The United Church of Los Alamos
 
 
 

United Chimes:  Vol. 41, No. 6, June 2005

Table of Contents
Front Page News
  Vacation Bible School
   Please Take Note
For Our Children & Youth
  Sondays Kids
  Sunday School
  Youth Ministry
Church News and Announcements 
  June Sunday Worship Themes
  Annual Outdoor Worship and Finger Food Brunch
  L.A. Cares
  All Church Camp
  Lunch Bunch Callers
  United Church of Los Alamos Highlight Calendar
  Chimes NewsLetter Deadlines for 2005/2006
  WCSS Circle Meetings
  Missions Corner June 2005
  Church Attendance
  Youth Mission Work
  Reminders!
  Chimes Newsletter Deadline
  Coffee Hosts for June
  More Marriage Vitamins
  Annual Performance Review
  Men’s Retreat
  Summer Music
Table Talk  from Don
  Summer is almost here!
Prayers, Praises, Thanks and More
  Prayer Concerns
  Prayer Letter
  Sympathy
  Chimes Newsletter
  Church Office Hours
  Pastors' Office Hours
 
 

Would you like to help with VBS but can't find the time? We could REAUY use your help with donations of the following items to stretch our budget and provide an interesting and fun bible program for over 80 children and helpers. Please contact Jean or Mardel if you can help. 

Bring before June 16 to the church office. 

1  3 lb bag of stick pretzels 
6 bags of bugle chips 
2  24 oz bags Nestle's chocolate chips 
1  16 oz box square cheese crackers ( ie. Cheesits) 
1  15 oz box Rice Chex 
1 15 oz box Corn Chex 
4  24 oz containers raisins 
10 dozen caramel popcorn cakes !
6 cups candy corn 
6  16 oz cans ready-made white/vanilla frosting
12  29 oz cans fruit cocktail 
3  32 oz jars apricot jam 
2 boxes Teddy Grahams 
6 gallons (12 2 qt jugs) white grape juice 
8 gallons (16 2 qt jugs) apple juice

600 paper plates 
700 paper cups
700 napkins 
120 clear 9 oz plastic cups (wide mouth wine glass size) . 
700 hand/baby wipes 
130 sandwich size resealable (Ziploc) plastic bags 

Bring on Monday June 20th 

6  8 oz containers whipped topping 
3 doz plain bagels 
120 sticks of string cheese 
90 fresh strawbeuies (for Thurs) 
12 doz unfrosted cupcakes (for Friday) 

Craft Supplies Please donate by June 14th.

3 packages paint pens
5 bottles of Tacky Glue 
1 package raffia 
200 wiggle eyes 
2 packages wooden beads 
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Please Take Note
The next CHIMES  deadline is Sunday, June  26th at 12:00 noon for  the July 2005 issue.  Articles may be sent via email to: UCChimes@hotmail.com (note new email address) or put in the CHIMES Editor’s mail box in the Church Annex (room just outside the Church Office).
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Sunday School
The last Sunday for children’s Sunday School was May 15.  On Sunday May 22, we recognized and thanked our Sunday School teachers with a special brunch at 11:00.  We will break for the summer and resume in the fall.  We are currently looking for interested people to be part of our Children’s Ministry team for 2005-06. Do you like working with children?  Are you passionate about bringing God’s word to the children of our church?  We need you in Children’s Ministry!  Pray about it and when you are called be ready to respond to the call.
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Youth Ministry

Annual Outdoor Worship and Finger Food Brunch
Our annual outdoor worship service will be on June 26th.  Both the 8:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.  service will be held on the church lawn.  Chairs
will be set up but you may also bring your own lawn chair.  A finger food brunch pot luck will follow the 9:30 a.m. service.  Coffee and other drinks will be provided as well as plates and utensils.  You are asked to bring a finger food brunch dish to share.  It is always wonderful to worship outside in the sun and in nature and the fellowship is great, so plan on being there.
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L.A. Cares
"Now that garden season (and the Farmer's Market!) is upon us, this month's LA Cares collection request is fresh fruit (especially apples and oranges) and vegetables.  And since they are perishable, we humbly but boldly ask that they be brought only during the week of the box distribution, which means Sunday, June 5 through Thursday, June 9.  If, however, you'd like to make a contribution of any non-perishable food item the rest of the month, it would certainly be most welcome as well!  In fact, during last month's USPS Food Drive, which is a main source of food donations for LA Cares, there was a shortage of a couple of needed things in particular: 4 lb. bags of sugar and dry pet food.  Those items would be especially gratefully accepted by the LA Cares at this time.  Thank you!"

