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1. First United Methodist Church of North Hollywood
GOOD NEWS
e-mail: nohofumc@pacbell.net
May 2024
facebook.com/nohofumc1 www.nohofumc.org
IN THIS ISSUE:
• AAPI Heritage Month
• Mother’s Day Celebration
• Love Thy Neighbor
• Turquoise Table
• General Conference News
GOOD NEWS is published monthly by
First United Methodist Church of North
Hollywood, California 91601
Phone (818) 763-8231
Rev. Dottie Escobedo Frank
Bishop
Rev. Melissa MacKinnon
District Superintendent
Pastor Chamie Delkeskamp
Lead Pastor
Congregation
Ministers
Kim & Doug Nason
Interim Directors of Music
Roger Eshleman
Organist
April Anderson
Administrator
Nylean Rapinac
Membership & Financial Secretary
Patty Kelsey
Director, Congregational Nurture
Tonya Peat
Director, Digital & Social Media
Dear Church Family,
Do you have a favorite number? Mine is 3. I was born on the third day of
the month in the year 1973. I have three children who I love beyond
measure. I like Jack Johnson’s song “The 3 R’s” which begins, “Three is a
magic number.” I have sung it many times when teaching young people
about caring for the good earth God created. Every morning, I do the
sign of the cross upon me, in three-fold form, saying, “In the name of the
Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” I am captivated by the beauty
and the mystery of our God who dances in “the three.”
The church leadership board and staff are focusing on three
areas in the year ahead:
1. Worship & Fellowship on Sunday Mornings
2. Our Campus as a Community Oasis
3. Expanded Mission & Outreach
Let me share a brief word about each and then give you an opportunity
to share as well.
Worship & Fellowship on Sunday Mornings. Weekly worship with the
gathered community reminds us of who we are and Whose we are. One
church member told me they come every Sunday so they don’t lose their
soul in the rat race of the week. Another told me that they come every
Sunday because the church is their family. Yet another said they love to
feel the presence of God in their lives; they need that “something bigger”
and our Sunday gathering helps them experience that. Worship has
many parts, from scripture reading to praying to the sermon to music. As
we begin again the process of hiring a new Director of Music Ministries
and think of our Sunday mornings together as a whole, we want to work
at deepening our connection with God and each other as well as
expanding our connections in welcoming new people into our church so
we grow. What do you think might bring growth to our Sunday morning
worship and fellowship?
(continued on page 3)

2. May 5 Hold on to the Faith Galatians 3:1-14; 26-28
Sometimes we have a gnawing sense that we aren’t “good enough,” that we haven’t done enough good
deeds, or that we have messed up too many times. The church in Galatia shows us that it is not following
the letter of the law that saves us, but holding on to our faith.
May 12 Why We Pray
Why do we pray? How does one pray? Does prayer even make a difference? The church in Ephesus will
teach us a few things about prayer. And being that it’s Mother’s Day, we will also talk about the power of
a praying mother.
May 19 A Church for All People Acts 2
This Sunday, is Pentecost, and we celebrate both the birthday of the Christian church universal as well
as our Methodist heritage with churches all across the globe. (Wear RED)
May 26 Let’s Not Grumble So Much Philippians 2:12-18
Do you see the cup as half empty or half full? Do you tend to see all the problems or all the things that
go right? The church in Philippi has some wisdom about not grumbling so much.
June 2 Clothe Yourselves Well Colossians 3:12-17
When you awake in the morning, how much time do you spend pondering what to wear? The church in
Colossae helps us to know what we really need to clothe ourselves with: compassion, kindness, humility,
meekness, and patience.
Ephesians 1:15-23
Spring 2024: The 50 Days of Easter & Pentecost
Jesus taught, healed, loved, died, and rose again. Then
what?
The first churches 2000 years ago, with the power of the
Holy Spirit, strived to follow in the footsteps of Jesus,
carrying on the message of love and continually drawing
others into the story. They became known as people of
“The Way.”
Each Sunday this spring we will learn some wisdom from
those first churches and strive to live it today in our own
time and place.

