The Grapevine
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF NAPA
(707) 253-1411
June 1, 2008
Open Hearts, Open Minds,
Open Doors:
the People of The United Methodist Church
Meet Your New Pastor
The Reverend Roger Kimble, III
Roger comes to us from Pittsburg UMC. He was born in San Francisco and was the only brother to eight sisters! He received his BA in child psychology in 1975 from Carleton College in Northfield, MN. He earned his Masters of Divinity in 1978 at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL. Roger is married to Veronica and has three grown children and three grandchildren. His hobbies include astronomy, reading, gardening, writing poetry and traveling.
We welcome Roger and Veronica to our church family.
Special Charge Conference
Sunday, May 25th in the Sanctuary
right after worship service to approve the
salary package for our new pastor. Please attend.
...Pastor’s Column
“Take
me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd,
Buy
me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,
I don’t care if I never get
back…”
I went to my first Major League baseball game recently! On Thursday, May 15th, we closed the office and church staff and members of the Leadership Team went to the Giants game for our first (hopefully annual) Church Leader Appreciation Day. It was 102 in Napa and 90 in the stadium, and it was fun! We arrived late because I forgot the tickets at the office, and it was still fun! The Giants lost 8-7, and it was still fun! We shuttled back from the ball park in the hottest Muni I have ever experienced, and it was still fun! Are you starting to sense a theme?
I grew up in a Midwestern family completely shaped by the Protestant work ethic. Fun was not really in anyone’s vocabulary. Our unspoken family motto was “Life is serious, so work hard and accomplish your goals.” Hard work was the foundation of our identities and necessary, if you wanted to be “worth anything.” But, I am learning that play is every bit as important as meaningful work. Play brings joy and relaxation. Play brings spontaneity and creativity. It is no accident that children learn from play. It is simply how we are created.
Summer is approaching and the kids will soon be finished with school for another year. So, take some time to play. Let yourself rest. Let God’s energizing Spirit renew you. John Mogabgab said, “Play is a sign of God’s nearness, a mark of fulfilled time.” May God be very near and may your time bring much joy and fulfillment.
Play on,
Jennifer
Dear Ladies of the Napa UMW:
We hope you will be able to join us at our annual Salad Luncheon on June 10th at 12:30pm at our church. Help us welcome spring with fellowship, good food and an opportunity to hear our pastor, Pam Cummings, tell us about “Walking the Paths of El Salvador”. Please RSVP to our president, Darlene Fish, 707-938-8092.
Shirley Coops
Sonoma UMW Secretary
Hi All,
Many of you expressed interest in a Saturday Circle meeting for your fellowship so please mark your calendars and come to a meeting at:
Katherine
Proctor's home
1875 Fuller Way (near Fuller Park)
SATURDAY,
JUNE 28TH 1-3 P.M.
Please RSVP to the church office 253-1411 or Amy Herzog miabeth@pacbell.net. Child care could be available in the church nursery if needed. Check with Amy if you need it.
Come and meet new friends and reconnect with old ones. Join this group which can offer support and fellowship that only women can share with their “sisters". Wishing you a wonderful meeting. Personally, I have found such joy in my circle that I want to help you find that support.
Joan Feury
Supporter from Susanna Wesley Circle
Next of Kin
Your church office would like to have an emergency contact for you. Please send your information to Dianne and she’ll keep it on file for you.
Behind the Scenes
Have you ever wondered how things get done? We have many volunteers in this church who give their valuable time to make sure things get done. Here are some of the people to whom we owe a debt of gratitude:
Susan Dunaway Tsujihara volunteers for the GRAPE Express as the music coordinator. She is wonderful with the kids during “gathering time” as she teaches them new songs. It takes a considerable amount of time and effort to choose just the right songs to go along with that month’s lesson plan. And let us not forget that she also leads the Children’s Choir! What a gift for all of us when those dear children sing in church!
Susan Sanderson, Sabrina Melton, Barbara Oliver and Lenore Gemmell have been on the Pew Tender team, straightening up and restocking the Sanctuary with envelopes, pencils, registration pads, etc. Barbara retired this year and Lenore is following behind her but we are deeply grateful for the service of these volunteers.
