SHEPHERD'S E-NEWS
SHUMC CELEBRATING 40 YEARS
Take a Moment to Stay in Touch
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There are only 350 days until Christmas?
Did you smile......? groan......?
or both?
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OFFICE HOURS & CHURCH USE |
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This excerpt is taken from the Pandemic Update from Pastor Deborah sent out on Monday, January 4.
Effective immediately, all in-person classes, meetings and events are canceled. This includes our beloved sandwich making ministry for the
Justa Center and the men’s prayer group.
The library will remain closed indefinitely.
The church office will not be open to the public. Staff will respond to the needs of parishioners through email and phones, without direct contact.
Pastors and program staff (Parish Nurse, Music Staff) have been asked to work from home as much as they possibly can.
Our primary office staff, for now, will continue to work in the office with masks, social distancing and extreme care (their jobs are not easily done from home), but we are monitoring the situation to be sure we believe it is safe and this
may change.
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In-person worship will be resumed
when we are confident that it is safe.
Be safe out there. God is with us.
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SERMONS BY PHONE
Our weekend services, in a slightly shortened version, will be available by phone on Saturday
at 3:30 PM. Please share this news with friends who are not able to join us online or via DVD.
Simply call 1-623-223-9151.
The service will begin playing immediately.
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If you are on our email contact list:
We will send you an email Saturday afternoon containing a link to the worship service. When you open this email, you will see a picture with a triangle over the picture. Click the triangle, and the video will begin to play.
If you are not receiving these emails and wish to,
please contact the office to add your email address.
Click the triangle above the date you want to watch.
If you are a Facebook user, find it posted on either our Shepherd of the Hills page and/or the Shepherd Hills Facebook account. Click the triangle.
Please watch, then forward to a friend or two.
Click the link in the email labeled Online Attendance Card and
let us know that you are worshiping with us.
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During this time when we are unable to worship together, please know that your request to have a Mission Candle will be honored. It will be mentioned at the beginning of the worship service that we record each week.
Please note: The price to light the Mission Candle has increased to $20.00. The cost has been the same since the program's inception in 1995. Through your generosity, the UMW will be able to raise more funds and allow the opportunity to help support approximately 13 local charities.
We are asking for a minimum donation of $20. The Mission Candle can be dedicated to anyone to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, honor or in memory of someone special. Please call or email the office to set this up.
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Please join us in prayer for… |
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Our sister United Methodist Congregations:
Staff of Desert Southwest Conference
Wesley & Golden Gates Community Centers
Justa Center, Phoenix
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INTERCESSORY PRAYER
While we are not able to be in the Prayer Room
at church for intercessory prayer time, we are offering intercessory prayer by phone. We will
make ourselves available on Sundays from
10:00-11:00 AM.
If you want prayer at another time, call either of us. If we don’t answer, leave your name and number and we will return your call.
Bill White – 623 688 7565
Linda White 623 688 7417
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LEAVE A PRAYER REQUEST
On Our Prayer Line
Please call our prayer line at 623-584-2922 to hear a short prayer. Then you will be invited to leave specific prayer requests, which will be forwarded to the Prayer Team.
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STAYING IN TOUCH WHILE WE ARE APART |
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NEWSLETTER & E-NEWS DEADLINES
Please be sure to have all articles for the February newsletter in the office by next Friday, January 15. Articles received after this date may not get placed in the newsletter, so please be aware of the deadline.
The office has been relaxed about the deadline in the past. The formatting process takes time and placement and every article that comes in later makes more work for the staff. The staff is working under a deadline also, and it becomes a challenge and results in the staff having to add pages to make room and then balance out articles.
The deadline for the E-News is every Wednesday. The E-News is put together on Thursday to be sent out on Friday.
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SHUMC LIBRARY IS CLOSED
UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
Due to the recent spike in confirmed Covid-19 cases, the library will be closed until further notice.
If you have books to be returned, please leave them on the bench outside and the staff will put them in the bin to be sanitized.
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The PBJ Crew
Thank you for your support of the Justa Center ministry to homeless seniors in Phoenix.
Due to the spike in confirmed Covid-19 cases, the church has returned to lockdown status. The PBJ crew are working from their kitchens assembling sandwiches for the Justa Center to help feed the homeless seniors.
If you like to help with sandwich making, please contact Pam Rice at pamean@msn.com.
We will also accept donations of peanut butter and jelly. Please bring them to the outside bench at the church office during the hours that Shawn is there …before 1pm. (Some of us prefer the creamy peanut butter because it spreads easier and faster!!)
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THANK YOU FOR REMEMBERING
FAMILIES AND CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY
On behalf of United Methodist Women and the Missions Committee, we thank the congregation of SHUMC for helping us bring Christmas to those in our community who are served by Valley View Food Bank. You donated toys and gave over $350.00 in funds to purchase toys. We took 10 boxes of toys for children, aged infant to teenage, to the Food Bank to be distributed with food boxes.
The Missions Committee, from their designated account, provided $500.00 in gift cards for shopping at Walmart and other gift cards were donated as well.
It is such a blessing to be a part of such a loving and caring church. We thank you and so do those in the community who received your generosity. Many thanks again for bringing Christmas to those who are less fortunate than us.
