February 2, 2024

Josh's Jottings

I wanted to pass along a thank you from Saranam, a local organization with United Methodist roots, which works to eradicate homelessness among families in New Mexico. Saranam has an amazing success rate and it regularly changes the lives of people in our community. In 2023, we split our Christmas Eve offering between Saranam as well as the United Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR). That meant that St. John's donated just over $4800 to Saranam, and the same to UMCOR. 

Saranam's pioneering approach emphasizes six components with candidates in their program: stable housing, educational achievement, employment, life skills management, parenting, and other barriers to stability. 

Thank you to all of you who gave to the Christmas Eve offering back in December. In so many ways, St. John's makes a difference in our community. I feel so privileged to serve as your pastor, and witness the openness and generosity of our congregation. 

Pretzel Day

Saturday

The annual Pretzel Day event, is happening this Saturday, February 3, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at St. John's Family Life Center. This is a great activity for all ages. Come make pretzels (including gluten free), hear their history, and make Lenten crafts. You will have your crafts and your pretzels to take home and enjoy!



Questions? Linn Furnish 505-884-6626 

Memory Café Albuquerque

Saturday

The next meeting of Memory Café Albuquerque is Saturday, February 3, at 1:30-3:00 p.m. in the SonShine Café at St. John’s United Methodist Church. This is back to our regular schedule of the first Saturday of each month.

This month we are celebrating all the fun things of February: Mardi Gras, Super Bowl, and, of course, Valentine’s Day. Tony Mora will provide the music. We will also have games, snacks, and photos with your favorite Valentine.

Memory Café meets the first Saturday of each month at 1:30-3:00 p.m. in the SonShine Café. It is a supportive fellowship for anyone affected by memory loss/Alzheimer’s and their caring partners. Meet and share with others on a similar journey. This is not a drop-off event. For more information (505) 323-7522 or ssmjens@aol.com. 

Omelet Bar Mix and Match

Sunday

Omelet Bar Mix and Match is happening a week later on Sunday, February 4. You can get a made to order 3 egg or egg white omelet that you can fill with a selection of meats and veggies. And each omelet comes with a piece of toast with jam or butter and a drink, all for just $7! Omelet Bar is in The SonShine Café between 7:45 a.m. and 1 p.m. Bring a friend and enjoy a quality, made from scratch breakfast and great conversation in the fun sun of the café.

We need volunteers to take money and be a runner—no running required. To sign up, click HERE, text or call Nancy Douglas de Baca at 505-238-5895.

Enchantment Brass Quintet and

Jim Ahrend in Concert

Sunday

“Music at St. John’s” presents the Enchantment Brass Quintet in concert with St. John’s artist-in-residence Jim Ahrend on Sunday, February 4 at 3 p.m. Join us for a majestic afternoon of music for brass and organ, including music of Leonard Bernstein, Cole Porter, and others. There is no admission charge; a free will offering will be received. The concert will also be available by livestream.

Ladies' Book Club February 5

The Ladies Book Club will meet this Monday, February 5 at 1 p.m. in Room 245. We will be discussing “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt. This very interesting book delves into the possibility of how much our animals can understand us, in this particular writing it is an octopus, Marcellus. Does the human understand him as well? If reading is your thing, please come join us. Contact mapalook@comcast.net

Bishop Robert Schnase Visits Albuquerque February 8 and 10

Everyone's invited! Bishop Schnase will host a gathering in Albuquerque on Thursday, February 8 at 6 p.m. at Central UMC-ABQ and another on Saturday, February 10 at 10:00 am MT at Western Hills UMC-El Paso. The purpose of these gatherings is to talk about what is likely to be taken up at General Conference in April and the decisions that may be made at Jurisdictional Conference in July.

Mountain Cathedrals Stargazing Hike

February 10

The firmament is as present now as it was in Biblical times, although it seems we pay far less attention to it now. Let us set aside an evening to gaze at it and wonder, share stories about it, contemplate Scripture, share Communion, and hike through the night. Dark skies are as close as Tecolote Peak (near the base of the Sandia Ski Area), and the new moon is right before our hike.

Logistics: Meet at the St. John's UMC (Albuquerque) east parking lot at 5:00 p.m., or at the trailhead (Google Maps: Tecolote Trailhead) at 5:45. It should be fully dark by shortly after 7. Plan to be back at the parking area by 9:30 and St. John's by 10:15 p.m. The hike is relatively easy, but includes some rocky trail. Bring headlamps, something to eat, warm clothing and good footwear (may be walking in snow), stories, and enthusiasm!

Please join us for this hike of meditation, wilderness, and time apart from our normal schedules. This is a joint hike with St. John's Youth Ministry.

Organizers: Mike Furnish, 505-440-7292; mdfurnish@comcast.net, and Brett Reece (youthdirector@stjohns-abq.org).

