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Davis United Methodist Church
Crossection Newsletter
 
March 2015
In this issue
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A "LOVE" NOTE... (from your pastor)

 

And once again we find ourselves in the season of Lent. 


 
We experience yet again this 40-day season that parallels the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness. The theme for worship during Lent this year is "Covenant." The word "covenant" means "a binding agreement" - much like a contract. But unlike a contract, a covenant is often understood to include the dimension of faith. God's promises to humanity and all creation are "covenants." Services of baptism in the United Methodist Church are called the "Baptismal Covenant." Covenants are commitments that go soul-deep.


 
And so, covenants are not simple agreements, nor easy to keep. They require faithful, ongoing attention. One image that comes to mind as a metaphor for "covenant" is the relationship between gardener and garden. Like any covenant relationship, a garden requires faithful, ongoing effort in order to bear fruit. Like any covenant relationship, a garden suffers from erratic or haphazard attention. In the living of our faith, that faithful, ongoing effort often takes the form of spiritual practices - a particular emphasis for Christians seeking to observe the season of Lent. 

 

Many people try to simplify in Lent, by eliminating distractions in order to better focus on God. This is the truest meaning of "giving up" something for Lent. Many people prefer to "take something on" - a spiritual devotion or healthy practice - as another way to observe the season. 
 

If you have not yet determined how you will observe the season of Lent, it is not too late! Choosing something to "give up" or "take on" at any point can enrich your experience of this season - and place your focus squarely on God as we move toward Easter. 

 

See you in church!

 

In Faith,

 Pastor Kelly signature 

 

 


March at a Glance

March 7th    Master Gardener Class: Vegetables
    Interfaith Climate Change Conference
    (see article)
March 8th    FEED MY SHEEP Offering
    Envisioning the future of Children & Youth
    ministries: focus on youth (6-8pm 
    in Grace Cafe)
March 15     Special Offering: One Great Hour of Sharing
March 29th  Palm Sunday; Holy Week begins
 

See Church Calendar for details and more events.

 

 

March 15th Special Offering:  

One Great Hour of Sharing

 

Our special offering March 15th will be devoted to the United Methodist "One Great Hour of Sharing" offering, which supports the efforts of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). As the humanitarian arm of the church, UMCOR responds to disasters, hunger and poverty in 81 countries around the world. This special offering goes to pay the administrative costs of UMCOR so that donations to its special projects go 100% to relieve suffering with no additional administrative costs.  This effort calls on United Methodists to share the goodness of life with those who hurt. 

 


All-Church Workday!
Saturday, March 28th
 9:00 am -12:00 pm

It's time for spring cleaning! General needs are pruning, washing all windows and glass doors, gutter cleaning, carpet cleaning and much more. Bring your tools, cleaning supplies and muscles. Coffee and Pastries will be provided. 

 


Holy Week Services

 

Palm Sunday - March 29th, 8:30 and 11:00am

We will begin outside together with the liturgy of the palms and enter the sanctuary together as we move into the liturgy of the Passion.


 

Maundy Thursday - April 2nd, 7:00 pm

We remember Jesus' new commandment and the Last Supper, with communion.


 

Good Friday - April 3rd, 7:00 pm. 

We hear and reflect on Jesus' seven final statements as he neared death; we remember the crucifixion.  


 

Easter Sunday - April 5th, 8:30 and 11:00 am. We celebrate the good news of the resurrection! Plan ahead: come to the 8:30 service for more leg room and better brunch reservations!


Childcare available for all services

 

Adult Sunday School Classes in March

Sunday mornings, 9:45-10:45 am 

 

Adult Bible Study - Rothe Room

 

March 1st     "The Lamb Of God"

March 8th     "Jesus Promises an Advocate"

 

March 15th   "The Spirit Of Truth"

 

March 22nd  "Receive The Holy Spirit"

 

March 29th   "The One Who Comes"

 

Contemporary Issues Forum Walker Room
Meets between services on Sundays (9:45-10:50). If you have an idea for a forum or an issue you would like to speak about, please contact Susan Padgett at [email protected].