Additionally, we would like to let you know that this program is off and running with a strong start!  Moms and More would like to thank everyone who donated juice or instant coffee to LA Cares through one of our collection boxes.  In April, our kickoff month, we collected 41 bottles of juice (apple and grape) and 8 containers of instant coffee, as well as various other food items.  And as of this writing, the boxes are overflowing with donated paper towels (we'll give you an exact count in next month's Chimes)!  Way to go, United Church!  Let's keep up the good work...and do even better!!  We are making a difference in the lives of our neighbors."
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All Church Camp

All Church Camp is an annual weekend experience for members and friends of The United Church of Los Alamos. The event is held at Ghost Ranch Conference Center North of Abiquiu, New Mexico. The week-end includes a speaker, scheduled activities for children and youth, and large blocks of free time for families to spend together or with other church families. A nursery is provided during lectures. Group activities include dinner together on Friday evening, Sunday worship, a pot luck lunch on Sunday and evening campfires. Attendees also organize group hikes, swimming, and athletic events such as volleyball. 

There are a number of options for accommodations during the event: 
     . camping at Ghost Ranch with or without hookups [must provide your own meals] 
     . a ranch room, either in a dorm setting or in a room with a shared connecting bath 
     . commuting from Los Alamos (75-90 minutes). 
     . Some individuals have chosen to make their own arrangements and stay at the Abiquiu Inn or at one of the Bed and Breakfasts in the area. 
The majority of attendees either camp or commute. We try to pair up commuters with campers for lunch and dinner on Saturday. The last speaker presentation ends about 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. Those who wish to stay through Monday are welcome to do so. 

        Relationships:
                Eutopia or Terror
A series presented by Bruce Swanson. Bruce is a pastor in Nampa, Idaho. He spent his beginning years of ministry in para-church organizations such as Young Life, Youth for Christ, Serendipity, and National Park Ministries. Ordained in the Presbyterian church in 1980, he served three churches in Oregon before accept- ing a call to the Nampa church six years ago. He has been very involved in com- munity outreach ministries with every church he has served. Each church he has served has grown. Most recently he has been involved with other churches in us- ing grant monies from Health and Human Services to start a Healthy Families program which works in the community for the well-being of young people. 

Bruce says of his presentation: "My message is probably tied to some of my com- mitments. I am deeply committed to lay people... The ministries at each place [I serve] find themselves somehow balanced between evangelism and social witness." 

According to former United Church member, Gary Eller, "Bruce is an inspiring and animated speaker. He has a hilarious and somewhat offbeat sense of humor. A really interesting person." 
 

For Registration Information, please call the church office, 662-2971.
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Lunch Bunch Callers
Susan Kemper-Bryant, M.J. Nilsson, Adda Moldt, Laura Erickson, Jan Sinclair, Mary Mariner, and Maggie Davis.
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United Church of Los Alamos Highlight Calendar
 

May 30	Memorial Day Church Office Closed
June 5	Sonday Kids - 9:45 YOUR Help is needed!!!!!
June 21 - 24	Vacation Bible School (1-4 pm) Call church office for info, 662-2971
June 26	Out-door Worship on church lawn
August 21	Open House - Nursery        Sunday School
August 28	Acolyte Training - 11 am    (3rd & 4th graders) Teacher Training - 11 am in Graves Hall
September 2 - 5	All Church Camp

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Chimes NewsLetter Deadlines for 2005/2006
Please Note:

Deadlines are firm - 12:00 noon on date indicated below.

Editor may edit for brevity and space availability.

Submission of articles may be sent via e-mail to the editors, Steve and Sue Watkins at ucchimes@hotmail.com

Articles may be submitted on disc (with a hard copy) in the CHIMES Editor basket in the office annex (prefer in MS Word 2000 or less- no MAC please).

If you must leave only a hard copy or hand written, please submit 1 week in advance of deadline.
 

