Welcoming Word. March/April Monthly Newsletter Issue of The Barrington United Methodist Church. Dear Friends,

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1 Welcoming Word March/April Monthly Newsletter Issue of The Barrington United Methodist Church Dear Friends, The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and Easter will soon be here in April. The season of Lent is a time for us to stop, reflect, change and grow. A chance for renewal. We can see this time as an opportunity or a threat - the choice is ours and ours alone. Through Joel's words we are reminded that God is near, that these days are the Lord's days. Joel calls on his listeners to recognize God's nearness and to take the time they have been given to prepare for God's coming to examine their lives very closely. If there are areas that do not reflect God's faithfulness and love, the people are encouraged to stop - to listen for God's voice directing them - and then to grow in God's way. To some, this must have seemed threatening, for change is always risky. For us today it means to give up that which is comfortable and familiar, perhaps even easy. It risky to change but it beautiful when we do allow the Holy Spirit of Love work in us. This Lenten Season, I call you to examine your life and your faith journey, to look at all that you do and say, how you treat your family, friends and how you act at work or at school and ask yourself if you are taking the easy way, or if there is something you can do to be a more loving and caring person. The choice is ours. Accept those promises for yourself, struggle with sin, and thank God for all his mercies. Above all, Lent is a time of renewal. Lent is the promise of a new start for all of us, not a time of discouragement or sorrow. Rather, it is a time when we rejoice that God is a God of refreshment, of new life, of new beginnings. And these promises are not empty ones but are full of the power that comes from the Christ who comes back to life in resurrection. During Lent, we can have confidence that Christ is bringing us with him into a new and wonderful life. Isn t that what the resurrection of Jesus is all about? The darkness of the world could not contain him or his message of love and grace. Easter will be upon us before we know it. CHRIST HAS RISEN! CHRIST HAS RISEN INDEED!! We have an awesome God who loves us so much that he sent his Son to die on the cross for us. God loves us unconditionally. Can you imagine giving up your child to die for the sins of the world? I can t - it is incomprehensible to the human mind. The Good News of Jesus' resurrection and new life is a message that everyone needs to hear. That's especially true in this age of spiritual deadness. At the Special General Conference we have gone backwards. We voted to continue to inflict hurt and pain on the LGBTQIA+ community as we have for over 40 years. General Conference is made of 864 delegates of clergy and laypersons from all over the world. We are global church. General Conference voted and accepted a Traditionalists Plan with more structure and stricter rules around sexuality then before. As it is traditional to not be of one sound mind. We don t need to agree or have same theology with each other, but we can respect each other and love each other. We as the United Methodist Church are divided, broken, and inflicting pain on our brothers and sisters whose sexuality is different from ours. The General Conference voted to retain discriminatory, anti-lgbtq policies that prohibit pastors from officiating at same-sex marriages and exclude LGBTQ persons from being ordained. Additionally, they approved measures to tighten punitive accountability for pastors. We are a global church, and many other United Methodists feel that the LGBTQIA+ Community needs to change who they are. We are all created in God s image. Yes! This might true for some, but most churches in New England are accepting of all. We as a church of the create the acceptance all who are different than us. We create the environment of justice. Because the vote went the way it did, this is an opportunity for us as a church.

