Cover Story
Adult
learning opportunities are alive and well at FUMC! The last of
three fall classes has now concluded—even as spring classes
are now gearing up. Fifteen persons participated in the “Letters
of Paul” class, a part of the DISCIPLE Bible study series,
under the Rev. Larry Young’s leadership. Paul was never
one to mince words, and the class found his writings to be a bold
and passionate statement of Christian faith and values. New insights
emerged, even as old ones were reaffirmed. Paul was especially
helpful in interpreting the relationship of Judaism to the emerging
Christian movement of his time—an issue that is still relevant
today.
The
Spiritual Gifts Workshop met for eight sessions under Mary Garbesi’s
leadership. Participants explored their spiritual gifts, talents,
resources, individuality, dreams and experiences. The exploration
of these areas within the context of discovering and claiming
spiritual gifts was extremely helpful and illuminating. The discussions
at each session were lively and heartfelt. All felt gifted by
the time together and the sharing that took place.
Brad Beeman’s Sunday morning class dealt with Basic Christianity
and some of the basics of United Methodism. It explored how the
Bible developed, the first Christians, the growth of church, and
the beliefs of those earliest Christians. The focus then shifted
to exploring more specifically what it means to be United Methodists.
In
addition to these set-time classes, the Men’s Bible Study
Breakfast which meets every Tuesday morning from 7 - 8:00 am is
ongoing. This fall they completed an examination of Genesis and
then moved into the Gospel of John. Over the past year or so they’ve
explored the Apocrypha, Ephesians, Galatians, and John Wesley.
It’s a great group of guys, open to any who may want to
explore the Bible further. Brad Beeman is the leader.
Pictured
are members of the Letters of Paul class.
Highlights
UMW
VALENTINE'S LUNCH WITH GUEST SPEAKER
Thursday, February 1 @ 12 noon, Fireside Room
Guest speaker Cornelia Hewitt, will talk about her calling from
God and her work with Kyrgyzstan women. Please bring a potluck
dish to share or $4.50 for lunch. RSVP to Ella Mae Holmes at (310)
477-0356.
VALENTINE'S
DAY WORKSHOP
Sunday, February 11 @ 10 am
The Children’s Ministry Council will be sponsoring a Valentine’s
Day workshop on Sunday, February 11, in Simkins Hall. The Sunday
School children will work on Valentines during their regular Sunday
School time, and everyone is welcome to join in during coffee
hour at 10:00 am. We’ll be making Valentines to keep and
some to give away to the families at Family
Place. Come spread the love!
FEBRUARY
MID-WEEK RECITAL
Wednesday, February 14
On Valentine’s Day, come enjoy beautiful music by the hands
of Miran Song. A native of Seoul, Korea, Ms. Song began piano
study at the age of 5. She has performed in the U.S., Europe,
China and Korea, was visiting professor at California State University
in Northridge 2004-2005, and is currently a professor of music
at Daejin University of Korea. The program will begin at 12:10
pm in the sanctuary with a light reception following in the Fireside
Room. More...
LIVING
DEEP IN A SHALLOW WORLD
Thursday, February 15 @ 7 pm, Fireside Room
Join John Hayes, the founder and director of InnerCHANGE,
as he signs copies of his just-published book, sub-merge: Living
Deep in a Shallow World, and recounts his journey of service,
justice and contemplation among the world’s poor. Discover
how building authentic faith-based rela-tionships is changing
the world one person at a time. Although this is an open event
which everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend, your RSVP
with the church office
would be helpful.
FEBRUARY
BOOK STUDY
Sunday, February 25
Miraslov Volf ‘s book Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving
in a Culture Stripped of Grace will be the topic of discussion
with Rev. Patricia Farris, starting at 12 noon with a potluck
lunch in the Fireside Room. The book is now available in the church
library and all are invited!
THE
KEISKAMMA ALTARPIECE
Made by the women of the Keiskamma Art Project as a message of
hope for people who are living in the midst of poverty, AIDS and
other hardships, the Keiskamma Altarpiece is now traveling through
North America bringing the story of AIDS and poverty as experienced
in the rural South African village of Hamburg to a much wider
audience in North America. A large triptych of hinged panels,
the Keiskamma Altarpiece uses the form and themes of the famous
Issenheim Altarpiece of Matthias Grûnewald to depict hope
and redemption in the face of AIDS. It celebrates the strength
of grandmothers who bear the responsibility for the children in
these times. Now at the Fowler Museum at UCLA and before traveling
to Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, the Altarpiece will be in
our sanctuary the last two weeks of March with the support of
our neighbor congregations : St. Monica Parish Community, St.
Paul's Lutheran Church and First Presbyterian Church as this year’s
witness to Christian Unity. You may read more about it at www.keiskamma.org.
THANK
YOU AND THANKS BE TO GOD
The Finance Committee would like to say THANK YOU! to the entire
congregation in recognition of your wonderful support and gifts
toward our mission this last year. We are pleased to be operating
a balanced $2 million budget including 100% of our 2006 apportionments,
with strong fiscal management by our church and Preschool staff.
In addition, 2006 included extraordinary support for the Gulf
Coast work teams, UMCOR, our Simkins Hall Project and Alternative
Christmas. While we are so thankful and fortunate to have the
resources and commitment of this congregation, the mission requires
your ongoing support if we are to meet our spiritual objectives.
