The Explorer Volume 9, Issue 7 Website: http://www.stjohnslubbock.org 10 April 2014 The Explorer Page 2 For people of Christian faith, holiness is defined by the example Jesus of Nazareth. He was born not in a place that was holy, but a stable in Bethlehem was made holy by the life that began there. He taught and served not on days that were holy, but on days that were made holy by the way in which he lived. He died not with the honor of a holy man, but even his Open hearts, crucifixion was made holy by the sacrificial life Open arms, that reached its culmination there. Open minds It was from the raw material of the everyday life, everyday joy, everyday relationships, everyday hardship and everyday loss that Jesus fashioned With open hearts, open arms, holiness. and open minds, we welcome you to The week of April 13 is not holy, but it is made holy by the closing 130 St. JohnвЂ™s United Methodist Church and invite you to join our community of faith, hours of JesusвЂ™ life which are remembered, re-enacted and honored for a day, a week or a lifetime. through its days. In our decisions and responsibilities, our devotion and worship, our Weekly Sunday Opportunities gathering and departing, may Holy Week present us with the raw material of holiness out of which we may fashion holiness in response to 8:15 a.m. Holy Communion God. 9:15 a.m. Sunday School hour Peace, 10:30 a.m. Worship service 11:30 a.m. University meal Kevin 5:30 p.m. United Methodist Youth 1501 University Avenue Lubbock, Texas 79401 806-762-0123 fax: 806-762-0130 Email: openminds@stjohnslubbock.org Web: www.stjohnslubbock.org Like us on Facebook! Facebook.com/St.JohnsLubbock Saint JohnвЂ™s Staff Senior Pastor: Kevin Young Associate Pastors: Daniel Echols and Ann Akin Pastor Emeritus: Ted Dotts Dir. of Music Ministries: Stephanie Council Organist: Clint Barrick Business Manager: Emily Johnson Facilities Supervisor: David Cranford Childcare Director: Trisha Castillo Admin. Asst./Editor: Mary Ruth Thurmond If you know of any St. JohnвЂ™s church members going into the hospital, please contact the church office at 762-0123 or openminds@stjohnslubbock.org. If you have changed your phone #, home or e-mail address, call the church office. Lectionary Scripture Readings April 13, Palm/Passion Sunday Liturgy of the Palms: Matthew 21:1-11; Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 Liturgy of the Passion: Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66 or Matthew 27:11-54 April 20, Easter Day Acts 10:34-43; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-18 or Matthew 28:1-10 From the Editor: As Holy Week appr oaches, the staff of St. J ohnвЂ™s is experiencing one of our busiest times of year. Kevin is working on at least six sermons this week (and his newsletter article)! David and John are deepcleaning the church and juggling all kinds of events here including both internal church activities and many from outside St. JohnвЂ™s. Emily got the first quarterly contribution statements done this week. Wait until you see and hear what Stephanie and the Music Department have in store for Holy Week! Kara is doing a great job of coordinating Palm Sunday. Daniel is taking great care of the congregation. The office will be closed Monday, April 21. I will be taking vacation that week (after preparing this newsletter and eight bulletins for the next two weeks). The next newsletter will come out on Thursday, May 1. Thank you to our photographers: VelvetLee Finckbone, Kara Wischmeyer, and Margie Sorley! Thanks to our contr ibutor s: Kevin Young, Emily Johnson, Sue Hudgins, Andrea Beaudin, Mallory Miller, Margie Sorley, Nancy Clopton, and Kara Wischmeyer. Thanks again to all the Mer r y Mailer s, Office Volunteers, Proofreaders, Minions, and Scapegoats! This church wouldnвЂ™t function so well without all of you! Next newsletter deadline: Friday, April 25. Keep the Good News coming! mrt The Explorer Page 3 Praying with the Prayer Shawl Ministry The Prayer Shawl Ministry at St. JohnвЂ™s knows a little bit about prayer. We pray for people and their situations as we knit or crochet shawls and other items. When we got started, we read a book