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April, 2015
C OME C ELEBRATE E ASTER
W ITH U S !
Sunday, April 5th Worship services:
- 6:30 AM Sunrise Service - Outdoor service in courtyard
- 9:30 AM Classic Service - Chancel Choir
- 11:00 AM Contemporary Service - Praise Band
SPECIAL NEW HOLY WEEK EVENT:
Good Friday “Tenebrae” Service of “Darkness” that
focuses on meditation on the passion of Christ.
At 6 pm, Friday, April 3rd, in our Fellowship Hall
Special readers and music by Kathleen Cook
Come join us!
On Saturday, April 18 th, at 9:00 AM the
UMCOR Layette Kits will be assembled and
prepared for shipping. Marcia Burns is in
charge of this project. Our new five-week sermon
series titled ‘Simplify’ begins on
April 19th. We begin April with one of the most wonderful weeks of the Christian year - Holy Week. Easter
is a time of new beginnings. Our church has a number of new beginnings happening this Easter
Season. During Holy Week, we will have a Good Friday service at 6pm, which is a new offering,
and our new contemporary worship service will have its introduction on Easter morning. So here is
the Easter Season worship schedule at Aptos UMC:
Friday, April 3rd
Sunday, April 5th
6:00 PM 6:30 AM–
9:30 AM –
11:00 AM –
Good Friday service
Sunrise service
Classic service
Contemporary service
Having just completed in March an outstanding Aptos UMC Capital Campaign that raised
$93,000 to maintain and improve our church campus, a big thank you is in order for our Trustees.
The sing-a-long approach to educate all of us on the needs of our church campus was marvelous!
Hats off to our Trustees!
Our new five-week sermon series titled ‘Simplify’ begins on April 19th. The sermon series is
based upon the book Simplify, authored by Bill Hybels, Senior Pastor at Willow Creek Community
Church in South Barrington, IL. Hybels’ book highlights ten practices to help unclutter our soul.
I want to wish you a wonderful Easter Season. Christ is risen, He is risen indeed!
Blessings, Pastor Jay 2 CAPITAL CAMPAIGN RAISES OVER $93,000 !!!
After four weeks of exciting songs and sharing of fun information on our campus
maintenance needs, members of our congregation opened their hearts and pledged substantial
support for the long term revitalization of our campus facilities. Trustees ran an enthusiastic
campaign using our love for music as inspiration for wide participation in this important
effort. We celebrated this success at a wonderful and delicious meal organized by Keri Swenson
on March 22nd and we all enthusiastically sang the songs again written for this campaign.
Steve Green received a fun recognition certificate for creative song writing and leading the
campaign! Steve could not have pulled this campaign together without a fantastic Trustees team
with significant help from Jana Daley who created the artistic brochures and weekly slide shows.
Jana also found sheet music for Steve’s lyrics and matched the lyrics to the music. Daniel’s
brilliant skills brought this music to life with little time for practice. Last minute musical help
from Kathleen Cook and Helene Milner kept the show going smoothly! Each week the Trustees
creatively dressed to match the themes of the music and belted out great lyrics that made us
laugh. As the congregation did the sing-along we began to think more deeply about the
maintenance needs of our campus and were inspired to pledge our financial support.
Heartfelt testimonials were given by Peggy Kaysen, Roger Houston, Jillian Holmberg and
Boyd Brown adding a very personal message of love for our church and hope for the
future. Anne Scott and Carolyn Collins, the Financial Recording Secretary, deserve great praise
for taking on the additional ongoing work of confidential recording all pledges and keeping this
information up to date on personal financial statements. The Finance Committee, Administrative
Board and Pastor Jay provided much encouragement and support to Trustees for this
campaign. THANK YOU !!
THANK YOU !! to all in the congregation who pledged support to this campaign and
gave encouragement to Trustees. The results are marvelous, with over $93,000 pledged over
three years!! Of course additional pledges or cash gifts are welcome at any time. Trustees are
going to take a well-deserved break and get back to their ‘day jobs’ of taking care of the nittygritty of our campus. As cash is received from members of our congregation paying their 2015
pledges and prepaying future years, Trustees will start detailed planning and implementation of
priority projects. Early payment of pledges will speed implementation of projects!! Stay tuned
for updates throughout the year!!
THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR A VERY SUCCESSFUL CAPITAL CAMPAIGN!!
3 CHURCH & SOCIETY UPDATE
ON RECONCILING CONGREGATION OUTREACH.
On April 12, 2005 our Church & Society committee held an open meeting in the Sanctuary to
conclude a discussion which went on for over a decade on whether or not our church would become a
reconciling congregation. This process was begun under Rev. Don Baldwin and continued with Rev.
David Vallelunga. On May 15, 2005 our congregation voted unanimously to become a reconciling
congregation with one abstention. Since then we have become a part of “Out in our Faith,” one of 24
welcoming congregations in Santa Cruz County. Excerpts from a March 20 2015 Santa Cruz Sentinel
article describe several celebrations in our community.
OUT IN OUR FAITH Religious congregations open to LGBTQ community: Faith coalition
organizes four-part event to promote awareness and discussion by Donna
[email protected]
A 10-year-old coalition of religious congregations is reaching out with its message of welcoming
the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities into their churches and temples.
Out in Our Faith, which includes 24 faith institutions from across Santa Cruz County, is planning
four events in 2015 to expand awareness and provoke discussion.
The series opened Sunday, March 22, when First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ in
Watsonville hosted an Out in Our Faith service and potluck lunch.
Follow-up events include a discussion about LGBTQ Catholics 7:30 p.m. May 12 at
Resurrection Catholic Community in Aptos, screening of “Call me Kuccha,” a documentary
about persecution in Uganda at 7 p.m. July 18 at Temple Beth El in Aptos and a dinner and
discussion at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 11 at First United Methodist Church in Watsonville.
“We’re expanding into areas we haven’t worked before in our community, as well as bringing in
aspects of the world,” said founder Kathy Ruiz Goldenkranz.
The coalition, which includes Jewish, Christian, Catholic, Buddhist and Unitarian
organizations, primarily has operated in North County in the past, she said. This year’s events
concentrate on the more southern part of the county.
The Rev. Tine Cordova, pastor of First Christian, said the Watsonville church’s board voted to
become an “open and affirming” congregation in 2010, part of a regional movement in the denomination.
But the move wasn’t without conflict. Several members left the church.
But today, the rainbow flag of gay pride hangs outside the church, and Cordova, who was hired in
2013, is first openly gay, Latino pastor in the city. He said First Christian has become a center for the city’s
LGBTQ community, especially for young people who found they weren’t welcome in their previous
churches once they came out.
Cordova’s also worked to expand the LGBTQ presence in other community groups. For the first
time in its 21-year history, for example, the Peace and Unity Coalition, which organizes an annual march
against violence, has a LGBTQ component, Cordova said. He said Sunday’s service was a celebration of
pride. “We’re no longer apologizing for who we are,” Cordova said.
4 Copyright © 2015 Santa Cruz Sentinel 03/20/2015
MISSIONS TEAM PROMOTES LITERACY PROGRAM;
VOLUNTEERS TEACH ENGLISH TO ADULTS
The church Missions Team provides encouragement and support in a variety of
ways for non-profit groups that both promote mission outreach and involve church
members. It has endorsed promotion of the Literacy Program’s involvement in the May 10
Human Race Walkathon, sponsored by the Volunteer Center. Mike Sampson and Anne
Scott are tutors with the Literacy Program and will be soliciting pledges to support them as
they walk. All money donated is used to support the program. There are currently 250
tutors, 300 people receiving tutoring, and a waiting list of 60 who want tutoring.
The Literacy Program trains volunteers to tutor adults who want to learn English.
Information about the people that Mike and Anne tutor is posted on the Missions bulletin
board. Anne also tutors Ying Au, who attends our church and comes from China. Our
church sanctuary is used for the semi-annual Literacy Program tutor training, and our
Fellowship Hall is used for the Literacy Program’s monthly workshops for tutors. If you are
interested in becoming a tutor, please talk to Anne or call the Literacy Program office, 4275077.
YARD SALE SET FOR JULY 11th
Spring is here! That probably means that you and your relatives, friends and
neighbors will be spring-cleaning! And if you and your friends need a worthy cause to
receive all those unneeded, unused, and unappreciated items that are taking up space in
your house and garage, just think of Aptos UMC.
