Thrive gen2gen (formally called Senior Ministry) welcomes all to hear Susie Buchholz speak on the Angel Tree Program on Friday, November 5th at 11:00am. This will be a hybrid program so you can come in-person to the Youth Room or watch on zoom.
The Angel Tree program supports children of incarcerated parents. LAUMC is having a Christmas party for these children on December 11th. Please come and learn more about their needs. For more information, please contact Pastor Jeong by email.
The Mountain View Police Department (MVPD) will be participating for the first time in the 2nd Annual Faith and Blue Weekend from October 8th -10th. This initiative is designed to increase law enforcement communication with the community through houses of worship. MVPD is requesting community donations of items needed to complete hygiene kits for department staff to donate to those in need. The collection drive will go until October 6th. A group of community member volunteers and MVPD personnel will help assemble the kits together at 9:00 am Saturday, October 9th. We would love for members of LAUMC to show up and be a part of the packing event at 1000 Villa Street in the MVPD parking lot. There will also be compassion card making activities for children to participate. If you, or someone you know, would like to donate to this initiative, the following items are needed. Or, an Amazon Wish list has been created to allow for direct purchase and shipping to the department of hygiene kit items. Items can be dropped off at MVPD.
Hygiene Kit Items Requested: Disposable Razors, Facemasks (Disposable), Band-Aids, Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Granola or energy bar, combos, brushes, Chapstick, Juice box or small bottles of water, Bar Soap/Body Wash, Lotion (travel or small size), Shampoo (travel or small size), Kleenex pack, Gallon sized ziplock bags, socks, and underwear for men and women, feminine hygiene products.
The Disaster Response Team from our California-Nevada Conference has been hard at work providing assistance to those impacted by the recent fires. Trained Early Response Team (ERT) volunteers have been working with local pastors and their congregations to provide support. This includes meeting with people in the Local Assistance Centers to provide a listening presence as well as gift cards, hygiene kits, and buckets of materials for cleanup. You can read more about the response on the Conference News webpage. What can you do? Here are some suggestions:
Pray for those whose lives have been impacted by these fires!
Volunteer! Clickhere to register to become a disaster response volunteer.
Provide a book for a child. The book, Where is My House? Can be purchased on Amazon and sent directly to the Conference Office. The books will be provided to children impacted by the fires. Send the book to: Attention- Shari Sandoval, California-Nevada UM Conference, 1350 Halyard Drive, West Sacramento, CA 95691.
We invite you to register for Compassion Week 2021! We will be working with several faith groups to encourage a big volunteer turnout, to help build a more compassionate and caring community. If you are interested in leading a project or supporting the Compassion Week planning effort, in any capacity large or small, please contact Yvonne Murray by email for more information or follow us on the Compassion Week website,Facebook(@CompassionWeekLosAltos), and Instagram(@CompassionWeekLA) for updates.
Sunday, June 20, 8:30am / Thursday, June 24, 7:00pm
Do you really want to work for racial justice, but feel unequipped to do so? Join us for the 8-session Faith and Racial Justice: Changing Systems and Structures program from JustFaith Ministries. This program explores key obstacles to racial justice that are embedded within our institutions, systems, and structures. It also provides tools for mobilizing people and resources to dismantle those obstacles. Racial Justice is the first of a three part series of courses.
During our time together, we’ll pray, read the book “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness” by Michelle Alexander, watch videos, and have conversations around how we can seek racial justice in our community. Space will be limited to 10 people for each of the two series offerings.
Sundays starting June 20th, Jan and Yvonne will be leading a group outdoors at LAUMC, starting at 8:30 and ending at 10:00. Just in time to attend the live Sunday 10:00 worship service.
Thursday evenings starting June 24th, Yvonne will be leading a series over Zoom from 7:00-8:30.
Saturday, May 15 & Saturday, May 22, 9:00am – 12:00pm
You are invited to attend a Zoom workshop focused on building a new foundation of allyship. Over two half-days together, we will discover the five principles of authentic allyship. We will hear from the lived realities of individuals explored through the lens of the Black Truth Project and also from the experiences of members of our own congregation. We will explore real-world tips for how to be a sincere and effective advocate for our fellow church members, co-workers, and neighbors. The ultimate goal is for all attendees to begin the journey of fulfilling the promise of justice for all by learning how to build trusting and collaborative relationships with BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color).
The California-Nevada Disaster Response Ministry has developed Wildfire Buckets to help those affected by fires to clean up their homes and properties after it is safe for them to return. LAUMC is collecting completed buckets as well as materials to start filling buckets.
Materials include work gloves, safety goggles, duct tape, and more; see the whole list here. Los Altos Hardware is offering a 25% discount on supplies if you mention LAUMC!
Drop off buckets and materials at the patio between Creekside Center and the Office on any EVEN day through the end of October. Please log your donation on this form. Contact Lisa Demers with questions.
It’s time to check out this year’s Compassion Week projects and sign up! Compassion Week is scheduled this year for October 5-11, and there are more than 120 projects arranged for all ages and abilities. Visit the Compassion Week website to browse the available options and register for one or more opportunities.
Project focuses include creation care, human trafficking survivors, those who are hungry or unhoused, the elderly, the incarcerated, and more. There are virtual learn-and serve opportunities, materials for take-home sewing and crafting projects, and (socially distanced) on-site options. You will be sure to find something to suit you.
With so many virtual projects and opportunities, Compassion Week is not limited to Bay Area residents! Invite your friends to do a project with you, no matter where they live.
The Compassion Week Planning Team is pleased to announce that community support for Compassion Week continues to grow. Compassion Week has its first corporate sponsor, Fremont Bank. In addition, a new partnership has formed with St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, whose members bring new ideas to the table regarding environmental justice. Returning partners include Christ Episcopal Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Los Altos Community Foundation, Pacifica Institute, and St. Nicholas/St. Williams Catholic Parish.
The planning team continues to grow in other ways, as well. Yvonne Murray has accepted the position of Compassion Week Program Manager. She will work alongside the Compassion Week leadership team to help move the vision of Compassion Week 2020 forward.
For the third year, LAUMC congregants joined a mission
team in assisting Puerto Rico with the recovery from Hurricane Maria. Now
chronicled as one of the worst hurricanes in history, the 2017 storm had left
the island devastated. The team was pleased to see recovery progress, but with
years still to go.
The team of 12 represented six churches in the
California-Nevada Conference. This year’s mission was a return to the South
Coast. The team served clients at six homes in the nearby towns of Guayama,
Arroyo, and Maunabo while stationed at a former Methodist retreat center. Among
the clients who welcomed the team into their homes were Amaryllis and her young
baby; Tony, a spunky 80-year-old; Guadalupe, who has lived in her storm-ravaged
house for 40 years; Sonja and her family of ten; and Nydia and Hector a Vietnam
War veteran who is 100% disabled. The team did roofing, painting, stucco, and
tiling work, but equally important was bringing hope and showing the care from
our community to theirs. Work was done in conjunction with local construction
workers, who shared the benefit of their familiarity with the tasks to be done
and patient guidance. The local Methodist staff supporting the work also had a
remarkable commitment.
As with all mission trips, one of the blessings is the
team comradery developed by bonding around a common purpose. The team shared
meals, bunk beds inches apart, dribbling showers, and meaningful reflection
time each evening. The group attended worship at Iglesia Methodista Puerta Del
Cielo and received a warm reception. As is this team’s tradition, each family
was presented with a homemade quilt as a remembrance of the friendship. The
team is determined to keep going back to Puerto Rico until the recovery is
complete.
