A History of the Cup Overflowing Sharing a renewed vision for 2012

The California-Pacific Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church

The Committee on the Episcopacy

In 2004, Bishop Swenson and conference leaders heard the emerging desire for a Conference vision statement…

At the same time, in light of declining membership and financial resources, many in the Church lamented a growing “survival mentality.”

Bishop Swenson read the scriptures, especially the Psalms, and prayed…

Psalm 23:5b

…My cup overflows…

Bishop Swenson became convinced that scarcity was not in the nature of God; in fact,

“We have already been given everything we need to fulfill our purpose…

The church is a vessel into which God has poured every blessing: now we are to pour ourselves out for a hungry, thirsty, hurting world…”

We are called~

To Be a Cup OverflowingTo Be a Cup Overflowing

with grace, compassion and justice…

so that all may have life, and have it abundantly.

This image was sampled in many ways…

To Be the Cup Overflowing…

A graphic version was developed for use in different settings.

The intent was to sustain the basic image over time, to build continuity and ‘the brand….’

But also to allow for refreshing changes, difference in focus…

By the next quadrennuim of 2008-2012, the United Methodist Church had lifted up the Four Areas of Focus.

A new ‘standard graphic’ was developed that would allow easy updating for the next four years, each year focusing on one of the four Areas….

•Leadership

•New Ministries

•Ministry With the Poor

•Global Health

Then in the fall of 2011, Bishop Swenson attended a planning meeting for historic La Plaza UMC in downtown Los Angeles….

At Olvera Street in the historic center of Los Angeles

The La Plaza leaders shared with her pictures from their past, including this one:

The photo is from 1920,

A time when public signs at restaurants and public services– like drinking fountains-- openly prohibited serving “Mexicans and dogs.”

In contrast, this photo shows Los Angeles’ first non-segregated public drinking fountain, installed by La Plaza to serve the community.

Pictured is Miss Lucia Ibarra, the first ever Mexican-born nurse to graduate from a nursing school in LA and California,

hired by the staff at La Plaza right after her graduation.

Bishop Swenson’s response to the picture was,

“This is what I have been talking about– this is who we are, from the very

beginning: a people committed to grace, compassion and justice.

This is what it means,To Be the Cup Overflowing

then and now!”

To Be the Cup Overflowingwith grace, compassion and justice

Sharing a renewed vision for 2012

The Fountain Project Congregations and ministries are invited to install or designate a drinking fountain or similar source of water,

Ideally in a place visible to public, signed and welcoming to all, using scripture of local choice,

Honoring Bishop Swenson’s twelve years of leadership and vision in this Conference;

And to commit to a water project in a mission setting.

Information and details available by e-mailing bfountain@cal-pac.org.

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