4-7pm Humboldt Meals
Solutions meal pick up (K)
6:30-7:30pm DBSA (7)
7-8pm NA (FS)
12
9-11am Tiny Tots (SH)
4pm Kidco (SH)
5pm Centering Prayer (PO)
5-6:30pm Bones (7)
7:15-8:45pm Nar-Anon (7)
11
4pm Kidco (SH)
5pm Centering Prayer (PO)
7:30-8:30pm AA (FS)
Deadline to order meal from
Humboldt Meal Solutions
21
10-11 pm AA (FS)
20
5pm Centering Prayer (PO)
6:30-7:30pm DBSA (7)
7-8pm NA (FS)
19
9-11am Tiny Tots (SH)
5pm Centering Prayer (PO)
5-6:30pm Bones (7)
7:15-8:45pm Nar-Anon (7)
18
5pm Centering Prayer (PO)
5pm Centering Prayer (PO)
6pm 12-Stones
7:30-8:30pm AA (FS)
28
5pm Centering Prayer (PO)
7pm Church Council (PO)
7-8pm Al-Anon (7)
7:30-9pm AA (FS)
27
10-11 pm AA (FS)
_______________________
26
5pm Centering Prayer (PO)
4-7pm Humboldt Meals
Solutions meal pick up (K)
6:30-7:30pm DBSA (7)
7-8pm NA (FS)
31
5pm Centering Prayer (PO)
25
9-11am Tiny Tots (SH)
5pm Centering Prayer (PO)
5-6:30pm Bones (7)
7:15-8:45pm Nar-Anon(7)
24
5pm Centering Prayer (PO)
5pm Centering Prayer (PO)
7-8pm Al-Anon (7)
7:30-9pm AA (FS)
5pm Centering Prayer (PO)
6pm 12-stones
7:30-8:30pm AA (FS)
Deadline to order meal from
Humboldt Meal Solutions
17
10
5pm Centering Prayer (PO)
7pm SPRC (PO)
4pm Kidco (SH)
5pm Centering Prayer (PO)
7-8pm Al-Anon (7)
7:30-9pm AA (FS)
3
MARCH 2014
2
9:15am Meals Ministry (K)
10am Worship (S)
11 Coffee Hour (SH)
9
Daylight Savings Time
Begins - Spring Forward!
9:15am Meals Ministry (K)
10am Worship (S)
11am Coffee Hour (SH)
16
9:15am Meals Ministry (K)
10am Worship (S)
11am Coffee Hour (SH)
23
9:15am Meals Ministry (K)
10am Worship (S)
11am Coffee Hour (SH)
_____________________
30
9:15am Meals Ministry (K)
10am Worship (S)
11am Coffee Hour (SH)
Other Important Information...
Humboldt Meal Solutions
There will be 2 meals offered for March - March 14 & 28. The menu:
• March 14 - Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Salad - $10
• March 28 - Polenta (with or without meat), Roasted Veggies - $8
Order by the Wednesday before each meal date. Pick up from 4-7 PM on each Friday listed above. Cash or
checks please. Question or comments contact Doug at 826-7005 or [email protected].
I Am the Church, You Are the Church,
We Are the Church Together:
We feed 100 homeless people every month.
We supported Eagle Scout projects totaling several hundred hours, and celebrate with our Scouts on Scout
Sunday in the 2013-2014 year.
We do Christian Education for our children for 8 person-hours each month.
We staff and host the Tiny Tots First Five playgroup for 30 person-hours on average each month in the service
of neighborhood families.
We host neighborhood 12 Step programs 56 hours each month.
We host Humboldt Light Opera’s KidCo for 28 hours each month.
We share our facility with 120 high school students plus staff 5 days a week, 9 hours a day.
We help with worship a total of 40 person-hours a month, on average.
We do administrative church work for 80 person-hours per month.
We do church maintenance and hospitality about 50 person-hours a month.
We donate to United Methodist mission and education projects on average $75 a month.
