Messenger The We will grow in love of God, neighbor, and self as disciples of Jesus Christ in the Wesleyan tradition. Mountain View United Methodist Church 355 Ponca Place | Boulder, Colorado 80303 www.mtview.org | [email protected] | 303-494-5025 8:00 am: Chapel-Style | 9:03 am: Praise | 10:30 am: Traditional December, 2016 Messenger The In this issue: Be Still and Know - P. 2 Find out about Advent and Christmas worship this year at Mountain View. Adult Forum Advent Study - P. 3 Learn about the "Underdogs and Outsiders" of Advent. Advent & Christmas Music- P. 5 Steve Burchard gives a taste of what's to come musically this season at Mountain View. Meet Our Newest Members - P. 6 Learn about our newest members and give them a hearty hello! Outreach - A Year in Review - P. 8 Outreach is always busy and 2016 was no excepon. Take a look back at their accomplishments this past year. And more! Including: Worship Words, Green Earth Team, Radical Hospitality, the Monthly Calendar, Birthdays, UMW, Permanent Endowment, and more. Enjoy! It’s beginning to look a lot like Advent! Already the stores are displaying decoraons and Christmas songs are playing in the elevators. While we all have special tradions for Christmas Day, what about Advent? And, how do we describe and explain to visitors to our church this special season of preparaon and ancipaon? When you greet people new to church and vising our congregaon, how will you help them to feel a part of all that is going on? While Christmas trees and stockings filled with treats are understood by most, can you talk about Advent tradions? Advent derives from the Lan word for coming. It is the me of waing and expectaon of the birth of Jesus. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. Advent echoes the ancient longing for the Messiah and our job during this season is to prepare to spiritually meet Jesus. The Advent calendar is one way that many mark the days of ancipaon of Jesus’ arrival. Since the length of Advent varies, Advent calendars generally begin on December 1st. The Advent calendar was first used by Lutherans in Germany in the 19th Century: now-a-days people of many denominaons use them to mark the season. They come in designs from the religious to cartoons and science ficon. The Advent wreath is another way of marking the days of Advent. Each Sunday in Advent another candle is lit with the fiſth candle lit Christmas Eve. As each candle is lit, there are readings from Scripture and prayers that relate to the Advent theme for the week. While churches choose to focus on a tradional theme or adopt one of their own, the wreath almost always consists of a circle of evergreen boughs with four candles, either purple or blue, and a white candle in the center, the Christ candle. The evergreens represent everlasng life promised by Jesus, the circular shape represents God who has no beginning or end. Our church is decorated for Advent with the hanging of the greens. This is a me when the church brings out the decoraons stored the year before and readies the church for Advent. Part of the decoraons are the hangings on the walls and altar of the sanctuary. The color of the hangings change with the liturgical season: seasons of the church year such as Advent, Lent, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time. Tradionally, purple is the liturgical color for both Advent and Lent as it symbolizes both royalty and penitence. However, many churches use blue during Advent which symbolizes hope. The liturgical color will be changed to white on Christmas. Another decoraon is the Chrismon Tree. Chrismons are decoraons in white and gold that are explicitly Chrisan symbols. Chrismons were first used in Lutheran churches in 1957 and have since been adopted by many denominaon. Their purpose is to remind us of the many parts of the Christmas story.
Transcript
MessengerTheWe will grow in love of God, neighbor, and self as disciples of Jesus Christ in the Wesleyan tradition.
Mountain View United Methodist Church355 Ponca Place | Boulder, Colorado 80303
In this issue:Be Still and Know - P. 2Find out about Advent and Christmas worship this year at Mountain View.
Adult Forum Advent Study - P. 3Learn about the "Underdogs and Outsiders" of Advent.
Advent & Christmas Music- P. 5Steve Burchard gives a taste of what's to come musically this season at Mountain View.
Meet Our Newest Members - P. 6Learn about our newest members and give them a hearty hello!
Outreach - A Year in Review - P. 8Outreach is always busy and 2016 was no exception. Take a look back at their accomplishments this past year.
And more! Including:Worship Words, Green Earth Team, Radical Hospitality, the Monthly Calendar, Birthdays, UMW, Permanent Endowment, and more. Enjoy!
It’s beginning to look a lot like Advent!Already the stores are displaying decorations and Christmas songs are playing in the elevators. While we all have special traditions for Christmas Day, what about Advent? And, how do we describe and explain to visitors to our church this special season of preparation and anticipation? When you greet people new to church and visiting our congregation, how will you help them to feel a part of all that is going on?
While Christmas trees and stockings filled with treats are understood by most, can you talk about Advent traditions?
Advent derives from the Latin word for coming. It is the time of waiting and expectation of the birth of Jesus. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. Advent echoes the ancient longing for the Messiah and our job during this season is to prepare to spiritually meet Jesus.
The Advent calendar is one way that many mark the days of anticipation of Jesus’ arrival. Since the length of Advent varies, Advent calendars generally begin on December 1st. The Advent calendar was first used by Lutherans in Germany in the 19th Century: now-a-days people of many denominations use them to mark the season. They come in designs from the religious to cartoons and science fiction.
