Our keynote speaker at Annual Conference, the Rev. Alexia Salvatierra, raised that question, and proposed an alternative question: is the church relevant to Jesus?

She isn't the first to say that - I've heard that before. It may even be becoming a bit cliche. However, I do think it's a good question. Whatever happens with the church as an institution in the 21st century, if we are doing ministry that is relevant to God then we are on the right track.

We know God as a God who loves justice and who loves all people without "partiality" (Acts 10:34). I can't think of anything more relevant to such a God in 2015 than racism. Over and over I find myself in conversation with some of you, or overhear others' conversations, asking what we as a church community can do to make a difference? How can we be actively anti-racist? How can we work for justice in this area, as we work for justice in other areas? If this is dear to your heart, too, I encourage you to let me know, or let folks in our Church and Society ministry team know, or attend the adult contemporary issues Forum in July as they discuss The New Jim Crow (schedule below).

One small, simple way to make a difference is to donate toward rebuilding the black churches that have been burned in the South in recent weeks: https://cccathedralstl.dntly.com/campaign/2571#/

I am grateful to serve a church that has such a passion for justice. Together, we will continue to turn this passion into small and sometimes even large acts that make a difference.

See you in church!

In Faith,

p.s. For those of you on summer vacation, the June 28 sermon and service tried to hold together the joy of the Supreme Court's decision on same-sex marriage with the pain of the shooting deaths at Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC. This is the context in which we live and practice our faith!

July 19th Special Offering: Aid to Africa

This month's special offering will benefit three projects in Africa: Africa University, Fairfield Children's Homes in Zimbabwe, and Ganta Hospital in Liberia.

Larry and Jane Kies are UMC missionaries in Zimbabwe. The Kies attended our church while studying at UCD, and our church has had a covenant relationship with them for many years. Larry is currently serving as Technical Advisor to the Africa University Farm at Mutare and Jane is teaching English at Africa University to students from non-English-speaking countries. Africa University is a Methodist-affiliated, Pan-African university with more than 1,200 students from 22 African countries.

Fairfield Children's Homes, also located near Mutare, provides love and care for approximately 80 abandoned and orphaned children. The original orphanage was built on land donated by the UMC and this project receives both volunteer and financial support from UM churches around the world.

Ganta Hospital in Liberia also has a local connection as UMC missionary Victor Taryor, who until recently was hospital administrator, spent time in Davis as well. Before the establishment of Ganta Hospital in 1926, this rural area had no medical services at all. In addition to providing health services to over 30,000 people in Liberia, Guinea, and Ivory Coast, the hospital reaches out to implement safe water and sanitation projects. The hospital also trains nurses and birth attendants to serve a wide area of rural villages. Ganta rode out the Ebola outbreak in Liberia and treated several patients with the disease. Now that Victor's service at Ganta has ended, we will follow his recommendation in supporting Dr. Albert Willicor, who serves as Chief Medical Officer at Ganta, through his special UMCOR advance.

Please support these important projects.

Adult Sunday School Classes in July

Sunday mornings, 9:45-10:45 am

Adult Bible Study - Rothe Room

July 5th No Rest For The Wicked

July12th No Tolerance for Corrupt Leaders and Prophets

July 19th Justice, Love, and Humility

July 26th God Shows Clemency

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 sdpadgett@sbcglobal.net.

SUMMER BOOK STUDY: THE NEW JIM CROW

Come read with us this summer! Beginning on July 12, Hope Harvey, a 2015 graduate of Long Island University, will lead a series of discussions on The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, by Michelle Alexander. This New York Times bestseller describes how the mass incarceration of black men today continues the racial caste system of pre-Civil War slavery and post-Civil War Jim Crow. It has been hailed by Professor Cornel West, currently of Union Theological Seminary, as "the secular bible for a new social movement....an instant classic because it captures the emerging spirit of our age."

Hope spent her senior year in New York working as an intern at the Drug Policy Alliance and connecting with those deeply entrenched in the New Civil Rights Movement. The study will discuss the content of the book in four sessions and include discussion of ways that we can become more involved in this social justice movement. Please join us, even if you haven't done the reading. (Note: this study will skip July 19. See program schedule below.)