We support community programs for people in
Ukrainian Egg Decorating
need on average at $120 per month.
Thanks! With Love, God
Saturday, March 15
2-5pm
Don’t forget daylight
savings time begins
March 9th - Spring
forward one hour!!
2 friendly reminders - While we
appreciate all those who offer personal
items to enhance worship and other
ministries, Arcata UMC is not responsible
for those items being lost, damaged or
stolen. Please also check and lock every
door when you leave the facility.
Thank you.
Sea Breeze ~ page 4
In the Social Hall
Led by Diane Johnson, Member of the
Church of the Joyful Healer.
This event will be a great gathering of members from the
Arcata UMC, UMC Joyful Healer,
Arcata Presbyterian, Eureka 1st UMC, Humboldt
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and Catalyst
Church!
Free will offering to “Imagine No Malaria”
Please RSVP to the office, 822-1963, by March 9th
Some in the congregation have heard talk of Readiness 360. Some remember filling out an online form to help with creating a profile of our church and where we are now, what is important
to us, and our spiritual propensities. Here is a bit more information about the program.
Arcata UMC was invited to join Readiness 360 at last year’s Annual Conference by members
of Bishop Warner Brown’s Cabinet. During this past year, the program has been launched in
eight churches in the California Nevada Annual Conference, including the UM Church of the
Joyful Healer in McKinleyville, as a pilot program of church formation and renewal. We think
we are very fortunate to have been chosen to be a part of this experiment.
Last fall, our church was asked to form a Team of people who would commit to working with
members of the Cabinet and experienced Conference leaders and experts in various aspects of
team building, spiritual growth and church vitality. Those who answered this call are your
Team: Claudia Goodman, April Joyce, Darryl Wood, Carol Moore, Elaine Dubois, Doug
Hendricks, Don and Barbara Ratzlaff, Martha Longshore, Judy Longshore, Rev. Cindy Storrs,
Pastor Bethany Cseh and Pastor Jason Cseh.
As part of Readiness 360, we are learning what it means to build a team, recognizing our common interests and our individual personal styles. Our Team has a Coach, Rev. Susan Kemper
of San Francisco, who meets with us regularly. We have received information from the Conference about the demographics of our community within a two mile radius of the church, to
help us assess who and what we can do to better serve and understand our neighbors in Arcata.
On Saturday, February 8, we met with District Superintendent Greg Bergquist and 2 members
of the Conference “I Relate” Team to discuss cultural diversity, what it looks like here in Arcata, how we tend to respond to it, and how we might grow more and more to value and welcome these differences.
Our goals include discovering ways we, as a spiritual community, can put ourselves forward in
solidarity with, service to and support of one another and our neighbors.
Undoubtedly you have questions you could ask of your team. Please feel free to do this. Do
you have suggestions of ways we can do church better? To help one another grow spiritually?
To be better neighbors? Tell one of us about these, please. And please pray for your Team and
our Coach, Susan, regularly. It is so important to us. Being your Team is a huge commitment
of time and energy on our part, and we need and value your support.
Thank you. Judy Longshore
Matters ~ Finance ~ Stewardship ~ Tithing ~ Giving ~
Communion Offering for March
From the Treasurer
2014 has barely begun, but we at
This month our communion offering will be taken to purchase
Arcata UMC do great work. It is
large print Bibles for as many of the people at Mad River Adult
through your tithing and pledges
Day Health Care’s Bible Study as we can afford. You may be
that ministry can happen! The
aware that Pastor Cindy leads this Bible Study each Monday at
finances continue to be tight.
Adult Day for people who are elderly or physically and mentally
Thank you to all who have
challenged. They have been asking for large print Bibles so they
contemplated and prayed upon
can read on their own for about a year and a half. These Bibles
typically run $40.00 each plus tax and shipping, and there are at
what their tithing gift should be
least 6 people who would like to have one. Our secretary, April, this year. Please remember that
has researched every source possible for second hand large print special communion offerings are
Bibles, and there seem to be none available. This offering will
intended to be 2nd mile giving help provide Bibles to people who have been longing to read
gifts beyond your usual tithe.