The Advent wreath is another way of marking the days of Advent. Each Sunday in Advent another candle is lit with the fifth candle lit Christmas Eve. As each candle is lit, there are readings from Scripture and prayers that relate to the Advent theme for the week. While churches choose to focus on a traditional theme or adopt one of their own, the wreath almost always consists of a circle of evergreen boughs with four candles, either purple or blue, and a white candle in the center, the Christ candle. The evergreens represent everlasting life promised by Jesus, the circular shape represents God who has no beginning or end.
Our church is decorated for Advent with the hanging of the greens. This is a time when the church brings out the decorations stored the year before and readies the church for Advent.
Part of the decorations are the hangings on the walls and altar of the sanctuary. The color of the hangings change with the liturgical season: seasons of the church year such as Advent, Lent, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time. Traditionally, purple is the liturgical color for both Advent and Lent as it symbolizes both royalty and penitence. However, many churches use blue during Advent which symbolizes hope. The liturgical color will be changed to white on Christmas.
Another decoration is the Chrismon Tree. Chrismons are decorations in white and gold that are explicitly Christian symbols. Chrismons were first used in Lutheran churches in 1957 and have since been adopted by many denomination. Their purpose is to remind us of the many parts of the Christmas story.
Wherever God Leads | Pastor Steven K. WarrenSenior Pastor | [email protected]
Worship Words: Sacred Storiesby Judith Rhoads | Worship Team
BE STILL; KNOW; ADVENT; CHRISTMASIn the midst of all the hustle-bustle of holiday ads, of finding the ‘perfect’ gift, of frenzied activity—God tells us
Be Still - Stop, close your eyes, breathe deeply.
Be still and Know that Emmanuel—God is with us.
It’s Advent—a time of waiting for God to come to us in our stillness.
It will soon be Christmas, the time of God’s entry into our world to be with us in love. As we gather and as we celebrate, we welcome God into our lives. Our Mountain View community becomes a place of stillness and worship and blessings. May we all share in the stillness and the love of the season and be prepared to move on into the future.
The order of God to “Be still” appears in the scriptures no less than nine times from Genesis to Revelations. It is not a gentle suggestion. It is an outright command! I feel that, especially in the run up to Christmas, we sometimes
need to simply stop, look, and listen for the blessings of the Lord. But this can be very difficult!
The most familiar use of this phrase may be Psalm 46:10, which says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Yet, the Bible also says, "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Ex. 14:14) “Be still, for this is a holy day.” (Neh 8:11) and “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their wicked ways. (Psalm 37:7) Jesus commands the restless waves by saying, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” (Mark 4:39) All of this tells me that when we need to think, feel, and simply BE in the midst of the “noise” of our lives, we can ask God to help us to enter the quiet, listen for God, and "Be Still!”
Be still is our Advent theme for 2016, and we are working quietly to make openings for God quiet the noise of the season. “Be Still.”
New Healing Prayer MinistryThe start of a New Year will bring a renewed opportunity for us to embrace Christ’s healing grace and power at Mountain View. Our Healing Prayer Partners will be providing "Laying on of hands" and healing prayers at all services on Communion Sundays, beginning Sunday, January 8, 2017. Jesus tells us, "What I do, you will do and greater." So we gather in obedience to bring God's love to those who suffer physical, emotional or spiritual pain. During Holy Communion, after the elements have been received, clergy and/or lay members will be at designated stations to receive all who would like personal, private prayer. We will ask how we can pray. It may be for physical healing, emotional healing, relational healing, financial needs or whatever is on the individual's heart. The prayer could be for the individual or a loved one. We will place our hands on their shoulders or sit with hands held. This is the idea of 'laying on of hands' as the Bible teaches. Our prayers are brief, earnest prayers offered in faith. We invite you to come forward and receive the blessings of prayer. According to Matthew 18:20, “ For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Be Still & Know: Christmas Worship at Mountain View
Sunday, December 11: Mountain View Sings9:03 am & 10:30 am
Saturday, December 24: Christmas Eve5:00 pm: Family Service
7:00 pm: Traditional Service with Head for Home & Spirit Singers
9:00 pm: Traditional Service with Wesley Ringers and Chancel Choir
Sunday, December 25: Christmas DayWorship at 10:30 am only
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Musings from Pastor SarahPastor Sarah Merchant | Associate Pastor| [email protected]
Be still and know…“Know what,” you might ask? Most of the time I stop to be still, and I know• What groceries are absent from the fridge• Who needs a call for a hello or check in• How I will arrange my schedule to fit in one more item on the to do list• When I need to be where and how and wait…I forgot about that!• How much my kiddo likes her current nap• What thank you letter needs to be written…
You get the idea. To be still and know is more like a tug-o-war between the mind- ever good and able with helping me work out all the great situations needing a solve- and the heart.
