First United Methodist Church of Orange

The Forum

Volume 83 issue #14 November 2014

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Volume 82 issue #14 August 2013

Al l Church Confe rence Sunday, November 16 , 20 14

Immediately after worship we will be having a catered Thanksgiving luncheon

followed by an All Church Charge Conference. This is our annual “business

meeting” where we take a look at where we’ve been and look ahead to what

we’re working on for the coming year. You are a a vital part of the life and

ministry of First United Methodist Church of Orange and we want to know

what you think. All members are able to vote on issues that are brought up in

the meeting, so be there and let your voice be heard. Mark your calendars

and plan on attending as we enjoy an early holiday meal together and give

thanks for all the our blessings. If you are planning on attending the luncheon

and did not return the RSVP card (was handed out in worship last Sunday) or let

the office know via e-mail or phone call, please let us know no later than

Sunday, November 2nd

so we can order an appropriate amount of food

Childcare will be available.

Thank sg iv i ng E ve Se rv i c e Wedne sday, November 26

Join us at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary to give thanks!

All Saint’s Day

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A MESSAGE FROM THE PASTOR

‘But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies,

do good to those who hate you, bless those who

curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If

anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other

also; and from anyone who takes away your

coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to

everyone who begs from you; and if anyone

takes away your goods, do not ask for them

again. Do to others as you would have them do

to you. ‘If you love those who love you, what

credit is that to you? For even sinners love those

who love them. If you do good to those who do

good to you, what credit is that to you? For even

sinners do the same. If you lend to those from

whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to

you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as

much again. But love your enemies, do good,

and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your

reward will be great, and you will be children of

the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful

and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father

is merciful. ‘Do not judge, and you will not be

judged; do not condemn, and you will not be

condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven;

give, and it will be given to you. A good meas-

ure, pressed down, shaken together, running

over, will be put into your lap; for the measure

you give will be the measure you get back.’ - Luke 6:27-38

In terms of the ordinary world around us, Jesus

sometimes asks too much. Take for example his

teaching in Luke 6:27-38. It is filled with

wonderful, idealized thoughts about the

Kingdom of God. But who really lives like that?

Forgive wrongdoers? Love our enemies? Pray

for the welfare of our abusers? ABUSERS? It’s

all well and good for an hour of inspiration on

Sunday morning, but who really lives like that?

This is some of the most straightforward

teaching in the Bible, yet it is also among the

hardest to hear.

One reason we have trouble hearing this word is

because Jesus never really explains this

teaching. He just lays it out there - all of the

morality and ethics of God’s Kingdom - and lets

his hearers wrestle with it. Apparently, the

Kingdom of God is about turning cheeks, and

giving to whoever begs, and never expecting

loans to be repaid, and being kind to the

ungrateful and the wicked. To the ungrateful and

wicked! What does Jesus mean by that?

I think he means the Kingdom of God is about

turning cheeks, and giving to whoever begs, and

never expecting loans to be repaid, and being

kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Literally,

this is what its all about. Such a life seems

unrealistic, unattainable, perhaps completely

impossible to most believers. And that’s the

point. The Kingdom Jesus preached is not built

by humans. Its impossible for humans. It is built

by the grace of God.

Every so often we members of the church get to

feeling self-sufficient and start trying to impress

God by doing our own version of the Kingdom’s

work…as if God were on vacation, and left us to

toil all alone among the rest of the ignorant fools

who “just don’t get it.” We can have an “A” for

effort on those days, but that’s about it. Because

what we really need can’t be reached from here;

we’ll simply never rise beyond the limits of our

strength, the breathtaking shortness of our

vision, and the distracted cloudiness of our vain

imaginings and good intentions.

The kind of Kingdom work Jesus describes can

truly only be done when we have come to the

limit of our human resources. It requires the

grace of God to accomplish it. So I find it to be a

hard truth: in terms of loving and serving the

ordinary world around us, Jesus asks too much

for any human. Yet “what is impossible for

humans is possible for God.”

