 The
United Church of Los Alamos
United
Chimes: Vol. 41, No. 10, October 2005
Table
of Contents
Front
Page News
Election
of Officers
Please
Take Note
For
our Children and Youth
Children’s
Worship
KAC
Fall
Festival October 30th
Wanted!
Church
News and Announcements
Talking
Faith
The
Lay Ministry Team
October
Sunday Worship Themes
Women's
Harvest Tea
Fall
Womens Retreat
Thursday
Afternoon Bible Study
Lunch
Bunch Callers
United
Church Bazaar News
Highlights
Calendar
Church
Attendance
Reminders!
Chimes
Newsletter Deadline
Coffee
Hosts for October
November
LA Cares Suggestions
You
Can Help!
WCSS
Circle Meetings
10
Great Dates to Energize Your Marriage
Marriage
Vitamins
Table
Talk from Don
What
a Month!
Prayers,
Praises, Thanks and More
Prayer
Concerns
Congratulations
Help
Needed!
Chimes
Newsletter
Prayer
Chain
Front
Page News
Election
of Officers
Election of
Officers, Board Members and Committee Chairs 2006
During the
month of October and early November members will be contacted to be candidates
for the United Church Officers, Board Members and Committee Chairs.
As we share in the ministry of the United Church, the needs are unique
and diverse, giving each individual member the opportunity to serve in
an area of interest and concern. Please help the nominating committee
by sharing your willingness to serve in a position that allows the use
of your gifts and talents.
Your prayers
for the nominating committee in their work and the candidates as we share
in the ministry of the United Church will be appreciated.
Thank you.
2005 Nominating
Committee: Angie Chipera, Loree Lynch,
Myrna Mc Donald,
Thurman Talley and Dorothy Crawford, Chair.
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Please
Take Note
The next CHIMES
deadline is Sunday, October 23rd at 12:00 noon for the November 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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For
our Children and Youth
Children’s
Worship
Children’s
Worship is designed to allow children in grades Kindergarten though second
to worship in their own space. It meets weekly during the last part of
the 9:30 worship service. Parents and interested church member volunteer
to be storytellers and greeters. If you would like to Volunteer,
contact Jean Picard, 662-2971 or Susanna Naud.
October 2nd
Exodus (Feast Day)
October 9th
Ten Best Ways
October 16th
The Ark and a Tent or God
October 23rd
The Promised Land
October 30th
The Temple, a House for God
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KAC
Kid’s Adventuring
with Christ (KAC) had a great time with Game Night last month. The next
KAC event will be the Harry Potter Party on Friday November 4th. Watch
for your invitations in the mail. All children in grades 3-6 are invited.
Mid school and high school youth are needed as prefects. Adult help
is also needed to make this special event successful. Please contact Jean
Picard, 662-2971 if you can help.
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Fall
Festival October 30th
On Sunday,
October 30th at 12 noon the Children’s CE subcommittee will be hosting
the annual Fall Festival. This special fall event includes a pizza
lunch, games, crafts, pumpkin painting, face painting and lots of fun for
all ages. Come to Graves Hall with your family and friends for this
special treat. Please RSVP to the church office if you will be attending,
662-2971. Questions? Please contact Jean Picard, 662-2971.
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Wanted!
Fun-loving,
creative individuals of any age to perform as a part of the puppet ministry
team!
We need your
talent, ideas, and willingness to carry God’s word to children of all ages.
Contact Angie
Chipera or Sue Tonelli.
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Church
News and Announcements
Talking
Faith
The
Lay Ministry Team
The Lay Ministry
Team is looking for volunteers to reach some of our shut-ins and people
in crisis. Ministry belongs to all of us. It is an important
and necessary part of church life and of the individual’s growth as a Christian.
The following
is a proposal of how the Lay Ministry Team can help in this endeavor.
1. Help
people stay connected to the congregation as they age and/or when they
are going through illness, death of a loved one, or other life crisis.
2. Pastors
already visit, but the needs are greater than the pastors can easily
meet. Visiting those in immediate crisis takes precedence over other
kinds of visits. Additional people visiting with members on a regular
basis, in the name of the church, would provide better care and connection.
The Lay Ministry Team will not replace pastoral visits, but rather
supplement what the pastors are doing.
3. Some
sort of weekly contact with an individual or couple would be required.
Contact can be by phone or through a visit or a combination of the
two.
4. Members
of the Lay Ministry Team would receive training prior to beginning
work. Continuing education with topics derived from the needs of
team members would be offered quarterly.
