Winthrop United Methodist Church

Transcription

1 Winthrop United Methodist Church M E S S E N G E R November 2015 Dear Saints, Yesterday, I was raking my lawn for the last time this year and I noticed the many crabapples clinging to our leaf-barren tree in the front yard. Later that day I was in the grocery store and I noticed several small children clinging to their mothers as they attempted to do their shopping. The connections began to fire in my brain about how similar the two were. First it is only when the apple falls from the tree that it has the ability to grow into a new tree. The same is true with our children, as they begin to pull away they begin to grow into their own unique self. Many times these wonderings start off with small separations from their protective parents as they begin to explore their world. As they grow, the separations become larger and take on new forms, many causing anxiety not only for the children but also for their parents. How many of us have heard the screams of a child who wondered off too far in the department or grocery store or for that matter how many of us have experienced or seen the panic of a parent who can t find a child? Our relationship with God mirrors these earthly relationships in many ways. A couple of weeks ago I preached on the blind Bartimaeus and how he cried out to Jesus; Son of David, have mercy on me! and in response Jesus calls out to Bartimaeus and asks What do you want me to do for you? In our spiritual journeys we often seek independence from God and find ourselves in dark and scary places. I can only imagine how it saddens God when we venture into these dark places. In those times we need to remember, as prodigal sons and daughters, all we have to do is call out to Jesus to turn and shout to the Lord and he will do for us the same as he did for Bartimaeus. He will give us the insight and strength to lead us out of those dark places and back into the loving arms of our God. A place where we learn to love God and to love people. Blessings, Pastor Ned

2 All Saints Day, November 1 Isaiah 25:6-9 Psalm 24 Revelation 21:1-6a John 11:32-44 Week of November 1: Ruth 1:1-18 Psalm 146 Hebrews 9:11-14 Mark 12:28-34 Week of November 8: Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17 Psalm 126 or Psalm 42 Hebrews 9:24-28 Mark 12:38-44 Week of November 15: I Samuel 1:4-20 I Samuel 2:1-10 or Psalm 113 Hebrews 10:11-25 Mark 13:1-8 Week of November 22: 2 Samuel 23:1-7 Psalm 132:1-12 Revelation 1:4b-8 John 18:33-37 Thanksgiving Day, November 26: Joel 2:21-27 Psalm 125 I Timothy 2:1-7 Matthew 6:25-33 Below are the scripture readings from the Revised Common Lectionary Week of November 29-1st Sunday of Advent: Jeremiah 33:14-16 Psalm 25:1-10 I Thessalonians 3:9-13 Luke 21:25-36 Attention Knitters and Crochet-ers! Join our Prayer Shawl Ministry at WINTHROP UMC! Let's see how many beautiful, warm, and comforting prayer shawls, lap and baby blankets we can create to pass out to folks in need of a "HUG FROM GOD" and from our church family. EVERYONE is welcome to join in. If you need yarn and/or help in getting started, contact Shelley Gearheart, Mitten Challenge Thank you to everyone who participated in the Mitten Challenge, our effort to provide handmade mittens for the Tabitha s Closet Christmas giveaway on December 12, Please bring your finished mittens to the church no later than Sunday, December 6 th. Please be sure to include your name with your donation. Thank you. Medical Devices Ministry Do you or someone you know have a temporary need for a medical device? Our church has a lending program that might help. We have a supply of donated crutches, canes, walkers, wheelchairs, shower chairs, etc. that people can use when they are recovering at home from an injury, surgery, or other medical issue. Please see Chris O Connell or make your request at the church office. If we have it, we d love to have you use it. VISITATION REMINDER: Pastor Ned is available to all parishioners for hospital, nursing home and home visits. Please call the church office or his cell phone for any visitation need.

