Open hearts Open minds Open doors The People of the United Methodist Church Faith United Methodist Church 8640 North 19th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85021 KOINONIA Monthly Newsletter from Faith United Methodist Church 8640 North 19th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85021 Office Hours Tuesday - Friday 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Phone (602) 943-3465 FAX (602) 682-5780 Email [email protected][email protected]Web faithumcphoenix.org Members of Faith UMC: Volunteers of Time, Talent, Prayers, Gifts, Service and Witness. Robert T. Hoshibata Resident Bishop Neil Leftwich District Superintendent Jody Topping Pastor Michael German Secretary Francine Martyn Organist David Topping Choir Director Virginia FitzPatrick Treasurer Jane Kriege Financial Secretary Michael German Media Tech David Topping Webmaster Esther Frank, Shane Taber Newsletter Editors The Koinonia is a monthly publication from Faith United Methodist Church. Its purpose is to provide items of interest and information about events and people related to the ministry of the church locally, district-wide and in the conference.
12
Embed
Open hearts Faith United Methodist Church Open minds ô ò ð ......Nov 02, 2015 · ô ò ð ì North õth Avenue Phone: ò ì î õ ð ï Phoenix, AZ ñ ì î í- ï ð ò ñ November
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Upcoming Sermons During the month of November, we will combine the last three installments of our Seven
Habits of Effective Christians series with our Stewardship Campaign, called Faith in our
Future. We will focus on the habits of Servanthood (using our spiritual gifts to the glory of
God), Generosity (making financial commitments and following through on those commitments
to accomplish the work God has called us to do), and Thankfulness (offering our gratitude to
God for the many blessings God has given us).
Then, on November 27, we will launch into the Season of Advent...and a new sermon series
called The Gifts of Christmas, which will culminate with our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
worship services (yes, this year Christmas Day is a Sunday…and we WILL be in worship
together!!). This series, developed by The Skit Guys, is a wonderful series that celebrates the
gifts that Jesus represents in a fun and exciting new way using videos and drama.
On Christmas Eve we will celebrate The Gift of Jesus with a candlelight worship service. And
who knows…maybe there will even be a skit by our Not-Quite-Ready-For-Prime-Time-Players!!
The service on Christmas Eve will begin at 7:00pm.
On Christmas Day, our “Come As You Are” worship will begin at 10:00 am (instead of 9:30)
and we will celebrate our gifts through a Blessing of the Toys and Gifts, as well as a special
message called The Greatest Gift of All. Kids and grown-ups alike are encouraged to dress
casually (PJs are allowed!!) and bring their favorite toy or gift that they received on Christmas
morning.
We know you won’t want to miss the fun of Advent and Christmas this year! We hope you
will plan to attend all of the worship services during Advent…and invite your friends and family
to join you!!
Seven Habits of Effective Christians
November 6 – Servanthood (All Saints Sunday, Holy
Communion)
November 13 – Generosity
November 20 – Thankfulness (Consecration of our Commitments)
The Gifts of Christmas
November 27 – The Gift of Expectancy
December 4 – The Gift of Grace (Holy Communion)
December 11 – The Gift of Reconciliation
December 18 – The Gift of Adoption
December 24 – The Gift of Jesus (Christmas Eve, Candlelight Communion Service)
December 25 – The Greatest Gift of All (Christmas Day, 10am Worship, “Come-As-You-
Are!”)
November 2016—Page 5
Have you ever participated in a “Secret
Santa” gift exchange?? I did a few times many
years ago. It was so much fun to receive a gift
from someone else without knowing who it was
from, then trying to guess the identity of my
“Secret Santa,” only to be surprised to find out
it wasn’t who I expected at all! But what was
even more fun was secretly giving a gift to
someone else, and watching them try to guess
my identity!
This year, in conjunction with our Gifts
of Christmas Advent Series, your Neighbor-
hood Outreach Team here at Faith UMC are
sponsoring our own Secret Santa gift exchange!
