NUMC Church & Society

Church & Society Upcoming Events

Skirball Cultural Center Church and Society is sponsoring a trip to the Skirball Cultural Center to see two exhibits of photographs taken during the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. The first show is called “Road to Freedom: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1956-1968.” This exhibit contains 170 images (some of which have never been displayed before) which show such historic events as the Montgomery bus boycott, the Freedom Rides to the Deep South, the March on Washington, the Selma-to-Montgomery march, the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Poor People's Campaign. The second exhibit is “Breach of Peace: Photographs of Freedom Riders by Eric Etheridge.” This exhibit features recent photographs of 40 freedom riders, who challenged Mississippi’s segregation laws in the 1960s, paired with their original mug shots from their arrests for breach of peace. The exhibit examines the lives of these civil rights activists, who include current Congressman John Lewis. We will also be able to see the center’s exhibit “Noah’s Ark,” which features a large ark filled with whimsical animals and fun family activities (though advance reservations are encouraged for this exhibit). Admission to the center is $10 general, $7 seniors and students and $5 children 2-12. We will carpool from the church parking lot on Saturday, February 27, at 10 a.m. (or meet at the center at 2701 N. Sepulveda in Los Angeles at 10:45 a.m.). Please contact Teresa Priem or Joann DeSantis if you are interested in attending. For more info on the center, go to https://www.skirball.org/index.php Flyer

Recent visit to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library to see the Magna Carta	EVENTS Movie Night - “Nuclear Tipping Point” will be screened Monday, March 8. This documentary features interviews with former Secretaries of State George Shultz and Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of Defense Bill Perry and former Senator Sam Nunn. These four Cold Warriors have concluded that as more countries have obtained nuclear weapons, the likelihood of terrorists getting their hands on these weapons and using them to strike a city has increased. The film interviews these four as they discuss what steps are necessary to eliminate nuclear weapons in the world. The screening will take place at 7 p.m. in the Kendall Building. For more info on the movie, go to www.nucleartippingpoint.org
	Christmas Tradition Thanks to all who participated in the Children’s’ Christmas Mart on Saturday, December 17, 2009. It was a smashing success! 177 parents and 364 children participated in the event. 35 volunteers helped children pick out presents or wrap. The volunteers came from Northridge UMC, the girl scouts, and NVCS volunteers. 4 NVCS staff members made sure that all of the children had appointments, greeted the families and also assisted the children. A special thanks to all who showed up early Saturday morning to transport presents over to NVCS. An extra special thanks to everyone who donated items for the children to pick out. Also, Ric, Tandy and Salia Wilson who always make the children smile when they take their pictures. Next year’s Christmas Mart will be on Saturday, December 18, 2010. – Amybeth Lake , chair.
Hunger Walk Twelve walkers from NUMC assembled in Tarzana on November 8 to walk in the 34th annual San Fernando Valley CROP Walk hosted by St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. Preliminary reports indicate that NUMC collected about $3,000 to be used here in the Valley and in areas around the world to assist in alleviating hunger and providing tools for hungry people to feed themselves and their families. Many thanks to walkers Jeri Barricklow, Joann DeSantis, Judy Kolstad, Teresa Priem, Carol Rogers and daughter Stephanie, Phyllis Schneider, Gordon and Hannah Sheldall, Mike and Barbara Shields, Pat Small, and Vicki Utley. Thanks also to the many generous donors for participating in a very successful effort to help the hungry!

Family Movie Night Here are pictures from our recent "Wall-E" screening, which featured a real robot demonstration.

more pictures from the Wall-e screening

The Mission of the Church and Society team is to “Live our faith and to seek justice by promoting awareness of social concerns, inspiring community involvement and encouraging political action.”

The Purpose of the team is to work, in accordance with the Book of Discipline, on issues of “peace and world order, human relations, political and economic affairs and health and general welfare.” The team often works with other members of the church and community on local social action projects. In this way, we follow the NUMC mission statement “to extend the hospitality of Christ to the San Fernando Valley” through participating in projects such as the Christmas Mart and CROP Walk. The team also informs the congregation of pertinent issues through movies, books, speakers and special events.

The Structure of the team is consistent with other such committees within the local UMC. The chair of the team is nominated by the Leadership Development Team, with consent of the Pastor and concurrence of the Church Council. The members of the Church and Society team confirm this appointment by open vote. The members of the team consist of the Chair, members responsible for various events and concerns and members who express an interest in the objectives of the committee.

The opinions expressed on various issues by Church and Society are the views of that committee and do not necessarily represent the position of the Northridge United Methodist Church.