called Knitting into the Mystery: A Guide to the Shawl-Knitting Ministry by Susan S. Jorgensen and Susan S. Izard. Jorgensen says: I knit my first shawlвЂ¦ for a woman whose husband of six months had been killed in a car accident. While I knitted, I prayed to enter her grief; I prayed light into every stitch; I prayed that she be healed. I prayed that she be comforted; I prayed that she would come to see her grief as an expression of her love, that the two were inextricably bound, one to the otherвЂ¦. Since then, I have knit shawls to celebrate friendship and connections, I have given shawls to people who are moving, to women who are getting married, to people who need physical and psychological healing, to people in transition, to my children just вЂњbecause.вЂќ These are the reasons that we create shawls too. Sometimes we know the person for whom we crochet or knit. Sometimes the Spirit moves us to use a certain yarn and we make one for our closet. When we do this, we nearly always find an unexpected need for that shawl very quickly. When we complete a shawl, or a scarf, or any item, we gather at our weekly sessions and we bless our handiwork and the person who is to receive it. Here is our prayer. After the вЂњBlessed BeвЂќ with the name of our recipient if known. Prayer of Blessing by Janet Bristow May GodвЂ™s grace be upon this shawlвЂ¦ warming, comforting, enfolding, and embracing. May this mantle be a safe havenвЂ¦ a sacred place of security and well-beingвЂ¦ sustaining and embracing in good times as well as difficult ones. May the one who receives this shawl be cradled in hope, kept in joy, graced with peace, and wrapped in love. Blessed Be! Finance Report March 2014 budget contributions: Average monthly contributions 2014: Monthly budget requirements: Shared giving year to date: Shared giving commitment 2014: $38,719.39 $35,742.91 $64,959.58 $884.00 $85,727.00 Looking Ahead Holy Week at St. JohnвЂ™s Page 8 United Methodist Youth Page 6 Committee meetings Connexions, Monday, April 14, 5:30 p.m., Room 122 Funday Wednesday, April 16, 9:00 a.m., Garden Room April showers bring May flowers! Join us for snacks, board games, devotion, and a light lunch (just $5 for lunch!). RSVP by noon, Tuesday, April 15, for lunch only. People of Faith Against the Death Penalty Wednesday, April 16 (Jose Villegas) Prayer vigils are held at 5:45 p.m., at St. JohnвЂ™s. St. JohnвЂ™s On Tap Have you heard? St. JohnвЂ™s is launching an off-site discussion group that looks at current events from a faithbased perspective. Do you know someone who enjoys talking theology but doesnвЂ™t have an outlet for authentic and judgment -free conversation? All are welcome to attend, whether you are coming from a specific faith tradition or perhaps are more philosophical in your approach. Grab an interesting headline, invite a friend, and come hang out on the first and third Sundays of each month, 7:00 p.m., at The Lantern Tavern (3502 Slide Rd). Lubbock Liberty Workshop Candidate Forum will be Monday, April 21, 7:00-9:30 p.m., in the Garden Room. Tis will be a forum for City Council candidates only. There are eight candidates from Districts 1, 3, and 5 who may attend. The event allows time for opening remarks (3-4 minutes) from each candidate and 30second responses on approximately ten questions. Childcare is available upon request (Please call 762-0123 for more information. This will be a free event, and all are welcome. Interfaith Dialogue Tuesday, April 22, 12:00 noon, Room 122 United Methodist Women Page 6 Theology Group Wednesday, April 23, 6:15 p.m., Room 212 Country-Western Dance Lessons and FREE Dance! Page 4 Soul Sisters Page 6 The Explorer Our Trustees at Work Page 4 St. JohnвЂ™s 101 meets in the chur ch libr ar y ever y Sunday morning from 9:15-10:15 a.m. Hosted by Rev. Young, this class provides a casual no-pressure setting in which St. JohnвЂ™s guests can ask questions and learn about St. JohnвЂ™s and the United Methodist Church. Join us on any Sunday. The 2014 altar flower calendar is available in the church office. Altar flower arrangements are $68. To sign up, please come by the office, call us at 762-0123, or e-mail openminds@stjohnslubbock.org. There Shall Be No Poor Among Us by Faye Wilson Doors have been repaired and refinished. The Bible says that God has a passion for the poor. We claim this passion for ourselves, for our churches and for our families. We firmly believe that one day soon we will boldly say, вЂњThere are no poor among us, because God has granted us all riches in Christ Jesus.