This Advent season I want to try something new as I give myself to a little stillness: allow my mind to know other, more foundational truths beyond the grocery list. My mind can begin to list off:• Who loves me and who I love• What gifts I have to relish in and use• What connections I hold with dear ones near and far away• How and when I respond in gratitude or joy or contentment• What many daily movements of body and spirit come together to live• How God envelops me in tenderness each day
With this knowing activity before me, being still seems all that more enticing. As I think of the characters of this Christmas season, I recall so many who had vocations that allowed them to be still. The shepherds in the field. The Magi peering into the sky. Joseph at his woodworking. Mary at her pondering of becoming a mother. My vocation as a pastor calls me to rest in prayer. My vocation as a wife calls me to be still and snuggle with my husband. My vocation as a mother calls me to delight in the very present moment to my child as she grows and learns.
These moments of stillness and knowing are just before me. I pray you discover similar graced opportunities to be still and know of God’s ever present hope and love for you this Advent season.
Peace and joy,
Adult Forum begins an Advent StudyThe Bible is full of surprises. At every turn, from the beginning of the Old Testament right through the end of the New, we find God working in unexpected, even strange ways to bring about God's purposes. During Advent, remembering this strange history of God working in our world helps us look forward to the birth of God's Son, Jesus. As if to remind us of this, the Gospel of Matthew presents a genealogy of Jesus before telling the story of his birth, including subtle references to the times God worked through unlikely people.
Matthew names five women in the family tree of Jesus: Tamar, a forgotten daughter-in-law and widow; Rahab, a prostitute; Ruth, a foreigner; the wife of Uriah, an adulteress; and of course Mary, a young virgin. This Advent study explores the stories of each of these five women, showing how they all played a pivotal role in God's purposes. By learning about these underdogs and outsiders, readers will uncover new dimensions of the story of God’s people and how that story comes into focus in the hope for the Messiah. Through the Old Testament stories the Gospel draws upon, Matthew reminds us to look for God in unexpected places during this Advent season.
Please join us as we journey through the Advent Season and find ourselves seeking the birth of the Christ child. Our time together is full of conversation, laughter and deep questions. We meet at 9:05 am in Frasier Parlor South. The book, Underdogs and Outsiders is by Tom Fuerst and can be ordered through Amazon or Cokesbury. If you have any questions, please contact Carol Forbes at [email protected].
Adult Forum
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Children and Family Ministries | Larissa HoffmanDirector | [email protected]
Fun Club: Friday, December 9, 5:30 pm Drop the kids off for a night of movies, pizza, crafts, and play while you enjoy some
quiet time. Cost for the event is $5 per child/$10 per family and is open to kids of all ages (nursery care available for younger kids). Fun Club is open to all families, so invite your neighbors and friends!
Mountain View Sings: December 11All kids are invited to join us as we present the story of Christmas through music, words, and costumes! Christ’s Carousel kids will join the Chancel Choir, Spirit Singers, and Head for Home in presenting music that will make your heart sing! In addition, all kids will be invited to wear costumes and participate in pageant-style readings to share the story with the congregations at both the 9:03 and 10:30 services. Rehearsals for this event began on November 27 during the Christ’s Carousel Sunday School hour. We will rehearse each week leading up to the event. In addition, there will be a dress rehearsal on Saturday, December 10. Kids, especially those with multiple lines, are asked to attend at 10:30am for a final run through.
“I bring you good news of great joy!” Luke 2:10 We are exploring the story of Christmas! Because this is a story the kids know so well, it is a challenge each year to create new ways to read, see, hear, and understand this tale. This year our focus is on the people of the nativity, and what it might have been like for them as they waited for the birth of Jesus. In Sunday Morning Live, we’ll journey through the story by visiting centers that explore the various people who make up the Christmas story, creating our own Nativities as we go.
Music is a big part of our session as we prepare to share the Christmas story with the congregation on December 11 as part of Mountain View SINGS! Kids will be dressed in costumes as they read and sing alongside members of the Chancel Choir, Head for Home, and the Spirit Singers, all sharing in the joy of the season! There will be no Christ’s Carousel on December 25 or January 1. We will begin our next session on January 8 as we explore the story of Jesus walking on water. Volunteers are needed to lead our workshops; please let me know how you can be a part of Christ’s Carousel!
Be a part of Christ's Carousel!Everyone is invited to be a part of Christ’s Carousel, our Sunday School program for kids ages 3 years-5th grade. Each week we learn, create, sing, dance, see, hear, taste, and explore Bible lessons using a variety of materials. And we need caring adults to come and be a part of this experience!
Why should you be a part of Christ’s Carousel?• You’ll experience Bible stories in all new ways• You’ll connect with our youngest church goers, building relationships with children and their families• You’ll explore your own ideas of faith as you interact with kids who are in the process of defining what faith means to them• You’ll see, feel, and share God’s amazing love• Being a part of Christ’s Carousel is easy! Volunteers commit to two weeks at a time, leading both age groups through the same lesson. You choose the workshop that most appeals to you, choices include Sunday Morning Live (storytelling and games), Joyful Jams (music and science), Solid Rock Cafe (cooking) Art in Heaven (art activities), and MasterPeace Theater (movies). All plans and materials are provided. We meet during the 10:30 service, following the children’s message. If you are interested, please see the sign up sheet hanging outside of Room 109 or on the church website. Questions? Contact Larissa Hoffman([email protected]).