MAY (for June Issue)	5/22
JUNE (for July issue)	6/26
JULY (for August issue)	7/24
AUGUST (for Sept. issue)	8/28
SEPTEMBER (for Oct. issue)	9/25
OCTOBER (for Nov. issue)	10/23
NOVEMBER (for Thanksgiving/early Dec. issue)	11/20
DECEMBER 2005-2006 (Christmas/January 2006)	12/18
JANUARY 2006 (for Feb issue)	1/22
FEBRUARY 2006 (for March issue)	2/26
MARCH 2006(for April issue) EASTER	3/26
APRIL 2006 (for May issue)	4/23
MAY 2006 (for June issue)	5/28

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WCSS Circle Meetings
 

Circle I	Summer Picnic to be announced
Circle IV	Tuesday, June 7th, salad potluck lunch  12:00 Noon	Janet Tallman's house New members and Circle IV alumni are welcome.
Moms & More	Fridays at 9:30 - 11:30 am	in the Lounge

WCSS - There will be no regular Circle meetings in June, July, or August. Circles will meet once for lunch, and meetings will resume in September.
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Missions Corner June 2005
Navajo Missions, Inc., of Farmington is an organization in New Mexico supported by the United Church through your Mission Board. Navajo Missions, Inc., was established in 1953 for the purpose of caring for orphaned and dependent children, regardless of race, religion or national origin and for printing and distributing Navajo tracts and hymnals.

Navajo Missions helps to meet the physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs of Navajo families and children through programs which establish self-sufficiency, resilience and Christian family values. Four program ministries address needs of those in the Four Corners Area:
     1. Four Corners Home for Children- provides a home to single children and their mothers, ministering to two generations;
     2. Cross Cultural Ministries- a Communication Center which serves the body of Christ across cultural, racial, denominational and generational lines to further the gospel in the Four Corners, the Navajo Nation, the First Nations and to the four corners of the world; 
     3. Biblical Counseling Center- licensed counselors giving Biblical direction, restoring individuals, couples and families; and
     4. KNMI-FM 88.9, “Vertical Radio”- a radio ministry designed to reach cultures of the Four Corners area with the Gospel.

Navajo Missions is a non-profit organization which depends solely on the grace of God and contributions from supporters who believe in this ministry of reaching the Navajo people for Christ.
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Church Attendance
 

Date	8:00 Service	9:30 Service
April 24th	22	186
May 1st	22	186
May 8th	22	186
May 15th	18	150

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Youth Mission Work

I am seventeen and a member of the United Church and Calvary Chapel.  I have agreed to go to Panama City, Panama, a country in Latin America with Global Expeditions, a branch of Teen Mania Ministries, as a missionary this summer.  I will leave from Garden Valley, TX on July 18th and arrive back in the United States on August 10th.  There is nothing I can find to better do with my time than to spread the Word of God to the people in Panama and I was hoping you would be willing to help make that dream a reality by sending prayers and/or small donations to benefit this cause.

I am working by doing military-grade shoe shines.  My shoe shines cost fifteen dollars each.

This trip costs about $2300.  Checks can be written to me and sent me or to Teen Mania Ministries PO Box 2000, Garden Valley, TX 5771-2000, and send a piece of paper with my name and the number 2342777 enclosed.

Thank you very much for you prayers and support,

Jessi Chipera
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Reminders!
Liturgists for June

June 5th   Don Tolmie
June 12th Beth Plassmann
June 19th Barbara Seeger
June 26th Ken Sinclair
 

Greeters for June:  Steve and Angie Chipera, Frank and Wilma Durham, Courtney and Betty Apperson and Paul and Alice Mutschlecner.
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Chimes Newsletter Deadline
July 2005 deadline is Sunday, June 26th, 2005 12:00 Noon
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Coffee Hosts for June
June 5th:  Kelly Myers

June 12th:  Eric & Kathy Bjorkland

June 19th:  Vita Atencio

June 26th:  Tim & Nancy Johnson
 

We all enjoy the coffee fellowship time after church.  It's a great way to stay "in-touch" with other members of our Christian community.  But in order to keep enjoying coffee after worship, we need volunteers to host.  It's an easy job-the instructions are printed inside the cabinet in the Sanctuary kitchen.  Just arrive by 9:00 am to start the coffee and hot water pots etc.  Most Sundays you should be finished by 11:00 a.m.  Please consider being a coffee host--it's a great way to serve the church,  particularly if you can't serve in other ways.  If anyone has questions about being a coffee host, or you have a specific date on which you would like to volunteer, please contact Nancy Johnson.
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More Marriage Vitamins
Life can get very hectic.  Sometimes Roger and I do not see each other enough to talk about what is going on.  Someone mentioned how nice the CHIMES article about our marriage COMMUNICATION was to Roger.  Well, he said truthfully, “What article?”  Have you had this happen?  It happens to us all the time.  One of us will mention something in passing (or maybe forget to mention it) and the other will be totally surprised when the event happens.  I wrote to this church that we had a good marriage AND one that can always use marriage vitamins.