 

March 1st"No Sanctuary:  Big Business and Family Detention"  

Come view a new documentary film by Austin, Texas, filmmaker Matthew Gossage.  The 30-minute film, which premiered in November, gives a brief history of the return of family immigration detention, in which refugees and migrants are housed in centers operated by private prison corporations in remote areas of the Southwest.  The UMC Global Board of Church and Society and the United Methodist Women, along with other organizations, hosted a screening of this film in January at the Church Center of the United Nations in New York.

 

March 8thSystem Change through Divestment with Rev. Sharon Delgado, Executive Director of Earth Justice Ministries 

Rev. Delgado will talk about the organized movement within the United Methodist Church to screen out fossil fuels from church investment portfolios. She will discuss the spiritual and financial rationale, how investment decisions are made within the church, and show how divestment can challenge and begin to change the system that is causing climate change.  Copies of the draft resolutions will be available.  Sharon Delgado is an ordained United Methodist minister.  Find her blog at sharondelgado.org

 

March 15th:  A Community Response to Hate Speech with Helen Roland, DUMC member
 

In January, Nazi swastikas were found painted on a Jewish fraternity at UCD.  Later it was revealed that a second hate message was found in Hillel House earlier in January.  Helen Roland is the Convener of the interfaith Celebration of Abraham event and a member of the City Human Relations Commission.  As a board member of Cal Aggie Christian Association, she has been working with students on developing interfaith leadership.  In her role with Celebration of Abraham, Helen has been participating in discussions with campus officials on their response to these recent events.  Come learn more about the campus response and how we can best respond to hate speech as a community.
 

March 22ndThe End of Life Option Act with California Senator Lois Wolk

Join us for this opportunity to meet Senator Lois Wolk and to hear about the "End of Life Option" Act, a bill she is co-sponsoring which would authorize the medical practice of aid-in-dying in California. Aid-in-dying offers mentally competent, terminally ill adults the option to request a prescription for medication they can use to end their dying process if it becomes unbearable.  The legislation, Senate Bill 128, is modeled on legislation which passed in Oregon in 1997.  Senator Wolk will also discuss other issues as time allows.

 

March 29th:  No Forum

 


Third Annual Interfaith Climate Conference

March 7th from 9:30am - 3:15pm at University Covenant Church
Suggested donation $10-20 includes lunch 
Davis United Methodist Church is a sponsor of the conference.

 

The third annual Interfaith Climate Conference -  Moral Ground: Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril -  explores the moral imperative that underlies any actions on behalf of our beleaguered planet.  The keynote speaker, Kathleen Dean Moore, is a moral philosopher, a nature writer, and an environmental advocate.  A Distinguished Professor Emerita from Oregon State University, she now dedicates her time to climate change talks, actions, and writing.  Her theme is that caring for God's creation is a moral imperative.

 

Three panel members will offer their Visions of Effective Climate Action.  Each panel member will take the broad themes of Kathleen Dean Moore's talk and make them more concrete and immediate from the perspective of their own work and generation. Speakers include former Davis mayor Joe Krovoza, the Assistant Director for Institute of Transportation Studies and Energy Efficiency Center at UC Davis; recent UC Davis graduate Emili Abdel-Ghany, director of California Students for Sustainability Coalition; and a high school student from Davis yet to be selected.


After a vegetarian lunch participants may choose workshops on practical, concrete actions to fulfill our moral obligations to the future and hasten the transition to a sustainable society.  Workshops focus on reducing our impact in the areas of transportation, home energy, and consumption, including our food print.  Most workshops focus on individual behaviors while some focus on advocacy.


 


Looking Ahead....

 

Grace Garden Annual Plant Sale -  Saturday April 11th


Small Group:
"Listening for the Heartbeat of God" 
Celtic Spirituality Small Group Study begins April 12th

 

John Philip Newell, pastor, author, and poet from Edinburgh, Scotland, will spend a weekend in Davis in February 2016. To introduce us to Newell, JoAnn Diel invites us to join a small group study at Davis UMC using Newell's book "Listening for the Heartbeat of God." Discussions will focus on the current teachings of Newell, including Celtic history, beliefs and practices.