If you have questions or would like help obtaining a copy of the book, please contact Hope at hope.a.harvey@gmail.com or Susan Padgett at sdpadgett@sbcglobal.net.

July 5th: No Forum (Happy July 4th)

July 12th: The New Jim Crow (Introduction and Chapter 1)

July 19th: Spiritual Disciplines: The Making of Ordinary Saints

With Jean Becket and Margot Clark (Davis UMC), Nancy Anderson (St. Martin's), and Diana Kado (DCC)

Several women from Davis traveled to Newbury, Oregon in April to attend a retreat with Nathan and Richard Foster on the practice of spiritual disciplines. Richard Foster is the author of Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. His son, Nathan, has written a companion book, The Making of the Ordinary Saint: My Journey from Frustration to Joy with the Spiritual Disciplines. Please join us for a conversation about the retreat and the importance and practice of "holy habits."

July 26th: The New Jim Crow (Chapters 2 and 3)

From Your Finance Ministry

	MAY ACTUAL	YEAR TO DATE ACTUAL

INCOME	$22,883	$13,0538

EXPENSE	$25,691	$13,0761

NET	$-2,808	$-223

Contribution statements are emailed quarterly.

If you haven't received yours, please contact our Financial Secretaries (Zora Fowler and Rita Mt. Joy) at financial@davisumc.org.

Historical Notes:

Methodist Academic Tradition

By Kathy Schinski, DUMC Historian

In his book "Revival, Faith As Wesley Lived It," which the Wednesday 1:30 Bible group has recently been discussing, Adam Hamilton states that he was drawn to the Methodist Church because of the balance of holiness in both heart and head. He says that it was always a church in which people were encouraged to think, question, and discuss. Since I am writing this around graduation time, I decided to write a short history of this academic tradition begun on an individual scale by John Wesley himself and expanded to over 800 Methodist endorsed colleges and universities world wide.

Hamilton states in this book, that Methodism itself started on a college campus with what could be considered "Campus Ministry" when in 1729, John Wesley led the "Holy Club" begun by his brother Charles at Oxford. Some of the good works performed by this club in the community involved the education of children in poverty. Also, although John Wesley's voyage to the American Colony of Georgia from 1735-37 was mostly deemed a failure, there is a plaque outside the Protestant Episcopal Church in Savannah that claims John Wesley as the founder of Sunday school in America.

1739 was an important year for Methodism and education. After his "Aldersgate" experience, Wesley established 2 chapels. Along with these chapels in the New Room at Bristol and The Foundry in London, came 4-5 teachers to instruct more than 60 pupils. Kingswood, the first actual school founded by John Wesley in 1739, also in Bristol, was set up for the children of coal miners, and later for children of itinerant preachers as well. In 1851 this school was moved to Bath, and it remains one of the finest Public schools in England today!

As Methodism grew world wide, the church continued Wesley's commitment. The church even established one of the earliest accrediting bodies to insure that its educational institutions met acceptable academic standards while still remaining true to Methodist principles.

Today there is an organization called the International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges and Universities (IAMSCU) which represents close to 800 schools world wide. IAMSCU has held conferences since 1991 in China, Brazil, England,Northern Ireland, Australia, Argentina, USA, and Japan, to examine Methodist education from a global perspective. It is easy to see why it has been said that the Methodist Church established a school even before it established a church!

Sources:1.)www.enterhisrest.org/history/bio_john_wesley.pdf "John Wesley" by Maldwyn L. Edwards 2.)"Revival, Life As John Wesley Lived It" by Adam Hamilton 3.)Wikipedia: "John Wesley" 4.)www.iamscu.net

Grace Garden Summer Update

The vegetables are green with flowers and fruit pushing up and out. The squash are already producing, but then they ARE squash. It's nice to see the green and yellow under the leaves, especially since last year they were sickly and a no show. The tomatoes are starting to set. Carrots have been harvested along with strawberries. The new strawberries are big and juicy! The apricots are finished but oh so tasty. Don't ask me how I know. :) The plums are starting and their cousin pluots are right behind. The nectarines and peaches are good sized. Harvest is still a few weeks away for them.

