Health, Missions, and Music Ministries

Health Ministry and Parish Nursing

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God?
--  1 Corinthians 6:19

Our Health Ministry focuses on the whole person our thoughts,feelings, actions and our spirit. The ministry emphasizes wellness, disease prevention and health promotion.

Roles of the Parish Nurse and Health Ministry
*
Health Educator and Counselor; discussing health concerns,emphasizing early response to problems and encouraging healthy lifestyles. 


*We provide referral to healthcare and social services. 

Volunteers facilitate support groups for the community suchas prayer and support group for parents of special needs and Divorce Care. 

*The parish nurse coordinates volunteers who help those in need. 

*The health ministry team collaborates with other ministry teams to provide a healthy environment for this faith based community. 

If you would like to share your gifts and talents though the Health Ministry in any way please contact us. 



Peace be with you,
Therese Pineda R.N. Parish Nurse
Director of Health Ministries
602-686-1259
health@gilbertumc.org


AA Meetings - Women's Mondays @ 7:30pm in Room 212
AA Meetings - Women and Men Saturdays @ 9:00am in Room 212

Blood Drive Sunday October 25 7-12
If you would like to make an appointment call Chris Thompson at 480-892-5640.
Per United Blood services for more information visit visit  www.bloodhero.com. 


CPR Classes and Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) training
Saturday October 3 10-12 Room 306
Saturday 10-12 Room #306 with Fireman Doug.  Call Therese to register 602-686-1259.

Health Screening Sundays
Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar testing on the second Sunday of each month in the activity center between services.  If you would like to share your talents and assist on health screening Sundays please contact Therese 602-686-1259.

Kitchen
Our kitchen use and care is coordinated by Therese Pineda RN 602-686-1259.  Team members are needed to help keep it clean, organized and well stocked for its many users.  Funeral Reception meals are also coordinated through the kitchen.

Lending Closet 
Available to check out crutches, walkers, canes, wheel chairs, toilet risers and other medical equipment.  Call the church office or Therese 602-686-1259.

Prayer Shawl Ministry 
Hand made prayer shawls are for celebrations such as baptisms and members who are suffering from illness, loss of a loved one or a difficult time or in life. If you make shawls and would like to contribute one or more we would love to have it.  Simply tag the shawl with your name and drop it off in the church office. 
Sara Collins is out Shawl Ministry Coordinator. If you would like Sara to contact you when we are in need of a shawl, or if you have one that needs to be picked us please call  Sara  Collins at 480-892-3113.


Special Needs Parent Support
Support for those who are taking care of children with Special Needs. Meetings take place the second Wednesday of every month at 7p.m. in room 222.  Call Kim Fairley 480-632-6263 or Teri Martin 480-308-8791

Stephen Ministry
A Stephen Minister is a trained lay volunteer and a good listener who will provide one-to-one confidential care ready to offer God's love through a Christian caring relationship. When an event shakes up your world, you can either let it hurt you or help you. If you would like help in turning a life crisis into an opportunity of growth and faith, a STEPHEN MINISTER is ready to help you.
Stephen Ministry Referral Coordinator Pastor Dan Morley 480-892-9166.

Weight Watchers 
8am Saturdays in the Sanctuary

Educational Health Seminars and  One-on-One Health Counseling & Support
Upon request. Please contact Therese Pineda at 602-686-1259 or tpinedarn@mac.com

Missions

Current Missions Opportunities

A heartfelt thank you to all the Christmas Angelsl who delivered such carefully selected, beautifully wrapped gifts to the children and seniors this year.  Your gifts and prayers go a long way to creating hope to those who are lonely or facing crisis in their family and we are so grateful for you! This past Fall was full of blessings as Operation Christmas Childshoeboxes made their way across the world, turkey dinners made their way into our neighbor's homes, hundreds of meals were served at UMOM and food continued to be gathered for Gilbert Open Arms. 

In 2009, serving at the Overflow shelter for the UMOM New Day Center for Homeless is on the SECOND Saturday of the month - a switch from last year.  Signup will be at the Missions table in the Activity Center for cooking at the church and then traveling to Phoenix to serve at the shelter.  Cooking begins at 2 p.m. in the kitchen and the instructions, recipe and food are all provided. Servers carry the food to the shelter at Watkins and 7th Avenue and serve the 25 families and over 125 women who receive emergency shelter. 

In looking ahead, Missions welcomes your thoughts and participation in our plans for 2009.  If you would like to join us in a particular campaign, look for the announcements at our table, in the Evangel, or in the bulletin or email Missions@gilbertumc.org

Missions work throughout the year

First UMC of Gilbert has been blessed this past year with so many opportunities to share ourselves, our compassion, our time and our blessings.  You are making such a personal difference in the lives of our neighbors, our community, our nation and our world.

This past year we reached out and touched the lives of:

Homeless children and families
*with food, toys, and a listening ear for the children at UMOM and  Save the Family Shelters;
*with hot delicious meals one Saturday a month at UMOM’s Overflow Shelter
*with overflowing “Fishes and Loaves” bags (almost 100!) to stock the food pantry at La Mesita Homeless Shelter”
*with shampoo, toothpaste and other travel size necessities to the families at domestic violence shelters and UMOM overflow shelters

Low income and homeless children in our neighborhoods and across the world
*with 80 lovingly prepared Easter Baskets for Easter morning built by the confirmation class
*with 100 backpacks filed-to-the-brim with supplies for SideWalk Sunday School and UMOM New Day
*with your coins at Vacation Bible School and dollars for “Nothing but Net’s” helping provide protective nets against the spread of malaria in Africa
*with special Christmas gifts for 60 children by our Christmas Angels
*with 100 shoeboxes sent to Operation Christmas Child filled with prayers and hope

