November 18, 2022

Mountain Cathedrals Hike This Saturday

to San Lorenzo Canyon

San Lorenzo Canyon is one of the classic walks of central New Mexico, but not widely known. It reminds me of the Escalante Canyon system (Utah) in miniature. The canyon itself is a fairly level walk except for one short scramble, so is easy to moderate. However, as in life, there are many tempting detours. Let us phrase this differently: There are many optional short side trips that offer interesting scenery. Perhaps we can make time for a couple?  

Logistics: Meet at 8:00 a.m. in the St. John's UMC East Parking Lot to carpool or drive alone to the hike (which is about 70 miles south of Albuquerque, mostly on I-25). Plan to return to the church by about 2:00 p.m. Bring warm layered clothes (early temperatures will be in the 20s), sturdy walking shoes, trekking poles if you have them, lunch, water, sun protection and enthusiasm!

Please join us for this hike of meditation, wilderness, and time apart from our normal schedules.

Organizer: Mike Furnish, 505-440-7292; mdfurnish@comcast.net

Save the date: The next Mountain Cathedrals hike is planned for Saturday, December 17.

Hanging of the Greens Celebration This Sunday

Please join us November 20, 2022 to prepare our facility for the season of Advent! 

Come and go as your schedule provides. Work, eat and have some fun with the St. John’s community, and start the season of Advent in church creating a beautiful space for people to feel welcome, and to worship! 

A light lunch will be served. 

The following is the Schedule of events and locations throughout the church building! 

• 10:30 a.m. (following Abide): begin set up/staging for FLC-side of the building, banners, greens in FLC, wreath fluffing / fixing / hanging. 
• 12:00 p.m.(following Traditional Service): quickly put away banners, altar cloths, etc. 
• 12:45-ish: Chile and cornbread lunch  
• 1:30-ish: Decorations continue around FLC area and): banners, greens in Sanctuary, decorations for Narthex, Music wing 

New Advent Bible Study Beginning Tuesday

Women's Advent Study: The Angels of Christmas, Hearing God's Voice in Advent by Susan Robb

• November 22 - December 13 (4 weeks), Tuesdays, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.,  IN PERSON
• Facilitator: Dara Bell
• Register by emailing donnabruce@comcast.net

This Advent study explores the angelic visits surrounding the birth of Jesus with Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds in a four-week Advent experience. The participants will explore the visits and dive deep into the history of the angel Gabriel and other angels in the Bible. The messages of the angels hold meaning for listeners both then and now. Pastor Randall will also preach an Advent sermon series on this book. Some copies of the book ($13 each) will be available in the Hospitality Center for purchase.

No Families of Faith November 24

No families of Faith next Thursday-Happy Thanksgiving See you all the next week!  

Jingle and Mingle on December 1

Our United Women in Faith Christmas Luncheon is scheduled for Thursday, December 1, at 11 a.m. in the Family Life Center, and we want you to join us for the festivities. Chef Tim's menu includes: turkey, a fruit tray, veggie salad, and dessert, for a donation of $12.00 per person. Reservations are required, no later than November 25, by contacting Regina at hamptonmason1@msn.com. We'll have a short program, our Installation of Officers for 2023, plenty of time to "jingle and mingle", and eat! We'll warmly welcome everyone, and, as always, encourage visitors to join us!

(Executive Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. in the Family Life Center for a brief meeting, followed by luncheon set-up.)    

Charge Conference at Church Council Meeting on December 1

At our regularly scheduled Church Council meeting on 12/1, we will be convening a brief Charge Conference in order to approve Nominations for 2023 and handle the Membership Audit for the current year. After addressing these two business items, the Church Council will continue with its agenda for the evening.

Youth News



Please be in prayer for our group as we take 19 youth and 6 adults on the Youth Fall retreat this weekend to Sacramento Methodist camp.  

Youth-we will be meeting in the west parking lot this Friday at 4:00 p.m. to get on the road. Please bring money for two fast food meals (up and back) as well as money for anything you'd like at the gift shop!  

No Youth November 20 or 27- Get ready for the Christmas season!

No Sonrise Choir Rehearsal November 20.

Volunteers Needed to Serve Communion

We need volunteers to assist our pastors in serving communion to our congregation Sunday mornings at the 11:00 a.m. services. We need two people to stand next to each pastor to offer the cup to our congregants. For more information, please contact Brenda Rogers, by phone (505) 293-7948, or by email wewasus@hotmail.com.

Help Fill Stockings for the Bair Foundation

The youth and children at St. John's UMC are going to be making stockings for children and teens who are in treatment foster care through an amazing ministry in town called the Bair Foundation. If you would like to learn more about the Bair Foundation, please visit https://www.bair.org/locations/albuquerque/. We need stocking goodies to fill about 45 stockings! Please help us by bringing any of the following: small toys, trinkets, coloring books, games, stuffed animals, candy, individual snacks, or anything else that you can think of that a child would love in a stocking. These stockings will be given to the children and teens at their Christmas party, held here at St. John's in December! For questions, please contact Tiffany at thollums@stjohns-abq.org. 

Appreciation for Participation in Navajo Christmas Project

St. John’s UMC provided a variety of donations to help Navajo families with clothing, bedding, cleaning supplies, food & cooking materials, toiletries, and toys.  Your collective donations resulted in three air sorties and one ground sortie from Albuquerque because there were so many donations from so many Christians expressing their Christmas Spirit. There were over 80 air sorties from around New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, making similar donations.  The Southwest Indian Foundation staff stated, repeatedly, that this year’s Navajo Christmas Airlift was the largest and best, ever. 

