The Deadline to submit news and information for the September/October issue of The Parish Friend is 12noon on Monday, 08/21/17.

Transcription

1 The Parish Friend A Newsletter of the Plainville United Methodist Church July August 2017 The church at the heart of the community with the community at heart. FROM THE PASTOR One morning several years ago I rose from my bed in a bad mood. It had been thirty-six hours since my last taste of solid food. I was getting ready to see my gastrologist for a procedure I had had before and I was not looking forward to repeating the experience. Just before going out the door my wife Karen called for me to come quickly. For the last month I had been raising two monarch caterpillars. They had turned into chrysalises nine days before. Before Karen s eyes, one of the butterflies emerged. As we watched together, its crumpled wings, with its brilliant orange and black pattern, expanded. Suddenly my misery from fasting and my anxiety over the procedure evaporated. We were lost in wonder. Later we would joyfully share our experience with my nurses and others at the clinic. In his time of need, Abraham was provided a ram caught in a bush so he would not have to sacrifice his son Isaac. When they needed food, God provided manna from heaven to the Hebrews on their journey to the promised land. When the crowd was hungry, Jesus fed them with five loaves of bread and two fish and all were satisfied. We worship a God who knows our needs and hears our prayers. My need that morning was to look beyond the minor discomfort that put me in such a bad mood. I needed a reminder of the presence of God who does great things beyond understanding and marvelous works without number. Pastor Stuart SUMMER READING When Breath Becomes Air is Paul Kalanithi's autobiographical account of his struggle with cancer. The author was a neurosurgeon. In his book he examines disease from the perspective of both the doctor and the patient. He reflects deeply on the nature of life and death, of science and religion. It is a story of hope and faith in the face of tragedy. WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY Beginning Wednesday, September 6 th from 2-3 pm Pastor Stuart will be leading a Bible study on the Gospel of John based on Adam Hamilton's book John the Gospel of Light and Life. Please join us! SUNDAY FLOWERS To place altar flowers, either memorial or celebratory, please sign the Flower Chart in the Cate Room, or contact the church office. The cost of each display is $15. Please mark your donation flowers. HANDYMAN WANTED We are seeking a Handyman, to contract on an as-needed basis. This would include odd jobs such as sanding and refinishing a wooden handrail, attaching a gutter downspout, etc. Call the Church office if you re interested. CHURCH MEETINGS CRAFT MEETINGS will be held on Tuesdays, July 11th, and August 1 st at 7pm in the Cate Room. No set skill level needed we ll show you how come join the fun! Have a new craft idea? Bring one and show us how! TRUSTEES meet in the Pastor s Study at 7:00pm on Mondays, July 10 th and August 14 th. CHURCH COUNCIL meets in the Pastor s Study at 7:15pm on Mondays, July 17 th and August 21 st. The Deadline to submit news and information for the September/October issue of The Parish Friend is 12noon on Monday, 08/21/17. Plainville United Methodist Church 16 East Bacon Street, Plainville, MA plainvilleumc@verizon.net Phone: Community Worship, Sundays at 9 am. Rev. Stuart Tucker, Pastor Peter J. Williams Pianist Kathy Trowbridge Church Secretary

