Activities
Get Involved
We are committed to providing activities for people of all ages. At High Desert we offer a wide range of activities for church members to get involved in.
Pantry Distribution
Distribution occurs on the first Friday (11am-2pm), the third Tuesday (9am-noon) and the third Thursday (1-4pm) of each month. The next food distributions are scheduled for:
Thursday November 20 from 1 pm - 4 pm
Friday December 5 from 11 am - 2 pm **
Tuesday November 16 from 9 am - 12 pm
** Friday distributions include pet food.
November Collection: Canned Soup/Stew
December: Oatmeal (Small Boxes or Variety Pack)
Contact John Samford at (505) 870-0667 for more information.
Upcoming Events & Announcements
Thanksgiving Tamales
Again, this year, the Spanish Church is selling tamales for Thanksgiving. The cost is $25 per dozen. There is a sign-up sheet in the Narthex.
Advent Wreath Making
Join us at the church on Sunday, November 30, 2025, at 4:00 pm for a fellowship event to make Advent wreaths for your home. We'll start with a chili or soup dinner, followed by wreath construction and a blessing to prepare our hearts for the Advent season.
Provided: Chicken wire frames, cardboard mats, evergreen boughs, ribbon, pine cones, an Advent candle set, and an Advent worship guide.
Please Bring: Garden clippers (if you have them), gloves, a dish to pass, and any personal holiday picks you'd like to use for decoration.
Sign-up Deadline: Because of the time it takes to make the frames, if you and your family would like to participate, please sign up in the Narthex no later than November 23.
Thanksgiving Potluck
Are you looking for an opportunity to share your Thanksgiving dinner with friends? Then come join us for a potluck Thanksgiving dinner in the Church Fellowship Hall on Thursday November 27 at 12 noon. Ice tea and water will be provided.
There is a sign-up sheet in the Narthex for the dish that you plan to bring. Take out boxes will be available so that you can take leftovers home. This is a great opportunity to enjoy a great meal and wonderful fellowship. Invite a friend or neighbor. Happy Thanksgiving!
Christmas Toy Drive
Christmas will be here before we know it. For the second year, we will be collecting toys for the Rio Rancho Police Department. They will be distributing these toys to children in Rio Rancho. Please place your donations under the Christmas tree in the Narthex (do not wrap the toys). The Police Department will pick up your donations on Thursday December 4.
Poinsettias
We have ordered Red Poinsettias from La Paloma Greenhouse for Advent and the Christmas Eve Services. If you would like to purchase one or more in memory or honor of someone, please fill out the form below and place it in one of the offering plates. The cost is $9 each and your check should be made out to High Desert UMC and marked for poinsettias on the memo line. The last Sunday to order is December 7.
Christmas Eve Pageant
We need your help! If you can participate in our Christmas Eve Pageant, please see Drew or sign-up in the Narthex.
Christmas Concert
Midwinter’s Promise – Celebrating the promise of God’s love found in the music of the season… the frosty air, the silent snow, the quiet frozen earth.
WHEN: Sunday, November 30, 2025 - Both 9 and 11 am services
WHERE: High Desert United Methodist Church - 1201 Golf Course Road Rio Rancho, NM
WHO: Scott and Irma Reeder
WHAT: Traditional Christmas carols from many countries, contemporary songs celebrating the season, haunting airs and hymns with roots in the Celtic heart of the British Isles, and foot-stomping Irish and American fiddle tunes. Scott and Irma will be playing the Celtic harp, mountain and hammered dulcimers, bowed psaltery, Irish tin whistles, renaissance recorders, guitars, bodhran (Irish frame drum) and more!
Come join us as we begin celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Second Mile Giving
Our Second Mile Giving in November will go to providing hams for Christmas for the clients of the High Desert Methodist Food Pantry. We will purchase the hams and distribute them prior to Christmas. If you would like to support this ministry, please mark “Christmas Hams” on the memo line of your check.
Operation Christmas Child
High Desert is once again participating in Operation Christmas Child
What to do: Fill a shoebox (any size) with toys, hygiene items, and school supplies. Labels and empty boxes are available in the Narthex.
Donation: Include $10 per box (cash or check to HDUMC marked “Operation Christmas Child”) for shipping.
Deadline: Turn in shoeboxes to the church by Sunday, November 16, 2025. They will be delivered to Vision City Church the following week.
Requirements: No soap, secure each box with a rubber band, remove all packaging from items put in each shoebox, and wrap lids separately if decorating with wrapping paper.
Alternative option: If you’d like Patty Latter to shop and pack a box for you, donate $30 (covers items + shipping).
Goal: Collect 160 shoeboxes (last year’s total was 158).
Contact: Call or text Patty Latter with questions.
College Care Packages
For several years, we have been sending care packages of snacks to college students as they prepared for finals. We would like to continue this ministry this year. If you have a college student in your family, please send us the information below so we can send them a care package.
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Student Name:
School:
Address:
Your Name:
Winter Donations
As winter approaches, we are collecting gloves, socka, stocking caps, sweatshirts, blankets and sleeping bags for the homeless. Please place your donations in the bins in the narthex.