A Letter From Pastor Randall
Dear Beloved of St. John’s,
On March 3rd we learned that the planned-for General Conference of The United Methodist Church was postponed (again) until 2024. At the denominational level, this means several things, including further deferral of any sort of resolution of our protracted disagreement over human sexuality and the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons, not to mention further uncertainty about the structure of our worldwide denomination.
Personally, I’m frustrated and disappointed that our denomination is not moving towards resolution of these (and other) significant matters. At the same time, I understand the difficulties of hosting a global gathering amidst a pandemic, and the challenges of ensuring that everyone is represented fairly and equitably.
I must admit, however, that I am a little relieved for the sake of our life and ministry together at St. John’s. We have so much more on our plate than our current denominational upset, and God is calling us to focus on these things first: to love God, love others, and be about changing lives. Without neglecting that we are tied to a denomination that is in a moment of high tension, we can continue to be in prayer together, we can seek to follow Jesus together, and we can keep our focus on God’s kingdom, no matter what. That is my hope for St. John’s for our current season.
If you would like to visit with me or Pastor Tiffany to learn more about denominational matters, or share any questions or concerns you might have, please feel free to contact us anytime.
Blessings,
Randall
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Mountain Cathedrals Hike on Saturday at Piedra Lisa Trail in the Sandia Mountains
Our next Mountain Cathedrals Hike is Saturday, March 19, at the Piedra Lisa Trail in the Sandia Mountains
Logistics: Meet at 7:30 a.m. at St. John’s UMC east parking lot or 8:00 a.m. at the Piedra Lisa Trailhead just outside of Albuquerque (Google Maps: Piedra Lisa – South; please RSVP in either case). Plan to be back to the cars by 2:00 p.m. The hike is about 5 miles, elevation gain 1,300 feet, so moderate to strenuous. Bring masks, lunch, water and sun protection.
Psalm 91 addresses times of danger. If we look to the Lord, He will be our refuge and fortress. Let us consider this as we ponder amazing views of the towering cliffs of the Sandias above us and the city of Albuquerque spread below us, all visible in a sweep of the eye.
Please join us for this hike of meditation, sweat, and peace.
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Strikes For Seniors on Saturday
Silver Horizons will hold a fun bowling event to help struggling seniors on Saturday, March 19, from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Skidmore's Holiday Bowl (7515 Lomas Blvd NE). Bowlers of all ages and skill levels are welcome to this family-friendly event. Even if you're not a bowler, please come show your support by cheering on your friends and family. Cost is $20 per bowler; sign up as a single bowler or be part of a 5-person team. Proceeds from the event support Silver Horizons' programs for seniors including free groceries, household bill assistance, and minor home repairs. Click here for brochure and registration form.
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St. John's Jammers Meets on Sunday
St. John's Jammers will get together this Sunday, March 20, at 2:30 p.m. in room 149-151 by the Family Life Center. All instruments and all levels of players are welcome. We hope you can join us, we will try to find some Easter themed tunes.
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Memorial Service for Rosemary Rogers on
March 23
A memorial service for Rosemary Rogers will be held on March 23, at 1 p.m., at La Vida Llena, 10501 Lagrima de Oro Rd NE, in Albuquerque. All are welcome to come and celebrate her life.
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Funeral for Cheryl Eagan on March 25
There will be a funeral service held for Cheryl Eagan in St. John's Sanctuary on Friday, March 25, at 1:00 p.m. Interment will follow. The Eagan family is most grateful to everyone who prayed for Cheryl. Please continue your prayers for the family as they mourn the loss of their loved one.
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Coffee with the Pastors on March 27
Frequent visitors and guests are invited to join Pastor Randall and Pastor Tiffany for “Coffee with the Pastors” on Sunday, March 27 between the services. If you are new to St. John’s and would like to learn a little bit more about our programs, ministries, and mission, or if you’d just like to visit, please join us in Room 245 (upstairs) from 9:15 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. (between the Mosaic and Abide services) or from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (between the Abide and Sanctuary services). We’d love to have you join us!
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Women's Bible Study on The Names of God, His Character Revealed Begins March 29
Our next Women's Bible Study class will be on The Names of God, His Character Revealed by Melissa Spoelstra.
