Input & Output
As our Lenten series entitled "Lift High the Cross" continues, we give thanks for the changes God is making in our lives and in the church. A week from this Sunday, March 30, we will receive new members as part of all of our worship services. In the past our church offered a gathering once a month for new members. This short class was designed to help new attendees in their connection with the pastors and the church. In 2014 we are leading a new quarterly class called "New Beginnings" that lasts several hours and includes teaching on what membership means, our Methodist tradition, and the level of commitment we are asking of our members. It will change the way we "input" new people into the life of our church.
Also on that Sunday, March 30, we will observe "One Great Hour of Sharing" -- a denomination-wide special offering to support the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). The work of UMCOR is powerful and dynamic as they respond to natural disasters and other needs around the world. This offering represents, in part, the "output" of our church in compassion and grace.
At the heart of "Lift High the Cross" is this input and output. We offer ourselves to God (input) and God takes our gifts and uses them for the redemption of the world (output). We are simply the vessel God uses for this powerful and global work. Let us give thanks for this Input/Output and the lessons we each learn from being used by God!
Craig +
WORSHIP
SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 2014John 4:5-42
Text to read: John 4: 5 So he came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the parcel of
ground that Jacob gave to his son, Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there. Jesus
therefore, being tired from his journey, sat down by the well. It was about the
sixth hour.[a] 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give
me a drink.” 8 For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
9 The Samaritan woman therefore said to
him, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan
woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the
gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have
asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have
nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. So where do you get that living
water? 12 Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well, and
drank of it himself, as did his children, and his livestock?”
13 Jesus answered her, “Everyone who
drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that
I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him
will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me
this water, so that I don’t get thirsty, neither come all the way here to
draw.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your
husband, and come here.”
17 The woman answered, “I have no
husband.”
Jesus said to her, “You said well, ‘I
have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have
is not your husband. This you have said truly.”
19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I
perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and
you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me,
the hour comes, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you
worship the Father. 22 You worship that which you don’t know. We worship that
which we know; for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour comes, and now
is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for
the Father seeks such to be his worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and those who
worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
25 The woman said to him, “I know that
Messiah comes, he who is called Christ. When he has come, he will declare to us
all things.”
26 Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one
who speaks to you.” 27 At this, his disciples came. They marveled that he was
speaking with a woman; yet no one said, “What are you looking for?” or, “Why do
you speak with her?” 28 So the woman left her water pot, and went away into the
city, and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything that I
did. Can this be the Christ?”
30 They went out of the city, and were
coming to him.
Footnotes:
a. John 4:6 noon
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John Wesley’s Notes-Commentary for
John 4:5-30
Verse 5. Sychar - Formerly called Sichem
or Shechem. Jacob gave - On his death bed, Gen. xlviii, 22.
Verse 6. Jesus sat down - Weary as he
was. It was the sixth hour - Noon; the heat of the day.
Verse 7. Give me to drink - In this one
conversation he brought her to that knowledge which the apostles were so long
in attaining.
Verse 8. For his disciples were gone -
Else he needed not have asked her.
Verse 9. How dost thou - Her open
simplicity appears from her very first words. The Jews have no dealings - None
by way of friendship. They would receive no kind of favour from them.
Verse 10. If thou hadst known the gift -
The living water; and who it is - He who alone is able to give it: thou wouldst
have asked of him - On those words the stress lies. Water - In like manner he
draws the allegory from bread, chap. vi, 27, and from light, viii, 12; the
first, the most simple, necessary, common, and salutary things in nature.
Living water - The Spirit and its fruits. But she might the more easily mistake
his meaning, because living water was a common phrase among the Jews for spring
water.
Verse 12. Our father Jacob - So they
fancied he was; whereas they were, in truth, a mixture of many nations, placed
there by the king of Assyria, in the room of the Israelites whom he had carried
away captive, 2 Kings xvii, 24. Who gave us the well - In Joseph their supposed
forefather: and drank thereof - So even he had no better water than this.
Verse 14. Will never thirst - Will never
(provided he continue to drink thereof) be miserable, dissatisfied, without
refreshment. If ever that thirst returns, it will be the fault of the man, not
the water. But the water that I shall give him - The spirit of faith working by
love, shall become in him - An inward living principle, a fountain - Not barely
a well, which is soon exhausted, springing up into everlasting life - Which is
a confluence, or rather an ocean of streams arising from this fountain.
Verse 15. That I thirst not - She takes
him still in a gross sense.
Verse 16. Jesus saith to her - He now
clears the way that he might give her a better kind of water than she asked
for. Go, call thy husband - He strikes directly at her bosom sin.
