July
15 - 28, 2007
Cover
Story
ANNUAL
CONFERENCE 2007
by Rachel Eaton (photo by David Bremer)
I
had a wonderful experience attending this year’s Cal-Pac
Annual Conference as a voting Lay Member from FUMC. Representing
FUMC this year in addition to me were our three pastors Rev. Patricia
Farris, Rev. Brad Beeman and Rev. Larry Young (now retired) and
our lay members Bee Campbell, Mary Crawford, Joy Detmer, Jack
Fry, Steve Harbison and Christine Stumpf. The theme for our five
days of Holy Conferencing was “To Be the Cup Overflowing
with Peace.”
At
our first worship service Bishop Mary Ann Swenson encouraged,
motivated and inspired us to serve others in our own zipcodes.
The next morning we began our Bible Studies with Bruce Birch who
challenged us over the next three sessions to find Shalom (peace
or wholeness) in scripture, in our daily lives, in history and
in the world around us. We purchased copies of Birch’s presentations
so that others in the congregation might experience and utilize
his teachings as well. The DVDs will be available in the church
library.
After
Bible Study we moved into what has been named “Wesley Circles.”
In this attempt to have the Conference “remember why we’re
here” we got to meet new people and discuss how we might
take our purpose back to our congregations and into the world.
We talked about how we can become peacemakers as we reflected
on the Bible Studies.
Our
Plenaries soon began and we got down to business with recognitions
and reports from multiple organizations and Conference committees.
We also began the voting process to choose laity and clergy delegates
to General and Jurisdictional Conference. And of course we had
resolutions and petitions and initiatives to consider and vote
on. If you’re interested in the items that were passed this
year, and/or in who was elected to General and Jurisdictional
Conferences (our own Patricia Farris will represent Cal-Pac clergy!),
chat with any of those who attended and we’ll be happy to
share with you.
Highlights
from my Conference experience included the Memorial and Communion
Service with a sermon by Rev. Phil Lawson and, of course, the
Ordination service with Bishop Robert Hoshibata in which our own
Brad Beeman was received into the order as Full Elder. It was
also fun to celebrate our Bishop’s 60th birthday throughout
the event.
The
Conference was a fantastic experience that I hope to repeat for
many years to come. Thank you for allowing me to represent you.
Cal-Pac
Annual Conference 2007
UMC General Conference 2008
Highlights
SUMMER
SEMINAR SERIES
Sundays, July 15, 22 & 29 @ 11:20 am
The Social Concerns Council has scheduled a social issues seminar
series for this summer, and invites all who are interested to
attend and participate. July 15 = “A Christian Approach
to Anger Management” with Ken Rasmussen, PsyD. July 22 =
“Human Trafficking” with Bekah Cooke, Salvation Army.
July 29 = “Denial of Genocide and Atrocity” with Philip
“Flip” Cuddy. Each seminar will take place in the
Fireside Room after worship at 11:20 am. All are invited! For
more details visit the webpage.
CHRISTMAS
IN JULY
Sunday, July 15 @ 11:30 am, SH
In the spirit of Christmas the UMW will be taking a collection
for Sojourn, one of the programs of OPCC. Guest Speaker Catalina
Rodas of OPCC will talk about the program. A presentation on Lifeline
will also be given. Bring a potluck dish to share or $5 for lunch.
The program and lunch will begin in Simkins Hall at 11:30 am.
Christmas will be in the air with holiday decor. Come beat the
heat of summer. All are invited! No reservation is needed.
WESLEY
WALKERS - RELAY FOR LIFE
Saturday, July 28
The Wesley Walkers, FUMC’s Relay for Life Team, is still
looking for walkers and donations for the event happening on Saturday,
July 28, through Sunday morning, July 29, at John Adams Middle
School. The reason behind Relay for Life is to raise funds for
cancer research and treatment. You may support any of the individual
walkers or contribute to the entire team. Either way, you’ll
be helping us to reach our overall goal. To do this, visit our
online Wesley
Walkers page. For more information contact the church office.
