News

Pastor’s Bible Study: Old Testament Overview

Posted on Mar 24, 2020 in Uncategorized |

Old Testament Overview Handouts

Session 1: The Worldview

Session 2: Creation and Fall

Session 3: The Patriarchs and Matriarchs

Session 4: The Torah

Session 5: The Kingdoms

Session 6: The Prophets

Digital “Passing the Peace” Videos

Posted on Mar 24, 2020 in Uncategorized |

One thing that we can’t do while we’re apart is to “pass the peace” like we normally do. However, we thought we could do it digitally! Take a short video with you and your loved ones (whoever you’re isolating with) and send it to us!

Directions:

Open the camera app on your smartphone and select video
Film a short (15 second) video checking in from where you are
1. This video should have a greeting, your name(s), and a short blessing or sentiment
2. Be sure to have the camera landscape (meaning it is wider than it is tall). This will help ensure the videos don’t have black side margins.
3. Position the camera at eye level or slightly above. This will be the most flattering
4. Try not to be backlit. If there is a light source behind you, be sure there is also one in front of you, behind the video recorder
5. Bookend your clip with smiling or looking directly into the camera. 2-3 seconds of smiling/looking directly into the camera (before you speak and after finishing) will help with cropping
Email the video to info@fumccv.org

Here’s a sample recording:

Stations of the Cross – Virtual Tour

Posted on Mar 23, 2020 in Uncategorized |

Worship: Sunday, March 22

Posted on Mar 20, 2020 in Uncategorized |

Music Activities & Devotional: Sandyland

Posted on Mar 19, 2020 in Uncategorized |

Hello FUMCCV Families!

Many of us are staying home these days with our children, and while there are a ton of online resources for activities and homeschooling, it can be difficult to filter through them all to find the right ones for your family. Since our children’s choirs (Voices in Praise and Cherub Choir) are both cancelled, I thought we might continue to provide music opportunities for your kiddos in other ways than our weekly rehearsals.

This week, I’m sending you a Music Devotional for a song called, “Sandyland,” which VIP just started learning last week. Inside the pdf, you’ll find activity ideas, a bible verse, discussion questions, and a link to a music track that you can listen to with your child.

Listen to “SANDYLAND” by Karen Lafferty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygYQ1OOrDX8

Sandyland Devotional

Sandyland Sheet Music

Ideas for activities:

1) Listen to the song and dance, clap, or play instruments along!

2) For readers, look at the sheet music and sing the lyrics while you listen to the song.

3) Get out your Bible, and read the verses that the lyrics are based on. Use the discussions questions provided to start a conversation with your child about the meaning of the verses.

4) If you have some music reading knowledge, look at the sheet music together and talk about music terms like measures, notes, rests, staves, repeat signs, etc.

5) Find this song on Spotify and start making a playlist of songs you can sing with your children.

I hope this is helpful and fun for your families!

Pastor’s Bible Study: The Canonical Gospels

Posted on Mar 18, 2020 in Uncategorized |

Click here to download the Pastor’s Bible Study Worksheets!

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3: The Gospel of Matthew

FUMCCV Coronavirus Public Health Update: General Information

Posted on Mar 13, 2020 in Uncategorized |

FUMCCV Friends and Family,

It is a surreal world when we must inform you that our church is going mostly online until April 1, 2020 and this includes all Sunday morning worship services, mid-week meetings, study groups, etc. We are doing this out of an abundance of caution; the San Diego Department of Public Health issued orders to cancel all events with more than 250 people and all smaller events that cannot assure a six foot distance between each person. The Department noted, “The timely implementation of aggressive strategies that create social distance and those that reduce close contact of people not regularly together, including limiting gatherings, has proven effective in prior pandemics at delaying the rates of transmission and reducing illness and death.”

The only activities open on campus are the offices, as the staff is continuing to work, the Chapel is open and provides a wonderful opportunity of prayer in the form of Stations of the Cross sponsored by our Prayer Ministry and the Sanctuary is open for personal prayer and meditation. If you take part in any of these individual opportunities we urge you to observe the six foot social distance advisement.