Many Thanks to All of You
Kerri Rutherford Joins Nursery Staff
Staff Parish committee is proud to introduce to you our newest employee, Nursery Aid, Kerri Rutherford! Before moving to Napa, Kerri worked as a preschool teacher in the Concord/Antioch area. She is presently enrolled in Early Childhood classes pursuing a degree. Kerrie was raised a Methodist and feels at home in this church. Married with 2 children, Kerri is the niece of our very own Dianne Mahler. Besides being at FUMC on Sunday mornings, she has indicated a willingness to help with future work parties in updating our nursery space and working with Faith Partners! Be sure to stop by and greet Kerri in the Nursery on Sunday mornings!
Our
church has been called by the Holy Spirit
to provide a new healing
and illuminating ministry.
The FUMC’s Faith Partner Ministry will serve the needs of our congregation and our community by providing education, support, healing and connection to resources for those suffering from substances abuse, additions and family stressors. This Ministry will respond in a loving and direct manner to assist affected individuals and their families.
If there is anyone who would like to be at the core of this ministry, please see me after church. We need a few more hearts and souls to make this ministry successful. We are especially interested in asking for the help and support of anyone who is currently in recovery. If you can help, please let us know. The members of the team are: Wendy Couch, Jean Crozier, Susan Edenborough, Doug Monroe, Linda S. Powers and Mary Lee Shephard. You will be hearing more about this ministry in the next few months. Please pray that we may serve so many in need.
Jan Geren 226-3448 or the office 253-1411
SSP Kids Thank Mike Edenborough
There is a new wall in the Wesley Room in the Bonner Building, making two rooms out of one large one. It was beautifully built by Mike Edenborough. Mike generously donated all the money from his labor fees to our SSPers. He also had a secret helper for part of it who would like to remain anonymous.
Mike, we can’t thank you enough!!!
WANT AD
Wanted: a person who would be available once a month to create a bulleting board with the monthly theme for GRAPE Express. Please apply at the church office.
Susanna Wesley Circle
Ever
wonder how United Methodist Women's circles get started?
Sometimes quite by accident! Way back when (15 years or so ago
) a group of us "moms" kept finding ourselves talking
together after church about our "grown" children.
Each of us had someone at that "in between age - in between
home, school, work, apartment". They and we were
having trouble adjusting. So we started the
"Moms' Group" and met weekly to share stories, to listen,
and to support each other. The group kept growing!
Women felt comfortable coming and going as time, schedules, and
need dictated. We enjoyed each other's company.
At
Ginnie Pearson's suggestion we decided to join United Methodist Women
as a new circle. Because there was need for an evening group,
we agreed to full that need and (being an independent lot) chose to
meet on the evening most convenient - even if not the
traditional third Thursday. And so we began anew
with a new name: Susanna Wesley seemed an obvious
choice!
Susanna Wesley, often called the Mother of Methodism,
was in fact the mother of United Methodist founder John Wesley
and hymnist Charles Wesley, PLUS 17 other children! She
herself was one of 24 children! Susanna was said to
possess an unruffled temperament, clear in judgment, and a mind
that was logical and sharp. She ran her household by schedules
and with methods. Her children were expected to be
obedient, well mannered, and to use "magic words" of
please, thank you, sorry and so on. She believed
in encouragement and was a born teacher. You can read more
about her life in the book: Susanna
Wesley, A Mother with a Difference: Yesterday's
Values for Today's Woman by
Dorothy Sampath Kumar (in our church library).
Susanna
Wesley Circle meets every other month on the second Tuesday in
someone's home. And just as that original Mom's
group, we have a core group and many who come as schedules dictate.
Our next meeting will be a summer potluck on July 8, 6:30 at Barb
Thompson's. We would love to have you join us - watch for more
news in a later Grapevine.
OR, why not think of
starting a new circle to fit your niche?
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is Helping Survivors of Natural Disasters...Here's how you can help make a difference!
CHINA: EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE
Please give to International Disaster Response, China Earthquake, UMCOR Advance #982450
-------------------------------------------------
US: HELPING TORNADO SURVIVORS
UMCOR
is helping survivors of the latest spate of tornadoes that raced
across the mid-South Saturday evening, May 10. Oklahoma, Missouri,
Arkansas and Georgia are the states most-recently affected by severe
storms in 2008.
"The number of storms so far this year is
high and unusual," said Tom Hazelwood, domestic disaster
response executive. "UMCOR will work with our annual conference
partners to assess the damage, help with the long-term recovery
plans, and provide assistance to help meet emergency needs."Help
support all these annual conferences affected by these violent storms
with your gifts to Domestic Disaster Response, UMCOR
Advance #901670.
