Mobile Food Pantry
Saturday, March 15
Roadrunner Food Bank’s distribution center provides food to hundreds of partner locations across New Mexico. You can use their Food Finder Map to find food assistance locations near you.
This ministry provides much appreciated food to our community families every month. Volunteers arrive 8:30-9:00 a.m. and distribution begins ~ 9:30, depending on the time the Roadrunner truck arrives. We are usually finished well before noon. Please contact me with any questions: Debby Smith at 505-554-4238 or dysmith0427@gmail.com.
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Mountain Cathedrals Hike: Piedra Lisa Trail
Saturday, March 15
Lent commemorates Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), and is a chance for us to face ways we are wandering in the wilderness and facing temptation. The real-life wilderness of the Sandia Mountains provides a wonderful setting for such meditations, and the Piedra Lisa Trail traverses a sublime corner of this region under magnificent cliffs of the Shield.
We'll start at the Piedra Lisa South trailhead near the La Luz trailhead, and hike to the Rincon (2.1 miles, 1300 feet of climb), a beautiful rocky ridge visible from much of Albuquerque. We will either return or continue to the Piedra Lisa North trailhead near Placitas (3.5 miles, with 2300 feet of descent). Meet at the St. John's UMC (Albuquerque) East parking lot at 7:30 or at the trailhead at 8:10. Plan to be done with the hike by about 2:00 and back at St. John's by 3:00. We will only hike to the Piedra Lisa North trailhead if we're able to set up a drive-around, so please contact me if you're interested in this possibility. Note: We are watching the weather (some snow forecast) to see if plans need to be changed.
Please join us for this hike of meditation, wilderness, and time apart from our normal schedules. Contact Mike Furnish with questions at (505) 440-7292 or mdfurnish@comcast.net.
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"Music at St. John's" Presents Olga Perez Flora & Jamie Flora Performing "Das Lied von der Erde"
Sunday, March 23
Join us for an unforgettable afternoon of music on Sunday, March 23 at 3:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Hear Olga Perez Flora, mezzo-soprano, and Jamie Flora, tenor, perform Gustav Mahler’s monumental symphonic song cycle "Das Lied von der Erde" with 16-piece chamber orchestra, conducted by Matthew Greer. There is no admission charge, a free will offering will be received. Can't come in person? Join us online for the livestream.
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St. John's UWF Book Discussion by Zoom
Thursday, March 27
The United Women in Faith are doing our next Zoom Reading Discussion Group on Thursday, March 27, at 7:00 p.m. The book being discussed is "Braiding Sweet Grass". It is listed in the UWF Reading Resource under Spiritual Growth Category. This book is an historical novel by Robin Wall Kimmerer and can be found in the St. Johns UWF reading cabinet (2 copies), checked out through the ABQ Public Library (Hoopla or Kindle) or purchased through Amazon for $11.33.
If you would like to join this discussion group, please contact Julie Bencoe at dabencoes@yahoo.com or Regina Hampton at hamptonmason@msn.com. Regina Hampton will send out invites to the Zoom meeting. A reminder of the reading discussion group plus an invite to the Zoom meeting will be sent a week before the event.
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Building a Healthy Future for Yourself and Community
Saturday, March 29
St. John’s will sponsor an Advanced Lay Servant workshop open to all friends and members of St. John’s and the surrounding community on Saturday, March 29, from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. It will be facilitated at St. John’s by Larry Luna CLM and Dee Billops CLM candidate, in conjunction with the NM Conference and Rio Texas Conference. Speaker Aundi Kohler will lead the session via zoom, with classroom exercises at St. John’s to help us manage stress in this stressful time. No matter where your stress is coming from, Aundi will help us deal with unwelcome change by naming it, then deciding ways to deal with the emotions that arise from that change. We may not have the power to change outcomes, but we can adapt our response to the change so that it does not harm us physically and mentally. Lunch will be served and we will close with Holy Communion and prayer. Registration is $25 on the NM Conference website.
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Women's Bible Study
Tuesday, April 1
How Much More, Discovering God's Extravagant Love in Unexpected Places by Lisa Harper. Tuesdays, April 1 - May 13 (7 weeks), 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., ZOOM, led by Donna Bruce. Participants can register by contacting Susan Perry at teachersusan@comcast.net, signing up in the Hospitality Center on Sundays or by contacting the church office. Participants must purchase their own books.