Verse 17. Thou hast well said - We may
observe in all our Lord's discourses the utmost weightiness, and yet the utmost
courtesy.
Verse 18. Thou hast had five husbands -
Whether they were all dead or not, her own conscience now awakened would tell
her.
Verse 19. Sir, I perceive - So soon was
her heart touched.
Verse 20. The instant she perceived this,
she proposes what she thought the most important of all questions. This
mountain - Pointing to Mount Gerizim. Sanballat, by the permission of Alexander
the Great, had built a temple upon Mount Gerizim, for Manasseh, who for
marrying Sanballat's daughter had been expelled from the priesthood and from
Jerusalem, Neh. xiii, 28. This was the place where the Samaritans used to
worship in opposition to Jerusalem. And it was so near Sychar, that a man's
voice might be heard from the one to the other. Our fathers worshipped - This
plainly refers to Abraham and Jacob (from whom the Samaritans pretended to
deduce their genealogy) who erected altars in this place: Gen. xii, 6, 7, and
Gen. xxxiii, 18, 20. And possibly to the whole congregation, who were directed
when they came into the land of Canaan to put the blessing upon Mount Gerizim,
Deut. xi, 29. Ye Jews say, In Jerusalem is the place - Namely, the temple.
Verse 21. Believe me - Our Lord uses this
expression in this manner but once; and that to a Samaritan. To his own people,
the Jews, his usual language is, I say unto you. The hour cometh when ye - Both
Samaritans and Jews, shall worship neither in this mountain, nor at Jerusalem -
As preferable to any other place. True worship shall be no longer confined to
any one place or nation.
Verse 22. Ye worship ye know not what -
Ye Samaritans are ignorant, not only of the place, but of the very object of
worship. Indeed, they feared the Lord after a fashion; but at the same time
served their own gods, 2 Kings xvii, 33. Salvation is from the Jews - So spake
all the prophets, that the saviour should arise out of the Jewish nation: and
that from thence the knowledge of him should spread to all nations under
heaven.
Verse 23. The true worshippers shall
worship the Father - Not here or there only, but at all times and in all
places.
Verse 24. God is a Spirit - Not only
remote from the body, and all the properties of it, but likewise full of all
spiritual perfections, power, wisdom, love, holiness. And our worship should be
suitable to his nature. We should worship him with the truly spiritual worship
of faith, love, and holiness, animating all our tempers, thoughts, words, and
actions.
Verse 25. The woman saith - With joy for
what she had already learned, and desire of fuller instruction.
Verse 26. Jesus saith - Hasting to
satisfy her desire before his disciples came. l am He - Our Lord did not speak
this so plainly to the Jews who were so full of the Messiah's temporal kingdom.
If he had, many would doubtless have taken up arms in his favour, and others
have accused him to the Roman governor. Yet he did in effect declare the thing,
though he denied the particular title. For in a multitude of places he represented
himself, both as the Son of man, and as the Son of God: both which expressions
were generally understood by the Jews as peculiarly applicable to the Messiah.
Verse 27. His disciples marvelled that he
talked with a woman - Which the Jewish rabbis reckoned scandalous for a man of
distinction to do. They marvelled likewise at his talking with a woman of that
nation, which was so peculiarly hateful to the Jews. Yet none said - To the
woman, What seekest thou? - Or to Christ, Why talkest thou with her?
Verse 28. The woman left her water pot -
Forgetting smaller things.
Verse 29. A man who told me all things
that ever I did - Our Lord had told her but a few things. But his words
awakened her conscience, which soon told her all the rest. Is not this the Christ?
- She does not doubt of it herself, but incites them to make the inquiry.
-------Daily Devotional
SANCTUARY WORSHIP
Pastor Craig Brown | 8 AM ~ Communion | 9:30 | 11 AM
MODERN WORSHIP
WATER'S EDGE | at The Cove, Krause United Methodist Center
9:30 AM | Pastor Ken Licht, preaching | Band | Communion F5 CHURCH | Linder Hall
11 AM | Band | Pastor Craig - video message from Sanctuary Pastor Craig has invited you to prayerfully consider attending F5 through September to support this important ministry of the church. Register yourself and your family members here...
CHILDREN'S SUNDAY SCHOOL
9:30 ~ 11:30
NEW info about family worship time and Sunday School schedules here... Baptism Opportunities for Adults and Children
Older children and adults: Easter Vigil, Saturday, April 19, 7:15 PM
Infants and young children: Sunday, May 4, at any service:
8:00 sanctuary;9:30 or 11 sanctuary or modern (Water's Edge or F5).
