Loving God, Loving People, Changing Lives
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Weekly Disciple
December 13, 2019
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PRAYER IN ADVENT
Prayer in Advent is a 3-week advent study on prayer based on the book Listen: Praying in a Noisy World by the late Rueben P. Job. There is a weekly prayer practice for each of the 3 weeks: Sitting in Silence, Intentional Listening and Remembering God’s Love. These practices will be part of a structured daily session with prayer. Each Thursday we will have quiet time to calm the noisy Christmas shopping and discuss of your experiences and reflect and pray together. This is an opportunity for time during advent to prepare your heart again to receive the precious gift we receive in Jesus. Taught by Donna Berry, certified spiritual director and credentialed coach. If interested in taking this study, please call Debbie at 883-9717, ext. 138 or email her at reception@stjohns-abq.org to sign up.
CHRISTMAS DECORATING FLASH MOB
Following the loss of Matthew Kulek, the family is moving back to town Dec 21. We are looking for volunteers and external Christmas lighting items to help them celebrate. To see the full list of items we need to lend/donate, go to: bit.ly/KristmasKulek To volunteer to help set up go to the doodle poll: bit.ly/umyfsolidground to help us choose the best date
MEMORY CAFE TEAM LEADERS NEEDED
We are looking to enlist the assistance of 4 or 5 more team leaders for our dynamic Memory Cafe Program in 2020. We need a couple of volunteers to plan & provide simple monthly snacks and a couple of volunteers to help with quarterly program planning. If interested, call Angie Young at 715-0292 or sign-up in the Hospitality Center, and Angie will provide more details.
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REVERSE ADVENT CALENDAR
Everyone loves advent calendars to count them down to Christmas Day. Have you heard of a REVERSE ADVENT CALENDAR? So, here’s how it works. Pick up a Reverse Advent Calendar sheet at the Hospitality Centers or on-line
HERE. Gather a box and each day beginning December 1, add a food item to your box at home. On Christmas Eve (or the Sunday prior) bring the collected items to the Hospitality Centers to be donated to Silver Horizons. Don’t want to do one by yourself? Find three other friends and each of you take a week filling the box. Or divide up responsibility for the box with members of your small group or Sunday School class. Whatever works for you! If you can’t do the Reverse Advent Calendar during the month, just do your own thing! Just find some way to help feed the hungry during the month of December.
YOU HAD TO BE THERE! AND MORE STUDY GUIDES ARE HERE!
The crowd of people wanting a study guide for “A Look at Crowds in the Bible” exceeded expectations. New stock has been delivered. The readings for this time of year are short, so you won’t have any trouble catching up. Pick up a study guide in the Welcome Center, or call or write Regina Hunter to join the email study: 294-2877 & drhunter@nmia.com.
NEW MEXICHORDS CONCERTS:
The New MexiChords will present their annual Christmas concerts, A New Old Fashioned Christmas, on Saturday, Dec 21, at 2:00 and 7:30 and on Sunday, Dec 22, at 2:00 in the sanctuary. Their guests will be St. Johns’ own group, the Joy Singers. General admission tickets are $10.00 (under 6 are free) and they are good at any of the three concerts. Tickets will be available at the door or you can get one from members of the Joy Singers. Call 323-6435 for additional information.
MOUNTAIN CATHEDRALS
December 21, 2019; Corrales Acequias and Bosque Preserve; 8 AM to 1 PM (meet at St. John’s). Level, dirt and asphalt trails, 4 - 7 miles. More info - contact Kelly Giese or Mike Furnish. Next trip: Saturday, January 18.
Our December hike will be close to town. The planned route will cross through a unique mixture of adobe homes, small farms, deciduous forest and pass near the Rio Grande. We will be able to identify a number of architectural styles of roofs: Spanish revival, pueblo style, Santa Fe style among them. We hope to see some wildlife, especially birds. In preparation for the hike dress in layers, bring sunscreen, some light snacks, binoculars if you have them and a hat if you like.
As we walk we will share in a reading from Luke 2, the story of the birth of Jesus and the story of the announcement to the shepherds by angels. How are you now experiencing the good news of great joy? Come join us for this hike on the winter solstice as we reflect on what the Lord is making known to us, now.
