January 27 - February 9, 2008
Cover Story

FAMILIES, PRIORITIES & SPORTS by Brad Beeman

Small but mighty describes the Calvin Retreat gatherings on January 12th and 13th. The subject was “Families, Priorities, and Sports.” Our featured speaker was author, editor, and soccer mom, Regan McMahon. Regan authored Revolution in the Bleachers, a book that carefully and succinctly examines the exploding arena of children and youth sports, and its impact and influence on today’s society, particularly families. Out of the retreat, one question resonated and helped define the discussions of the weekend: “So what does this have to do with worship, and why would the Calvin Institute on Worship Renewal want to fund this?” The answer is a simple one. Many churches across the country are facing a dilemma. Children and youth sports organizations are utilizing Sunday mornings as another day to schedule games, meets, matches and practices. Sunday morning is no longer sacred nor is it a time set aside for families. Many churches, ours included, are finding diminishing numbers of young families in Sunday morning worship because of involvement in sports. In other words, families now have to choose between worship and sports. Calvin Institute on Worship Renewal funded this exploration of our growing group of young families who miss worship because of sporting events. The first session on Saturday evening was an opportunity to meet and hear Regan McMahon. The second session focused on families in this church, with special presentations by Logan and Lance Kinsey. Logan is an elite athlete, one of the nation’s top fast pitch softball pitchers. Many in the church remember Logan. A few years back she collapsed at a summer tournament in Riverside. The upshot of the collapse was the need for open-heart surgery. The church surrounded her with love and concern throughout her surgery and beyond. Logan talked beautifully about how much this church means to her and why that event has become a defining moment in her life. Her father, Lance, talked about the events surrounding Logan’s surgery, the church’s role in that, and about how sports has worked to bring their family together. He also talked about the potential role of the church in families involved in and beyond sports. We then had two open discussions about this church’s role in the community, our potential role of taking back Sunday mornings as a time for families, the potential role of the church in extending its arms to include families with children and youth in sports, raising the bar of expectations, and many other pertinent areas of concern around families in this church and in the surrounding community. I believe many of us saw this weekend as the beginning of the discussion, and something that set the framework for potential actions we could take in future. All in all, it was a wonderful event. Keep your eyes open for some of the follow-up. There is obviously more to come. A final note, there are additional copies of Revolution in the Bleachers for sale in the church library. The cost is $15.
Photos: (top left) Regan with attendees; (bottom right) Logan with her parents.

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JANUARY BOOK STUDY
Sunday, January 27 @ 12 noon
The January Rev. Farris Book Study will focus on Though the Fig Tree Does Not Blossom: Toward a Responsible Theology of Christian Hope by Dr. Ellen Ott Marshall who will be the discussion leader. The Book Study and Potluck Lunch in the Fireside Room at 12 noon is open to all!

FUMC BEAUTIFICATION DAY
February 2 from 8 am - 12 noon
Come help beautify your church and Preschool! We will gather at 8 am to “spiff up” the grounds and meeting spaces that are so important to our multiple ministries. All are invited to participate, this is an all-church all-ages project!

SIMKINS HALL DEDICATION IS HERE
February 3 @ 10 am
On Sunday, February 3, we will worship together at one service at 10 am. At the close of the service we will adjourn to the newly refurbished Simkins Hall in The Shelby Center for the dedication and a light brunch reception.

ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICES
February 6 @ 12:15 & 7:30 pm
Lent begins very early this year with Ash Wednesday on February 6. We will worship at both 12:15 pm & 7:30 pm in the Chapel with the Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion. We hope you will join us for this meaningful service at whichever time is convenient for you.

THE 2008 LENTEN SEASON IS UPON US
Lenten Devotionals written by fellow parishioners has been a tradition in the past here at
FUMC. The Spiritual Formation Council is pleased to offer this, once again, as one of the ways we can observe Lent as a congregation. Be sure to pick up your copy on Sunday, February 3, at the Shelby Center Dedication. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 6.

FREE CPR DEFIBRILLATOR TRAINING
February 9 @ 10 am
AmeriCorps volunteers will be at FUMC on February 9 from 10 am - 4 pm in the Simkins Hall alcove offering a FREE CPR class. This is open to anyone who is interested, with special emphasis on our ushers and church leaders. Please contact Mary Jo Dalton in the church office, (310) 393-8258, for more information or to help us with head-count.

GREAT FINANCIAL NEWS! - THANKS TO YOU
In response to our unanticipated revenue shortfall, over 180 church members made additional contributions in December. These generous gifts, combined with additional expense recoveries, enabled FUMC to finish 2007 without any operating losses. We rejoice that we were again able to pay 100% of our conference apportionments this year. We are grateful for your support, and continue to look for opportunities to be as cost-efficient as we can. -Peter Adamson, Chair, FUMC Finance Committee

“IS THAT BETHANY?!” FUMC IN THE NEWS
We were recently recognized in the January/February issue of the United Methodist Interpreter Magazine for our “My Everyday Sacred Photo Project.” They featured our project in the It Worked for Us section. Several of the photos and narratives from the project were included as well as a photo of church members viewing the display when it was first unveiled. We’ve already received one response from a church across the country that is interested in trying a similar project. It was a great article! Our own Bethany Worley was not only featured in the actual article but on the very first page of the magazine in the contents section. Visit our website to link to the online “My Everyday Sacred” display.