We’re calling it our Faithful Friends “Gifts of
Christmas” Gift Exchange, which we know is
a lot longer than “Secret Santa”…oh well!
Here’s how it’s going to work:
On November 27 – the first Sunday in
Advent – at the beginning of worship, those
wishing to participate as receivers of gifts will
fill out a slip of paper with their name and ad-
dress.
Couples may participate together or sepa-
rately - your choice.
The office will also include slips for our
members who are homebound.
At the end of worship on that same day,
those wishing to participate as givers of gifts
will choose a slip (or two) out of the basket.
They will become that individual (or individuals)
“Faithful Friend” (aka “Secret Santa”).
Then, each week during Advent, begin-
ning with the week of November 27, the givers
will secretly take gifts to their receiver. You may
deliver your gifts any day during that week…
just remember, by participating, you’re making
a commitment to deliver a total of four (4) gifts
during the entire season of Advent.
The Neighborhood Outreach Team recom-
mends that the cost or value of each of your
gifts not exceed $5, but ultimately what you
give is up to you.
The gifts you deliver may be serious or
humorous, but we encourage you to “keep it
clean” and not deliver any gifts that might of-
fend the receiver.
We also suggest (but it’s not a require-
ment) that your gifts go along with the Advent
Series Sermon themes listed below.
Remember…if you’re a gift giver, the idea
is to keep your identity a secret until you give
the last gift…then you can share with your gift
receiver who their “Faithful Friend” was!!
We hope this will be a fun way for us all to
celebrate The Gifts of Christmas and we also
hope everyone will participate as both givers
and receivers of gifts!! Watch for more infor-
mation in the Sunday Morning Worship Bulletin
or talk to Pastor Jody or any of your Neighbor-
hood Outreach Team Members if you have
questions.
The Gifts of Christmas Sermon Themes
November 27 – The Gift of Expectancy – The weeks before Christmas are filled with ex-citement as we look forward to the gifts we will receive and try to guess what they will be. As Faithful Friends Gift Givers, we are doing the opposite: we’re trying to guess what our Gift Receivers might be expecting or enjoy. So think about your Gift Receiver…what do you think he (or she, or they) would like to find on their doorstep this week? What would they need or want?
December 4 – The Gift of Grace – The
Christmas season reminds that as believers in
Christ as the long-awaited Messiah, we have
already received God’s wonderful gift of Grace.
Faithful Friends “Gifts of Christmas”
Gift Exchange
November 2016—Page 6
And that Grace is a byproduct of God’s ever-
lasting love for us. How might you remind your
Gift Receivers that they are the recipients of
God’s Grace? What gift will remind them that
God loves them, no matter what?
December 11 – The Gift of Reconciliation –
Isn’t it amazing how the birth of a
baby can bring people together?
Too often families have been torn
apart by disagreement or hurt feel-
ings. But the coming of Christ re-
minds us that as members of
God’s family, we are meant to be
reconciled with God and with each
other. Our relationships are meant
to be restored. So, what can you
give your Gift Receiver that will remind them of
their relationship with God and/or their family,
including their church family?
December 18 – The Gift of Adoption – The
birth of Jesus reminds us that we are all mem-
bers of the household of God…or to quote the
rock ‘n roll group Sister Sledge, “We Are Fami-
ly!” God chose us, just as a family chooses to
adopt a child, and because we were chosen,
we know we are loved. What gift might you
give to remind your Gift Receiver that as fol-
lowers of Jesus, we are all chosen by God, and
as such, we are all brothers and/or sisters to-
gether??
December 24 – The Gift of Jesus –
If you’ve ever held a newborn baby,
you know how small they are. Their
tiny fingers and toes barely have
nails, and it’s hard to imagine their
little legs will eventually hold them
upright so they can walk and run.