REVELATION CLASS - WYCLIFFE BIBLE TRANSLATORS
Wycliffe Bible Translators presentation Sunday, December 22nd at 9:30 in Classroom 149/151. Eric and Allison Pyle, daughter and son-in-law of Richard and Terry Bryant, will give a presentation on Eric’s current work with the Digital Bible Library, which provides access to the Bible in over 1,000 languages. Anyone interested is invited to attend.
CONGREGATIONAL INFORMATION MEETING
Sunday, January 5 at 12:15 pm
Please join together in a congregational meeting in the Sanctuary. Building facility needs will be discussed and the schedule for the upcoming replacement of the roofs on our campus will be shared. (If you have questions prior to January 5 that you need answers to, please contact Jim Hickman.) We will also have reports from the Staff Parish Relations Committee and the Finance Committee. A capital campaign will be outlined. We look forward to your attendance!
WEDNESDAY NIGHT LIVE IN JANUARY
WNL classes are shaping up! Our first gathering will be Wednesday, January 8.
CONTRA DANCE: We will have a Contra Dance January 8 6:00-7:00 pm in FLC. All youth and children and families are invited to attend. We welcome back the band “Cheap Shots” and our caller Marj Mullany.
January 8 - “DEEP DIVES INTO GENESIS”: Also that evening for non-dancers, Jack Nuzum will teach on “Deep Dives into Genesis, After the Fall”, 6:00-7:00 pm in Room 151.
After the Apple: Join Jack Nuzum as he continues the study of Genesis finishing the story of humanity's emergence into self-consciousness depicted in Genesis 3 with the eating of the fruit. We are plunged into time, consequences, and shame with all these imply. Don't worry if you haven't made the previous classes: Jack will catch you up!
January 15 - THE TRADITIONAL PLAN: A Defense of Traditional Marriage Rev. Jay Armstrong Rm 151 6-7 pm
END-OF-YEAR GIVING
If you are making gifts at the end of the year and would like to take the tax deduction (if able) in 2019, please make sure that your gifts are received by December 31, 2019, postmarked by December 31, 2019 or, if using a credit card, the credit card transaction date must be December 31, 2019. Giving statements for 2019 sent in January 2020 will reflect contributions received accordingly. Please feel free to contact Doris Bowen, Treasurer, if you have questions about giving up to this time. Bowen_g@msn.com (Bowen underscore g) or 505-410-7213.
IRA ROLLOVER GIFTS
Remember that if you are 70 1/2 you may make a charitable IRA rollover gift to St. John’s United Methodist Church that has significant tax advantages to you. It allows you to give from pre-tax assets. If you do not itemize, the IRA rollover still allows you to give while receiving tax benefits. Additionally, and IRA rollover gift may help you avoid income that could push you into a higher tax bracket. Please consult your tax professional for specific ways it may help your tax burden. If you would like to make a charitable IRA rollover gift, just notify your IRA custodian.
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Women's Bible/Book Studies Beginning in January
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First Corinthians, Living Love When We Disagree
by Melissa Spoelstra (Bible study)
Tuesdays, January 14 – February 25, 2020 (7 weeks), 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., led by Dara Bell
Cost of study materials, $11; registration deadline, December 29, 2019
With more and more ways to communicate in a culture that encourages sharing the details of our lives, there exists greater and greater opportunity for disagreement. Our differences seem more pronounced. Our words sound more divisive. Even as Christians, we struggle to get along. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians living in Corinth about this very thing, encouraging them to not ridicule one another but to work together to show the love of Christ. In this six-week DVD study, you’ll explore Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians and discover how to live love even when you disagree.
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Sermon on the Mount
by Jen Wilken (Bible study)
Tuesdays, January 14 – March 10, 2020 (9 weeks), 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. led by Ann Look
Cost of study materials, $13; registration deadline, December 29, 2019
Most of us have only encountered the Sermon on the Mount in fragments, considering its subdivisions as complete teachings in their own right – a study on blessedness
; a reflection on the Lord’s Prayer; a discussion of religious devotion, money, ambition, and relationships. But what if we navigated these three chapters in Matthew as they were originally heard: as one cohesive, well-ordered message, intended to challenge us to think differently about what it means to be a follower of Jesus, a citizen of the kingdom of Heaven? Come and learn from Jesus, just as His disciples did.
