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OUTREACH First United Methodist Church of Tacoma October 2015

Inside this Issue Pastor Ann’s Page 2 Birthdays & Reflections 3

October Calendar 4 Church Ministry Updates 5 Adult Christian Formation 6

Upcoming events 7 Prayers & Contact Info 8

Greetings! I will be the First UMC seminary intern from the end of September through early June. I am excited to get to know all of you and to serve in ministry with you.

My home church is Browns Point UMC and that is where I first was called to preach. I was a lay speaker at BPUMC for four years before I started seminary at Seattle University in 2013. I am now

entering my third year of seminary and as part of my program, I get to go out in the world and do actual ministry work as an intern. It's going to be a fun year! I also will be taking two classes each quarter in addition to my work at First UMC.

I have been married for 15 years to my husband, Tom, and we have two children, Jonathan (12) and Anna (9). They will occasionally come to First UMC, but will spend most of their time at Browns Point UMC, which they will keep as their home church until I have graduated and am (hopefully) assigned a church. They are loved and cared for by that congregation and I want them to enjoy this time before mom/wife becomes their pastor...!

My passion in ministry is connecting people with their spiritual gifts. I believe everyone has been given gifts by God for the good of the world and that your gifts are infinitely valuable. I also know that your gifts might surprise you! I speak from experience, as my own gifts turned out to be as much of a surprise to me as to others.

When I am not reading, writing papers, or doing ministry work, I love to meet people for coffee, bake and eat cookies and have recently discovered coloring books for adults which are amazing (my favorite is Enchanted Forest by Johanna Basford).

I am looking forward to meeting you all! Until then, I will be praying for this congregation and for the ministry work I will get to share with you this coming year.

Blessings, Melinda Giese

Hello!

My name is Becca Brazell and I am so excited to take on the children’s ministry role for First United Methodist Church. I am currently a junior at the University of Puget Sound, majoring in Sociology and Anthropology.

On campus, I work for the chaplain’s office on a team of interfaith coordinators. I am the Interfaith Coordinator for Christian Life, which means that I help plan services on campus related to Christian holidays, collaborate with others, and support interfaith events in the community. I am also the president of the school’s University Methodist’s club. We are planning a lot of community outreach and local church collaboration events for this year that I am very excited to work on with FUMC.

I grew up in the Methodist church after convincing my mom that I needed to go to church around age 6. I wanted to be part of a meaningful community. I love the United Methodist Church and have enjoyed all of the wonderful experiences it has provided. In high school, I was a camp counselor in the Desert Southwest Annual Conference for two summers working with kids ages 6-11. I have also volunteered with the Vacation Bible School program at my home church in the Desert Southwest AC every year since my sophomore year of high school. Additionally, last summer and leading into the fall, I had the amazing opportunity to take on a youth group internship at my home church. I was the junior high Sunday school teacher, as well as a small group leader after Wednesday night worship, and provided general support for youth group programming. My junior year of high school I discovered a call to ministry and I have been working to discern what that means for me ever since.

I am really excited and honored to continue this journey through teaching Sunday school at First United Methodist Church.

Welcome, Melinda and Becca!

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“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive. Because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.” - Rev. Howard Thurman Over the past several weeks, I’ve been feeling more alive as we are exploring stories from the book of Genesis. I hope you have been feeling more alive too! This is really the purpose of faith: to wake up and be more alive while we are here together in this life of awe and wonder. Aliveness is also the point of choosing to engage with one another and Old Testament stories following along with Brian McLaren’s book We Make the Road by Walking. As we look for the first time or for the hundredth time at ancient tales of the Bible, I hope we can hear and see new meaning they have for us now. I have heard tell of wonderful new connections being made, and friendships deepening in our Learning Circles. As we worship together, I can see that I’m not the only one who is hearing some new good news from the Spirit in these stories that are both strange and beautiful. As we continue through the autumn season, leaves change color. Trees let go of what has been in order to generate the energy for new life. That’s what we’re doing too. Letting go of some things in order to revive our spirits and see what God is doing for us, and among us, and through us. If you’d like to engage this month’s stories beyond the Biblical narrative, I highly recommend these supplemental resources!