God’s word. Can you please help?
All your gifts are important.
Thank you, Judy Longshore, Lay Leader.
Stewardship ~ Tithing ~ Giving ~ Money Matters
Stewardship ~ Tithing ~ Giving ~ Money Matters ~ Finance ~ Stewardship ~ Tithing ~ Giving ~
Stewardship ~ Tithing ~ Giving ~ Money Matters
Stewardship ~ Tithing ~ Giving ~ Money
The Extreme Weather Shelter (EWS) still needs your support. Thank you to all who gave generously last month.
Here is a reminder of what the EWS is:
The Arcata EWS is a way for local churches to shelter homeless people when the nighttime temperatures
drop to near freezing and below; the winds are excessive and or the rain is either substantial in one night or
substantial and sustained for several nights. Clients will be screened at the Annex (formerly the offices for
the North Coast Resource Center) and if found to be suitable participants, they will receive clean, dry clothing for the night; a meal and a snack; as well as place to store their belongings. They will be transported to
the local church (we are currently slated to receive guests on Mondays and Thursdays) where they will find
some kind of sleeping pad, bedding and a warm, dry place to sleep. It is up to each church (currently, St. Albans, First Presbyterian and Arcata UMC are housing clients) to make decisions about facility use and guidelines. Clients will be sheltered from 7PM to 7AM.
Ways you can help:
• pray for this ministry, for the homeless, for the Arcata House Partnership staff
• give generously to Arcata House Partnership
• volunteer to stay overnight
• volunteer to greet the volunteers and give them a tour of the facility when they arrive
• provide any of these items that are always in high demand:
• coffee
Fat Tuesday
• sugar
March 4 - 6:30pm
• milk/creamer
At Jason and Bethany’s
• wallets
449 Greenwood Dr. - Blue Lake
• small backpacks
• reusable cloth/fabric bags
Ash Wednesday Service
• sweats
March 5 - 7pm
• snacks
Sea Breeze ~ page 6
If you know of someone who would like to receive the
Sea Breeze but is not, please notify the office at 822-1963
or by email [email protected]
PASTOR’S OFFICE HOURS
Mon, 10 am-12noon and by
appointment
Parsonage: (707) 839-7496
Pastor’s Cell: (707) 834-3507
E-mail: [email protected]
TINY TOTS PLAYGROUP
A FREE fun time for kids aged 0-5
and their moms and dads too!
Thursday mornings 9 -11 am
JOIN US FOR WORSHIP
Sundays at 10am
fellowship/coffee hour at 11 am
CHURCH OFFICE
HOURS
Monday thru Friday 9-11am
(707)822-1963 Fax: (707)822-1935
E-mail: [email protected]
SERVICES & PROGRAMS
Centering Prayer Weekdays 5 pm
Meals Ministry
Sundays 9:15 am
Bible Study
Sundays 6:30 pm
UMC ONLINE
AUMC website: www.arcataumc.org
United Methodist Communications:
www.umcom.org
Cal-Nev United Methodist website:
www.cnumc.org
The Upper Room Online:
www.upperroom.org
United Methodist Church on
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/unitedmethodistchurch
Also, look for Arcata UMC on
Facebook!
Mission Statement of the
Arcata United
Methodist Church
To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation
of the world.
Bishop: Rev. Warner H. Brown, Jr.
District Superintendant: Rev. David Samelson
Pastor: Rev. Cindy Storrs
Pastoral Interns: Jason and Bethany Cseh
Accompanist: Justin Ross
Bell Choir Director: April Sousa
Chancel Choir Director: Meadow Bell
Childcare: Alison Wood
Custodians: Blake Nearn
Lay Leader: Judy Longshore
Office Manager: April Sousa

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