Will you join me in opening ourselves, and our

congregation, to the grace and love of God, that

our Lord might make of us what we could never

have dreamt on our own?

Blessings,

Pastor Bill

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Dear Families at FUMCO, Like love, true thanksgiving is expressed through our actions. Serving God by serving others doesn’t necessarily mean you need to travel across the world on a mission trip, though. Opportunities abound in our homes, churches, schools, neighborhoods, and communities to meet other people’s needs - and, by doing so, to show our love and gratitude to God. Children are pre-wired for service, so they’ll be more eager to help out than you might expect. Just watch out: Your kids will begin to view the world from a whole new perspective. Coming face to face with human need is truly transformative! Use these ideas to start living out your gratitude as a family.

• With babies and toddlers, read aloud picture books about thankfulness. Then talk about ways we say thank you to God and other people.

• At home, provide Helper’s Hints. On slips of paper, have kids write or draw a picture of a way to serve each family member. Then place the slips in a decorated shoebox. Examples include “Make Mom’s bed,” “Give a hug,” or “Empty the dishwasher.” Each morning, kids can choose a slip and use the hint to serve someone that day. Regularly add new ideas to the box.

• At church, volunteer as a family at a work day. Look for age-appropriate tasks for your kids, such as cleaning out pews, washing toys in the nursery, or pulling weeds.

Be good neighbors! Older kids can help with lawn work, painting, and house- and pet-sitting. Younger children can provide company to elderly or homebound people, bringing flowers or cards during visits.

• Enlist children in the CSS: Christian Secret Service. Deploy kids for undercover operations by having them serve others covertly. They can leave sidewalk-chalk messages, deliver cards to a local nursing home, pick up trash at a favorite park, or wash windshields in the church parking lot.

• In the community, serve as volunteer readers at local schools and libraries. Older kids can tutor or be “buddies” to younger kids who need extra attention.

• Donate to food drives or help at a food bank. Discuss how God provides for us in amazing ways. (For example, read about the Israelites and manna in Exodus 16:11-18.)

• Participate in holiday toy drives. Or pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.

• Stuff and label envelopes at a nonprofit or denominational organization. Ask what other immediate needs they have.

PRAYER CORNER FOR FAMILIES OF CHILDREN: ASK GOD:

1. To give your children loving, grateful hearts toward him.

2. To help your family members put their love for God into action by serving other people.

3. To help you make service a joyful, regular habit in your home.

Grace and Peace,

Peter R. Joseph

Director of Faith Formation

Master of Divinity (Fuller Theological Seminary)

SPIRITUAL REFLECTIONS & FAITH FORMATION

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“The God Squad” Youth 6th – 12th grades

November 9th

Knott’s Berry Farm!

Please RSVP by November 2nd

November 23rd

Thanksgiving Dinner

Sign up to bring a dessert or side dish

bring a friend ~ join the excitement

Peter Joseph Director of Faith Formation

Email: peter@fumco.org

Cell: 714-473-8086

Office: 714-532-6363 x203

SPIRITUAL REFLECTIONS & FAITH FORMATION CONTINUED

DEFINITION OF EFFECTIVE CHURCH COMMUNICATION

I define effective church communication as:

Church Communication that fully fulfills the Great Commission

The Great Commission consists of the last words of Jesus to his followers:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all

nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them

to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the

age” (Matt: 28: 18-20).

The way I summarize the Great Commission and apply it to church communications is to define effective

church communications as communication that accomplishes two purposes:

1. To help people come to know Jesus as Savior.

2. To help people become mature disciples of Jesus.

Another way to say it, is that our communication is effective if:

1. It is enabling people to get closer to Jesus.

2. It is enabling people to become like Jesus.

We must always do the best we can with the gifts that have been given us and I think it is pleasing to the

Lord to grow in the wise use and skill of them. But no matter where we are on the road of communication

excellence, it is always the Lord’s grace and favor that allows our work to accomplish anything of eternal

value.

