Tuesday
June 23, 2020
ST. JOHN'S SPIRIT WEEK
We are a family. I know we miss each other. So let’s play a game and lift our spirits! Each day, earn points by doing the activity for the day. Submit your entry to tmacali@stjohns-abq.org or onto our Facebook page (@stjohnsumc). The most points at the end of the week wins a prize! More information can be found HERE.
WE'RE NOT HOME YET

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed to us. 
Romans 8:18

All I know in my brain of my journey on this earth are the steps I have taken to get to today. I often will text my family and tell them, "I love you today". At first their response was, " Only today?" My answer- "yesterday is gone and tomorrow may not come, all we have is today, and I love you today." All I know in my brain of this present time is that our planet is not well. It is physically sick, it is emotionally fragile, spiritually starving. On top of the world's recent conditions are our everyday realities that we were buckling under before we learned the term Covid 19, or before we learned the name George Floyd. Our planet is the only home we have ever known, and it is suffering globally. BUT GOD....... Thank you Jesus my brain isn't all I have to measure my journey on, I have my heart and many years ago when I was in high school sweet Donna Aubrey prayed with me to ask Jesus into my heart, saving my life. I have faith that the glory that will be revealed to me someday will not be worth comparing to this present day. We're not home yet. 

I have the privilege of teaching music and chapel at our amazing St. John's Preschool Plus. We had to close our doors March 19. I miss my co-workers, I miss the kids, I miss the blessings I received from both bodies of people. I have had to use some of my own words to the kids lately as I remember teaching them that when things get scary, or we are worried, or feel alone we can say, "I CAN-ASK GOD-FOR HELP". I think we could all shout- HELP- from the mountain tops in unison right now. Then when it came time to teach them about The Golden Rule, I thought how can I get 2 to 5 year old kids to grasp, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"? That's when God gave me the words to The Golden Rule Rap-

The Golden Rule is a really cool tool
To use everyday, at work school and play
Be loving and kind and you will find
People will do the same to you
WOOHOO
Share, care, always be fair
Don't be grumpy like a big Grizzly Bear
ROAR!!!!!

They liked the roaring part the best, but they got it, they loved it, they wanted to do it over and over. Maybe it's something else we all could shout from the mountain tops! I miss the hilarious things they say. We were talking about the Christmas Story, Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus- Sam says, "Well ya know Ms. Barb, the night Joseph was born.......wait that's not right.....hum well a hum........well but I do know for sure when they got there they were hungry!" Sam- "Well ya know Ms. Barb, China is a bad place" Me- "Sam there are good and bad people everywhere" Sam- "But I do know for sure that that's where George Washington's from." I miss witnessing their little brains trying to figure life out.

 I feel God is shaking us to our core and shaking the dust off our souls so we can stand stronger for Him. Someday our suffering will be over and His glory will be revealed to us and we will be home. In the meantime we need to be loving and kind, having enough faith to carry us through. Dr. Martin Luther King said, "Faith is taking the first step when we can't see the whole staircase." We only know today, we can't see tomorrow, but with God guiding us we can take that first step towards peace and treat others as we want them to treat us.
 
Prayer
The Lord bless you and keep you
 Make His face shine upon you, 
And be gracious to you, 
The Lord turn His face toward you
 And give you peace. Amen

-- Barb Whitaker
#photosfromhome
-- Donna & Roger Eaton
#PHOTOSFROMHOME
A CALL FOR SELFIES AND AT-HOME PICTURES
Hi there! I love showing you photos of what we are doing at the church, but what I think would be an even more amazing thing to share is a picture of you! Send me pictures and/or videos of you/your family/your pets/your garden/your cooking/etc with a short description, and I will share them here and compile them for a project! communicate@stjohns-abq.org
-- Shea Perry, Communications Director
A CALL FOR DAILY DEVOTIONALS
Would you be interested in submitting a daily devotional for the Newsletter? If so, send an email to Reverend Dr. Pam Rowley at prowley@stjohns-abq.org!
WEDNESDAY PRAYER SERVICES
Wednesdays
8:00 am & 7:00 pm
Please join us on Wednesday mornings and evenings for a worship service of praise and prayer. Both services will take place in the Memorial Garden of St. John’s on the west side of the building. These services are designed to be thirty minutes and will be led by Certified Lay Ministers, Larry Luna and Joe Marshall. Please bring your own lawn chairs and sit six feet from your neighbor. In an effort to keep all of us safe and healthy, masks are required. THESE WEDNESDAY MORNING AND EVENING SERVICES will continue for the summer (at least that is the plan now).
"MUSIC FROM ST. JOHN'S"
LIVE-STREAM CONCERTS
Wednesdays at 12:00 pm
Join us for a new series of concerts live-streamed from the St. John's sanctuary! Concerts are a benefit for Albuquerque Healthcare for the Homeless. musicatstjohns.org

