APRIL Inside This Issue: Friends, Below is the sign that hangs on the door of the garden tomb in Jerusalem.

Transcription

1 S PA RTA U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U RC H APRIL 2015 Inside This Issue: CALENDAR 2 CHURCH COUNCIL 12 CHURCH & SOCIETY 7 COMTEMPLATIVE WORSHIP 1 0 FUTURE OF HOPE 13 HELP WANTED 6 HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE 3 LAY LEADER S THOUGHTS ON RECONCILING COMMUNITY 8 NEW MEMBER INFO 10 PEACE MARCH 7 RECONCILING COMM 4 SMA:LL GROUPS 11 SOLAR PANEL NEWS 9 VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL 4 WORLD MISSION WORSHIP 3 GIFTSHOP 13 YOUTH SCHEDULE 5 UNITED METHODIST 12 Friends, Below is the sign that hangs on the door of the garden tomb in Jerusalem. I think about it often, especially when I am looking for Jesus in all the wrong places. He s not here. For he is risen - above the superficial. He is risen above our theological debate. He is risen above all sects and separation. Once we rise above the drama and the trouble, we can be at work in the trouble. I thought about this sign while we journeyed all throughout the Holy Land. As I pondered it, I realized that all God s lands are holy. And that Jesus is not here (on our side) or there (on theirs) but everywhere (calling God s people together.) The next time you are looking for peace in a less than holy place, will you remember that Jesus rose and is risen above it all, and through it all. Happy Spring, I am with you in ministry, janice Page 1

2

3 Have the full experience of Holy Week... Palm Sunday 8:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Maundy Thursday 7:30 p.m. Good Friday 7:30 p.m. Easter Sunday 8:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Between worship services 9:30 a.m. Do let us know what you can bring! Talk to Pat Schutz! Page 3

4 VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is Coming! -- GOD S LOVE IN ACTION! August 10 th through 14 th, :00 a.m. 12:30 p.m. Registration is open and volunteers are needed! Contact Kasia Juan at (201) or Melissa Lambert (973) from the Reconciling Community of the SUMC YOU RE INVITED TO SPECIAL EVENT! Friday night, April 10 at 6:30 come for pizza and a salad as you tell us, What s on Your Heart Regarding Reconciling? We really want to know. This is a chance to come, ask questions, talk about your concerns and be heard. Pease contact Sarah DiGioia atcircleofsarah@gmail.com Page 5 Page 4

5 Sparta UMC Youth News Thurs. April 16, 6:30-8 PM Youth Lounge Saturday, April 18, 10AM 2PM MISSION TRIP FUNDRAISER in THRIFT SHOP Youth COUNCIL meeting: Sun. April 19, 11:45 AM, Youth Office Youth Group meeting (Jr/Sr High GR 6-12): Sun. April 19, 5:30-7:30 PM *Ian Good will be joining us to explore music/interests re: upcoming contemporary worship! Youth Group meeting (Sr. High GR 9-12): Sun. April 26, 5:30-7:30 PM, Youth Lounge LAST CALL FOR : 2015 MISSION TRIP to Virginia Beach GRADES = Currently in 7th-12th July 26-Aug 1, Scholarships will be provided for those in need and fundraising will reduce our costs per attendee. MISSION TEAM meeting & 2nd DEPOSIT due: Sun. April 26, 11:45 AM-12:30 PM, Youth Office Page 5

6 GOD AND ME Program for the Cub Scouts Beginning, Wednesday April 8th at 4pm for four Wednesdays,. Girl Scout Troop is collecting items to help the homeless. Items will be distributed to families participating in Family Promise in May. A collection box is located in the narthex. Items being collected include: toothbrushes and toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, combs and brushes, Chapstick and lotion, socks and mittens, first aid supplies, small toys, Thank you for your support! Julia Juan and Julia Kadar HELP WANTED Technical Support For worship - power point, projection, sound, we need it all! Feed the Body, Feed the Soul Shop, make sandwiches, pack bags, feed people! Reconcile the Bank Statements Finance Committee is looking for someone who is good and has patience with numbers. Volunteer at our Shops Thift Store and World Mission Gift Shop Worship Monthly Knoll Heights Office Support Team - Weekly Bulletins and Monthly Newsletters FOLD collate, stuff, mail. Youth Group Chaperone, shop, hang. Worship Service Attendants Greet people as they arrive Offer the children s message Been thinking about a Ministry? See the Pastor and let it be born. Page 6