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March 29 - May 10 (7 weeks), Tuesdays, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. via Zoom
- Facilitator: Donna Bruce
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Register by emailing donnabruce@comcast.net
It can be hard to make sense of God with all the injustice and suffering in the world. Sometimes He seems elusive, and His instructions in Scripture are often confusing. With so many questions about God, how can we really know Him better? By learning more about His names! In this study, you will explore many of the names of God found in the Bible: Elohim, El Elyon, Yahweh, Abba, Jesus, Messiah, Holy Spirit, and so many more. This study will not just give you facts about God; it will help you know Him personally as you learn about His character. The more you discover His heart toward you, the more you can trust Him with the issues you face every day. By the time you've turned the last page, you'll be drawn into deeper love and greater worship of the God who sees you - and knows you by name.
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Spruce Up St. John's Work Day on April 2 -
Sign Up Today
Plans are developing for our workday on April 2, and we hope you are planning to be there. This is an opportunity for you to join with other members of the congregation and get your hands a little dirty sprucing-up the St John’s campus. With Easter coming up and the likelihood that we will have a significant number of visitors, it would be great to put our best foot forward and show off the St John’s campus – and we need your help to do it!
The list of projects is growing, meaning the more who participate the more we can get done. So we can plan for tools, supplies and lunch, please tell us if you plan to be there. Click here to fill out our simple online form.
Please complete the form today and tell us how much of the day you can spend with us, what projects you want to work on and whether you want to eat lunch with us. For questions, contact Les Bruce by email: lesbruce@comcast.net or phone: (505) 263-4338.
It’s going to be a great day – hope you can join us.
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Confirmation Classes Begin on April 3
We will have our first confirmation lunch and meeting Sunday, April 3, following the 11 a.m. service. We will meet upstairs in the youth rooms. After lunch, youth are invited to hang out, work on homework, attend choir, etc. until youth group at 4 p.m.
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Easter Egg Hunt on April 9
Our annual Easter Egg Hunt is on Saturday, April 9, at 1 p.m. We will meet in the Family Life Center, but weather permitting, we will hold the hunt outside. All children are welcome, invite your friends and family! Bring your baskets, friends, and cameras!
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Palm Sunday Journey to Chimayo on April 10
Palm Sunday journey to Chimayo - Please join the youth as we take a holy journey to the Sanctuario Chimayo on Palm Sunday. We will leave the church at 2 p.m., Sunday April 10. Please contact Pastor Tiffany (thollums@stjohns-abq.org) if you are interested in joining us (we are looking for parents who would volunteer to drive). There will be no Youth Group at 4 p.m. that Sunday.
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POLO is Back! Meets Next on April 19
We encourage you to join us as we "wheel on down" to The Wheels Museum, located at the Railyards (1100 2nd Street SW), on Tuesday, April 19. We'll meet at the museum at 10 a.m., and Leba Freed, president of the museum, will provide a short presentation prior to our tour. Parking at the museum is somewhat limited, so you may want to arrange carpooling with others. There is no admission fee, but the museum relies heavily on donations, so please consider what you can give. For those interested in "doing lunch" after the museum, we'll let our wheels take us over to the Sawmill Market, 1909 Bellamah Ave. NW, which offers a variety of food courts and plenty of dining areas. POLO is "Persons of Leisure and Others", so if you fall into that category, please join us for some reminiscing about where the wheels of our lives have taken us! We'd like to know how many people to expect, so please sign up on the "Wheels Museum" sign-up sheet in the Hospitality Center. "Wheels" hope to see you there!
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Holy Saturday Easter Vigil on April 16
Join us as we create prayer stations journeying to the cross with Jesus. Saturday, April 16 the congregation is invited at 6 p.m. At 9 p.m. the youth will begin their night watch as we pray hourly until Easter morning. Youth are also invited to come early on that Saturday at 2 p.m. to help hide eggs for the Easter egg hunt and then stay through the Easter Vigil. Youth will stay through the night and then wake up early Easter morning to shower at the church and attend the 8:15 a.m. service.
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Bible Sunday is April 24
Please email Pastor Tiffany at thollums@stjohns-abq.org if you would like to receive a 3rd grade Bible. We are offering this also to 4th and 5th graders who missed receiving their Bibles due to COVID! Bible Sunday will be Sunday, April 24 during all 3 services, so please also let Pastor Tiffany know at which service your child would like to be presented with their Bible.
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Shirley Berry Has Passed
Shirley Marie Berry passed on March 10, 2022 she was born November 9, 1929. She was a loyal member of the St Johns family for over 25 years. She is survived by her daughter Shawna Stewart and son Jim Berry. She lived a long and wonderful life. She knew the Lord and her heart was always kind and caring . In lieu of Flowers please make a donation to the St Johns Food Ministry where her favorite meal was always on Wednesdays for the delicious church dinner. Friends can send cards to 3904 Pitt St NE, Albuquerque, 87111.
