April 2017

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

office@umcfaithphx.org

pastor@umcfaithphx.org

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/Handbells Director

David Topping Chancel Choir Director

Virginia FitzPatrick Treasurer

Jane Kriege Financial Secretary

Michael German Media Tech

David Topping Webmaster

Shane Taber Newsletter Editor

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.

Oh, thank the Lord, for he’s so good! His loving-kindness is forever.

Psalm 18:1 (The Living Bible)

April 2017—Page 1

Faith United Methodist Church 8640 North 19th Avenue

Phoenix, AZ 85021 Phone: (602) 943-3465

April 2017

In January of this

year, a movie was

released called The

Resurrection of Gavin

Stone. Described as “an

inspirational comedy

a b o u t f a i t h a n d

forgiveness,” it’s the

story about a former

child actor who is forced

to do community service

at a church. While he’s doing his community

service, he “pretends to be a Christian to land

the part of Jesus in their annual Passion Play,

only to discover that the most important role of

his life is far from Hollywood.”

Although I haven’t yet seen the film, I think

I will, because the reviews, believe it or not, are

really quite positive. One reviewer writing for

the publication Christianity Today said about

the film:

…it doesn't take itself or its Christian

subject too seriously. One of the things you'll

notice that is different from some Christian

films is that most of the jokes are actually on

us. In other words, the quirks of Christianity are

intentionally highlighted instead of scorned and

mocked, and they come across as quite funny…

According to the movie’s Facebook page,

one of the themes – actually, the movie’s main

theme – is the phrase “this is what we do.” It’s

repeated by members of the church time and

time again as a way of emphasizing what we

know Christianity is – or at least should be – all

about: offering God’s grace to those around us,

no matter who they are or what they’ve done in

their lives.

As human beings, that’s a hard thing for us

to do. We struggle with accepting people for

who they are. It’s hard for us to accept them as

children of God when they don’t look like us, or

act like us, or are living in different situations

than we are. Take, for example, the way we

deal with the homeless. As a society, we tend

to look past those who are homeless, as if they

are invisible…as if they really don’t matter. But

scripture tells us they do matter, and as people

of God, we are called to treat them with dignity,

respect, and compassion. Consider the

following passages of Scripture:

“Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.” (Proverbs 14:31)

“For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore, I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’” (Deuteronomy 15:11)

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I

was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a

stranger and you welcomed me.”

(Matthew 25:35)

As followers of Christ, we are called to a

higher standard. We are called to offer grace

and compassion. It’s simply what we do.

(Continued on page 2)

April 2017—Page 2

Thinking Theologically

with Pastor Jody

14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” 16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John3:14-16)

During this season of Lent we’ve been fol-

lowing the Revised Common Lectionary sched-

ule of Scriptures. For those who don’t know,

the Lectionary Scriptures are organized accord-

ing to a 3 year schedule, with 4 Scripture read-

ings – 1 from the Old Testament, 1 from the

Psalms, 1 from one of the New Testament Gos-

pels, and 1 from one of the New Testament

Epistles (or Letters) – included any given Sun-

day.*

One of the frustrations I experience as a

preacher when using the Lectionary is that

sometimes the passages are quite long and in-

clude many different themes, which makes it

more of a challenge

when I’m develop-

ing my sermons.

Such was the case

on the Second Sun-

day of Lent, when

the Gospel reading

was John 3:1-17.

This is the story of the encounter between Je-

sus and Nicodemus during which Jesus talks

about the need to be “born again.” During that

conversation, Jesus said to Nicodemus the

words I’ve quoted at the beginning of this arti-

cle…and when most people read this portion of

the passage, they tend to skip over verses 14

and 15, I think, because verse 16 is so familiar

to them. But when they skip over verses 14

and 15, they miss a critical part of Jesus’ mes-

sage – one that makes his statement about

God’s love for the world even more meaning-

ful.

When these two men met, Jesus tried to

explain to Nicodemus that, in order to enter

the kingdom of God, one must be born again.

But this statement only confuses Nicodemus,

because he thinks Jesus is speaking literally,

not figuratively. But instead of saying to Nico-

demus, “look man, don’t take me literally,” Je-

sus instead tries explaining what he means by

referring to a story from the Torah that Nico-

demus would have known and understood as a

teacher and a Pharisee: the story of the Israel-

ites being punished by God with…snakes.

Having made their way out of Egypt, God’s

chosen people are headed toward the Prom-

ised Land, but they aren’t happy campers.