Pastor Ann’s

Page

Finding Ourselves and One Another in Biblical Stories

The Red Tent is a novel based on the story of Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah. Her family’s story, and the events of this novel, are covered in Genesis, chapters 27 - 50. The author gives us an exceptionally well-researched glimpse into what ancient life was probably like- with regional gods competing for Yahweh’s devotion, and families made up of multiple wives and slaves, all having children and living sometimes nomadic life together. Like many female characters in scripture, Dinah only gets mentioned briefly (in Chapter 34 of Genesis). She is not given much agency or thought - rather, the men around her tell her story and decide to wage a bloody battle with neighbors and call it “protecting her honor”. The Red Tent is a wonderful example of how we must use our imaginations to flesh out the Biblical stories and ask questions about those people whose names go by so quickly. Maybe there’s a whole novel in each one of them, just like there is in you.

Movie Night, Anyone? Invite some new friends over. If movie musicals are more to your taste than a novel, check out the story of Dinah’s brother Joseph, in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as imagined by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice.

As we move into the book of Exodus in mid-October, you can watch the story of Moses unfold in the beautifully animated movie The Prince of Egypt.

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Nancy Ahrens, 7th Caitlyn Rainer, 9th Kyle Janzen, 13th Jamie Nelson, 21st

Johnola Hughes, 28th

Do you want to have your birthday recognized in the newsletter and bulletin? Simply send an email to liz@fumcot.com with your date of birth. Please include the year you were born, so we can enter the information in our database.

Happy October Birthdays!

Connections Team Caring Relationship is at the core of Christian community. But when our connection is interrupted by travel, grief, stress, or illness, it’s easy to feel alone.

Our Lay Leader Amanda Lucas is gathering a team of friendly folks to help us stay connected!

Each person in our congregation will be assigned to a Connections Team member who will make sure to check in with you monthly, so when those events of life keep you away from church for a while, you will know we’re still connected.

SUNDAY WORSHIP We Make the Road by Walking (WMTRbW)

Oct. 4 It’s Not Too Late - the Promise & Sacrifice of Isaac. Genesis 18:9-33 and Genesis 22:1-14. Why Do We Need Stories of Violence? WMTRbW - Chapter 7

Oct. 11 Rivalry or Reconciliation (Jacob & Esau) Genesis 32:22-33:11, Genesis 50:15-21 Wrestling with God and the Power of Forgiveness WMTRbW - Chapter 8

Oct. 18 Freedom! The Call of Moses Exodus 1:1-14 and 3:1-15 WMTRbW - Chapter 9

Oct. 25 Getting Slavery Out of the People Exodus 20:1-21 and Matthew 22:34-40 WMTRbW - Chapter 10

Nov. 1 All Saints Sunday (Remembering those who have passed away since last Nov. 1) From Ugliness, a Beauty Emerges Deuteronomy 7:1-11 Psalms 137 and 149 Matthew 15:21-39

Have you have lost someone to death this year? Do you have a friend or neighbor who has? Invite them to

worship on All Saints Sunday, when we will have a time in worship to name and remember them. We give thanks that even after death, we remain connected with the communion of saints in the heart of God.

REFLECTIONS by Vince Hart

JUST IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES!

Countless Christian congregations have learned how to train societal change agents who are then sent out into their places of employment or community to work for the “transformation of the world.” Each with one central goal: the establishment of processes and structures and relationship which serve the common good of all members of society. Each understands the mission to be to establish justice, where “justice” is very specifically Bible-based—the kind of justice God wants.

The best and most thorough scholars are clear that the essence of justice which God wants (“do justice,” Micah 6:8) is economic justice, an equitable distribution of the earth’s resources so no one is hungry, none are homeless, none are vulnerable to the weather.

In recent months I have had the privilege of catching an embodied glimpse of such a God-guided change agent, a man whom God is using in his workplace to create a more humane climate, one less characterized by fear of job loss or by harsh, critical demands from managers. I believe God is looking for many, many more such change agents. What would it mean for our congregation to learn how to enlist and train such agents of the Holy One?

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Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

The noisy offering

is taken on the second Sunday of each month. The October offer-

ing is for World Communion Sun-day.

