- The CUMC Newsletter started publishing in January 2017….the newsletter committee has enjoyed this past year AND appreciate all of the people who have given us information and participated in writing articles! Be looking for new developments in the next few months!
- Do you want anything in the February Newsletter? --- Deadline for the February edition is Monday January 22, 2018. Any questions, please ask the Communications Team.
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CUMC’s Vision Pathway, Our Mission Measures and New Year’s Resolutions
Happy and blessed and beautiful New Year!
Last year our CUMC Newsletter was born. We hope you have enjoyed keeping up with the goings on and the people of Central.
We have taken a journey through our Vision Pathway including:
Growing Christ-Centered Community in a Distracting World
Which answers the question, “What are we doing?”
Navigate, Serve, Engage and Worship – the four points of our compass. These answer the question, “How are we doing it?”
Authentic Reverence, Vibrant Traditions, Passionate Grace, Active Faith, and Catalytic Generosity.
These answer the question, “Why are we doing it?
And this month we take a look at Our Mission Measures which answer the question “When are we headed in the right direction?” This question feels so appropriate for a New Year when we often set resolutions for ourselves. The following questions, written by our Vision Pathway team are good questions to ponder not only for our church but also for ourselves. How can we live a more Christ-like life?
- Living Beyond Self: How do we reach out to others? What would it be like if we took the chance every day to put someone else before us as a way of showing we care?
- Faith Beyond Belief: How do our actions reflect our faith? In other words, turning what we believe into how we live.
- Joy Beyond Expectation: Are we willing to be surprised by God? Spending time with God heightens our awareness of God’s presence in our lives. It opens our heart and minds, eyes and ears, body and soul to His mystery and direction in our lives.
- Holiness Beyond Sunday: 24/7/365. How do we live the rest of the week?
- Gratitude Beyond Thanks: How do we respond to the Precious in our lives? When we pay attention to all of God’s blessings each day and thank Him we come to know He is always there for us.
- Peace Beyond Circumstance: Do we know God will get us through this day? We know life is hard – how much do we trust God to walk with us through all the difficulty? Jesus says to us, “My peace I give to you.”
Welcome to a New Year, one that holds much promise especially if we walk through it with our God, our Lord and Savior, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
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GOODBYE 2017 ....... HELLO 2018
On December 31, Pastor Scott led a packed Life Center in a New Year's celebration and service.
He took Matthew 322:37-40 as the heart of his message to us:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your mind...............and Love your neighbor as yourself."
He challenged us - promised us - invited us - encouraged us - to make these 'first and second greatest commandments' the focus of all we do, all we think, all we are in 2018. Hope fills the air looking forward to a year of joy, renewal and growth at Central - a year you're not going to want to miss helping become a reality!
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Governance Team
As we say so long to 2017, just a quick reflection as to what happened at Central last year. First, the establishment of our Stephen Ministry with Judy William’s heart and Pastor Scott and Pastor Kelly off to Stephen Minister Leader training. We graduated twelve Stephen Ministers in April prepared to serve the Christian caring needs of our church.
Our Reverend Doctor Scott completed his course of study and dissertation in April.
Pastor Kelly completed her work for her Master’s Degree, a mission trip to Africa, and began her studies towards her Dr. in Ministry (DMIN).
The Governance Team approved and asked Compass Points to plan and implement MOVEMENTUM for Central. Lots too come throughout 2018.
Our Compass Points Team:
- Began Church for Kids during our 11 o’clock service.
- Offered Trick or Treat Not on the Street for our children and neighbors.
- Exploring Dinner Theater in the Life Center to offer intentional fellowship time with sit down dinner and musical theater.
- Preparing for Sunday Sabbath Lunch. Intentional, Family Style Meal, worship music, discussion/teaching, and fellowship.
- Church wide Confirmation Retreat at Sacramento, NM January 12-15,2018.
- Church Wide Trip to England/Wesley Heritage Tour May 8-17, 2017.
In early 2018, the Governance Team will begin to form a Hospitality Team welcoming all to Central, caring for our homebound members, mentoring new members, and being that smiling face shining the love of Jesus Christ.
Finally, with these several new endeavors, it will take many to fill the roles necessary to make these come true. WHO ARE YOU WILLING TO BE IN 2018? MAY YOU BE BLESSED IN YOUR DECISION!
