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Palo Alto, CA 94301

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Joy of Giving

Change for the Youth Sierra Service Project Trip

Our youth are once again changing the world this summer.

Beginning on Sunday the "Change for Africa" jars will appear in the Narthex, this year as "Change for Sierra Service Project" jars.

Our fundraising goal, and we are already well on our way, is $7000 to send a team to Loleta, California and one youth will join up with a multi-church team to go to Honduras.

We invite you to empty your pockets and purses, dig between the couch cushions and bring us that pile of coins that has been piling up in your home for who knows how long to contribute to this summer of mission.




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Centennial Endowment Winter Newsletter

ceRed150149.gifA Pastor’s vision - a Bishop’s enthusiastic support - A Church member’s leadership - a Congregation’s commitment - a 100th anniversary.

Buoyed by prayers, the Centennial Endowment was born.

Read about the Centennial Endowment Funds and how you can give a gift that keeps on giving in their latest newsletter.

Click here to download the newsletter.


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You Can Still Give to the Joy Of Giving 2007

KingsLeft20058.gifThe Joy of Giving has been a long tradition of the First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto. It is a natural expression of our faith in Christ and our caring and love for our people in every part of the world.

Through the Joy of Giving you can designate which listed organization your financial gift should be given. As you can see, we have global opportunities as well as local opportunities to which you can give.

Make your checks payable to: First United Methodist Church and mark them "Joy Of Giving". Please add a note indicating which of the designated groups you want to donate to, and how much of your donation each group should receive.

Send your donation to: First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto, 635 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94301

Click here for the Joy of Giving information brochure and donation form.

Click "Show rest of Joy of Giving" to learn more about the organizations that are part of this year's Joy Of Giving program.

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John Wesley Society Dinner

Glenda1106Hope150159.jpgApproximately 30 people attended the 2006 John Wesley Society dinner and program sponsored by the Centennial Endowment Committee. Following welcome and introductions by Reverend Archer Summers, Nancy Glaser recognized four new members of the John Wesley Society.

The new members are Marsha Sterling, Bart Cox, and Bob and Carol Olmstead. The Society was established by the United Methodist Church to recognize those who have made significant endowment contributions to the Church. At First United in Palo Alto, those contributions are administered by the Centennial Endowment Committee who recommend the award of significant grants of money each year to worthy projects within our Church, in the outside community, and overseas as well. The Methodist Foundation invests most of the Centennial Endowment funds and representatives of that organization attended. Mark and Kathy Parsons drove from Sacramento where Mark is the President of the Foundation.

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School Library, Cabala, Angola

School Library, Cabala, Angola

Estimated Project Cost: $10,000

The purpose of this initiative is to build a library as part of an expansion of a one-room school in the community of Cabala. Funds are needed for materials to make bricks and secure other materials for construction of the library, as well as (later) to outfit the library with furniture and books.

Cabala is one of 20 villages selected by the West Angola Conference (UMC) and Angola Ministry of Health for working in partnership with the California-Nevada Conference (UMC). Villages selected for the partnership were chosen based on need, presence of leadership that will likely promote and sustain the assistance efforts, and accessibility to construction equipment and supplies.

JP Maguire, Volunteers in Mission (VIM) coordinator of the California-Nevada Conference, has been working closely with West Angola Conference leaders to make plans for construction of the library that ultimately will encourage the habit of reading and improve education for children in the community. VIM teams from the California-Nevada Conference will work alongside people from the community of Cabala to build the library and provide follow-up.

Click here to read about the other Many Faces of Africa project, the Community Maternal and Child Health Care at Maua Methodist Hospital in Meru, Kenya.

Click here to download the Many Faces of Africa projects brochure.


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Community Maternal & Child Health Care

mauahospitalA190143.jpgCommunity Maternal and Child Health Care,
Maua Methodist Hospital, Meru, Kenya

Estimated Project Cost: $14,117

The purpose of this initiative is to enable Maua Methodist Hospital to greatly expand the existing community health care outreach work that takes essential preventive and curative health care services to areas within our district where such services are not available and the population is too poor to seek services from other sources. Our goal is to provide maternal and child health services to eight communities.

Our Goals
The following are very important and achievable goals that we want to accomplish.

1. Make regular monthly visits to the eight sites.

2. Increase usage of ante-natal services and especially prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV.

3. Have 10% of mothers who deliver babies to accept family planning methods and to maintain the continuation rate at more than 70%.

4. Achieve 80% completion of primary immunizations.

MauaNurse190135.jpg5. Reduce incidence of malaria and prevalence of worm infestation. Prevention of malaria in a pregnant woman will not only save the life of the unborn child, but will prevent the mother from becoming severely ill and unable to provide for herself and her family.