12-Step mtgs: NA M-F @ Noon. Al-Anon Weds. @

5:30 pm. GA Fridays @ 7

pm. OA Tuesdays @

5:30 pm

1 7 pm UfPPC 7:30 pm Choir

2

3

4 9:30 am Worship &

Communion 11 am Chr. Ed.

5 5 pm Pantry

6

7 10:30 am READ

NWDC Book Project

8 7 pm PFLAG 7:30 pm Choir

9

10

11 9:30 am Worship &

Noisy Offering 11 am Chr. Ed.

12 6:30 pm Church

Council

13

14 5 PM Finance

15 7 pm UfPPC 7:30 pm Choir

16

17

18 9:30 am Worship 11 am Chr. Ed.

19 5 pm Pantry 6:30 pm Trustees

20

21

22 7:30 pm Choir

23

24 10:30 am Pantry

25 9:30 am Worship (Melinda preaching) 11 am Chr. Ed.

26

27

28

29 7:30 pm Choir

30

31 Happy Halloween!

First United Methodist Church

October 2015

Pastor Ann away for Spiritual Renewal Oct. 19-25

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First United Methodist Church of Tacoma Guidelines for Fruitful Ministry

The church’s purpose is to invite and equip people for lifelong Christian discipleship for the transformation of the world. We accomplish this by focusing on relationships, in addition to practice, instruction, reflection, and celebration. Our understanding of discipleship is to invite, equip, and accompany one another for authentic, healthy, transforming relationships 1) with God in Christ, 2) with one another as gathered community, and 3) with our local and global neighbors.

In an effort to focus our energies on our primary purpose and prevent leadership burnout, any ministry is asked to identify and articulate the following before significant church resources are allocated.

1) PURPOSE - How does this ministry invite new and develop existing relationships with God in Christ, one another (the congregation), or the world? (Minimum: 2 of 3 - God; one another; the world)

2) PRODUCE (Fruit) - What is our desired outcome? (What transformation are we aiming for? What will success look like? How will we know when we’re “done”? What’s the exit strategy, or what will the hand-off look like?)

3) PEOPLE - Who are the 3 people (at least) within First UMC who are on fire for this ministry and committed to making it happen and seeing it through? [Note: these people probably are not simultaneously leading other ministries.]

4) PEOPLE - How will we invite and intentionally mentor new leaders while we do this new ministry project?

5) PEOPLE - With what other groups or organizations outside First UMC might we partner? What’s our plan for collaboration with them?

6) POWER – What assets do we have for this work? What do we like to do? What are we good at? What resources are available?

7) PROCESS - Evaluation – When and how will we check in on our progress and effectiveness?

8) PUBLICITY – What’s our plan for publicizing and inviting others into this ministry?

9) PRAYER – How shall we pray for God to guide and bless this ministry to fruitfulness? Whose prayers will we invite?

Projects and Processes for Ministry

at First UMC

If you’ve been around United Methodist churches for a while, you may know that our structure was designed with lots of committees, checks and balances, and consensus-building models. These models have done exactly what they were

designed to do: maintain the status quo and create stability by making change go slowly. This worked well for the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s and into the 1980s. But in the last few decades, some of our church processes and habits have made it impossible to keep up with the changes in people’s work and family lives, available free time for ministry and public service, and desire to cooperate with God in creative and innovative ways. With the blessing and encouragement of the Bishop and District Superintendents of the PNW Annual Conference, congregations all over our area are experimenting with new, hybrid models for church leadership and ministry. At First UMC of Tacoma, in addition to “usual” church ministries, we also have the amazing opportunity that comes with having our unique building and the rental space of First Tower. Our Church Council and Pastor Ann have been investigating how we can let go ways of working that no longer serve us very well. Just like the trees in autumn, by letting go, we free up energy for new growth to happen that may be more fruitful. One innovation this past month is that the Church Council has welcomed Gretchen Davis to a seat on the Council. Gretchen has generously stepped up with her skills and vision in Program Management. She is already working with the Board of Trustees, the Council, Pastor Ann, and our church administrator Liz Johnson to assess how we are currently using our space for ministry and income. Over the next 5 months, we will be refining processes and making plans to optimize the way we use space to help us be faithful stewards of God’s building. This will help us move toward a healthy and sustainable financial future for the church, and to build relationships in the community so that First UMC continues to be a force for transformation in our community!