3 Veteran s Day Luncheon The WUMC Blessings Team is proud to announce that we are holding our first Veteran's Day Luncheon on Wednesday, November 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.in our Fellowship Hall. All church family veterans and their families are welcome to come and enjoy a buffet lunch in your honor. On this Veterans Day, let us remember the service of our veterans. These brave men and women are the reason for the words "In God we Trust". The willingness of America s veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude. WUMC Christmas Ornaments for Sale! Our church is so blessed to have had local artist, John Holub, capture the light of our church in a lovely watercolor. We have for sale various renditions of this painting, including 2½ square porcelain ornaments perfect for hanging on your Christmas tree! Or perhaps you d want to give one as a gift! The ornaments are $6 each. There are also large prints of the artwork - matted versions are $55 and unmated are $35 as well as packages of notecards for $10. If you are interested in purchasing any of these, contact Barbara in the church office or Judy Johnston ( ) Father, we could never thank our military men and women enough for their courageous service and sacrifice to our country and its people. Yet today we lift up our voices to express gratefulness and honor to these military troops both from the past and present. Show us ways in our communities, churches, and families to thank and love them better. Keep and protect these heroes and their families, in the powerful name of Jesus. Organ Donation Sabbath November 15, 2015, is designated Organ Donation Sabbath. The Social Principals of the United Methodist Church affirm organ and tissue donations are acts of charity, agape love, and self-sacrifice. We recognize the life-giving benefits of organ and other tissue donation and encourage all people of faith to become organ and tissue donors Won t you prayerfully consider being an organ or tissue donor?

4 November 2015 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sundays: 9:00 a.m. Sunday School for all ages 10:00 a.m. Worship Services ~~~~~~~~~~~ Mondays: 7:00 p.m. AA and Al-anon Tuesdays: 6:30 p.m. CODA Chorus Wednesdays: 9:00 a.m. Lectionary Study Thursdays: 3:30-5 p.m. Handbells Practice 6:30 p.m. Choir Practice Fridays: 6:00a.m. Dawn Patrol 2nd & 4th Saturdays: 8:00a.m. Tabitha s Closet - 72 Main St. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tues., Nov. 3-11:30 a.m. Blessings Team meeting Thurs., Nov Noon - Tabitha s Closet meeting 7:00 p.m.- Trustees meeting Wed., Nov. 11-7:00 p.m. Church Council meeting Thanksgiving Prayer For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, For love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends Christmas Pageant at WUMC Winthrop United Methodist Church will present its 2015 Christmas Pageant on Sunday, December 20 th at the 10:00 AM service. This year s production is entitled The Midwife s Story, and it tells the story of the Nativity from the perspective of the midwife who helped bring Jesus into the world. The play has a few speaking parts and many non-speaking parts for shepherds, angels, and animals. Youth singers are VERY MUCH NEEDED; you don t have to be a member of the youth choir to sing in the pageant. The pageant will also include some simple dancing. Rehearsals for the children and youth will begin on Sunday, November 29 th, at 8:45 AM, and will continue for the following two Sundays. A dress rehearsal and pizza party will be held on a date to be announced (probably Friday evening, December 18 th.) Hopefully, all our young people will participate and please, bring a friend! FMI, see Barbara Hamblin. Treasurer s Report for November Thank you for your continued financial support for the operating budget and mission projects of the church. Pledge and plate income is coming in very well and is just a little under budget through the month of September. Please review your commitment to the budget as we quickly approach the end of the year. Overall expenses are in line with budget projections and we are very grateful for a positive balance. Also, the 72 Main St. is maintaining a positive cash flow with a consistent tenant and income that covers the monthly building costs. Thank you! Jeff Toothaker Treasurer Ralph Waldo Emerson

5 Books for Advent Reading Your library at Winthrop United Methodist Church has many selections for your reading pleasure as we enter into this Advent season. "The Glory of Christmas" was written by Charles Swindoll, Max Lucado and Charles Coleson as they reflect on what Christmas means to them. We also have many Advent study booklets such as: "When Heaven Touches the Earth" by Rob Webber, which is based on the second chapter of the book of Luke where the angels told the shepherds of the birth of Jesus. Music is the topic of the book called "The Scriptures Sing of Christmas" by Ellsworth Kalas which recalls the song of Mary, the music of the angels which the shepherds heard and the song in the heart of Simeon when he met his Savior, the baby Jesus. "Not A Silent Night" by Adam Hamilton looks at Christmas as Mary, the Mother of Jesus may have experienced it. We have a book by James Moore called "Won't You Let Him In?" as well as one by Cheryl Kurk-Duggan called "Mary Had a Baby" which reflects on African Spirituals. Many of you are familiar with Rick Warren's book "The Purpose Driven Life". We have his book "The Purpose of Christmas" which has a DVD to go with it. These are just some of the books you may want to explore as the days grown cold and the daylight gets shorter. We also have plenty of books of fiction, as well as books for children of all ages. Come in and let your church library surprise you today! Jan Leighton Charge Conference The 2015 Charge Conference for Winthrop United Methodist Church is scheduled for Tuesday, December 8, at 6:30 PM. A charge includes one or more local churches; in the case of WUMC, the charge is comprised of one church only.) The charge conference is composed of all members of the Church Council and meets at least once a year. Usually, the District Superintendent presides; in 2015, Rev. Joseph Chamberland will be presiding at WUMC. At WUMC, the charge conference will vote to designate the meeting as a church conference, thus conferring participating and voting privileges on all church members. Everyone is encouraged to attend. Volunteer Opportunity! LEND A HELPING HAND & A SMILE! Brrr! As old man winter is slowly approaching, many seniors find themselves homebound and alone. Enrich a seniors live by investing a few hours a week to an isolated senior through a friendly visit, a ride to the grocery store, or a phone call. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer or are a senior in need please contact the SEARCH program - Lynn Kidd (207) /lkidd@ccmaine.org. UMW Christmas Brunch Mark your calendars! The UMW Christmas party and potluck brunch will be held Tuesday, December 8 th from noon in Fellowship Hall. There will be a Yankee gift swap and a collection for the Winthrop area food bank. This party is open to ALL women of the church. Please come and celebrate Christmas with us. Questions? See Karin True.

