October, 2015
The Crossection
Your Monthly Newsletter From Davis UMC
In This Issue
Adult Sunday School
Special Offering
From Your Finance Ministry
Historical Notes
Grace Garden Monthly Update
2015 Stewardship: Mindful Giving
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Announcements
Quick Links

Need a 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.
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.
Need Prayers?
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
Newsletter Deadline
The deadline for the monthly Crossection newsletter is the 20th of the previous month. Submissions may be edited for clarity, accuracy, or length.
heartA "LOVE" NOTE... (from your pastor)

We kick off worship in the month of October with an emphasis on stewardship - that deep vein of Christian theology that reminds us that God is source of all that is, and that all that we have is entrusted to us by God to be used on God's behalf. This year we will be considering stewardship through the lens of mindfulness, considering both the role of self-awareness and clarity about our own values, and then how we put that awareness and clarity into practice. 

I am particularly pleased to share Margot Clark's thoughtful piece in this newsletter on mindfulness and its connection to stewardship, written on behalf of this year's stewardship team. I hope you will take the time to read it. 

In every church I have served, there have been people who stand out in my mind for their approach to financial stewardship. The people I have in mind are at ease talking to me about their relationship to money in general and their commitment to generosity in particular - not at all in a boastful way, but in a simple, matter-of-fact way. These are people who have somehow internalized the sense that all resources are from God and belong to God, and that we are called to use resources in ways that please God. These people see it as an honor and joy to be able to share their resources for purposes they trust will be pleasing to God. 

I always feel a little bit awed, and certainly humbled, when I as pastor encounter these Christians. So many of us - myself included - struggle with our relationship to money. Instead of feeling at ease, we feel some mix of anxious, awkward - and more. 

I am grateful to hold in my mind - and, truly, in my heart - the picture of these Christians I have known who have been the ones to teach me about living an ethic of stewardship. I hold this picture as a picture of the kind of Christian, steward, and giver, I hope to mature into. I hope that you, too, might have a picture of stewardship that inspires you as this mental picture inspires me. 

See you in church!

In Faith,
Pastor Kelly signature

p.s. Whatever stage of life you are in, whatever your relationship to money is, Financial Peace University can help you make a plan that makes sense! See details under "announcements." 
Adult Sunday School
Meets between services on Sundays
9:45-10:45 pm

Adult Bible Study - Rothe Room

October 4th
The Spirit is Not for Sale
October 11thSaul Earns Credibility
October 18thPeter Takes a Risk
October 25thTrusting the Spirit


Contemporary Issues Form - Walker Room
October 4th: 
Racial Justice and Public Policy
With Libby Sholes, Director of Public Policy for CA Council of Churches and CA Church IMPACT

October 11th:  Special Offering for VIM India Projects
With Mary Philip, Alex Achimore, Mary Ann Ingenthron and the VIM Team
 
October 18th and 25th: Book Study -- Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Discussion led by Carol Holmes

More information on these forums can be found here
October 18th Special Offering: India Projects and VIM Trip Support

Church member Mary Philip has led a number of VIM trips to India and, as a result, our church has developed ongoing relationships with some of the organizations and programs in India that the trips have visited.  Several years ago, our church agreed to sponsor three Indian girls at one of these programs, paying for their schooling and other expenses.  One of the girls is sponsored by the United Methodist Women, another by members of the VIM teams and a third by our whole church.  The first $400 of this month's special offering will go to our support of Harshada, now 14 years old, who is sponsored by the church.  The rest of the offering will be used for the support of other organizations and programs in India with which our VIM team partners.

From Your Finance Ministry

AUGUST ACTUAL
YEAR TO DATE ACTUAL
INCOME
$30,152
$219,658
EXPENSE
$24,210
$209,388
NET
$5,942
$10,270

Historical Notes
By Kathy Schinski, DUMC Historian

"I Was There To Hear Your Borning Cry," hymn number 2051 in "The Faith We Sing," is one of the most popular hymns created in the late 20th century and one we often sing. Michael C. Hawn's article on "The History of Hymns" web page states that many hymns address God from the human perspective, but few address humanity from God's point of view. The spirit of "Borning Cry" is one of a God who loved us from the beginning and continues to love us throughout the seasons of our lives. Read More
 
Grace Garden Monthly Update

Fall is officially here! And the weather says it's so! Finally some cool mornings and warm afternoons. A great time for gardening!

2015 Stewardship: Mindful Giving

The stewardship team has chosen the theme of "Mindful Giving" for the stewardship campaign this year.  Mindfulness can be thought of as systematically paying attention on purpose to one's experience in the present moment. Given the pace of our non-stop 24/7 "connectivity," the stress of living with what seems to be continual time acceleration, and the multitude of pressures life presents, mindfulness meditation is a practice one can adapt to daily life.  Read More

October Birthdays and Anniversaries

Birthdays

10/01
Jake Whittaker
10/02
Jennifer Gildner
10/03
Porter Seguin
10/03
Kristin Stoneking
10/04
Alex Achimore
10/06
Brian Horsfield
10/08
Sara McCarthy
10/09
Mary Philip
10/16Paul Castelfranco
10/22Jared Benham
10/30Paul Grench
10/30Rich Kulmann
  

Anniversaries

10/01
Dave and Sue Woods
10/13Debbie and Mike Williams
10/22Dave Atkinson and Alicia Hoeft
10/26Jennifer Gildner and Lorrie Bortuzzo
10/27Mary Philip and Philip Kurien


Announcements
Want to conserve energy and water, improve your health, save money, and fight climate change easily and painlessly?  You can do it all by eating vegetarian one day each week. Read More

You're invited!  Plan to attend the Annual Indian Dinner and Dessert Auction to benefit the Cal Aggie Christian Association on October 11, 2015.   The event will be held in the Fellowship Hall of Davis Community Church where doors will open at 5:30 and dinner will be served by 6:30. Read More
CA House Indian Dinner
Oct. 11th



All-Church Baby Shower
Nov. 1st
An All-Church BABY SHOWER will be held on Sunday, November 1, in the fellowship hall after the 11 o'clock service.   We are welcoming baby Ian Alexander Thebaud, born to Kristin and Russ on September 18th.

As always we will be presenting them with individual wishes for Ian, as well as simple gifts.

Everyone is invited and encouraged to participate in this important ministry.  If possible, please bring finger food to share. 

Exotic sights, scents, and sounds reign in this fascinating land where Europe and Asia meet. Our small group will travel to parts of Turkey not generally seen by Western tourists. Read More
2016 VIM Trip: Educational Tour of the Black Sea and Northeastern Turkey


Non Violence for Social Change
 
A six-week introduction to Christian non-violence, with a special focus on productive responses to injustice.

Sundays Oct. 11-Nov. 15, 12:15-1:30 in Grace Cafe

We all need a plan for our money:teens, young families, singles, and seniors. Financial Peace University (FPU) is a plan that works. It teaches God's ways of
handling money. Read More
Financial Peace University



Saturday
Oct. 17th 
Save the date for the annual Fall all-church workday!  Actually the work-morning from 9-12.  It will be Saturday, October 17.  No experience necessary.  We can help make the church spiffy for the upcoming holidays.

We are facing the worst refugee crisis since World War II. 60 million people are displaced, the largest number since World War II. This includes over 4 million Syrians who are now refugees seeking safety in countries across the Middle East and Europe. Read More
Want to Help with the Refugee Crisis? Volunteer with Opening Doors, INC!