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LA MESA FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Love Your Neighbor . . . hood!

We started a new journey in worship last Sunday with the beginning of a new sermon series that will take us through the rest of the summer. We began a two part sermon, "Praying on the Inside and Outside" last week, with the second part wrapping up this Sunday when we will take time to pray with an intentional focus on those outside of our church community and in our neighborhoods. We will then dive into the book of Nehemiah for all of August as we walk with the prophet through his discovery of what he had been separated from as he experienced isolatation from his hometown in exile. 

The goal of our sermon series is to encourage each of us to see who God is really calling us to be by aligning ourselves as a church with God’s mission through actually walking our neighborhoods, seeing where our heartbreaks and discovering how we can restore and repair our beloved community.  Ultimately, we hope to reposition our spiritual focus toward a complete ‘community’ in order to the change the world.

This will coincide with special events, like National Night Out on Tuesday, August 2nd, where we’re called to engage our literal neighbors in a very real way, and launch LM1's Neighboring Movement program in the fall, where we will be called to truly get to know our neighbors so they might know our love for them.

I'm excited about what the end of summer will bring, and how it will propel us into the future. I hope you'll be a part of it!

Pastor Christian
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Friends of Music: Back after Eight Month Hiatus

Who better than acclaimed vocalist and actress Beth Saunders (not to mention 'church member') to help bring live music back to our Sanctuary with Friends of Music? We are excited to announce Beth's fundraising concert at LM1 on Sunday August 14 at 4pm to raise money for the Southern Caregiver Resource Center.  SCRC is the leading provider of free caregiver support services for families caring for frail older adults and adults living with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders in San Diego County. The concert will include songs reflecting the experiences of those serving as primary caregivers to loved ones and honoring the support that the SCRC and in-home professional caregivers offer them. This will be an ideal concert to attend with your loved one if you are a caregiver yourself! Vision and hearing impairments have been taken into consideration in the planning of this concert and the sanctuary is wheelchair-accessible. The concert is free of charge and free-will offering will be collected. Plan to attend and then stay for the after-concert reception. It will be a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!
Remembering Bill Irwin

Please join Esther Brasmer and other loving family members as they gather to remember the life of Bill Irwin this Saturday, July 23rd at 2pm at LM1. Bill died on May 26th and besides his wife Esther, leaves behind two daughters, three grandchildren and many who loved his infectious smile and were blessed by his volunteer work. In lieu of flowers, Bill requested relatives and friends make donations in the name of Bill Irwin and his beloved dog Bosston to the Alzheimer's Association of San Diego, 3635 Ruffin Rd., Suite 300. A reception in the social hall will follow the service.
Vote for Sunday AM  Book Club's Next Selection

Our Sunday morning book club won't meet this Sunday so you can have the chance to peruse the book choices below and vote on your favorite. Leader Eric-Dewey Hoffman asks that you email him with your first and second choices and be ready to meet up on ZOOM at 11:10am beginning July 31. Here are this session's choices:

The Anatomy of Peace  (Fourth Edition published by the Arbinger Institute) uses a fictional story of an Arab and a Jew—both of whom lost their fathers at the hands of the other’s cousins—to powerfully show readers the way to transform conflict. We learn how they come together, how they help parents and children come together and how we too can find our way out of the personal, professional, and social conflicts that weigh us down. The fourth edition includes revisions and new materials and resources that increase its relevance and usefulness at a time of deeply entrenched divisions throughout society. Additionally, it includes new detailed discussions of the pattern of dehumanization that lies at the heart of today’s most pressing struggles with prejudice and discrimination—challenges that cannot be solved until the origins of bias and discrimination are properly understood and addressed. The new edition is a unique and vital resource for combating racism and prejudice in their many manifestations.

John Wesley: A Biography  by Stephen Tomkins is a compelling portrait of the father of Methodism. The life and work of John Wesley (1703-1791) has had enormous influence on modern Christianity, not least for his role as father of the Methodist church. John Wesley is a popular biography of the great figure, which brings his career and ideas alive for a new generation. Written with verve and grounded in thorough research, the book tells the story of Wesley's colorful and dramatic life. Stephen Tomkins chronicles Wesley's family background and early childhood, his school and university career, and his adult life as a religious leader in England. Throughout this engaging portrait, Tomkins pauses to explore a number of key issues in Wesley's increasingly rich religious views, including the renunciation of wealth and the role of women in church life. The volume concludes with an important assessment of Wesley's abiding influence both in his own country and abroad. Superbly crafted, John Wesley will interest those from the Methodist tradition as well as all general readers of church history.

The Flag, the Cross and the Station Wagon by Bill McKibben tells how he grew up believing―knowing―that the United States was the greatest country on earth. As a teenager, he cheerfully led American Revolution tours in Lexington, Massachusetts. He sang “Kumbaya” at church. And with the remarkable rise of suburbia, he assumed that all Americans would share in the wealth. But fifty years later, he finds himself in an increasingly doubtful nation strained by bleak racial and economic inequality, on a planet whose future is in peril. He is curious how his worldview could be so inaccurate.  In this revelatory cri de coeur, McKibben digs deep into our history (and his own well-meaning but not all-seeing past) and into the latest scholarship on race and inequality in America, on the rise of the religious right, and on our environmental crisis to explain how we got to this point. He finds that he is not without hope. And he wonders if any of that trinity of his youth―The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon―could, or should, be reclaimed in the fight for a fairer future.