Church Ministry Updates

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FAITH JOURNEY ACCOUNTS WEAVE A RICH FABRIC

The First Sunday Faith Journey series will return on Sunday, November 1, when Maurice Lacunza shares his faith story. This series of personal stories reveal the rich and varied tapestry that God is weaving together at First UMC. We have many diverse talents and passions, skills and capacities. What is God trying to do here with the fascinating and somewhat mysterious mix?

Maurice Lacunza is scheduled for November 1. All other dates are open. Those who have not yet had the opportunity to share their stories are invited to contact Vince Hart (253-389-0837) and get on the schedule for the months ahead.

Conversation About Race: 3 Week Series beginning October 25, 2015 hosted by Rich Wind and Marissa Valanty. All meetings will take place after the Sunday service from 11am to 12:30pm.

This series is meant to be a space for all who would like to continue a conversation around race, learn more of the history of racism in the U.S., and explore our own cultures and what our call is in working for racial equity.

A clear concern and need for conversation surrounding issues of race and racism was shown by the congregation of First United Methodist of Tacoma following the terrible tragedy of the massacre of the AME Church in Charleston, NC on June 17, 2015. Pastor Ann held a conversation after the service on the Sunday following this tragedy and a large percentage of the congregation stayed to participate. Rich Wind and Marissa Valanty will be hosting a 3 week series of workshops surrounding race and culture in response to this call. We hope you will join us!

Please contact Marissa Valanty for more information. 720-648-8622.

Adult Christian Formation

We are on a journey

together! We are traveling the road of faith together by walking through the stories of the Bible, helped by the structure of the book “We Make the Road by Walking” by Brian McLaren.

The First Quarter’s theme is “Alive in the Story of Creation”.

Learning Circles have formed to meet during the week and new circles will continue to form, based on people’s interest and schedules. Set aside time on your own to follow the reading and engage your own questions. Or, talk to your neighbors about starting a group to gather around a table in your home. Our Sunday worship each week will be a celebration and exploration of the texts from the previous week. Books are available in the lobby. The books cost $12. You may have a book, reimburse the book fund $12, or buy your book plus one for someone else.

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The Joy of Singing Saturday, October 24 at 7:00pm – Free Concert

Puget Sound Revels singers offer a kaleidoscope of music – traditional, seasonal, celebratory, sea songs, pub songs. Some audience participation, of course. It’s FREE, high energy, beautiful and it’s in one of Tacoma’s wonderful performing spaces – the beautiful little auditorium inside the Washington State History Museum (1911 Pacific Ave, Tacoma). The concert is free, but please register at Brown Paper Tickets so we don’t “oversell” our hall.

We invite you to bring donations to the concert to support My Sister’s Pantry, a local food and clothing bank. Helpful items include the following: Canned Tuna; canned vegetables , fruits and meats; baby food; diapers (larger sizes are especially needed); baby wipes; women and men’s toiletry supplies (hotel sizes are great); peanut butter; dry pasta; flour; baking mixes; soups; canned meals (such as chili); packaged nuts; dry cereal. www.mysisterspantry.org

We Have a Story to Tell! a communications training focusing on the importance of storytelling, is being held on Saturday, November 14th, at Puyallup UMC from 9am to 3:30pm.

This communications training is for lay people, staff, and clergy persons of various skill levels who are interested in helping their churches to more effectively tell their stories both internally and externally. Keynote speakers Ray Buckley and Rev. Bill Gibson will complement a number of focused workshops.

Registration is now available for this training online. Individual registrations are $30; teams of two or more are $25 each. Childcare is being provided for a nominal fee. A discount is available for drivers from outside the Seattle or Tacoma Districts.

For more information about this event, visit:

goo.gl/3w9OP4.

Don’t miss Flavor on Thursday, October 22,

2015 when dozens of restaurants, cafes and bars join

hands by donating a minimum of 25% of their sales

to support Tacoma Community House and the more

than 3,600 immigrants, refugees, and long-term

residents benefiting from TCH’s four core programs

in Education, Employment, Immigration and

Advocacy (domestic violence).