December 4: Movie Night: A Christmas Story
December 11: Ugly Sweater Christmas Party
December 18: 3rd Sunday Sabbath: Lets do holiday lunch
Crossfyre Youth Group
December 25: Merry Christmas, No Youth Group
January 1: We Dont Waste after Broncos Game (4:00 to 8:30 pm( Gather left over food and redistribute in Denver Meet at Mountain View to ride together at 4:00 pm
Music Ministries | Steven BurchardDirector of Music | [email protected] | 303-726-9630
All of our Mountain View music ensembles have been working hard on preparing music for Advent and Christmas. It is a labor of love. We hope that our musical offerings during December will serve as a source of inspiration to all who attend our
worship services. Below is a list of our musical events:
Sunday, December 11 – Mountain View Sings, which will feature all of our musical groups, is a Christmas pageant in which we offer music of prophesy and the birth of Christ. You may attend this service at both 9:00 and 10:30 am (no 8:00 am service this day). Saturday, December 24 – Christmas Eve. A Family service is at 5:00 pm and features familiar carols sung by all. At 7:00 pm we will have a traditional Christmas Eve service with music provided by Head for Home and Spirit Singers. At 9:00 pm we will have a traditional service with music provided by Wesley Ringers and Chancel Choir.For a couple of years I have wanted to share more Christmas music
with the congregation. So, 25 minutes prior to the 9:00 pm service, we will provide a mix of choral and organ music as a gift to our congregation. We hope this will give our congregation members a chance to just sit down, take a deep breath, and enjoy some carols after a busy couple of weeks of Christmas preparations. Finally, there will be a single service at 10:30 am on Christmas Sunday. We will sing familiar Christmas carols and offer some special music as well. I have always loved coming to church when Christmas falls on a Sunday. I hope many of you will too. Best wishes for a wonderful Advent and Christmas season.
The following article is based upon information provided by the Rocky Mountain United Methodist Foundation. The Permanent Endowment Committee believes it may be of interest to Mountain View members.
The Charitable IRA Rollover, or Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), allows donors to exclude from taxable income certain transfers from Individual Retirement Account (IRA) assets made directly to public charities. Such charities include Mountain View UMC or the Rocky Mountain United Methodist Foundation.
In order to qualify for a Charitable IRA Rollover, the gift must be:• Made by a donor age 70 ½ or older; • Transferred from a traditional or Roth IRA directly to a public
charity, such as Mountain View UMC or the Rocky Mountain United Methodist Foundation;
• Completed during the applicable tax year.
Other Charitable IRA Rollover provisions include:• An individual taxpayer’s total Charitable IRA Rollover gifts
cannot exceed $100,000 per tax year. • A qualifying rollover gift can count toward satisfying your
required minimum distribution. • Withdrawals from a Roth IRA may be tax-free only if the
account has been open for a period of five years or more or if certain conditions apply.
• 403(b) and 401(k) accounts cannot be used. However, you could transfer assets tax-free to an IRA account, from which a Charitable IRA Rollover then can be made.
• Gifts cannot be made to donor advised funds, supporting
organizations, or private foundations. • An income tax deduction cannot be taken in addition to
the charitable rollover. The gift is excluded from income, so providing a deduction in addition to that exclusion would create a double tax benefit.
Pledges to Mountain View can be paid with one or more Charitable IRA Rollovers up to $100,000 per person per calendar year. Simply request your IRA custodian to transfer your charitable gift to Mountain View annually, quarterly, or at any other interval and have that custodian indicate that the gift is from you.
Even, if you choose to make a Charitable IRA Rollover gift, you still can designate Mountain View as a beneficiary to receive all, or part, of your IRA assets at your death. The Charitable IRA Rollover is simply an attractive option for you to use to give now. A beneficiary designation is for a future gift to your church.
While the Charitable IRA Rollover is a great option, other types of gifts may provide you with more tax benefits. Donors should consult with a tax professional for advice.
If you have questions, call the Rocky Mountain United Methodist Foundation at (303) 778-6370. They are the complementary planned giving resource available to all United Methodists in this region. The Foundation can help you with any additional questions you may have about the IRA Charitable Rollover or any other type of planned gift.
Charitable IRA Rollover May Help You Save On Taxes
By Gary SchmitzChair, Permanent Endowment
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Green Earth Team Composting and Recycling at
Mountain ViewDo you know where the church’s recycling bins are? One is in the room off Barker Hall, and one is at the end of the hallway near the Fraser Parlor kitchen. Did you know that NOW we have a compost bin as well? It is outside by the trash bins. If you are hosting an event that generates compost, you can find compostable bags under the sink in the big kitchen.. Please deposit them in the outdoors compost bin at the end of your event. Thank you.
Next Steps? As we struggle to understand what our next steps as an environmentally aware and responsible faith community entail, please keep alert to serious threats to our belief that people of faith are called to be stewards and protectors of God’s creation. Most concerning are the possibility of dismantling the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) charged with protecting our clean water and clean air for future generations. Also at risk is the United States participation in the Paris CO2 International Climate agreement. As a faith community , we are allowed to support issues of concern, though we are not allowed to focus on particular candidates. Keep informed. Consider increasing your participation level in this great democracy that we live in. Send Mary Beth Downing your email address if you want to be informed of local events and opportunities to voice your opinion in these challenging, restless times. Mary Beth Downing, 303-875-2110. [email protected]
New January Sunday School Speaker SeriesThe international UMW has chosen climate justice as one of their focus topics for 2017. We are pleased to offer that focus for our January environmental Sunday school series. Please mark your calendars (when you get the new one) and plan to join us for this series of topics and discussions. We will meet at 9 am . Classroom to be determined. It is our hope to provide a wide variety of ideas and discussion including youtube and TED talks to stimulate ideas.