(Continued on page 3)

In the movie, Gavin Stone experiences

resurrection – the act of being restored to life.

Before being sentenced to perform community

service at a church, his life was on a downhill

slide. His career as an actor was all but over,

and his personal life was in shambles. But all

that changes when he encounters authentic

grace offered by the loving and caring

Christians.

As we move into the Easter season, let us

remember that as followers of Christ, we too

have the ability to help those around us feel the

love of Christ and the fellowship of the Holy

Spirit, and in doing so, experience their own

resurrection: their own restoration into a new,

Christ-centered life. By treating others with

dignity and respect, no matter what their

circumstances, they will come to understand

that they are loved, not only by God, but by us

as well.

God bless, Pastor Jody

April 2017—Page 3

Chancel Choir and Handbells Ensemble PRACTICE SCHEDULES

Choir Practice -> Wednesdays @ 7:30— 9 PM in the Choir Room

-> Sundays @ 8:30 AM in the Sanctuary

David Topping, Chancel Choir Director

Handbells Practice -> Sundays after fellowship in Room 1-2

Francine Martin, Handbells Ensemble Director

They don’t like the food. They don’t like wan-

dering through the desert, and they don’t like

Moses very much either, because he took them

away from the “comforts” of Egypt. So what do

they do? They complain. “Moses, why did you

bring us out into this wasteland? And what’s

this manna stuff you keep making us eat?

When is God going to give us some real

food?”

Well, God is not at all happy with these

whiners, so God punishes them by sending poi-

sonous serpents – snakes – that bite the peo-

ple and they die. So the people go to Moses,

saying “We have sinned against you and

against God. We’ve been a bunch of whiners,

and we’re sorry, but we don’t deserve to die.

Can you do something about these snakes?

Can you just talk to God?”

So Moses talks to God, and God tells Moses

to put a bronze snake high upon a pole for

everyone to see, and whenever one of the real

snakes bites someone, all they have to do is

look at the bronze snake on the pole and they

will be saved from death. Even though God

was angry at the Israelites, God still loved

them. He didn’t want them to die. And because

God loved them, God offered them a way to be

healed from the deadly bite of the serpent.

By looking up at the bronze snake and

trusting God’s love for them, the Israelites

were saved from death. Likewise, Jesus says to

Nicodemus, because God loves the world – the

same way God loved the Israelites – God lifts

up Jesus, so that whoever looks upon him and

believes (or trusts) in God’s love will be saved

from spiritual death. “God loved the world in

this way: He gave his only Son so that every-

one who trusts in God’s love will not die…” See

the analogy?

So what can we learn from this? I think we

learn how important it is to really study Scrip-

ture and not take the words we read at face

value. When we dig into the Scriptures – espe-

cially those in the New Testament – and study

them, using a study Bible or commentaries (i.e.

articles that others have written about the

Scriptures), we can learn so much more, and

passages like the one referenced here begin to

make sense to us.

One way we can do that is through group

Bible studies. At the present time, we at Faith

UMC offer two Bible study opportunities – one

on Wednesday mornings and the other for

women on the 4th Sunday of every month –

but I am willing to offer more for those who

are interested. If you would like to be part of a

new Bible study group, please send me an

email and we’ll work on putting a group to-

gether. When we study the Bible together, we

will gain a new understanding of the things

God is communicating to us. I look forward to

providing new opportunities for study!

God Bless, Pastor Jody

* In addition to the Sunday readings, the Lectionary

also offers a daily Bible reading schedule for Monday

through Saturday, with 3 Scripture passages provided on

each of those 6 days. For more information on the Re-

vised Common Lectionary readings, you can check it out

online at http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/.

April 2017—Page 4

Upcoming Sermons

As we continue our journey through the Season of Lent, we will finish

our Lenten Sermon Series called “Christ Is For Us” with Tributes to Jesus on

Easter Sunday. We will then embark on a very different journey as we

consider ways our Christian faith can guide us as we deal with some of the

issues facing our country and the world. This series, called “Keep the Faith”

will be very thought-provoking and pertinent to our times. We encourage you to invite your

friends and family to join us on Easter and beyond as we look for ways we can “Keep the

Faith” while living in a troubled and broken world.

