Grand Valley United Methodist Church
April 2021 Newsletter
In this newsletter:
1. Holy Week Schedule
2. Congratulations to Michelle
3. Birthdays
4. Calendar
5. Events Details
6. Church Reports
7. Save the Date – UMW Rummage Sale
8. Hygiene bags for Family Resource Center
9. Just for Fun
4 Easter Week Worship Opportunities
During Holy Week, March 29 through April 4, there will be four opportunities to worship together and celebrate the Easter Season.
Sunday, March 28, 9:00-10:00 Palm Sunday
Thursday, April 1 – 6:30-7:00 Maundy Thursday Vespers
Friday, April 2 – 6:30-7:00 Good Friday Vespers
Sunday, April 4, 9:00-10:00 Easter Morning Worship
Palm Sunday falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, marks the first day of Holy Week, the last week of the Christian solemn season of Lent that precedes the arrival of Eastertide. It is called Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday for the palm branches that were used by people celebrating Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.
Maundy Thursday is the Christian holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter. It commemorates the Washing of the Feet and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles
Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday/ It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, and Black Friday.
Easter, also called Resurrection Sunday, is a festival and holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day after his burial following his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary c. 30 AD. It is the culmination of the Passion of Jesus, preceded by Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance.
We would like to offer a big CONGRATULATIONS to Michelle Foster, our new Quiet Disciple Award recipient, which is a district award. The Quiet Disciple Award is offered each year as a tribute to those lay people who engage in many hours of behind-the-scenes volunteer work at their local churches and within their communities so that those programs may have life. This is a lifetime achievement award, a recognition that says, “We appreciate you so very much! THANK YOU for your contributions!” All Utah/Western Colorado Quiet Disciple Award winners for 2021 will be recognized at their District Gathering, which will occur on Saturday, April 17, 2021 online via Zoom. This award is very well deserved! Thank you, Michelle!!!
April Birthdays:
7 – Ivo Lindauer
12 – Cindy Day
19 – Peter Perrine
The next UMW meeting will be held on Thursday, April 1st (no foolin’!) at 10:00 in the Fellowship Hall. Please wear a mask and practice social distancing. We hope you can join us!
Prayer Partners meet the 2nd and 4th Thursdays at 10:00. If you have anyone that you would like to add to the Prayer Partner list, please contact Betty at (970)531-6216 or send an email to: [email protected]
Our Bible Study group meets every Wednesday at 10:00 in the Fellowship Hall. Lively discussions usually occur! We welcome anyone who would like to join us on Wednesdays. Please wear a mask and practice social distancing.
Our Bell Choir and Choir have rehearsals on Wednesdays – Bells at 3:00 and Choir at 4:00. We are always looking for participants, so if you would like to join either of these wonderful musical groups, please contact the office at (970)285-9892 or by email: [email protected]
Both Choirs are practicing hard for their upcoming Easter Sunday participation.
UMW Report
UMW met on March 4, 2021. The meeting was opened by Michelle Foster, Pres.
The Minutes and Treasurer’s reports were approved.
The program was presented by Michelle Foster; Opened with Purpose of United Methodist Women and Prayer.
We are celebrating 150 years of UMW on March 13th.
Devotion was given by Debbie Penrose.
Prayer Shawl has too few workers, invite others who like to crochet or knit. There was discussion on a project for making no- sew blankets.
Reading group continues.
June 5th set as date for a Rummage Sale.
Church Council Report
The meeting was called to order at 2:05 on Tuesday, March 16. In attendance were J.R., Michelle, Bert, Ron, Fred, Ted, and Laurel.
A video presentation of Right Now Media was watched.
The minutes of the February meeting were approved. Reports of committees were given.
Discussion ensued on the Right Now Media video and it was moved and accepted to do a 6 month subscription. This can be cancelled at any time.
Pastor’s Report
Worship and new Tech: We returned to in-person worship on March 7 with a new 75-inch TV in front for viewing worship content along with another PC, monitors, and software to produce the worship elements. This was funded out of reserves and we have been notified we will receive a $1000 grant that should cover the equipment cost. Sara Francis has stepped up to help with AV portions of worship. We will need others to learn the new system so she can sing in choir and have a break. The next grant review is still a few months away.
Holy Week: Easter week worship will kick off with Palm Sunday, continue with Maundy Thursday, Good Friday (6:30 each night), and culminate with Easter Sunday. With 2 churches, I have 9 worship services between March 28 and April 4. Thus, I will be on vacation the following week. By the way, full-time clergy have 4 weeks of vacation each year and 1 week of continuing education and development. The week of vacation I had in January was my post-Christmas vacation and counted as the “extra” week the Bishop requested all churches provide for their pastors due to Covid.
Looking Forward: Much of our time together has been dealing with the crises of the pandemic, longing to be together when we could not, and struggling to keep church a priority in our lives in the midst of online worship. With the vaccines being implemented and improved Covid numbers, I pray we are entering into a time when we can begin to focus on our future, caring for our members while growing the church. I ask each of you to pray about this and see if some of the content of our March Worship series on “Renewal” might speak to us.
Peace be with you,
Pastor J.R. Atkins.
Mission & Outreach Report
Our committee continues to work towards meeting the community’s physical and emotional needs. We welcome any new needs that we can also commit to helping with a drive to provide hygiene bags to the Family Resource Center. These bags (which contain soap, shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste and toothbrushes, and hand sanitizer) are so needed by many of those families that the Resource Center supports. We were able to fill 22 bags, but will be supplying more in the near future. (See picture) We are able to fulfill a bag’s contents for $8 (buying these items at the Dollar Store in Rifle). A collection of food was also distributed to help their food bank.
We will continue to have the red wagon in the back of the church. Food is always needed and can be brought to church. We will make sure that it is forwarded to the Resource Center. Any financial donations can be given – please put on the memo line for the Resource Center.
The Family Resource Center and District 16 have shown us great thanks for the help that our church has shown over the last several years. We are happy to know that they can turn to us for help and support.
If you have any needs that our committee can consider, we would be happy to do so.
Treasurer Report
The month of February was not a good month for our Church. Pledged giving was 37% below budget and the budget for the month was a deficit in the first place. And it was well below the giving for January, due to a number of people not giving during February. I’m glad to say, though, that the March giving is back up. So, February may have just been an anomaly.
Fortunately, most of the expenditures were below budget, except our tithe to the Conference, which is based on January’s income, and Vacation Bible School (VBS) expenditures. The VBS expenditures were unbudgeted, however, Council had enthusiastically endorsed the project and promised to find the funds. Overall, there was a deficit of $4,200 for the month. Fortunately, we had excess funds in January, so for the two months, we still have excess funds of almost $1,100.
I would like to remind everyone that, for your ease of giving, you can have your pledge taken from your checking or savings account on the same day each month. You just need to complete the form which may be found as you enter the sanctuary or in the office.
If you would ever like to discuss the finances of the Church, please call me at 231-383-0488, or email me at [email protected]. God Bless you and thank you for your support.
Things you didn’t know you had to know!
– No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.
– Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
– Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
– “Stewardesses” is the longest word typed with only the left hand. “Lollipop: with your right.
– The average person’s left hand does 56% of the typing.
Church Contact Information
PO Box 125
Parachute CO 81635
(970)285-9892
[email protected]
www.GrandValleyUMC.com
OFFICE HOURS:
Wednesday – Friday
9:00 – noon