YOUTH ACTIVITIES

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A WORD FROM OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM

SERVING TRANSIENT VISITORS TO 1st

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

The Church is called by its Lord to serve “the least of these” (Matt. 25:40) as if serving Christ di-

rectly. We are also called to exercise discernment in the use of resources entrusted to us in a

manner that is “wise as serpents and gentle os doves” (Matt. 10:16.) To graciously live into

this calling, we, the Leadership Team of 1st UMC/Orange, commend the following

acknowledgements to the clergy, staff and members of the congregation:

We acknowledge that our mission is to welcome all with compassion and serve them in

meaningful ways as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit.

We acknowledge that meaningfully serving transient visitors to our campus and

congregation is more difficult than serving those who are a regular part of our worshipping

community and that clear, consistent guidelines can aid clergy, staff and members of

FUMCO in exercising discernment in these ministry encounters.

We acknowledge that presenting issues such as “homelessness” are often composed of a

complex of underlying issues that may include addiction, mental illness, physical disability,

domestic violence, socioeconomic injustice and ot he factors, some of which FUMCO has

the resources to effectively address, and some of which it does not.

We acknowledge that certain forms of assistance, though kindly offered with the best of

intentions, may not have positive impact on the person seeking assistance, the person

offering it, or the larger life of the congregation and community.

We acknowledge than ongoing discernment of the extent and nature of our ministry with

transient visitors is vital to our common life and spiritual growth as the Body of Christ in

this neighborhood.

With these acknowledgments in mind, we commend the following guidelines to our

clergy, staff and members:

FUMCO serves transient visitors in these primary ways;

By providing food sufficient for one meal through our Sack Lunch program during

its regular operating hours of Monday through Thursday from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM

and inviting visitors back as needed during regular operating hours for further

assistance should it be required.

By providing referrals to appropriate social service organizations for other needs. A

list should be maintained in the church office and other appropriate places that are

known and accessible to the entire FUMCO membership. Calls made on behalf of

the visitor to these services are part of what FUMCO can offer, if appropriate.

By making a transient visitor aware of the emergency help number for social

services: #211.

By continuing to offer our time, talent and treasure to Family Promise, Friendly

Center, Mary’s Kitchen and other organizations whose mission is addressing

homelessness and its root causes.

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A WORD FROM OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM CONTINUED

FUMCO does not serve transient visitors:

By offering cash assistance for any purpose, (Note: Nothing in this policy should be

construed to limit the canonically-defined use of the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund.)

By offering lodging or accommodation on the church premises (outside of referrals

to Family Promise.)

By tolerating behaviors that are threatening, disruptive or illegal.

When engaging with transient visitors seeking assistance at FUMCO, clergy, staff and

members should;

Welcome the visitor as one would welcome Christ and acknowledge them as God’s be-

loved child with respect, courtesy and compassion. This is best done in the company of

others. At no time should clergy, staff or church members put themselves into potentially

dangerous or threatening situations with visitors.

If worship services or other activities are in progress, invite them to participate, as

appropriate.

Offer the assistance FUMCO can provide within the framework defined above.

Actively refer the visitor to specific services for other needs, including making phone

calls on their behalf, as appropriate.

Once a reasonable attempt has been made to meet the visitor’s needs within the

framework defined above, respect a visitor’s choice to either accept or reject the

assistance offered, and graciously disengage from the encounter, reminding them that

they cannot be accommodated on the church property.

Should the visitor engage in threatening, disruptive or illegal behavior at any time or

persist in loitering on the church property after assistance has been offered and

accepted or rejected, the police should be called to escort the visitor from the property.

If a visitor is known to persistently engage in these types of behaviors, he or she should

be informed that they are no longer welcome on the church property, and the police will

be called if they are seen on the property.

As part of our ongoing discernment of our mission and ministry, we will continue to prayerfully

discern what positive assistance we can offer transient visitors within the context of our

congregational life and will revise these guidelines as new opportunities for ministry emerge.