But even though the baby Jesus was
small in comparison to earthly par-
ents Mary and Joseph, the things he
did made an impact on the world. What small
gift can you give that will remind your Gift Re-
ceiver that even though at times they may feel
small, the things they do in life can make a dif-
ference?
Keep in mind: these are only ideas to get
your creative juices flowing!! Have fun as you
share your Gifts of Christmas with others in our
church family!!
Dear Faith UMC Members and Friends, This is a gentle reminder that Faith United Methodist Church is once again asking you par-ticipate in the 2016 Christmas Food Box Mis-sion Project this December for needy families in our community. This is a local mission pro-gram that Faith UMC proudly has done for dec-ades. These food boxes will be filled and boxed as a fun-filled group activity on Saturday, December 10, 2016. at 10 AM. If you are able to help pack food boxes, please save that date on your calendar! FUMC 2016 Christmas Food Box List
Completed food boxes need to be re-turned to FUMC by December 11, 2016.
5 14oz or 16oz canned vegetables 1 26oz pasta/spaghetti sauce 2 8oz cans tomato sauce 3 10oz canned soups and/or dry soap mix 1 14.5 oz can of chicken brot 3 15oz or 16oz canned fruits
2 5oz cans tuna 1 12 - 16 oz can of chicken 1 2 oz – 15oz canned meat or ham 1 6oz Jell-O or 2 3oz boxes 1 16oz – 18oz jam or jelly 1 16oz – 18oz peanut butter 1 1 6oz pasta product 1 12-16 oz pack of egg noodles 1 1 or 2 lbs white rice 1 1 or 2 lbs pinto beans 1 12oz – 18oz box dry cereal 2 7oz boxes Macaroni and Cheese 1 13.75oz box instant mashed potatoes 1 Bar of hand soap 1 Small box or liquid laundry detergent 1 3 or 4 rolls toilet tissue
Optional: Pasta products, spaghetti sauce, extra canned fruit or vegetables or beans, rice, extra soups, pinto beans, macaroni & cheese, complete cookie, muffin or biscuit mix, cookies or hard can-dy, hot chocolate mix, stuffing mix, fruit juice, Ra-man noodles, tea or coffee, baby food, personal care items, toothpaste & brush
November 2016—Page 7
Sunday Post-Service Discussion and Women’s Bible Study Opportunities Looking for opportunities to dig a little deeper after Pastor Jody’s sermons? Both groups meet
from 11:15 AM in Room 4. On November 13 and 20, Karen Clark will be leading very stimulating
discussions centered around the theme of HOPE: Honest Open Perspective Exchange. On Novem-
ber 27, the 4th Sunday Women’s Bible Study (4SWBS), lead by Shane Taber, will meet to discuss a
selected devotional from The Upper Room. Please freely join one or both hour-long small
groups!
To My Faith Family,
Recently, I was working on our mobile crisis team and I met with a
man who was at a point in his life where he just wanted to "give up”. As
we met with him and listened to his story, I silently prayed that God would
give me the right words and insight about how to best help him.
During our conversation, I learned that he had had a kidney transplant
and that his prescriptions for the transplant were not working. I heard that he was supposed to go
to dialysis regularly but had trouble attending. He told us he had also had a recent stroke and had
trouble doing the things he once did earlier in his life. I boldly asked him this question, "Your life
seems pretty challenging. What brings you joy?" He smiled and told us how important his wife and
children were to him.
Thankfully, this man was willing to seek medical treatment and get some services that would
help him re-focus on his life to perhaps make some different decisions about his medical treat-
ment.
There are a few lessons I learned through our conversation and his willingness to let a com-
plete stranger know all about him. First, we can and should pray that we can have an open heart
to hear others’ stories. We also need to be willing to be bold enough to ask the tough questions to
help others understand their importance and the love that Christ has for them. Finally, we are
called to be willing to go the extra mile and be present in another’s time of pain.