2 This vote went this way because we are a global church. Those in the Central Conferences think differently than most of us in the United States. We need be a global church without the influence of our regional theology. We have only just begun to fight for true justice. But there is hope for the future, because of God s grace and love for all is alive and well. We are the ones who need to be God s voice, God s Hands, God s Feet, and God s eyes of transformation for the world we live in. I m serious. God s love and God s Grace is for all. This is an opportunity for grace in action. We as church either create an environment of acceptance for all, or we don t. What has helped me through this issue and other issues is John 13:34-35: A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. Maybe in New England we can be leaders of love and do no harm. We need to hear words of encouragement; not words that continue to damage to our brothers and sisters who have been hurt over the past 40 years. I am so sorry. The LGBTQIA+ community are all in my prayers. I am glad we are all Children of God and that we all have a loving God. I think you get the picture. We need something to change all that. We NEED EASTER! EASTER GIVES US HOPE!!! The Good News of Easter in not merely that Jesus rose again. It is the Good News of our resurrection, or at least the potential for our resurrection. Easter is not just about Jesus' new life, but it is about our new life as well. Like Mary Magdalene, she realized her need for an exchanged life. And in Jesus she received the power to exchange the old life for the new, the dead for the living, the earthy for the heavenly. The Resurrection becomes meaningful for us when we experienced it. As Easter People and as the Church, we now share the power of resurrection life, power that can support us through failures, firings, divorces, illnesses, the economic crisis, real love for everyone and even death. Easter shows us that there is always new life beyond the pain of loss, disappointment and death. Instead, accept the fact that resurrection life gives you - new power and a new place - realities that are not overwhelming when they are experienced with a risen and loving Lord. According to the scripture, the resurrection of Christ is the centerpiece of our faith. There are many people who believe in Jesus-who believe that he died on the cross for our sins-but have a hard time believing in the Resurrection. Paul clearly teaches without a risen Christ, we have no gospel at all. The church must not forget the incredible grace we have to celebrate. The church must, like Mary, go and tell others the wonderful news. Tell them not only that He is alive, but that He made you alive too! Jesus is alive to all who invite him into their hearts as Lord and Savior. It s like the old hymn: You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart. or as Mary announced, I have seen the Lord! CHRIST IS RISEN! CHRIST IS RISEN INDEED! AMEN! As a community of faith, we are a mighty force we can make a difference! We can bring the message of God s love, the message that CHRIST HAS RISEN! to everyone. If we spread this love, our community and our world will be a better place for each other. CHRIST IS ALIVE! As the old hymn states, we know this, because he lives in my heart. CHRIST IS RISEN! HALLELUJAH! Peace, Pastor Dan

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5 Information: OR distributes only the most-requested OR relief supply kits, assembled in the United States, to places in the United States and its territories where these items are most needed. To address international needs, OR works with local United Methodist churches, ACT Alliance, ecumenical, and interfaith partners to respond to disasters. This is part of a comprehensive disaster response strategy. The materials for these kits should not be substituted with anything else. Pack only what is listed. This is consistent with best practices and accountability standards. Mission Sunday/OR Sunday is March 31, 2019 at The Barrington United Methodist Church and our entire church family will be involved! We will begin right away to collect items for Hygiene Kits (Health Kits) and put them together after our Worship. That doesn t mean we can t do any of the other kits. You can purchase individual items or do a whole kit yourself or with someone else. It is up to you. This will be a great hands-on Mission Project for the whole church. Sign-up sheets and the donation basket are in Fellowship Hall. Hygiene Kit includes the following: Value: $12 per kit Hygiene kits provide basic necessities to people who have been forced to leave their homes because of human conflict or natural disaster. Hygiene kits are also used as learning tools in personal hygiene, literacy, nutrition, and cooking classes. One hand towel (15 x x 27 inches) No kitchen, cleaning, or microfiber towels One washcloth One comb Must be sturdy with at least 6 inches of teeth; No pocket combs or picks; Rattail and combs without handles are acceptable but must have at least 6 inches of teeth One toenail or fingernail clipper No emery boards or metal nail files Bath-size soap (3 oz. bar or larger) No Ivory or Jergen's soap Do not remove from packaging One adult toothbrush Do not remove from packaging; Personal advertising not acceptable 10 adhesive bandages (¾ by 3 inches) Common household bandages acceptable One one-gallon size re-sealable bag Options: You could share with another person or family if want to, or just buy some of the materials. Cleaning Kit includes the following: Value: $75 per bucket These supplies enable people to begin the overwhelming job of cleaning up after a flood or hurricane. Cleaning Kit Materials One five-gallon round bucket with resealable lid (14.35 h x w x d) No screw lids; May be used, but must be free from all residual product; Advertisements on the outside acceptable One oz. bottle liquid laundry detergent One oz. bottle liquid concentrate household cleaner No spray cleaners One oz. bottle dish soap One 4-8 oz. pump spray air freshener (three solid, or three gel fresheners also acceptable) One 6-14 oz. pump spray insect repellent (pack of wipes also acceptable) Pump spray bottles must have protective covers One scrub brush With or without handle 18 re-use cleaning wipes No terrycloth, microfiber or paper towels; Remove from packaging Five scouring pads sponges No stainless-steel pads with soap in them; Remove from packaging clothespins One ft. clothesline (cotton or plastic line) 24 roll of heavy-duty trash bags (33-45 gallon sizes) Remove from packaging Five N95 particulate respirator dust masks (1-3 mm thickness) No surgical masks Two pairs kitchen gloves Durable for multiple uses; Remove from packaging One pair of work gloves Cotton with leather palm or all leather