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Trinkets & Treasures Postponed Until Fall
The Trinkets and Treasures Sale that was scheduled for March 25 and March 26 has been postponed until the fall. We will let the congregation know as soon as new dates and times have been selected. Email Regina Hampton at hamptonmason1@msn.com or Donna Bruce at donnabruce@comcast.net with any questions.
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Family Promise Volunteers Needed
St. John's will be providing volunteers and meals during the week of March 27- April 2. We need two volunteers each evening, except for Wednesday night, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The shelter for the program has recently moved from the Church of the Good Shepherd to Montgomery Church of Christ. Please go to the sign-up website Family Promise: Family Promise March Dinner Volunteers for more information and to volunteer. If you have any questions please contact Jenn Shields at jennshields200@yahoo.com and 505-450-9978, or Linn Furnish at swimsew@comcast.net and 505-884-6626.
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The Healing Journey "Homework" Now Available on St. John's Website
Each week during Lent, Pastor Randall is preaching on "The Healing Journey" where he covers different topics related to repairing broken relationships in our lives. After the service, there is printed "homework" available for congregants to take home if they would like to explore repairing relationships further with prayers, scripture readings, and questions to consider. These handouts are now available on our website for anyone who didn't get a chance to pick up a copy, or would like to share these resources with others. Click here to see our blog, where you will find all of "The Healing Journey" homework articles as they are sent out after service.
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Easter Egg Collection for Children's Egg Hunt
We are collecting items for the upcoming Children's Easter egg hunt. Please bring plastic eggs, individually wrapped candy (no chocolate please due to melting), Easter baskets, and small prizes. We are going to be inviting our community so we hope to have a lot of children and families! Invite your friends and family. Please bring any donations to the Hospitality Center in the Narthex.
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Schedule a Tour and Register for Preschool
The Preschool is getting ready for another wonderful school year with pre-registration for our Church families and our enrolled preschool families. We will be able to serve families with children 6 weeks to preschool age 5 for the new school year! Our Preschool is a 5-star Nationally Accredited Program and works hard to nurture and support children and families and provide a high-quality preschool experience in a Christian Environment.
To enroll your child for the upcoming school year you will need a registration packet, a copy of your child’s immunization record and the $175.00 registration fee. Registration packets are available in the preschool office. Come see us! I would love to give you a tour. St. John’s Preschool accepts ECECD Child Care Assistance. Open enrollment for the public will begin on April 1st. If you should have any questions, please call Preschool Director Cathy Lubold at (505) 883-0496.
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March Special Offering: Four Corners Native American Ministry
For many years St. John's has heeded the command to love our neighbor by supporting the Four Corners Native American Ministry in developing churches, supporting pastors, providing Sunday schools and Vacation Bible schools and more.
This winter there has been a new need. There is no homeless shelter in the Shiprock area, and every year people die of exposure. Recently more women are among the homeless. Last fall two doctors who work with the homeless asked the Four Corners Ministry if they could open their dorm area for a winter shelter from October - April and provide some meals, give out hygiene supplies and more. This shelter has made a huge difference for "the least of these" in our state, and our financial donations will continue to make all of these ministries possible. Please give generously.
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Help Provide Aid for Ukraine
We have received a number of requests from our congregation members about ways we can help provide aid for those in Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees. The United Methodist Church is collecting funds through UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, which responds to natural and human-caused disasters outside of the United States. Click here to read more on ways United Methodists are standing with Ukraine. Click here to give through UMCOR's Advance program, and 100% of your donation will be given to the Ukraine and Moldova Mission.
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Changing Lives... Together!
As we continue to "live into" our church's motto --- "Loving God, Loving Others, and Changing Lives", let's focus on the things we give, individually, that when combined with the donations of others in our congregation, have a greater impact toward our goal of "changing lives". In March, we're collecting in-kind donations, as follows, for our ongoing Weekend Meal Bags for Zuni students in need: (all items in single-serving sizes, only) tuna salad with crackers; chicken salad with crackers; cheese cracker packets; goldfish crackers, and shelf-stable white or chocolate milk. Please place your donations in the wire bins located in the Hospitality Center. If you'd prefer to make a monetary donation for this project, please write "Zuni bags" on the memo line of your check made payable to St. John's UMC. Together, we are "changing lives"! Thank you.
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Watch the Livestream of Our Sunday Services |
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Submission Deadline for Disciple Connections is Wednesday evening for the Friday weekly edition. Click here to send your articles to editor Nicole Creaturo.
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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.
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Pastor 24-Hour Hotline | (505)585-5435
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. Also, if you are interested in being a part of a congregational care team, please contact Pastor Tiffany.
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