VACATION
BIBLE SCHOOL
Don’t Miss out!
Vacation Bible School - “Lift Off: Reaching New Heights
with God” will take place on August 6 - 10. More information
can be found on the church website and in the church office.
WANT
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CHURCH?
Our Church Council, which is the FUMC group of church council
and committee Chairs, is looking for an assistant. The person
will take minutes at each meeting (usually held once a month),
type them up and distribute them via email to the members of Church
Council. This is a wonderful opportunity to serve the church while
volunteering your time AND learning about what’s happening
with the various groups in the church. If you would be interested
in this position, please contact the church
office.
"WHERE
ARE WE ON THE SIMKINS HALL RENOVATION PROJECT?"
As hopefully you’ve been able to notice by now, the permit
for the work on Simkins Hall has been posted and work is underway
(began July 9)! Stay tuned. Learn
more...
WORSHIP
RENEWAL GRANT #2
We are proud and grateful to have received a second Worship Renewal
Grant from the Calvin
Institute for Worship. These grants, generously funded by
the Lilly Endowment, are given each year for a wide variety of
projects intended to renew and enliven the worship life of the
Christian people. Our major grant of $13,500 will enable us to
expand upon our new Communion Server Ministry to extend worship
with two additional life-stage groups in our congregation. Now,
on any given Sunday, we have as many as forty people in each of
two groups not present in worship with the gathered congregation—people
at retirement age who are traveling to be with scattered family
or to explore our country or the wider world, and families with
children and youth involved in sports and scouting activities.
The focus of our grant moves in two directions simultaneously—providing
those two life stage groups with worship materials and alternatives
such that their worship life is nourished AND connecting the gathered
congregation to them through intentional prayer. We believe that
this work is unique in the country and we are grateful to be developing
resources that will benefit not only our congregation but the
wider church as well. Please undergird us in prayer as we explore
“One Community: Gathered and Scattered.” If you have
questions or would like to get involved, please contact Patricia
Farris, Brad Beeman, or Mary Garbesi and Cheryl Bartel (who represented
FUMC at the Grant Directors gathering.) -Patricia Farris
SHARERINGERS AND FRIENDS TAKE NOTE
Our monthly evening meetings at member’s homes will change
to the first Friday of each month, effective immediately. August
will be a “vacation” month with no Shareringer evening
meetings. “First Friday of the month” meetings will
resume in September and continue through July 2008. We planned
our annual calendar at a fun BBQ potluck at Jim and Laura Farrand’s
on July 6. Contact the Farrands (310) 458-9122 if you are interested
in the July 21 activity to the Getty Villa with the Shareringers.
VOLUNTEER
COORDINATOR FOR FAMILY PANTRY
The Church and Community Committee is seeking an individual to
recruit and coordinate volunteers for Family Pantry, the food
bank operation at Family Place. The coordinator would work on
a volunteer basis and would be in charge of recruiting and scheduling
individuals and groups to work in the pantry throughout the week.
Volunteers are needed for food pick-ups, sorting and distribution.
If you are interested, please contact either Phyllis
Johnson, 310-458-4123, or Mira
Pak, 310-315-9744.
PASTORAL
CARE AWARD
At Claremont School of Theology commencement exercises held on
May 12, Jin Sook Kwon received the First United Methodist Church
of Santa Monica Edwin and Frances Witman Pastoral Care Award.
Jin Sook is a member of the Korean United Methodist Church. This
year, she was the only student enrolled in the joint M.Div./Ph.D.
program. At commencement, she received her M.Div. degree and she
has made good progress towards her Ph.D. in Pastoral Care and
Counseling. Having completed her coursework, next she will be
tackling her qualifying exam and her dissertation. Jin Sook also
holds a B.A. in Christian Studies and an M.A. in Theology from
Ewha Women’s University in Seoul, Korea. Currently, she
is working as a counseling resident at the Clinebell Institute
and also as a counseling minister at Holliston United Methodist
Church in Pasadena.