5. Lay
Minister Team members would talk with a pastor if problems arise or if
they have a concern with someone with whom they are in contact.
Please contact
Kathleen, Don, or one of the Lay Ministry Team Leaders to volunteer to
help in this ministry.
Lay Ministry
Team Leadership:
Marlene Henins
Nan Fife
Wilma Cowan
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October
Sunday Worship Themes
| October 2nd |
World Communion
Sunday
This Sunday
we will join with other Christians in celebrating World Communion Sunday.
A special service centering on communion will also involve the sharing
of mission work around the world. The Red Cross will also give an update
on the Katrina Relief efforts. |
| October 9th |
“RSVP, Please”
Matthew 22:1-14
The parable
in Matthew is disturbing. The King ultimately went into the streets to
invite people to the great party. Those who were first invited declined.
Don’s sermon will explore the implications of God’s call to each of us
to use our gifts in ministry. |
| October 16th |
Keith Lewis,
pastor to our youth, will be sharing the morning sermon. |
| October 23rd |
“The Great
One”
Matthew 22:34-46
Known as the
“Great Commandment”, Jesus sums up faith in a simple statement. Don’s sermon
will explore the implications of
loving God
and loving our neighbor in today’s confusing times. |
| October 30th |
“May I Serve
You?”
Matthew 23:
1-12
All of us
may dream of a place where we are waited on “hand and foot”. Jesus indicates
that those who want to be great in the
kingdom are
those who serve. Don’s sermon will explore the
implications
of a servant theology. |
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Women's
Harvest Tea
All women
associated with the United Church are invited to attend a Harvest Tea on
October 28th from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm at Graves Hall, sponsored by Moms
and More. Do you remember the Valentine's Tea last February?
Well, this Autumn that special occasion has been transformed into the Harvest
Tea, where the season will be celebrated with delicious apple and pumpkin-flavored
breads and cookies, finger sandwiches, coffee, tea, and wonderful fellowship.
Moms and More would love to celebrate the harvest season with you.
Please mark your calendars now for October 28th and plan to attend.
This event is open to all women in the church and is FREE! (It is not a
Halloween dress-up party - just come as you are...) There will be plenty
of food and prizes, as well, so we'll see you there!
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Fall
Womens Retreat
Letting in
the Light
When:
October 14 - 16
Where:
Sonlight Christian Camp, Pagosa Springs, CO
Cost:
$120.00 - covers seminar/lodging/meals (Fri. dinner through Sun.
lunch)
Full fee due with registration by Oct. 1 (space available thereafter).
Partial scholarships are available and donations accepted for scholarship
fund (contact Kathleen Logan at 662-2971)
Speaker:
Pat Livingston
Our speaker
will be Pat Livingston, author of This Blessed Mess, Finding Hope Amidst
Life's Chaos. According to reviews, this 60-year-old lady's particular
gift is her ability to tell stories, some funny, some not. Her stories,
all true, release both energy and power as she tells how she has used those
events to piece together the fragments chaos has spewed into her life,
finding in them threads of Hope, and weaving, over time, a fabric strong
enough for carrying on. Her how-to list includes developing core
beliefs, caring for ourselves, connecting with life, looking for goodness,
deepening our joy, hanging in there, praying. Her books and tapes
will be available for sale at the church.
Agenda
Fri:
5:00 PM check in
Sat: 8:30 AM breakfast Sun:
8:30 AM breakfast
6:30 PM dinner
9:30 AM session I
9:30 AM session III
7:30 PM gathering
12:30 PM lunch
11:00 AM worship
Afternoon free
12:00 PM lunch
6:00 PM dinner
1:00 PM homeward
7:00 PM session II
9:00 PM campfire*
*raspberry smores
Name: __________________________
Emergency Contact__________________________
Phone:__________________________
Phone____________________________________
Address:_________________________
Access Needs:_____________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Dietary Needs:______________________________________________________________
Email:__________________________
Transportation
will be available if you don't wish to drive.
REGISTRATION
DEADLINE: October 1 (space available thereafter)
$120.00 due at registration
Make checks
payable to: United Church (memo: Women's Retreat)
Mail or hand
carry to: United Church of Los Alamos
2525 Canyon Rd.
Los Alamos, NM 87544
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Thursday
Afternoon Bible Study
The Thursday
afternoon Bible study is currently meeting every week from 1:00 pm to 2:00
pm in Room 115 and has chosen to study the Gospel of Mark this Fall.
