February 3, 2023

A Letter From Pastor Randall

Dear Beloved of St. John’s,

Last week at our regularly scheduled Church Council meeting, our 2023 Budget was approved, based on the recommendation of our Finance Team. The world of church finances is often its own wonderful and curious place, dependent as we are almost entirely on the generosity of our people, but I hope with this brief letter I can offer some points of clarity, hope, and encouragement as we look ahead to this year.

First, the good news. St. John’s finished 2022 with a slight surplus of just over $44,000! Although our tithe and offering income was a little less than we projected, our overall expenses came in even lower. In addition, we received more income outside of the tithes this past year than we expected, which also helped a little bit. In fact, we have had a small surplus for at least the last couple of years, which gives us both some cash reserves for unexpected expenses, but also some flexibility in our planning and budget going forward. In fact, Finance recommended (and Council approved) that we draw from last year’s surplus to help this year’s budget.

This year’s budget comes in at $1,424,386 and reflects about a 4% increase over our 2022 budget. As we all are aware, costs are increasing in a number of areas due to inflation, and the same is true for expenses here at St. John’s. Some of our increased budget items are reflective of this reality. Other areas of increase, however, are reflective of our commitment to grow our ministry and our witness. For example, we have increased the budget for our Children’s Programs, which are seeing wonderful growth (and potential for even more) and have increased our staffing budget to include some part-time support for this vital ministry. Importantly, we have also added to our staffing budget in 2023 so that we can offer increases in compensation for our incredible team of paid staff, many of whom have not had an increase in their pay for quite some time.

Overall, our final 2023 budget is a stretch for us financially, and we adopted this budget with an anticipated gap or shortfall of about $21,000. We hope to meet this shortfall with a close eye on expenses (as in previous years), through additional streams of outside income, but also through the generosity of our congregation as we invite you to step up with us in this effort by giving a little more when and where you can.  

Having been through two budgeting cycles here at St. John’s now, I can attest to the serious attention to good stewardship that takes place. Our leadership is attentive to all aspects of our financial life together, from expenses to income (and everywhere in between), and are deeply and prayerfully committed to steward the financial resources of this congregation for God’s good work. I’m grateful for the leadership of our Finance Team and Church Council and especially for our Business Manager, Jamie Davidson. If you have questions or concerns about our finances, you can reach out to myself or any of these folks.

With a grateful heart, 

Randall

Memorial Service for Susan Cockrell Today

Susan Cockrell, wife of former pastor Rev. Craig Cockrell, has passed away. A memorial service will be held for Susan in St. John's Sanctuary on Friday, February 3, at 11 a.m. There will be a reception immediately following the service in the Family Life Center. If you would like to send Rev. Cockrell a condolence card, please send it to the New Mexico Conference office at 11816 Lomas Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87112--5614.

Family Pretzel Day on Saturday

Come, twist with us... pretzels, that is! Our United Women in Faith is hosting Family Pretzel Day on Saturday, February 4, from 10 a.m. to noon in the Family Life Center. Each person will receive enough ready-to-twist dough for three pretzels. We'll learn the significance of pretzels in the Christian Lenten season, as well as participate in a craft. We'll be "rollin' in the dough" on February 4, and we hope you'll "rise to the occasion" and join us! Everyone is welcome, so please invite friends and family members. Pre-registration for this event is required.

Congregational Care Meeting This Sunday

The next Congregational Care Group meeting will be held on Sunday, February 5, in the Library (room 230) immediately following the 11 a.m. worship service. For questions, please contact Tiffany Hollums at thollums@stjohns-abq.org.

