The Grapevine
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF NAPA
(707) 253-1411
December 1, 2009
Open Hearts, Open Minds,
Open Doors:
the People of The United Methodist Church
....Pastor’s Column
Yes, this is the season of giving and receiving gifts, love, family fruits and presents. Anticipation is in the air and sense of waiting for the unexpected is also there. We all know how the holidays can bring on unplanned problems and issues, yet give us ample time for celebration and joy with family and friends.
During this season of giving and love, we too, are to take time out with the Holy One and be humbled by all the blessings we have received and shall receive. A quiet moment alone with God can help us understand and appreciate that a smile and a hug can do more and last longer than a gift or money in hand.
Things we buy or receive can never take the place of genuine love and caring. The handshake, the look in the eyes, the laughter and time of prayer for one another, are just as precious as any wrapped gift under the tree. Giving encouragement or forgiveness is just as precious as the gem stones at the jewelers.
During this time or economic down turn, don’t let buying presents get in the way of just loving people for who they really are. We are each unique and wonderfully gifted. So often we want family members to conform, when all they want is to be accepted as they are. As we encounter the love of God in this world through another’s touch, voice, prayer or song, we find God’s peace and Holy presence. This is what the Christ child was all about and this is what God is all about. We are to Love regardless, give regardless and receive regardless of the value of the gift brought, bought or left behind. Friendship, love and family can last an eternity. Just ask God. (smile)
To teach others to love God and that God loves them is the best present of all. Now that’s something to leave under the Christmas tree and around the Christmas dinner table. May hot apple cider, warm hugs, wrapping paper, Christmas decorations and the gift of God’s love carry you through the holidays and in to the New Year.
Love and Shalom.
Roger
Napa Valley Chorale Holiday Concert, Spirit of Light
Sunday, December 13, at 3:30 and/or 7:00 p.m.
First United Methodist Church
It's going to be a good one, with wonderful music in vivid acoustics! You don't want to miss it...... Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at FUMC or by calling Jan at 255-4662 or email her at jannapa@aol.com.
Candy Cane Carol Sing-a-long for the whole family!
Monday, Dec. 21, 2009 at 6:00 p.m.
FUMC Sanctuary
Donations Accepted
First United Methodist Church
625 Randolph St. Napa 94559
Office: (707) 253-1411 Fax#: (707) 253-1976
www.napaumc.org
Pastors: Douglas J. Monroe
Roger Kimble, III
Sunday Worship - 9:30 a.m.
Child and Infant Nursery Care is available
Church Office Hours:
Monday—Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
The Grapevine is published bi-monthly.
Editor: Dianne Mahler
Voices is Moving
On Dec 19th, VOICES will officially move to its new location at 780 Lincoln. We will be getting the building ready on Saturday, December 5, 9am-noon. If you would like to help us clean up the inside and the grounds at our new place, please call the Rev. Linda S. Powers at (707) 815-4774. The building will eventually need some reconstruction and we are looking forward to inviting FUMC to also join us in refurbishing and remodeling of the new center. There will be Saturdays in January and February were construction work will take place. More information to come.
Yours, Rev LSP
Grapevine Schedule
The next deadline is December 3rd
and it will be mailed out on December 9th.
Please email your articles to secretary@napaumc.org
Remembering the Past - Building For The Future
Once upon a time there was a lovely and gracious lady who was a member of our church. She wore her hair up in braids with a big bow in back. Her name was Esther Umhalt and in the late 1980's she named us in her will and thus a legacy was born.
We used the money to set up an Endowment Fund.
Other persons have added to the fund since then by naming the church in their wills and making contributions in honor of and in remembrance of persons. The earnings from the fund are distributed quarterly. Sixty percent of the earnings go into a dedicated account administered by the Trustees and is used for capital improvement of our property and buildings. The other forty percent goes into a account called Special Programs which funds one time special programs and provides start-up money for special programs.
I give regularly to the Endowment Fund by sending gifts “In Honor Of” and “In Memory Of” special people that I’ve known. This is a way of building on the legacy and keeping faith with those Saints who have gone before us. It lifts my spirit to look around our church and to participate in the special programs and to know that I had a part in making it happen.
So, I urge all of you to go and do likewise. Try it, you will like it. It will fill you with a sense of well-being and joy.