It's an exciting and refreshing calling that we have as God's children to bring a touch of mercy
to our world. We are called by God into a life and a world that is challenging at times. However,
the grace and transformation we experience in our own lives can be extended to those along our
path who are struggling.
As we approach Thanksgiving, I must share that I am thankful of the many things that our
church does to be that foretaste of heaven to those in our midst who need to hear the great news
of Jesus Christ in their lives.
Joshua’s Journey
On October 30th, Joshua Warner,
FUMC seminary intern, delivered his
commissioning sermon, “The Mes-
sage: 7 Habits of Effective Chris-
tians: Vison. Well done, Joshua!
November 2016—Page 8
This year’s Stewardship Campaign is
called Faith in the Future. As people of faith,
worshiping at a church called “Faith,” it only
seemed appropriate for us to focus on our
faith as we look to the future of our church
and our world as believers in Christ. By now
you should have received a letter from me in-
troducing our Stewardship Campaign and ask-
ing you to consider your commitments for the
coming year. This letter is the first of three (3)
you will receive during this campaign.
This past year has been a challenging one,
but it has also propelled us into a new future
with a great deal of hope. The light rail con-
struction is finally over
and the trains are run-
ning regularly up and
down 19th Avenue…for
better or for worse. We
completed many con-
struction projects that
have made our church
campus more safe and
secure…but we still have
much to do to make it
more beautiful and attractive, especially to our
first-time guests. We have added new minis-
tries to our already busy schedule, particularly
considering the new 19 North Neighborhood
Initiative, which promises to bring new life to
our community…and as partners in this effort,
we can expect to be asked to participate in
some new ventures, like the School Break
Food Box project we participated in just a few
months ago. The coming year is bound to be
exciting! Never a dull moment at Faith UMC!
But along with new projects, initiatives,
and ministries comes a need for additional re-
sources – human as well as financial. So, this
year, we are asking everyone to prayer-
fully consider how they can step up to
meet the needs of our growing congre-
gation and our evolving community.
We are asking all of you to make a com-
mitment – not a pledge – and that commit-
ment will involve your time and talent, as well
as a portion of your financial resources. We
know God has blessed every one of you with
abundant gifts that are meant to be shared,
and we want to give the opportunity to make a
commitment to do just that in the coming
year.
Do you possess the gift of music but
haven’t shared that gift in the context of
worship? Well, maybe this is your year to
share your voice in the choir or share your mu-
sical talent in other ways.
Do you possess the
gift of public speak-
ing, but haven’t con-
sidered being a lay
speaker, who is
trained to fill the
pulpit when the pas-
tor is not available?
Well, maybe this is
your year to take the
training so you can
share your gift with others.
Do you possess the gift of working
with children, but haven’t taken the step
to be involved in our children’s ministry?
Well, maybe this is your year to apply to be
one of our Sunday School workers, or volun-
teer for Sidewalk Sunday School.
On November 6 during worship, as we talk
about the habit of Servanthood as one of the
Seven Habits of Effective Christians, we will
ask you to consider the ways you can use the
gifts God has given you so you can serve God
by serving others. We will then ask you to
prayerfully complete your Spiritual Gifts Com-
mitment Form that will be sent to you shortly
thereafter. Now, we know that many of you
will complete those forms by checking off the
Faith in the Future
FUMC Chancel Choir November 2016—Page 9
things you are already doing…and that’s OK.
However, this time we want you to add at
least one new thing…one new way you are
willing and able to share your spiritual gifts
with the church and the community at large.
In addition to sharing your spiritual gifts,
we will also be asking you to make a financial
commitment in support of God’s ministry
through Faith UMC.
As I shared with you last month, our finan-
cial gifts represent two important truths about
our faith in God. First, our financial gifts repre-
sent our trust in God. Whether we give a bibli-
cal tithe (10% of the first fruits of our labors)
or less than a tithe, the simple act of giving to
God before we give our money to other entities
is a spiritual practice that we are called to per-
form. Our first-fruit-gifts are a statement
of our faith that God will provide for us
because of God’s love.