Women's Bible Study Nothing Wasted, God Uses the Stuff You Wouldn't Starts February 7

The next Women's Bible Study will be on the book Nothing Wasted, God Uses the Stuff You Wouldn’t by Kasey Van Norman. Class details:

• February 7 - March 14 (6 weeks), Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., IN-PERSON
• Facilitator: Barbara Stanfield
• Register by emailing Susan Perry at  teachersusan@comcast.net, signing up at the Hospitality Center on Sundays or calling the Church Office (505-883-9717)
• Participants will purchase their own books

Do you ever wonder what God could do with your regrets, sorrows, failures, or broken past? Have you ever been confused about why God would allow something to happen? Perhaps you feel your story is either too scandalous or too boring to be used by God in a powerful way. In this Bible study, Kasey Van Norman presents God as a mixed-media artist who knows exactly how to use all the unlovely pieces, gracefully gathering the broken bits and scraps of our lives to create a masterpiece of redemption. Kasey takes the pressure off of outing our past, instead revealing God as the perfecter of everything that brings us shame or pain. God does not care if we are the reason for or the recipient of our messes--he wants us to understand the magnitude of receiving his grace and trust him to transform our pain into something glorious! With God, nothing is wasted.

Jolly Elders Meeting February 8

Jolly Elders will be meeting on February 8 at 11 a.m. in Room 251. Regina Hunter will be our speaker. She first got interested in family history in third grade, around 1956. In 1960, she and her dad prepared a “family tree,” a large poster of a tree showing her father’s extended family, for her grandparents’ 50th anniversary.  She got serious in 1973, when she took a class in genealogy from Lowell Volkel, the Illinois State Archivist. Since then she has continued and extended her research to the ancestry of her children and their first cousins. She has visited libraries, cemeteries, and courthouses in 27 states and the District of Columbia. She and her daughter-in-law have taught several classes at St. John's, and she has published several limited-edition family histories for special occasions, and five drafts of her book, My Grandmother Told Me.  

Regina will discuss four ways that we can pass on our family history to our children and grandchildren through memories, photos, and stories. Bring a pencil and a photo, and be prepared to get started!

Mobile Food Pantry Date Change: February 11

Because of the President’s Day holiday, we are having our February Mobile Food Pantry a week early on February 11. Volunteers arrive around 9:30 a.m. and distribution begins at about 10:15 a.m., depending on the time the truck arrives. We are usually finished by noon.

If you are interested in helping or have questions, please contact Debby Smith at 505-554-4238 or dysmith0427@gmail.com.

Memory Café on February 11

You are invited to the Memory Café on Saturday, February 11 from 3 - 4:30 p.m. in the SonShine Café. We are a lively, energized group of people from all around Albuquerque who want to meet new friends and be in community with others caring for loved ones who have any form of mild to moderate dementia. Please park in the east lot and enter through the door that has the sign, SonShine Café above it.

The next Caregiver-Loved One time together will also be in on February 11 in the SonShine Café in the afternoon. Click here to download the event flyer and share with a friend.

Sponsored by the Alzheimer Foundation of Albuquerque. Contact Mrs. Jensen at ssmjens@aol.com or Coby Livingstone at 505-259-3672 for more information.

Please Help February Family Promise Host Week

Note: New Sign Up Link

We need your help for Family Promise host week February 12-19, 2023. (Note: We are having another hosting so soon because of need at the Center and also to free St. John’s for the Fish Fry. Next hosting is not until May.) 

Family Promise is a national program that supports homeless families in cities across the United States including Albuquerque. For six weeks during the year, St. John’s is responsible for meals brought to the Montgomery site. In addition, we are asked to stay on site for two hours to give relief to the permanent staff. If you would like to pair up with someone to provide a meal and stay for two hours, please contact Jenn or Linn. To volunteer, please check out this new, active link to sign up: Family Promise: 2023 February Family Promise Meals or sign up in person at the Hospitality Center.

If you have questions, please contact Jenn Shields - jennshields200@yahoo.com - 505-450-9978 or Linn Furnish - swimsew@comcast.net. To see more information about family promise click here.

Phishing Text Claiming to be Pastor Randall

It has been brought to our attention that several members of the congregation received a phishing text message from someone claiming to be our Senior Pastor, Randall Partin. In this text message, the person asks that the recipient send gift cards for a congregation member in need.

If you receive this text message, please do not respond. Know that neither Pastor Randall, nor anyone at St. John's would ever solicit for gift cards or money in this way. 

It is possible that the sender of these text messages gained access to our members' cell phone numbers by hacking into our church directory. In order to make sure this information is secure, our IT team has requested that anyone who accesses the church directory login, and change their password. Click here to find out how to change your password to our church directory.