An important element of our budgeting process for 2007 includes
your pledge commitment for the year - we still have a number of
“outstanding” pledges at this late stage in our planning.
If you have not submitted a pledge for 2007, we ask that you complete
your pledge card and send it to the church office as soon as possible.
We thank you again for your help and support! -Tracy Edwards,
Finance Committee Chair
CONFIRMATION
2007
Confirmation Class will be starting again this February 4, and
this year we are combining the 7th and 8th grade classes to allow
us to offer the same varied and extensive curriculum we have the
last few years. Confirmation is open to all youth, 7th grade and
above, who want to explore what it means to be a Christian, a
Methodist, and a disciple of Christ. Confirmation will conclude
on Sunday, June 10, when the confirmands will become full members
of FUMC. If you’re interested please contact Rev.
Brad Beeman or Charleen
Smith in the church office.
L.A. DISTRICT LEADERSHIP TRAINING
The 2007 District Leadership Training Conference: “Building
the Kingdom one Prayer at a time” will be held on Saturday,
February 10, from 8:15 am - 1 pm at Centenary United Methodist
Church (300 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90013). The conference
is designed for officers as well as members of all the United
Methodist Churches in the L.A. District. This is a wonderful opportunity
to meet with other United Methodists to share, fellowship and
exchange ideas as well as gain insight into your responsibilities
within your own church. The theme is “Many Hands, One Heart...”
with an emphasis on the practical application of workshop topics
to life within and around the church. Our own Rev. Brad Beeman,
Charleen Smith and Cindy McQuade will be a few of the workshop
leaders. The fee for the event is $15. Please contact the church
office for a registration form or for more information.
Horizons
by
Patricia Farris
“The purpose of the church is to make disciples of Jesus
Christ for the transformation of the world.” As United Methodists,
we live into this purpose statement through all that we do at
FUMC. Following the example of the message of Jesus, our work
of disciple-making always directs us outward, into the world,
for the sake of the world, for its healing and wholeness.
One
thing this means for us is that we are always interested in learning
more about the world in which we live and serve. At FUMC, we do
this through classes, speakers, Book Studies, Alternative Christmas,
mission partnerships and service projects. We even do it through
art and music.
This
new year promises to be chock full of opportunities to learn about
and experience the world in all its richness, beauty, complexity
and need. Our youth have decided to return to New Orleans for
their summer service project. And I have submitted a second Worship
Renewal grant to the Calvin Institute that will explore, in part,
how our worshipping community embraces the experience of all of
you who travel so extensively in retirement. We will explore ways
to stay connected as a worshipping body as we come and go. And
we will create ways to learn about the world from you and your
experiences across its scope and diversity.
Art
and music will open the world to us in new ways this year as well.
For two weeks in March we will host in our sanctuary the Keiskamma
Altarpiece, a moving and powerful work of folk art made by South
African grandmothers witnessing to both the devastation of AIDS
as well as sources of empowerment, beauty and hope. (You may read
more about it elsewhere in this Sentinel.) We are already aware
of many classes and groups from the community eager to come and
experience this unique piece.
And,
our choir’s Spring Concert will feature the “Misa
Tango” of Luis Bacalov, a beautiful, haunting work from
Argentina, featuring the legendary Coco Trivisonno on bandoneón,
a concertina or accordion-like instrument popular in Argentinean
music.
Renew
your passports, fasten your seatbelts and get ready for a wonderful
year of exploration and learning. From South Africa to New Orleans
to Argentina, via all the places you are experiencing, our understanding
of God’s whole world will come alive. And, as God’s
people, disciples of Jesus Christ, we will be invited to love
the complexity and diversity of it in the same spirit of our God
“who so loved the world.…”
May
the Holy Spirit bless our journeys and fashion us into ambassadors
of love and peace.
*Rev.
Patricia Farris is now one of three co-editors of the on-line
Circuit Rider Book Reviews. You may find them here: Circuit
Rider Reviews
Community
Condolences
We extend our deepest sympathy to Carl Christensen and his family
in the death of his mother Aino Christensen on November 28 at
age 89.
Upward
Bound House Thanks
We are grateful for your overwhelming support of our program this
past holiday season. Your kindness filled our Food Pantry with
the food collected at the Food Drive, and the families were overjoyed
with all the gifts you collected on their behalf. Over half of
the families will be moving into permanent housing in the next
few weeks. Thanks to the amazing response to the Holiday Tree
Project, and the hard work of Chris Ruud and the volunteers at
FUMC, these families are now equipped with the essentials to move
into a home of their own. Your thoughtful consideration is helping
us lend comfort and dignity to many. Sincerely, Andrew ‘Duff’
Parker, Executive Director
God
Speed
We wish our long time member Marilyn Anderson well as she moves
to Michigan on January 27 to be closer to her daughter Susan and
family. We will miss you, Marilyn!
Prayer
Quilt Thanks
I want to thank everyone for the beautiful prayer quilt. Your
thoughts and prayers mean the world to me at this difficult time.
It’s absolutely beautiful and I will cherish it. It’s
a comfort to know that I am not alone and every time I look at
the quilt I think of all of you and I’m calmed, warmed and
humbled. Thank you again, I hope to see all of you soon!
All my love, Sabrina Simmons
Our Prayer Quilt Ministry
