of the United Methodist Church of Cooperstown 66 Chestnut Street, Cooperstown NY 13326

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1 The Bell Ringer of the United Methodist Church of Cooperstown 66 Chestnut Street, Cooperstown NY Telephone: (607) MAY Editor: Brenda Alton HERITAGE DAY BOOKLET---deadline is May 15 th. Forms are elsewhere in this Newsletter. Please return these forms ASAP to Sandy Chase or Brenda Alton. If you plan on mailing your form and you do not think it will make the deadline, please Brenda Alton, your information and mail your check to Sandy Chase at 331 Beaver Meadow Road, Cooperstown, NY Please pay $1 for each person you recognize. The Heritage Booklet began as a way to remember or honor church members and their families. It is one of our fund raisers for mission programs. Each year the UMW designates the money raised to a specific project. Please take this opportunity and take a moment to think of your families and friends who mean something to you and recognize them. The booklet will be distributed on HERITAGE SUNDAY, May. RUMMAGE SALE The United Methodist Women will hold their annual Spring Rummage Sale on Friday, June 3 rd 9 AM 4 PM Saturday June 4 th 9 AM-11 AM (bag sale is Saturday) No rummage before May and after May 31 st NOON! HAPPY BIRTHDAY Pam Key Ed Reynolds Abigail Hull Grant Davine Heather Hubbard Carol Highfield Brenda Alton Ashley Ruthe Glockler Lachlan Walker Morgan Quentin Powers Bruce Dunn Jason Harter Teddy Sternberg Orilee Willsey Sue Ann Jenkins Clark Clapper Sharon Dutton John Santello Susan Otis Edie Jennings Carol Harter Joseph Powers, Sr. Ellen Hanson Helen Pat Roberts Joseph Powers, Jr. Luke Vernon Offen HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Earle & Janet Hayford 01 st 02 nd 03 rd 06 th 08 th 09 th 10 th 11 th 11 th 12 th 15 th 16 th 19 th 20 th 23 rd 24 th 24 th 25 th 27 th 28 th 30 th 30 th 08 th UMW SUNDAY May, join us as the women conduct the service.

2 LIVING IN THE WORD BLOG Pastor Bill s Living in the Word blog continues on our Cooperstown UMC website at ml. Each week he posts a new reflection or conversation starter. He also sends out a Mid-Week Message via as a reminder about the blog, and other announcements and prayer concerns. If you are not receiving the , please send Pastor Bill an requesting to be added to the list. COFFEE FELLOWSHIP Team up to bring a light snack, make coffee, set up and clean up. If you wish to provide food only, contact Nancy Davis, The blue signup sheet is on the Bulletin Board. for them. Please consider volunteering to be part of the team! Sunday School will NOT meet on May 8 (Mother s Day) and the final week for Sunday School this year will be May 29 th. Please be sure to express your appreciation to Lorie and Ray Hillhouse as they step down after so many years of leadership with our Sunday School children. They have been a great blessing to our children and to our church. ROAST PORK DINNER Thank you to all who assisted with the Pork Dinner! The Church family made many generous donations of food and provided monetary contributions to purchase the pork. We had many worker bees the evening of the dinner which made it flow so smoothly. We also acknowledged the many businesses which provided support: BJ's, Wal Mart, Hannaford, Brook's Barbecue, Price Chopper, Tops, Cooperstown General Store, Fly Creek Cider Mill, Heidelberg Bakery and Doubleday Cafe and Stewart's of Cooperstown. Note: proceeds totaled $1,280. USHERS AND GREETERS Joan Ackerman is our coordinator of greeters and ushers. If you would like to volunteer for either/both, please call her at LITURGISTS Alice Stiles is our coordinator of liturgists. Youth and adults are invited to serve during worship. Please call her at As the Sunday School year draws to a close, we are still looking for one or two more Sunday School leaders for next year. Our children are so important to us and this Sunday morning faith time is so important RETIREMENT CELEBRATION On Saturday, May 14 the churches of our Oneonta District will gather to celebrate with District Superintendent Jan Rowell as she concludes her term as District Superintendent and retires from ministry. We will gather at Neahwa Park in Oneonta at 3pm for a time of food, fellowship and service. As a parting gift for Jan, we will be assembling 500 Health Kits to donate to UMCOR in her honor. (Our church has been asked to provide 100 hand towels for the kits.- Towels should be standard bathroom hand towels cotton not microfiber) We will also share in a pass-the-dish meal (our contributions are to be various kinds of salads). Of course, there will be time for conversation and catching up with friends old and new. All are welcome to attend.