Muni Kulasinghe, violinist
Jim Ahrend, pianist

Lara Manzanares

Gil Flores

Ingela Onstad, Michael Hix, & Amy Greer
DRIVE-IN WORSHIP SERVICE
Saturday, June 27
7:00 pm
Come and worship in your car on Saturday, June 20 and gather in safe community to worship and praise God. We will gather in the east parking lot of St. John's (2626 Arizona Street NE). please consider bringing either toilet paper, dry beans, pasta, rice, or dry cat food. These items will be given to Silver Horizons for their senior clients.

June 27 Rev. Dr. Randall Partin
July 4   Rev. Dr. Scott Sharp
July 11  Rev. Dr. Todd Seelau
July 18  TBD
July 25  Rev. Dr. Randall Partin
Sundays
9:30 & 11:00 am
St. John’s will live-stream a worship service on Sunday morning at 9:30 am (Contemporary) on the Abide Facebook page and 11:00 am (Traditional) on the homepage of the website . We hope you’ll worship with us! (Pastors Pam and Kelly will lead, along with Shea Perry, Jim Ahrend, and Matt Greer). We hope that you’ll participate by singing and praying at home! Any questions? Email Matt at mgreer@stjohns-abq.org.

SPIRITUAL GIFTS INVENTORY
Over the next five weeks we are exploring our spiritual gifts in our sermon series, Discovering our Spiritual Gifts. Please take a few minutes to discover your gifts by taking the Spiritual Gift Inventory from Discipleship Ministries of the UMC  HERE. At the end of the inventory, you will have the opportunity to print out the results. Keep that list and pray over your spiritual gifts as you discover how to use those gifts for the kingdom of God.
DRIVE-IN COMMUNION SERVICE
Wednesday, July 1
7:00 pm
Come receive communion in your car on Wednesday, July 1 and gather in safe community to worship and praise God. We encourage you to bring your own elements (bread & juice). If you do not have your own elements, we will provide individually-packaged elements. We will gather in the east parking lot of St. John's (2626 Arizona Street NE).
Youth News

SUMMER YOUTH GROUP ZOOM
IT IS SUMMER, and we have a new series for students exploring new games, discussions, and faith-building activities every Sunday from 4:00-5:15PM! Go to: bit.ly/Summer2020UMYF (case sensitive) password if needed is 233374. NEW SUMMER URL

YOUTH NETFLIX PARTY
The Reel to Real 2020 Season continues this Wednesday @:1:00PM. Make sure you are: 1. are using Google Chrome on a computer, 2. are logged into Netflix, and 3. Have downloaded the Netflix Party app. We will email and text out the unique URL address to join the party at 12:45 that day. This week’s feature film a true story of how a teenager from Malawi saved his village through his love of physics called, “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” (PG).
Online Classes
ZOOM TUTORIAL
The announcements below include using the program "Zoom" to group-video chat. You can find a tutorial on how to use Zoom HERE!

ZOOM YOUTH GROUP
Sundays from 4:00 - 5:15 pm
Students, come join us for games, discussion, community, and faith-building every Sunday from 4:00-5:15 pm! Go to: bit.ly/UMYFSolidGround (case sensitive) with the password: 048658

PARENTS CLUB
Mondays from 7:30 - 8:30 pm
Is distance learning with your child harder than you thought? Are the challenges of parenting in close quarters overwhelming at times? Or do you just miss talking with other parents? I know that I certainly do, so join us for Parents Club on Zoom Monday evenings from 7:30-8:30 pm! Email tmacali@stjohns-abq.org.