The talk about purchasing new tables for the hoop house is much closer. The ones we have now have seen better days so now we are planning ahead. We hope to have the new tables this fall. The stepping stone path is closer to being done. The compost is cooking in the new bins. Solar powered lights will be coming soon to our sheds. The orchard irrigation will be updated in the next few weeks. Life in the garden is busy. How could it be anything else?

Volunteers are welcomed. The students are gone for the summer. If you have time to come help out a time or two, sign up on the Master Gardener website, email Cid or just come out. Our days and hours are Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays starting at 8am. We usually work for at least a couple of hours. Fridays are harvest only. The harvest needs to be delivered to the Korean Church, 5th & L St, between 11:30 and 12:30pm. Extra help is needed from June 29-July 18 (Cid's vacation).

Have a wonderful summer!

Cid Barcellos

cidbarcellos@sbcglobal.net

Pathway Hospitality Team Needs Your Help!

The "Pathway" Hospitality Team needs your help in gathering Best Practices from other churches. We are collecting ideas on how to make people feel welcome, comfortable and included. This spring and summer, when you go on vacation, if you attend services at other churches, remember to notice things that make you glad you went there! If you pick up ideas that could benefit Davis UMC, write the ideas down. If you see something welcoming in a bulletin or other print material, pick up a copy and circle the item. If you remember something from a church you have attended in the past, send us those ideas, too. Finally, let us know about the actions and practices of Davis UMC members that make you feel welcomed as part of our church community.

You can put ideas and print materials in the "Pathway" mail cubby in the office hallway OR email Janice Morand jxmorand@ucdavis.edu OR call Kathy Schinski (530-756-8893). When you aid us in gathering important information, you help us as we strive to make your Davis UMC experience as positive as possible! Also, we encourage you to continue wearing name tags and meeting new people.

Wednesday 1:30 Bible Study on Hiatus in July

The summer vacation bug has hit. The Wednesday study and prayer group is taking the month of July off - so no meetings in July on Wednesdays, 1:30-3 pm. (The 4pm Bible study will continue.)

We will come together again on August 5, to resume study of the last half of Rev. Adam Hamilton's book on John Wesley, Revival. Anyone is welcome to join in to enjoy inspirational reading, lively discussions, and meaningful prayer!

Contact Louanne Horsfield, 759-9202 or email brainh@aol.com with questions.

DUMC Friday Fun starts July 10th!

Join in Friday Fun. Don't cook. Share fun and laughter.

Friday Fun is a time to share a meal and activity. Events vary each week with those attending the first three weeks deciding what we will do on the final Friday. Participants will bring a single item that requires no cooking. Individuals on restricted diets -bring your meal and share the fun. Sign up for the item you will bring after services on Sunday or by emailing Lorraine Beaman at jlbcareers@sbcglobal.net.

July 10th - Take me out to the Game

Activity: Games. Bring your favorite game. Don't have a favorite game? Come and discover one.

Menu: Picnic food.

Hot dogs (meat and veggie) will be provided along with beverages. Participants can sign up to bring a bag of chips or carrots, ingredients for a green salad, hot dog buns, mustard, catsup, ice cream (we will have root beer floats), or an item of their choice.

July 17th - Who Won't be in Church on Sunday?

Activity: G-rated murder mystery appropriate for ages 8-98 (Alternate activity for children under 8 if parents do not want them to participate in mystery).

Menu: Taco Salad

July 24th - Name That Tune

Activity: Musical activities including a hymn sing and performances by volunteers.

Menu: Potato Bar

July 31st - People's Choice

Activity: to be determined by those attending previous Friday Fun events.

Menu: to be determined by those attending previous Friday Fun events.

Youth Mission Trip Update

At a time when we yearn for opportunities for racial reconciliation, nine teens and three adults are taking action! The youth group is heading for the Mississippi Delta on August 1-8. We will be working to repair homes in one of the nation's poorest sections, an area still suffering the effects of segregation. We are also going to be inspired for all the work that lies ahead for us; we will be visiting key civil rights sites and listening to the heroes who fought-and still fight-for justice.

Our youth are genuinely humbled when they see the long list of 48 church members who have donated funds to make this trip possible. They are preparing thank you cards now, and promise to send an update from the Delta to let you know how your donations are being put to use!

