The Lighthouse/Tidings Newsletter October, 2015 Pennsauken & Trinity United Methodist Churches

Transcription

1 What s Your Legacy? It was a spring morning in Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, sat down for breakfast. As he lipped the pages he was astonished to ind his own obituary. Obviously, it was a mistake; it was his brother who had died. Yet reading his own obituary overwhelmed Alfred. In the obituary, he read about himself as the world saw him, the dynamite king, the great industrialist who had amassed a great fortune by making explosives. His business achievements were accurately reported, but captured nothing of his true intentions. He had dreamed of a world where there would be no more wars, ignorance, poverty and prejudice. The obituary characterized him only as a man who made a fortune by discovering new ways to mutilate and kill. That morning Nobel resolved his real last will and testament would be an expression of his dearest ideals. Those moments were the beginning of the Nobel Peace Prize, the most prestigious honor bestowed on those who seek a more humane world. We all need to remember that like Nobel through our lives we are writing our living legacy. As we live our lives each day a postscript is being added. Day by day each of us prepares a legacy with a sub-text that reads, Being of sound mind, I hereby bequeath to the world. The way we use our resources speaks of our values. Each human being by the way we live leaves a legacy of being a spiritual lightweight or heavyweight. Neither our wealth nor our debt determines our ultimate worth. It is what we do with the resources with which we have been entrusted that make the difference. Consider the money we spend on entertainment vacations, movies, hobbies and sports? Does God and the church receive an equal amount? Does God and the church receive as much as the largest one of those items? What legacy are we leaving behind? Can we begin to imagine what our church s ministry might look like if we all followed the guidance we ind in the Bible that directs how we should give to God? The Bible speaks of giving irst fruits, on the irst day of the week. It speaks of proportional giving in proportion to what we earn? It speaks of giving sacri icially. It speaks of upholding God s ministry to the world through the church s ministry? It speaks of things that rust and moths consume versus things that are eternal. Jesus speaks of seeking irst the kingdom of God. What type of obituary are you writing? What legacy are you leaving behind? These are questions we all should be praying about as we look to the future. I look forward to seeing you Sunday morning, October 4 th as we celebrate World Communion Sunday. In Christ, Pastor Walt Mander

2 The Lighthouse/Tidings The purpose of this ministry is to reach a little further out into our surrounding community. Please plan to join in by participating and/or volunteering on Fridays! All activities will be held in the Wesley Hall at Pennsauken United Methodist Church from 10am 1:00pm. Please join...as a volunteer or, just as importantly, join as a participant. All are welcome! Hope Mobile Food Bank Ministry ~ 1st Friday of the Month Assistance with food for those who meet the qualifications as set forth the by the Food Bank of South Jersey. Community Luncheon hosted by Haddonfield UMC ~ 2nd Friday of the Month We will serve out of our kitchen to those in our community. We are very excited to provide this mission!!! Clothing Ministry ~ 3rd Friday of the Month Our on-going Clothing Ministry has grown in popularity! Once a month, people from the community are able to shop our bins and racks of clothing. Fellowship & Gathering ~ 4th Friday of the Month We will join with those of our community for a time of fellowship and gathering. Light snacks will be served. This will be a time to offer Bible Studies, devotional studies, exercise class, games, crafts etc. Special Events ~ 5th Friday of the Month The next 5th Friday will be on October 30th, at this time we will be hosting a Halloween Party. Please come join in the fun and fellowship. Trinity UMC - Merchantville Child Care Center is a non-profit child care center licensed by the State of New Jersey Department of Children and Families. We are committed to providing quality child care services and early childhood education for children ages 2 ½ to 6 years. It is our philosophy that the development of the individual as a whole being is attained through the enrichment of the social, intellectual, and spiritual aspects of his/her nature. The staff at Trinity UMC Child Care Center strives daily to promote the development of a healthy, inquisitive, and self-confident child who is prepared for the social and mental requirements of education and is nurtured in a warm, nurturing, and secure environment in which love for Jesus Christ and for others is taught and shared. We believe children are unique individuals who grow and develop at their own pace with their own strengths, needs, and interests. The Center offers a variety of learning opportunities generated from these needs and interests. Many choices are provided within a carefully arranged structure. Learning through play and actual experiences is a cornerstone of the program. 36 W. Maple Ave. Merchantville, NJ HOURS OF OPERATION 7:00 a.m. 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday

3 ...at Trinity United Methodist 01 Marie Barnhardt 03 Joseph Thompson, Jr. 04 Cora Lee Page 04 Bobbi Stagliano 04 Ryan O'Shea 05 Susan Summers 05 Charles Tissot 05 Peter Johnston 05 Christopher Weller 08 Shauna Rupert 09 Skip Harris 11 Carol Swanson 11 Claudine Jones 15 Jenny Perkins 17 Katelyn Plasket 18 Beverly Holliday 20 Brayden Keyser 21 Chika Ezeiruaku 22 Charles Coward 23 Bill Taylor 26 Araba Assan 27 Amber Davis Happy Anniversary 03 Adam & Peggy Gilliss 07 John & Donna Perkins Community Servant Trinity United Methodist Church Food Bank Wednesday, October14, :00am 1:00pm Canned meats (chicken, ham, tuna) and cereal are needed! Prayer Chain Requests at Pennsauken UMC Please call a prayer chain request in at ASAP so I can start the chain immediately. I don't always read s and/or Facebook messages. If you have any questions, please call me or the church office. Thank You, Jean Plasket Hello Friends! Since this is the first combined newsletter for our two churches, I would like to welcome readers from Pennsauken Methodist. We ve enjoyed joint services and ministries for a few years now so it will be nice reading articles from members of both churches and being more informed about each church s activities. We all join with the Migliaccio family in grieving the loss of our dear sister Linda. Her life was a shining example of faith and love and she had such a positive impact on everyone she touched. We continue to send prayers for Larry, Lauren, Lindsay, and the rest of her loving family as they walk the road towards healing. We know her love continues to surround us all as she now shares a bit of heaven with all the saints who left this world before her and welcomed her into the new kingdom. Over the summer many people contributed to our worship services. Thank you to all who served as Greeters, Worship Leaders, Ushers, AV Techs, and Fellowship Hosts. Please continue to volunteer to serve our churches in these roles. We also enjoyed special music from lots of volunteers from both churches. While Helen was on vacation we enjoyed music from our substitute organists, Bob Gardner and Evelyn Barnhardt. Doc Maddison shared music with us on a few Sunday mornings. Kathy Mander, Mike and Cookie O Shea, Earl Harris, Sue Summers, Mari Hughes and a quartet from the Pennsauken church joined me in taking turns singing some of our favorite music. Jack Thomas also played his trumpet for us on a couple of Sundays. I want to say thank you to the musicians for sharing your gifts and pray that both congregations were touched with a blessing in the messages we shared. Thanks also to Helen, Catherine, and Joe who did a wonderful job of accompanying our music! To God be the glory! Our church has also taken the reins of the Day Care Center that was formerly run by the Respond Organization. This is definitely a leap of faith but we are hopeful that as we continue to operate under the leadership of Juanita Wilson we will be able to succeed with this ministry in the surrounding community. Please pray that God s will is revealed as we move forward in this endeavor. As summer turns to fall and we return to the busier schedule, I close again with the words of Tiny Tim. May God Bless Us, Everyone Debbie Curcio Trinity s Worship Committee Chairperson Prayer Chain Requests at Trinity UMC Please contact Pat Nelson at