Save the date: The next Mountain Cathedrals hikes will be March 9 and April 20 (locations TBD - please send suggestions!). Also, we plan to have a sunrise hike at Travertine Falls on Easter morning! 

Angel Tree and Zuni Angels

We are pleased to report that 97 children were provided with gifts through the Angel Tree program this year. The Zuni Angel program served eight families who have fallen on hard times, where 25 children received gifts at Christmas as well.

These are just two of the many ways that St. John's reaches out to serve the community, and none of it would be possible without the love that seems to be everywhere here at St. John's! We are all blessed to be a part of God's work here. Thank you very much. 

Treasurer's Note

Financial giving statements for the year 2023 were mailed this week. Please check your statements and if you have any questions contact Doris Bowen at 505-410-7213 or bowen_g@msn.com. 

Crafts and Collectibles Sale

Are you a crafter and want to find a venue where you can sell those crafts? Do you have collectibles that you've enjoyed for years but feel they need to find a new home? Then we have the event for you! St. John's United Women in Faith (UWF) will be sponsoring a Crafts and Collectibles Sale on Friday and Saturday, November 8 and 9, in the Family Life Center. We will start taking applications for booths beginning in August, but we'd like to get a tentative idea of St. John's "people" who would like to participate before opening the opportunity to the public to participate. Please email Donna at donnabruce@comcast.net or Regina at hamptonmason1@msn.com to indicate your interest in having a booth. 

First Aid and Winter Wellness Tips

With several more weeks of winter to come, St. John's wants to remind you to be safe, warm, and healthy. Click HERE for First Aid and Winter Wellness Tips from our Parish Nurse, Linn Furnish. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Linn at swimsew@comcast.net.

Cross Reference:

Using the Study Notes in Your Bible 

This episode of Reading Our Bible Together will focus on how to study the Bible, instead of our usual what. We’ll use the cross references and notes from the NET (New English Translation), for two reasons. First, it is readily available to anyone at www.biblegateway.com (or www.netbible.org). Whether you’re an email reader or a paper reader, you can follow the cross-references in the NET to see why we’re reading the scriptures we are. Second, the NET has thousands of footnotes, so we’ll see how one scripture leads to another that informs it or arises from it. Each day we’ll choose one of the cross references to follow the next day. The many footnotes also shed light on interesting, obscure, or difficult words in Hebrew or Greek, and we might look at one or two of these each day in the emails. Even if you don’t own a copy of the NET, this study will show you how to use the notes in your own Bible.

Pick up a study guide in the Hospitality Center, or write or call Regina Hunter at drhunter@nmia.com or 505-294-2877 to receive daily study tips by email.

Alta Mira will be offering a 6 week training on

Parenting with Love and Logic® 

Parenting with Love and Logic® is a way of working with children that puts

parents back in control, teaches children to be responsible, and prepares young

people to live in the real world, with its many choices and consequences.

March 5, 2024 through April 9, 2024

Classes will be held in-person every Tuesday from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

$45 per person

$65 per couple

Parenting with Love and Logic® workbook and training certificate included.

Please click the link below to register. Click the Training tab at the top of the

page and then Parenting Classes. Select the Special Courses tab to register.

https://altamiranm.org/services/parenting-classes/

The class has availability for 20 people.

Questions? Please contact Ann W. Fenton afenton@altamiranm.org or (505)366-2163

 Love and Logic ® is a registered trademark of the Love and Logic Institute, Inc.

Alta Mira Specialized Family Services Inc. is a 501(c)(3) ©2023 All rights reserved.

1605 Carlisle Blvd NE Albuquerque, NM 87110-5619 | 505.266.0801

Lenten Fish Fry Dinners 2024

Lenten Fish Fry Dinners start soon at St. John's! Chef Tim and his crew will serve up fried or baked fish and all the fixings every Friday night in the Family Life Center starting February 16 until March 22, six Fridays, from 4 - 7 p.m.

Because of the increase in food costs, the ticket prices this year will be $16 for an adult and $8 for a child, 10 and under. Reservations are not required and gluten-free menu options will be available.

Wayne Shirley will be in the Hospitality Center each Sunday, with volunteer sign-up sheets, advanced tickets you can purchase to give away to family and friends, donations you can make for fire and police dinner tickets and to answer any questions.

Come on out and get your "fish fix" and enjoy the fellowship! Contact: Wayne at jwshirleyabq@gmail.com.

Musicians Needed

Live music playing during the Fish Fry dinners as background entertainment for our dinner guests has been provided since the beginning of Fish Fry Dinners. But, this year due to several medical reasons, we find ourselves with some vacancies. If you know of a person or group that would be interested in playing background music for our dinner crowd with only the gift of a dinner for payment, please contact Carol Wiggins at 505-321-0603 or Wayne Shirley at 505-238-4559.