вЂќ Amen. Thank you, St. JohnвЂ™s, from the Food Voucher Volunteers Glass blocks have replaced bathroom windows on the west side of the building. The food voucher volunteers thank the congregation for their generous contributions to the food voucher program. We are very grateful for your support of this very important ministry. Your support allows us to continue reaching out to our neighbors in need to give them a hand up during difficult times. Country-Western Dance Lessons and FREE Dance And two comfortable benches now grace the outside sanctuary entrance. Other projects are in various stages of completion. will not be held on Good Friday, April 18, but yвЂ™all come back, hear, on Friday, April 25! This is now a weekly event in St. JohnвЂ™s Garden Room every Friday at 7:00 p.m. Bring a pair of leather-soled boots or shoes. The first hour will be the lesson and then we will free dance until we get kicked out! Please contact dancer and teacher extraordinaire Oren Grossman for more information or to sign up: 214-912-8375 or oren_grossman@yahoo.com. ItвЂ™s just plain fun!!! The Explorer Page 5 John Baxter Jordan Baptized Sunday, April 6 Pictured from the left: Michael, John, and Emmett Jordan, Marie Cox, and Rev. Kevin Young. FROG! Forever Rely On God The ChildrenвЂ™s Sunday School classes are growing by leaps and bounds! The Explorer Page 6 Regional Interfaith Conference Soul Sisters On Saturday, April 26, the Lubbock Interfaith Association will host its first Regional Interfaith Conference at the Holiday Inn Park Plaza. This will be an opportunity for a unique interreligious experience. The keynote will be given by Rabbi Ted, Pastor Don, and Imam Jamal, the Interfaith Amigos, known for their unique blend of humor and spiritual wisdom. They are authors of two books, Getting to the Heart of Interfaith, and more recently, Religion Gone A stray: W hat W e Found at the Heart of Interfaith. The conference will have multiple interest sessions. Lubbock Interfaith Dialogue, hosted by St. JohnвЂ™s since 1985, will be represented at one of these sessions. The closing event will be a unity celebration with eight traditions and perspectives. The event begins with registration at 9:45 a.m. and concludes at 4:30 p.m. The registration forms are available in the St. JohnвЂ™s office or online from Mary Vines at mvines11@gmail.com. On Saturday, April 26, the total group will go to Clay CafГ©, 5102-60th St., from 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Bring your Soul Sisters (daughters, moms, sisters, girlfriends, or adopt one for the occasion!). Come and explore your creative side! Clay CafГ© needs a headcount so RSVP to the church office by noon on Friday, April 18. On Saturday, May 3, the small group will go to IHOP at 10:00 a.m.! Mary Ruth Thurmond will lead the devotion. United Methodist Women The Dora Harris Circle will meet Wednesday, April 23. Mary Vines and Deborah Bratcher will lead the program on poverty. All women are invited. Our meetings always begin at 9:30 a.m., with coffee and refreshments, and a short business meeting will follow the program. Please join us! The Dorothy Manning Circle has a plan! We will be celebrating Mildred WylieвЂ™s birthday, on Thursday, April Everyone in Ministry 24, at 6:30 p.m. The plan is to brown bag it and go to We would greatly appreciate any donations of bags of Crownpoint or Mackenzie Place to have dinner with Easter candy to help us with the childr enвЂ™s Easter egg Mildred. This is all tentative pending on how Mildred is hunt. Please give your donations to VelvetLee Finckbone feeling. RSVP to 762-0123 by 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, by April 13. April 23. We need more teachers for our childrenвЂ™s Sunday School classes! Please contact