4 Music Ministry Youth Information Handbell Choir will begin on October 1st at 6:30pm at Trinity United Methodist church; led by Dr. A.E. Doc Maddison, music director at Trinity UMC. The invitation to join the handbell choir is open to all Pennsauken & Trinity congregants. Choir rehearsals Pennsauken UMC ~ 11:00am to 12 noon each Sunday morning. Anyone interested in joining the choir, please see Catherine de Laurentis and/or come to one of our rehearsals. Trinity UMC ~ 7:30pm each Thursday evening. Small Groups Youth Fun Nights at Pennsauken September 12 & 26, 2015 ~ 6:00pm 8:00pm Youth Fun Nights, for all children and youth of the church, will start up again this September! Join us for an evening of activities and a light dinner. Adults are welcome to attend! Please contact Cyndi Holshue for further information. Methodist Youth Fellowship at Pennsauken September 20, 2015 ~ 7:00pm 8:00pm This is a new ministry for the Junior and Senior High kids to meet and connect on Sunday evenings. Please contact Marilyn Bouvier for further information. Evening Women s Group October 7, :30pm (In the Yellow Room of Pennsauken UMC) Please join us for an evening of discussion, support, guidance, fellowship, etc. HALLOWEEN CANDY NEEDED! We are in need of small bags of assorted Halloween candy (mini M&M s, Skittles, Hersey kisses, etc) for the upcoming Halloween Youth Night and Joy & Life Ministry Parties. We do have children with nut allergies, so no candy with NUTS please. Any donation is greatly appreciated. W.S.T. (Women Serving Together) Morning gathering will be held at Trinity UMC on October 1st at 9:30am. Monthly breakfast will be held at the Pennsauken Country Club beginning at 8:30am on Saturday, October 17. Shopping passes: Women Serving Together (WST) of Trinity is participating in a fundraiser at Boscov s in Moorestown. Discount passes are on sale for $5. The pass entitles the shopper to a 25% discount on most items, even sale items, on one day, Tuesday, October 20th. All proceeds go to fund WST s outreach/community service projects. To purchase a shopping pass call speak to a member of WST or call Trinity s church office An Introduction to the Heart A four week intro to Nonviolent Communication Tuesday evenings, 7-9pm September 29, Oct. 6, 13, & 20 At the Heart-to-Heart office at Trinity UMC In a culture of judgment and criticism, reactive thinking can be the norm. Judging others or judging ourselves might be the only alternatives we see. Nonviolent Communication, as synthesized by Dr. Marshal Rosenberg, offers another way. These four classes introduce us to our own hearts and to the skills and awareness that can be embodied through Nonviolent Communication. Register at For more information or call Bobbi at bd.heart2heart@gmail.com or

5 October 8 Eleanore Kranefeld 11 Kathy Johnston 12 John Hermann 21 Joshua Norcross 31 Ernestine Hairston P E N N S A U K E N Meetings At Pennsauken UMC Administrative Council Meeting ~ October 20, 2:30pm Trustee Meeting ~ October 20, 7:30pm Fellowship Rise & Shine Breakfast Club Wednesdays: October 7th & 21st, :30am ~ Penn Queen Diner Please contact Jessie Welty if you would like to join us for delicious food and fellowship! Jessie Welty Fellowship Café at Pennsauken Sundays, 10:30am (following service) Yellow Room Join in a time of fellowship and a delicious home cooked meal. Church Conference ~ October 31, 2015 at St. John s UMC, 149 Ganttown Rd. Blackwood/Turnersville NJ Gather for refreshments at 8:30am. Our meeting is at 9:00am followed by worship at 9:30am and a workshop at 10:00am. Please watch the bulletins for transportation options. Fellowship Time at Trinity Sundays, following worship Chapel Refreshments & fellowship Fellowship Fund You may ask What is the Fellowship Fund? This fund allows residents in N.J. Methodist Homes to remain in place even when residents can no longer pay for the cost of their care. The Collingswood Manor has been in continuous operation since 1907, Methodist Homes of N.J. care for more than 2,300 men and women of all religious denominations. As we know our senior citizens are living longer. At Collingswood Manor many are in their late 90 s and some over 100. Therefore the demands of The Fellowship Fund grow each year. During the month of October Trinity will be asking for your support to the Fellowship Fund with a donation. There will be a special envelope in your bulletin for that donation. Family Fun Day - Family Fun Day at Collingswood Manor has been rescheduled. The new date is Saturday, October 3rd from 10:00-2:00. They have informed us that the day will begin with music and meditation in the chapel. There will be children s games, even a dunk tank, food for purchase, a silent auction on dozens of great baskets and a DJ providing music all day. Proceeds will go to the Fellowship Fund. Attic Sale The Collingswood Manor Auxiliary will be holding their annual Attic Sale on Saturday, Nov. 7 th from 9-3. To make this sale a success we need your help. We need small household items, holiday items, knick-knacks, jewelry etc. for the sale. No clothing or large items please. If you are planning to do some fall cleaning please save those items for our sale. Items will be collected during the month of October. If you are interested in helping at the Attic Sale either setting up on Friday, Nov. 6 th in the afternoon or the day of the sale please contact Karen Hoffman, Collingswood Manor Rep. at Trinity

6 Sunday Worship 10:45 AM The Tidings A periodic publication of Trinity United Methodist Church Office Hours Tues. - Fri. 9:00 am - 1:00 pm (856) Fax: (856) office@gotrinity.org Website: Visit us on Facebook Sunday School 9:30 AM 2015 Trinity United Methodist Church 36 W. Maple Ave. Merchantville, NJ 08109