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CUMC Organist’s Retirement Concert – December 2017
Rick Wild, CUMC long-time organist’s December 2017 concert is now available on DVD! Purchase price is $10 dollars each and the DVD comes with bonus content: Rick’s Halloween Piece, Toccata in Fugue “D Minor”, and Improv of Joy to the World. Purchase price helps the T.V. ministry with funding of equipment. Order forms are available at the front desk for anyone looking to purchase the Concert.
Information
on Children and Youth Ministries, Sunday School Classes, On-going Bible Studies, and Service Ministries will no longer be listed in the monthly newsletter. Please check the CUMC website and/or the weekly CTL for this information. If you have any updates or corrections, please contact Jesus Valdez, Media Coordinator, at
[email protected] or Pastor Kelly at
[email protected]. Or call the church office at 243-7834.
The new
Giving Kiosk
is now available at the Front Office Counter. You can make a contribution to Central United Methodist Church using our Giving Kiosk! The new Giving Kiosk will allow you to make a contribution using your credit card. There is no signing up-all you need to do is select the Ministry you would like to give to, type in the amount and swipe your card. Central’s Giving Kiosk is located at the Front Office Counter, and our office volunteer will be happy to assist you.
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Since it is the New Year, it is a good time to tell you about the accomplishments of our Stephen Ministry. You have heard about many ministries of our church, but I believe that Stephen Ministry is perhaps the most important and foundational ministry for our congregation. I say this because when a Stephen Ministry is active and working as it should, it means that the congregation is actively participating in the great commandment, “to love one another as I have loved you”. Jesus said that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. I can’t think of a better way to live this scripture than to care for one another during our deepest needs. Churches with active Stephen Ministries are growing churches because of this one commitment: to actively care for and love each other.
Our Stephen Ministry journey here at Central actually began in the fall of 2016. I have been involved with Stephen Ministry since 2005 at another church, first as a Stephen Minister and then in 2012, I was trained and commissioned as a Stephen Leader. I’m sure that you can tell that it is my calling and passion. I knew that this church had previously been interested in starting a Stephen Ministry, and with some nudging from the Holy Spirit, I mentioned to Pastor Scott that I was a Stephen Leader. He and Pastor Kelly were both excited and immediately on board to begin a new ministry. Things began to happen quickly. We joined Stephen Ministries Inc. and became a Stephen Ministry Church so that we can train and equip Stephen Ministers. That was the first step.
On Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017, we had a ‘meet and greet’ for those interested in Stephen Ministry. Since I was new to the church and this is a new ministry for the church, I would have been happy with a handful of people. The response was overwhelming! Our meeting room was too small! It was very obvious to me that this congregation would be a very active Stephen Ministry church. God’s plans are always bigger than our expectations. The first class for 13 new Stephen Minister candidates was held Jan. 17, 2017. Stephen Ministers receive 50 hours of intense training prior to their commissioning, so you can see that we had a long road ahead of us. In the meantime, both Pastor Scott and Pastor Kelly went to a Stephen Leader training course in Anaheim, CA in January. You may not realize the significance of this, but having both pastors attend the training is a huge bonus for our Stephen Ministry. First of all, they gave up a week of their lives and I mean a full week – from dawn to bedtime! Anaheim might as well have been Detroit! The most important thing for us is that it means that both pastors understand how the ministry works and how to support the Stephen Leaders and the Stephen Ministers. Without this support from the pastors, the ministry will die. Unfortunately, I have first-hand knowledge of this.
We continued our classes at warp speed, and on April 30, 2017, we Commissioned 12 brand new Stephen Ministers. Stephen Ministers are commissioned before God and the congregation and promise to serve for at least 2 years. Most serve longer. Yes, we lost one along the way, but 12 faithful servants of Christ finished a whirlwind 50 hour training in 4 months of weekly and weekend retreats. And, the training does not end there. We continue to meet twice monthly for peer Supervision and Continuing Education. We participated in a four hour training provided by Kindred Hospice. We will be partnering with this wonderful organization to provide Stephen Ministry care in addition to the Hospice care already provided. There is another class of Stephen Ministers in our future, perhaps this year! You can recognize our Stephen Ministers on Sundays by their badges. Please feel free to ask them about Stephen Ministry! They are as passionate about the ministry as I am. I can’t say enough about their dedication and devotion to this ministry. You will be so blessed by their caring. Currently, we have a number of care receivers who are benefitting greatly from their care. One thing a Stephen Minister will tell you is that it is not them; it is God working through them. We often say, “Stephen Ministers are the caregivers and God is the cure giver.” Thank you Stephen Ministers for your time, your love, your caring and your faith!