Blessings,
Pam Rice, Chairman of Missions
Sandy Bradley, President of UMW
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MISSIONS COMMITTEE NEEDS
Although everything has changed in our lives this year, some things remain the same. The need for warm clothing, gloves, socks and food are still needed for those in our community. Monetary donations are always welcome. Send the money to the church, addressed to Julie Calvert, and note which group the money is to go to. We can shop for you or order things online.
JANUARY Missions and Holding Up Your Corner Task Force Committee on Justice (Dysart Community Center): Kathy Culliton and Pat Burke, leaders of this Task Force, partnered with Missions in the support of Dysart Community Center. They have after school programs and adult classes, like GED (high school certificates) and ESL (English as a second language), The after school programs are currently on hold. They need jeans and snack foods and will send us sizes and other suggestions later in the year. We will be collecting jeans and snacks in January.
FEBRUARY Missions (Valley View Food Bank): Souper Bowl Sunday. Food donations of soup and/or soup making ingredients will be collected in February.
You may leave donations at the office front door and an elf will bring them into the church.
ONGOING We always need creamy peanut butter/jelly, lunch bags and sandwich baggies for the Justa Center Sandwich Program (now on Mondays at 9 AM). Call, text or email Pam Rice for a seat each week (pamean@MSN.com or 801-540-6573). We take 40-60 loaves of sandwiches each week. Thank you to the diligent workers who volunteer. We could not do this without YOU!
Thank you for your generosity.
Missions Committee
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Are You a “Winter Visitor?”
We would love to know
In our congregation, knowing who is “normally” with us only part of the year is very helpful in our ministry work. We would like to update our database with this information, as well as ensure that we have BOTH addresses and sets of contact information for you locally and “back home.”
If you consider yourself a winter visitor (someone who regularly spends part of the year in another place), please let us know by sending an email to church@shepherdofthehills.org or by calling the office.
Then, when you arrive in the fall, you can touch base to let us know you are here and when you leave in the spring (or whatever your pattern is) you can touch base to let us know to use the “away” address.
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ZOOM LINKS FOR MEETINGS AND CLASSES |
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MEETINGS AND ZOOM LINKS
The start of a New Year is a good place and a good way to start doing something differently.
Every time a committee, class or bible study has a meeting, the office will send out a meeting reminder on the morning of the meeting, along with the Zoom link and any attachments (such as an agenda, etc).
Now the information for the meeting, along with the Zoom link and the agenda, is close-at-hand, instead of buried in your inbox.
This has already begun with the meetings and classes scheduled in this first week of January and it is working great and is very helpful to everyone.
For meetings or classes with an open invitation to join in, the notice and the link are located in this section of the E-News every week.
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COFFEE HOUR MEETS
EVERY SUNDAY AT 10:00 AM
The Zoom link is below:
Shepherd of the Hills is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Weekly Coffee Hour
Time: January 10, 2021 10:00 AM Arizona
Join Zoom Meeting
https://dscumc.zoom.us/j/96985152672?pwd=RlZ6ZnJrcVh2bFJ5NjZQcit4a2VHUT09
Meeting ID: 969 8515 2672
Passcode: 521004
Dial by your location
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Find your local number: https://dscumc.zoom.us/u/adUweQdUUv
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LIFE CHANGING BIBLE STUDY
The weekly Bible Study has resumed and meets on Thursdays, at 1:30 PM. We hope you will join us!
The Bible Study is held via Zoom. The link is provided below.
We will use the "Life Journal" which identifies scripture readings for each day of the week. Journals are available at the church. They are on the bench in front of the glass sliding door or at https://www.liferesources.cc. It's okay if you don't have one. We will give you the daily scriptures. A reminder email will be sent Thursday morning with the link to join the bible study group. If you have any questions, please contact Pat Burke or Diana Kline.
Topic: Life Changing Bible Study
Time: Jan 14, 2021 01:30 PM Arizona
Join Zoom Meeting
https://dscumc.zoom.us/j/99647389992?pwd=NzEyN2xDK2FPRjQ2elozVjNVWVV4dz09
Meeting ID: 996 4738 9992
Passcode: 930604
Dial by your location
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Find your local number: https://dscumc.zoom.us/u/ajRryXrdK
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BOOK CLUB
Due to the recent spike in confirmed Covid-19 cases, the Book Club will meet via Zoom on Thursday, January 21 at 9:30 AM. The book, Postville, is about Orthodox Jews who moved to a small Iowa town and set up a successful meatpacking plant. A clash of cultures in heartland America resulted and the people lived well.
Please join us for discussion around this book. Everyone is welcome to participate.
Topic: Book Club
Time: Jan 21, 2021 09:30 AM Arizona
Join Zoom Meeting
https://dscumc.zoom.us/j/97255013327?pwd=MzIwak9HQlVzalRUTDA1UEdaM2cwZz09
Meeting ID: 972 5501 3327
Passcode: 614833
Dial by your location
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Find your local number: https://dscumc.zoom.us/u/ac4BZza3BA
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WHAT CAN OUR PETS TEACH US ABOUT FAITH?
