Epworth - April 2008 Newsletter   Welcome  · Huge Thank Yous Congratulations · Sharpening My Skills · Who's Ushering In April? Birthdays · Calendar Health · The Poet's Corner What's Happening · Some Things to Remember Refreshing the Soul Newsletter Archive Welcome Pastor Manuel Jimenez You may have noticed a new smiling face around Epworth UMC the past few weeks and wondered who is that person? Well, that smiling face belongs to Pastor Manuel Jimenez. He is the newest member of Epworth's staff. He is from Delavan, Wisconsin. Pastor Jimenez will be working very closely with Pastor Marvin Lazo to help grow Epworth's Hispanic ministry. Please take a minute to say hello and welcome him into the Epworth family. Many Huge Thank Yous! A lot of people deserves a “Huge Thank You” who worked together to make Holy Week and Easter such a meaningful and memorable experience at Warren UMC and at Epworth UMC. · Special thanks to Eva Williams for preparing the lamb for the Seder meal on Holy Thursday. Thank you to all who helped complete the meal and serve it to the nearly 50 people in attendance. · Special thanks to Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr., his wife Minnie Brown and six other ministers who provided inspiring words and beautiful music for the Good Friday's Seven Last Words Worship service. Epworth's own pastors and musicians also provided encouraging words and wonderful music throughout the worship service. · Thank you to all who helped in making the Easter Sunrise service at Warren UMC special. Because of the cold weather, services were moved from Cheeseman Park Pavilion into Warren's Sanctuary. The sun's rays lighting up the stained glass window and hanging cross was a visional message in itself. · Thank you to Evelyn Davis for boiling and dying 21 dozen (252) eggs for Easter. · Thank you to Joann Kanost for keeping the Easter egg hunt in the park on track. · Thank you Pastor Jeff Kanost and Pastor Anna Mandelstamm for organizing the Children's Easter egg hunt. ++++++++++        [Return to Top]   [Return to Epworth home page]     ++++++++++ Congratulations to: Cameron Greene Cameron attended the National Youth Forum on National Security in Washington DC in October, 2007 and because they were impressed with his leadership potential they invited him to attend the Presidential Inauguration on January 20, 2009. Congratulations Jacqueline Withers Jacqueline would like to thank everyone who helped her make the 2008 “Real Women Awards” a hugh success. Fourteen women and one youth were recognized and honored this year. This was the first year a youth had been honored. Beautiful music was provided throughout the program and an array of delicious foods was available at the end of the program for all to enjoy. Congratulations Clayton Greene Clayton won first place in the city from the National Federation of Music Clubs during their yearly competition on March 15, 2008. He will be competing in the State Competition which will take place in Denver later this year. ++++++++++        [Return to Top]   [Return to Epworth home page]     ++++++++++ Sharpening My Skills Furthering my skills and knowledge as church laity, on March 1st, I had the pleasure of being able to take a class entitled “Leading small Groups” held at the First UMC in Ft. Collins with facilitator, Rev. Dr. David Dalke, an ordained United Methodist cleric. Its purpose was to help lay leaders better understand their role and the power their leadership can have in the success of a group and its mission and also to help transform Christian lives. A highlight of the sessions was exploring the danger of group think, a look at how a group can influence decisions, rightly or wrongly and can sometimes have disastrous consequences. A documentary on the space shuttle Challenger was a perfect example. In the 1980s, then President Ronald Reagan, appointed a special commission concerning launching the space shuttle. The managers had known since 1977, that the contractor's design contained a potentially catastrophic flaw in the O-ring, but they failed to address it properly. The O-ring seal was faulty, but in group discussions, they convinced themselves that it was alright. In 1986, the space shuttle Challenger, broke apart 73 seconds into its flight and all seven crew members died. The O-ring seal in its solid rocket booster failed at liftoff because the weather was too cold causing the seals to not seat properly. NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's organizational culture and decision-making processes, group think, was a key contributing factor to Challenger's failure. This tragedy prompted poet John Magee, Jr. to pen this poem entitled “High Flight”. “High Flight” We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God. By John Magee, Jr.                                 