Grand Valley United Methodist Church
November 2022 Newsletter
Don’t forget to set your clocks back 1 hour before going to bed on Saturday, November 5th!
In this newsletter:
1. From the Pastor
2. Equal Exchange/Fair Trade
3. United Methodist Student Sunday
4. Thanksgiving Office Hours
5. Thanksgiving Dinner
6. Hanging of the Greens
7. Mission Trip
8. Mefor’s Newsletter
9. Birthdays
10. Women of the Bible Study
11. Calendar
12. Event Details
13. Church Reports
14. Just for Fun
From the Pastor….
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, November 24th. The first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated by the Pilgrims in 1621 to give thanks for their winter in the New World. In 1789, President George Washington issued a Thanksgiving Day Proclamation to commemorate the fist Pilgrim celebration. But the third president of the U.S.. Thomas Jefferson, discontinued it, calling Thanksgiving, “a kingly practice.”
After this, Thanksgiving was observed by some individual states on whatever date suited their fancy. Then in 1826, Mrs. Sarah Hale, the editor of the magazine “Godey’s Lady’s Book” and the author of the poem “Mary Had a Little Lamb” began campaigning for the restoration of Thanksgiving as a national holiday.
She wrote letters and sought appointments with national leaders. Time after time she was told, “this is none of your business”. Finally, in 1863 President Lincoln listened seriously to her plea that the North and South lay aside enmities and strife on Thanksgiving day.
President Lincoln proclaimed the fourth Thursday of November to be the official “National Thanksgiving Day”. This day was finally ratified by the U.S. Congress in 1941.
This year we have so much to be thankful for. God promised Israel “the good land” and God led them out of Egypt and through the wilderness into that Promised Land. We also live in a “Promised Land” right here in America and in our great state of Colorado. Don’t forget to thank God for your family, friends, community, and for all the riches that you take for granted. Therefore, this Thanksgiving Day count your many blessings one by one.
Grace and blessings,
Michael
Equal Exchange/Fair Trade Products
Orders Due November 27
Why should I buy Equal Exchange/Fair Trade coffee and chocolate rather than my favorites from City Market or Costco?
Fair Trade is a way of doing business that aims to keep small-scale farmers an active part of the world marketplace. It’s not charity – it’s a sustainable and alternative trading model that helps producers make a viable living and stay on their own land while advancing many economic, social and environmental goals. Long-term trading relationships mean income that farmers can count on, year after year. When you buy a fairly traded product from Equal Exchange you know that a stable price was paid to farmers, significantly higher than the fluctuating market price.
By choosing Fair Trade products, you’re supporting a different kind of business model. One that is based on dignity and transparency. One without forced child labor that is not focused on profit-maximizing at the expense of others in the supply chain. Fair Trade premiums allow farming communities to decide collectively which development projects they want to use the money on, like improving access to clean water and education. Small changes we as consumers can make regarding what we choose to buy make a real impact on the quality of the lives of producers and their families.
The Mission and Outreach Committee will be selling the coffee and candy bars by the box. The coffee comes 6 bags per box and the chocolate bars come 10 – 12 bars per box. The price of coffee ranges from $42.00 – $51.00 per box depending on the type and candy bars are $31.00. There are a lot of choices, so please take a look at the order form.
You will find the order forms on the inside of your November 6th Sunday bulletin, on the counter in the church hallway, or in the church office (during office hours). Please place your order form with your check to GVUMC with coffee in the memo line in the offering plate or drop it off at the church office. Your money is due when you place your order. The last day you may order is Sunday, November 27. The next order date will be in April.
Please consider buying your coffee and chocolate from the Mission and Outreach committee to help support this worthwhile mission.
United Methodist Student Day November 27
WHAT IS UNITED METHODIST STUDENT DAY?
One of the major challenges that students face is the lack of financial support to attain a college education. Worrying about expenses adds to the already existing anxieties youth experience and it may take away from their ability to excel in their studies or activities. But for students attending United Methodist Churches, we extend a hand to help them accomplish their career goals.
For more than 100 years, United Methodists have been supporting their students’ educational needs through a special offering. The funds received from the offering go into the United Methodist Student Loan Fund to underwrite scholarships for United Methodist students. Scholarships are awarded to deserving United Methodist students annually.