January 1 - Envisioning Hope: Looking back and looking forward as we resolve to live greener. To include: Story of Stuff: solutions. What would a Christ-centered lifestyle look like in the future?
January 8 - Story of Sustainability: Topics will include sustainability, lifestyle choices and composting (as individuals and as a church).
January 15 - Speaker from Biocharnow.org: A speaker fro Biocharnow.org will share with us the carbon sequestering process and products that pull and capture carbon from our environment. Part of the solution, besides reducing our carbon footprint, is to heal our planet through sequestering. Don’t know anything about this biochar? Come join us as we learn new things together.
January 22 - Personal Choices: Come join us as we explore sustainability and lowering our carbon footprint through our daily lifestyle choices. We will focus on how what we eat can help heal us and our planet.
January 29 - Speaker from Treeswaterpeople.org: A representative from treeswaterpeople.org will share with us their regional and international projects that help our indigenous peoples as well as support carbon offset projects in our global hemisphere. We are also exploring the possibility of a vegetarian luncheon that day to begin to raise money to keep Mountain View carbon neutral for 2017. Stayed tuned through future Messengers and bulletins.
Meet Our Newest MembersShelli Schoettger, along with her daughters Emily and Natalie, have been worshiping at Mountain View for a number of years. Recently Shelli transferred her membership from St. Paul United Methodist Church, Omaha, NE to become an official member of our congregation. Shelli is a Registered Nurse and is employed as a nurse case manager for a local home care agency. Shelli enjoys “hanging out” with her family and attending her daughters’ school activities. Shelli is married to Chad. The family lives in Louisville.
Donny Hage and Adam Fortin have been worshiping with us for over a year. They came to Boulder from California and are regular attendees at the 9:03 am service. They joined our congregation on profession of faith in October. Both Donny and Adam were elected to serve on the Radical Hospitality Team beginning in January.
Lynne Pierce is a long-time United Methodist member. She recently moved to Boulder from Hudson, Ohio to be closer to family living in the Boulder area. Among her special interests are: pottery making, golf and hiking. She has been elected to service on the Worship Team beginning in January.
May God bless these new members as they continue their spiritual journey with us at Mountain. View.
Donny Hage & Adam Fortin
Shelli Schoettger Lynne Pierce
"So, Why Aren't I So Merry?" Radical Hospitality
“In the bleak mid-winter, Frosty wind made moan,Earth stood hard as iron, Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, Snow on snow,In the bleak mid-winter, Long ago.”
The turkey hasn’t even been de-boned and already the season of ‘happy holidays’, dogs barking out “Jingle Bells”, frenetic shopping and oodles of amazing smells has begun. This is supposed to be the happiest time of the year yet, for many, this season brings bittersweet memories and a longing for a happier time. Not everyone is feeling up and cheery for the holiday season: coping with the loss of a job, dealing with the death of a loved one. facing a devastating diagnosis…..there are so many reasons and situations that make a ‘merry’ Christmas very difficult. The Care Team at Mountain View understands and has committed to creating sacred and safe place for those who find this time of light and joy a time of darkness and pain. Many, many years ago, Advent was actually a somber time of penance. However, over the last couple of centuries, that attitude has been replaced with merriment that was supported by secular culture. Many churches, recognizing that not everyone feels completely jolly as the days grow shorter and colder, began holding
a special service on the Winter Solstice which is the longest night of the year, on or about December 21st.
Mountain View recognizes that the ‘blues’ that some of us feel at this time of the year are not due to the shortened days but are caused by life circumstances. This year the Care Team is once again sponsoring a ‘Blue Christmas’ service. This service serves as a moment of healing and hope where those who are facing darkness amid life’s losses can find sacred space. The service will be on December 8th. Dinner will happen at 5:15 in Frasier Parlor with the service starting at 6:15 in the sanctuary. If you would like to join us for dinner, the Care Team asks that you RSVP to the church office so that there will be plenty for all.
We can’t avoid the many and varied emotions of this season. The smiles, surprises and merriment often mask our feelings of loss and darkness. The Blue Christmas Service invites you to a space of quiet and prayer.
January is Our Echo House Collection MonthThe yearly collection of supplies for the Echo House Family Shelter will be held each Sunday in January. Echo House provides short-term transitional housing for families. Items especially needed are high efficiency laundry detergent, dish soap, paper towels, toilet paper, tissues, diapers in sizes 4 & 5, pullups, sponges and other cleaning supplies, and blankets. There will be an Echo House Basket in the Narthex on Sundays. All items are greatly appreciated.