  • Sunday afternoons 4-5 p.m. in the Walker Room
  • April 12-May 17
  • Books available in the church office for $10

Newell's writing presents his understanding of "a spirituality for today, modeled on the vital characteristics of Celtic spirituality through the centuries." His teachings are absolutely grounded in Christianity and in life - and they are beautifully inclusive. Here are a few gems from his writings:

  • The light of God flows through all things and is at the core of our being.
  • Philip redefines "born again." Jesus invites us to be born again - to let what is deepest in us come forth in radical new ways to reform the world.  To be born again is to find out how to let our light shine.
  • The wisdom of other traditions, nations, and cultures help complete ours.
  • The way of compassion is at the heart of all great traditions.
  • Philip invites us to reconnect with God's passion for healing and reconciliation - and with Jesus' way of non-violence.
  • You cannot be afraid of those you know.
  • Deep feeling moves us to action - and bits of action done faithfully will eventually make a difference.
  • Deep knowing and understanding relationships are the compass.  (note: compass and compassion)

From Your Finance Ministry

 
JANUARY ACTUAL
YEAR TO DATE ACTUAL
   
INCOME
$21,792
$21,792
   
EXPENSE
$24,103
$24,103
   
NET
-2,311
-2,311

 

From your Treasurer

 

The check request deadline has changed. Please submit check requests for payments by Mondays at noon.  Checks will be ready for mailing or pick-up on Fridays. Thank you. 

 

-Susie O'Bryant, Treasurer

 


Children and Youth Ministry Update
 
Our Children and Youth Ministry Committee (formerly called "Education") has been hard at work taking stock of this ministry area. We have been considering the "why" of what we do: the deepest reasons that ministries with children and youth are important to parents, teachers, kids, and the church as a whole. We have explored this in our committee; with our Sunday School teachers; and with parents and others who are interested (join us Sunday, March 8th at 6pm in Grace Cafe if you are interested in sharing your thoughts). 

With this sense of purpose firmly in mind, we are then looking at "how" we accomplish this "why:" the role of particular components of our ministries, such as Godly Play, Youth Group, Vacation Bible Camp, etc. 

Finally, with this big-picture sense of our ministries with children and youth, the committee will work to identify what the particular role of paid staff is - relative to the significant roles of volunteers. Then the committee will work with the Staff-Parish Relations Committee to express the role of paid staff in the form of an updated job description, and will then advertise the job opening. 

In the meantime, Godly Play Sunday school, Children's choir, and Youth Group continue on with a wonderful team of volunteer leadership during this time of transition. Thanks be to God for all the helping hands!

Pathway Update
 
"Pathway" is the name DUMC has adopted for what is now a multi-year process of examining the life of this church and identifying, well, paths, to carry us into the church's future. 

Three "theme teams" are currently doing their work. The "themes" emerged as significant emphases from the 116 responses collected in congregational interviews last spring. The work of the theme teams is to identify and carry out experiments - brief, simple activities that connect to the theme - and then practice deep reflection that helps us learn from each experiment and discern a next step - a next experiment. 

One goal of the current process is to slowly and steadily explore how important themes in the life of this church are reflected in practice. But an even stronger goal is to learn to practice experiments and discernment as an approach to congregational life. Discernment happens as we practice reflection: asking what we are learning, where we find energy, and what we experience as life-giving in our ministry experiments. This helps us identify where God is leading us. This process of experiments and discernment can serve the entire congregation well as we learn it and practice it in multiple ministry areas. 

Each theme team is continually open to new participants. In particular the development and implementation of each new experiment is an excellent time for YOU to get involved in an area of interest. Since experiments are intended to be brief, participation can ebb and flow as experiments unfold and evolve.

The "hospitality" theme is responsible for increasing the use of name tags in worship! This was their first experiment, and we learned that using name tags helps people feel more confident in starting a conversation, and decreases the embarrassment of people who struggle to remember names. (If you don't have a nametag, call Anna in the church office and she will add you to our next order.)