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MYANMAR: UMCOR HELPS DELIVER RELIEF
UMCOR is providing funding support to partners who are bringing relief to the people of Myanmar and ensures that its assistance is delivered directly to those who need it most. Partners have been able to distribute water purification tablets, food, and materials for shelter reconstruction into Myanmar. Please continue to pray. Lack of clean water, shelter and proper medical care are all growing concerns for the people of Myanmar. You can send your gifts to UMCOR Advance #3019674, Myanmar Emergency.
Greetings from the Trustees
We’ve had a busy month! We did the annual work-thru of the church and parsonage creating a very long list of things that need to be done! So at our Board of Trustees meeting, we decided to have a “Month of Saturdays” devoted to different projects on our list and inviting all to come. We’ll provide the materials and directions, and ask you to provide the help! And we’re giving you lots of time to mark your calendars so you can plan on a Saturday at the church! Here is our tentative schedule:
Saturday, September 13th –
Clean-out and Cleaning
Saturday, September 20th -
Repair and Prepare
Saturday, September 27th –
Painting
Saturday, October 4th – Outside Projects and hauling away
Stay tuned for more details! But please be thinking about saving those dates for our church and what you might do to help!
Exciting news of coming attractions will be the remodeling of the nursery, complete with new bathrooms and decorating to make it a “child friendly” place. And a new sound system for the sanctuary which will not only make everything sound better, but will enable all to enjoy our wonderful service and music.
Kathy Martin
Chairperson
Special Sundays in June
On Sunday June 1st, we will honor our graduates. Please call the church office as soon as possible to let us know if a member of your family is graduating. We’d also love to know about your graduate’s future plans, so that we can print them in an upcoming Grapevine.
On Sunday June 8th, we will honor our 3rd graders with new Bibles and celebrate the dedication of our teachers with Teacher Appreciation Sunday.
On Sunday June 15th, we will say goodbye to our wonderful Jennifer Edenborough and her husband, Mike, as they prepare to leave FUMC Napa for their new assignment at South Reno UMC.
And, (even though it’s a Saturday rather than a Sunday), please mark June 21st so that you can attend Jennifer’s Ordination Ceremony . Please call the church office if you’re planning to attend and let us know if you need a ride.
We’ll hope to see you at all of these wonderful events!
Pew Tender
Did you know that even if you are a volunteer you can retire? Such is the case with Lenore Gemmell. She has been a pew tender for years and years; so many, in fact, that she can’t remember when she started. The stairs have become too much for her and so she had to request retirement from her position. Now we are looking for someone to take up the task of restocking the pews with pencils, envelopes, etc. Does this sound like something you’d like to volunteer to do? It would take a commitment of 1-2 hrs. each week in March, June, September and December. Please call the office if you have any questions.
Put your Grapevine article here. The next deadline is June 5th and will be mailed out on June 11th
Seattle Choir Visits Napa: On Sunday, May 25th, our Cathedral Choir will be joined by members of the Wallingford United Methodist Church Choir in worship. The combined choirs will sing a mass by Johannes Brahms entitled Messe. This is the first half of the exchange; our own choir will travel to Seattle in November and sing in their church (You may remember that we did something like this back in 2000.). So save the date as we welcome our fellow choristers!
May 25 Scripture: Isaiah 49:8-16; Psalm 131; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5; Matthew 6:24-34
The Wallingford UMC Choir from Seattle will be with us in celebration this week
June 1 Scripture: Genesis 6:11-22; Psalm 46; Romans 1:16-17; Matthew 7:21-29
Pastor Douglas J. Monroe God’s House Band
June 8 Scripture: Genesis 12:1-9; Psalm 33:1-12; Romans 4:13-25; Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
Pastor Douglas J. Monroe Bonner Bells
June 15 Scripture: Genesis 18:1-15; Psalm 116:1-19; Romans 5:1-8; Matthew 9:35-10:8-23
Pastor Jennifer Edenborough Cathedral Choir
June 22 Scripture: Genesis 21:8-21; Psalm 17; Romans 6:1-11; Matthew 10:24-39
Annual Conference
Mission Statement
The First United Methodist Church unconditionally welcomes all people in greater Napa wherever they are on their faith journey. As a congregation rooted in scripture, tradition, experience, and reason, we promise opportunities to grow in the Spirit and to become active followers of Jesus Christ.
Sunday Worship Service: 9:30 am -- All Sunday School Classes at 10:45 am
Adult Bible Study: Parlor
GRAPE Express for ages 3 years thru 5th grade: Kagawa Room
Junior High School Group: Beall Library
High School Youth Group: Sunday at 4:00pm - Youth Room