Christmas Food Boxes 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:

• Sunday, December 11, 2022: Commit to Jack Nuzum (tel. 505-265-5241, jcnuzum@juno.com) 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 with a suggested list of contents for the boxes. List of contents can also be accessed by this LINK.

• Saturday, December 17, 2022: Bring the completed boxes to the WEST side of St. John’s between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. 

Save the Date: New Mexico Conference Lay Servant School January 20-21

This event, scheduled for Friday evening and Saturday daytime, will include a choice of three courses: Basic Lay Servant, Personal Prayer, and Congregational Care. These are available for Lay Servant credit or for personal Christian growth. Registration will be available soon through the NM Conference website (https://www.nmconfum.com/lay-servant-training/ ). Questions: Please contact Mike Furnish (mdfurnish@comcast.net or 505-440-7292).

No Mobile Food Pantry This Month

Unfortunately, we have to cancel our November 19 Mobile Food Pantry. Roadrunner Food Bank will be busy with the Fall Letter Carrier’s Food Drive. They do need volunteers for this event so I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity. You can participate by leaving a bag of non-perishable food at your mailbox and/or volunteering at post offices throughout the city: 2022 Fall Letter Carrier’s Food Drive.

For questions please contact Debby Smith, 505-554-4238, dysmith0427@gmail.com.

Chef Tim Will Cook Your Thanksgiving

Turkey or Ham

Do you not have time to cook the turkey or ham this year for Thanksgiving? Are you feeding scores of people and your oven won’t fit a 24 lb turkey? Have Chef Tim slow roast your turkey or ham for you. Please provide a $40 contribution with your own turkey or ham and bring to the kitchen Sunday, November 20 or contribute $60 and Chef Tim will get the turkey or ham. 

Pick up in the kitchen: Thursday, Nov. 24 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. For more information, contact Chef Tim at 505-883-9717 x 141 or tnuzum@stjohns-abq.org.

Angel Tree Ministry

The Angel Tree ministry has been supported by St. Johns for many years. If you’re not familiar, Angel Tree provides gifts for children whose parents are incarcerated, in the name of the parent! Of course, it could not be done without the generosity of the people of St. John’s. You will have two opportunities to pick your “Angel” from the Trees that will be in the Narthex and the Family Life Center on November 13 and 20. Then you’re off to shop for a gift of clothing and a “fun” gift for “your” Angel, spending $20 on each gift. You can return the wrapped gifts, with the Angels attached, to church on November 27th and/or December 4. Volunteers will sort the gifts into family groups, and then make certain they are delivered to the Angels before Christmas!

If you are unable to shop, but would like to support the program, please pick your Angels, and give the volunteer at the tree your $40 contribution. Volunteers will do the shopping and wrapping for you.



Should you be interested in volunteering in some way, please contact Kathy Scherlacher at 505-918-5990.

Each year this Christmas time ministry brings great joy to the children and the love of Christ to their parents. Thank you, St. John’s, for your time, your gifts, and your support of Angel Tree.

November Special Offering: UMCOR

Gifts this month lay the foundation for UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) to share God's love when crises such as the recent hurricanes in Florida and Puerto Rico and floods in Appalachia occur. The money we give underwrites UMCOR's administrative expenses so that 100% of any gift given to a specific UMCOR project goes directly to that project.  

UMCOR is known for its quick and lasting response to crises all over the world. Please give generously.

Help Silver Horizons

Did you know we're developing a wonderful partnership with Silver Horizons? On a monthly basis, they purchase some   food items to supplement our Mobile Food Pantry and Zuni Weekend Meal Bag project, and we, in turn, collect non-food items for their clients -- items that Silver Horizons is unable to purchase with their grant money. It's a win-win situation! So, with that in mind, we're devoting the month of November to collecting the following non-food items for Silver Horizons: paper products, such as paper towels, toilet tissue, and facial tissue; hygiene items in regular sizes, such as toothpaste, shampoo, bar soap or soft soap, men's and women's deodorant, and individually-wrapped toothbrushes. Cat food (dry and canned) is also always in demand by the clients of Silver Horizons. Please be sure that all items are new and unopened, and bring your donations to the wire bins in the Hospitality Center. We'll deliver them promptly to Silver Horizons. Thank you!

Weekend Meal Bags for Zuni

Thank you, St. John's, for continuing to support our ongoing Weekend Meal Bag program for Zuni students who are experiencing food insecurity. Each week, our group of volunteers provides meal bags for 45 children, at a cost of $12 per child, per week. This equates to $540 per week, and it simply wouldn't happen without your continued monetary and in-kind donations. If you aren't quite sure which food items are needed at any given time, a monetary donation is always appreciated (please make checks payable to St. John's UMC, with "Zuni Meal Bags" on the memo line). If you enjoy shopping for meal bag food items, we encourage you to purchase any of the following individual-sized food items during the month of November: shelf-stable white and chocolate milk; oatmeal packets; cheese-and-cracker snack packs; pudding or jello cups; and nut-free granola or breakfast bars. You truly are "key" to the success of this project, and we appreciate your support! 

We're celebrating our first year packing weekend meal bags for children in need at Zuni Elementary School. Our three meal bags contain two breakfasts, two lunches, and two dinners and we deliver bags every week - even for summer school this year!

We have a room designated at St. John's for putting these bags together so if your group might be interested in serving in this way, please contact Donna at donnabruce@comcast.net.

St. John's United Methodist Church

2626 Arizona Street NE | Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110

Office Hours (call only): Monday - Thursday, 9a.m. - 4 p.m.

Friday, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Pastor 24-Hour Hotline | (505)808-1624

Pastor care is available for after hours emergencies. Any congregational care needs, please send those to Pastor Tiffany at thollums@stjohns-abq.org as we all work together to love one another well.