"COFFEE BREAK" WITH PASTORS PAM & KELLY
Wednesdays at 1:30 pm
Log in and have coffee (or tea) and chat with Pastors Pam and Kelly! Zoom link HERE.
"SPIRITUAL MOVEMENT" CLASS WITH PASTOR PAM
Thursdays at 1:30 pm
Join Pastor Pam for a 30-minute spiritual exercise. Space is limited, join the class HERE.
THE PRACTICE OF PRESENCE
Fridays from 9:30 - 10:00 am
Susan Brumbaugh, staff mental health counselor at St. John's is offering a free (hopefully weekly) gathering to practice mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness is about developing the ability to be present in the moment with non-judgmental awareness.
Formal meditation can build neural pathways that help us stay anchored during emotional storms and help us build resilience. Meeting together virtually gives us an opportunity to have company on the journey. Each 30-minute session begins with a brief welcome, a description of the focus (e.g., breath, body, senses, emotions, thoughts), a 15-20 minute guided practice, and an opportunity to debrief and share experiences. Anyone is welcome--no experience is necessary. If you want to learn more prior to starting, the sessions will be similar to ones she leads and records for  YouTube Each session will be hosted on Zoom.  HERE is the zoom link. Please contact Susan Brumbaugh, counselor@stjohns-abq.org, or 505-506-6716, if you have questions.
ST. JOHN'S EMAIL BIBLE STUDY: Theology in Popular Music - Mostly the Good
Last year’s study, “The Songs of Summer” seemed to be a hit, so we’re going to do it again. This summer we’ll listen to some popular music that sings about prayer and healing, some international music, some bluegrass and country, some great young singers who are the future of the Church, and some show tunes.  Download the study guide, or sign up for daily study tips by email by writing or calling Regina Hunter at drhunter@nmia.com or 294-2877.
Congregational Care Corner

PRAYER SUPPORT
How we support you and your family in prayer during this difficult time? Prayers for health, employment, peace? Please send your prayer requests to the Prayer Team: mapalook@comcast.net

GO-FER TEAM
It is hard to get out and many people shouldn’t. Is there something you need delivered from the store? If we are able to help, we have a few volunteers who would like to serve as Go-fers for people who need something but cannot get it on their own. Please pass any requests on to Jarrod at c.care@stjohns-abq.org

ONLINE COUNSELING SERVICE AVAILABLE
The St. John's staff includes a licensed mental health counselor who is available to meet virtually (using a smartphone or computer) in a secure online platform during these anxious times. If you or someone you know is struggling emotionally, counseling is available. Click here or contact Susan Brumbaugh at 505-506-6717 or counselor@stjohns-abq.org for more details about session and cost information. Susan also has a Youtube Channel with mindfulness tips HERE.

VIRTUAL TAI CHI WITH KATHY
JUNE SPECIAL OFFERING: LOCKER #505
We recently heard that the Bernalillo County clothing bank called Locker #505, which serves APS, was broken into and items taken were some of their most expensive items to replace. Locker 505 provides clothing for students that they feel good about wearing, so they can concentrate on their school work and not worry about how they look. If we remember back to our school days (I know- a long time ago for many of us!), I am sure we can remember how important feeling good about our appearance was! With schools not in session since March, donations of lightly used clothing and money are down and they have not been able to have the two fund-raisers they desparately need to have items available for the children. New coronavirus procedures are in place so that students can still be served. We are collecting all the month of June for Locker 505 so please give generously. You can give on-line or send your check to the church. Be sure to designate "Locker 505" in the memo field of your check or on-line giving.
ST. JOHN'S FACILITY IS CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
In accordance with the New Mexico Department of Health order, our facility will be closed until further notice. A re-open date is to be determined! We will keep you apprised as things develop.

Your St. John's pastors and staff are still very much on the job, and are available to you during this time. Please reach out to us if we can help you in any way!
CONTACT US
Office Administrator, Debbie Brown, will be answering the phone at St. John’s every weekday from 9:00 am-2:00 pm. Please call the office if you have any concerns or pastoral care needs. Debbie will get messages to Pastor Pam and Pastor Kelly. The office number is 505-883-9717.
Contact Us
www.stjohns-abq.org
(505) 883-9717
2626 Arizona St NE | Albuquerque, NM 87110
Office Hours: Monday - Thursday, 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Questions? Contact Shea Perry at communicate@stjohns-abq.org