CONNECTICUT DISTRICT NEWS November 2015

Transcription

1 CONNECTICUT DISTRICT NEWS November 2015 The Connecticut District Office of the United Methodist Church 20 Broadfield Road, Hamden, CT Resident Bishop: Jane Allen Middleton Editor: Dorothy Chamberlain Superintendent: Reverend Kenneth Kieffer Volume 31, Issue 10 Web: THE KEYS TO TRUE HAPPINESS By Ken Kieffer My father had a number of bad habits, many of which are chronicled in the 47-year-old transcripts from the divorce court proceedings between him and my mom. But the piece of dirty laundry that I m about to air to you now was likely never heard by the judge: Dad always kept his keys in the car. Always. When he would go to work, when he would pop into the store, when he would stop off at the bar, and when he would come back home from any or all of those places, Dad would always leave his keys in the car. And when I say in the car, I don t mean covertly placed under the floor mat behind the passenger s seat, or hidden in the ash tray, or stowed out of sight in the glove compartment. Nope. When my father left his keys in the car, he d just leave them right there in the ignition! He s been dead for a dozen years now, so we can t with any surety solve the mystery of why a bright man (he could fix ANYTHING!) would do something so stupid on a daily basis. But my guess is this: the man did not want to do what my mother did on a daily basis - lose her car keys! Much of my childhood was spent hearing the plaintiff wail of my mother, Has anyone seen my keys?. Dad never once asked that. Dad never once worried about that. Dad never once voiced his concern over where his keys might be because he always knew exactly where his keys were - right there in the ignition of his car. Over Columbus Day weekend, Karen and Olivea and I met up with my mother, my sister and my nephew out on Fire Island - the barrier beach that runs parallel to the south shore of Long Island, NY. We have done this every year since my father was killed on Fire Island over Columbus Day weekend back in These are always very long days, what with the drive down from Connecticut to Long Island and then the ferry ride across to Fire Island - but I feel closer to him when I m out there. And I also feel closer to my mother, my sister, my wife and daughter, as I grapple with the loss of HIS life amidst the joy of my own. 1

2 THE KEYS TO TRUE HAPPINESS continued The highlight of this particular trip was the long walk and talk along the shore that I had with my daughter, Olivea. Knowing that the next time we d see those waves she d be in college added special significance to our time together. Sigh. Later on, as the sun started to set on our annual daytrip, we prepared to take the halfmile walk from my mom s beach house down to the ferry depot. After everybody hugged everybody, we each picked up our own gear and headed for the harbor. But I stopped. And I checked my back pocket for my car keys. I m not sure why I did this right then, since there d be a 15 minute walk, followed by a ½ hour ferry ride before I would even come close to needing my keys. But I did. And I m glad I did because, as it turned out, MY KEYS WEREN T THERE! Panic set in immediately. In order to catch the last ferry of the day, I needed to start walking. But I couldn t start walking until I found my keys. Frantic, I yelled to my family already on the boardwalk: Has anyone seen my car keys????? My mother smiled knowingly, while the rest of my family simply yelled No! Now what? I couldn t possibly retrace all of the steps Olivea and I took as we meandered up and down the shoreline hours earlier. Besides, if I had been moronic enough to drop them there, the tide would already have pulled them out to sea. Similarly, I couldn t possibly retrace all of my steps on the boardwalk, to and from the beach, since the keys would surely have fallen in between the slats and buried themselves in the sand below. Plus, it was rapidly getting dark Once I came to the awful realization that we could neither stay on Fire Island, nor leave Long Island, I muttered, Oh my God, I give up! I don t think it was instantaneous, but very soon after my mutterance, clarity and calmness the size of a mustard seed came over me. Perhaps I had put my keys into one of the pockets in my Yankees hoodie. Nope. Okay, well, then if they weren t IN a pocket, maybe they had fallen out of 1 of the aforementioned pockets and onto the elevated deck of the beach house. Nope. So the only other scenario that I could think of where my keys could possibly, realistically be found, would be if they had fallen out of said pocket and through the slats of the deck and onto the surface of the sand 12 feet below. Bingo! I don t know if it was my father in heaven who helped me, or my Heavenly Father who helped me. But I DO know that as soon as I surrendered and stopped relying on my own efforts and insight, I was given all that I truly needed. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. (Proverbs 3:5 RSV) 2