2 The Living Bread Food Pantry The Summer months June, July and August are when food donations drop significantly. The kids are out of school and families now need to feed their children breakfast and lunch at home. Often, school age children were provided these meals for free from their schools. If your workplace, volunteer organization, Pool club, neighborhood or social group can run a food drive for a few weeks during the summer months, that would be a B I - G help. Do you have a summer Veggie garden? If you would like to donate fresh produce, please call Becca Simon at to make arrangements to drop off your Summer bounty. (Drop off of fresh produce would most likely need to be done Wednesdays btwn 8:30-10am). You could coordinate with your friends and neighbors to gather up extra fresh veggies from your gardens and take turns dropping it off. Fresh produce is always needed and hardest to get. Please see the suggested foods list enclosed in this issue of The Parish Friend. There are two lists so you can share one with a friend. Feel free to make copies of the list to share. Together we are the Church - The church at the heart of the community with the community at heart. We need you and thank you for your help feeding the people in our community this summer. FALL VENDOR & CRAFT FAIR We will once again be holding our Vendor and Craft Fair on Saturday, September 9 th from 1pm-4pm. As of this printing we are still accepting applications for vendors or crafters who would like to have a space; the cost ranges from $40 to $45 (we can supply the table). Applications must be in by August 11 th. Come shop and see all the goods available! Terrific way to get a head start on your Christmas shopping, too! We will have some new vendors as well as some returning from previous years (in case you found something you loved last year and are in need of replacements). For an application or further information events.pumc@gmail.com or call A NOTE OF THANKS Just a note to say thanks for your nice card and note. I m glad you are enjoying the organ and I wish all of you the very best. Blessings and peace to you all, Marjorie Kellner Parish News I want to thank all of the members that prayed for my recovery. It s nice to know that so many people are thinking about me. The power of prayer is one of God s gifts that transcends all faiths. I am on the mend and will soon be back on my feet. Thank you again, Andy Turner To the Church Family, It s wonderful knowing people as kind and considerate as you are. Thank you for all you ve done. Your prayer letter meant a lot to my husband and myself. Special thanks to Peter. Thank you for all you ve done, Hap and Sue Miller Dear Church Friends, Thank you for the prayer letters sent to my sister, Phyllis Peck during her stay at LifeCare and for your condolences. Rev. Blair conducted a lovely service for Phyllis which her family truly appreciated. Audrey Peck Dickinson and Ina Peck Riley Dear Church Family, Words cannot truly express how grateful I am for your love and support not only over the past two months of my son s illness, but since I arrived here almost 10 years ago. My son is on the road to recovery, but it will be a long haul as he has one more surgery to face. But God will get us through it all. My thanks again for all your love and prayers, Brenda Watkinson Thank you! We truly appreciate your thoughtfulness at this time of our great loss. The Taylor and Garza Families Isis, Frank, James, Annaleigh, Alice and Bernardino Our Sympathy to James Archie Arno and boys, Jimmy and Peter, and their families and Elsie Skinner and family on the death of Archie s wife, Lisa Arno on May 25 th. Lisa is Elsie s sister-in-law. Lisa was very active here at PUMC when her boys were young and attended Sunday School. Lisa s bright smile and enthusiasm for life will be missed by all who knew her. Until we meet again, may God hold Lisa in the hollow of His hand. Amen.

3 Our 125 th Anniversary Celebrations The Junior Choir reunion held June 11 th was wonderful. Thank you, Joan Clarke, for organizing it. About 14 former members sang Let There Be Peace on Earth, and then sang Jesus Loves Me as the closing hymn. It was fun to reminisce and share stories after church. Thanks to all who participated to make the reunion successful. PHOTO BOOK Eric Blair took photos on June 11 th which are being arranged in a book to help our new pastor get to know us more easily. More photos will be taken at a later date. If you can t be here, would you kindly submit a photo for us to use? NAME TAGS In addition to the photo book, we will begin using Name Tags to help make an easier transition for Rev. Tucker. We only have one name to remember, but he will try to learn all our names and the Name Tags along with the photo book, will help. Brenda Watkinson is arranging for the nametags. June 18 th was Pastor Jim s last Sunday service with us. He is available until July 1 st, although he will be moving into the Exeter parsonage the last week of June. The farewell reception on Sunday afternoon, June 18 th, was well attended. Rev. Robin Barrant-Woods, with friends from the AME Zion Church, Rev. Garvin Warden (Ret.), former pastor at Centenary UMC, with his wife, Rev. David Hill (Ret.), former pastor at Plainville UMC, with his daughter Karen Hill, were clergy who attended. Many friends stopped by to wish Pastor Jim and his wife, Rebecca a fond farewell. We thank God for the wonderful leadership of Pastor Jim Blair these past 6 six years. We wish him Godspeed and special blessings as he begins his new appointment in Exeter NH. We pray God will watch over him and his family during this transition year for them and the challenges they may face. At the Church Council meeting on June 19 th, Pastor Jim played the 100+ year old Parlor pump organ that is in his office and we all sang Blest Be the Tie That Binds. The organ is similar to one that was used in homes at the turn of the century. This type of organ was probably used at the early religious meetings, as PUMC was being formed, in the homes of the Burtons, and others, and possibly at the church, until the pipe organ was donated by the Burtons, in Saturday, August 12 th Progressive Mystery Ride and Dinner. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us for a fun and special event - the Progressive Mystery Ride and dinner that Rosie Sorrento is planning. We will meet at the church at 2:00pm and divvy up for rides. The dinner will be at a 99 Restaurant and will be on your own. After dinner, we will proceed to a second place for dessert and a meeting of sorts. Something similar to what the Fellowship did on their progressive suppers. Lots of fun planned don t miss this one!! Saturday, September 16 th Fall Picnic Joan and Bill Clarke have graciously offered to have the picnic at their house at 87 School St. Plainville. (Don t you just love picnics!!) Picnics remind me of the church school picnics that were held at Slater Park in the fifties; at least one was held at Camp Aldersgate in the early sixties; and some, in later years, were held in Plainville s Telford Park. If you have pictures and/or memories of past church picnics, please bring them to share. Please bring your favorite sandwiches for yourself and also a side dish or dessert to share as a pot luck picnic. Potato Chips, condiments, paper goods, Joan s famous punch, iced tea, and soda will be provided. This is not planned as a cookout, it is to be reminiscent of the old fashioned church picnics. Sunday, October 22 nd Homecoming Anniversary Celebration Service, being held on the same date as the cornerstone was laid (Oct ) 125 years ago. We have learned that Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar will join us for morning worship and a reception. Former ministers, Rev. David Hoyt, Rev. David Hill, Rev. Richard Noyes, Rev. Dr. John Grenfell, Rev. Peter Parent, and Rev. Jim Blair are being invited to this service and the reception afterwards. What a glorious Homecoming it will be if you are all here with us! SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY GLASS MUGS We have special anniversary mugs for $10 each. Proceeds will buy Methodist grave marker medallions for the three Methodist ministers who served PUMC, and are buried in the Plainville Cemetery. You may purchase a cup after Worship any Sunday See Eileen Newell. Our New Pastor Rev. Stuart Tucker has been appointed to PUMC, beginning in July. He and his wife live in Walpole. He will serve as our ½ time minister. Rev. Tucker s first service with us will be July 9 th. We are planning his welcoming reception on Saturday, July 8 th during the Strawberry and ice Cream Social beginning at 2pm. We look forward to his ministry and extend a warm, friendly Plainville welcome to him and his wife, Rev. Karen B. Westerfield Tucker. We look forward to seeing you at all of these 125 th Anniversary Events, including the reception for Pastor Tucker and his wife, as well as every Sunday morning for Worship at 9:00am. Please join us! Watch The Parish Friend for more news and information on our 125 th Anniversary Year!