The hospitality theme team's second experiment is to have one conversation each week for four weeks with someone new, or someone you don't know well. Team members have also invited others to share in this experiment. All are invited to the next meeting, Sunday March 8th at 2:00 to reflect on this experiment and develop a next experiment. 

The "small groups" theme team has decided to focus initially on supporting parents of young children by sponsoring a gathering to learn about the needs of this segment of our congregation. Specific plans for this gathering are under development. 

The "caring for children in need" theme team draws upon DUMC's heart for social justice, and has organized six DUMC volunteers to read to low-performing elementary school students. This project has been quite rewarding for those who have signed on to read. It is longer in scope than the recommended structure for an "experiment," so this team is continuing to incorporate the practices of learning and discernment into their project, and are also beginning to consider a second experiment. 

The ongoing Pathway work continues to be steered by the Guiding Team, whose responsibility it is to continue to learn and practice and lead this model of experiment and discernment, and to help each Theme Team practice these methods.

As we look ahead, we will continue to explore questions such as: when, how, or why might we add themes to this process? (Many other themes were identified in the interview data; the three listed above were simply identified as places to start.) How can we apply the practices of experimentation, learning, and discernment to the ministry areas of our church? 

If you are interested in this process and where it might go as it continually evolves, you might like to actually read the interview data - the results of the interviews. All those responses have been compiled and are available to anyone, and they are quite inspiring to read. Paper copies are available in the "Pathway" box with staff and volunteer mailboxes (toward the bottom). You can email Anna in the church office to ask for an electronic copy. 

As always, if you are interested in getting involved or if you have questions, feel free to contact any member of the Guiding Team:
Janice Morand, Louanne Horsfield, Kristin Thebaud, John Knight, Jerry Olson, Margot Clark, and Pastor Kelly Love. 


 
Historical Notes: Shrove Tuesday
By Kathy Schinski, DUMC Historian
pancakes

As I write this, I am awaiting the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner hosted by the United Methodist Men in preparation for the current Lenten Season. Since I have previously written about the history and traditions of Lent, I decided to write about Shrove Tuesday this time.

 

Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. It can be anytime from Feb. 3rd to Mar. 9th depending upon when Easter occurs. The word Shrove comes from "shrive," which means to confess, so it is sort of an announcement of the Lenten season of fasting and reflection to come. Conversely, since it is the last day before Lent it is associated with festivals and feasting, particularly on pancakes.

 

It began during the Middle Ages. Because rich foods like eggs, flour, fats, sugar, milk, and meat were restricted during Lent, dishes like pancakes and meats were served on Shrove Tuesday so those foods wouldn't go to waste. There are names for this day in many languages and most of them refer to the final eating of these foods for awhile. Early on, it was a multiple day occasion, and some events like Mardi Gras or Carnival continue that tradition.

 

Pancakes are eaten on most Shrove Tuesdays especially in European and American countries, but other foods are symbolic too. In several places pea soup is consumed. In Sweden the traditional food is an almond pastry called semla. In Portugal, and carried over into Hawaii, dating back to sugar plantations of the 1800's, a sugary pastry called malasada is eaten and marks the name of the day as well.


 
A variety of activities occur on Shrove Tuesday in different world regions. Mardi Gras and Carnivals are the most well known.  In many places of Europe, pancake races, family games,Trick-or-Treat type activity and sledding are the tradition, sometimes dating back to the 1400's. For a peasant view of what this day may have looked like in its beginnings, check out the 1559 painting by Pieter Bruegel The Elder, titled "The Fight Between Carnival and Lent." Another view can be seen in the Russian artist Boris Kustodiev's 1916 painting called "Shrovetide."

 

Sources>(1.Wikipedia...2."What Is Shrove Tuesday?"www,sharefaith.com) 

 


 
SPRC's "Meet the Staff":

Anna Wisehart

 

Our Staff Parish Relations Committee thinks that the congregation would benefit from knowing our staff better.  We begin, then, an occasional series of articles about our staff.  We start with information about Anna Wisehart, our Administrative Assistant/Office Manager.  Here's all her news that's fit to print.