7 PUTTING FAITH INTO ACTION News & Opportunities from the Church & Society Committee The Church and Society Committee of the Sparta United Methodist Church is connected to both the Conference and the General Boards of Church and Society. The job of the Church and Society Committee at all these levels in the United Methodist Church is to work on issues of social justice.. ALL ABOARD THE PEACE TRAIN Sunday April 26 Let our numbers be so large that our voices will be heard inside the UN and around the world. Build a Peaceful, Just, and Sustainable Future! Take the Peace Train to NYC from Dover. March to the UN the day before a major Review Conference for the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Begins at UN Headquarters. Join people from throughout the Region and the World to call for real progress toward the Global Nuclear Disarmament through negotiating verifiable agreement(s). The Nuclear Age is nearly 70 years old, and it's time to globally retire nuclear weapons, so they can't be used by terrorists, nations or anyone else We ll meet at the train station. Contact for info: litsa@embarqmail.com Why I will march on April 26 : Because I believe a nuclear-free, peaceful, just, and sustainable world is a beautiful thing. It is how God intended this world to be. It is the greatest gift I can give my children and grandchildren. Because I know that I, alone cannot influence world leaders, but when I join thousands of people from all over the world I can make a difference. Because it is empowering to march with people from all over the US and the world - France, Spain, Chile, Argentina, Italy, Japan, Kenya..., calling for a better world. I will feel the goodness and power of our common humanity - yes ordinary people together can make our world a better place. Because I truly believe a better world is possible when we want it, when we work for it, and yes, when we march, and demand it until it happens. Because it is easy and fun N J Peace Action is doing all the coordinating We will take the Peace Train from Dover, my daughter and two grandchildren will go with me this time. I will meet old friends on the train and the march and make new ones. I will gratefully accept peace cranes from Japanese marchers, and hope to have a peace token to give them. We will march, we will sing, and we will come back very tired. We will be making history. I invite you to join me on the peace train. If you cannot go, you can join the marchers in spirit by being part of the global wave to nuclear weapons in some other way prayer, song? Did you sign the petition in the narthex? The deadline to sign it is April 15. Your signatures will be delivered with millions of others from around the world to UN leaders. Page 7

8 Same Kind of Different As Me BookWorms Selection APRIL United Methodist Women Go in Many Directions Come Join Us! Monday, April 13, the BookWorms will meet to discuss Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. The sub-title of the book is A Modern-Day Slave, An International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Brought Them Together. Most libraries have the book. Read it and come on April 13 or come whether you ve read it or not. The May book is Kind of Kin by Rilla Askew. Both the April and May books are in the Sparta United Methodist Women s library in Holy Hookers Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. We are making blankets for those who are ill and in need of healing. Join us even if you do not crochet. We need people to piece together our squares! Reprinted from March... Lay Leader s Thoughts on Love and the Reconciling Community I wrote a chant a few years ago that can be sung to the tune of When Jesus Wept. The four lines are: Each day begins, and then each day ends. And so our lives have endings too. Look closely now at time you have, and use your moments to live the love. ( Words Copyright 2013 by Ann Freeman Price) I am hopeful, that that s what this time of exploring becoming a Reconciling Congregation is about it s about living the love even in the process. I think that this period of time can be about how we care about each other, not about disagreements. This time can be about listening and hearing each other, not about talking louder or ignoring each other. This time can be about not winning or losing, but about sharing stories of our lives. I m hoping that in this year of exploration that at the end we will know each other better and that we will all love each other. Right here and right now I m making the commitment to do that. I hope you ll join me. It also feels to me that this isn t just about us. It s about us and God, about us and the Holy Spirit, about us and prayer. I want to stay open to the power of what God will do at Sparta United Methodist Church from now until February of As we love, let s see how God moves us. Look closely now at time you have, and use your moments to live the love. Ann Freeman Price Pag