3 will for the outcomes of conference business conducted at this annual gathering. UMW NEWS Sky Lake Campership scholarships are available, see Nancy Davis, 45 Delaware Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326; MONDAY, MAY 16 th 11:30 AM In lieu of our regular meeting, all women of the church are invited to bring some woman, girl or grand child (girl) to Jackie s Restaurant to celebrate Mother s Day and share fellowship with one another. Reservations needed by Sunday, May 15 th. Contact Sandy UMW SUNDAY Members of the UMW will lead the worship service on Sunday, May. Looking forward to March 2019 through our past heritage. HERITAGE BOOKS will be passed out during Worship on May. JUNE RUMMAGE SALE 2016 Friday, June 3 rd 9 AM 4 PM Saturday June 4 th 9 AM-11 AM (bag sale is Saturday) Drop off will start Sunday, May 22, and end Tuesday, May 31, at NOON. SPECIAL OFFERING FOR AFRICA 360 As the conference wide Africa 360 campaign comes to a conclusion, we will receive a one-time special offering on Sunday, May 22. All funds received will go to the Africa 360 campaign which is funding scholarships at Africa University and purchasing mosquito nets to prevent malaria. Please be as generous as you can. Checks can be made payable to: UNYAC - Africa 360. DEVOTIONAL READING "Upper Room" (also large print copies), "Alive Now," "devozine" (for teens by teens) for May-June, and "Our Daily Bread" for May-June-July, are in the literature racks in the church entrance. Please help yourself to this devotional reading -- take a copy to a homebound church member. PLEASE: NO ELECTRONICS as the landfill no longer will accept them. As always we appreciate your help and donations - without which there would be no Rummage Sale. Any time you can help is appreciated from May 30 th until June 4th. While it is a lot of work, it also fun and fellowship! Thanks from Jan and Dawne MEN S BREAKFAST CLUB All men are invited to join for breakfast on Fridays at 7:30 a.m. at the Doubleday Café, Main Street, Cooperstown. It s a great time with good conversation and good food. ANNUAL CONFERENCE The 2016 Annual Conference will convene at the OnCenter in Syracuse, June 2-4. Bishop Mark Webb will preside and Rev. Adam Hamilton will lead Bible Study. Please pray for the delegates of the Annual Conference that they might discern God s RELAY FOR LIFE 2016 Relay for Life will be a 12 hour event from 11 am to 11 pm on May 21, 2016 at Cooperstown Dreams Park. Luminary forms will be available in April in the church Fellowship Room or see Rena Lull for forms.

4 Joshua, David, Jesus. We need actors and artists and teachers and helpers and participants FUNDRAISING CALENDAR Saturday, May 28; HOF Classic Parade and game; church parking; Chair, Rena Lull & Dawne Dietz June 3 & 4, UMW Rummage Sale; Chairs, Jan Kerr and Dawne Dietz July 23; HOF church BBQ; Chair, Winnie Smith July 24,; HOF Inductions Church Parking; Chair, Rena Lull & Dawne Dietz October 7 th, 9 AM-4 PM, October 8th, 9-11 AM; UMW Rummage Sale; Chairs Jan Kerr & Dawne Dietz November 12; Harvest Dinner; Need a Chairperson December 3; UMW Christmas Tea VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED AT BASSETT HEALTHCARE FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS: FRONT DESK IN THE CLINIC BUILDING, FIELDSTONE BUILDING AND THE T-2 ENTRANCE PET THERAPY DOGS AND THEIR OWNERS NEEDED COMPANION PROGRAM TO SIT WITH PATIENTS READ TO PEDIATRIC PATIENTS TO BRING ASU PATIENTS TO SURGERY CALL BARBARA TARKA, SATURDAY S BREAD We have two more obligation dates for 2016, June 25 th and October 29 th. Please put these dates on your calendar. Rena is hoping to get 10 volunteers for each date. The more volunteers we have helps the work go quickly and smoothly. Call Rena at to let her know if you can help. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL VBS will be on Saturday July 16, 2016 at First Baptist Church. in Cooperstown, NY. The theme is Bible Heroes: Noah, Moses- Dear Church Family: Words can never express our deepest gratitude and thank you will never be enough. Your kindness and love are what carried us through the most challenging days, and will continue to do so in the days to come! Most importantly the care, and compassion you gave to our Linda was immeasurable! From every thought, prayer card, company, food, flowers, and phone calls, we thank you! We are beyond blessed to call you family! Thank you for the countless times you all extended Christ s love to every one of us! Life may not always be perfect, but you all help to make it much more wonderful! We love you! May God Bless each of you today and always! Love the Smirk, Dunn and Graham Families