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God of Creation, a study of Genesis 1 - 11
by Jen Wilken (Bible study)
Tuesdays, January 14 – March 17, 2020 (10 weeks), 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., led by Donna Bruce
Cost of study materials, $14; registration deadline, December 29, 2019
The opening lines and chapters of Genesis teach us fundamental truths about God. We watch Him bring light after darkness, order after chaos, and rest after toil—all through the power of His Word. Over 10 sessions of verse-by-verse study, dive into the first 11 chapters of Genesis by following three critical stages of understanding: comprehension, interpretation, and application. Revisit familiar stories and historical figures, challenge your basic knowledge, and discover deeper meanings in the text. As God reveals Himself through Scripture, we can only begin to understand ourselves when we first glimpse the character, attributes, and promises of our Creator
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ROUND TABLE LEADERS MEET TODAY
This Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of the month, but there is no Underground; we will have our last Round Table Students Leaders meet at 9:30 am up in Room 258 for the year. All students should go to worship during the 9:30 hour until January 5.
SOLID GROUND YOUTH GROUP HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
Due to Lessons & Carols and Christmas, there will be no Sunday youth activities Dec 22. We plan to join “The Collective” joint youth group event offsite for their event on Dec 29—details forthcoming. We will be back up and running full strength on Sunday, January 5.
SONRISE CHOIR
Hey there! Come sing with us in the Sonrise Youth Choir! Find us on Instagram here: instagram.com/sonrisechoir.
Learn more about our Youth programs
here
!
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Click the image below to access our Advent & Christmas calendar!
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Friday, December 13th
We ask God that you guide and bless the WINGS families, especially at this time of year.
Saturday, December 14th
We ask God to guide and bless our staff as they prepare for the holidays. Please give them some time for themselves to enjoy the holiday.
Sunday, December 15th
We ask God to bless families who are struggling this holiday season.
Monday, December 16th
We praise you God for leading so many to donate so that others can have a Merry Christmas.
Tuesday, December 17th
We thank you God for giving us a church to worship you and learn more about our relationship to you.
Wednesday, December 18th
We thank you God for giving us church leaders to keep everything going.
Thursday, December 19th
We ask that you help us keep our focus on you during the coming week.
Friday, December 20th
We thank you for all of the volunteers who help our many ministries.
-- Karen Tidler
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CHRISTMAS FOOD BOXES: 2019
for the John Marshall Community Center
Interested St. John’s church members are invited to participate in our program of providing Christmas food boxes to needy families served by the John Marshall Community Center in the south Broadway area of Albuquerque. This year’s timeline looks like this:
*by
Sunday, December 15,
commit to Jack Nuzum (tel. 265-5241,
jcnuzum@juno.com
, Room 151 at 9:30) as to the number of boxes which will be provided and by whom. There also will be a SIGN UP SHEET in the Hospitality Center/FLC with a suggested LIST OF CONTENTS for the boxes.
*on
Saturday, December 21
,
2019
, bring the completed boxes to the
west side of St. John’s
between
8:00 and
9:00 am.
*If the Saturday morning collection time doesn’t work for your boxes, we will also collect boxes FRIDAY (Dec. 20) EVENING BETWEEN 5:00-6:30 pm in the Narthex.
We will arrange for refrigerator space at the church for perishables overnight.
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Weekly Activities
CHILDREN’S SUNDAY SCHOOL/NURSERY
A Sunday nursery is available for young children in Room 138. See “This Week at St. John’s” for children’s Sunday School class locations.
NEW BOOK STUDY IN THE NEW SPIRIT CLASS - Sundays at 9:30 am
We in the New Spirit Class would like to invite congregation members to join us for an upcoming book study on Sunday mornings. We will be studying John Ortberg's I'd Like You More If You Were More Like Me: Getting Real About Getting Close. Ortberg is both insightful and humorous and this will be a study of developing relationships with God and others by avoiding common relationship pitfalls and responding to our need for others. The study starts on December 8, 2019, at 9:30 AM Sunday mornings, in Room 151.
FAMILY SPIRIT CLASS - Sundays at 9:30 am
The Family Spirit Class meets at 9:30 am Sunday on the second floor in the education wing across from the youth room. This Sunday, our Advent study continues with Amy-Jill Levine’s book, Light of the World: A Beginner’s Guide to Advent. This four-week study includes a weekly DVD presentation and discussion handout. Everyone is welcome. Please contact Doug Sweet if you have questions at 554-6047.
TAI CHI - Thursdays at 10:30 am in the Family Life Center
It’s a great time to join the Tai Chi class. Tai Chi does not require physical fitness or coordination and may be done standing or seated with some modification. All age groups are welcome. No special clothing or equipment is required. Contact kathleen_sta@yahoo.com or 220-4814.