9 Solar Panel News Greetings everyone, hopefully by the time you read this, we are basking in the April sun with the most recent ice age-like winter a distant memory. I thought it appropriate with the vernal equinox behind us and the sum- mer solstice just a few months a way to update the congregation on the current production numbers and loan status of our solar panel system. I also wanted to allay possible concerns resulting from the Sussex County Freeholders recent disclo- sures regarding the financial losses as a result of their solar project's contractor going out of business and the subsequent defaults on the public bonds involved. While it is true that our contractor, East Coast Alternative Energy, is now out of business, our project was completed in 2011 well before their demise. Also, I have checked with the company that manufactured our panels, SolarWorld Inc., and they assured me that our system is under full warranty for 25 years. In addition, in moments of quiet solitude and prayer, I feel God's presence assuring me that our main power supply, the Sun, will be around for more years then we mortals can fathom, so on that point we can rest easy. For those interested in numbers, here they are, and it s all good news. We generate roughly 28,000 kilowatt hours of energy every year. At current utility rates, that translates to a yearly savings of $8160 on our electric bill, or $680 per month. In addition to that we are allowed to sell SREC's or Solar Renewable Energy Credits back to the Utility Company for the first 15 years of operation, in our case until April of This is done at market price which is currently $205 per credit. Each 1000 kwh produced equals one SREC. We sell about 28 of these credits every year totaling $5740 or $478 per month. Its important to note that the market price does fluctuate but the good news is that the price has climbed steadily from a low of $65 per credit in August of 2012 to the current $205 per credit. The panels came on line in March of To date, we have sold 105 credits totaling $18,967. We also received a NJ Clean Energy Rebate of $18,630 when our project was completed. This coupled with the Finance Committee s deft management of our funds and some generous charitable contributions from the congregation, has whittled away the loan to a current balance of $64,000. At this rate we hope to pay it off before it is due in December of 2025 and avoid any balloon payment. The current monthly required payment is down to about $200, so you can see that the credit sales and electric bill savings of $1,100 average per month serves the church well financially. In terms of good stewardship of God's creation, it interesting to note that our Solar Panel System has also saved about 180,000 pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. That s the equivalent of 3,100 trees being saved. Just some of the advantages of power from the Heavens, (Solar and Wind). A heartfelt Thank you goes out to all who have contributed specifically to the Solar loan. I would ask all who have yet to pledge for 2015 prayerfully consider donating even a portion to that end. If any one wants any further information regarding the solar panels, feel free to contact me at , or just stop me on any Sunday just to chat. If you have trouble sleeping, you can even call me in the evening and I'll explain how the panels work. Mark Vrabel Page 9

10 Make the Leap! Been thinking about becoming a member of Sparta UMC? Are you wondering what that means? Membership Information Dinner on Sunday, April 12th at 5:00 p.m. Invitations have been mailed! Please contact Pat Schutz at (973) or e mail her at pat.schutz@yahoo.com. You may also notify the church office at (973) Enter the practice of the ancients. beginning in May Monthly on the Last Wednesdays 12:15 pm or 7:15 pm Contemplative Worship prayer, scripture, sacred songs, and silence by candlelight-40 minutes. Page 10

11 Study Group Progressive Christianity-Monday Night at 7 p.m. MADD Mother s and daughters in Mission Bookworms Second Monday at 9:30 a.m. Men s Breakfast -Tuesday Mornings at 7 a.m. Lectionary Bible Study -Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. Choir Practice Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Holy Hookers Wednesdays at 1p.m. New small groups RISING at Sparta UMC SPIRITUAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT LIVING WITH ANXIETY FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY Course by Dave Ramsey LIVING AND GRIEVING Thursdays at 5:30 pm, beginning in May Please Pastor Janice for more information. Do you like full color graphics and content? READ THE NEWSLETTER ONLINE!!!! Help the church to save money! Read in color! Pass it on! Visit our updated website at Page 11