We are so close to reaching our fundraising goal of $11,500. We have raised $9,500 through family and church contributions - and have just $2000 to go! If you would like to contribute, or add more to your previous contribution, you can: 1) add a check to the donation plate and put "Youth Mission Trip" in the memo line, or 2) mail or drop off your check to the church office (1620 Anderson Rd., Davis, CA 95616).

We look forward to sharing our trip with you in a church service when we return.

Kelly Wilkerson, Youth Group Leader

Chuck Young & Rita Lundin, Chaperones

AND OUR TEENS: John Campi, Emma Finklang & Mitch Finklang, Brandon & Ricky Pacciorini, Colin Ruan, Carolina Sturla, Laura & Sophia Young

2015 United Methodist Men's Retreat

Friday, August 21 - Sunday, August 23

King's Beach United Methodist Church

(On Lake Tahoe's North Shore)

The United Methodist Men's Group will again host the church's annual men's retreat. It is an informal gathering mostly intended to give the men of the church a chance to get to know one another better. Any man associated with the church is welcome to attend.

There will be ample free time for talking, walking, napping, reading, singing, beach combing or just sitting around. We will have a sign up table after services beginning in mid-July. Come join the fun. For more information, contact Jerry Beaman at 753-4555 or Jerry Olson at 753-2088.

Caring Congregation

Ways we can support one another

Meals Ministry

What is the meals ministry?

When a family member is ill, hospitalized or grieving, not having to worry about meals can be a great blessing. So, church members often make meals for individuals or families as a way of caring for members of our church family.

How do I request meals for my family or myself?

Call or email the church office during the week or call or email Helen Roland (756-3973 or hroland2@gmail.com)

How can I get involved in the meals ministry?

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A GOURMET COOK.

Let Helen know you're interested in being on her list of potential caregivers. When a church member or family needs meals, Helen will contact you. She'll let you know who needs food and any dietary concerns. If you can provide a meal, that's great. If you are unable, no problem - Helen will contact you another time. You should know that you don't always have to provide a home cooked meal; you can purchase precooked meals. Most of the grocery stores in town have delis with delicious options.

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 courtney_ed@yahoo.com.

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 (or something) you care about, contact coordinator Courtney Diedesch at courtney_ed@yahoo.com

Transportation Ministry

Love to drive? Interested in helping others reach a destination? The DUMC Transportation Ministry is looking for additional drivers to help transport members of our congregation. Some folks simply need a single ride to a doctor's appointment while others would like rides to church. If you are able to help out on either an occasional or a more consistent basis, then y our help would be greatly appreciated. You're able to set your own limits (for example, only drive within Davis, only drive on Tuesdays, or only one Sunday a month). If you're interested, please contact Celeste Cron, our new Transportation Coordinator, at cmaiacron@aol.com or 304-5534. Thank you for sharing the road!

Need a ride? Contact our transportation coordinator, Celeste Cron at cmaiacron@aol.com or 304-5534, to see if she can set you up with a ride from our list of drivers.

Altar Decoration Sign-up

The Worship Arts Committee is in need of more people to sign up to bring

flowers or other decorations for the altar. There are two easy ways to sign up: 1) online or 2) by calling the church office at 756-2170.

Do you like flowers but you're not the artsy type? If you would like to sponsor a flower arrangement for any amount of money contact Joyce Smuda about getting matched up with a volunteer arranger.

"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

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.

July Birthdays and Anniversaries

Birthdays

7/03 John Knight

7/04 Margaret Wisehart

7/06 Gail Mitchell

7/07 Jean Becket

7/07 Eli Papagni

7/07 Michael Papagni

7/07 Carolina Sturla

7/08 Zoe Hull

7/09 Ann Dillner

7/09 Kelly Wilkerson

7/10 Cid Barcellos

7/10 Stan Johnson

7/13 Mike Cawley

7/22 Derry Ann Moritz

7/23 Lorraine Beaman

7/23 Mary Jean Burke

7/23 Kristin Thebaud

7/24 Louanne Horsfield

7/25 Roland McCoy

7/25 Kay Singleton

7/28 Julise Johanson

Anniversaries

7/02 Courtney and Josh Diedesch

7/10 Beth and Josh Hull

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 (davisumc@davisumc.org; 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
Church office

davisumc@davisumc.org

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