Kar a Wischmeyer for more information! The Missions Committee is planning a mission trip to UMCORвЂ™s Sager Brown Depot in Baldwin, Louisiana, for June 14-19, 2015. To reserve a spot or for more inforAre you going to camp at Ceta Canyon this summer? mation, contact Cindy Martin, Karon Nelson, or Craig Be sure to register by Tuesday, April 15, to get the best Rutherford. discount! Sunday, April 13: Rev. Kevin Young is coming! The Flower Ministry has an opening for flower 5:30 p.m., snack supper; 6:00 p.m., Rev. Kev and Holy delivery to our homebound members on the third Sunday Week; 7:00 p.m., parents pick up youth. of each month. Please call the office at 762-0123 for more NO UMY on Easter Sunday! information! UMY returns Sunday, April 27!!! Please check our Facebook group or the Sunday SAVE THE DATES! bulletins for upcoming UMY activities! Family Promise: June 29-July 6, September 28-October 5 Fiesta Domingo (Sundays): J une 22, August 17, October 26 Workdays at the South Plains Food Bank (Satur days): May 3, September 13, November 22 Happy April Birthdays! If you are not listed, please call the church office and let us know. (We promise we wonвЂ™t ask your age!) Apr 2 Trish Castillo Apr 3 Robin Hackett Jamie Sorley Apr 4 Ember Cutting Apr 5 Dominique Comiskey Apr 6 Ethan Lindley Apr 7 Charlotte Sessom Gini Woodard Laura Young Apr 10 Heather Hutson Malik Tess Jackson Apr 11 Brennan Morton Apr 13 Evelyn Davis Tanner Holligan Apr 16 Sharna Horn Lisa Viator Apr 17 Mildred Wylie Apr 18 Jason Baker Apr 19 Henry Couch Joe Nuckolls Rosemary Prumer Apr 21 Elizabeth Burrell Roy Wilson Apr 24 Casey Elliott Apr 25 Jim Heavner Apr 27 Griffin Kennedy Apr 30 Philip Cammack Richard Simpson Dennie Treat The Explorer Page 7 Church Calendar New on the prayer list: Trey Lehman, Charlotte Ann Ellingson, Lois Brunjes, and the families and friends of Bug Dycus and Bill Kearse. Thank you, St. JohnвЂ™s! We raised $595 for One Great Hour of Sharing on Sunday, March 30. From Casey Elliott: Dear St. JohnвЂ™s, We are finally home from tour, and I wanted to thank you so much for your warm show of support for me and the Sea Chanters Chorus! To be able to see and visit with so many of my dearest friends all in one night was a rare treat, and it gave me so much joy. Upon returning home, I received my St. JohnвЂ™s Explorer in the mail, and was filled with delight to see your bright smiling faces again in the pictures! Leaving Lubbock was so bittersweet, and I miss you all the time. IвЂ™m sorry the show was on a Wednesday (again!) and some of you had to skip rehearsal to attendвЂ”please pass along my gratefulness to your director!! Love always, Casey Elliott. Thank you very much to the Golden K Kiwanis who gave a very generous donation to the Tuesday Food Voucher program. Family Guidance and Outreach Center of Lubbock: Apr il 26: Sixteenth Annual Blue Ribbon Rally Car and Bike Show in the Depot District. For more information, please call the Center at 747-5577. Family Promise of Lubbock would like to invite you to a fr ee community lunch on Thursday, May 8, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at First United Methodist Church, 1411 Broadway. This lunch will be an opportunity to learn more about the mission of Family Promise in its service to homeless families. Volunteers from your congregation and other congregations will be recognized at this event. Participants will also have the opportunity to provide overnight shelter by making a contribution to Family Promise. RSVP to Family Promise at 744-5035 by May 2. From the South Plains Food Bank: $1 pr ovides food for four meals! Your gift multiples to help hungry neighbors. Today you have a great opportunity to make your donation go further and help our hungry neighbors! When you give right now to the South Plains Food Bank, every dollar multiplies five times in food value to help even more hungry people right here in our community. This amazing opportunity is possible because we will combine your gift with wholesome food we rescue from manufacturers and grocery stores, and food we receive from generous partners. ItвЂ™s a great way to make an even bigger impact on