To find out, please join our Zoom sessions on
Fridays, January 22 and January 29 at 10:30 AM
Bill Price and Darlene Bradner will be facilitating and the sessions promise to be informative and interesting. Who doesn't love to talk about and learn more about our pets and our faith!
If you wish to attend, please contact Darlene at dbradner@cox.net. The Zoom link is attached below.
Sponsored by the Education Committee.
Topic: What Can Our Pets Teach Us About Faith?
Time: Jan 22, 2021 10:30 AM Arizona
Join Zoom Meeting
https://dscumc.zoom.us/j/96114667396?pwd=dG9JMmZFODhZaU1Rb3dXVkpEOTZiUT09
Meeting ID: 961 1466 7396
Passcode: 840676
Dial by your location
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Find your local number: https://dscumc.zoom.us/u/avcAeOP1v
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BIRTHDAY AND ANNIVERSARY SECTION
WILL BE PRINTED MONTHLY
IN THE VOICE NEWSLETTER
Email your birthday and/or anniversary dates to: jodi@shepherdofthehills.org to be included in the monthly celebration article. Please include month/date/year. The year will not be published, but the information will help us update the church database.
We will keep your date(s) in a folder and when the month arrives, your name will be included in the birthday/anniversary article. You can send in your dates at any time.
(To be included in the February newsletter, please submit your dates by Friday, January 15).
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SEND US A POSTCARD
We realize many of you cannot get pictures to us, so we invite you to send us a postcard – a brief note to the church by email, or on the special “Postcard” section of your attendance/registration card.
We will put all your “postcards” together and send them out as part of Crazy Monday Photos and Postcards. It’s just another way we can stay connected, even when we cannot see each other. We love to hear from you. Send us a postcard this week.
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We have received some wonderful photos and we get to know, a little bit better, the people who make up our congregation.
Thank you to everyone who has sent in photos of the great things you have been doing.
Every Monday we will feature a person or group showing us what keeps them entertained during quarantine.
All you need to do is send an email with an attachment to:
Subject Line - Crazy Monday
Questions: Call Carolyn Hicklin at 515-979-2861.
We look forward to seeing what everyone has been doing!
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LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS
Several members and friends of Shepherd of the Hills Church volunteer at St. Mary's Food Bank on the third Thursday of each month.
The food bank is located at 13050
W. Elm Street, near the corner of Bell and Dysart roads, behind the DMV. Park in the area to the far right of the entrance and walk in the door on the ramped sidewalk by the big American flag, Turn to the left when you get inside and go all the way to the back where the coffee room is. You will see other volunteers there and they will show you the work area and the task.
Donated food comes in bags and boxes and our task is to sort it into big bins in the warehouse. No heavy lifting is required, but some walking is involved. Up to 10 people can be in the sorting area. Everyone must wear a mask (bring your own or they will be provided) and remember to stay at least 6 feet of distance apart. Gloves will be provided. Wear a name tag and closed-toe shoes. For more information contact Becky Fay at 623-518-9502.
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JUSTA CENTER NEEDS YOU!
Click on the link below to see how you can help the Justa Center in providing for the homeless seniors.
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MONETARY DONATION
TO FOOD BANKS
Give hope to your neighbors in need. $1 helps provide enough food for 7 meals. Your donation is 100% deductible and may qualify for the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit. You may also donate on behalf
of your business by clicking HERE.
If you have questions, or would like to donate by phone, call (602) 242-FOOD.
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To see our current calendar, please click on the link below:
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Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church
13658 W. Meeker Blvd.
Sun City West, AZ 85375
623-584-2280
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Pastor on Call for Emergencies: 623-584-7642
Prayer Line: 623-584-2922
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We are counting on your financial support, even when we cannot gather. You can give in many ways:
a. Mail a check to the office: 13658 W Meeker Blvd, Sun City West, AZ 85375 or drop your gift through the mail slot in the left side of the glass sliding doors.
b. Go to the website at www.shepherdofthehills.org and click on the ONLINE GIVING tab. You will be guided through several choices for your giving.
d. Call Julie Calvert, our Financial Secretary, and leave a message. She will return your call to set up regular online giving or to make a gift with credit or debit card by phone.
e. Add Shepherd of the Hills to your list of payees for bill pay from your checking account through your bank. This can be set up for weekly or monthly gifts to the church.
f. Donate right from your smartphone through our GivePlus Mobile app. Here is what you have to do:
1. Download the free GivePlus (Give+) app from the App Store or Google Play.
2. Find our church by Zip Code or by searching for Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church.
3. Give as a Guest or set up an account.
Thank you for your generosity!
Due to our current situation, Julie will have to call you back as soon as she picks up her messages and/or emails.
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Shepherd of the Hills
United Methodist Church
13658 W Meeker Blvd
Sun City West, AZ 85375-3700
Website: www.shepherdofthehills.org
Email:church@shepherdofthehills.org
Office: 623-584-2280
FAX: 623-584-1868
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Pastor-On-Call for Emergencies:
623-584-7642
Prayer Requests:
623-584-2922
Partners in Prayer: prayers@shepherdofthehills.org
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