THE LEADRSHIP TEAM of FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

161 S. Orange St., Orange, CA 92866

Adopted October 16, 2014

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UNITED METHODIST WOMEN

Daytime Women’s Circle November 4, 2:00 pm

We will be meeting in the Fireside Room for an informative program by Sylvia Coussa entitled

“The Church and People with Disabilities.

December 2, 2:00 pm

We will again be meeting in the Fireside Room. This time we will be celebrating the season with

a Christmas Tea & Cookie Exchange, Christmas Inspiration and Caroling!

Looking Forward In November, we hope you will all consider assisting in the All-Church drive to fill boxes for the Shoebox

Ministry. Boxes and a list of items requested will be proved - more information listed below.

Our December luncheon meeting will be on December 11th. As usual, we will be delightfully entertained by

Mike Short and his wonderful high school choir. They will quickly get us in the Christmas mood with their

seasonal music program. All are invited to this come enjoy a scrumptious holiday luncheon with lovely

music and fellowship.

Before the luncheon, we will take time to put together Christmas goody bags for our shut-ins. If you can

help us by supplying a plate of holiday cookies for the bags, please deliver your cookies to Messenger Hall

no later than 10am on December 11th. Thank you for your help in brightening someone else’s Christmas.

Also, plans are currently underway for some inspiring programs in 2015, so stay tuned for the latest news.

Shoebox Ministry As Christmas is fast approaching, we will be starting our Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Ministry.

This will be an individual family project again this year as it was last year. The shoeboxes may be picked up

on the patio beginning Sunday, November 2nd and are due back to the church by Sunday, November 23rd.

When you return your boxes, please put them in the Narthex. The boxes have all the information needed to

fill them. Please do not put any liquids or candy that will melt in the boxes as they are moved around to

different staging areas. Also, it would help if you would put a rubber band around your box to make sure all

your items stay inside. If you don’t want to fill a box but would like to contribute, you can donate money

towards the shipping cost which is $7.00 per box. We filled 90 boxes last year. With everyone’s help

maybe we can fill more this year. Thank you very much for sharing God’s love with children all over

the world. If you have any questions, please call Helen Huston at (714) 322-2886 or Joyce Claussen at

(714) 633-4934.

Lady Twigbenders Thursday, November 20

th at 1:00 pm in the Fireside Room

Our hostesses will be Mary Clark & Charlotte Johnston and our program will be

presented by Charlotte Johnston. Come, bring a friend ~ guests are always welcome!

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Lunchbags for the Homeless Thanks to your generous donations our lunch bag program is doing great! Items needed to fill the bags

include: Vienna sausage, Beanie Weenie, granola bars, juice box drinks, individual applesauce cups,

small boxes of raisins, cheese & crackers, peanut butter & crackers or any other item that would fit nicely

into a sack lunch. All donations, large and small, are greatly appreciated. Please place your donated

items in the specially marked collection bins in the Narthex on Sunday mornings.

Attention All Stephen Ministers! Our first Supervision and Continuing Education meeting will be on Wednesday, November 19th from 6:30 to

9:00 p.m. in the Stephen Ministry Office (Peter’s old office.) Please mark your calendars and plan to

attend.

Men’s Lunch and Bible Study led by Wayne Nash

at the Tulsa Rib Company (220 E. Katella Ave).

Tuesday, November 11th

at 12:00 noon

OUTREACH . . . EVENTS . . . OPPORTUNITIES

Calling All Computer Geeks! Our church will be embarking on a new journey and we want those that are called to invest in one of three

ways. Be praying about where you see yourself fitting in . . .

A/V Sound Team (includes sound and PowerPoint/Pro Presenter worship software)

Website Team

Social Media Team (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)

Much of the work we do will be cloud based. We do though need to go through an initial training session

and since many of us are here already on Sunday mornings, we most likely will touch base every so often

on a Sunday after worship service. If you are at all interested, please contact Peter Joseph at

peter@fumco.org or at the church office (714-532-6363 ext. 203).