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Mission & Outreach
DECEMBER SPECIAL OFFERING: Two ministries for Children
This month, we have the opportunity to support two wonderful ministries dealing with children. The Methodist Children’s Home in Waco, Texas, has helped troubled children (ages 12-18) find a place to heal and grow in a loving Christian environment for over 125 years. Younger children thrive in homes of loving foster parents. “They (MCH) are here for me when no one else is.” “They never give up on us.” “I now know that God’s going to be there for me. A second Methodist-supported haven for children is Providence Place in San Antonio, Texas. Its motto says it all: “Giving God’s Children a Faith, a Family, a Future.” “Providence Place loved me and helped me make the best decision for my child without any pressure,” said one birth mother in the open adoption program. And, as an adoptive couple puts it, “It is indescribable the joy that Abby has brought into our lives.” Providence Place also helps young adults with physical and/or cognitive disabilities develop their full potential and learn to live on their own with minimal assistance. Both of these fine ministries rely on our generous donations.
MEMORY CAFE PROGRAM
Join us on Saturday, December 14th at 2:30pm in the Sonshine Cafe. We will enjoy a Jolly Holiday sing-along, and decorate some holiday cookies. We will relax with some healthy, sit-in-a-chair, movement exercises, and we will craft a simple warm scarf project as a Community Outreach to Seniors in need this holiday!
ZUNI FOOD BOX DRIVE A HUGE SUCCESS
Thank you all UMW Circles, Preschool Plus, Therese & Children's Sunday School, the Family Spirit Class, the Looks, Eatons, and Perrys for the generous contributions to filling 15 Thanksgiving Food Boxes and providing 15 frozen turkeys for families in need at Zuni Elementary School this past week. Our support was deeply appreciated and our efforts were indeed a welcome Blessing for the families.
WAYS WE CAN SERVE
See what’s happening in December for missions at St. John’s! Come by the Hospitality Center to pick up your copy or download
here
.
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FAMILY PROMISE
Family Promise will be hosted at St. John's the week of January 12th -19th. Many hands make light work. Please stop by the Hospitality Center and Abide Service to sign to volunteer starting December 8th. Family Promise Volunteer Reorientation class will be held Tuesday, January 7th at 6 pm in RM 231. This is a great opportunity to learn more about Family Promise and recent changes our policies about hosting families. Have questions???? Contact Jenn Shields, 505-450-9978 (jennshields200@yahoo.com) or Linn Furnish, 505-884-6626 (swimsew@comcast.net)
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The Zuni Kindergarten Classes recently took part in planting seeds to learn more about gardens. Associate Pastor Kelly Giese talked about seeds with Ms. Riley’s class. Green bean sprouts are up! The class planted some seeds in a glass aquarium to watch the roots as well. Thanks to Zuni Elementary for this opportunity to be a good neighbor!
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Prayer & Congregational Care
COUNSELING SERVICE AVAILABLE
The St. John's staff includes a licensed mental health counselor. If you or someone you know is struggling emotionally with a difficult situation, counseling is available. See https://www.stjohns-abq.org/counseling-at-st-johns or contact Susan Brumbaugh at 505-506-6717 or
counselor@stjohns-abq.org
for more details about session and cost information.
PRAYER QUILT
Amy Martino and Rosalia Hargis are the recipients of the prayer quilt hanging in the Hospitality Center.
YOU MATTER TO US!
A person may be hospitalized or have another crisis in their life, and St. John’s may not know. Please call 883-9717.
PRAYER SHAWLS
If you know someone in need of comfort, healing, or encouragement, please consider giving them a shawl or lap robe that has been made with prayer. These can be found in the Hospitality Center.
CONGREGATIONAL CARE
If you would like someone to visit, call, or pray for a loved one or for yourself, please write to Jarrod Conyers, Congregational Care Coordinator, at jconyers@stjohns-abq.org or call 883-9717.
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Getting Oriented
ONLINE GIVING
You can give to the church electronically by using a debit or credit card. Click the link below, or visit the Giving Page on the church website and follow the simple instructions found there.
LOST & FOUND
A beautiful children’s quilt was left in the Hospitality Center. If this belongs to your child and you can describe it, please contact the office.
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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
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Questions? Contact Shea Perry at communicate@stjohns-abq.org
Shea is in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays
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