5 A Note from Gladys Thank you, my dear friends in Christ, for all your greeting cards, phone calls, and for celebrating with my family and me during Fellowship Hour following worship service on April 17 th. Altogether, your thoughtfulness made my 95 th birthday a delightfully memorable milestone along my path of life. God Bless You, one and all. Gladys LOCAL PANEL FOCUSES ON END-OF- LIFE CARE A panel presentation on end-of-life issues made a strong impression on members of our church who attended. The story below from the Daily Star summarizes the discussion and provides some resources that might be helpful. Thanks to Rena Lull for suggesting we share this article. From the Daily Star - Written by Cheryl Petersen Contributing Writer FLY CREEK With the advancement of medicine is coming an advancement in how we participate in death and dying. Five local professionals served as panelists Monday at the Fly Creek Methodist Church, and discussed accepting death and dying peacefully. People actually restrict their lives when they don t look at dying," Dr. James Dalton, director of medical education at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, said. "Looking at death helps us realize what matters most to us. Dalton pointed out that death and dying aren t medical questions, but involve human talks. The Rev. Betsy Jay, chaplain, mentioned the benefits of talking about death in advance before a crisis, she said. Dr. Chris Mulik, Hospice, said, It s a mental shift. Dr. Carol Beechy, Palliative Care and Hospice Specialist, highlighted the availability of guides for people to follow that offer questions to guide people as they ask about death. "Five Wishes" is a document designed to serve as a living will that can also spark conversations about someone's personal, emotional or spiritual wishes at the end of life. People typically try to hide from death, funeral director Peter Deysenroth said, But Deysenroth noted that during his 30-year career, there has been an uptick in people specifying beforehand how they want to die, even following through on pre-paid funeral expenses. It makes for easier days for everyone, he added. The shift is taking place in the medical community, too, speakers said. I was trained to fix the body, said Dr. Tom Huntsman, chief of plastic surgery at Bassett Medical Center. After many years of service, I realized I can t fix everything. At that point, I started learning how to transition from being a physician to being a human being.... I was able to make the transition when I realized that although I can t help a person surgically, I can help humanly." A book, Being Mortal, authored by American surgeon Atul Gawande, prompted Pastor Sharon Rankins-Burd to host the discussion. I heard him speak and have read his book, said Dalton. He writes, not as a doctor, but as a person. We need to start the conversation about death and dying. We need to let others know how we want our last years to go. I ve discovered it s a team effort, said the Rev. Carol Jubenville, director of independent living at The Community at SunsetWood, a New Hartford senior citizens' facility. When the patient, family members, physicians, and caretakers all work together, death can be beautiful.

6 Pastor s Page Rev. William Bill H. Delia Pastor, United Methodist Church of Cooperstown 66 Chestnut Street, Cooperstown, NY Telephone (607) Cell Phone (607) pastorbilldelia@gmail.com Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit Acts of the Apostles 2:3-4 As we prepare to enter the season of Pentecost, we remember the dramatic way in which God s Holy Spirit came to Jesus followers at that first Pentecost. We also remember that God s Holy Spirit comes to each one of us, perhaps with less drama but with every bit as much lifechanging power and potential. I read recently that to experience the fire of the Holy Spirit is to experience the love of God intensifying God s love becoming a steady flaming passion. Nothing to fear there the same love of God that comforts us in distress, strengthens us in the struggles of this life, and becomes the love we share with others becomes a fire in our hearts. Sounds like exactly what we need if we are to be disciples carrying the good news of Jesus Christ to the world! There is a parable that teaches us about the power of that flaming spirit of Pentecost: Once there was a piece of iron that was very strong and very hard. Many had tried to break it, but all had failed. I ll master it, said the axe. His blows fell heavily upon the piece of iron, but every blow only made the axe s edge more blunt, until he gave up in frustration. Leave it to me, said the saw. The saw worked back and forth on the iron s surface until its jagged teeth were worn and broken and, in despair, the saw quit trying. Ah! said the hammer, I ll show you how to do this! But at the first blow, the hammer s head flew off and the piece of iron remained unchanged. Shall I try? asked the small soft flame, but everyone said, Forget it! What can you do? You re too small and you have no strength. But the small soft flame curled around the iron, embraced it and never left until the iron melted under its warm irresistible touch. God s way is not the way of force but the way of love. God s way is not to break hearts but to melt them. God s Holy Spirit comes to us, not to demand our obedience to God, but to enfold us in the warmth of God s loving care. Safe in God s loving embrace we find our lives reformed, reshaped, remolded to be more like the God who created us. As our own hearts are softened perhaps we will find that God calls us to a similar calling to hold the hearts of others in loving embrace until they too melt in the irresistible warmth of God s gracious love. What if we were to live like that? What if we were to invite God s Holy Spirit to fill us with that fire this Pentecost? How would it change us? How would we be better prepared to change the world around us? Are we ready to receive that kind of passionate love? Are we ready to pass it on? Ready or not, here it comes! Bill Pastor Bill Delia