Low income elderly
*with 100 Adopt a Grandfather gifts at Father’s Day  to Mesa Senior Center and the ACH Justa Center
*with specially selected gifts for 40 low income seniors by our Christmas Angels

Women in crisis
*touched by the gift of a 150+ purses and cosmetics on Mother’s Day and travel size bags of essentials all year long

Our neighbors
*with food drives and deliveries all year long to the Gilbert Open Arms Food Bank as well as 100 turkey dinners at Thanksgiving

Our community
*with TWO fresh coats of paint for Jeff’s home and the Carda’s family as our two teams joined others across the valley painting homes for the elderly and low income

It’s the power of a thought that turns into action that delivers a meal.  It’s the blessing of a carefully selected pencil box for the backpack or a warm blanket for the senior that lets someone know that they are loved. It’s the shake of a hand as you hand a very tired mother a plate of stroganoff or a turkey box filled with groceries giving her the strength to meet the challenges one more day.

It’s about compassion and caring one day at a time…One life at a time.  

Contact any Missions Member with questions or to sign up to help.  You can also email us at Missions@gilbertumc.org

Music Ministry

First United Methodist Church of Gilbert offers many opportunities for singers and musicians of all ages and levels of musicianship to join its lively and varied music program. The Music Ministry strives to provide a diverse spiritual offering. The Sunday 8:15 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. services center around traditional music, regularly requiring the use of the organ, piano, and sometimes orchestral instruments, so as to establish an atmosphere conducive to worship and prayer. A broad range of musical styles can fall under this traditional music umbrella ranging from music of the Renaissance church through anthems influenced by the contemporary Christian movement. The Sunday 11:15 a.m. service provides a more casual and contemporary atmosphere with music leadership provided by the band LIFESONG.

There are numerous opportunities to participate or assist the Music Ministry. All ensemble rehearsals are held at the church—some in the choir room, some in the bell room, and some in the sanctuary—and while we have a steadily growing program of participants, we are always looking to add to the ranks of both experienced and inexperienced volunteers. If you have an interest in joining one of our groups in the music program, please contact our Director of Music Ministries, Marty Province, at music@gilbertumc.org or through the church office at (480) 892-9166.

Chancel Choir
Gilbert First's Chancel Choir is a mixed (SATB) choral ensemble and is open to men and women volunteers including experienced singers of high-school age. This vital and growing choral ensemble prepares music for the traditional Sunday morning services, that includes standard choral literature--both classic and contemporary--as well as spirituals and stylized gospel music. The Chancel Choir performed Handel’s Messiah (December 2005) with a baroque chamber orchestra, J. S. Bach's cantata Sleepers Wake (BWV 140) (spring 2006), and Christmas Oratorio by Camille Saint-Saens (December 2006) with harp, organ, and soloists. In November 2008 the Chancel Choir joined the adult choirs of Tempe First United Methodist, Mesa First United Methodist, and  for a combined presentation (with the composer conducting) of John Leavitt’s Requiem with orchestra.

NOTE : The Chancel Choir rehearses each Wednesday evening at 7:00pm, and sings at the 8:15 and 9:45 traditional Sunday morning worship services. Nursery/child care is available for both Wednesday rehearsals and Sunday morning worship services.

Organ
Gilbert First United Methodist incorporates into traditional worship services its beautiful Allen digital three manual instrument, manufactured by Allen Organ Company, in Macungie , Pennsylvania , which is the largest builder of church organs in the world. Allen invented the digital organ format that most closely exact realistic pipe organ sounds, through Renaissance Quantum™ digital voicing, with the capacity to retain even the most subtle nuances of a true pipe organ.

The Wesleyan Bells Bells are among the most ancient of musical instruments, and have been used in worship since the some of the earliest documentable times. Gilbert First United Methodist has a long tradition of bell choirs.  Our ensemble generally rings with 9-10 bell ringers (playing Schulmerich Bells, as well as Suzuki Tone Chimes. The Wesleyan Bells welcomes capable ringers of high school age and above. NOTE: The Wesleyan Bells rehearse Wednesdays from 5:30pm - 6:30pm in the bell room (with summers off). Nursery/child care is available for both Wednesday rehearsals and Sunday morning worship services.

LIFESONG Our Contemporary Christian band, LIFESONG, leads the music in the more casual setting of Gilbert First's contemporary worship service (Sunday 11:15 am) with versatility to stylize in country, rock and roll, jazz, pop and gospel genres. While the liturgy is consistent with the traditional services, this service features contemporary Christian songs by Twila Paris, Matt Redman, Mark Hall, Brian Doerkson, and Andy Park, among others. During worship, the congregation is encouraged to sing along with the overhead projected lyrics and visual images

Cherub Choir The Cherub Choir is open to children from Pre-K thru 2nd grade and rehearses on Sunday mornings from 11:00am to 11:20am in the Choir Room, with summers off.

Junior Choirs
The Junior Choir is open to children 3rd thru 11th grades inclusive (sometimes divides into different singing groups), and rehearses in the Choir Room on Wednesdays from 5:30pm to 6:30pm, with summers off. This group works on choral repertoire that develops musicianship and harmony skills. The Junior Choir, under the direction of Mrs. Coleen VanSlyke, is accompanied by Mrs. Sally Poeske.

Chapel Chimes Chapel Chimes is under the direction of Mrs. Tami Bruce. The ensemble is comprised of youngsters ranging in age from 1st grade through 7th grade. The group—which uses Suzuki Tone Chimes—practices on Wednesdays from 5:00pm to 5:30pm in the Bell Room, with summers off.