3 CT DISTRICT MISSION PROJECT CLEAN WATER FOR NICARAGUANS ACCION MEDICA CRISTIANA (AMC) is a Nicaraguan faith-based, nongovernmental organization and one of the country s leading health and development agencies.amc, as a partner of the United Methodist Church, is an approved Advance Project #14846A and a Volunteer Host Partner. Since the development of Filtron ceramic filters in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch (1998), AMC has had ample experience in distributing the appropriate technology to communities in the Caribbean Regions. AMC proposes to purchase 200 filters and distribute them to 200 families. The costs for these filters includes: purchase of the filters, transportation to AMC Field Office in Sahsa, local distribution to communities, health education talks, support for an AMC Promoter and follow up visits (2 to each community). It is anticipated that the ceramic filters will not only improve the quality of drinking water for these households but will have a direct impact on the prevention of water and food-borne diseases, improved nutrition and better health for these families. The Cost: $50 per filter Each church in the Connecticut District is asked to support this project by purchasing at least one filter that is $50 per church. Please make checks payable to the CT District and mail to:ct District Office, Attention: Dorothy, 20 Broadfield Road, Hamden, CT ARE YE ABLE? 3

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5 2016 DIGITAL ADVERTISING GRANTS FOR EASTER & OTHER RESOURCES We are now accepting applications for our 2016 Easter Digital Advertising Grants. This grant is for local churches who want to raise awareness of their church in the community by means of online digital advertising during the Easter season. These ads will link directly to the church website and will be geo-targeted to each church s community. The grant provides pre-designed static banners that display a seasonal Rethink Church message, the Rethink Church logo, the UMC brand promise and the local church logo. If a church does not have a logo, we can create a brand standard logo for them. The ads will run for two months (February March 2016). A church may see their ads on websites as large as CNN and The Weather Channel as well as on local news websites. We also provide a follow-up report on click through rates and site visits to each church from the advertising period. Attached is our FAQ that should help answer questions about the digital grant process. Please pass this information along to churches in your area and ask them to visit our website HERE to learn more about our selection criteria and to apply. Deadline to apply is January 7, 2016! Grants are awarded on a first come, first served basis. Churches can only be awarded one grant type of any kind once per year. Just a reminder that Rethink Church has many resources available for Advent: We are running National Advertising and can customize the Advent TV spots for your church at no cost for a digital file (only available in English). Rethink Church has outreach resources to invite your community during the Advent season for English and Spanish speaking congregations that include low-cost direct mail postcards and 100 free customized door hangers and invitation cards (order deadline is December 1). We have free downloadable worship resources that include bulletin covers, worship graphics, and much more! Thank you for helping us spread the word about this great opportunity! The Rethink Church Grants Team United Methodist Communications, Rev. Ashleigh Joyner, Director of Rethink Church Resources & Events Pam Buck, Project Coordinator Wanda Jackson, Project Coordinator P: toll free E: rethinkchurchgrants@umcom.org W: 5

6 Are You Called to Mission Service? Global Ministries seeks missionaries to serve within the global Methodist connection in a variety of roles and ministries around the world. Global Ministries sends missionaries from everywhere to everywhere. Missionaries vary in age, trade-skills and occupations, and they serve in ministry with others as teachers, pilots, lawyers, agriculturalists, dieticians, physicians, nurses, administrators, accountants, pastors, photographers, journalists, community organizers, and Christian educators just to name a few. They desire to learn about and to share God s love in Jesus Christ in tangible, everyday ways. Mission Personnel of Global Ministries are: 1) Professing Christians who are familiar with and committed to The United Methodist Church and its doctrine, history and polity 2) Able to articulate their call to missionary service 3) Able to demonstrate experience and/or passion in mission and active involvement in the life and ministry of a faith community 4) Willing to engage in ministry with people of different racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds 5) Willing to serve in a context that best matches their gifts and experiences as discerned and affirmed by Global Ministries 6) Willing to connect the church in mission by itinerating and cultivating financial and spiritual support Current Areas of Need Currently, we are seeking qualified candidates who wish to explore a call to mission service with the following gifts and experiences in various regions around the world: Experienced agriculturalist Health and medical professionals Hospital administrators Vehicle maintenance specialist Boy scout project leader Congregational development specialist For more information about missionary service or to apply online, visit Global Ministries website: If you know someone with these gifts and graces who may have a call to mission service, then please have them contact Global Ministries at missionaryinfo@umcmission.org for details. 6