the fight against hunger today. Thank you for caring David Weaver, Jr., CEO, South Plains Food Bank. Host a Christian high school exchange student! Chr istian volunteer s, with or without children at home, are needed to host Christian international high school students for the 2014-2015 school year. The students speak English, are covered by medical insurance, have spending money for their personal expenses, and hope to arrive in August for enrollment in their new high school. For more information, please contact Yvette at SHARE!: 800-941-3738, info@sharesouthwest.org, or visit sharesouthwest.org. SHARE! is a non-profit international high school exchange program. For sale! St. J ohnвЂ™s UMCвЂ™s 1993 15-passenger van. 1993 model with 80,000 miles. Call Roy Goodloe at 777-4357. Palm/Passion Sunday, April 13, 2014 8:15 a.m. Communion service 9:15 a.m. Sunday School hour 10:30 a.m. Worship service 11:30 a.m. University meal 5:30 p.m. United Methodist Youth Monday, April 14, 2014 5:30 p.m. Connexions Work Group 7:30 p.m. Boy Scout Troop 406 Tuesday, April 15, 2014 9:00 a.m. Staff meeting 12:45 p.m. Sanctuary time for FV clients 1:30 p.m. Tuesday Food Vouchers 7:00 p.m. PFLAG 7:30 p.m. Joyful Noise Wednesday, April 16, 2014 9:00 a.m. Funday 5:45 p.m. Prayer vigil (Jose Villegas) 5:45 p.m. Choristers 6:00 p.m. Prayer Shawl Ministry 6:00 p.m. Chrismon Beaders 7:30 p.m. Chancel Choir rehearsal Stations of the Cross Thursday-Saturday, April 17-19, 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Maundy Thursday, April 17, 2014 9:30 a.m. Quilters 7:00 p.m. Maundy Thursday service Good Friday, April 18, 2014 7:00 p.m. Good Friday service Easter Day, Sunday, April 20, 2014 7:00 a.m. Easter sunrise service 9:15 a.m. Easter all-church potluck brunch 10:30 a.m. Easter worship service NO United Methodist Youth 7:00 p.m. St. JohnвЂ™s On Tap Monday, April 21, 2014вЂ”OFFICE CLOSED 7:00 p.m. Lubbock Liberty Workshop candidate forum Tuesday, April 22, 2014 9:00 a.m. Staff meeting 12:00 p.m. Interfaith Dialogue 12:45 p.m. Sanctuary time for FV clients 1:30 p.m. Tuesday Food Vouchers 5:30 p.m. Legal Clinic 7:30 p.m. Joyful Noise Wednesday, April 23, 2014 9:30 a.m. UMW Dora Harris Circle 5:45 p.m. Choristers 6:00 p.m. Prayer Shawl Ministry 6:00 p.m. Chrismon Beaders 6:15 p.m. Theology Group 7:30 p.m. Chancel Choir rehearsal Thursday, April 24, 2014 9:30 a.m. Quilters 6:30 p.m. UMW Dorothy Manning Circle 7:30 p.m. Joyful Noise Friday, April 25, 2014 7:00 p.m. Country Western Dancing Saturday, April 26, 2014 10:00 a.m. Soul Sisters at Clay CafГ© THE EXPLORER Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit #513 Lubbock, TX St. JohnвЂ™s United Methodist Church 1501 University Ave. Lubbock, TX 79401 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED St. JohnвЂ™s United Methodist Church Mission Statement The mission of St. JohnвЂ™s United Methodist Church is to worship and serve God with open hearts, open arms, and open minds. To respond to this calling, we will nurture each other in the Christian faith, we will work so that all people can experience GodвЂ™s love, and we will examine critically and respond prayerfully to the difficult issues that face us. Holy Week at St. JohnвЂ™s Palm/Passion Sunday, April 13 Easter Sunday, April 20 Stations of the Cross Easter sunrise service, 7:00 a.m. Thursday-Saturday, April 17-19, 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m., Room 122 St. JohnвЂ™s is proud to present вЂњStations of the CrossвЂќ by St. JohnвЂ™s member and artist Annette Reasoner. Come and see this all-new exhibit in the Garden Room. Please come as your schedule permits for a time of meditation and to view original artwork by Annette. Allow 20 to 30 minutes to complete the progression through the stations. Maundy Thursday Footwashing service April 17, 7:00 p.m. Good Friday service April 18, 7:00 p.m. Easter potluck brunch 9:15-10:15 a.m. (No Sunday School) Bring your favorite food to share. Drinks will be provided. Please use disposable containers to help with clean-up. ChildrenвЂ™s Easter egg hunts Kindergarten and younger, 9:45 a.m. 1st-5th grade, 10:10 a.m. Easter worship service, 10:30 a.m.