This Bible study, led by Deborah Worley, is open to anyone with an interest
in learning more about this key book in the Bible. So, bring your lunch
if you want and join us! Childcare is also provided, in case you
have youngsters.
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Lunch
Bunch Callers
LUNCH BUNCH
CALLERS for October are: Pamela Massey, Katie Schmidt, Lonna
Evans, Marilyn Bond, Betty Wilson and Chris Sierk.
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United
Church Bazaar News
This year’s
United Church Bazaar will be held on Saturday, November 19th. All
proceeds will be used by the WCSS to support their mission projects.
All table chairs below welcome your donations to help make the bazaar a
success. We also need volunteers to help set up on
Friday and
to staff tables on Saturday. Please call Nancy Lemons to sign up.
Christmas
Ornaments: Betsy Comly iis coordinating this table. Workshops
are
being held
on Monday mornings from 9:30 to 12:00 to work on ornaments. Contact
Nancy
Lemons or
Mardel Schmiedicke (662-2971) for more information. You are also
welcome to
come join us and work on your own bazaar projects.
Favorite
Things: Mardel Schmiedicke (662-2971) will again chair this table
with an
assortment
of handmade items and stocking stuffers.
For a Little
Bit More: Kathleen Logan (662-2971) and Laura Erickson will host
this table
offering more
expensive one-of-a-kind items for your home or for gift giving.
Gifts in
a Jar: This table, selling a variety of convenient mixes in a
jar, will be coordinated by the Moms & More group. Contact person is
Deb Worley.
Books:
Peggy Sinclair Morris and Nan Fife are organizing the book room.
Donations
of both paperback and hardback books are welcome, but children’s books
are
especially
needed.
Bake Table:
M J Nilsson and the members of Circle 1 will be contacting you to share
your
favorite holiday
baked goods. Jams and jellies are also good sellers.
Trash to
Treasures: We need your gently used items for resale. Remember,
your trash may be someone else’s treasure! Marilyn Bond will be in charge
of this area. Items may be dropped off at the church office.
Lunch:
Chris Sierk, Irene Powell, and Lisa Reader will be putting together the
chicken
enchilada
luncheon for the bazaar. There will be sign-ups for donations of
pies and cooked chicken and for kitchen help on Friday and Saturday.
Look for one of them after church late this month.
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Highlights
Calendar
| September
29th |
FALL SEMINARS
– “Talking Faith”
Sessions will
begin with dinner at 5:30 pm and will end at 8 pm. Youth and children
will also have programs.
Please RSVP
the church office – 662-2971
Every Thursday
until November 17th. |
| October 9th |
“CONNECT”
is a new outreach ministry of The United Church. On the second Sunday
of each month, persons who are interested in learning more about The United
Church, are invited to join with the staff for refreshments and conversation.
We will meet in the Christian Education Building lounge at 12:15 pm. |
| October 10th |
CHURCH OFFICE
CLOSED |
| October 14-16th |
WOMEN’S RETREAT
– “Letting in the Light”
Patricia Livingston
will be our speaker at Sonlight Christian Camp in Pagosa Springs,
Colorado. Please call or sign up in the church office – 662-2971.
Space still available. |
| October 15th |
ALL CHURCH
MEMBERS & OUTSIDE GROUPS WORK PARTY at the United Church. Bring
your rakes, clippers, loppers and other yard tool to help the Trustees
with the FALL cleanup. Juice, coffee and donuts will be provided.
Meet in the lounge of the Christian Education Building from 8 to 12 noon. |
| October 16th |
SHAWL MINISTRY
group meeting will meet at 12 noon in the lounge. |
| October 28-30th |
SENIOR HIGH
RETREAT – Sonlight Christian Camp |
| November 19th |
BAZAAR is
fast approaching. Workshops on Monday mornings from 9:30 – 12 noon.
Stop by the office if you would like to come with a project or work on
one of ours. We will be in Graves Hall. |
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Church
Attendance
|
Date
|
8:00
Service
|
9:30
Service
|
|
August
28th
|
23
|
213
|
|
September
4th
|
No Service
|
161
|
|
September
11th
|
26
|
182
|
|
September
18th
|
27
|
167
|
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Reminders!