If you are interested in being baptized, or having a child baptized, contact Demmie Divine, 619-297-4366 ext 108.
WEDNESDAYS IN LENT
M O R N I N G10:30 AM - Lenten Bible Study focuses on one of the Lenten themes each week, with Pastor Craig Brown | Linder Lounge
E V E N I N G
5:15 PM - Vespers | Sanctuary | Music for meditation | Communion 6 PM - Dinner ($6)| Linder Hall| RSVP to the office 619-297-4366 by Mon.
6:45 PM - Lenten Bible Study focuses on one of the Lenten themes each week, with Pastor Craig Brown | Linder Hall
YOUTH & CHILDREN
This. Is. It. One Big Fundraiser for Student Ministries Youth Silent Auction
Sunday, March 23 | 7:30 AM - 12:45 PM | Lower Plaza
You are invited to support our youth this Sunday at this once-a-year silent auction fundraiser presented by Student Ministries. Items for bidding include a movie basket, homemade jelly, zoo tickets, Padre tickets, ocean sailing, and much, much more. See youthis Sunday between services on the plaza!
Glow-in-the-Dark Easter Egg Hunt coming April 11
Friday, April 11 | 7-8:30 PM | The Plaza and AmphitheaterCome join us for a fun evening, filled with yummy desserts, glow-in-the-dark fun and games, concluding with a Glow-in-the-Dark Egg Hunt. Children of all ages are welcome to attend... bring friends and don't forget your Easter Egg Basket!
Photo: pleasegivepeasachance.blogspot.com
Children and Palm Sunday
Sunday, April 13
This year our children will be joining in the Palm Sunday processional at the beginning of the worship service in the Sanctuary at 9:30 and 11 AM. We ask that all children gather in front of the sanctuary in the plaza area. For this week only, children will be checked in to Children's Ministry BEFORE worship. After the children are dismissed from the sanctuary they will immediately go into Sunday school.
ART
Seeking Artists for Stations of the CrossCalling all artists! This year First Church is inviting people on a journey to reflect on 14 biblical Stations of the Cross. On Good Friday, April 18, from 7-9 PM, stations will be set up around the outside of the church for people to walk around and prayerfully engage with at their own pace. Each station focuses artistically on one part of Jesus' life. We invite your help in creating a station. You can choose to artistically represent any one of the station themes that inspire you. Read all the details here...
Spring Fling 2014
Saturday, May 10, 2014, 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Location: First United Methodist Church of San Diego, 2111 Camino del Rio South, San Diego, CA US 92108
Room: Sanctuary
Cost: $20.00
Download: Download Event
Purchase tickets here ...
Are you hungry for something satisfying? Whether you’re a gourmet cook or culinarily-challenged, this year’s “Spring Fling” is for the foodie in every woman! Bring your appetite because a fabulous “feast” awaits you, featuring Food Network and Cooking Channel star, Melissa d’Arabian.
Pat BrownYour “dining” experience begins at 11 AM in the sanctuary with emcee and Maitre d’ for the day, 10News weathercaster, Pat Brown, along with dapper deejay, Mike Farmer and the best darn door prize drawing ever.
Deanna Ramsay on the menu? A delicious blend of uplifting musical selections featuring popular contemporary Christian vocalist, Deanna Ramsey.
Melissa d'ArabianThe main course will be served by best-selling cookbook author and nationally acclaimed TV host, Melissa d’Arabian. Winner of the Food Network’s “The Next Food Network Star” and high-octane star of FN’s “10-Dollar Dinners,” Melissa will whet your appetite with a little food for the soul.
Coronado mom of four daughters, Melissa’s inspirational and motivational message is based on her personal journey of faith through family, work and life’s challenges. Melissa will share how, no matter the trial, God always equips her with what she needs.
From there we’ll move to Linder Hall for a scrumptious luncheon buffet, where caterer Nanci Copley promises to feature one of Melissa’s signature recipes.
“Spring Fling” tickets go on sale for $20 Sunday, April 13, at 9 AM and are also available online at fumcsd.org/SpringFlingTickets now through May 8. No assigned seating, but special, elevated staging in the sanctuary means every seat’s a good one!
Don’t miss this special opportunity to connect with hundreds of women and be encouraged in your faith. The “Spring Fling” is the perfect venue to invite friends and loved ones to experience the love of Christ at a festive, fun-filled event.
Come “Fling” with us May 10!
Child care available upon request here or in the church office.