BUMMP Mission Trip to GuatemalaThe Boulder United Methodist Mission Partners (BUMMP) and Pura Vida Ministries are planning a mission trip to Lemoa, Guatemala to assist local citizens with construction projects, March 20-April 2, 2017. Pastor Steve and Beth Warren are planning to attend and participate in the mission trip. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they prepare for this important mission trip. Please note that Pura Vida also has a UMC Advance number (#3021094) and donations can the directed online to http://www.umcmission.org/Give-to-Mission/Search-for-Projects/Projects/3021094.
Homeless Shelter Meal Served November 9Belinda Strickland and Gerry Naugle organized Mountain View Linda Chambers, Cheryl Runyon, Gary Schmitz, and Belinda's friend Dixie to cook and serve beef ratatouille, cheesy mashed potatoes, chili corn chowder, lettuce salad, cottage cheese with pineapple and dessert on Sunday, Nov. 13 at the Boulder Homeless Shelter. We served approximately 170 meals in a little more than an hour. If you would be interested in volunteering to make a meal at the shelter (anyone over age 16 is welcome), please contact Belinda at 303-619-9770 or [email protected].
Risk-Taking Mission and Outreach | Marybeth DowningChair | [email protected]
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This has been a busy year for Outreach and 2017 feels like it will be similar. In looking back at what our faith community was able to accomplish for 2016, there was a wide and deep
outpouring of Christ’s compassionate generosity for many different needs, global and local. In planning for 2017, if feels appropriate to revisit 2016 as a way to give people a chance to look ahead and note what needs, projects and missions of our faith community personally call to each of us. It is our plan to roll out many of these ideas again over the calendar year, but with a continuing eye for whether that mission continues to be vital or not .
We offer you a year in review as a way to understand the width and depth of the need. It is not our expectation or desire that everyone gives to every effort. We offer these opportunities because they have resounded with us as a community in the past, have a champion within our community and/or are a response to a unexpected event.
Please look over this year and see where you are called. Don’t do it all -- do what you can with a faithful and joyful heart!
• January: Echo House collection of cleaning supplies; Human Relations Sunday; Souper Bowl of Caring competition; Sleeping bag/blanket collection for BOHO (Boulder Outreach for Homeless Overflow), Green Earth Team: Sunday School Series on Climate Change/Environmental stewardship.
• February: Church World Service (CWS) Blanket Sunday; Collection for Have a Heart Sunday (Global Aids Ministry); Green Earth Team guest speaker Rev. Peter Sawtell on the Paris Climate agreement); Fair Trade coffee and chocolate sales to support Wesley Chapel Foundation.
• March: One Great Hour of Sharing; Refugee bedding drive.
• April: Native American Sunday; Green Earth Team: Celebration of Creation Luncheon (raising money for Mountain View Memorial Forest and solar heaters for carbon offsets)
• May: Collection of UMCOR Health kit supplies; Mother’s Day fair trade sale to benefit Mother House; Bridge of Love (spare change collection for annual conference focus); Bolder Boulder volunteer efforts to raise money for Alaskan mission trip.
• June: Peace with Justice Sunday; Bonfils Blood drive in collaboration with Fraiser Meadows community.
• July: Mission trip to Alaska; Mini-Missions Week (opportunities included: Beads for Life; Four Corners Indian Ministries clothing drive, Step-13 clothing drive; Community Table, Boulder Homeless Shelter tour, Bridge House training kitchen and residence tour, snack bags for Habitat for Humanity, supplies and backpack packing for Crayons to calculators); Clean Water (global/local) awareness event; Free the girls (bra collection for economic entrepreneur opportunities for women freed from human trafficking in Africa).
• August: Louisiana Flooding Disaster relief collection for UMCOR; UMCOR clean up bucket collection.
• September: Walk with Unity march (interfaith peace march); Homeless Shelter collection of teaspoons, spices, and over the counter medications); Green Earth team co-sponsor of Ride your bike to church Sunday, Support of mini-library project.
• October: Green Earth Team Going Green event celebrating Mountain View becoming carbon neutral for 2016); CROP Walk; Attention Homes guest speaker for fifth Sunday.
• November: Thanksgiving in the Park (gifting of low income peoples with warm winter gloves, snack bags and toiletries.); Novemeber 29 (plans for Giving Tuesday to support UMCOR/General Board of Global Ministries special projects through special giving event).
• December: Traditional Projects: Share-a-gift; Family-to-family gifts; Mozart stocking (special collection for our Covenant Missionary and his family ); Knitting projects (red scarf project (for adults who have graduated from foster care) Better Aging Foundation (hats, gloves , scarves).
• Advent Marketplace: Alternative gift fair highlighting non-profits and mission project opportunities for Christmas gifts (including homeless gloves, Bead for Life, Green Earth Team reusable bags, Women’s Bean Projects, Heifer International, Kenyan Crafts, Fair Trade consumables, and items from The Cambodian Medical Missions project.
• Ongoing projects projects continue to be year round Community Food Table grocery cart, King Soopers grocery card sales, Monthly Boulder Homeless Shelter meal preparation; weekly hosting and van driving for the Bridge House meal (serving a meal monthly).
• Safety Pin Project: Hatred and bigotry are never Christian values. To identify yourself as a person who opposes hatred and bigotry, you are encouraged to wear a safety pin on your lapel. This is a symbol that you are an ally to vulnerable people.
