Following Jesus - Thriving in Community - Healing the World

Published Thursday, June 26, 2025

I.C.E.: "IF you see I.C.E. behavior, please dial 916-382-0256 and report the place and time. Thank you." 

Vital Signs

WORSHIP ATTENDANCE

June 22nd

In-person---------98

Livestream-----151

TOTAL-----------249------ --

Financial Updates

Pastor's Update

Please take a moment to read the Pastor's Update for this week. It contains information about the UMC Annual Conference.

From Children & Youth Ministry

Contact: Megan Houpt - dumckids@davisumc.org

We are seeking adults to serve in key leadership or assistant roles, from working directly with the kids as an activity leader, helping prepare snack, or serving as a small group leader. To learn more or sign up, click here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd6X8lNRi5DR5OXyL3wDnFCk1dU1TBxxE9luV9XNBQ_CO1RZQ/viewform?usp=sharing

From Church Council

Contact: Dori Marshall - dori.marshall@gmail.com

Good News

Church Council met recently to begin training and discernment on the Simplified Accountable Structure form of administrative model for a more effective and mission-aligned way of operating. We envision our learning curve to be over the next six months with a coach and Pastor Emily’s guidance.

All are welcome to come alongside as we discover more about this form of more nimble governance. For more information please contact me at dori.marshall@gmail.com.

Faithfully,

Dori Marshall, Council Chair

S&J Contacts:

Marge Matoba (margematoba@gmail.com) and Susan Padgett (spadgett2018@gmail.com)

DUMC Service & Justice Ministry focuses on:

* Housing and Homelessness 

* Immigration 

* Environmental Stewardship

* Fighting Hate

Come Join Us! Contact Service & Justice via the E-mail links above or get in touch with the Church Office.

Thank You, VBC Volunteers!

What an incredible week at Davis Progressive Vacation Bible Camp! None of it would have been possible without the energy, love, and dedication of our amazing volunteers. From helping with set up leading small groups, preparing snack, endless clean up, and showing up day after day with kindness and joy that you all helped to make this camp a place where children felt safe, seen, and deeply loved.

You lived out the message of God’s love in every moment, and we are so grateful for your time, your hearts, and your hands. 

Thank you for being part of this special ministry. We couldn’t have done it without you!

With deep appreciation,

Megan Houpt (DUMC), Kate Boxeth (DCC), and Lindsey Burns (LCI) Pamela Dolan (St. Martin's)

Safe Parking Pilot Program

When: Summer 2025 (approximately July 1)

Where: Davis UMC

Contact: John Castelfranco - johncastelfranco@att.net

or Susan Padgett - spadgett2018@gmail.com

Davis UMC is working with HEART of Davis (formerly Interfaith Rotating Winter Shelter) and Turning Point Community Programs, to launch a small, three-month Safe Parking pilot program using our parking lot. The program, which we expect will begin this summer, is based on the work of long-running, successful programs in Santa Barbara, Monterey (including at Pacific Grove UMC), and elsewhere.  

For more information, click the button below. Please note that the program is confidential and for approved guests only. Please do NOT publicize the program on social media or elsewhere.  

SUMMER BOOK STUDY 2025

When: Sundays starting this week, June 29th

Where: Davis UMC

Contact: Jim Cramer - cramerjc@gmail.com

Jonathan Blitzer, "Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here", Penguin Books, 2024

As we have done for many years, during the summer Service & Justice supporters will participate in a summer book study instead of meeting with Forum speakers. Our book this summer is “Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here” by Jonathan Blitzer. One reviewer describes the book as a “sweeping history of humanitarian crises on the US-Mexican border and of the politics of immigration in Washington….What could be a complex story is a stunning epic woven around the lives of four individuals seeking sanctuary from the death squads and murderous gangs that at different times dominated their homelands….this is a novelistic account rather than a tract, and his tale is beautifully told.”

While tracing the life histories of four individuals from Central America, Blitzer describes the violent and oppressive conditions in their homelands that force them to leave and their experiences struggling to immigrate to the US. He also describes US complicity in creating or condoning those conditions and the evolution of US policy aimed at regulating or restricting immigration from those conditions. Finally he briefly describes their experiences in the US as undocumented immigrants and in some cases their experiences with deportation.

We will meet weekly on Sundays following service (our Forum meeting time). Our first meeting will be June 29 to review the weekly reading assignments and plan how we will conduct discussions. If possible acquire the book by then and read pages 1-5. The book can be ordered on line or requested from Avid Reader and costs about $21. It is essentially not available from the library as there are over 50 requests for it already. The book is long and we will read only selected pages, about 25-30 pages each week. It is totally engaging so you will be tempted to read more. Our first “discussion” meeting will be July 6 when we will discuss pages 9-36.