NEW SUPERINTENDENT IN TOWN
As Chair of the LAD Superintendency Committee, I am pleased to announce that Bishop Mary Ann Swenson has named Rev. Cedrick Bridgeforth as the new LAD Superintendent effective April 1, 2008, when Rev. Grant Hagiya will assume responsibilities for the new Conference Leadership position. Rev. Bridgeforth will begin attending Cabinet meetings this week. The bishop consulted the Superintendency Committee at several points during the past year and worked closely from the profile for the DS prepared by the Committee. We are grateful for all the gifts Cedrick brings to these new responsibilities and are confident that he will continue to lead us in the directions of renewal and revitalization that have begun. Please join us now in prayer as Grant, Cedrick and the Crenshaw UMC congregation move through this period of transition. May God continue to guide and uphold our mission and ministry throughout the Los Angeles District. -Rev. Patricia Farris

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS TIP FOR JANUARY - STORAGE
Take steps NOW to protect your documents! Keep the following items & documents and/or copies of them in a safety deposit box or store copies away from home: wills, insurance, and investment documents, household inventory, ownership, birth certificates, important numbers: credit cards, banking, licenses, etc. Also, stash some cash! A disaster may disrupt power. Banks and ATM’s might be closed. Your emergency kit should include some cash (ones, fives, and tens) to purchase food, gas, and other emergency supplies. Don’t forget to restock your pantry every 6 months as well. Check for out-of-date items, discard and replace.

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It’s a joy to write to say that we have arrived at the moment of Dedication of the new Simkins Hall in The Shelby Center. It’s been over two years since our initial meetings and conversations about this long-overdue renovation began. In the Spring of 2006 I drafted the first letters and brochure. Countless hours of dreaming, discussing, revising, planning, fund-raising, revising, working, hoping, revising, negotiating, choosing, revising…have followed. At many points along the way, we were proving that old adage that any renovation project takes longer and costs more than had been planned.

And yet, we have persevered. Additional support from the Trustees, the Methodist Foundation and special gifts have covered the unanticipated cost overruns. Bill Prescott, Todd Erlandson, Dave Roper, and John Youngman, with assistance from Darin McGuire, have guided us every step of the way. We owe them each a huge debt of gratitude for their leadership and perseverance.

One of the early promotional pieces asked: “How do you measure the value of a space? Is it by cost-per-square foot? Seating capacity? Maximum occupancy? Is it by its fair rental value? Its location?

“Or do you measure a space by its beauty, its hospitality, its functionality, its ability to transform lives?

“Across its 50 years, this space, Simkins Hall, has touched thousands of lives. Transformation is priceless.”

We now dedicate the new Simkins Hall in The Shelby Center to the glory of God and to the advancement of the mission and ministry of the church. We dedicate it to the life of God’s people — this beautiful space for celebration, education, devotion, prayer, community building, play, fellowship, mission and learning, this crossroads where our church and our community intersect.

All the details of the celebration Sunday, February 3, are found elsewhere in this Sentinel. Please come greet Don and Jean Shelby and family, and friends old and new, as we launch a new chapter in the glorious, unfolding life of First United Methodist Church.

Thanks be to all of you who made this transformation possible. And thanks be to God!

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Culver City UBH Thanks
Thanks to all those who came to the Culver City City Council meeting on January 14 to help secure approval of the new UBH Emergency Shelter to be located in Culver City: Booker and Terry Pearson, Cindy McQuade, Howard Hackett, Russ Whittenburg, Jane Spiegel and Michael Beltramo, Kris Andresen, Kim Defenderfer, Patricia Farris, Alex Polamero, Chris, Katherine and Wendy Stanfill, Paula Catling, Jeff Pelton, Dick and Mary Crawford, Levon and Lori Fox, Daniel Palo, Tom Wilson, Mark and June Oh, Mike Eskridge, former member Mike Boone AND Rich and Kay Bolin and the great people of Culver Palms UMC!

Gulf Coast Thanks
Hi! My name is Gwendalyn M. Rocque. A group of volunteers from your church came to work on my mother’s home, Mrs. Verna Mae Martin. As you know, she lost everything when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. Many of which could not be replaced. But with your help, we are able to repair her home. I would like to take this opportunity to “THANK” you and your volunteers for coming to New Orleans. They were GOD sent. We did not know how we were going to pay for the repairs on the house, materials, labor, etc. GOD sent us to the United Methodist Recovery Center and then sent you and your volunteers to us. I promised the volunteers that we would continue where they stopped and get the home finished. I also promised to send them a picture of the finished work and I will. However, I did not want to wait any longer to send this “Thank You” note. May GOD bless and keep you and your families well. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. GOD bless, Gwendalyn M. Rocque & Verna Mae Martin

Nativity Thanks
A BIG thanks to Todd, Jake and Frances Erlandson who took down, put away and cleaned up our church Nativity Scene this year. They were a great crew who worked really hard. Our FUMC Nativity Scene is greatly loved by our congregation, Preschool families and neighbors. Thanks to everyone who makes it possible each year!

Births
We congratulate first-time great-grandmother Harriet Sharp who is “tickled blue” (not pink) over the newest member of her family Erik Arnold Bodmer born on January 3 to Harriet’s grandson Christopher and his wife Lissette. Deborah Sharp reports that the entire family is very excited!

Condolences
We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of these dearly departed members:
-Ann Cunningham who died on September 2.
-Ruth Anderson who died on December 31.
-Winifred Lewis who died on January 7.
-Brice Kearsley who died on January 10.
-Dee Payne who died on January 12.
-Myrtle Muldrew in early January.

 

Service Update

Upcoming Worship