Submitted By Wallace Yvonne Tollette ++++++++++        [Return to Top]   [Return to Epworth home page]     ++++++++++ Who's Ushering In April? o April 6th: Sis. Myrtle Davis & Sis. Rudy Robinson. o April 13th: Sis. Grace Stiles & Brother Clarence Williams. o April 20th: Sis. Sharon Davis & Sis. Vera Castille. o April 27th: Sis. Myrtle Davis & Sis. Evelyn Davis. ++++++++++        [Return to Top]   [Return to Epworth home page]     ++++++++++ Epworth's Birthdays for April: o Ruderial Robinson - 04/01 o Adria Carr - 04/05 o Damian Williams (Sharky) - 04/09 o Charles Goodman - 04/09 o Jesse Melson - 04/09 o Shanie Henderson - 04/15 o John Knight - 04/16 ++++++++++        [Return to Top]   [Return to Epworth home page]     ++++++++++ Calendar ·Morning Prayer Services. Rev. King Harris is conducting Morning Prayer services - M - F starting at 6 a.m. in the Sanctuary. Morning Prayer Services on Sunday start at 8 a.m. · Adult, Youth & Children Sunday school classes. All classes start at 9:45 a.m. · Epworth's Hispanic Worship Service. Every Sun. at 5:00 p.m. Services conducted by Rev. King Harris, Assistant Pastor Marvin Lazo and Assistant Pastor Manuel Jimenez. · Epworth Travel Education Center. Is now open and ready for your support. Training every Monday evening from 7-8:30 p.m. · Adult Bible Study. Every Wednesday evening. A meal is served starting at 6 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Bible study starts at 6:30 p.m. All activities end at 7:30 p.m. · Epworth's Mens Choir. They practice every Thursday evening from 5:30-7:00 p.m. · Epworth's Adult Choir. They practice every Thursday evening from 6:30-8 p.m. · Epworth's Children's Choir. They practice every Friday evening from 6-7:30 p.m. · Epworth's UMYF. (United Methodist Youth Fellowship) meet on Sundays at 6 p.m. · AIDS/HIV Awareness Classes. Are scheduled every Tuesday evening. Classes start at 4:30 p.m. and end at 6 p.m. Contact Assistance Pastor Ronald Wooding, Scott Drew or Pam Richardson at 303-296-6287 for more information. · Epworth's Family-to-Family Program is offering “Parenting Classes”. They are scheduled every Tuesday evening from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Childcare and an evening meal will be provided. Contact Wallace Yvonne Tollette or Virginia Calderon at 303-296-6287 for more information. · The Fatherhood Initiative. A group of men meeting every Tuesday evening to discuss fatherhood. An evening meal will be provided. Activities start at 6:30 p.m. and end at 8:30 p.m. Please call Thom Foster at 303-296-6287 for more information. · Men's Lenten Bible Study. April 06/13/20 and 27/08. Rev. King Harris Men's Lenten Bible Study. Start at 6 p.m. ++++++++++        [Return to Top]   [Return to Epworth home page]     ++++++++++ Our Health… “Oh Lord Hear Our Prayer” · Health - Chris Davis, Marlene Aubert, Tracey Saulter, Jere' Procopio, Phyllis Robinson, Assistant Pastor Ronald Wooding and his Father, Hazel Harris, Brittney Velasquez, James Goss, Rosetta Walker, Kristen Hoodak, Exavier & Alexander Block and Tonya Henderson. · Comfort & Care - Rose Milon and all Youth · Encouragement - Jose Orlando and Yolanda Rivera Argentina (Missionaries). · Protection - For our Armed Forces serving in distant lands. ++++++++++        [Return to Top]   [Return to Epworth home page]     ++++++++++ The Poet's Corner Luck Sometimes a crumb falls From the tables of joy, Sometimes a bone Is flung. To some people Love is given, To others Only heaven.              -- Langston Hughes Mother to Son Well, son, I'll tell you: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor- Bare. But all the time I'se been a-climbin' on, And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners, And sometimes goin' in the dark Where there ain't been no light. So boy, don't yu turn back. Don't you set down on the steps 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard. Don't you fall now- For I'se still goin', honey, I'se still climbin', And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.            --Langston Hughes Speech to the Young Say to them, Say to the down-keepers, The sun-slappers, The self-soilers, The harmony-hushers, “Even if you are not ready for day it cannot always be night.” You will be right. For that is the hard home-run. Live not for battles won. Live not for the-end-of-the-song. Live in the along.           --Gwendolyn Brooks I Do, I Will, I Have How wise I am to have instructed the butler to instruct the first footman to instruct the second footman to instruct the doorman to order my carriage; I am about to volunteer a definition of marriage. Just as I know that there are two Hagens, Walter and Copen, I know that marriage is a legal and religious alliance entered into by a man who can't sleep with the window shut and a woman who can't sleep with the window open. Moreover, just as I am unsure of the difference between flora and fauna and flotsam and jetsam, I am quite sure that marriage is the alliance of two people one of whom never remembers birthdays and the other never forgetsam, And he refuses to believe there is a leak in the water pipe or the gas pipe and she is convinced she is about to asphyxiate or drown, And she says Quick get up and get may hairbrushes off the windowsill, it's raining in, and he replies Oh they're all right, it's only raining straight down. That is why marriage is so much more interesting than divorce, Because it's the only known example of the happy meeting of the immovable object and the irresistible force. So I hope husbands and wives will continue to debate and combat over everything debatable and combatable, Because I believe a little incompatibility is the spice of life, particularly if he has income and she is pattable.           --Ogden Nash ++++++++++        [Return to Top]   [Return to Epworth home page]     ++++++++++ What's Happening at Epworth in April? · April 6th: Native American Ministries Sunday (Offering). · April 6th: First Sunday Pot-Luck. Please bring your favorite dish. · April 12th: Monthly Admin. Board Meeting - start at 9 a.m. · April 19th: Quarterly Committee Meetings - start at 9 a.m. · April 23rd - May 2nd: United Methodist General Conference, Ft. Worth, Texas. ++++++++++        [Return to Top]   [Return to Epworth home page]     ++++++++++ Some things To Remember · Wallace Yvonne Tollette has launched a new catalog and Internet business, Shel-Vonne TS Gifts & Souvenirs - a variety of unique, quality, gifts and souvenirs primarily made in Colorado. Please call 303-830-1691 for more information or to place an order. She thanks you in advance for your support. · April is National Poetry Month. Write poetry and have it printed in the “Poet's Corner” in the next Epworth's Newsletter. · April 22, 2008 is Earth Day. · The Kenyan Worship services will be held on April 6th and 20th. Their services are in English, so feel free to join them. Services start at 2 p.m. Please call Epworth's Office at 303-296-6287 for more information. · Epworth UMC & Family-To-Family Office Hours: Mon. - Thurs. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friday Noon - 5 p.m. Office ph. # 303-296-6287 Office Fax # 303-296-7475 E-Mail address: www.epworthumcdenver.org Epworth's Pastors: o Rev. King H. Harris (Senior Pastor) o Assistant Pastor, Ronald A. Wooding o Assistant Pastor, Jeff Kanost o Assistant Pastor, Marvin Lazo o Assistant Pastor, Manuel Jimenez o Assistant Pastor, Anna Mandelstamm Epworth's Music Ministers: o Connie Sauls-Wilkins (Director) o George Nelson o Joshua Wilson o Robert Martinez o Jackie Perkins o Steven Wilkins o Michael Jones o Victor Ayala ++++++++++        [Return to Top]   [Return to Epworth home page]     ++++++++++ Pray for someone you have never prayed for before. Confess your sins to one another; and pray for one another; so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. James 5:16 (NRSV) ++++++++++        [Return to Top]   [Return to Epworth home page]     ++++++++++         Refreshing The Soul Collection A big Epworth “Thank You” goes out again to Mrs. Linda Rose for sharing her March “Refreshing the Soul” Collection with us. Don't miss it!   Newsletter Archive +++++++++      [Return to Top]   [Return to Epworth home page]     ++++++++++  ++++++++++      [Return to Top]   [Return to Epworth home page]     ++++++++++