Christ Is For Us

• April 2 – “Waiting for Resurrection” (Fifth Sunday of Lent)

• April 9 – “The Passion of the Christ” (Palm Sunday)

• April 13 – Maundy Thursday Seder-Style Worship, 6:30pm @ Trinity UMC (31st Avenue &

Glendale)

• April 14 – Good Friday Worship, 7:00pm @ CrossRoads UMC (Central Avenue & Northern)

• April 16 – Easter Sunrise Service, 6:30am @Faith UMC Patio Garden: “Tributes to Christ

Jesus – Our Worship” (followed by Easter Breakfast @ 7:30am)

• April 16 – Easter Blended Worship Service, 9:30am @ Faith UMC Sanctuary: “Tributes to

Christ Jesus – Our Lives”

Keep the Faith

We may not agree on everything, but on one thing we can agree: we are living in

troubled times. Complex moral and political issues are addressed in 30 second soundbites,

and more often than not, the solutions offered are polarizing. Provocative e-mails containing

half truths are forwarded by the millions, and relationships between friends and family are

threatened because of passionate opinions.

As a result, some of us are feeling helpless or hopeless, but Jesus’ teaching may hold the

key to a better way. Join us for a five-week series of messages in which we’ll look at some of

the issues that divide us as a nation. We’ll consider how we, as people of faith, can work

toward finding solutions to these issues. And as we do, we’ll discover that the words of Jesus

can lead us to tear down walls and build bridges as we seek a better way.

• April 23 – Keeping the Faith in a Broken World

• April 30 – The Bible and Immigration

• May 7 – A Christian Response to Extremism

• May 14 – Christianity and Healthcare

• May 21 – Christianity and Guns

• May 28 – Disagreeing in Love

(Please note: this IS NOT a series on politics, although

the issues included in these sermons are also those being tossed about on the political scene.

Our goal in this series is NOT to discuss politics, but rather to look at ways our faith in Christ

can help us navigate the troubled waters that these issues are creating in our world.)

April 2017—Page 5

Connecting with Faith UMC

Website:

faithumcphoenix.org

Videos of Sunday sermons:

faithumcphoenix.org/sermon-videos/ On Facebook

facebook.com/FaithUMCPhoenix

facebook.com/groups/

FaithUMCPhxGroup

Deadline for the

May 2017

issue of the Koinonia will be Tuesday, April 25th.

Please submit all articles,

information, and photos to

Shane Taber, co-editor.

(sctaber56@gmail.com)

This year during the season of Lent, we have once again partnered with our sister churches, Trinity UMC and CrossRoads UMC. On Ash Wednesday, we at Faith UMC hosted our friends from our sister churches as we entered into the season of Lent – a time of repentance and contemplation.

During Holy Week, April 9—16, 2017, we will continue this partnership as we come together for the following worship experiences:

• On Maundy Thursday, 4/13, we will meet at

Trinity UMC, located on the NW corner of 31st

and Glendale Avenues. The service, designedby the Rev. Stephen Govett will feature a“Seder Snack,” during which we will experiencea taste of a traditional Jewish Seder celebra-tion.

• On Good Friday, 4/14, we will meet at

CrossRoads UMC located on the SE corner ofCentral and Northern Avenues. The service,designed by their pastor, the Rev. Javier Oliva-res, will feature a combined choir from all threechurches including members from Faith UMC, as well as other special music.

We know you won’t want to miss either of these special services,

so please mark your calendars and plan to attend!

—> Maundy Thursday, April 13, 6:30 PM at Trinity UMC, located at

31st & Glendale Avenues

—> Good Friday, April 14, 7:00 PM at CrossRoads UMC, located at

Central and Northern Avenues

Holy Week Schedule at Faith

April 2017—Page 6

This year, for the first time, we will be lighting a Paschal Candle during our Easter Sunday

worship services at Faith UMC!!

A Paschal candle is a large, white candle used in liturgies in Western Christianity (viz., the

Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, and Lutheran churches, among others). A

new Paschal candle is blessed and lit every year at Easter, and is used throughout the Paschal

season which is during Easter and then throughout the year on special occasions, such as bap-

tisms and funerals.*

The Paschal Candle we will be using this year was given to Faith

UMC by our friends at Scottsdale UMC. It was originally used at Los Ar-

cos UMC in south Scottsdale, which was Pastor Jody’s and David’s home

church for 18 years after they moved to Arizona. When Los Arcos UMC

closed, the Pascal Candle went to Scottsdale UMC along with several

other items used in worship at Los Arcos, but recently the pastor and

congregation at Scottsdale offered it to Faith UMC…and we gratefully

accepted their offer!