Apart from these limited individual opportunities, we will have a few weeks to experience a new rhythm of spiritual life together. People getting sick and even dying is awful, routines being completely disrupted is inconvenient and yet, can we quiet our souls enough to find God in the midst? Elijah heard God in the still small voice. Together may we look for and listen deeply to God amidst these troubling times. As the staff will be not be doing all of their usual activities they will turn some of their attention to producing material daily for your use. All of this material will be posted on the church homepage (www.fumccv.org) in various forms. Imagine a central hub of materials that contains worship services, Bible Studies, children’s ministry lessons you can do with your kids, special prayers, teen virtual hangouts, prayer chains, and more. We will be working hard to keep you connected and to provide material for your spiritual growth. We are concerned about those who do not have online capability and we are designing some connections for them but we need to know who they are. If you, or someone you know, does not have online capability and would like to be connected to FUMCCV during these difficult days please call the church office and give it to the staff or leave us a voicemail message.

WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY, MARCH 15.

Anytime after 12:00 pm. March 15, you can go to the church website, www.fumccv.org, and access a worship service that was recorded in either the sanctuary or fellowship hall. In coming weeks we will explore live streaming options for worship. If you listen online there will also be a link for a bulletin.

Financial Giving

Many of us are accustomed to placing a check into an offering plate Sunday morning and during these weeks we will have to adjust if we are going to continue out giving. Fortunately, over ½ of our giving is already received through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) direct from the bank and this is tremendously helpful for the church. It will be important for us to keep up our giving during these weeks of disruption. Most of our costs will continue and we want to make sure that our cash flow will meet the needs of our budgetary expenses. If everyone says, ‘we will just catch up when we get back to worship,’ this will make things very difficult.

To make a one-time gift, recurring donation or pay your 2020 Pledge: https://www.fumccv.org/#giving/

You can also give using Text Giving Platform by texting a dollar amount to (619) 825-2734, then clicking the link and selecting a payment method.

You can always mail in your check to the church office (1200 East H. Street, Chula Vista, CA. 91910).

If you have any questions or need assistance, please call Ariana Horcasitas, Director of Finance and Administration at (619) 656-2525 or email her at ariana.horcasitas@fumccv.org.

Take a look at the video message from Pastor Brian:

A Simple Prayer that seems fitting from American theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

March 15 Bulletin and Announcements

Posted on Mar 13, 2020 in Uncategorized |

If you would like to download a copy of this week’s bulletin, you can do so here: March 15 2020 Bulletin PDF

GIving link

Mar '20

Coronavirus Update

Posted on Mar 12, 2020 in Uncategorized |

Mar '20

Clearly this is a time to be wise but not hysterical, cautious but not fearful, measured but not dismissive…..as Proverbs says, there is a time for everything. Our Denominational leaders have given some guidance to local churches regarding Coronavirus (that info came out in last week’s e.News, and you can read it here (https://www.fumccv.org/covid-19/).

As we have learned new information and watched closely the spread of the virus this week, here is some updated information. First is a list of the precautions we are putting into place here at FUMCCV. Second is some information that has been provided by the husband of one of our clergy women, Rev. Nicole Reilley. Dr Jeffrey S Luther, M.D. is the Director of Health Policy, Long Beach Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UCI

Here at FUMCCV:

Our custodial staff has increased their focus on disinfecting common areas
We will have worship as planned this coming Sunday with the following adaptations
- - passing of the peace will be encouraged without physical contact
  - offering plates will be placed in the front of the room and we will bring our gifts forward to offer them to God rather than pass the plates
  - we will not celebrate Holy Communion in worship but will engage in prayer for those most affected by this pandemic
  - Pastor Brian and other leaders will be available following worship in a receiving line but will do so without making physical contact

We will be exploring the possibility of live streaming our worship services, should the need arise in the coming weeks
We encourage those who are sick or most vulnerable to stay at home and if you are making this decision please call the church office and let us know so that we can connect you with another church member who will be calling and keeping you connected to FUMCCV

Here is the letter from Dr. Luther that was written for use by churches in order to give some general information, straight from medical professionals……

Hi clergy friends. Nicole asked me to put together some information regarding the current understanding of the novel corona virus. Please be aware that this is a dynamic situation, and our understanding is much better today than it was a week ago but it will be understood better as we learn more. As you are no doubt aware cases are rapidly multiplying, and are probably underestimated since we’ve been limited in our testing.

o Spread now appears to be predominantly person-to-person.

o It is felt to spread via droplets (i.e. contact with stuff that’s been sneezed or coughed) and it’s not yet known how long the virus lasts on common surfaces.

o It tends to be more serious in older persons, and so far has had mercifully little impact on young children.

o Symptoms include fever in nearly 90% of cases (so absence of a fever is a good, if imperfect, sign that it’s not COVID-19). Cough is common, but nasal congestion and gastrointestinal symptoms are very uncommon (4-5%)

o Testing is still limited to persons that meet certain criteria (symptoms + either travel to certain countries or known exposure) but that will change as we get more capacity to test.

o It does not tend to co-exist with other infections, so if someone tests you and you are positive for influenza congratulations, you’re fairly confident you don’t also have COVID-19!