6 Please mark your calendars for our next Loaves & Fishes RI Run on Sunday, March 24th at 10:15 AM (following our 9:00 AM Worship Service) Help is always needed to load the truck and prepare sandwiches. This is an ongoing wonderful opportunity for our entire church family to work together in mission. All ages are welcome to help! Please plan on attending and bring your friends & family with you so that they too can learn more about this ministry. If you are able to go on the truck, please contact Faythe Herdrich or Allen Scott. More Ways You Can Help Loaves & Fishes RI: Items Needed for LFRI: We are asking that people donate current seasonal clothing only. We primarily serve men and are currently looking for donations of Hoodies/t-shirts/jackets Boots/shoes Socks Chapstick Nail Clippers Lotion Hats/Scarves/Gloves Travel-Sized Toiletries Toothbrushes Deodorant Setting up crews for each run Keeping track of grocery inventory Grocery shopping We Share Hope Ordering/pick up for bread Milk ordering/pick up Maintaining clothes closet/sorting Packing bins for each run Preparing & overseeing PB & J team Recycling after prep If you are able to assist in any of these areas, please contact Faythe Herdrich or Allen Scott. Thank you to all who help maintain this ongoing ministry!

7 Lunch Bunch: Friday, March 15th at Noon at Davenport s in East Providence Friday, April 12th at Noon at Leo s in Bristol Please RSVP to Anne Gass at (401) and let her know if you need transportation. Be a Part of Our Cleaning Crew: There is now a cleaning checklist on the doors of the cloak room (off of Fellowship Hall where the extra tables, chairs, and cleaning supplies are kept). This makes it easier for people to clean when their schedules permit, rather than setting a day/time each week. If you are willing to be a part of the volunteer team, simply check off each item on the list as the task is completed. The list contains everything from vacuuming to dusting & wiping down the counters in the kitchen to gathering trash. All ages are welcome to be a part of our team. If you would like to come outside of Regina s hours, let her know and she will give you the code to get the extra key from the lockbox. Egg Hunt Donations Needed: We are once again looking for donations of wrapped candy for the Easter Egg Hunt (to be held this year during worship on Easter Sunday: April 21st during our 9:00 AM Worship Service). There is a basket for candy/small toy donations in Fellowship Hall. Thank you!

8 Daylight Savings Time Begins March 10th That means that before you go to bed on Saturday, March 9th, you should set your clocks one hour FORWARD (spring ahead). Four Ingredients of a Life of Christian Stewardship Give while shopping online! The market was created by the United Methodist Church to help local churches generate revenue every time you shop online, at no extra cost to you or the church! market is safe and secure information will not be disclosed to a third party. This program has been vetted and approved by the s General Council of Finance and Administration. (GCFA). Join for free today at market.org and start supporting your church in a new and modern way. Hundreds of stores and travel sites are participating. Learn more - view the market Brochure. How does it work? All you need to do is to sign up at market.org and you can choose to shop from stores in many different categories. You will find everything from books, movies, fashion, to food for your pet! Here is just some of the stores that are involve with this program. There is over 4000 stores. They also have their own online travel agency where they guarantee the best price on flights, hotels and car rentals. It's as easy as : Go to market.org and join for free! What do I need to join? Your and password. Type in your information and hit the yellow tab Register/Log in. Find your state, then town of your Church then look for the Barrington United Methodist Church and signup. Time to donate; select the store where you want to shop and you will be taken to the official website of the retail store to do your shopping. Be a wise earner, a person who produces with diligence and purpose and is grateful for what he or she has. Be a generous giver to church and charity, with a joyful attitude. Be a wise saver, investing with discernment. Be a cautious debtor; avoid large debt, be careful and strategic about recurring debt; always pay off