Right now, there are United Methodist young people who might not have the resources to attend a school of their choice, or, for some, any school at all. But because of people like you, they will be sent into the world God loves with gifts made through United Methodist Student Day. Your contribution is an acknowledgment that the church has confidence in them and in their abilities. Please help deserving, young adults continue their education and their faith journeys.
If you wish to contribute to United Methodist Student Day please write your check to GVUMC and put “United Methodist Student Day” in the memo line. God bless and thank you!
Thanksgiving Week Office Hours
The week of November 20th, the office will be open Monday-Wednesday, November 21st-23rd and closed on Thursday, November 24th and Friday, November 25th in observance of Thanksgiving.
We Gather Together
GVUMC will be providing a Thanksgiving Dinner again this year at 1:00 on Thanksgiving Day, November 24th. The church will provide the turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, and we ask that you bring a side dish or dessert to share. All are invited, so if you are going to be alone on Thanksgiving, or know of someone who is, please come down to the church that day and enjoy good food and fellowship.
Our annual Hanging of the Greens will take place on Saturday, November 26th – the Saturday following Thanksgiving. Feel free to join us – the more the merrier! Those participating will enjoy a potluck lunch after the decorating. Let’s make our church festive!
Roaring Fork and Grand Valley
United Methodist Churches’ Mission/Work Trip
Rebuilding Homes in Paradise and Butte County
The Camp Fire, November 2018 was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. Tragically, 85 people died. The fire burned over 150,000 acres and more than 18,000 structures. The towns of Paradise, Concow, Magalia and Butte Creek were largely destroyed. The total damage is estimated at $16.5 billion; one-quarter of which was not insured.
The California-Nevada United Methodist Conference will be providing construction teams to rebuild homes for those people who cannot afford to rebuild on their own for the next five years. Their teaming partner is Hope Crisis Response Network (HCRN). Construction sites, tools and supplies are provided by HCRN.
The accommodations include twin beds, shared bathrooms, and a kitchen for making meals. The fee for using HCRN housing is $45 – $95 per person, per week depending on the facility. The total cost for food, a donation towards construction supplies, the housing charge and incidental team expenses is about $200 per person, per week. In addition, will be the cost of airplane tickets (as of now ranging from $400 – $500). We will start looking at purchasing airfare in February 2023. Our team travel dates will be June 10 – 18, 2023. Team size is limited to twelve adults. 14–17 year olds may participate if accompanied by a parent, grandparent, or legal guardian.
Reserve your place ASAP by December 1, 2022. Please contact team leaders:
Rev. Michael Ingersoll or Roxann Ingersoll at [email protected]
or 303-909-0109.
Newsletter C. 22
Mutambara Mission Hospital,
Nhedziwa, Chimamanimani, Manicaland,
Zimbabwe,
[email protected];[email protected]
Dear Brothers and Sisters-in-Christ,
Greetings to you all in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is time again to update on how we are doing. We give thanks to God for his Mercies and favours on us. He is our Light and our salvation, our defense and our strength, without him we will fall.
We want to thank you all for your support both spiritually and financially. We pray that God will replenish your resources according to his riches in glory.
In our last newsletter we said that were going to give update on the Sustainability plans for the feeding of the pregnant women in the Waiting Mothers Shelter. Various projects were put in place with the hope that funds will be generated from them to sustain the free feeding of the Pregnant Women. Unfortunately, some of the projects were not viable due to several uncontrollable factors like breakdown of electrical equipment and inability to obtain replaceable parts. On the agricultural project, success has been epileptic, again to due to several factors which includes man-made and natural factors. The man-made factors are damage to the security fence of the farm land by the community members, stealing of the crops, and letting in of cattle to graze on the farm and eating of the crops. We have also ventured into Animal farming by growing broilers, layers for egg, natural chicken, rabbits, and piggery. These are courtesy of UMC Sutherland And Larabee in Iowa, and the Norway UMC.
Expectant Pig.
A big irrigation project for the Mutambara Mission farm supported by the Bloomfield UMC Iowa is in progress. It involves diverting water from a moderately sized river through pipelines to the farm. This is under the supervision and management of the Mutambara Mission Station-Chairperson. We shall include progress pictures in our next update.
