Grand Valley United Methodist Church
March 2023 Newsletter
Be sure to change your clocks before going to bed Saturday, March 11th!
In this newsletter:
1. From the Pastor
2. UMCOR Sunday
3. Easter Lilies/Spring Bouquets
4. Birthdays
5. Calendar
6. Event Details
7. Church Reports
8. Just for Fun
From the Pastor….
In this Easter season we often look to the sacrifice, to Christ, and to the resurrection as signs of God’s love for us. It is a powerful message of hope as we come to see the power of God over death itself. I think there are many parts to the narrative that can make our walk with Christ even more meaningful. Remember the denial of Peter and the fear that the disciples displayed after the crucifixion? Remember the image of the woman as they stood at the foot of the cross. Remember the joy of Mary when she met Jesus outside the tomb? Much of this story is about relationships; with the pain, the betrayal, the denial, the loss, and the joy that comes with them.
Jesus’ life was about relationships. He had a special relationship with God and he showed us what it meant to live in relationship with others. He opened the door to relationships with the outcasts, the tax collectors, the lepers, the foreigners and the women. He taught us that God had a place for all of them and all of us as well.
Easter is a springtime event that offers us time to strengthen and nurture our relationships. We know that these relationships will bring pain, joy and sorrow, and that God will be there in the midst of it all. Remember as sons and daughters of God that in this life and the life to come we are called to be and live in a community. Look around at your brothers and sisters here at church, at home, in your various communities, and consider how you can show God’s love to them in big and small ways. Allow God’s Spirit to touch those people through you. May this Easter bring you great joy as you celebrate the resurrection with family and friends. God bless you as you travel this life together with those you love.
God’s blessing
Michael
UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) Sunday
March 19, 2023
UMCOR Sunday is one of The United Methodist Church’s Special Sundays. Special Sundays are designated Sundays each year that deepen the connection between the local church and ministries on a global scale. Individuals and congregations are encouraged to give to support the church’s collective work with an offering.
Without your generosity, this ministry could not be achieved! Giving allows us to make a difference in the lives of communities and individuals whose lives have been upset by storms, wars, fires, displacement and climate change in the USA and around the world. This offering underwrites UMCOR’s “costs of doing business,” allowing UMCOR to keep the promise that 100% of any gift to a specific UMCOR project will go toward that project, not administrative costs.
This year, the official date for UMCOR Sunday is March 19, 2023. Please place your offering in the Sunday offering plate or take it to the church office and write UMCOR Sunday in the memo line.
You are invited to help decorate our sanctuary for Easter with Lilies or Spring Bouquets. There is a form at the end of this newsletter for you to fill out and return to the church – or contact the church with your information: (970)285-9892, [email protected] There will be forms in the bulletins on Sunday starting on March 12th. The deadline for letting the church office know if you are bringing flowers is Sunday April 5th – Palm Sunday.
On Easter Sunday there will be a bulletin insert acknowledging all our arrangements. You may designate your flowers in memory of a departed loved one or in honor of a loved one still living.
Flowers need to be delivered to the church on Thursday, April 9th or Friday, April 10th between 9-11:30 a.m.
March birthdays:
10 – Lisa Waszak-Koning
12 – Timothy Botkin
15 – Karen Dornan
29 – Jessica McElroy
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. Bells have also started back up. 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
The Council met on Tuesday, February 14th at 2:00 p.m.
Here is a summary:
– Giving in January was in excess of expenses.
– 2023 Budget was approved
– Approved an increase of building use fees by $25
– Received quotes for re-carpeting the church – will keep everyone posted.
– There is an Easter dinner planned in lieu of the 5th Sunday potluck in April.
– Mission and Outreach is working with the Salvation Army on a clothing distribution.
Grandpa’s Face
A little girl was sitting next to her grandfather as he read her a bedtime story. From time to time, she would take her eyes off the book and reach up and touch his wrinkled cheek. She touched her own cheek after she touched his.
After a little while of thinking she asked, “Grandpa, did God make you?”
He looked at her and said, “Yes, sweetheart, God made me a long time ago.”
She paused for a few seconds and then asked, “Grandpa, did God make me too?”
He replied, “Yes, indeed pumpkin, God made you just a little while ago.”
Feeling their respective faces again, she whispered to him, “God’s getting better at it, isn’t He?”
Church Contact Information
PO Box 125 OFFICE HOURS:
Parachute CO 81635
(970)285-9892
Wednesday – Friday 9:00 – noon
[email protected]
www.GrandValleyUMC.com
EASTER LILIES / SPRING BOUQUETS
You are invited to help decorate our sanctuary for Easter with Lilies or Spring Bouquets. Please complete the following and place it in the collection plate. On Easter Sunday there will be a bulletin insert acknowledging all our arrangements. You may designate your flowers in memory of a departed loved one or in honor of a loved one still living.
______________________________ will provide flowers for Easter.
(Your name)
Please use one line for each arrangement you intend to provide.
One arrangement may also be used for more than one person.
In memory / honor (circle one) of _________________________________
In memory / honor (circle one) of _________________________________
In memory / honor (circle one) of _________________________________
In memory / honor (circle one) of _________________________________
In memory / honor (circle one) of _________________________________
The last day for notifying the church of your Easter flowers is Palm Sunday, April 5th.
Please deliver your flowers to the church on Thursday, April 9th or Friday, April 10th between 9:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Also remember to put a small tag with your name on your flowers so you may take them home after the Easter Sunday service.