The Paschal Candle stand doubles as an Advent Candle stand, and

was used during this past Advent Season as a welcomed addition to our worship experience.

The candle will be blessed and lit on Easter Sunday, and will continue to be lit throughout the

Easter Season.

We are grateful to the good folks at Scottsdale UMC for allowing us at Faith UMC to enjoy

this wonderful new addition to our Advent and Easter worship experiences!

EASTER SUNDAY SCHEDULE

6:30 AM – Easter Sunrise Worship Service, Faith UMC Patio Garden

7:30 AM – Easter Breakfast in the Koinonia Room.

(Food will be available until about 9:15 AM)

8:00 AM – Handbells Ensemble Rehearsal in the Sanctuary

8:30 AM – Chancel Choir Rehearsal in the Sanctuary

9:30 AM – Blended Easter Worship Service, including Traditional Hymns and

Praise Songs as well as Handbells and Chancel Choir Special Music

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paschal_candle

Something New: The Paschal Candle

Dear Faith UMC family,

I wish to thank those people

who sent me messages and pray-

ers while I was recuperating from

surgery. The prayers helped.

Thank you,

Sandy and Jeremy Cook

Prayer Chain Leader Urgently

Needed @ FUMC

Are you interested in supporting those at

Faith UMC with illness or health concerns?

Would you be willing to email or phone

Faith folks on the FUMC Prayer Chain?

If so, please contact Mike German through the

church office or LaVonna Goudie, @ 602-944-1794

or Email: plazgoudie@cox.net

April 2017—Page 7

Faith Lunch Bunch News

Sunday Post-Service Discussions

Looking for opportunities to dig a little deeper

after Pastor Jody’s sermons? Please freely join

one or both hour-long small groups.

HOPE= Honest Open

Perspective Exchange

In keeping with Pastor Jody’s messages dur-

ing Lent, the HOPE group is requesting mem-

bers with many perspectives join us in an at-

tempt to shed light on our changing world. As

Christians we can learn from and teach each

other when sharing thoughts and ideas.

This lively discussion group meets after the

service during Fellowship Time on the second

and third Sundays. In April, HOPE will meet

once on the second Sunday, 4/9 from 11:15

AM. So please bring your coffee and snacks to

Room 4 and join the conversation!

4SWBS = 4th Sunday

Women’s

Bible Study

On Sunday 4/23, the 4th Sunday Women’s

Bible Study will meet from 11:15 AM to discuss

a selected daily devotional with questions from

The Upper Room. We also hear the scriptural

passage read in 3 different languages, English,

Spanish and Tamil.

Led by Shane Taber and Eunice Moreno Mo-

ses, all FUMC women are invited to join our

faith-filled discussions.

FUMC’s Midweek Adult Study Group

completes its spring Lenten class on

Wednesday, April 19th.

This study, which began on March 8th,

uses as its text, Christ is for Us by Ca-

nadian Mennonite pastor, April Yama-

saki. It supports Pastor Jody’s Lenten

sermon series.

All are welcome and invited to join this

study group, which meets weekly on

Wednesdays at 10:00 AM at the IHOP

restaurant located on Northern at 19th.

On Thursday, March 16th, eight Faith-

filled ladies enjoyed fellowship and a Chi-

nese meal at Abacus Inn on West Thun-

derbird Road. Faith Lunch Bunch is an

open group from Faith UMC which gets to-

gether monthly at 11:30 AM on the third

Thursday to enjoy food and fellowship.

Location varies by month.

This coming April 20th, the fellowship

will gather for lunch at Black Angus Steak-

house, located at 10021 North Metro Park-

way East. Newcomers and guests are al-

ways welcome!

On March 9th, a lovely Farewell

Luncheon was held in the Koi-

nonia Room for long-time Faith

member, Barbara Babbitt, who

has recently moved to Gilbert,

AZ to be closer to family.

Barbara sang in the Chancel

Choir and served the church in

many ways during her years at

Faith. We wish Barbara well and

hope she’ll visit FUMC often!

April 2017—Page 8

To My Faith Family:

Recently I watched an episode of 60 Minutes and would like to

share a story about love and compassion - Sesame Street Compassion

and Justice.

Almost 50 years old, Sesame Street was created by Joan Ganz

Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett after Cooney was asked by the Carnegie

Corporation to study educating young children through television. Her

report, “The Potential Uses of Television in Preschool Education” defined what would soon be-

come Sesame Street - The Children’s Television Workshop (CTW).

