Grand Valley United Methodist Church
February 2023 Newsletter
In this newsletter:
1. From the Pastor
2. Ash Wednesday
3. In memorium
4. Birthdays
5. Calendar
6. Event Details
7. Church Reports
8. Just for Fun
From the Pastor….
I think I am going through an identity crisis. You know the feeling, everything is going great and then out of nowhere…WHAM! You find out that you’re someone else. It happens every once in a while when I get these letters, credit card offers, and magazines addressed to Michelle Ingersall or Mich Ingersole or Micheal Engersail or any combination of other strange names. My name has been erroneously changed so many times. The name that my mother and father thought would serve me well has been changed in an instant. How could this happen? Who am I?
I am only half kidding. It is true that your name is a very personal thing and Biblically, names are a very important part of one’s identity. Look at Abram changed to Abraham or Sarai changed to Sarah. Or what of Saul of Tarsus and his name changed to Paul? All of these names showed a change in their identity, a change that was meant to show a new religious reality for them. Now, what can it mean that my name has been changed so many times, that I have multiple personalities? Did these changes happen at God’s prompting? I am thankful that we Methodists use the Quadrilateral and not just wishful thinking. The Quadrilateral is a four part theological tool of scripture, tradition, experience and reason to help us sort out these kinds of things. My reason tells me that computers are operated and built by people, and that there is a good chance that my names are simply mistakes and not a religious sign!
The season of Lent (an Old English word meaning “Spring”) is upon us. It has historically been a time to take a good look at who you are and your relationship with God. It is a time that awaits the coming of new beginnings in nature, in relationships, in life itself. Make a special effort to change your routine and to look at yourself. What’s your name and what does it stand for? Can your time with God show you more of who you are in God?
(Isaiah 42:1 “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.) What is Easter about for you? How can our church help you in your quest to know both yourself and your God? God’s Blessing on you as you journey through this Lenten season.
Emergency contact for when Michael is gone
Michael will be gone until early March, so if there is any emergency situation where a pastor is needed, Randy Jorgensen is on call. He can be reached at (970)274-1185.
What is Ash Wednesday?
The first day of Lent. It marks the beginning of a period of reflection and penance. In the Bible, sprinkling oneself with ashes was traditionally a sign of one’s sorrow for having committed sins. In the Christian tradition, Ash Wednesday also marked the beginning of preparation for the understanding of the death and resurrection of Christ. The particular symbolism of ashes for this day comes from a practice in the Roman Catholic churches in which the ashes from the palms used in the preceding year’s Palm Sunday celebration are blessed. With these ashes, the priest on the first day of Lent marks a cross on the forehead of each worshiper. This practice has become a part of Ash Wednesday services in many United Methodist churches.
To celebrate this time, we will be holding an Ash Wednesday service on February 22 at 4:00. All are welcome.
On Christmas Day, Carmen Litschewski lost her fight with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, an uncommon brain disorder that causes serious problems with walking, balance and eye movements, and later with swallowing. .She was surrounded by her family and her nephew. There will be a memorial service at GVUMC on Saturday, June 3rd. Remembrances can be made to organizations that research a cure for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. She will be missed.
Our Trustees have been busy!
A new motion detector light is installed at the Faith House to replace the one that had apparently outlived its lifetime warranty.
We ask that IF you are cold in the fellowship hall and turn the thermostat up that you set it back down to 65 before you leave. Gas prices are high and well beyond our budget.
Raising your pledge will help.
We would like to extend a HUGE thank you to our loyal and faithful shovelers! It’s a lot of work to keep our sidewalks clear and a path around the sign out front, and we are forever grateful for your hard work!
February birthdays:
2 – Bruce Knuth
3 – John Koning
5 – Deb Penrose
5 – Barb McElroy
6 – Steve Shaw
8 – Carol Lamb
11 – Ann White
15 – Thom Hamick
15 – Bobbie Prentice
15 – Grace Reuter
17 – Joyce Landrum
20 – Sarah Orona
26 – Michael Ingersoll
27 – Sue Knuth
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 still not meeting… 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 Bert Botkin at (970)216-8682.
Church Council Report
COUNCIL MUSINGS
The Trustees are going to be looking around the Church to see what upgrades might need to be done, such as new flooring, new chairs for the sanctuary, paving the parking lot, etc. They will bring the estimates back to the Council and we will vote on how the $50,000 that is in the Capital Improvement account will be spent or see if we need to raise more.
The Worship Committee would like to get a camera so that the service can be recorded and put on our website and Facebook page. They are looking for grants they might apply for to pay for the technician we would need if we do that. Or any way they might pay for that person.
Our Church will be the distribution point for six pallets of new clothes that Salvation Army is giving us. Distribution date to be determined.
There will be a potluck on the 29th, a fifth Sunday.
Did you know that they are about over thirty people who attend the four Bible Studies that the Church offers? Some are from other Churches. The studies are Tuesday at 10:30 (Women of the Bible), Wednesday at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 8:30 a.m.
The Council approved for Michael to carryover one week of vacation to the July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024 year. All of the services for when Michael is gone on his Nicaragua mission trip are covered. Also, he will be going on a mission trip to California from June 10 – 17 of this year.
Treasurer
Our Financial Year in Review
The Church is carrying $37,000 more in cash and short-term investments as of December 31, 2022 than December 31, 2021. This is because it was decided to cash in some of the long-term investments when the market started to take a down-turn and reinvest $15,000 in a certificate of participation (similar to a certificate of deposit) and the money market. As it was, the long-term investments lost $42,800 in 2022, but are still above the original investment amount.
The Capital Improvement Fund ended with a balance of $50,183 and there were expenditures of $6,480 for the Faith House windows taken from that fund this year.
When it comes to the revenues, the actual amount received, $107,400, was $20,700 more than anticipated at the beginning of the year. Part of that was the rent received from the Pentecostal Church and sale of the piano. Pledged giving was not as large as anticipated, but was offset by unpledged giving received being twice as much as the budget. Half of the $20,700 was the gain on the sale of the long-term investments.
Expenditures came in under budget by $5,700. The areas that were overbudget, church and parsonage maintenance and gas and electric, are not very controllable. The Trustees are going to look into a programable thermostat for the fellowship hall.
At the beginning of the year, the Council anticipated that we would have to use $29,900 of reserves to cover our expenditures in 2022. After all the bills were paid, it ended up the Church only used $3,500 of the Church’s reserves. Thank you to all of you for that.
Random Facts
Rapunzel! Rapunzel! A single strand of hair can hold up to 3 ounces of weight. That means the typical person’s full head of hair can support up to 12 tons.
Cornell University scientists have created a functioning guitar the size of a human blood cell.
A New Jersey man flunked out of law school and subsequently sued the school for having accepted him in the first place.
Dean Kamen, the inventor of the Segway, owns an island off the coast of Connecticut called North Dumpling Island. The island has its own constitution, flag, currency and even navy (though the navy is made up of just one boat). It also has a replica of Stonehenge. Kamen refers to himself as Lord Dumpling, though the island is not technically recognized as separate from the U.S.
There’s music made especially for cats. Apparently cats develop their musical taste soon after they’re born, so cat music includes not only traditional (human-made) instruments, but also feeding noises, bird chirps and purring noises.
Church Contact Information
PO Box 125
Parachute CO 81635
(970)285-9892
[email protected]
www.GrandValleyUMC.com
OFFICE HOURS:
Wednesday – Friday
9:00 – noon