The church annual yard sale will be Saturday, July 11th. We need all those items
that are swept out with spring-cleaning. That extra furniture that’s stored in the garage,
those blankets and sheets that languish on shelves, the clothes that you wore 15 years
ago, and all the other things your spring cleaning unearthed will find a home through our
church yard sale. Just bag it, label it “Aptos UMC yard sale” and set it aside. Or, if you
don’t have room in your garage, call Anne Scott and she’ll find a spot to store it.
Please tell everyone you know that the church needs all your no-longer needed
furniture, clothes, bedding, dishes and anything else that needs to leave and find a new
home. We’ll make sure that your castoffs find new owners!
5 Dear Project Homeless Connect Volunteer,
The 6th Annual Project Homeless Connect (PHC) events are being planned for 2015. We are
pleased to announce that on May 12, 2015 at the Kaiser Arena in Santa Cruz we will hold our spring
PHC event and we will continue with our efforts to provide service in South County with another event
in Watsonville
in November at the Watsonville Veterans Hall (exact date pending confirmation). Our
group hopes to continue with our PHC efforts until every day is a homeless connect day and our
community can house and support folks before they become homeless. If you are a provider of
Homeless services, please send a participation request form through the following sign-up link. If you
would like to volunteer… please sign up at the following link. A separate signup is required for each
event – Santa Cruz and Watsonville.
If you would like to sign up for the Santa Cruz event, visit
www.surveymonkey.com/s/MRXZQHD. Signups for the Watsonville event will be available shortly.
If you have any questions please email us at [email protected]. We continue to be a
community-only sponsored event and could use all the financial support you can provide. The website
has giving options as well if you are able.
Thanks SAVE THE DATES!!
Our Vacation Bible School 2015
will be July 13-16 from 5 to 7:30 PM!!
We’ll be climbing “Everest!” and we’ll need
LOTS OF HELPERS!
More to come… but please… SAVE THE
DATES!
6 MISSIONS TEAM REPORT FOR APRIL
April will be another busy month of missions’ activities for the congregation and
community! First off is the last time this winter season we’re helping feed the homeless at the
Salvation Army in Watsonville. Help us on Saturday, April 4th, the day before Easter.
We need two teams to prepare and then serve at the Salvation Army on Union Street in
Watsonville. The first team prepares the food at the First UMC Watsonville on Sanford Street
in Watsonville. This team works from 2:30 until 4:30 heating up or preparing foods. The
second team starts at 4:30, also at the First UMC Watsonville, and this team transports the food
and serving utensils over to the Union Street location, serves the meal, then brings the serving
dishes and utensils back to the First UMC Watsonville, washes and puts them away and makes
sure the kitchen is clean before locking up and returning the key to the Watsonville church
office.
On Saturday, April 18th, at 9:00 AM the UMCOR Layette Kits will be assembled and
prepared for shipping. Marcia Burns is in charge of this project. You are welcome to come to
the Fellowship Hall at 9:00 AM that day to help with this project. It’s always very satisfying to
help with this mission project.
Saturday, April 25th, is the last mission project of the month. We will help the Second
Harvest Food Bank sort food into bags that will be distributed to those who are in need of food.
Joe MacDonell has been heading up the food sort for years, and he will announce the
particulars for this project.
Thank you all for your donations of baby
clothes, blankets, diapers, wash cloths, and your cash
donations, over $600, to purchase diapers wholesale
and pay for items we are "short on", and postage to
our UMCOR warehouse in Salt Lake City! We are
so grateful for the loving and generous souls at
Aptos UMC!
7 ~ Music Notes ~
April 5th ~
EASTER SUNDAY! Chancel Choir will offer the anthem and solo at the 9:30 am
service “The Day of Resurrection”, anthem with Choir and Congregation and “I
Know
That My Redeemer Lives”, soprano solo by Michelle Doolittle with Daniel at the piano
Vicki Wasson will play guitar and lead songs at the Sunrise Service at 6:30 am on Easter
Sunday!
April 12th ~ Chancel Choir offers “I Will Always Be With You” at 9:30 am worship
April 19th ~ Bells of Joy ring! at 9:30 am worship- “You Raise Me Up” featuring
special guest cellist, Shelton Brown.
April 26th ~ Chancel Choir offers “Trust in the Lord” at 9:30 am worship
Starting Easter Sunday, our new contemporary worship service at 11 am will feature praise band music!