Donna La Point
Calling all UMW Women:
We are looking for volunteers to help shape the January 24th, 2010 church service. Worship committee has graciously given that date to UMW to lead the service as we did last year. We have some lead time to organize and be sure that everyone that wants to participate has a voice. Please contact Barb Thompson 255-0457 or Joan Feury 255-0494 to sign up for a part. Barb is heading a committee that will plan the service. We would like all that want to participate to be known to this committee or be a part of it. You will hear more at the Unit Meeting November 19 at 10:00 A.M. in the Kagawa Room. Please come and help us praise God and witness to the joy that being an United Methodist Woman gives, as we work in mission to help others and be in fellowship with each other.
Joan Feury, Co-Chair
THE HOLIDAYS WILL BE HERE SOON !
It is a time for getting together with family and friends. It is wise to remember that it is not a happy time for some. Some families only get together this one time a year or do not get together at all. There are higher rates of domestic violence and driving under the influence arrests this time of year. The holidays sometimes bring feelings of fear, sadness, anxiety, loneliness, anger and depression.
Your Faith Partners Ministry wants you to know there are many community resources to help individuals and families cope with these issues now and throughout the year. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Some helpful numbers are:
Alcoholics Anonymous 255-4900, Narcotics Anonymous 251-5982, Al-Anon/Alateen (888) 425-2666.
PEACE AND LOVE FROM YOUR FAITH PARTNERS MINISTRY
Wendy Couch, Susan
Edenborough, Jan Geren, Katherine Tolman,
Ruth Jenkins-McIntire,
Kerrie Rutherford, Ken Rutherford and
Pastor Liaison, Rev. Roger
Kimble III
VOICES - Young Moms Need Support:
We have two active Mommy and Baby groups now at VOICES. Our work is around developing healthy parent and child relationships and supporting these sometimes very young, first time moms. Just like with our regular youth, these moms sometimes come up short financially at the end of the month. As part of my ministry, I like to have emergency "rations" available. I, and the program facilitator for the PACES (Parent and Child Education Support), Amber, would appreciate it if any of you (individually or as a group) would make up individual bags for us. Each bag should contain the following:
1
bag would consist of:
1
Big can of powdered formula $28.00 (organic) Shelf life: 2yrs
3
jars of baby food (1 meat, 1 veggie, 1fruit) $.68-$1.50 Shelf life:
6-10 months
Small box of rice cereal $2.00 Shelf Life: 1 yr.
Since we will be keeping these bags over a period of time, we would appreciate it if you would get items with the longest shelf life possible.
Any questions, please call me or Amber at the VOICES number - (707) 251-1577.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Linda S. Powers
The Fun and Fellowship Committee will have a soup lunch for the congregation after the Children’s Christmas Pageant on December 20th. Please plan on celebrating the kids after their play.
“Calling all lovers of chile.” Here is your chance. Get your recipes ready! We also need you hardy souls to judge our First Annual FUMC Chile Cookoff on January 24, 2010. Please call Patty Renfrow at 252-4763 to volunteer. Thanks!
Just a reminder... the Pie and a Movie Group will not meet in the month of December.....mark your calendars for January 15th. We start the year off light with "Singing In The Rain".
JUST FOR FUN BOOK CLUB
For your November reading, we are suggesting The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson. This nonfiction book is set in Chicago at the time of the World's Fair at the end of the 19th century. If you are planning to visit or have recently been to Chicago, come share your thoughts with us December 1. We'll gather at Kay Steven's home.
Then during the December winter days we're reading The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. This 2004 novel was recently made into a motion picture, but the book is usually better! We'll see. That discussion will take place January 5, 2010.
We meet the first Tuesday of each month. Come join us!
Our New Nursery
If you haven’t seen our new nursery yet please stop by and take a look. It is coming right along, however the Nursery Committee has a request that you may be able to help with.
Would you consider donating a new or nearly new leather or vinyl sofa for the nursing moms in the congregation? Additional items that we are requesting are as follows:
Dishpan for
sanitizing toys
Dust Buster
Dustpan and broom
CD player and
children’s music
Three pull up shades for the Holyword
windows
Adult couch and chair
End table and lamp
Clear
baskets and bins for toys
Large pillows and soft seats (even dog
beds work)
Play quilts like in the Environments catalogue
We greatly appreciate any help you can give us!
A Very Giving Christmas
On December 6th we will once again present our annual “Very Giving Christmas”. We have invited local charitable and non-profit community organizations to come and tell us about their work. Church members and friends are invited to come and make contributions, and in some cases, buy handicrafts to help support these various causes. Please lend your support on Sunday, Dec. 6th.
June Moroney, Chair, Missions/Church and Society
What are You Good At?