 

Anna grew up in Sonora, a small town in the Sierra foothills where her parents had moved when her father became employed as a civil engineer for the Forest Service.  After high school Anna wanted to go to an elite university in a larger, but not too large, city, so she came to UC Davis.  She majored in Biological Science with a specialization in the Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior track.  Why?  She found the workings of the human body, in particular the mind, to be fascinating, and loved learning as much as she could about the subject. She considered going into medicine or research, but decided that she wasn't ready to commit to that much schooling. Instead, she opted for internships assisting in classes at Davis High with the idea of becoming a teacher in mind.  She also played tenor saxophone in the UCD Marching Band, where she met her husband Michael Baldwin.  She started attending Davis UMC in 2003.


 
After graduating, Anna obtained a teaching certificate and taught high school biology for 5 years in Fairfield and 1 year in Woodland.  She loved instruction, but hated grading, classroom management, and school politics, so after 6 years she "retired". While she contemplated future directions she supported herself through substitute teaching.  On a whim, she took a massage therapy class, enjoyed it, and decided to get her massage therapy certificate. She now works part-time as a massage therapist in addition to her part-time work at Davis UMC.  Her ultimate career plans are still undecided, but she enjoys where she's at now.


 
Anna's husband Michael is a civil engineer at the State Department of Water Resources.  They don't have any human children but do have a canine "son" - a 10 year old mixed breed rescue named Pippin.  The three of them live in north, north Davis (i.e. the Springlake area of Woodland).  Anna and Mike still get together with Marching Band friends and sometimes play local gigs with Band-Uh! alumni.  They also share an interest in home brewing, camping/backpacking, and karate.  In regards to the latter activity, Michael is a 3rd degree black belt while Anna is working toward her 1st degree black belt, which she hopes to test for this fall.  Knowing this, you should always approach her respectfully;)  That's easy given her big smile and cheerfulness.  We're lucky to have Anna in the front office!

 


Want to Organize a Rivercats Night for DUMC and "Imagine No Malaria"?
 

On Friday, May 1st the Sacramento River Cats and Sacramento area United Methodist Churches will be teaming up to dedicate this game night

for World Malaria Day! This night will be focused on raising awareness and

funds for "Imagine No Malaria" with the help of United Methodists and the Sacramento community. Fundraising to stop malaria is as easy as buying a ticket and watching the River Cats play ball!

 

The World Malaria Day flyers have all the details, including game information and ticketing options, with a portion of 

INMevery ticket bought supporting "Imagine No Malaria." "Imagine No Malaria" will be promoted throughout the ballpark during the game in a variety of ways and announcements. It doesn't just stop with United Methodist Churches, anyone is welcome to help with this cause!

If this seems like an event that your family or small group would like to attend, fill out the flyer linked in the previous paragraph and mail it to:

 

Alex Harbowy

400 Ballpark Drive

West Sacramento, CA 95691

 

 

Caring Congregation

Ways we can support one another

 

Meals Ministry

Need help with meals while recovering from surgery, illness, or loss of a loved one?  Know someone else who does? Or, are you willing to be called upon to provide a meal during times of need?  If so, contact Helen Roland at [email protected] to request meals or to be added to the list of cooks. 

 

Prayer Chain

Do you love to pray? Particularly to pray for the concerns of others? If you are a person who prays, you can serve your church community by joining our prayer chain. It is often a great comfort to know people are praying for us or our loved ones or the cares of our world. Prayer chain participants are committed to praying for those in need. To join the prayer chain, contact coordinator Courtney Diedesch at [email protected]

 

Do you need to be prayed for? Or would you like to request prayers for someone you care about? Our prayer chain is a group of folks who are committed to praying for any need brought to their attention. To request prayers for yourself, or someone you care about, or a concern that is on your heart, contact coordinator Courtney Diedesch at 

 

Transportation Connection

We need more people willing to drive!!!!! PLEASE let us know if Gail can call you to ask for rides for church members.