Book Club Plans
“SONG KIDS!” will continue on Sundays
in April, starting April 12th. (No Song
Kids on Easter)
Wednesday, April 15th
2:00 PM
Vicki and Susie will continue singing
with Sunday School Children before
each worship service and during
announcements… at 9:20 am for the
first service… and at 10:50 am for the
second service. Join us on the rug in
the Education Building as soon as you
arrive at church for some fun!
"To Kill a Mockingbird"
by
Harper Lee
Hostess: Lorie Ingram
Laurel Blaney will lead the discussion
For May, the book selection is "All the Light We
Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr.
The ACUMC Book Club meets at 1:30 PM on the
third Wednesday of every month. Everyone is
welcome to attend. Please contact Lee MacDonell at
685-1948 for more information.
8 April Birthdays 3
6
10
11
12
13
14
Wendy Baker
Marilyn Manning
Lonergan
Terra McCourt
Sue Sampson
Charlie Mackh
Joe MacDonell
Margaret Williamson
16
18
19
20
21
22
23
28
Remco Treffkorn
Bob Blaney
Barbara Secola
Rich Hart
Carolyn Vallelunga
Brian Williamson
Linda Ball
Carol Williamson
Anniversaries
14
22
26
Bob & Laurel Blaney
Ken & Kathleen Cook
Roger & Keri Swenson
Bill & Jana Daley
HOME COMING FOR THE
BEEBE’S!
By the time you read this,
Beebe’s will be home! Back
here in Aptos, from their long
and arduous journey in New
York. There is an amazing
tale of perseverance, faith,
healing and help… of family
and friends… of miracles and
adapting… and gratitude…
and amazing love. An Easter
story for sure!
Jean’s last email says it all …
and it is posted on Susie’s
office door window if you
would like to read it.
~In Our Prayers This Month~
David Scott, Jane Harvey, Artie Byrne, Jan Jackson
Greta Justus, Justin Beebe, Forrest Willcox’s niece, Kristin
Sibille Treffkorn’s sister, Agnes, and nephew Andreas
Pat Doolittle, Dan McCourt, Joyce Quinn, Ruthie Nichols
Sid Jackson, Kayla Harvey, Velma Greyell, Ken McElroy’s sister-in-law,
Peg McElroy Kate Sutherland’s brother, Donald Fish. Connie Moore’s
Mom, Edna, and Jodi Opp’s Mom, Michele Rossi’s Mom, Dorothea, and
her friend, Carol Houchin, The Hart’s son in law, Rich and Pastor Jay’s
nephew, Mitchell, The family of Marilyn Manning Lonergan in the loss of
her brother.
And Our Homebound Folks:
Betty Bridge, LaVern Radeleff, June Dyer, Sarah Talbot,
Mary Ellen Rusch, Lollie Starbuck
9 In Jean’s words, “We have
learned so much and continue
to learn what love, prayer,
intention and patience can do
for healing and for life in
general. Please continue to
keep Justin in your thoughts
and prayers… as we do you.
Lots and lots of love, Jean,
Mike, Justin and Chelsea”
“The Church Worth Finding” 221 Thunderbird Drive, Aptos, CA 95003 Phone: (831) 688-‐2210 www.aptosumc.org
Sunday Worship at 10:30 AM Church School at 10:30 AM Child Care Available 10:15 – 11:45 AM RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED The Tide is published monthly by Aptos Community United Methodist Church. Aptos Community UMC is an
inclusive community that welcomes and encourages full participation of all persons, regardless of race, culture, age,
economic circumstance, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical/mental abilities. We affirm our denomination’s
motto – Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors.
The Church Office is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The office is closed on Mondays.
Church Staff
Nancy Moody, Lay Leader
[email protected]
Jay Parr, Pastor
[email protected]
831-688-2210
831-‐ 331-‐7534.
Susie Lewis, Office Manager &
Music Director
[email protected]
831-246-2592
Daniel Goldsmith, Accompanist
[email protected]
831-688-2210
Jen Everett, Webmaster
[email protected]
210-288-2200
Ruth Landmann, Facebook,
[email protected]
831-688-2555
Holly Ota, Bell Choir Director
holly [email protected]
831-722-9369
10 Pat Doolittle, Tide Editor, [email protected] 831-688-4836