April Dawson asked the children to do this during Time With the Children recently. Now we’re asking all of you to do the same. We want to build a church database of things that we are good at or enjoy doing. The idea is to offer/share our “gifts” as a way of serving our church community. For example, if someone is sick and can’t prepare a meal, walk or feed their dog, clean their home, mow their lawn, do their laundry, etc. - the database will have a list of people who are willing to be called on to help....or if someone in the congregation is lonely and would like a “friend” to play a game, chat or read….or it could be more interest or hobby related - such as you want to start composting but don’t know how. Maybe it’s knitting, sewing, painting, using a computer program or playing an instrument. The possibilities are truly endless. We also see this as an opportunity for mentoring by teaming up our children/youth with older members in activities/services together.
Please prayerfully consider how you might serve the church with what you are good at, enjoy doing or are willing to do for others. We will shortly be sending out cards for you to fill out (voluntarily of course) on this subject. Then we will begin building the database. Once completed, we will share this with all of you and explain how we hope to make it work. The sky is the limit on this so be as creative as you want. Nothing is too small or insignificant. You never know what someone else might need or want. Below are some examples to get you thinking:
Gardening, yard work, home repair, meals/food, hair/makeup, errands, ride to church/meetings, laundry, ironing, pet care, music, musical instruments, computers, movies, books, knitting, outdoor activities, games, dancing, crafts, and the list goes on and on!!!
Also, we’re just getting this started so your comments and suggestions for the development and ongoing execution and maintenance are most definitely welcome and appreciated.
Our long term desire/goal for this project is to be so successful within our church that we can spread it to the greater Napa community as a true outreach endeavor.
Respectfully,
The Growth and Outreach Committee
Here's an enticing party invitation
On Friday December 4th, the Napa Valley Coalition of Nonprofit Agencies is having a big fundraising celebration to support those who provide many essential community services, now needed more than ever.
Come enjoy great company and community thanks/giving spirit, dinner, then shaking and swinging with the FOG (Five Old Guys) band in this rare performance which includes County Human and Health Services Agency Director Randy Snowden, Dr. Don Hitchcock and Hon. Judge (ret.) Richard Bennett. Special MC is Hon. Judge (ret.) Scott Snowden.
Tickets are $50 for community supporters and $20 for members of the Nonprofit Coaltion . For reservations, or to make a contribution, contact Suzanne Shiff (Coalition Executive Director and, as many of you know, my wife) at 738-7958. Please share this invitation with others who may be interested in attending.
BUILDERS CHRISTMAS DINNER
The Builders are starting a wonderful Christmas season with a change in schedule. The date will be December 5, and dinner will be served at 5:30. The location will be the church Fellowship Room. The meal will not require the cooking or cleanup of a potluck! A wonderful dinner will be prepared by Bon Appetite. It is vital that those telling the callers that they will come, know that they will be responsible for paying $15, whether they come or not. Those needing transportation should tell the caller of their need, (or Dianne Mahler, at 253-1411,) BY THURSDAY, and a ride will be arranged.
Those attending are asked to bring a gift for the game of choice and possible claim by another. This gift should be wrapped but unlabeled, and should not exceed a purchase price of $10, (which wouldn't apply to homemade items such as cookies, or some valuable "white elephant" that’s already in your household. ALSO, please bring a gift for a youth, unwrapped, for donation to the Salvation Army.
Members are also invited to bring a guest, to show them what a good time we have in getting together, and new members to Builders would be most welcome. Builders wish everyone to have a wonderful Christmas Season!
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
Coffee, cookies, lemonade and friendship are served at 10:30 am
Adult Bible Study: 10:45 am Parlor
Sunday School for 3 years old through 5th grade—10:45 am—Kagawa Rm.
Middle School Group—10:45 am—Beall Library
Youth Group—11:00 am—Youth Room
Come and see what your church has to offer you this year
Nov. 29 Scripture: Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25:1-10; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 21:25-36
Lay Speaker, Michael Herzog First Sunday of Advent God’s House Band
Dec. 6 Scripture: Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 1:68-79; Philippians 1:3-11; Luke 3:1-6
Rev. Roger Kimble Communion Sunday—A Very Giving Christmas Bonner Bells
Dec. 13 Scripture: Zephaniah 3:14-20; Isaiah 12:2-6; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:7-18
Rev. Doug Monroe Cathedral Choir
Dec. 20 Scripture: Micah 5:2-5a; Luke 1:47-55; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-45
Children’s Christmas Pageant
Dec. 27 Scripture: 1 Samuel 2:18-26; Psalm 148; Colossians 3:12-17; Luke 2:41-52
Michael Herzog, Lay Speaker Special Music