625 Hamilton Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94301

650.323.6167
fax 650.323.3923

info@firstpaloalto.com

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Joy of Doing

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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Haiti Earthquake - How You Can Help

UMCOR Responds to the Earthquake in Haiti

A major earthquake hit Port-au-Prince, Haiti on January 12, 2010, causing widespread destruction. Millions of people are affected and thousands are feared dead. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has close ties with the Methodist Church in Haiti and is responding to the devastating earthquake with funding, material resources and prayers.

UMCOR executive, Melissa Crutchfield says, “We are working with our partners on the ground to provide immediate relief to the people in Haiti. UMCOR has worked in Haiti for many years. We anticipate that there will be years of rebuilding needed and are prepared to work with the people to help them through that process.”

Working with partners, Action by Churches Together, Church World Service, Global Medic and the Methodist Church, UMCOR is channeling its resources to respond effectively to the people most in need.

How You Can Help
Gifts to support UMCOR's Haiti Relief efforts can be online. Go to http://secure.gbgm-umc.org/donations/umcor/donate.cfm?code=418325&id=3018760 to donate.

You can also donate by check. Checks can be made to UMCOR with Advance #418325 Haiti Emergency in the memo line. Checks can be put in the church offering plate this Sunday or mailed to UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087.

UMCOR Sager Brown is coordinating a shipment of health kits to provide individuals with basic necessities. Instructions for assembling and shipping health kits are available at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/getconnected/supplies/health-kit/.

Please pray for all of the people affected by the earthquake in Haiti. Thank you for your faithful support for all of God’s children. 100% of gifts made to this advance will go to help the people of Haiti.<


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2010 Centennial Endowment Grant Application

ceRed150149.gifThe Centennial Endowment Funds Committee is beginning the Grant Process for 2010.

Only official organized administrative groups within First Church are able to apply for a grant.

Applications are not accepted from individuals. Any individual suggestion for the use of funds must go the appropriate committee. That committee will consider the suggestion and decide whether or not to submit it to the Centennial Endowment Committee for consideration.

Please also note that Centennial Endowment Committee members are available for consultation during this process. Should you have any questions, please ask the Committee for clarification and/or guidance before you submit your application.

More details about the grant process, and a list of the current committee members are available in the Grant Application Information package.

Applications may be submitted to the Church Business Administrator at any time up to 4:00PM on Wednesday, March 24, 2010. Late applications will not be considered.

Click here to downloand the Grant Application package.


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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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Greeters Needed - Urban Ministry Monday Meal

UrbanMinistries.gifCan you spare just 3 hours a year to serve as a greeter at the Urban Ministry Monday Meal?

Every Monday night our church, in cooperation with the Urban Ministry of Palo Alto, hosts a meal in our Fellowship Hall for the homeless in our community. This meal is part of Urban Ministries' 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.

Urban Ministry 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.

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

To volunteer, please contact Ann Robar, 650-961-3739.

Show rest of 'Greeters Needed - Urban Ministry Monday Meal'...


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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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Chuck's Mission 2006 Trip To Kenya & Rwanda

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Our own Chuck recently took a mission trip to Kenya and Rwanda with Church World Service. During his trip he visited the Maua Methodist Hospital in Kenya. This is the same hospital that our youth will be visiting during their 2007 Mission Trip.

Chuck kept us up-to-date on his activites by email. Read his trip reports.

Chuck's Trip Reports
Trip Reports 1 & 2
Trip Reports 3 & 4
Trip Report 5
Trip Report 6
Church World Service Helping Aids Orphans


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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)

vimlogo14290.gifUnited 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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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




©2000-2010 First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto
Listen to Pastor Michael's greeting. You are welcome here!

Join us for worship at 10:25 am. Pastor Michael will preach the 4th sermon in the Lenten series entitled Let Us Fix Our Eyes on Jesus

Our 8:30 am communion service is on hiatus.

The reading for Sunday March 14th is Luke 15:1-3, 11-32.

Listen to and read the March 7th sermon. Save it to your iPod.

Read the latest issue today!

Read the latest column by Pastor Laurie

Join Pastor Michael for this new class. Just as a house can be rebuilt after it has fallen into disrepair or devastation, so God can enter in to our brokenness and completely rebuild our lives.

Join us on April 1st as we "fix our eyes on Jesus" and relive together the dramatic events of this night of all nights

We need you for our welcoming and worship ministries