Grand Valley United Methodist Church
September 2024 Newsletter
In this newsletter:
1. From the Pastor
2. In Loving Memory
3. Shoe Distribution
4. Grand Valley Days
5. New Church Directory
6. Birthdays
7. Calendar
8. Group Details
9. Church Reports
10. Just for Fun
From the Pastor….
There is a saying quoted from the Talmud that goes like this: “Every blade of grass has its angel that bends over it and whispers, “Grow, grow.”
Do you remember the teachers, friends, strangers, and family members who were the angels that have whispered, “grow” into your ear? The people, who have encouraged you to stretch your mind, enlarge your capabilities; learn new talents, and perfect hidden gifts? The people who whispered words that made you realize the future holds more than what you’re experiencing in the present; that dreams really can come true; that life has tremendous meaning; and that God is so much bigger than you could ever have imagined.
Do you remember the places that held those sacred possibilities? Your home, the kindergarten classroom, the youth group room at church, college halls, grandmother’s table, the coffee shop, the sanctuary are a few of the sacred possibilities.
The church is full of possibilities for growth, such as worship experiences, teaching or attending one of the classes offered, serving on committees. The possibilities are endless. As we engage in these ministries we are preparing to respond to the still small voice that whispers, “grow.” I believe God is always among us whispering, “grow.”
Being involved in the ministries of the church is a way to be part of the life of the church. Spiritual growth comes from being involved. It is how we become angels for each.
Fall is a time for growth! I pray we all hear the whisper.
Office hours for the week of September 15th will be changed:
Karen will be in the office Monday-Wednesday, September 16-18. She is then heading out on vacation for a couple of weeks! The deadline for the October newsletter will be changed to Monday, September 16th and the newsletter will be sent out a little earlier than normal.
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Jim Ness. He passed away mid-August and will be missed. He will be remembered fondly by many people. No service information is available at this time.
Shoes, shoes shoes!
Our annual shoe distribution took place on Friday, August 2 and was once again a greatly appreciated success. We had shoes for 104 children, along with giving away some fresh zucchinis from the garden. We had a beautiful morning, and we got it in before it got TOO hot! Thank you to the Mission & Outreach Committee, and ALL the volunteers who helped out.
SUCCESSFUL GRAND VALLEY DAYS
Kudos go out to Dan Temple and his crew of men who did a fantastic job on the pancake sale. They served 116 adults and 20 kiddos. Including an extra $206 in donations, they took in $1,158. After expenses, they netted $995. Well done gentlemen!
Thanks to all who baked, bought, and worked the bake sale booth. The goodies brought in $603.10. The ten cents came from a young girl about 5 or 6 who gave us the dime but didn’t take anything. A special thanks to her.
All of these funds will be transferred into the Grand Valley Givers account and will be used to purchase clothes and toys for the less fortunate at Christmas. A special thanks to all who were involved in any way.
CHURCH DIRECTORY
The Council is considering doing up a new Church directory. It has been about nine years since one has been done and a lot of things have changed in that time.
To do this, the Church will hire a photographer to take photos. She will be available for two hours one evening after 5:30, date to be set later. The Church will pay for her services. If you will not be able to get to that session, you will have to submit a clear .jpg picture to be included in the photo part of the directory. You will be able to get a copy of the proof to make prints for yourself. The directory will include pictures of our activities. Anyone having some pictures will be asked to submit them to make this an interesting directory. There will also be an alphabetical listing of our members and friends.
The Council needs to know who is interested in purchasing a directory if the price is under $20. If you are interested, please call Karen in the office at 970-285-9892 or sign up in the coffee area during fellowship. If the interest is there, we will proceed with the project.
If you have questions about the project, please talk to Al Reuter or Penelope Olson.
September Birthdays:
3 – Rich Stoakes
5 – Len Allen
18 – Dennis Alvord
22 – Fred Inman
25 – Laurel Koning
28 – Lee Allen
Our Seekers Class(Adult Sunday School) meets every Sunday morning at 8:30. We invite all to attend.
Please join us on Tuesdays at 10:30 for our Beatitudes Bible study. All are welcome.
Join us for Bible Study every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We hope you can join us.
Choir and bells start up again after Labor Day. Choir meets at 4:00 on Wednesday and bells meet when needed. 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 10:30. If you have anyone that you would like to add to the Prayer Partner list, please contact Bert Botkin at (970)216-8682.
Our Ambassadors (Care Team) meet on the 2nd Friday at 11:00 in the Fellowship Hall.
Church Council Report
Council met on Tuesday, August 13th.
Treasurer’s Report: Penelope reported the transfer of $4000.00 from checking to the Alpine Bank money market. A CD matured in July and was renewed for two years at the rate of 4.5%. The church balance sheet looks strong.
Finance: Michelle reported the transfer of the $4000.00 above mentioned.
Missions: Laurel reported we gave away 104 pair of shoes. Everyone was very appreciative. The garden is providing food for both the Resource Center and Lift Up. Bert Spoke to Mrs. Mefor, our missionary. Mrs. Mefor sent Bert a list of items they need. Bert and Laurel will look over the list, and the mission committee will make a recommendation as to what we can do. September has a 5th Sunday. We will have a potluck dinner that day.
Trustees: John reported the swamp cooler has been repaired. Touch up painting is being done. A faucet in the janitor’s closet needs to be repaired, but should not cost much. Most work is general maintenance and not costly.
Worship: Michelle reported we had a good meeting and know where we are going in the near future.
Pastor’s Report: Michael is waiting to see what his daughter plans for Thanksgiving. Otherwise, he will be here until his vacation in January and February.
Old Business: Penelope will look into what the cost will be for each new church directory and will present it to the congregation. She has the name of a woman who will take pictures for $200.00.
New Business: Michelle said we need to have some training on the A-fib machine. She will announce it to the congregation later.
Treasurer
YOU ARE A GIVING PEOPLE
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The title of this article says it all. Not only did you give $6,000 for the operations of the Church, you gave $4,200 for the purchase of shoes for those kids who needed them. That is over $10,000 in one month! WOW! All that we have belongs to God and we are showing that we believe that. Thank you.
The $6,000 was not quite enough to cover our expenses for the month, but that is okay, because we have excess from previous months. We still are $7,150 to the good for the seven months ended July 31st, so we do have money to fall back on. The Church’s balance sheet is strong, with $24,300 in checking and money markets and $211,000 in investments. Of that amount, $66,300 is designated funds.
Thank you for your generosity. God Bless you all.
The statements are posted on the fellowship hall bulletin board. Please let me know if you have any questions.
There once was a man and a woman who had been married for more than 60 years. They talked about everything. They kept no secrets from each other….except that the old woman had a shoe box in the top of her closet that she cautioned her husband never to open it or ask her about it.
For all these years he had never thought about the box, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would never recover. In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoe box and took it to his wife’s bedside. She agreed it was time that he should know what was in the box.
When he opened it he found 2 beautifully crocheted doilies and a stack of money totaling over $25,000. He asked her about the unusual contents. “When we were married,” she said, “my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doily.”
The little old man was so moved, he had to fight back tears. Only two precious doilies were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with joy and happiness. “Sweetheart,” he said, “that explains the doilies, but what about all this money? Where did it come from?”
“Oh,” she said. “That’s the money I made from selling the doilies.”
Pass it on! Give someone else a reason to smile!!
Church Contact Information
PO Box 125
Parachute CO 81635
(970)285-9892
[email protected]
www.GrandValleyUMC.com
OFFICE HOURS:
Wednesday – Friday
9:00 – noon