Marge Neil Has Passed

Marge Neil, who became a member at St John’s in 1970, passed away on Sunday, January 22 at the age of 97. Marge had recently move to Georgia. Please keep her family in your prayers as they grieve.

Nancy Warnes Has Passed

Nancy Warnes, a member of St. John's for almost 20 years, passed away on Wednesday, February 1 at the age of 90. Please keep her daughter Linda and her family in your prayers.

Memory Café Volunteers Urgently Needed!

We regret to announce that the Memory Cafe meetings will be suspended after our February 11 meeting due to our not having enough volunteers to organize it. We urgently need someone who is computer proficient to  send out bulk notices and to update files, as well as a treasurer. Also needed are a registrar and one or two people for contact and communications. Not all positions even require you to be present at Cafe meetings, but it would be a pleasant bonus for both you and the participants! If you think you could help in assisting us to resume these much-needed meetings please contact Sharon Jensen at 505-323-7522 or ssmjens@aol.com.

Space Needed for Bicycle Donations

Steve Eckels, our “bike guy” is in need of a new space to store and work on bicycles. Steve has generously given out bikes for free to the community for several years. If you have a large ware-house or know of a reference that can help Steve out, please contact him at 505-321-5205 or email at beesteve1@gmail.com.

Send Care Package to College Students

Do you know a college aged student we could send a care package to this spring? Could be a St. John's UMC or your grandchild...we want to let them know they are loved. Please email Tiffany at thollums@stjohns-abq.org with their name and address!

Volunteers Needed for Children's Chapel

Children's Chapel volunteers are needed for our growing group at the 9:30 and 11 a.m. services. We are so blessed to welcome more and more new families and children to St. John's UMC! We have outgrown the children's chapel and we are needing more loving adults to help serve in Children's Chapel. If you feel a tugging at your heart, love kids, like to have joy on Sunday, and love Jesus-please prayerfully consider volunteering to serve 1-2 services a month in Children's Chapel. Contact Tiffany (thollums@stjohns-abq.org) for more information.  

Feed the Youth!

We have a growing and hungry group of youth coming Sundays from 4-6 p.m. We were SO BLESSED in the fall with so many coming and sharing delicious snacks made and served with love that we want to continue this new tradition. If you or your class or small group would like to provide snacky stuff (nachos, home baked yummies, fruit, chips....pretty much anything thrills this group) for 25-30 (yes....you read that correctly!) please sign up at the Youth Snack Supper signup at the Hospitality center or contact Tiffany at thollums@stjohns-abq.org.  

February Special Offering: Covenant with Missionaries

St. John's continues its support of two missionaries. First is Desiree Segura- April who lives in Honduras and works with at risk children to provide safe places for children to have holistic and creative Christian education. Second is Dr. Belinda Forbes who helps provide greatly needed, community based dental care in Nicaragua. We are very excited to announce that Dr. Belinda Forbes will visit St. John's on March 8. So save the date and look for details about her visit as they become available.

St. John's has a long history of supporting UMC missionaries around the world. So let's continue that generous support all during the month of February.

Our Zuni Weekend Meal Bags

This month, please continue shopping for single-serving donations for our ongoing Zuni Weekend Meal Bag project. We're collecting: shelf-stable white and chocolate milk; microwavable mac-and-cheese cups; microwavable ravioli cups; and nut-free granola or cereal bars. Please place your donations in the wire bins located in the Hospitality Center. If you wish to support this ministry with a monetary donation, please make checks payable to "St. John's UMC", with "Zuni Meal Bags" on the memo line. Your donations are really making a difference for the hungry students at Zuni Elementary, and we thank you, from the heart, for supporting this program.

Silver Horizons

The seniors served by Silver Horizons are in need of the following new and unopened hygiene products: toothpaste; individually-packaged toothbrushes; men's and women's deodorant; bar or pump soap; shampoo and conditioner; and disposable razors. Regular-sized products are preferred. Many of these seniors are raising their grandchildren and live on a very tight budget, so your generosity gives them a boost! Please place your donations in the wire bins in the Hospitality Center during the month of February.  

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.