We also are the only Stephen Ministry that I know of that has a “prayer warrior” and that is Marilyn Ortman. She prayed for the class every day and continues to pray for the Stephen Ministers and their care receivers. Even though she does not know names or situations, I am certain that God knows and hears these prayers. This commitment also speaks volumes about the congregation of this church. Thank you to Marilyn for the time and love you have shown to the Stephen Ministry!
We currently have some referrals that are going through the process of assignment to a Stephen Minister. So, it is important that the congregation understand a little bit about how Stephen Ministry works.
- First of all, and most important, is that it is confidential. Completely confidential. The only people who know that someone has a Stephen Minister are the Stephen Leaders and of course, the Stephen Minister. A Stephen Minister will never reveal the name of their caregiver, any details, nor even acknowledge that they are the person’s Stephen Minister.
- Secondly, understand that this is a Relationship, not just a visit (relationship is the key). I have heard it referred to as a visit and I wanted to be sure that you understand the distinction. Stephen Ministers form a relationship with their care receiver. While visitation ministries are certainly wonderful, the Stephen Ministry relationship is a much deeper bond between caregiver and care receiver.
- Stephen Ministers care for one person at a time. It is a one-to-one, gender-specific, Christian lay caring ministry. They do not offer advice or therapy. They will walk with you through anything life may bring, and for as long as needed. They are trained to care for situations of grief, divorce, separation, spiritual need, loneliness, job loss, aging, dying, and financial distress – any of life’s misfortunes. And as such, Stephen Ministers are often referred to as the “After People”. Who will care after the death, after the divorce, after the job loss, after the loss of self-esteem, after the loneliness has set in?
- Stephen Ministry is not limited to members of our congregation. We are challenged every day to understand what Jesus meant by loving our neighbors as ourselves. In this case, it literally could be your neighbor or friend, who is not a member of this church.
- There are things that are not appropriate for Stephen Ministry care: major depression, severe dementia, or alcohol or drug dependencies.
So, the next question is how do I refer someone or myself – what is the process here at CUMC? All you need to do is to email us at
[email protected]. This is a confidential email address. It is directed only to me and the Pastors, as the Stephen Leaders. If you know of someone that might benefit from Stephen Ministry and you would like to refer them, here are some simple steps to follow:
- First, mention it to the person, because we do need to know if they are interested. Just a simple “Have you thought about a Stephen Minister?” will do. You don’t need to decide if it is a good situation for Stephen Ministry – that’s the Stephen Leader’s job.
- If the person is interested, tell them to expect a call from one of the Stephen Leaders.
- Next, notify us by using the email address or call the church to leave a message for the Stephen Leaders, or call me directly at 505-400-5216. If you leave a message, please don’t leave details. Just leave your name, phone number and that you have a referral for Stephen Ministry. We will contact you for the details. This helps to maintain the confidentiality of the ministry.
- The Stephen Leaders will then evaluate the situation and if it is deemed appropriate for Stephen Ministry, we will match the person with a Stephen Minister who will begin the relationship.
It’s really a simple referral process, so please, if you know of someone that can benefit from this care or you would like a Stephen Minister, don’t wait. We have Stephen Ministers available, who will provide the blessing of high quality Christian care to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Stephen Ministers are truly the hands and feet of Christ in the world and in our congregation. We at Central United Methodist Church are so blessed to have 12 of the most committed and caring Stephen Ministers. I believe that we have more Stephen Ministers than any other local congregation. And, I believe that we have more Stephen Ministers in our future. One other reminder – when the Stephen Ministers were commissioned, you, as the congregation also took a vow to uphold and use the ministry.
It is now that time!
Our next step in order to continue to grow is to find at least 2 more Stephen Leaders. Who can be a Stephen Leader? You are qualified if you love God, have leadership skills, like to teach and care deeply for your fellow human beings. You don’t need to be a Stephen Minister to be a Stephen Leader. I feel confident that we have these people in the congregation. We will send you to a Stephen Leader Training Course, where you will get complete training and I promise that you will be so blessed along the way. If you know of someone who is feeling the nudging and calling of the Holy Spirit to serve in this ministry, please let us know. We want to continue to train Stephen Ministers so that our congregation will continue to receive the full blessing of its care. Please let us know if you feel called to this ministry.
And, may we remember that God’s plans are always bigger than our expectations. God bless this church, its pastors and its congregation.