9 Eat/Stay/Pray: Second Sunday of Every Month at 8:30 AM Breakfast followed by 9:00 AM Worship Service March 10th Menu: Sour Cream Coffee Cake, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Fresh Fruit, Drinks April 14th Menu: Biscuit Breakfast Sandwiches with Fried Eggs, Cheese, and Sausage Patties (and jam on the side for those who just want biscuits), Fresh Fruit, Drinks There is not a charge for the breakfast, but rather a goodwill offering basket to help defer the cost of supplies. Volunteers Needed Each summer Pastor Dan and Martha dean the Adult Special Needs camp at Mechuwana in Winthrop, Maine. Mechuwana is one of our conference s camps. This year s camp runs from July 8th to July 12th. We usually come in on the Saturday before to set up camp and start staff training at 1:00 PM on Sunday. This year campers are going home after the Talent Show on Friday afternoon instead of Saturday morning in the efforts to help keep camp costs down for our campers. Adult Special Needs Staff will be able to leave after the campers leave and our camp area is clean or stay the night and leave in the morning. We are still in need of some adult counselors to come and spend the week with a great group of campers! We do all the usual camp things... we go swimming and boating, cook s mores over a campfire, make great projects in Arts n Crafts, enjoy our Wednesday night dance and share our talents at our annual Friday Talent Show. We have not picked our theme for the week yet but will soon. Each day we will Worship together and sing. Won t you give it a try? Not only will you will have a great time, but you will be helping to ensure the continuation of our conferences camping programs by volunteering your time and talents. (If this week isn t a good fit consider contacting one of the camp programs in our conference and volunteer. Each camp needs many volunteers!) Contact Pastor Dan or Martha ( ) to volunteer or ask for more exciting information. Online Giving: Planning on going on vacation but want an easy way to keep your pledge current? Log onto our website: and click on the Giving tab at the top. It only takes a minute to create an online profile. It s simple, easy, convenient, and you can set it up so that your donation is processed automatically weekly, biweekly, monthly, or semi-monthly. Thank you for your continued support and for enabling our church to serve, love, pray, an share together. Your pledge makes it possible for us to keep our doors open, and equips us to go out further into the world to share the good news with others.

10 Music can speak to us in special ways. Do you have a favorite faith song that really speaks to your heart? A hymn? Something your grandparents shared? A song you hear on the radio? These songs are an important part of our faith, and they can be an important way to share our faith with others. Will you share your favorite song? No, you don't have to sing it for us - but you certainly can if you'd like! If it s a hymn, we can sing it together. If it's something from the radio or from your past, we can find it and play it. We'd just like a few sentences from you explaining the song's importance. You will be notified when your song will be included in the service, and then you can let us know if you d like your explanation printed in the bulletin or if you would like to share it with us that morning. If you have a song to share, or any questions, please contact Pastor Dan at pastordfames@yahoo.com or Coni Ferland at cjferland@gmail.com. Stepping Stones: From the beginning of time, stories have been the way people have shared their experiences. And when they shared their faith stories, they nurtured the faith of others. We all have stories of the times God has touched our lives, and no matter how small they may seem to us, God can use them to impact others' lives. Do you have a faith story you're willing to share? You can share it in writing, or in person during worship. If you're concerned about how to share your story, we can help. If you have a story to share, or any questions, please contact Pastor Dan at pastordfames@yahoo.com or Coni Ferland at cjferland@gmail.com. You will be notified when your story will be included in the service, and then you can let us know if you d like your story printed in the bulletin or if you would like to share it with us that morning. Looking for a friendly space? The Barrington United Methodist Church is available for rentals for weddings, funerals, meetings, and fellowship. Our Fellowship Hall houses 75 people comfortably with padded folding chairs and your choice of card tables or long tables. It s a perfect gathering space for functions. Our sanctuary comfortably seats 100 people and is often rented for weddings and funerals. The Betty Hamilton Parlor is a cozy space that can comfortably house 12 people and is often used for smaller meetings and includes couches, chairs, and a tv/vcr/dvd player. We offer a large parking lot and are handicap accessible! Call the Church Office at (401) for prices and more information! The Rhode Island State Council of Churches: The Barrington United Methodist is a member of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches. Their mission statement is as follows: The Rhode Island Council of Churches, grounded in the Christian message and seeking to be followers of Jesus, gathers denominations, congregations, organizations, faith leaders, and individuals to serve as a catalyst for ecumenical, cultural, and interfaith dialogue; offer resources to and with each other; advocate for peace and social justice. Visit the RISCC website for more information about current events/gatherings at