Liturgists
for October:
October
2nd Bob
Weeks
October
9th Quinn Girrens
October
16th Darren Naud
October
23rd Krista Edwards
October
30th Karen Edwards
Greeters
for October:
October
2nd Arthur and Joan Cox
October
9th Nan Fife
October
16th The Edwards Family
October
23rd The Grindstaff
October
30th Mac Ennis
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Chimes
Newsletter Deadline
November 2005
deadline is Sunday, October 23rd, 2005 12:00 Noon
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Coffee
Hosts for October
October
2nd: Alice and Paul Mutschlecner
October
9th: David and Irene Powell
October
16th: Charlie and Nona Bowman
October
23rd: Jack and Betsy Comly
October
30th: Nan Fife
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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November
LA Cares Suggestions
This month’s
request for the LA Cares’ collection is:
Vegetable Oil and Shortening
And remember
that any non-perishable food item is welcome at any time, with a few suggestions
being instant coffee (regular, not decaf), mayonnaiseor salad dressing
(think Miracle Whip, not Thousand Island), and toilet paper (individually
wrapped is most helpful).
Thanks in advance
for your help. You are indeed loving God by loving your neighbors
as you drop that extra box of cereal…or jar of coffee or mayo and so on…into
the LA Cares collection box. Let’s continue to work together to make
a difference in our community, one person at a time.
Moms and More
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You
Can Help!
You can help the United Church reduce its cost so that we can use that
money in other ministries. One of our larger expenses is postage.
This year postage will be increasing again! The Chimes, along with
other Church news is available on our website: www.losalamos.org/unchla
We would like to set up a “mass mailing” list of members who would be willing
to receive through e-mail mass mailings such as: The Chimes, special
announcements, and other mailings.
Don’t worry, if you do not have email or do not use the Internet on a regular
basis, you will still get the normal mailing through the mail.
If you would like to participate in this ministry, please e-mail the church
at: ucoffice@losalamos.org
Please indicate
that you would like your name added to the mass mailing list for United
Church Chimes/Church News. Please include your name, current address
and e-mail address you would like us to use. We will send you a confirmation
e-mail to verify that we have accurately recorded your e-mail address in
our database.
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WCSS
Circle Meetings
|
Circle
I
|
October
11th at 9:30 am
|
Home of
Rosie Shalek
|
|
Circle
IV
|
October
11th at 1:00 pm
|
Lounge,
Hostess - Sandra Tolmie
|
|
Moms&More
|
Friday
October 7th
9:30 - 11:30
am
|
Lounge
|
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10
Great Dates to Energize Your Marriage
So what are
you doing Friday night? Just because you are married is no excuse
for not scheduling time together! Starting October 7th, we want to
provide opportunities for romancing each other through creative, memory-filled,
low-key evenings that will enrich your life together. We will meet
every other week, ending just before Valentine’s Day next February.
Child care will be provided (a small fee, $2 per child, will be
requested).
Each evening
begins in the Lounge at 7 o’clock with a brief get-together and a video
clip by Claudia and David Arp. (The Arps are a really fun couple whom we
have enjoyed meeting.) They will be discussing one of the chapters
from the “10 Great Dates” handbook, which we expect you to read before
coming. The program draws upon the best tips from their popular “Marriage
Alive” seminars. After the video, we send you out for your date.
Since you will (hopefully) be discussing the topic raised in the presentation,
movies are out. A quiet evening together at home is allowed, especially
if candlelit - no chores, and turn off the phones and TV! If it is
not convenient for you to have the date on that particular evening, you
can do it any time in the following two weeks. Please come back for
the kids before 9 o’clock - any children left over will be auctioned off.
Of course we
realize that you will not be able to come to every session. Your
only obligations are to read the chapter and to have the date together!
Here is the proposed schedule of 10 Great Date topics:
October 7th:
Choosing a high-priority marriage
October 21st:
Learning to talk
November 4th:
Resolving honest conflict (held in the Chapel—no child care)
November 18th:
Becoming an encourager
December 2nd:
Finding unity in diversity
December 16th:
Building a creative love life
December 30th:
Sharing responsibilities and working together
January 13th:
Balancing your roles as partner and parent
January 27th:
Developing spiritual intimacy
February 10th:
Having an intentional marriage.
Please sign
up as soon as possible at the church office; we need a minimum of five
couples. Sign up early so we can get a book to you before the first session.
We also have to know how many children to plan for. For more information,
call Barbara & Phil Seeger.
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Marriage
Vitamins
“Feelings
are neither Good or Bad.” That is all nice to say, but the other
half of the equation can be difficult: “What Matters is HOW we Deal with
our Feelings.” How do we deal with strong negative feelings properly?