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THE HISTORY OF CENTRAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
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Central United Methodist Church began in 1879 with six charter members who held services in a rented room in The Gold Avenue Chapel. The church was formally organized on January 15, 1882 as the Highland Methodist Episcopal Church. In December 1883, the congregations moved into a small frame church at 318 Arno Street. The church had a relatively small membership during the first ten years of existence and it was not until 1905 that the membership had increased enough to necessitate a new church building.
-"Information and pictures supplied by Rick Nelson, Central's Archivist."
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Highland Methodist Episcopal Church, 318 Arno
The new building was completed in 1912 at the corner of Railroad Avenue (present day Central Avenue) and Arno. Central Avenue Methodist Church was completed at a cost for the entire project of $10,135.00. The Sanctuary with its large stained glass windows was, at that time, considered one of the most beautiful spaces in the city. By 1939 the membership had grown to over 1,000.
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Central Avenue Methodist Church, Central and Arno
In the Fall of 1950 the Central Avenue Methodist Church congregation, having grown to 2,000, started to build a new church at the corner of Pine and Copper. The sanctuary was designed to accommodate 750 people. Within the structure was a chapel with seating for 100, space for Sunday School activities and church offices. The total construction cost was $283,372.00. The wisdom exhibited by the planners of this church led them to consider future expansion needs; both ascetically and functionally.
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Central Methodist under construction
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Sanctuary under construction
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Mrs. Harriet Nye and son, Kyle II with Memorial Tower Bells
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Central as originally constructed at present location
The first service was held in the Sanctuary on December 23, 1951. The official dedication of the building, however, was not held until June 20, 1971, when the mortgage was retired.
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First service at the Central Methodist Church
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By 1959 expansion was again necessary and ground was broken for an addition to the educational building. This addition increased the size of the church by 10,000 square feet for a cost of $150,000.
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First addition to Central Methodist Church
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In 1968 the Methodist Church at large and the Evangelical United Brethren Church united, representing the largest church merger in the history of the United States. A religious body of over 11 million members was created and Central Methodist Church became the Central United Methodist Church we know today.
A task force was established to begin the study of Central's long range needs, using the same foresight and wisdom demonstrated by the church planners of the 1950s. An expansion fund was created to enable people to make bequests, special gifts, memorials and general contributions to a building fund.
By 1977, the long-range planning task force realized that CUMC needed more space. That $952,000 addition completed the reality envisioned by the original planners of the church building. During construction, the stained glass windows from the Central and Arno church were discovered in the boiler room - underneath cases of coke. They were refurbished and reused in the Social Hall.
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Dr Harry Vanderpool in the almost competed Social Hall
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Working on the Stained glass windows from the old church
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The repurposed stained glass windows
The church we enjoy today is the culmination of these 138 years of faithful attendance and support, visionary planning and construction excellence.
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Central United Methodist Church as envisioned by the original planners of 1950
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What Can You Do?
(Change begins with Small Steps)
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Monthly Eco-Tip:
10 seconds of idling your car uses more fuel than turning the engine on and off. Turn your engine off when you are sitting for more than 10 seconds, especially near children and in urban areas where pollution levels are already high.
December 20, 2017 Lowell Food Bank:
- Total Families: 41 (30 existing families, 11 new families)
- Total Adults: 77 (50 existing adults, 27 new adults)
- Total Children: 86 (66 existing children, 20 new children)
- Total Seniors: 9 (7 existing seniors, 2 new seniors)
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Wesleyan Heritage Tour 2018
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"Would you like to experience the history of the Methodist Church and the Wesley Family in a different way? Please join Pastor Scott and Pastor Kelly on a journey of a lifetime - The Wesley Heritage Tour"
Finally, in May, Central is embarking on a 10-day trip to England to experience the historic birthplace of John Wesley, and what would become the Methodist movement. This trip will be an exciting and faith-growing adventure.
For more information and registration materials, please contact Pastor Kelly at
[email protected]
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Communications Team Information
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Deadline for the
February
edition is
Monday January 22, 2018
.
Any questions, please ask the Communications Team
Visit the Welcome Desk in the gathering area for: answers to your questions from a member of the governance team, printed copies of the newsletter (also, in the Narthex), and other written information. Classes and ministries consider placing informational flyers for a study or event at the desk. Connect cards are available at the desk and in the pews to update your contact information for the church and so we can email the newsletter to you.
Phone #: (505) 268-1009 [Briggs Family]
Co-Chairs: Chris Briggs & Pat Briggs
Current Team Members:
Donna Faulhaber, Barbara Fuller, Jesus Valdez,
Rev. Scott Sharp, Rev. Kelly Brooks
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