SERVE
Food Ministry Easter OutreachSundays, March 30, April 6-20
Each Sunday our food ministry provides assistance in the form of supplemental food to low-income families and individuals. We served over 6,000 people in 2013. This Easter we would like to provide each family with a ham (canned or fresh) or chicken (large whole roasting) and a dozen eggs (hard-boiled and colored or fresh) in addition to the regular distribution items. To donate a ham or chicken, please drop it off at the patio table on Sundays starting March 30. Bring eggs on Sunday, April 20. Cash donations are also greatly appreciated to help support this project. Please feel free to contact Brenda Blake, 619-297-4366 ext. 125.
Serving at Cherokee Point Elementary School
We are committed as a church to partner with Cherokee Point Elementary School and facilitate positive and lasting change in the lives of children and families living in poverty. You are invited to discover how God might be calling you to reach out in service to a child, parent, or family at the school. Find a list of the many different opportunities to serve here... Learn more about Cherokee Point Elementary School at the SDUSD web site here... Questions? Contact Brenda Blake or Rev. Jessica Strysko, 619-297-4366.
MUSIC
Lenten Choral Concert slated Sunday, April 67 PM | Sanctuary | Free-will Offering
The combined Chancel Choir and Masterwork Chorale will perform Ola Gjeilo's Sunrise Mass and Franz Josef Haydn's Missa Cellensis in C: Kleine Mariazeller Messe No. 8, accompanied by orchestra and organ; directed by Dr. Stanley M. Wicks. Free childcare with RSVP to 619-297-4366. Sponsored by the Cultural Events Committee. Read in-depth about the composers and music on the concert's event page on our website ...
STUDY
All-Church Study to begin in MayAdam Hamilton's The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus
May - June 8
Beginning in May, our church will offer a six-week study ending on Pentecost (June 8th): The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus. Travel to the Holy Land in this third volume of Adam Hamilton's Bible study trilogy on the life of Jesus. Hamilton retraces the footsteps of Jesus from his baptism to the temptations to the heart of his ministry, including people he loved, the enemies he made, the parables he taught, and the roads that he traveled.
Pray through the devotion guide, reflect on the sermon and participate in a small group. It will touch your heart in new ways as you walk the way of Jesus. Please note that this year we have lunch and groups after church as well, and there will be several neighborhood groups offered.
Books will be available for purchase in the church office and on the patio beginning this Sunday, March 23: $15 for the book, $8 for the devotion guide. Lunch on Sundays for group members will be by reservation and $5 per person. You may also sign up online here... Questions? Contact Beckett Kirk at bkirk@fumcsd.org.
HEALTH
National Healthcare Decisions Day WorkshopWednesday, April 16 | 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM | Linder Hall
First Church's Health Ministry Task Force welcomes the San Diego County Coalition for Improving End of Life Care here on April 16 for a workshop that coincides with the National Healthcare Decisions Day. The mission is to educate and raise awareness about End of Life issues and to provide resources to help people make informed decisions.
You will learn about "advance care directives" and the "Physicians Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment" known as the POLST. Three physicians will be present to share their own end-of-life decisions. Come, be informed, so you can learn and help educate people you love and care about.
WOMEN
Mark your calendar: Spring Fling scheduled May 10!Saturday, May 10 | 11 AM | Sanctuary & Linder Hall | $20 purchase online
Are you hungry for something satisfying? Whether you're a gourmet cook or culinarily-challenged, this year's "Spring Fling" is for the foodie in every woman! Bring your appetite because a fabulous "feast" awaits you, featuring Food Network and Cooking Channel star, Melissa d'Arabian.
Details here ...
NOTICES
Position Available: Executive Administrator. Please find job description and application instructions here... The application period is open through today, March 19, 2014.-------
Friday Night Singles (50+ or -) meets every Friday at 6 PM for a meal followed by activities. Email Karen Maczka or call 619-263-3743.
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George Mitrovich to speak at Koinonia this Sunday, March 23. George will speak on, "The Silence of the Church." He will address three areas where he believes the church's witness must be heard -- on the failure of war, the drug epidemic confronting America, and the great wealth divide. Koinonia meets at 8 AM in Linder Lounge. Read more here...
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Prison Ministry Cookie Drive this Sunday, March 23. At Kairos Prison Ministry's retreat weekends inside Donovan State Prison we share homemade cookies with the men to show the love of other Christians in the community. We ask volunteers to bake cookies and deliver to the patio table this Sunday. Please package the cookies 12/Ziploc bag. Questions? Contact Al Jones, 858-271-4939.
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Study the Book of Acts with Sunday Morning Mix ChristCare, a small, mixed group committed to building Christian community, reflecting on God's word to grow in personal discipleship -- Sundays March 23, April 6, 9:15-10:45 AM, in the office conference room.