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult describes Sterling an ordinary New Hampshire town where nothing ever happens--until the day its complacency is shattered by a school shooting. Josie Cormier, the daughter of the judge sitting on the case, should be the state's best witness, but she can't remember what happened before her very own eyes--or can she? As the trial progresses, fault lines between the high school and the adult community begin to show--destroying the closest of friendships and families. Nineteen Minutes asks what it means to be different in our society, who has the right to judge someone else, and whether anyone is ever really who they seem to be.
Turn your Leftovers into Missionary Support: UWF Rummage Sale

Is it time to clear out your closet or garage? Do you have a stash of jewelry, hats, scarves and accessories that you haven’t worn in years? Are there boxes of tools, household items, toys and other items that are gathering dust? Here's a little extra motivation for you. United Women in Faith are having a rummage sale at church Saturday, August 20 from 8am to 2pm. All proceeds from the sale will go towards creating a covenant relationship between LM1 and UMC missionaries to Vietnam, Jonathan and Terah Parks (who formerly served here in San Diego).

If you have items you would like to donate to be sold in the rummage sale, please contact Lynn Parsons at (214) 931-6254 and she will make arrangements to get the items to the church. Please note -- UWF is not accepting any clothing for this sale, except for infants and toddlers. Anything else you would like to donate we will gladly take off your hands! 
Earth Care News

We're excited to share that Interfaith Power and Light has certified LM1 as one of it's "Cool Congregations" in recognition of our efforts to address the climate change crisis. In her congratulatory letter, the president of IPL wrote, "Congratulations on your accomplishments at La Mesa, and being a shining light for others to follow!" Thank you, Sarah Paulos for this honor; and thank you to Debbie McDaniels-Lindsay for sharing the good work of our Earth Care team and the ongoing efforts of our congregation to protect our planet!

***
San Diego Community Power (SDSP) the local, not-for-profit provider of clean, renewable energy for the residents, businesses and schools in the city of La Mesa invites community members to help shape the future of SDSP's energy programs. Please join us for Public Workshop #1 on Tuesday, July 26 from 6-7pm. Register and get more information here. The image below graphically how renewable energy is harvested by SDCP, transferred to SDGE and ultimately, distributed to users. Pretty cool!


 
Join VBS Students in Supporting Native American School Children

One of the enduring lessons taught at Vacation Bible School is that God's love is immense and it is meant to be shared with others. This element of VBS is taught to the children as a Missions Focus -- or more simply, how can we show God's love to others in need? 

This year, we will be joining our Conference's Committee on Native American Ministries in providing supplies for Sherman Indian High School, a residential boarding school for Native Americans in Perris, California. Because many of the students come from a great distance to attend school, they often arrive with only the clothes on their backs. Our VBS children will learn about this school and be invited to bring supplies or monetary donations that can help the students. 

What a wonderful lesson it would be for our VBS children if the congregation "followed their example" and contributed as well! Donations can be brought to church on Sunday mornings or dropped off at the church office during the week.

Here are the needs:
  • School supplies, such as
    • college ruled notebook paper
    • college ruled composition books/notebooks
    • #2 pencils
    • colored pencils
    • 3-ring binders / notebooks
    • (other school or art supplies also welcome – must be new)
  • Student personal supplies, such as
    • back packs
    • large beach towels
    • XL Twin comforters
    • (personal hygiene items also welcome – must be new)
  • Snacks
    • Many students find the BIA’s federal food program limiting, especially those participating in sports, and other extra curricular activities. Many have provided cheese & crackers, peanut butter & crackers, peanut butter, ramen, and other shelf-stable snack items.
  • Teacher Requests
    • for small denomination gift cards to places like McDonald’s, Target, Wal-Mart, Domino’s, Little Caesars, Chic-fil-A, etc. Preferred amounts are $5.00 or $10.00. These are provided as incentive cards. Some generous church members have provided larger denomination cards which are held for class or group functions.
This Week @ La Mesa First UMC

Thursday, July 21
Choir Rehearsal @ 7pm in the Social Hall

Saturday, July 23
Bill Irwin Memorial @ 2pm in the Sanctuary & Social Hall

Sunday, July 24
Worship In-Person & Online @ 9:30am (Facebook & YouTube)
No Sunday Morning Book Club -- See you next Sunday!

Monday, July 25
 Yoga @ 4 pm, SH
No Caring Ministry Meetings in July
Days 4 Girls @ 1pm, LL

Tuesday, July 26
Women's Bible Study @ 6:30pm on ZOOM

Wednesday, July 27
La Mesa Walks @ 9am; check here for location
Yoga @ 4:30pm at Good Shepherd Ministry Center (772 S. Johnson, El Cajon)

Thursday, July 28
SPRC Meeting @ 5:30pm on ZOOM
Choir Rehearsal @ 7pm in the Sanctuary

Friday, July 29
Prayers & Squares @ 9:30, LL
Dive-in Movie (Luca) @ 6pm at the La Mesa Municipal Pool

Saturday, July 30
Fresh Start @ 8:00am on the patio
Thank you for supporting the mission and ministries of
La Mesa First United Methodist Church.
Click here to donate.

Contact Us

Rev. Christian DeMent
Pastor

Jill Coady
Director of Music Ministry

Valerie Sachs
Administrative Assistant
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Copyright © 2022 La Mesa First UMC All rights reserved.
Rev. Christian DeMent

4690 Palm Ave.
La Mesa,CA 91941
619.466.4163

www.lamesaumc.com

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