4 The Living Bread Food Pantry The Summer months June, July and August are when food donations drop significantly. The kids are out of school and families now need to feed their children breakfast and lunch at home. Often, school age children were provided these meals for free from their schools. If your workplace, volunteer organization, Pool club, neighborhood or social group can run a food drive for a few weeks during the summer months, that would be a B I - G help. Do you have a summer Veggie garden? If you would like to donate fresh produce, please call Becca Simon at to make arrangements to drop off your Summer bounty. (Drop off of fresh produce would most likely need to be done Wednesdays between 8:30-10am). You could coordinate with your friends and neighbors to gather up extra fresh veggies from your gardens and take turns dropping it off. Fresh produce is always needed and hardest to get. Please see the suggested foods list enclosed in this issue of The Parish Friend. There are two lists so you can share one with a friend. Feel free to make copies of the list to share. Together we are the Church - The church at the heart of the community with the community at heart. We need you and thank you for your help feeding the people in our community this summer. Do you love me? Jesus said to him, feed my sheep. John 21:17, excerpts

5 Summer Food Collection 2017 To benefit The Living Bread Food Pantry in Plainville, MA Suggested Items to donate include: BREAKFAST ITEMS Breakfast Bars Cereal Bars Granola Bars Carnation Instant Breakfast (packets) Cold cereals LUNCH ITEMS Peanut Butter Jellies and Jams Marshmallow Fluff Canned tuna Canned chicken Spaghetti O s Canned Ravioli and Beef-a-Roni BEVERAGES Canned coffee Lemonade Mix (powdered) Iced Tea Mix : non- sweetened, sweetened and sugar-free Kool Aid drink mix: non- sweetened and sweetened Non-refrigerated Juices family size bottles and individual juice boxes Non-refrigerated Parmalat Milk (in the canned milk aisle) family size cartons and individual juice box sizes White or Chocolate FRUIT Individual Fruit cups Canned fruit Applesauce jars and individual cups CONDIMENTS Mayo Mustard Ketchup Relish Pickles BBQ Sauce Teryaki Sauce Salad Dressings SNACKS Little Debbie s Snacks Graham Crackers Cookies Microwave popcorn Cheeze-It Crackers Ritz Crackers Wheat Thins Triscuits Goldfish Crackers Pudding Mixes and individual cups (non-refrigerated) Jello Mixes and individual cups (non-refrigerated) Individually bagged, and Family Sized Chips, pretzels, popcorn SUPPER ITEMS Boxed Mac-n-Cheese Hamburger Helper Pasta and Sauces Pasta salad kits Baked Beans Taco Kits Instant Potato Mixes (Cheesy, Scalloped, etc) Rice white/brown Rice mixes such as: Rice Pilaf, Zatterain s mixes, Uncle Ben s mixes, etc. The Living Bread Food Pantry helps to feed over 50 families every week. Your support is needed and greatly appreciated. Thank you for feeding the hungry in our community!