3. (Continued from Cover Page)
Our Campus as a Community Oasis. Driving in traffic is one of my least favorite things in the whole
entire world. The weekday commute from my home to NoHo can be wretched. Yet when I step through
the gates and onto our campus, I always feel this sense of peace and goodness. I know I have walked into
an oasis. The very first time that I walked on campus, I immediately thought, “This place is like a retreat
center!” We want to create more opportunities for more people to find nurture for their mind, body, and
soul. One way we are doing this is offering the Monday gyrokinesis class led by Lora Anderson. This
sprang from the January mini retreat we had on campus (note that offering these mini retreats throughout
the year is another way to grow our campus as a community oasis). The theme of that January retreat was
“Prayer and Our Bodies.” We had a guest instructor lead Christ-centered yoga. After that, several people
expressed their desire to have an exercise class on a regular basis. Lo and behold, God blessed us with
Lora! What things do you think we should continue to provide - and/or what new ministries might we
provide - to grow our community oasis on our campus? Are there small groups, studies, programs, etc that
you would like us to offer?
Expanded Mission & Outreach. NoHo First has a long history of caring for others, but recently doesn’t
have a formal mission and outreach team. One of the visions is to create a new missions team and help all
people in the church be in service near and far. Thanks to Jonathan Laciste’s energy and financial
generosity, we are starting to increase our ministry to the tiny home communities in our area. It was such
an absolute joy to feed 150 people the last Sunday of April. Coming up, we will get to provide a Memorial
Day Weekend BBQ to those residing in the tiny homes down the street on Chandler. If you can help on
Sun, May 26, let Patty know. Feeding people is very needed and so important. Providing friendship and
connection is also very important, especially in this time when people are often feeling lonely and anxious.
Therefore, we are trying to not just remain in our beautiful cloistered gated campus, but get out on the
front lawn of the church and get to know our neighbors. We will be popping up the turquoise table many
times in the weeks and months to come. Even if you can’t do the discussion on the book The Turquoise
Table, I encourage you to read it on your own. Or at least look up in your google search engine
“Turquoise Table: Kristen’s Story” and watch the author’s 5 minute inspiring story of how her table came
to be. Rev. Thomas Daniel, a senior pastor at a Presbyterian church said this, “The simplicity of the
Turquoise Table embodies the kind of movement that all congregations must embrace. It encourages the
people in our pews to leave their Christian bubbles, embrace hospitality, and intentionally form friendships
with their neighbors. Anyone can do this and all of us should. If every Christian in America took these
simple steps we would see our neighborhoods, cities, and the nation transformed in amazing ways.” We
have already seen a glimmer of this at NoHo. A young couple and their dog Skipper chatted with us on a
Saturday morning as we sat at the turquoise table. Then the very next day as they were walking in the
neighborhood, the dog pulled them right into our courtyard for Sunday morning fellowship! How cool is
that?! What ideas do you have for how we can expand our missions and outreach?
We are the church together! I would love to hear your thoughts on the questions I have asked in regards to
visioning the future of NoHo First. As we continue to celebrate 75 years, let’s pray together and
brainstorm together where God is leading for the future. You can share your thoughts with me here (or fill
out a paper copy and leave it in the church office): https://forms.gle/eDhypA2an5FSRUH26.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Chamie

4. AAPI Heritage Month
NOHO FIRST UMC loves to celebrate our
diverse community and during the month of
May, we will highlight our Asian-American
church families during our AAPI Heritage
Month.
We will share moments about our culture
during worship and enjoy a Taste of Asia
Pop Up during fellowship hour.
This month, we will celebrate on 3 Sundays and our Asian community members have planned wonderful
moments and menus to share with you. It’s a perfect time to invite someone to come sit with you. Our
AAPI Calendar for May:
5th - Thailand (Patty & Norman Kelsey, Uma Tokahuta)
19th - Korea (Hanna Ye-Books, Josie & Jackson Books)
19th - Japan (Todd Murata)
26th - Philippines (Ate Patsy Sapinoso; Pressi, Warlito & Jon Laciste; Lynne, Mauro, & Jonash Poyaoan)
26th - India (Liberty & Dr. Heemanshu Bhagat)
We hope to see you in church every Sunday in May!
Every four years, the worldwide United Methodist Church votes on the policies of the denomination. The
2024 gathering has been taking place in Charlotte, NC. So much has happened in this 10-day event. If you
want to dig into all the various news from General Conference, you can check out the website: https://
www.resourceumc.org/en/churchwide/general-conference-2020. I want to lift up one subject, in particular.
As stated in the Western Jurisdiction News (which includes the area of the California-Pacific Annual
Conference), "Delegates and observers from the Western Jurisdiction are celebrating this morning, after
harmful language for LGBTQIA+ persons was removed from the Book of Discipline at General Conference
in Charlotte. 'We started the morning singing ‘There’s a song in every silence…at the last a victory’ and ‘We’ll
tell the story of how we’ve overcome.’ And do we have a story to tell! We’ve made it clear that all of God’s
children are beloved and free to serve and respond to God’s call,' said Rev. Dr. Kristin Stoneking, a queer
clergy reserve delegate from the California-Nevada Conference." Though, up until this historic vote, the
denominational "rule book" barred gay marriage and LBTQIA+ clergy from serving churches, NoHo First
UMC (and the Cal-Pac Conference) decided to push back against this denominational rule and become a
"Reconciling Congregation." We will continue to live our statement of inclusivity that we lift up weekly when
we gather for worship and now know the whole denomination is widening their welcome. I encourage you to
read our statement aloud, "NoHo FUMC is a community that practices the all-inclusive and
transforming love of God as modeled by the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. We celebrate our
diversity in race, ethnicity, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender, ability,
citizenship, and socioeconomic status. Moved by the Holy Spirit, we welcome all people into
full participation of the life of the church."