The goal of CTW was to transition from the “Tom and Jerry” cartoons to entertainment that

educated urban, low income children who were arriving at school less prepared than their mid-

dle-class peers. When Cooney created the set, it was purposefully designed to replicate an ur-

ban street environment that kids could relate to, with an interracial cast which, incidentally, got

the show banned early on in Mississippi.

Tests show that children were learning through Sesame Street - a variety of topics about

ABC’s, 123’s and even some real-life lessons such as race and death, skin color, disabilities, and

prejudice. For example, when the actor who played the character Mr. Hooper passed away in

real life, the show decided to address this issue head on, using the topic to educate BIg Bird on

death and grief.

CTW also created “Little Children/Big Challenges” which are social impact initiatives, target-

ed at specific communities of children. For example, children from divorced homes, kids from

military families, and the nearly 3 million children whose parents are incarcerated.

Sesame Street has a long history of basing its content and characters on extensive research.

Later this year, those who have learned to love the furry creatures (and monsters) of Sesame

Street will get an opportunity to discover a new friend - Julia. Julia lives on “the spectrum” - liv-

ing daily with autism and surrounded by those who may have challenges understanding this

complex issue in life.

There’s an expression that states, “If you’ve met one person

with autism, you've met one person with autism.” Autism is

unique for each person who lives “on the spectrum” The goal of

this new adventure is to explore what autism means for those

who have it and those who support them.

Julia’s puppeteer, who has an autistic son herself, shared that

this new Muppet character “shows us that our kids are important enough to be seen in society.

Having Julia on the show and seeing the other characters treat her with compassion is big.” It’s

important for kids without autism to see what autism looks like.

The month of April has been designated World Autism Month. Each April 2nd, Autism

Speaks, along with the international autism community, holds a campaign called Light It Up

Blue, in recognition of World Autism Awareness Day. Thousands of iconic landmarks and

buildings join the hundreds of thousands of homes and communities around the world to “light

blue” in support of people living with autism. Autism-friendly events and educational activities (Continued on page 9)

Joshua’s Journey

April 2017—Page 9

take place all month to increase understanding and acceptance and further support people with

autism.

So, how does this relate to us? I think that Sesame Street can teach us a lot about justice

and mercy, especially considering the neighborhood in which Faith exists. The Washington

School District is one of the lowest socioeconomic areas in the Phoenix area. The resources that

families in our community have available are limited, and most of the children in the schools

surrounding the church have free or reduced-lunch as part of their services. During the summer,

many kids in our community go without many of the resources and food scarcity is a primary

issue.

I believe having an awareness of the needs surrounding our church gives us an opportunity

to provide compassion and mercy where God calls us to minister to those in our midst. We have

an opportunity to seek ways that we can relate to our immediate neighbors and homeless fami-

lies in our community - through activities such as Sidewalk Sunday School and Family Promise.

Additionally, I believe having a spirit of acceptance of those who are different from us goes

a long way in speaking to the grace and compassion that God calls all of

God’s children to - justice, mercy and compassion.

As we continue to grow the body of our church and develop strate-

gies to better engage in the 19 North collaborative, I would invite all of

us to consider ways that small acts of kindness can speak volumes of

our callings to love God and love each other.

- Joshua L Warner, M.Ed. '10; M.Div. '15

During Lent, our Side-

walk Sunday School chil-

dren have been hearing

the same messages shared with the children

during the Sunday morning worship services,

but with a twist: we have more fun on Satur-

day mornings at Sidewalk Sunday School!!

That’s because at Sidewalk Sunday School, in

addition to hearing the message, we play

games, sing songs, and participate in Rule

#3…which is to Have Fun!!

As has become our tradition, this year on

the Saturday before Easter, we will celebrate

the Resurrection of Jesus by giving out Easter

Baskets to all of the children present. We are

blessed to be partnering with the wonderful

folks at Shepherd of the Hills UMC in Sun City,

who are providing us with the baskets as well

as items to put inside of them that will make

them fun and exciting for the kids!

On Tuesday, April 4 at 1:00pm we will be

meeting with several of the ladies from Shep-

herd of the Hills to build the baskets. So if you

are available to help, please join us at Faith

UMC on the 4th.