Maybe your head knows that God is always good, but your heart's not so sure. Or perhaps while reading Scripture, you've wondered if our Creator Redeemer went through a personality change - from strictly enforcing the rules in the Old Testament to loving the outcast in the New! In this Bible study, you'll discover divine love in the often overlooked and misunderstood passages in Scripture. And you'll be delighted to find that Jehovah of the Old Testament is the same redemptive and compassionate God we see through Jesus Christ in the New Testament. He has always been and will always be for us!
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Notice of Bettye Hess Passing
It is with sadness to report that Bettye Hess, age 97 and a long time member of St John's, passed into heaven on Friday, March 7. Bettye was active in women's groups and adult Sunday school. There will not be a memorial service, at Bettye's request.
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McCurdy Book Drive Thank You
Thank you to all who generously donated children’s literacy books for the McCurdy book drive during February! Rev. Tiffany Hollums, Director of McCurdy Ministries, was so appreciative for the delivery of 12 large boxes of books that will help jump start the new children’s community outreach program that will begin in a few weeks on campus. The Holy Spirit is moving rapidly at McCurdy with wonderful new programs designed to be hands-on practical support to grandparents raising grandchildren. You are all such a blessing to the Espanola Valley community!
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Open Mic Night
Mark your calendars! Albuquerque Disability Arts Collaborative is continuing its Open Mic Nights at 6921 Montgomery Blvd. NE on March 20 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:00 p.m.
Come sing a song, do a dance, read a poem, tell a story, tell jokes, perform a funny skit with your friends, the world's your oyster at our open mic nights. We love you and all of your abilities, gifts and talents. Come share them with us or just enjoy the show! Free coffee, hot chocolate and donuts, and free praise and encouragement. GLBTQIA+ friendly! Contact Rachel Minnaar at rachel@adacnm.org with question.
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Fish Fry Week 1
We had an exciting Fish Fry Dinner on Friday, March 7! That night:
- 417 meals served
- 1 policeman attended
- $266 was collected in the Tip Jars for Zuni and Eugene Fields Elementary School Weekend Meal Bag programs
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A total of 114 volunteers worked on Thursday and Friday
- 12 Boy Scouts from Troop 285 volunteered their time on Friday night
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Volunteer Opportunities Available!
Thank you so much for your interest in volunteering! Currently, all our volunteer opportunities are filled. However, there are occasional times when a volunteer is unable to attend their scheduled shift. To help us during these moments, we're creating an on-call volunteer list.
If you'd like to lend a hand but missed the chance to sign up earlier, we encourage you to join this on-call list. For more information or to sign up, please contact Wayne Shirley at (505) 294-1018 or email him at jwshirleyabq@gmail.com.
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Support Our First Responders and Zuni Elementary Families
St. John's congregation can purchase Fish Fry Dinner tickets as a donation for our local first responders (police and fire) and Zuni Elementary families. Tickets are $18 each and available for purchase in the Hospitality Center on Sundays.
Do you have family, friends, or neighbors who would enjoy the Fish Fry Dinners? You can "gift" them tickets by purchasing advance tickets in the Hospitality Center on Sundays.
For more information, please contact Wayne at (505) 294-1018 or email jwshirleyabq@gmail.com.
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75th Anniversary Apparel Sales Update
Thank you, congregation, for your enthusiastic support of our 75th Anniversary celebration! It's wonderful to see our church family proudly wearing the anniversary apparel. While we have had strong support so far, please mark your calendars for these additional shopping dates on March 16 at the Welcome Center, before and after all three services, and at Fish Fry Events on March 14, March 28, and April 4.
Our high-quality apparel selection includes:
- Adult and youth t-shirts featuring the 75th Anniversary logo
- Embroidered polo shirts in various colors
- Short and long sleeve utility shirts
- Dress shirts with tasteful embroidery
- Baseball caps embroidered with "St. John's United Methodist Church"
Many items are crafted from eco-friendly materials, including fabrics made from recycled water bottles. Available in sizes XS to 6XL, with samples for trying on (XS through XL). We have several new items that were mistakenly ordered now available for immediate purchase at reduced prices.
All purchases require prepayment via cash, check, or credit card through the church's online payment system. Please note that this is not a fundraising event. For questions, please contact Steve Maggart at (505) 363-4306.