As a church community we are called to take care of one another. If you need a ride to worship services and/or events, or if you can provide transportation, contact Gail Mitchell, our Transportation Connection coordinator. Gail can be contacted by phone at 530-574-1176 or by email at [email protected].


 


Volunteers Needed to Create New Photo Directory

It has been about 3 years since DUMC updated the photo directory, which means that it is most likely time to do so again.  Rather than go with a photo company as has been done in the past, it has been suggested that Anna create a photo directory using the membership database and personal photos that the congregation sends in to her. This project will require a volunteer (or group of volunteers) to initiate and organize.  If this sounds like something you would be willing to do, please let Anna know by calling or emailing her.
 

"Little Jobs" 
a little corner of your monthly newsletter
  There are so many ways to help support the ministries of your church, and some of them are quite small in scope! 
  • Typing. There are often little things around the office that need typing - hand-written notes from meetings or brainstorms, short poems or articles that we want in the computer in order to edit - things like that. Let us know if you'd be willing to have us call you when we simply need something typed.
  • Reading. Many of our ministry areas have interesting resources available - sometimes more than current volunteers have time to read. If you like to read and might be willing to read and summarize information related to some ministry area in the church, let us know! Let us know whether your interest and time limit you to articles (for example) or whether you might be willing to take on a book.
  • Phone calls. Phone calls are often the most effective way to convey information, but they take more time than a group email. Would you be willing to receive a list of people to call and some brief, simple information to convey (e.g. a meeting reminder)? This would be an enormous help!

To express your interest in being called upon for any of these "little jobs," call the church office and Anna will take your name and connect you to the right people. Want to know more about how you might find your volunteer niche at Davis UMC? Let Anna know, and she will have a member of our Nominating Committee contact you to find out more about your interests. 

 
 
Invitation to United Methodist Women/Men (ongoing)

 

United Methodist Women

The Davis UMW will meet at noon in the Fellowship Hall for luncheon and World Thank program on Thursday, March 9th.  Members are to bring the little blue world bank boxes in which we have collected coins throughout the year for this offering.  Special guests will be Angelina Haulcy and her daughters.  Angelina will be graduating the day before from Women's Empowerment eight week program and will talk about her experience.  All women are welcome.

 

UMW meets monthly on the third Thursday of the month. Guests and new members are welcome. For more information, contact President Alice Lakin at 759-9978 or Vice President Rosa Washington-Olson at 753-2088.

 

 

The United Methodist Men

UMM will continue to meet weekly on Wednesdays from 7 - 8 am. Come join us for breakfast and fellowship at Black Bear Restaurant, 2nd & B Sts. Contact Jerry Beaman (753-4555) if you have questions or would like more information.

 

 

March Birthdays and Anniversaries

 

 

Birthdays

3/01  Dick Loren

3/04  Judy Dowell

3/05  Jeff Hudson

3/05  Mary Anne Ingenthron

3/05  Joyce De La Martre

3/11  MarLyn Mainard

3/17  Patti Nelson

3/26  Lisa Papagni

 

 



Anniversaries

3/01  Zora and Jim Fowler 

3/04  Jan and Bill Powell

3/04  Terri Wegener and Bob Fretwell

3/19  Ann Dillner and Cort Anastasio

3/19  Kelly Love and Katie Tenerelli

3/23  Brian and Louanne Horsfield

 

 

If we don't have your birthday or anniversary please let us know.  

 

 

For Your Information 

The deadline for the monthly Crossection newsletter is the 20th of the previous month. Submissions may be edited for clarity, accuracy, or length. 
 
Need A Church Directory?
Email or call Anna in the church office ([email protected]; 756-2170) and she can provide you with an electronic or paper copy of the most up-to-date church directory.

 
Quick Links for more information:

 

Davis UMC website

Davis UMC church calendar
 
Archive of past Crossection newsletters and weekly email news
 

 

 

Contact Information
Phone: 530-756-2170
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