Second, our financial gifts are a necessary
for the church to do the things God has called it
to do and be. Without financial gifts, we cannot
do ministry, we cannot hold worship, we can-
not hold Christian education classes. Without
financial gifts, we cannot pay our bills, or repair
our buildings, or compensate our staff. And
when we give a portion of the financial bless-
ings God has given, we are trusting God to
guide our church leaders to use those gifts in
the best possible way.
Now, I know that for many of you, budgets
are tight and incomes are fixed. Times are
tough for everyone…we get that, and we un-
derstand. But we also know that when we
put our faith in God – when we rely on
God to provide for even our most basic
needs – that God will not only provide,
but will provide for us abundantly!
That is why, on November 13 during wor-
ship we will explore the habit of Generosity as
one of the Seven Habits of Effective Christians.
We will look at the ways God calls us to be
generous, and will ask you to prayerfully
consider your financial commitments for the
coming year by suggesting we all take a step
up and give a little more than we gave this past
year.
Finally, on November 20, we will celebrate
our commitments – both spiritual and financial
– as we talk about Thankfulness, the last ser-
mon in our Seven Habits series. We will conse-
crate our commitment cards – both Spiritual
and Financial – and will ask God’s blessing on
both the givers and the gifts. Then we will con-
tinue our thankfulness celebration with our An-
nual Thanksgiving Dinner, which will be held in
the Koinonia Room about an hour after wor-
ship. We hope you will invite your family and
friends to join us for worship as well as for this
Thanksgiving Dinner event, as it will be a great
time for us to celebrate all the things for which
we are thankful.
Several months ago, I heard John Maxwell,
an expert on leadership, say that “everything
worthwhile is uphill.” I know this is true every
week when I go hiking, especially when the
trail has some steep ups and downs! But what I
think he meant when he said those words was
that anything we do, if it is truly worthwhile,
involves some level of sacrifice on our parts. I
believe we are called to make sacrifices in our
lives, to give of ourselves even when it hurts. I
pray all of us will keep this in mind in the com-
ing weeks as we make our spiritual and finan-
cial gift commitments, and celebrate all of our
many blessings as we approach the season of
Thanksgiving.
God Bless, Pastor Jody
November 2016—Page 10
Connecting with Faith UMC
Website:
faithumcphoenix.org
Videos of Sunday sermons:
faithumcphoenix.org/sermon-videos/ On Facebook
facebook.com/FaithUMCPhoenix
facebook.com/groups/
FaithUMCPhxGroup
Dear Faith UMC friends,
As I shared last
month, I am a United
Methodist clergy in the Cal
-Pac Conference and also
serve as a UMC a mission-
ary with the UMC General
Board of Global Ministries assigned to minis-
tries of church development and community
outreach in Kobe, Japan. I am the assistant
pastor at the Jesus Band Church located at
the Kagawa Center in central Kobe. We serve
a mostly elderly population, many who met
the Rev. Toshihiko Kagawa when they were
young. The church was one of the many
churches founded by the Rev. Kagawa so
there is strong sense of helping the poor
among the church members. I preach once a
month and assist the Japanese woman pastor,
Rev. Kyoko Kamiuchi, with other activities in
the church.
Another program at the Kagawa Center is
getting food to those in need. I pick up food
from the Kansai Food Bank every other week
and either people pick up food at the Kagawa
Center or I deliver it to their homes. Each day
is a bit of heaven on earth as we glimpse
God’s grace in simple acts of serving others. I
am reminded of the Lord’s Prayer “…on earth
as it is in heaven.”
By working with the
poor in the commu-
nity we can bring
about God’s reign
here on earth.
Pastor Jody hold-
ing the 2016 Cal-
endar sent to
FUMC from Pas-
tor Claudia.