This
award is given in memory of the Reverend Edwin H. Witman and his
wife, Frances, whose seventeen-year ministry through FUMC was
marked by person-centered pastoral care. The award is given annually
to a student who has demonstrated excellence or shows great promise
in pastoral care.
by
Patricia Farris
The Methodist movement has its origins on a college campus. Brothers
John and Charles Wesley were both students at Christ Church, Oxford,
when they began organizing fellow students into small groups for
spiritual growth and accountability, never dreaming that their
work would grow into a major renewal movement in the Anglican
Church and eventually become a whole new denomination of the Christian
family.
In
the years since, we Methodists have continued to highly value
reason and learning. In the US alone, we still support our thirteen
schools of theology, one medical college, ninety-two four-year
colleges and universities, eight two-year colleges and nine preparatory
schools. We have requirements about the education of our clergy.
And we require our clergy to spend two weeks in Continuing Education
each year.
This
year, I will return to the place of our birth at Christ Church,
Oxford, to deliver a paper at the Twelfth Oxford Institute of
Methodist Theological Studies. Taking its theme from a Charles
Wesley hymn, in the year of celebrating the 300th anniversary
of his birth, the Institute, which meets only every seven years,
is called “TO SERVE THE PRESENT AGE, OUR CALLING TO FULFILL”
and will explore considerations at the intersection of ecclesiology,
mission, and vocation. Faculty from Methodist seminaries in the
US and Britain, with some others from around the world, as well
as several pastors and bishops, will gather to share papers and
discussion.
I
am honored and privileged to have had my paper chosen for inclusion.
I have been examining ways in which traditional “marks of
Methodism”—including our emphasis on learning, our
holding together of knowledge and vital piety, our commitment
to ecumenical work, and our emphasis on personal and social transformation—can
serve to equip us to be bridge-builders and ambassadors for understanding
and reconciliation in the pluralistic, multi-faith world in which
we live. I am especially looking forward to British and global
perspectives in light of heightened tensions in our world.
You
may learn more about the Oxford Institute and read many of the
papers to be presented by visiting the Oxford
Institute website. Look in the right hand column.
Please
keep David and me in your prayers as we travel and learn, as well
as all of us who gather to explore ways “TO SERVE THE PRESENT
AGE, OUR CALLING TO FULFILL.” May our work serve to strengthen
not only the larger church, but our ministry and mission right
here in Santa Monica as well.
Patricia
Farris
Community
CONGRATULATIONS
We congratulate our new Parish Associate Paul Deveaux and his
wife Michelle who were married just three months ago.
Congratulations
to Chuck Kearsley and his crew (including Dennis Payne) for building
the SM College Grad Night Ship! Way to go, guys!
CONDOLENCES
We extend our deepest sympathy to Kim Defenderfer whose father
died recently.
We
remember our member Constantine “Connie” Hassakis
who died on June 28. A Memorial Service will be held for him on
August 4 at 1:30 pm in Gates Chapel followed by a reception in
the Fireside Room.
We
also remember our former member Ian Sutherland who died on June
25. A service was held for him at Rolling Hills UMC in Torrance.
PARISH
THANK YOU
Thanks to Rev. Farris, Marilyn Hedges, Marie Rourke and the congregation
for the lovely flowers that were sent to me on my 100th birthday.
Also, thanks to Rev. Don Shelby who sent me beautiful flowers
and sang “Happy Birthday” over the phone to me from
his home in Los Osos. It was a wonderful day and I will cherish
it in my memories as long as I live. -Marjorie Farrar
GOOD
JOB
FUMC delivered a total of 84 sewing kits for UMCOR to this year’s
Annual Conference at the University of Redlands which included
23 kits from the UMW Work Party and 22 kits from Hope Circle.
Carol Solverson and friends also donated 6 layette kits for UMCOR.
Way to go, FUMC!
BAPTISMS
We celebrate with Leigh and Dan Coté and big sister Lainey
in the baptism of Beau Lucien Coté on July 1; and with
Robert and Nova Foster and big brother Alden in the baptism of
Fox Alexander Foster on July 8.
