Joy of Doing

Support the Relay for Life	July 2013 Mission Trip to Tonga Update	High Schoolers - Sign Up for Sierra Service Project	Give someone a lift!
Servers and Greeters Needed - Breaking Bread Monday Meal	Sign up to help support our Coffee Fellowship	The Joy Of Doing	Campbell Soup Labels - UPC Codes
Old Medicine Disposal	Volunteer Opportunities	Volunteers in Mission (VIM)

Support the Relay for Life

On June 15-16, 2013, young adults from our OpenCircle alliance are participating in Relay For Life, Los Altos.

One of the CORE values of OpenCircle is making an IMPACT on the society and the community we live in, and Relay is one of the IMPACT projects of OpenCircle. Relay For Life is a fundraiser for American Cancer Society, where the teams raise funds and participate in a 24 hour relay walk. The event is held at different times of the year in different communities and in over 20 countries around the world.

OpenCircle has been doing the Relay for the last two years. Last year, they demonstrated a great spirit of participation on the track and won the accolade of being the most enthusiastic team, resulting in a prime campsite spot this year. So far, this year we have more than nine team members and have raised over $500.

We have an ambitious target of raising $5000 in front of us, and we need your support for that.

You can donate in support of OpenCircle team at our tables on the patio after the Sunday Worship Service, or you can donate online by clicking: here.

Another way you can support the cause is by walking the Survivors’ Lap. If you have fought cancer in your life, then we want to celebrate with you. You can sign up to walk the Survivor’s Lap. Or, if you want to remember a loved one you lost to cancer, then you can dedicate a luminaria to remember them.

Please contact Ashish Farmer: ashishfarmer@gmail.com if you have any questions on donations, or you would like to sign up for Survivors’ lap or want to dedicate a luminaria.

We look forward to a great support from First Church.

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July 2013 Mission Trip to Tonga Update

First Church and First Tongan UMC are planning a mission trip to Tonga in 2013.

The Tongan UMVIM (United Methodist Volunteers in Mission) trip is now receiving applications for missioners to travel on this cultural-immersion and service mission in Tonga. The approximate date is July 2013.

At this time the program calls for us to refurbish some school property, teach English, and learn about Tongan culture through immersion in the community life of 2 villages whose residents are related to our brothers and sisters in the First Tongan UMC. The mission team will include Pastors Michael and Sione and members from both churches.

Please contact Pastor Michael Love 650-323-6167 x101 or Pastor Sione for a UMVIM application. We are also planning another mission preview event soon as well.

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High Schoolers - Sign Up for Sierra Service Project

Sierra Service Project (SSP) is all about building; building homes, building communities, building bridges between people and cultures, and building a relationship with God. Rise up and build with us.

First Church has a long history of supporting this Ministry. The 2013 Sierra Service Project dates are August 4 - 11, 2013. We will go to Los Angeles.

For more information contact the Church Office 650-323-6167, Pastor Michael 650-323-6167 x101 or Pastor Sadie 650-323-6167 x102.

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Give someone a lift!

Some of our First Church members and friends who no longer drive would love to come to church occasionally.

If you would be willing to stop by Channing House or Lytton Gardens every now and then and give someone a ride to either service, please contact Margaret Davis for more information.

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Servers and Greeters Needed - Breaking Bread Monday Meal

Can you spare just 3 hours a month to serve as a server or greeter at the Breaking Bread Monday Meal?

Every Monday night our church, in cooperation with the InnVision Shelter Network, hosts a meal in our Kohlstedt Hall for the homeless in our community. This meal is part of Innvisoin's Breaking Bread program.

Breaking Bread currently offers a free hot meals every day of the week, six in Palo Alto and one in Menlo Park. The meals are at the same church on the same day each week, and are intentionally spread out among various locations so that people with transportation issues will always have at least some services near their home.

Their staff members deliver food for each meal from various food storage areas. There, a team of volunteers prepares the meal, then serves it and cleans up. Each of the meals has five teams of volunteers that rotate, so that each team cooks and serves once every five weeks.

The Outreach committee of First Palo Alto provides two volunteers to monitor the our building during a time when the building would otherwise be closed, and also a team to help serve meals.

We are asking you to volunteer just 1 Monday a month from 4pm to 7pm.

For more information, please contact the Church Office 650-323-6167

Show rest of 'Servers and Greeters Needed - Breaking Bread Monday Meal'...

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Sign up to help support our Coffee Fellowship

We are in need of stewards for both of our coffee fellowships (Snack-N-Chat and Sacred Grounds) on Sunday mornings

You can sign up to bring goodies OR to help with kitchen duties (or both!)

Sign ups have now gone ONLINE! Click here to sign up.

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The Joy Of Doing

At First Palo Alto we show our committment to the Joy of Doing every day by volunteering around our community, around our church and around the world.

We invite you to join us. Roll up your sleeves and help us and/or help a worthy organization. Your valuable time and valuable skills can be put to great use.

Below are just a few ideas on how you can be of service.

Thanks for being a part of The Joy Of Doing

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Campbell Soup Labels - UPC Codes

Please collect the UPC (bar codes) from Campbell products (including Pepperidge Farms) for a UMW mission project at McCurdy School.

A container is in the lobby of the Education building with a poster showing various products that qualify. It will be greatly appreciated if you cut or tear off only the section with the UPC code - please do not submit the entire label. This will be a great time saver.

Thank you for your help.

Nancy Olson, UMW President

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Old Medicine Disposal

JUST WHAT MEDICATION CAN I DISPOSE OF AT CHURCH ?????????

Are old and outdated medicines gathering dust in your medicine cabinet? Safely dispose of them at church.

Gather your unwanted medications. Leave items in the original container. Mark out any personal information, if you wish.

Bring items to church and deposit into the locked medication barrel in the Education Building lobby.

THINGS TO BRING
• Prescription medications
• Over the Counter medications
• Medical samples
• Medications for pets
• Vitamins
• Medicated ointments/lotions
• Inhalers
• Liquid medications in glass or leakproof containers

PLEASE DO NOT BRING
• Needles/sharps
• Thermometers
• Controlled substances/narcotics
• IV bags
• Bloody or infectious waste
• Personal care products
• Business waste
• Empty containers
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Aerosol cans

Your participation in this program helps keep toxic and cumulative substances out of our water supply and prevents land pollution.

And remember to also bring your used batteries and computer ink cartridges to recycle in the containers in the church office.

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Volunteer Opportunities

There are many different ways that you can help out at FirstPaloAlto.

What are your interests?

What are your skills?

Got a little time to spare? Got a lot of time to spare? It doesn't matter!

We need you!

Volunteers help the church:
     be of service to others
     run smoothly
     look beautiful
     be a place of hospitality and grace
     and much, much more

Contact the Church Office at 650-323-6167 to find a volunteer opportunity that's perfect for you.

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Volunteers in Mission (VIM)

United Methodist Volunteers in Mission brings together thousands of volunteers to serve in various mission service around the World.

Both lay and clergy serve together in annual conference projects such as community centers children's centers, camps and vacation Bible schools.

They may serve nationally or internationally in projects ranging from construction to evangelizing to social outreach and medical assistance.

How Can You Help? Anyone who can spend some time, a few hours for some projects to several days for other projects. RV'ers traveling to other areas can make scheduled stops to work on projects. Expenses are paid by the volunteers. Contributions from the congregation help to pay for the materials that are used on the projects.

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