12 Highlights from the January meeting: The March Council meeting will be held THURSDAY March 19. The Congregational Care Committee is forming a Hospitality sub-committee to coordinate activities and gatherings for the congregation. The Trustees are working on the downstairs women s restroom and having the carpet in some rooms cleaned. Finance will use the surplus in the utilities budget and half of the surplus at the end of 2014 to pay down the loan for the solar panels. Congregational Care will host a dinner for prospective members April 12. New members will be received May 17. Contemplative worship services will be held mid-day and in the evening each Wednesday during Lent. There were 17 youth who attended the Christmas party and 9 who helped at Manna House December 31. An open house is being planned for the library March 8. Highlights from the February meeting: A youth mission trip is scheduled for July 26 August 1 in Virginia Beach. The cost per person is $289 plus money for a few meals and other activities. Contemporary worship services are in the planning stages The Council approved the creation of a paid position to assist in the nursery Sunday mornings. The 2014 budget year is ending well, but there are concerns regarding the 2015 budget. The Reconciling Community invites everyone to attend a program by Mark Miller March 20 at 7 pm. The Skylands District UMW Spring Celebration will be held here at Sparta UMC May 3, 3 5 pm. The next Council meeting will be THURSDAY March 19 at 7 pm. Complete minutes are available in the Narthex and on the church s web site. Submitted by Muriel Godbersen, Recording Secretary Page 12

13 World Mission Gift Shop OUR MISSION: to eradicate poverty wherever it resides by providing opportunity and support to artisans and farmers worldwide; to support anti-trafficking efforts to end trade in humans. Various activities are fundamental to accomplishing our mission: Buying fair trade items... so that craft makers & small farmers receive fair wages/prices for their efforts; they receive support in starting or maintaining these activities Selling these items... this enables us to buy more items; in this way we contribute to the steady flow of income Surplus Funds are Distributed the markup enables the shop to contribute 1) to efforts to encourage Fair Trade buying and 2) anti-human trafficking programs Raise awareness of Fair Trade & anti-human trafficking efforts each customer is informed of the shop s mission; presentations are made to outside organizations VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION LUNCHEON, April 26 at NOON The shop is open Wednesday & Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm, Thursday & Friday 1 pm to 4 pm. Please consider volunteering once or twice a month. Contact either Jack Carpenter (908) or Pat Johnson at WE ARE REBUILDING AT THE JERSEY SHORE Houses complete 132 Houses in process 33 Volunteers 9,033 Hosting sites 15 Last year, we prayerfully made pledges to A Future With Hope, the GNJ mission that is changing lives at the Jersey Shore and around the world. It is hoped that those who pledged for one year will renew those commitments this year. The total pledges received from the congregation are: $27, So far $14, has been collected through Church Giving. If you have questions about what you pledged for this year, please inquire in the office. AND THANK YOU FOR THE MANY WAYS THAT YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Page 13

14 SPARTA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 71 Sparta Avenue Sparta, NJ Spartaumc.org Worship with us every Sunday at 8:30 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. Sunday school is at 9:15 a.m., Adult class is at 9:30 a.m. Nursery care is available all morning. Come browse gifts from our Fair Trade Shop World Mission Gift Shop Open Sunday 11:30 12:30 Wednesday 10:00-2:00 Thursday 1: Friday 1:00 4:00 Saturday 10:00 to 2:00 CHURCH MOUSE THRIFT SHOP Open Wednesday 10:00 2:00 Thursday 1:00-4:00 Friday 1:00 4:00 Saturday 10:00 2:00 (973) The Good News-letter You can reach Ann Freeman Price, co-editor at or at or The May newsletter deadline will be April 16th at 9:00 a.m.