• Celebration! Pastor Steve shared that Church world service contacted him in October and celebrated that our congregation had contributed more than $32,000 in the past ten plus years for their Blanket Sunday /refugee collection. Yeah and Amen!
Outreach 2016: A Year in Review
Risk-Taking Mission and Outreach | Marybeth DowningChair | [email protected]
Mountain View Memories CookbookThe United Methodist Women are planning to develop a church-wide cookbook. We are seeking recipes from
all church members that bring back special memories of family, friends, and Mountain View events. If you have recipes to share, please include your name and a brief
paragraph about the memory the recipe triggers for you, and give the recipes to Bonnie Strand, Jean Wainwright
or Cheryl Runyon. We also have received a generous grant from the Permanent Endowment Committee to
help us prepare and print the cookbook. Thank you for sharing your recipes and memories.
Save the Date—Upcoming Events• January 21, 2017—Peaks and Plains District Leadership Development Day, First UMC, Greeley, CO
• April 21-23, 2017—Rocky Mountain Conference UMW Spiritual Life Retreat, Estes Park, CO
• July 15, 2017—A Day Apart, Ft. Morgan, CO
• July 20-22, 2017—Mission u, St. Andrew UMC, Highlands Ranch, CO• Sept. 30, 2017—Peaks and Plains District Annual Meeting, TBA
• October 20-21, 2017--Rocky Mountain Conference Annual Meeting, Sandy, UT
UMW Reading Program Reports are DuePlease share your reading program report with Jan Winquest as soon as possible so that she can report our totals to the Peaks and Plains District. Please call or email Jan at 720-562-8215 or [email protected]. Thank you!
WOW Meets December 11The Women of the Word (WOW) will meet in the Flatirons Room on December 11 at 10:15 am to discuss advent-related materials and share “Roses” and “Thorns.” We also will discuss future study topics. For more information, contact Jean Bowen at 303-443-3225.
Books at Lunch Will Meet January 19The Books at Lunch bunch will meet on January 19 at 12:00 p.m. in Frasier Parlor. Our book is “Soldier Girls,” by Helen Thorpe. When three women signed up with the Indiana National Guard, they never expected to go to war zones in Afghanistan and Iraq. Thorpe takes us through their experiences becoming full-time soldiers and how they coped with boredom, terror and isolation while their families at home learned to cope without them. All church women are invited to read the book, bring a sack lunch, and join us for the discussion. To borrow a book or for more information, contact Betty Baal at 303-466-6805.
UMW Executive Board Meets on January 19The UMW Executive Board will meet on Thursday, January 19, at 1:00 p.m. Topics to be discussed include approving the 2017 UMW budget, concluding the nut sales project, and officer training at First UMC in Greeley on Jan. 21, 2017. To suggest a topic for discussion, contact Dorothy Quincy at 303-440-9223.
UMW Circles The Mary Martha Circle will meet on Wednesday, December 21 at 10:00 am in the private dining room at Frasier Meadows Retirement Community. Rev. Bob Ritzen, FMRC chaplain, will share a holiday program. For more information, contact Jan Winquest at 720-562-8215.
The Wesley Annes Circle will meet on Tuesday, December 6 at 11:30 am in Frasier Parlor for a holiday potluck. Our guests will include the Solos lunch group, but all church women are invited to attend. We will be singing Christmas carols and sharing stories of holidays past. For more information, contact Dorothy Quincy at 303-440-9223. *
Tuesday, December 67:00 - 10:00 am: Jim Ruth (S)10:30 am - 1:00 pm: Wesley Annes (FP)11:30 am - 1:00 pm: Staff Meeting (205)3:30 - 7:00 pm: Bridge House Dinner (BH)5:15 - 6:30 pm: Worship Committee (208)5:30 - 7:45 pm: Infinite U Yoga (111/113)6:00 - 8:30 pm: Reserved (205)6:30 - 7:30 pm: Bell Rehearsal (S)
Wednesday, December 77:00 - 10:00 am: Jim Ruth (S)9:00 am - 12:00 pm: There with Care (BHK)9:30 - 11:00 am: Care Team (FP)9:30 - 11:30 am: Transformations Group (205)10:00 - 11:30 am: Mommy and Me (N)12:00 - 9:00 pm: Violin - Berg (111/113)3:45 - 6:15 pm: Violin - Morris
4:00 - 5:45 pm: Flute - Kelly (202)5:30 - 6:30 pm: Music Staff Meeting (205)6:15 - 7:30 pm: Violin - Morris (112)6:30 - 7:30 pm: Wednesday Night Study (205)7:00 - 8:30 pm: Choir Rehearsal (S, 108)