In addition, since we often have more kids

for our special Sidewalk Sunday Worship Ser-

vices (at Christmas and at Easter) we could

use some extra grown-up help on Saturday,

April 15. If you are able to help out, please

contact either Pastor Jody or Carol Getting. As

you know, many hands make for light work, so

we hope you will lend your hands to this vital

ministry opportunity!

BTW, we will be continuing to offer Side-

walk Sunday School until the end of April, pos-

sibly even until the middle of May, depending

on the weather, so if you would like to become

more involved in Sidewalk, there will be many

opportunities for you to do so!!

Come Join Us On the

Sidewalk!!

April 2017—Page 10

Faith Friends, we in the Desert South-

west Conference of the United Meth-

odist Church have been asked to pray

and write letters of support to Bishop

Karen Oliveto and to both Fowler and

Manzanola United Methodist Churches and their

pastor, Mr. Brian V. Blackburn.

As you may or may not know, the Rev. Dr. Ka-

ren Oliveto was elected by the Western Jurisdiction-

al Conference in July 2016 to serve as one of the

Bishops in the Western Jurisdiction of the United

Methodist Church. She was serving as Lead Pastor

at Glide UMC in San Francisco prior to her election

as Bishop. Following her election, she was appoint-

ed to serve the Mountain Sky Episcopal Area, which

includes the Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone An-

nual Conferences, and churches in the states of

Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and one

church in Idaho. Bishop Karen was elected Bishop

not only because of her impressive resume, but be-

cause of her lifelong dedication to God and the

United Methodist Church. Bishop Karen is also an

openly gay, lesbian woman who is married to her

partner in life, Ms. Robin Ridenour.

Shortly after her election and consecration, a

complaint was filed against Bishop Karen’s election.

The complaint states that her marriage to another

woman violates church with regard to same-gender

marriage and the ordination of “self-avowed, prac-

ticing homosexuals.” Her case will be heard by the

Judicial Council on April 25, 2017. We don’t know if

the Judicial Council will rule right away or if they

will take their time in rendering a decision regard-

ing Bishop Karen’s future as an Episcopal Leader in

this Jurisdiction. In the meantime, we are being

asked to pray for and write letters of support to

both Bishop Karen and the churches listed above

which are part of the Episcopal area served by Bish-

op Karen.

There are three ways you can offer your

support during this stressful time.

First, you can pray for Bishop Karen, Pastor

Brian Blackburn and the churches he serves, Fowler

UMC and Manzanola UMC. We all know how im-

portant prayer is in times of trial, so between now

and the time the Judicial Council provides their rul-

ing, we must keep these individuals and churches

in our hearts and minds.

Second, you can write letters to Bishop Karen,

offering words of encouragement and support dur-

ing this time while she awaits the hearing and the

Judicial Council ruling, but also after the ruling is

made. You can either bring your letters to the Faith

UMC Office, or send your letters directly to Bishop

Karen by mail or by email at the following address-

es:

• Bishop Karen Oliveto

6110 Greenwood Plaza Blvd.

Greenwood Village, CO 80111-4803

Email: bishopoliveto@mountainskyumc.org

Third, you can write letters to Fowler and

Manzanola United Methodist ChurcheEds and Pastor

Brian Blackburn, offering support and encourage-

ment both before and after the ruling. As with your

letters to Bishop Karen, you may either bring your

letters to our church office, or send them directly to

Pastor Brian at the following address:

• Fowler United Methodist Church/

Manzanola United Methodist Church

c/o Pastor Brian Vincent Blackburn

302 S. Main Street

Fowler, CO 81039

Email: bblack95@centurylink.net

Friends, I urge you, please don’t put this off.

Begin by praying for Bishop Karen, Pastor Brian,

and the good people at both Fowler and Manzanola

United Methodist Churches and write your letters to

them TODAY as they navigate through this chal-

lenging time of trial.

God bless, Pastor Jody

Calling for Prayers and Letters

of Support for

UMC Bishop Karen Oliveto

April 2017—Page 11

When my kids were growing up they

loved their Where’s Waldo books. If you’ve

never encountered a Where’s Waldo book,

ask me and I’ll show you some of ours some-

time. The books themselves are full of very

elaborate and intricate pictures featuring a lot

of different individuals, including Waldo – a

funny-looking fellow wearing a red-and-white

striped shirt. The goal is to find Waldo in each

of the pictures, which is something fairly easy,

and other times is very challenging.