6. Educate communities on ways to prevent burns especially to small children. Offer ear-nose-throat and eye primary health care services.
In order to be able to take those services to the eight communities, we will need a vehicle with enough space for five staff and the required supplies and tools.

Additional information about Maua Methodist Hospital can be found at www.chak.or.ke/maua-methodist.asp.

Click here to read about the other Many Faces of Africa project; the School Library in Cabala, Angola.

Click here to download the Many Faces of Africa projects brochure and donation form.


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Youth Group Raises $1200+ for Heifer Project

HeiferLogo10062.gifThe Senior High Youth Group raised almost $1,300 for Heifer Project, an organization that helps alleviate poverty and hunger by providing livestock and training to people throughout the world. The amount the group raised will go to purchasing heifers and honeybees.

The youth raised this money by fasting for 30 hours during a lock-in at the church over Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

Thanks to the youth and all of you who contributed to their efforts.

Check out www.heifer.org for more information about Heifer International.


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Centennial Endowment Grants

ceRed150149.gifSince 1988, almost $700,000 in grants has been awarded by the Centennial Endowment Funds. A short presentation has been prepared which highlights some of the projects and the organizations that have benefitted from our these grants.

Click here to view the presentation.

Give the gift that keeps on giving - Remember the Centennial Endowment Funds in your will.

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Centennial Endowment Grants Have Made A Difference

Over the years the church needs funds outside our regular church budget to keep our physical plant safe, secure and accommodating. The following is an interview with the chair of our trustees, Allen Wood, on how the Centennial Endowment Grants have helped over the years…….

“All capital expenses must come from either Centennial Endowment grants or direct bequests – so over the years these funds have made an important difference to our physical plant. For example:

• $7,736 was awarded in 1991 to build our first handicap accessible restroom. We took a closet and turned it into the restroom. That project paved the way to doing the whole millennium remodeling. We were also granted $5,960 for refurbishing the Patio Room that year.

• In 1992, we replaced the one Patio Room door with the current large, inviting doors with a $7,555 grant. When we had only one door it just really blocked foot traffic, especially when serving food in the Patio Room.

• The existing outdoor sign (on the corner of Webster & Hamilton) was installed in 1994 with a $2,800 grant. It really helps to let passersby know who we are.

• In 1995 we were awarded $6,500 to fix the closures on the heavy (and dangerous) main doors of the church.

• In 1996 $1,470 was awarded to redo the entry from Webster Street. We had a badly sloped walkway and rain gathered there. This greatly enhanced our entry into church.

• Finally, I’d like to mention the series of grants that we were awarded in the late ‘90’s totaling over $19,000. They were to purchase six new exterior doors for the education building. The old ones were wood and falling apart. One of the two that went out to the parking lot fell apart on a windy day. We eventually replaced all the doors which resulted in better security, better appearance and certainly easier for people to enter and exit.”

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United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)

umcorwords.gifUMCOR is the disaster relief agency within the United Methodist denomination.

Whenever and wherever an emergency occurs throughout the world, this agency is the one that responds initially on behalf of the United Methodist church. 100% of your donations are used directly for relief services.

How can you help? A yearly offering is taken at First Palo Alto for UMCOR's general fund, and special offerings are taken when we are asked to respond. All donations are welcomed.

Contact: http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor


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The First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto, California - A Welcoming Church spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ to the people of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties since 1894. We're conveniently located in downtown Palo Alto near the Stanford University campus. Whether you're in the Silicon Valley or on the Peninsula, we want to be your Church home.

We invite you and your family to worship with us any Sunday morning.

Our members come from all over the San Francisco bay area including Atherton, Belmont, Burlingame, Campbell, Castro Valley, Cupertino, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Fremont, Gilroy, Half Moon Bay, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Menlo Park, Millbrae, Milpitas, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Newark, Pacifica, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Francisco, San Mateo, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga, Stanford, Sunnyvale and Walnut Creek.

Check out our Visitors Information section for more information about the First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto




©2000-2008 First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto
Join us for our regular worship service at 10:30 am or our informal Communion service at 8:30 am.

Readings for Sunday, July 6, 2008: Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67, Psalm 45:10-17, Romans 7:15-25a, Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30


Join us for lots of fellowship, food and fun at our summer Picnics in the Park!


View the Committee on Lay Leadership's presentation on how they have reconfigured some of our church committees to help us be more effective.


Meet our new 2008/2009 church leaders and committee members


to June 29th sermon. Save it to your iPod.


Read the latest issue today!


to June 22nd sermon. Save it to your iPod.