7 When Where Safe Sanctuaries Workshop (Torrington: First) Saturday, January 9, :00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. First UMC 21 Fern Dr Torrington, CT View map Contact Cassandra Negri View Registration Forms Safe Sanctuaries Training- Cassandra Negri, Workshop Leader The Safe Sanctuaries Workshop is designed for congregations who don t have a written Safe Sanctuaries Policy. The workshop prepares a core team of 4 5 to work with the congregation to write a policy, as well as providing information on how to train trustees, teachers, parents and pastors on the implementation of that policy. Snow date: January 23, 2016 Taught by Cassandra Negri. Here are a few details about this workshop: First, registration generally runs for a half hour prior to training and the training runs for a full three hours. Second, each church should purchase one copy of: The book Safe Sanctuaries: Reducing the Risk of Child Abuse in the Church by Joy Thornburg Melton. It can be purchased from Discipleship Resources or from Cokesbury as well as other bookstores. Click here>> The book Safe Sanctuaries - Older Adults: The Church Reponds to Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of Older Adults. Click here for the Cokesbury site>> Abuse Statistics Handout>> Definitions of Abuse>> Powered by Translate 7

8 New York Annual Conference YOUTH AMBASSADORS FOR MISSION YAM 2016 Cochabamba, Bolivia February 12-21, 2016 The Purpose Engage Youth in cross-cultural experience Empower Youth in sharing God s love Cultivate trust and respect for others Strengthen faith in God The Project Construction of Rios de Agua ChurchBuilding Vacation bible school with children Youth Ministry APPLICATION AND DEPOSIT DEADLINE: October 15, 2015 Final Payment: December 3, 2015 Funding: Participants pay deposit of $800 LocalChurch support $600 District support $500 Individual fundraising $500 TOTAL COST $2,400 Apply now by contacting: Rev. Joseph Ewoodzie, Conference Mission Coordinator, 20 Soundview Avenue, White Plains, NY10606 Phone: jewoodzie@nyac.com 8

9 MINISTRY RESOURCE CENTER RE-IMAGINING RE-IMAGINING re-imagining re-imagining! ways to welcome people ways to explore the Christian faith (it might not be called Sunday School always or it might be arranged differently than before while people of any age explore in order to make faith commitments and live faithfully) ways to do congregational care (it might not be called only pastoral visitation...) ways to engage in justice, to serve the world's needs, to learn about the world's needs,... Books, dvds, leaders guides, articles, plans, ideas----- contact us to continue the re-imagining or to get it going on whatever your vision or responsibility in ministry is! ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS related resources for groups, dramas, worship are already being checked out! Maybe you want to get your ideas going or stimulate some new ones! Telling your ministry story in the context of a narrative budget? Yeah! Ask us about it! Intergenerational experiences in the intergenerational Body of Christ: worship, group explorations, service to others, and... The idea producing resources are here! Staff is present 11-4 weekdays and looks forward to your calls, s, visits and your exciting stories! Carolyn Carolyn Hardin Engelhardt, Director Ministry Resource Center Staff 409 Prospect Street New Haven, CT (203) ministry.resource.center@yale.edu web.library.yale.edu/divinity/mrc 9

10 Prayers for: The Reverend Eric Henderson (Meriden: First) and family on the death of his mother, Irmgard Henderson, who died on October 4, ******** RETIREES BREAKFAST November 19, 2015 All retirees are invited to meet on November 19 th for breakfast at Denny's, 631 Queen St. (Route 10) in Southington, just off I-84, exit 32. We meet on the third Thursday of each month. Next breakfast is scheduled for December 17th. It helps to know about how many to expect. Kindly contact Ralph Roy at or call Call too, if the weather is questionable in case it is cancelled. Please come prepared to share information on any illness, bereavement or other circumstances that should engage the group s attention. ******** ATTENTION ALL WHO THE DISTRICT OFFICE INCLUDING SENDING NEWSLETTERS: THE ONLY ADDRESS FOR THE CT DISTRICT OFFICE IS: ctdistrict@nyac-umc.com The AOL address has been CLOSED! 10

11 DISTRICT RESOURCING DAYS Sunday, January 31, p.m. 4:45 p.m. Place: Westport UMC Saturday, February 6, a.m. 11:45 a.m. Place: Woodbury UMC CONNECTICUT DISTRICT IS ON FACEBOOK! CHECK US OUT AT: nyacconnecticut district Have your local church events posted on our District Facebook page by contacting Ximena Varas at: ximena.varas@nyac-umc.com DEADLINE FOR DECEMBER DISTRICT NEWS IS NOVEMBER 20 th 11