A major help is to own the feeling, “I FEEL ANGRY WHEN such and such happens.”
A person cannot cause you to feel a certain way. You always have
a choice on how you will
respond.
It is not valid to say “YOU MADE ME ANGRY!” Own your feelings. Communicate
to solve a problem, not blast a person.
Negative feelings can feel overwhelming, however. John Gray in MARS
AND VENUS TOGETHER FOREVER describes a way to free oneself from the grip
of such strong emotions with a “Feeling Letter.” This technique can
also help when the time is not right to share or your spouse has retreated
within himself or herself.
1.
Write what you would have liked to say, whatever makes you feel angry,
sad, afraid, and sorry for approximately 8 minutes. Then, take a
couple minutes to focus on writing your wants, wishes, needs, or
hopes. Sign your name. If this is giving you immediate release
you can write a bit longer. With practice, you will automatically begin
to release.
2.
Pretend that your partner read the letters and really heard you. Write
out words that would make you feel heard. (“Thank you for sharing”…”I apologize
and will promise to do better,” etc. even if the person would not
say these things) This should take about 3 minutes or more if it is making
you feel better.
3.
Take 2 minutes to write what you probably would say if your spouse really
did hear you and apologized. Then forgive your partner on paper.
This does NOT say that what they did is OK, but it stops love from
being withheld, and allows compassion and understanding.
4.
Forgiveness doesn’t erase the problem, but opens you up to dealing with
it in a loving manner. Even if your partner will not talk at the moment,
you will feel relieved and more ready to share at a later time.
The Bible tells
us we can be angry but not to sin. Feel your feelings! Then, use them to
better your communication, not hurt your spouse. Use techniques like beating
on a bed rather than releasing your anger on a person. Write a Feeling
Letter and free yourself to work with your spouse to solve problems. Deal
with the problem and still love your partner in spite of it. Read I Corinthians
13:4-7 and insert your name to see what area you can be more loving in.
Want to know
more? John also has a book called, “What You Feel You Can Heal.”
Remember, LOVE
IS A VERB!
Betty
N. Smith
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Table
Talk from Don
What
a Month!
The Gulf region has been hammered by two hurricanes! New Orleans
may never be the same. There is the usual blame game going on among officials
and politicians. There is also the usual blame game going on among
religious folk: blaming God, blaming the people of the Gulf, blaming abortion,
blaming gambling, blaming this, blaming that.
The reality of life is that bad things happen. When the tornado destroyed
a major part of Wichita Falls, Texas in 1979 one minister said it was the
God “punishing” Wichita Falls and “cleaning up the city”. I made
the comment that if the F5 tornado was an indication of how God cleans,
then God needed to hire some professional custodians. It was the
biggest mess I had ever seen! The reality is that the “rain falls
on the good and bad” and over the last few weeks there has been a lot of
rain.
Yet, when bad things happen good things can emerge. I believe that
is the working of the Holy Spirit. The generous response to Katrina
has been inspiring. Story after story has been shared of people leaving
their home, traveling to the region, helping out, and sharing. Millions
of dollars have been contributed to help in the recovery. Our congregation
has contributed over $10,000 to Church World Service. That money
will be used for the ongoing recovery. These disasters have revealed
some of the best of the best.
Our prayers continue for the victims and those affected (which is all of
us) by these disasters. I hope we learn lessons and implement changes.
I hope we also recognize that we are our brother’s and sister’s keeper---what
happens to some affects all. As John Donne once wrote, “no man is
an island.” In today’s language that would be “no person can do it
alone and neither can a community or a world.”
Don
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Prayers,
Praises, Thanks and More
Prayer
Concerns
Rob Hilko
Ina Coulter
Bob Ullrich
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Congratulations
Congratulations
to Bobbye Roberts, daughter of Kay Roberts and granddaughter of Kitty Russell,
who married Eric Schubert in Decorah, Iowa on Sunday, August 14th, 2005.
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Help
Needed!
Moms &
More is desperately looking for 1 or 2 “Special Someones” to care for our
children while we meet. We will be meeting on Fridays from 9:30-11:30
am. If you’re interested in learning more (even if you think you
might only be available on a once-a-month basis), please call Deb Worley
for more information. Thank you! And by the way, there is money available
to pay our “Special Someones”.
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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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Prayer
Chain
If you have
a prayer concern, please call the United Church office at 662-2971
or email at: UCoffice@losalamos.org and Mardel will email the prayer chain.
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|