Well, one day while I was “out and

about,” I heard that a church member was

asking where I was. Apparently this person

had come by the church looking for me, but

alas, I wasn’t there! So it occurred to me: if

this person was expecting me to be at in the

church office and I wasn’t there, perhaps oth-

ers might be wondering the same thing:

Where’s Pastor Jody??

Hence, this article. One of the things I

learned from our “How to Reach New People”

coach is that if we as a congregation are go-

ing to reach new people, we have to get out

from behind the four walls of the church (they

call it “getting out of the castle”!). We need to

be out in the community meeting people –

getting to know them and building relation-

ships – and that can’t happen if we’re con-

stantly in the office. So from time to time, I

go to different restaurants and coffee shops

where I might be designing the worship ser-

vice for that week or working on my sermon,

and at the same time, meeting new people

who just might be interested in learning more

about our church. So if I’m not in the office, I

just might be at Panera, or Starbucks, or

IHOP…or some other location nearby.

But I might also be visiting with church

members, especially those who are home-

bound or in the hospital. I try to visit at least

one or two people every week, but some

weeks even that’s not possible. I know, how-

ever, that maintain-

ing relationships with

all of you is im-

portant, so I do my

best to visit with our

members, especially

those who have re-

quested a pastoral

call, or those who are

dealing with difficult

situations. So when I’m not in the office, I

might be doing visitations…I might even be

visiting with you!

It’s also possible I might be at a meeting

at the Conference Center, or at another

church if I’m not in the office. In addition to

serving as your pastor, I’m also a member of

the Desert Southwest Conference Board of

Pensions and Health Benefits, and I’m the

chairperson for our West District Leadership

Team. I’m also a candidacy mentor for a won-

derful individual who is in the process to be-

come a Licensed Local Pastor, and I’ll be serv-

ing as Dean for our Conference Senior High

Camp at our Mingus Mountain Camp at the

beginning of June. I’m also actively involved

with the 19 North Interfaith Council, which is

part of the 19 North Revitalization Initiative,

and continue to be involved from time to time

with the elementary school next door to the

church. I also meet with other pastors from

time to time, either at their churches or in

other locations, to talk about a variety of

things having to do with our respective minis-

tries. So if I’m not in the office during the

week, I’m might be in one of those meetings.

But if I’m not involved in any of the

above, I might be leading a study group or

(Continued on page 12)

Where’s Pastor Jody?

April 2017—Page 12

MISSION STATEMENT

Faith United Methodist Church

Faith United Methodist Church is an

inclusive* Christian congregation dedicated

to the care of its constituents in order to

serve the local community; and in co-

operation with other faith-based

organizations, to reach out to all persons*

who seek personal acceptance, require

sustaining assistance, or yearn for a

meaningful life purpose

beyond self.

*Regardless of age,

disability, ethnicity, gender

identity, race, or sexual

orientation.

Bible study somewhere in the community.

Our Wednesday morning Adult Study Group

has been meeting at IHOP on Northern at

19th during Lent, and it is likely we will con-

tinue meeting out in the community, but at a

different location. I’m also considering start-

ing a Bible Study at one of the local coffee

shops, or a book study at the local Bookmans

bookstore. Discipleship is an important part

of our Christian faith, and sharing our faith

with others is an important part of being

good Disciples, and we can’t – no, we

shouldn’t – always do that behind the walls

of the castle.

In addition to all of that, from time to

time I work in my home office, crafting the

message and other liturgy for our Sunday

morning worship. As your pastor, I believe

my most important task is to preach excellent

sermons…and some of the best preachers I

know feel the same way. Consider the follow-

ing quote from a book I recently read called

Unleashing the Word:

I want to offer a word of encouragement

to you regarding your pastor. The single

most important thing your pastor will do eve-

ry week for the over-all health of your church

is preach excellent sermons. But a pastor will

only preach excellent sermons when he or

she has time to prepare. Sermon preparation

includes extensive reading, prayer, Bible

study, reflection, and writing. This will gener-

ally require about fifteen hours of uninter-

rupted time per week (some weeks a little

less, some weeks a little more)….In addition

to this weekly time, there is value in your

pastor taking a bit of extra time throughout

the year to plan out sermons in advance. You

might ask him or her to let you borrow this

book so you can read the section on sermon

planning and the time that is required for

this…

So in order for me to be the most effec-

tive preacher I can be, I might be away from

the office in a quiet location where I can con-

centrate on listening to God’s voice as we craft

my messages together.