Griefshare Class continues in Trotter Chapel at 11 AM on Sundays for those who have lost a loved one. You are welcome to join at any time. Please contact Ken Licht at 619-297-4366, x111, for information.
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DivorceCare(R) continues this Sunday through May 25, at 12:30 PM for those who are going through, or have gone through divorce. Information here ...
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UMW Unit Meeting, Thursday, March 27, 9:30 AM - 12 :30 PM, Linder Lounge. Karen Anderson will demonstrate sewing a receiving blanket for junior military wives, Janice Lau will present a Covenant Circle video, Dr. Beth Cooper from SDSU's Wesley Foundation will speak. Salad lunch for all - no charge. All are welcome, do not need to be a member.
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UMW District Study Event, "The Roma of Europe," Saturday, March 29, 9:30 AM - 12 PM, Escondido FUMC, 341 S. Kalmia. Cost is $15 at the door, contact your Circle Chair to reserve.
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Next Neighborhood Family Meal is March 31, 5:30-7 PM, at Normal Heights UMC. Help provide and serve food and enjoy fellowship with families, teens, seniors and people in need of a nutritious, hot meal. Address: 4650 Mansfield St. Volunteers prepare and bring a main dish, salad or dessert. Email Brenda Blake or call 619-297-4366, x125.
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Childcare Workers Needed. Parents, grandparents, retirees: Looking to earn little extra cash? Want to spend some time with our youngest children? Children's Ministry is seeking individuals who would like to work in our church nursery during Sunday worship services, and during special events held on campus. Interested? Contact Laura Schwarcz for more details, 619-297-4366, x140.
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Ushers for Sanctuary services urgently needed. New ushers are urgently needed at all our sanctuary services: 8, 9:30 and 11. You may choose the service time and amount of Sundays in a month that works best for you. The only requirement is the ability to reach out to others with the love of Christ, extending genuine hospitality. Please contact our Head Usher, H. E. Reichert, at 619-424-7961, or leave your name and number with the church office.
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The Altar Flower Calendar has openings for Sundays in March/April 2014. Please help us fill those dates. Call Eleene in the church office at 619-297-4366 to make your reservation. Each bouquet is $50.
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Sponsor a Prayer Quilt for someone in need of prayer -- whatever the reason. Submit a request
or call Cheryl Johnson at 619-297-7575.
Prayers & Squares Prayer Quilt Ministry meets twice a month. For our next meeting, see our 2014 schedule.
Our "Just a Little Gift' Shop" is open Sundays, 9 AM to 12:30 PM. It's located below the sanctuary and through the sanctuary meeting room.
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J. Crew necklace, $44
Vintage & costume jewelry, reasonably priced.
MISSION OUTREACH THRIFT STORE
3186 Adams Ave.
Open Monday to Saturday 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
New items are added every day.
Proceeds from the Thrift Store support several local missions and the United Methodist Women.
Last year we raised $34,000 for local missions.
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In Our Prayers
We invite you to join us as we keep these individuals and families in our prayers this week.IN MEMORIAM
Amy Cox passed away on March 11. She was received into membrship in 2006 by Jim Standiford and is survived by her partner, Sylvia Flanagan, mother, Wanda Cox, and brother, Alex Cox. Services are pending.
Donna Stanley passed away on March 13. She was received into membe4rship in 2006 by Dr. Jim Stnadiford and is survived by her spouse, Morton, and sons, Craig and Todd Stanley. A graveside service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on March 20 at El Camino Memorial Park.
Hospitalized (as of 3/17/14): Jiwu Bassett, Reg Becker, Kay Kent, Pam McPherron, and Bill Savage.
A Prayer Quilt was presented on Sunday, March 16, for Melissa Cole. Please keep this individual in your prayers.
Our sympathy is with Fred and Noel Hafer and family on the death of Fred's uncle, Jim Busse, on March 9 in Charleston, South Carolina.
Our sympathy is with Terry Knox on the passing of Rhoda Wilkins, a beloved member of his extended family, on February 19 in Hamilton, Ohio.
Our sympathy is with Marilyn Scheibal and family on the death of Jerry's mother, Doris Scheibal, on February 23, in Livingston, Texas.
Members of our congregation in the military who are deployed and their families:
Sam Adams
Jason Constantine
Jake Huntley
Chris Lemon
Doug Samples
Collin Sullivan
Matt O'Neal
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First United Methodist Church of San Diego
2111 CAMINO DEL RIO S. IN MISSION VALLEY
San Diego, California, United States
(619)297-4366
WWW.FUMCSD.ORG
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