11 The First Sunday of the month is Food Pantry Sunday as well as Communion Sunday. Barrington has been involved with Tap-in over the years in helping with the hunger in our communities. On March 3rd and April 7th we will be collecting standard staples as: Macaroni & Cheese Cereal Peanut Butter Jelly Soup Canned Vegetables Please bring the above items on Sunday, March 3rd and Sunday, April 7th to place on the altar in the sanctuary. Let us all make a difference in fighting hunger in our community. Music is a meaningful and powerful means of worship. If you would like to provide Special Music (solo, instrumental, etc.) during the worship service, please speak with Andrew Wynsen, Music Director. Attention: We Want You!!! We are the Church! All of us together! Want to join and reap the benefits of membership (or just explore the possibility)? Do you have any questions about how to become a member of F Warren/ Bristol or Barrington. Church membership is open to any and all who seek the presence of God in their lives. Baptism is a requirement for membership. If you have not been baptized, please contact Pastor Dan to schedule a personal pre-baptism counseling session. If you have been baptized in any denomination, you are free to join whenever your heart is called to do so. Persons may become members of The United Methodist Church by: Vows and profession of faith: Transfer from another United Methodist Church; Transfer from another body of the Christian Church; The renewal of vows if they have lapsed; Affiliate transfer if they are Methodists and will be in town a short while; or Associate transfer if they belong to another denomination and are in town for a short while. Profession of faith includes: Affirming your baptismal vows; Commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord; Accepting the Old and New Testaments as normative for faith and practice; and Commitment to live the Christian life and remain a faithful member of Christ's Holy Church through your prayers, your presence, your gifts, and your service. An Inquirer s Class will be held at a mutually convenient time for people that are interested. Anyone wishing to join the F Warren/ Bristol or Barrington please speak to Pastor Dan.

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13 Easter Flower Order Form Please list below the name(s) of the person(s) in whose honor or memory you wish to place your plant to decorate the sanctuary. You may choose from lilies, daffodils, gerbera daisies, or tulips. Please print the name as you wish it to appear in the Easter Bulletin. IN HONOR OF: IN MEMORY OF: YOUR NAME: PHONE #: # OF PLANTS (please specify type of flower): The cost of each plant is $8.00 Please make checks payable to: Barrington United Methodist Church (Please put Easter Flowers in the memo field.) And send to: B Attention: Flower Committee 230 Washington Road Barrington, RI Or leave it in the Church Office mailbox (on the door of the Church Office). DEADLINE FOR ORDERS: Sunday, April 7, 2019

14 March 2019 Barrington United Methodist Church Calendar of Events Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat :00 AM Worship Service: Communion & Food Pantry Sunday 10 Daylight Savings Time Begins 8:30 AM Eat/Stay/Pray Breakfast in Fellowship Hall 9:00 AM Worship Service 4-5:30 PM Confirmation Meeting at Barrington 17 St. Patrick s Day 9:00 AM Worship Service followed by Lenten Pretzels during Coffee Hour 24 9:00 AM Worship Service 10:15 AM LFRI Run; Please stay after worship to help! 4-5:30 PM Confirmation Meeting at Barrington 31 OR/Mission Sunday 9:00 AM Worship Service followed by packaging of hygiene kits & flood buckets in Fellowship Hall :00 PM Joint Ash Wednesday Service at Barrington :30 PM Church Council Meeting 13 6:30 PM Praise Team Rehearsal :30-9:00 PM Hameho Garden Club in Fellowship Hall 15 12:00 PM Lunch Bunch Outing at Davenport s :00 PM Barrington Emmaus at Barrington 16 10:00 AM Praise Team Rehearsal :00 PM Pasta Supper at Barrington

15 April 2019 Barrington United Methodist Church Calendar of Events Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Easter Flower Order Forms Due 9:00 AM Worship Service: Communion & Food Pantry Sunday 4-5:30 PM Confirmation Meeting at Barrington 14 Palm/Passion Sunday 8:30 AM Eat/Stay/Pray in Fellowship Hall 9:00 AM Worship Service 21 Easter Sunday 9:00 AM Worship Service: Egg Hunt for Kids after Children s Moments 28 9:00 AM Worship Service 8 9 6:30 PM Church Council Meeting Earth Day 23 7:00 PM Barrington Emmaus at Barrington :00 PM Lunch Bunch Outing at Leo s 24 6:30 PM Praise Team Rehearsal Maundy Thursday 3-8:00 PM Blood Drive in Fellowship Hall at Barrington 6:00 PM Potluck Supper at First 7:00 PM Joint Good Friday Service at First 19 Good Friday 7:00 PM Joint Good Friday Service at Barrington :30 PM Confirmation Supper followed by Sleepover at Barrington :00 AM Praise Team Rehearsal 12:00 PM Confirmation Sleepover Over

16 Welcoming Word March/April 2019 Barrington United Methodist Church Rev. Daniel Ames 230 Washington Road Barrington, RI Office Hours: Administrator: Monday Friday: 10 AM 2 PM Pastor: Monday-Thursday from 10 AM 12 PM and also by appointment Sunday Worship Service: 9:00 AM followed by Coffee Hour Phone: Parsonage: Church: bumcchurchoffice@gmail.com Pastor: pastordfames@yahoo.com Church Website: Facebook: Barrington Umc Lovingly mailed with prayers and blessings to: Please join us!