I share all of this not to make you think I’m

such a busy person, but so you’ll understand

that if I’m not in the office, it’s not because I’m

playing hooky!! It’s because I’m trying to be

the best pastor I can be…and sometimes that

means being away from the castle…I mean,

the church buildings!

But there’s one last thing I want you to

know: as your pastor, YOU are the second

most important person to me. The first, of

course, is God, so when I hear God call, I lis-

ten. And when YOU call upon me, I’m there for

you…I’m listening. If you need a pastoral care

visit, I will be there for you. If you are dealing

with a difficult situation, I will be there for you.

If you need some advice, I will be there for

you, because YOU are very important to me.

So as that great prophet, the young Michael

Jackson once sang, “Just call my name, and I’ll

be there.”

In Christian Love, Pastor Jody

April 2017—Page 13

From Faith UMC’s Chef Extraordinaire, Carol Getting, from requests from several church folks,

here is the recipe she uses for Broccoli Madness Salad. Thanks very much, Carol!

SWEET TOMATOES' JOAN'S BROCCOLI MADNESS SALAD http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/sweet-tomatoes-joans-broccoli-madness-salad-50177614

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

1 head raw broccoli

1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon

1/2 cup cashews

1/3 cup raisins or craisins (dried cranberries)

1/4 cup chopped red onion

Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Preparation

1. Wash broccoli and pat dry. Chop off bottom 2 inches or so of stems and break head into flo-

rets. Place in a large bowl.

2. Add bacon, cashews, raisins (and/or craisins) and red onion.

3. In a separate small bowl for the dressing, combine mayonnaise, sugar and cider vinegar; stir

until smooth.

4. Toss broccoli mixture with dressing. Let set approximately 10 minutes before serving. Serve

on chilled salad dishes.

Holy Communion Served Four Sundays During March

This year, as part of the Lenten Season, Holy Communion was celebrated each Sunday during

March at FUMC. A special thanks goes out to all who assisted Pastor Jody in serving the bread

and the grape juice during communion. An extra thank you also extended to the Rev. Gary

Kriege who most graciously served communion while Pastor Jody was away on a pastoral retreat.

Koinonia - Page 14

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

10:00 am Sidewalk SS 12:30 pm Roadrunners - K 1:00 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 HOPE - 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

6:30 pm Church Council - Rm 4

10:00 am Study Group - IHOP

7:30 pm Choir Practice-CR

6:30 pm Maundy Thursday service

- Trinity UMC

7:00 pm Good Friday service -

Crossroads UMC

8:00 am UMM Breakfast-K 10:00 am Sidewalk SS

1:00 pm Recovery-Rm 1-2

6:30 am Sunrise Service 7:30 am Easter Breakfast 8:00 am Handbells-Sanctuary 8:30 am Choir-Sanctuary 9:30 am Worship-Sanctuary 1:00 pm Samoan Worship

6:00 pm TOPS

9:00 am Zippers - Rm 1-2 10:00 am Quilters - Rm 4

6:00 pm Grief Group - Rm 6-7

10:00 am Study Group - Location TBD

7:30 pm Choir Practice-S

11:30 am Lunch Bunch - Black Angus

6:00 pm Movie Night- S

10:00 am Sidewalk SS

1:00 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

7:00 pm Neighborhood Outreach - Rm 4

10:00 am Study Group - Location TBD

7:30 pm Choir Practice-CR

10:00 am Sidewalk SS

1:00 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

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

6:00 pm Grief Group - Lib

10:00 am Study Group -

IHOP

7:30 pm Choir Practice-CR

7:00 pm Private Event-K

10:00 am Sidewalk SS

1:00 pm Recovery-Rm 1-2 6:00 pm Bird Club - K

5

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19

4

11

25

18

6

13

27

20

7

14

28

21

1

8

15

29

22

2

9

16

30

23

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10

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24 April 16, 4:00 pm through April 23, 8:00 am - Family Promise

Office Closed

Office Closed

Office Closed

Office Closed

Birthdays:4/03 Shirley Hemphill 4/03 Jody Topping 4/06 Jeremy Cook 4/11 Kathryn Thurston 4/14 John Shields 4/15 Bob Barker 4/15 Bob MacAlpine 4/23 Cory Mercer 4/26 Bobi Albrecht No anniversaries of which we are aware

Native American Ministries Sunday

Easter

Palm/Passion Sunday Good Friday Maundy Thursday Holy Saturday