6. Search for the Next Director of
Music Ministries
We are blessed to have an interim team that will
help lead us in music during May. With a wealth
of worship leadership experience for over 30 years
in the Cal-Pac Conference, Kim and Doug Nason
will also serve as consultants in our search.
A job description has been posted in the District
News and on the Cal-Pac Conference site as well
as the job boards at Claremont School of
Theology and Fuller Seminary.
If you know someone who might be interested in
the position, they can email questions - and/or a
cover letter and resume - to Pastor Chamie
at nohofumc.org or Sherri Perry, chair of staff-
parish relationships, at sdjperry@gmail.com.
Kim & Doug Nason
The Church Leadership Board
The church leadership board is chaired by
Lisa Cheby. Other members include Sherri Perry,
Phil Roche, Jesse Boone, Shirley Kurushima,
Chris Moore, and Lexi Wintermute. Norman
Kelsey serves as our lay leader which means a
church leader who is not ordained.
In the Methodist Church, the pastor is always a
part of the Board as they are appointed by the
bishop to lead the church. If you are interested in
participating in leadership, let Pastor Chamie
know by calling the church office or email her
at pastorchamie@nohofumc.org.
The board typically meets once a month.
Upcoming meetings include May 5 from 1:15 to
2:15 and June 9 at 12 noon. If you have
something you would like to bring up to the
board, you can email Pastor Chamie or
Lisa Cheby, board chair,
at boardchair@nohofumc.org.
If there is something you would like addressed at
a meeting, please submit a request at least one
week in advance of the meeting.
UWF LUNCHEON
Thursday, May 9th
NOON
Lounge
Bring a Sack Lunch

7. Daniella Lake is graduating from
UC Berkeley this May with a Bachelor’s
degree in Media Studies.
She will continue her studies at USC’s
Annenberg School of Journalism, where
she will earn a Masters of Science
Degree in Journalism in May 2025.
Daniella is excited to continue exploring
her passion for journalism and media at
USC Annenberg!

8. HELP STAMP OUT HUNGER!
During the week of May 6th your letter carrier will
be leaving a postcard in your mailbox about the
USPS National Food Drive. Pick up of food
donations will take place on Saturday May 11th.
Place your non-perishable food donations in a bag by
your mailbox for your postal carrier to pick up.
You should use your own bags as the post office will
not be providing them this year. The food will be
delivered to the Sylmar Post Office where the North
Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry will be one of
several food pantries benefitting from the food drive.
On Saturday afternoon letter carriers will be bringing
donations to the post office in Sylmar, (13700 Foothill
Blvd.) where Pantry volunteers will unload the letter
carriers' trucks, sort the food, and load it onto the
pantry truck. There are time slots on the NHIFP
website Sign Up Genius for volunteering at the
Sylmar Post Office. Click on Post Office Food Drive
Team to sign up to help. Volunteers are needed there
between 3:30 pm and 6:30 pm. Students can get 3
hours of community service in one day! Volunteers
are also needed to help unload the food at Temple
Beth Hillel on Monday, May 13th, at 4:00 PM.
Thank you for your support in helping to stamp out
hunger in our community.
JOIN OUR MISSIONS TEAM
We are joyful to share that our Missions Team is
getting back into full swing and we hope you will
join us as we serve our local community in need!
NOHO First UMC has partnered with HOPE the
Mission to serve meals at their Tiny Home Villages
and most recently, we are preparing to serve at
their Transitional Age Youth Shelter, The Landing.
This month, we are serving the Chandler Tiny
Home Village on Sunday, May 26th, beginning at
5:00 PM to set up and serving dinner at 6:00 PM.
Our April Mission Service Day, took place at the Alexandria Tiny Home Village in North Hollywood,
just off the 170 freeway. We served a very large community (125 people) a delicious Italian Banquet from
Olive Garden, thanks to a generous donation from Jonathan Laciste. On June 30th, we will serve a meal
and prepare care bags & tie blankets for 38 young adults, ages 18 - 24, who have aged out of foster care
or were once homeless. If you feel moved but are unable to volunteer, please donated to MISSIONS!