Service Opportunity: Coffee Fellowship We continue to have a need for someone to assist with coffee fellowship one week per month (either the 1st

or 3rd Sunday). This requires you to pick up the donuts, make the coffee and place all on the courtyard by

10am. If we have someone on every Sunday it makes the work light for all. If you can help, please call

Donna Nash at 714-538-7769.

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November Birthdays

4 Nadine Tardie

Jim Stone

5 Nena Williams

Nate Wisely

6 Helen Martin

7 Sylvia Coussa

Danny Lentz

12 Rita Suthers

13 Charlotte Johnston

14 Dorothy Utter

19 Gene Somers

20 Barb Swanson

21 Joe Schubert

23 Virginia Eaton

25 Sarah Fast

26 Gene Bakenhus

Claudia Bakenhus

29 Ruth Davis

30 Jim Salling

16 Gene & Claudia Bakenhus

24 Chris & Susan Simpson

Anniversaries

Pray Without Ceasing Jay Farrell

Jackie McCracken

Carol Hilton

Sybil Low

Rob Kaiser

Jane Parra

Jim Sal ling

Charles Schroeder

Jerry Schaper

Shirley Somers

Rita Suthers

Dwight Tipping

Nena Williams

Betty Wisely

Joys

Prayer Requests For Bernie Franklin who is recovering from surgery

on October 27th.

For Charlotte Johnston who had surgery on

October 31st.

For Margaret Beyer’s son George who is recovering

from a bone marrow transplant.

For Bob Tanner as he recovers from quadruple

bypass surgery.

For Nancy Teigen’s cousin Jim Holmes who fell and

had surgery on his brain.

For Bob Meyers who fell and broke his hip.

For Kay Rogers who fell and broke her arm.

For Debbie Fast’s sister, Cathy Laird, as she

continues to wait for a kidney transplant.

For the family and friends of Buster Graves who

passed away recently.

For our shut-ins, the homeless, the hungry, the

sick, the lonely, the unemployed, our military so

far from home and all the others not mentioned, but

known in our hearts.

Dana & Cathy Seelig are happy to announce the

engagement of their daughter, Laura.

Praise for Barbara Plunk’s (Marti Lester’s mom) 90th

birthday!

The birth of Robert Anderson’s new great grand

daughter, Ann Hall, on October 12th

DIAL -A-

DEVOTION

714-532-6363 ext. 6

Call today for a devotion recorded for you!

BITS & PIECES

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Outreach Ministries

of First UMC, Orange

FAMILY PROMISE

Casey Crosbie, Exec. Dir. 714-353-0428

FUNCO

Parent operated child-care Becky Billingsly, Coordinator 714-944-7156

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

Orange Co. Central 714-556-4555

Meets Monday and Friday evenings in room 203

NARANON Meets Thursday evenings in room 203

HOMEWORK HOUSE

Marcia Marcinko, Director 714-694-0965

161 South Orange St.

Orange, Ca. 92866

Phone 714-532-6363

Fax 714-532-5496

www.fumco.org

Office Hours:

Monday - Thursday

9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Sunday Morning Schedule

8:30 a.m. ......... Choir Rehearsal

9:00 a.m. .. Adult Sunday School

10:00 a.m. ..... Coffee/Fellowship

10:30 a.m. .................... Worship

Sunday School for

ages 4-6th grade following the

Word for Children.

United Methodist Youth

Sunday Fellowship

5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

2nd & 4th Sundays

Office Staff Telephone Extensions: Dial 532-6363 and extension:

Pastor

206 Rev. Bill Johnson

Administration

201 Karen Mendoza, Administrative Secretary 216 Carol Rathbun, Communications Secretary

Programs

203 Peter Joseph, Director of Faith Formation

Mike Short - Director of Music

Sylvia Coussa - Bell Choir Director

Joe Schubert - Organist

The deadline for the December edition of

The Forum

will be Monday, November 24th