Dish Dawgs Needed

Without our "dish dawgs", we would not be able to keep up with serving the amount of people we do during the Fish Fry dinners. They clean the dishes and silverware to keep the process going! We are in need of dish dawg volunteers for the late shift, 6:30 - 9 p.m. Contact Wayne Shirley at 505-238-4559.

First Responder Ticket Sales

St. John's congregation can purchase fish fry dinner tickets as a donation for the first responders (police and fire) who serve in the St. John's area. Tickets are $16 each and can be purchased in the Hospitality Center on Sunday. Contact Wayne at jwshirleyabq@gmail.com.

St. John’s Youth

2024 Lock-In Event

Join us this Friday night, February 2, 2024 at 9 p.m. to Saturday morning at 8 a.m. in the Family Life Center. Youth in grades 6 to 12 are invited to join us for all night fun! Games, Movies, Snacks and more. Invite a friend. Free Admission. This year’s lock-in will be a blast and provide great memories. Questions? Ask Brett Reece, cell phone 505-414-3037, email: YouthDirector@stjohns-abq.org  

Youth Ministry Team (YMT)

Our first meeting of the spring semester will take place this Sunday evening, February 4, following youth group in the upstairs classroom across from the lounge. The meeting will start at 6:15 p.m. and should last about an hour. Once again, this is open to any parents of youth that want to join us. Any students that must stay while the YMT meeting takes place has access to the upstairs youth lounge area with games of all kinds, tv, and movies. The youth can hang out while the YMT meeting is going on.

Super Bowl Party

Youth, come and join us Sunday afternoon, February 11, starting at 4 p.m. - This year’s party will be hosted by Dan Watkins and Kinsey Swope at their home. Ask Brett for their home address.

Supporting One Another in Love

Kids in Children's Chapel will be learning about how we can support one another as together we learn about the unfailing love of God. We need YOUR help!!

Please stop by the Welcome Center this Sunday, 1/28, and write your name on a puzzle piece. We will be using the pieces to build a "support system" as we learn about all being one in the body of Christ. Thank you!

Parents Day Out

February 10

Attention parents of kids in grades K-5! Saturday, February 10, is your chance to grab a few hours all to yourself. That's right...go on an early date for Valentine's Day, take an uninterrupted nap, binge watch your favorite show, go see a movie that isn't animated, or just hang out in blissful silence and read a novel for a while. The possibilities are endless!

Parents Day Out is happening from 10 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. on 2/10. Please RSVP to Angela Lybarger at childrensdirector@stjohns-abq.org by 2/7 if you would like to sign up your kiddo for one of the 15 slots available. We will be hanging out at St. John's having fun with games, crafts, food, and a movie.

Children's Ministry Council

Are you someone in our church who has taught Sunday School, worked in the nursery, volunteered with VBS, created Christmas pageants, helped with Easter celebrations, or contributed to any of the amazing programs we have for children at St. John's? If so, then you are the expert I need!

f you would like to be part of the Children's Ministry Council, please contact me (Angela Lybarger) at childrensdirector@stjohns-abq.org. I would love to benefit from your experience and wisdom as our church moves forward with programs to support our youngest members on their journey with Jesus Christ.

Please email me and let me know what days & times you are available to get together. Watch for news in the coming weeks about our first meeting. Looking forward to it!

Prayer Quilt Recipient

Hunt and Ann Look are the recipients for the prayer quilt currently on display in the Hospitality Center.

If you pass through the Hospitality Center this week, please tie a knot in the quilt while praying for Hunt and Ann. Won't be in the Center this week? No worries, either way please pray this prayer (or your own prayer) for the Looks: "Lord, help Hunt and Ann in times of weakness and pain. We ask that you sustain them by your grace so that their strength and courage do not fail. From Isaiah 33:2 we pray: Lord, show them favor; they hope in you. Be their strength every morning, their salvation in times of distress. Amen.”

Coats and Jackets for Zuni Elementary

Brrrr, winter has arrived! I, personally, would rather stay in and stay snuggly, but there comes a time when I must venture out. So, off to the closet I go to grab a jacket or coat. This is something I take for granted.

Some of the children at Zuni don't have that same benefit and often arrive at school without a coat or jacket. Let's do something about that! During the rest of January and the month of February, we'll be collecting new or gently-used coats and jackets, sizes 6X - 14. Please bring your donations and place them in the bins in the Hospitality Center.

Questions? Donna at donnabruce@comcast.net

Our worship services are livestreamed so you can watch them from home. To watch a worship service live, click on the service that you would like to watch on Sunday morning at its scheduled time.

St. John's United Methodist Church

2626 Arizona Street NE | Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110

Office Hours (call only): Monday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Friday, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Pastor 24-Hour Hotline | (505) 312-3763

Pastoral care is available for after-hours emergencies. Please send any congregational care needs to Rev. Molly Shannon at care@stjohns-abq.org as we all work together to love one another well.