9. APRIL HIGHLIGHTS
We celebrated our Main Sanctuary’s 75th Anniversary, Multicultural Night with The Wesley School, and
served a banquet to residents at HOPE the Mission’s Alexandria Tiny Home Village! We also welcomed back
world renowned Hoop Dancer, Eric Hernandez on Native American Ministries Sunday! Our hearts are full!

10. May your birthday be filled with blessings!
Love, Your Church Family
May 1 Ken Ellis
May 4 Kim Miller
May 6 Noah Fetterman
May 10 Shirley Kurushima
May 11 Dottie Vick
May 12 Joel Hernandez
May 14 Shaun Vieten
May 16 Jodi Smith
May 18 Phil Roche
May 18 Steven Vick
May 22 Karin Ellis
May 24 Sinjin Doelitzsch
May 24 Melissa Noren
May 25 Ashley Peat
My mother Christine Vivona Boone (who visited the
church in late-October) was diagnosed with lung
cancer last week. Specifically, she has a mass in her left
lung/lobe and both arms have swollen lymph nodes.
Mom has never smoked, nor does she live in a big city.
She just turned 62, exercises daily, and always eats
healthy food. This news has shocked my family, and
we are all catching our breath as my mom begins
making a treatment plan and strategy.
We would love some prayers from the NoHo First
community for Christine's health and mental fortitude
during this new chapter. We pray for doctors,
specialists, and staff that can help provide my mom
with timely and compassionate information. We pray
for Robert, my father, as he prepares himself for the
mindset and stamina of being an every day support
system for her. May God lift the two of them up and
empower their support system in Tucson, AZ, as well
as those who support them from out-of-state,
especially me and my brother Cory.
I'm going to visit Mom and Dad May 7-14, so I will
unfortunately miss Mother's Day service at the
church; my mother needs her son.
Love to you all,
Jesse Boone
• Tonya Peat requests prayers for her friend's
family: Paul and Allegra are parents of
twins, Amelia and Owen, 17 years old.
Owen passed from an accidental overdose
on Wednesday, April 10th.
• Orlando Almonte was sent back to a rehab
center and has not been home since
February. He is still unable to stand or walk
on his own.
• DeAnne Hayes has been at an Alzheimer's
care center. Byron misses her at home.
• Burt has stage 4 bladder cancer that
metastasized to the bone.
• Homebound: Joyce Cunningham, Dottie
Vick, Rhonda Scott, Margaret Doggett.
Margaret Sarah Allen
September 13, 1927 - April 18, 2024
Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, May 5th
at 12:15 PM in Boyer Chapel.

11. LECTIONARY READINGS AND LITURGICAL INFORMATION - YEAR B
May 5 Sixth Sunday of Easter. White.
Psalm 98; Acts 10:44-48; 1 John 5:1-6; John 15:9-17; Galatians 3:1-14; 26-28
May 12 Seventh Sunday of Easter. Mother’s Day. White.
Psalm 1; Acts 1:15-17, 21-26; 1 John 5:9-13; John 17:6-19; Ephesians 1:15-23
May 19 The Day of Pentecost Red.
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; Acts 2:1-21; Romans 8:22-27; John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15; Acts 2
May 26 Trinity Sunday. White.
Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 29; Romans 8:12-17; John 3:1-17; Philippians 2:12-18
Pastor Chamie will preach on the scripture that is underlined.
Highlights of Worship may be found on Youtube @nohofumc
Communion will be served, in-person, on May 5th.
We will celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month on May 5, 19, & 26th.
Mother’s Day Giveaway on May 12th
If you no longer wish to receive this publication, please contact the church office
or return this address label noting that we are to discontinue sending it. Thank you.
POSTMASTER - Please send changes of address to:
First United Methodist Church of North Hollywood
4832 Tujunga Avenue, North Hollywood, CA 91601
“NoHoFUMC is a community that practices the all-inclusive and transforming love of God as modeled by the life
and ministry of Jesus Christ. We celebrate our diversity in race, ethnicity, marital status, sexual orientation, gender
identity, age, gender, ability, citizenship, and socioeconomic status. Moved by the Holy Spirit, we welcome all people
into the full participation of the life of the church.”