On behalf of the board of Elders, and from very honest imperfect marriage experiences, I offer you some marriage vitamins on a more regular basis.  Maybe this will be a way for Roger to hear about things we too can do! (I just told him I was going to write again).

Couples will receive postcards in the mail that will give all of us ideas of special ways to celebrate our spouses, take inexpensive dates and offer other “Marriage Vitamins.” Look at them (before you recycle the junk mail) and give them a thought.  Be sure to show it to your spouse and just talk about the ideas.  At least they will spark some conversation, and some may suit you and your spouse.  They are things that have enriched (or could enrich !!) our marriage.  Enjoy and bloom in your marriages!

Vitamins for the day:

“It is imperative that we do not expect our partners to always know instinctively what we need without our telling them.”

“A man thrives on appreciation because it directly nurtures his male side.  A woman thrives on communication because it directly nurtures her female side.”

Mars and Venus Together Forever, John Gray, PhD.

CHEAP DATES from Phil & Barbara Seeger and Betty & Roger Smith
#1 Meet for coffee or tea at one of the numerous local shops once a week if possible and try hard to not spend your time problem solving.  If it is kept short, it may become a nice routine in your busy schedule (even 45 minutes can seem special).

Men’s Retreat
Please mark the dates of September 30 - October 2 on your calendar. These are the new dates for the Men¹s Retreat at Sonlight Christian Camp.  We have already engaged a speaker for this event and wanted to give you plenty of notice so you can plan to attend. If you are interested in helping to plan this event contact Steve Paglieri, Kathleen Logan, or Don Childers.  We will keep meeting times for the planning to a minimum so consider joining us in putting together a great event for the men of the church.
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Summer Music
Have you forgotten to sign up to share your musical talent with our congregation?  We still have lots of times for you to provide an offertory selection, thus giving our choirs a much needed break and time to worship with their families.  Please call Suzanne (662-2971) ASAP.  Thanks!
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       Summer is almost here! The weather has warmed, flowers are blooming, and there is freshness as people are out and about.  Of course all is not well.  There is continuing concern surrounding the Lab.  The concern has an impact on many of us, some directly and others indirectly.  There are other concerns.  Persons continue to battle illness, family issues, religious issues, and personal issues.
      Our staff was on retreat this past week.  The goal was to plan for 2005-2006.  Much of our task was putting together the calendar.  We also spent time in reflection, staff building, and welcomed our newest staff member, Keith Lewis.  We prayed, we walked, we talked, and we enjoyed the mountains surrounding Taos.  We also struggled with the issue of making faith relevant to the needs and concerns of our community.  We struggled with the call to share the gospel and to be responsive to God’s call.  We also struggle, as Kathleen shared in the sermon, on balancing our needs with Sabbath keeping.
      We have much for which to be thankful.  Our staff is dedicated, committed, faithful, and a lot of fun.  Our congregation is diverse, faithful, committed, and a lot of fun.  Together as God’s People we will continue to share the Good News of love and reconciliation experienced through Jesus Christ. These are exciting times of great potential.  I am thankful for the opportunity to be a part of this great staff and congregation. I am confident God has great plans for all of us.

Don and Jewell Roberts

Al Dross

Thurman Talley

Carol Wechsler

Myrna Strong

Pete Forman

John Zoltai

Randy Erickson’s grandmother
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Prayer Letter
If you have a prayer concern, please call the United Church office at 662-2791  or email@UCoffice@losalamos and Mardel will email the prayer chain.
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Sympathy
Prayers for Gretchen Amstutz upon the death of her father, Dr. Kenneth Amstutz of Washington State.
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Chimes Newsletter
Now available on our WEB site!  If you prefer not to have a hard copy sent to you, opting to read the CHIMES on the web monthly, please e-mail us your request at: UCoffice@losalamos.org or call the church office at 662-2971.
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Church Office Hours
Monday – Friday
8:30 – 12:00 & 1:00 – 4:30 p.m.
CLOSED Thursday mornings

Check out our Web Site: www.losalamos.org/unchla

Office e-mail address: ucoffice@losalamos.org ~ FAX: 662-5927

CHIMES newsletter e-mail:  UCChimes@hotmail.com
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Pastors' Office Hours
Don Childers - (Mon., Tues., Thursday, Friday)
     9 to 12 Noon - Open door
     1 - 4 pm by appointment only, (study, pastoral calls and preparation)

Kathleen Logan - (Monday through Thursday)
     9 - 12 Noon by appointment only, (study, pastoral calls and preparation)
     1 - 4 pm - Open door

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