Greetings from Kobe, Japan! Pt. 2 by UMC Missionary, the Rev. Claudia Genung
-Yamamoto
The Thanksgiving Bake Sale is
coming November 20th! Before and during the FUMC Thanksgiving
Feast, you can purchase some baked goodies
for your enjoyment during the holiday week.
The bake sale will be held in room 1-2 after
church on November 20. Proceeds will go to-
ward the mission fund.
Folks interested in contributing to the
Thanksgiving Bake Sale should contact either
Carol Getting or Virginia FitzPatrick ahead of
time.
We may have to hold an auction if FUMC’s
Baker Extraordinaire Carol bakes one of her fa-
mous pecan pies!
Baked Goods Galore!
Sidewalk Sunday School FUN!
Koinonia - Page 11
November2016
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 9:00 am Zippers - Rm 1-2 10:00 am Quilters - Rm 4
5:00 pm Grief Group - Lib
10:00 am Study Group - Rm 1-2
7:30 pm Choir Practice-CR
10:00 am Sidewalk SS 12:30 pm Roadrunners - K
2:00 pm Recovery-Rm 1-2
8:30 am Choir-Sanctuary 9:30 am Worship-Sanctuary 10:45 am Coffee Chat - K 11:00 am Handbells - Rm 1-2 1:00 pm Samoan Worship
6:00 pm Quilters - Rm 4 6:00 pm TOPS - Rm 1-2
9:00 am Zippers - Rm 1-2 10:00 am Quilters - Rm 4
10:00 am Study Group -
Rm 1-2
7:30 pm Choir Practice-CR
10:00 am Sidewalk SS
2:00 pm Recovery-Rm 1-2 6:00 pm Bird Club - K
8:30 am Choir-Sanctuary 9:30 am Worship-Sanctuary 10:45 am Coffee Chat - K 11:00 am Handbells - Rm 1-2 11:15 am HOPE - Rm 4 1:00 pm Samoan Worship 1:30 pm Holy Land Tour Info-K
5:00 pm Grief Group - Lib 6:30 pm Church Council -
Rm 4
10:00 am Study Group - Rm 1-2
7:30 pm Choir Practice-CR
11:30 am Lunch Bunch - Village Inn
6:00 pm Movie Night- S
8:00 am UMM Breakfast-K 10:00 am Sidewalk SS
2:00 pm Recovery-Rm 1-2
8:00 am Handbells - Sanctuary 8:30 am Choir-Sanctuary 9:30 am Worship-Sanctuary 11:15 am HOPE - Rm 4 12:00 pm Thanksgiving
Celebration 1:00 pm Samoan Worship
6:00 pm Quilters - Rm 4 6:00 pm TOPS - Rm 1-2
9:00 am Zippers - Rm 1-2 10:00 am Quilters - Rm 4
7:00 pm Neighborhood Outreach - Rm 4
10:00 am Study Group - Rm 1-2
2:00 pm Recovery-Rm 1-2
8:30 am Choir-Sanctuary 9:30 am Worship-Sanctuary 10:45 am Coffee Chat - K 11:00 am Handbells - Rm 1-2 11:15 am 4SWBS - Rm 4 1:00 pm Samoan Worship
6:00 pm Quilters - Rm 4 6:00 pm TOPS - Rm 1-2
9:00 am Zippers - Rm 1-2 10:00 am Quilters - Rm 4
10:00 am Study Group -
Rm 1-2
7:30 pm Choir Practice-CR
Birthdays: 11/02 Judy Boroto 11/07 Kelianne Devlin 11/08 Meg Taber 11/08 Alexandria Flores 11/09 Karen Clark 11/16 Michele Spears 11/17 Dick Holmstad 11/20 Sam Arthur 11/22 Matt Farrow 11/25 Sibyl Masterson 11/26 Barbara Babbitt 11/27 Larry Dodson 11/30 LaVonna Goudie 11/30 Joshua Warner Anniversaries: 11/01 David & Lori Fuchs 11/26 John & Mary Lou Shields