What to do?

o You’ve heard it before: Wash your hands. Often.

o Maintain a physical distance from others, especially if their sick. At least 6 feet is the current understanding of a prudent distance.

o Pick an alternative greeting to the handshake. Many are doing the fist bump or elbow bump. I prefer to bow, but that’s just me.

o Wearing a mask won’t help unless you’re sick, in which case it will help you avoid spreading whatever you have to others.

o If you’re sick, stay home. At this point don’t go to the doctor’s office or the hospital unless you’re really sick. If you’re concerned enough call your doctor first. He/she can help direct you.

o Postpone any non-essential travel.

What to do with your church? Here you’re a better judge than I, but some thoughts (assuming you continue to hold worship):

o Empower and implore members not to come to church if they’re sick (especially with fever).

o Eliminate the receiving line.

o Modify or eliminate whatever social mixing you do between/after services.

o Communion: Intinction is problematic. Even if the celebrants follow meticulous hygiene those receiving are more of a risk to one another. If you still have those 20^th century cup-ettes that might help. Otherwise consider not serving communion for the immediate future.

o Meetings: what a great excuse to cancel meetings!!

o Other churchwide gatherings (celebrations, dinners, etc.): you and your leadership can determine how essential they are.

I am by no means an alarmist, but my respect for the gravity of the current situation has been steadily growing. Our challenge is to remain informed and do what’s practical and evidence-based without falling prey to what hysteria exists.

Grace & peace,

Jeff Luther

Mar '20

COVID-19

Posted on Mar 5, 2020 in Uncategorized |

Mar '20

FUMCCV Friends and Family,

With the recent news of COVID-19 in the United States, we wanted to take a moment to provide comfort and encouragement. Anxiety thrives on uncertainty, and as the coronavirus spreads, our unanswered questions can make us feel vulnerable or fearful. “Will it come to my community?” or “Am I at risk?’ The U.S. public health system as a whole, has largely held up to many of the most dire global outbreaks in recent years, including SARS, Zika, H1N1 and Ebola.

The basics here have not changed. “Keep Calm and Wash Your Hands” remains good advice. The most effective things we can do to stay healthy are to cover coughs and sneezes, wash hands with soap thoroughly and frequently, and stay away from people showing symptoms.

Bishop Grant Hagiya sent out a message to church leaders last week, and we thought it would be prudent to share with you here as well.

Bishop Hagiya’s Message on Public Health

We have all been consumed by the rapid spread of the Coronavirus and its growing implications for our daily lives. We cannot downplay the importance of being prepared and not reacting with panic or fear.

As a spiritual body, we need to remember that fear turns people toward sin. Anytime we scapegoat a certain people (e.g. Asians where the virus seemed to originate), we are guilty of practicing such sin. Our response to victims should not be ostracizing and shunning them, but it should be to have compassion and care for them.

As the California-Pacific Conference, we are looking into a number of different scenarios as well as our options in response. Personally, I believe we should follow the old adage: “Expect the best, prepare for the worse.” Part of our preparation has been talking with our own Disaster Response Team, one of the best in the nation.

For now, please consider following the advice in general being given by our own American medical authorities:

Seek immediate medical intervention if you develop flu like symptoms
Stay home if you are not feeling well, and especially if you are coughing
Wash your hands on a regular basis and use hand sanitizers as an alternative
Sanitize those areas with which you have a lot of contact

Most importantly as people of faith, let us pray for those who have contracted the virus and for our worldwide population that the virus will be contained. Let us turn to our God in faith and let us not succumb to our fears and anxieties.

Be the Hope,

Bishop Grant J. Hagiya

Los Angeles Area Resident Bishop

The United Methodist Church

Here’s what we are doing at FUMCCV to prevent the spread of germs and illnesses:

Elbow bumps or other non-physical greetings during the passing of the peace
Increased availability of hand sanitizer in common places – narthex, entrance to Fellowship Hall, church office, etc.
Increased signage about appropriate hand washing procedures.
Thorough cleaning of common spaces, including worship spaces, using disinfectant cleaner.

If you would like more information about the coronavirus, you can check out the CDC website. We pray that we are able to surrender our fears and anxieties to God during this season of Lent and beyond.

Sincerely,

First United Methodist Church of Chula Vista