Saturday, December 177:00 - 10:00 am: Jim Ruth (S)9:00 am - 12:00 pm: Saturday Stitchers (BH)1:30 - 3:45 pm: German Advent Crafts (BH)4:00 - 5:00 pm: German Advent Service (S)5:00 - 6:30 pm: Head for Home (S)7:30 - 10:00 pm: NA Meeting (FP)
Sunday, December 188:00 - 9:00 am: Early Worship Service (S)9:00 - 10:00 am: Adult/Youth Sunday School9:03 - 10:00 am: Praise Service10:00 - 10:30 am: Children’s Choir (111/113) 10:30 - 11:30 am: Traditional Service (S)10:45 - 11:45 am: Children’s Sunday School (109)11:45 am - 12:45 pm: Spirit Singers (S)
Monday, December 197:00 - 10:00 am: Jim Ruth (S)6:30 - 8:30 pm: Finance Committee (208)7:00 - 9:00 pm: Reserved (205)
Tuesday, December 207:00 - 10:00 am: Jim Ruth (S)11:30 am - 1:00 pm: Staff Meeting (205)3:30 - 7:00 pm: Bridge House Dinner (BH)5:15 - 6:45 pm: Intentional Faith (208)6:00 - 8:30 pm: Reserved (205)6:30 - 7:30 pm: Bell Rehearsal (S)
Monthly Calendar | December, 2016Wednesday, December 217:00 - 10:00 am: Jim Ruth (S)9:00 am - 12:00 pm: There with Care (BHK)10:00 - 11:30 am: Mommy and Me (N)12:00 - 9:00 pm: Violin - Berg (111/113)3:45 - 6:15 pm: Violin - Morris4:00 - 5:45 pm: Flute - Kelly (202)7:00 - 8:30 pm: Choir Rehearsal (S, 108)
Thursday, December 227:00 - 10:00 am: Jim Ruth (S)1:00 - 9:00 pm: Violin - Berg (108)
Friday, December 237:00 - 10:00 am: Jim Ruth (S)
Saturday, December 24Christmas Eve7:00 - 10:00 am: Jim Ruth (S)7:30 am - 1:00 pm: Restorative Justice (FP & Classrooms)5:00 - 6:00 pm: Family Christmas Eve Service (S)7:00 - 8:00 pm: Traditional Christmas Service
(S)9:00 - 10:00 pm: Traditional Christmas Service (S)7:30 - 10:00 pm: NA Meeting (FP)
Monday, December 267:00 - 10:00 am: Jim Ruth (S)7:00 - 9:00 pm: Reserved (205)
Tuesday, December 277:00 - 10:00 am: Jim Ruth (S)11:30 am - 1:00 pm: Staff Meeting (205)3:30 - 7:00 pm: Bridge House Dinner (BH)6:00 - 8:30 pm: Reserved (205)6:30 - 7:30 pm: Bell Rehearsal (S)
Wednesday, December 287:00 - 10:00 am: Jim Ruth (S)9:00 am - 12:00 pm: There with Care (BHK)10:00 - 11:30 am: Mommy and Me (N)12:00 - 9:00 pm: Violin - Berg (111/113)4:00 - 5:45 pm: Flute - Kelly (202)
Thursday, December 297:00 - 10:00 am: Jim Ruth (S)1:00 - 9:00 pm: Violin - Berg (108)
Friday, December 307:00 - 10:00 am: Jim Ruth (S)
Saturday, December 31New Year’s Eve7:00 - 10:00 am: Jim Ruth (S)5:00 - 6:30 pm: Head for Home (S)7:30 - 10:00 pm: NA Meeting (FP)
Deadline for submission of articles for the January Messenger is Thursday, December 15
December, 2016
The Messenger is published monthly by Mountain View United Methodist Church, 355 Ponca Pl, Boulder CO, 80303. Phone: 303-494-5025. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.mtview.org. Content: church staff & membership. Layout: Michael Shor. Photographers: Nelson Chen, Larissa Hoffman, Mary Beth Downing, Cheryl Runyon, Vicki Kaplan, Sarah Merchant. Submit articles and photos to the Church Office via email: [email protected].
Opportunities for Spiritual Growth in December• Adult Forum: 9:00 am Sundays, Frasier South. Please join the light-hearted Adult Forum. Questions -- please contact Carol Forbes, [email protected].
• Lively Latté: 9:15 am Sundays, Room 208. Bible study and world news; drop in/come and go; spending time on Bible Study in order to "see" God in our society's week-by-week happenings. We have a good time working on "Open Minds, Open Doors, Open Hearts." We also grind our own coffee fresh each week, organic and fair trade!
• S&OS: 9:00 am Sundays, Frasier North. Discussion about last week’s sermon and other issues of interest.
• Wednesday Night Women: This group meets the first Wednesday of the Month at 6:30. We are beginning the Adam Hamilton Study: When Christians Get it Wrong. Please contact Connie Balazs, 303-666-1842, or Carol Forbes, 303-665- 4104.
• Women of the Word (WOW): 10:15 am, 2nd Sunday of each month, Flatirons Room 205. The study at this time is “She Did What She Could”. Join us for a lively conversation, laughter and support of one another. We also use the ALIVE Now booklets available across from the Church Office as discussion materials.
• Men's Study: Meets 2nd & 4th Sunday mornings, 10:15 to 11:30 am. For questions, please contact Andy Cowell, [email protected].
• Transformation Group: 9:30 am alternating scheduled Wednesdays, Flatirons Room 205. This companions in Christ small study group is seasoned with love, contemplation, and laughter. For details, please contact Toni Gray at [email protected].