The next update is the progress regarding the fund for the support of our doctors. There has been response to this. First was from two families in the Upper New Annual Conference. Their support is calculated to support the doctors to the end of December 2022. Four days ago, we got a message of further support for the doctors from a church in Grand Valley Colorado, and one in West Virginia. With the total available amount, we will be able to support the doctors till the end of May 2023. We really appreciate our supporters and praying that their resources will never go dry.
On a general note, the cold weather has come and gone. Presently the weather is just warm and gradually on transit to the summer as we anticipate hot and rainy weather from November or December.
We thank God for taking control of our family. We have not been doing well health wise in the past two months. Still on treatment and are getting better. Our children and grandchildren are all doing well.
Prayer Requests: 1) For quick and complete recovery. 2) For God’s intervention in unstable parts of the world.
Florence Mefor, Advance # 13991Z, Emmanuel Mefor, Advance # 13390Z
Mutambara Mission Hospital Advance # 3022286.
November birthdays:
1 – Cathy Carlson
2 – Pam Haskill
4 – Cricket Goodsell
9 – Adelia Inman
11 – Ted Birdsill
11 – Carmen Litschewski
16 – Deb Meader
21 – Jennifer Chapman-Gisner
22 – Dave Penrose
27 – Stacey Dean
27 – John Chapman
Our Women of the Bible study, led by Penelope, will resume on November 1st at 10:30 for three weeks. Then they will be off until the first of the year. Please join us!
Our Seekers Class(Adult Sunday School) meets every Sunday morning at 8:30. We invite all to attend.
Join us for Bible Study every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. or at 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We hope you can join us.
Choir practices on Wednesday afternoons at 4:00. Unfortunately, bells are not meeting at this time. 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]
Prayer Partners meet the 1st and 3rd Thursdays at 10:00. If you have anyone that you would like to add to the Prayer Partner list, please contact either Bert Botkin at (970)216-8682, the church office at (970)285-9892 or send an email to: [email protected]
Church Council Report
No report
Mission & Outreach
See above article on Thanksgiving Dinner
Treasurer
No report
UWF
UNITED WOMEN IN FAITH
FORMERLY KNOWN AS UNITED METHODIST WOMEN
In June, the few women at the final meeting of the United Women in Faith (UWF) voted to disband. They still held the yard sale and the Grand Valley Days bake sale that together raised $1,455.75. Following is the final financial statement for UWF.
Checking Account Balance, 1/1/22 $ 172.54
Receipts:
Yard Sale $1,007.75
Bake Sale 448.00
Change used at Yard Sale 150.00
Change used at Bake Sale 50.00
Total Receipts 1,655.75
Subtotal 1,828.29
Expenditures:
Wycliffe Bible Translators
(Support of Missionaries Pedersons) 1,000.00
Utah/Western CO District UMW
(Mission Pledge) 628.29
Change for Yard Sale 150.00
Change for Bake Sale 50.00
Total Expenditures 1,828.29
Ending Checking Account Balance, 9/18/2022 $ 0
Once the checks have cleared the bank, the final audit of the records will be done and the bank account officially closed.
Random Facts
– Space smells like a combination of diesel fuel and barbecue, according to astronauts. The smell is caused by dying stars.
– Great Britain briefly had a Cones Hotline in the early 1990’s. It was a special number citizens could call if they saw traffic cones on the road for no reason. It was disbanded after three years because almost no one ever called it.
– Charles Dickens had bookbinders print up a number of fake books for his library. Titles included Drowsy’s Recollections of Nothing (3 volumes), Hansards’s Guide to Refreshing Sleep (as many volumes as possible), and Bowwowdom: A Poem.
– Bananas are more effective in replenishing electrolytes than Gatorade. They also have serotonin and dopamine – chemicals that help you feel happy.
– Sarcasm makes you more creative.
– At age 23, Evan Spiegel, the founder of Snapchat, is the world’s youngest billionaire.
– One serving of kale has 1180 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin K. Vitamin K is named after the German word koagulation, which means “blood clotting” because it plays an important role in the regulation of blood clots.
Church Contact Information
PO Box 125
Parachute CO 81635
(970)285-9892
[email protected]
www.GrandValleyUMC.com
OFFICE HOURS:
Wednesday – Friday
9:00 – noon