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Routine Is Good
This Sunday we continue with our normal routine of Sunday School in the morning during 11 a.m. worship in room 258. Then at 4 p.m., we have Youth Group starting in the FLC. We hope to see you there!
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Afterglow
Afterglow for high school students will be taking place this Sunday, March 16, after youth group from about 6:15 to 8:15 p.m. This month we will be having fun at TopGolf, at 1600 Desert Surf Circle NE (just west of I-25 southbound frontage road, south of Montano Rd). Please RSVP to Brett Reece at youthdirector@stjohns-abq.org so he can reserve the proper amount of space for our group. Find more information about Top Golf here.
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Families of Faith
Families of Faith will occur most Wednesdays during the school year. We have shifted activities just a little to better meet family scheduling needs. Please feel free to give feedback & let us know if the changes are helpful for your family at childrensdirector@stjohns-abq.org. Thank you!
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Easter Egg Hunts Are Coming!
Love kids? Like fun? If your answer is YES!, then we have two awesome opportunities for you. Mark your calendars & grab your baskets! St. John’s is hosting an Easter egg hunt & celebration at McCurdy Ministries Community Center in Espanola on Saturday, April 12. This is a Children’s Ministry mission to share God’s love with kiddos & families in northern New Mexico. We need candy (small/individually wrapped) and volunteers. If you would like to help with a donation, please drop off candy to the front office any time between now and April 6. If you would like to come up to McCurdy to help with all the fun, please contact Angela Lybarger at childrensdirector@stjohns-abq.org or (505) 250-3875. Volunteers must be Safer Sanctuary trained.
The annual Easter egg hunt here at St. John’s will take place on Easter morning, April 20, out in the playground area. The fun will happen at 10:30 a.m. between the 9:30 & 11:00 services. All candy donations will be greatly appreciated!
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Prayer Quilt
Michael Mortimer and friend, Tanya, are the recipients for the prayer quilt currently on display in the Hospitality Center. If you pass through the Hospitality Center this week, please tie a knot in the quilt while praying for Michael and Tanya. Won't be in the Center this week? No worries, either way please pray this prayer (or your own prayer) for them: "Dear God, be with Michael and Tanya as they navigate life’s challenges. Bless them with peace and joy, wisdom and courage as they follow their dreams. Help them to find purpose and to use their talents to make a positive difference in the world. In Jesus's name, Amen.”
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March Special Offering: New Mexico Immigrant Law Center
Border issues are obviously a great concern these days. The NM Immigrant Law Center helps in many ways . Its mission is to" advance justice and equity by empowering low immigrant communities to collaborative legal services, advocacy and education."
NMILC partners with civic groups, pro-bono attorneys and individuals and groups like us at St. John's. Please give generously to this very timely need.
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Gathering Items for Catholic Charities of Central New Mexico
During March, we are collecting donations to support the Catholic Charities of Central New Mexico. Their mission is to honor human dignity and put faith into action, transforming lives and providing crucial support to those in need. Below is the list of requested items. In-kind donations help provide safety, refuge, and hope for homeless and refugee families as they begin their journey toward self-sufficiency in central New Mexico.
Donations can be placed in the mission bins located in the Hospitality Center. Donation suggestions include new items, such as shelf stable food staples, diapers of all sizes, laundry detergent or gift cards for grocery stores, pharmacies, and department stores (please hand to one of the Hospitality Center volunteers; do not leave in bins). New or gently used items, such as lamps, twin/full sheet sets, twin/full blankets, new pillows, kitchen towels, dishes, glassware, silverware and pots & pans. Please make sure these items are clean and in good shape.
Catholic Charities provides a convenient pickup service for large furniture items in good condition. To schedule a pickup, call (505) 724-4678 and leave a voicemail with your name and a brief description of your items or reach out via email at coronadoa@ccasfnm.org. A volunteer will contact you promptly to discuss your donation and arrange the pickup. Accepted furniture items for pickup include: beds (not king-size), dining tables + chairs, apartment-sized sofas and loveseats, end tables, and coffee tables.
Contact Donna with questions at donnabruce@comcast.net or (505) 263-2531.
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St. John's United Methodist Church | (505) 883-9717
2626 Arizona Street NE | Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110
Office Hours: Monday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Friday, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
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If there is an after-hours Congregational Care need, you may leave a message on Rev. Molly Shannon’s church office phone 505-883-9717, ext. 127 – or email care@stjohns-abq.org and she will respond as soon as possible. | | | | |