Martha Curwen will be greeting customers at

Doyle’s Public House during the lunch hour. Stop

by, have lunch and say “Hi, Martha!”

For a list of participating restaurants, go to http://

www.tacomacommunityhouse.org/flavor-locations/.

At First UMC, we celebrate cultural diversity. On November 1st in Worship, we’ll celebrate All Saints Sunday.

Why not invite someone to join you at the Tacoma Art Museum’s 11th Annual Dia de los Muertos that afternoon? Let’s remember those we miss, celebrate the grace of connections through time, and explore art and culture together! Join Pastor Ann and others to head over after 12:30 when the Conversations About Race Workshop (see p. 6) wraps up.

November 1 @ 11:00 am - 4:00 pm Be part of TAM’s most popular free community festival, the 11th Annual Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Festival! New this year: a Calavera Costume Contest, traditional foods, and outdoor memorials. See community altars honoring loved ones, listen to lively mariachi music, and leave your own creative mark.

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This newsletter is a monthly publication of First United Methodist Church of Tacoma, located at 621 Tacoma Ave South, Tacoma, WA 98402.

Pastor Ann Adkinson annadkinson@fumcot.com Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, by appointment Friday: Sabbath Day (no email; only emergency phone calls )

Church Administrator Liz Johnson liz@fumcot.com Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Friday 9:00 a.m. to Noon

Music Ministry Ryan Enis, Choir Director ryanjamesenis@gmail.com Norm Seidel, Accompanist seidelnorm@gmail.com

Worship Every Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

Visit our website www.fumcot.com

Office Phone 253-627-0129

Church Lay Leadership

Lay Leader: Amanda Lucas

Church Council: Jim Weis, Chair; Gail Garnas, Secretary; Amanda Lucas, Lay Leader; Matt Patera, SPPRC; Maurice Lacunza, Trustees; Gretchen Engle, Finance; Gretchen Davis, Program Manager; Ann Adkinson, Pastor.

Finance: Gretchen Engle, Chair; Sylvia Summers, Treasurer; Martha Curwen, Secretary; finance@fumcot.com

SPPRC: Matt Patera, Amanda Lucas, Jim LeGro, Sarah Roemer, Claire Rowe; spprc@fumcot.com

Trustees: Samara Dienst-Philipson, Co-Chair; Maurice Lacunza, Co-Chair; Robert Summers; Jason Searls. trustees@fumcot.com

CHURCH CONTACT INFORMATION

We Offer our Prayers to God for:

Our World: For economic justice and human rights globally. For the Syrian refugee crisis and all those offering hospitality and new homes for migrants. For victims of war throughout the world. For a just peace in Israel and Palestine.

Our Nation: For our President, Governor, and all elected officials that they may make wise decisions. For all those grieving the shootings in Oregon, and for all who feel isolated. For an end to gun violence. For all who suffer from the acts of domestic terrorism and racism. For true reconciliation, justice, and healing from the violence of racism and prejudice. For communities and police working together for the dignity and safety of all. For our troops and their families. For a humane and moral solution to the refugee crisis at our border.

Our Region: For those affected by wildfires throughout the West, especially the firefighters who have lost their lives or have been injured, and their families.

Our Community: For everyone in our community who is seeking a spiritual home like this one, that they may find us! For those in Tacoma seeking solutions to homelessness, addiction, and wage inequality.

Our PNW Annual Conference, Our Bishop: Grant Hagiya; Our Superintendent: Cara Scriven; Our Pastor: Ann Adkinson

Our missionaries: For Sarah Roemer, TCH and Katherine Parker, Nepal

God’s ministries through our church: For the CONNECTIONS TEAM that is preparing to launch. For faithful and creative decisions for our financial future.

Our Friends and Family: Pray for those who have requested our prayers, including Bob L, Jenny Severns, Barbara Prine, Craig Waterbury’s mother Fran, Rick Rose, the Janzen family, especially baby Seets Janzen, who’s home!, for Avery and the whole Engle family, and all families struggling with addiction.

Note: If there are prayers you’d like added to this list, please email liz@fumcot.com.