6 This year TABITHA S CHRISTMAS CLOSET will be held on Saturday, December 12 th from 9 to 12 noon in Fellowship Hall. Wonder Awhile Nursery School will donate leftover items from their Christmas Fair on December 5, and if you have toys (new ones are especially needed) or children s books, we would appreciate your donation and can even pick them up if needed. On that day we also will be open at TABITHA S CLOSET at 72 Main Street, so volunteers will be needed at both locations that day. Last year we were very busy at both locations. We could actually have used more help because some volunteers worked both events. For Tabitha s Christmas Closet, we will be setting up tables on Thursday, December 10 th from 2-4 and we really could use your help. Can you find a few hours that afternoon to come down to Fellowship Hall and help set up for Saturday? Friday will be reserved for last minute tweaking. Last year we were all cleaned up by noon on Saturday because so many turned out to help. Hopefully, we will have the same volunteer effort this year. Many remember the old days when we had clothing and toys packed into Fellowship Hall because we were not blessed with 72 Main Street and able to have clothing year round. Those days were a DAZE! CODA CHORUS has two Christmas concerts that same day at Hope Baptist Church (one at 3:00, the other at 7:00) and many of us want to attend (or are singing.) With many volunteers, we will be finished in time to attend and not be exhausted! So many hands make light work. Come feel that Christmas spirit: It is a wonderful way to celebrate the season of giving and caring. So many are so grateful! Call Sue Phillips ( ) with questions and suggestions are always welcome. There will be a sign up sheet coming soon. And remember, we can pick up any donations you might have if it helps you because it helps us! If a few of our generous church members who would like to donate samples of food or drinks for Saturday, we would so appreciate it and share it with our volunteers at both locations. Oh but wait there s more! We have received another grant in the amount of $2,500 from the Mid Maine Machine Foundation! Praise God! This helps so much with the costs of running this wonder ministry and because of it, our church has not had to provide much funding. Another Thank God and Praise God! We have a beautiful new donations shed that makes it very easy for people to drop off their donations and for us to get them out. A special thanks goes to Ned for organizing the Mechuwana Missions teams for the construction, it was so needed. We offered Halloween costumes this year, a big hit and even donated some of them to the nursing homes for the staff and residents to dress up and enjoy the holiday. Jill is in hopes of having a few more volunteers for Tuesday and Friday sorting. Can you find a few hours in your week to help as it takes many hands. Even a few hours a month would help as we have many donations to sort through. We have received a generous donation of lots of new stuffed animals for Tabitha s Christmas Closet, and many new backpacks to be offered next year during our Free School Supplies give-away. WARMEST WISHES (our wish list) We are working on getting more warm clothing out as winter is approaches. We have had more requests than we have inventory for warm boots, blankets, sheets of all sizes, men s jeans and of course, warm coats. Please check your closets! FYI, Tabitha s Closet will not be open Saturday, December 26 th to allow our volunteers a much-deserved break. After all, Christmas is a season, not a day. A time to reflect on all our blessings: Praise God from whom all blessings flow and I d like to add: Oh, Come All Ye Faithful! Sue Phillips

7 Advent Adult Sunday School Two months into our classes, we are enjoying several new Christian Education classes and curricula. Children through grade 4 are in a One-Room Sunday school, sharing a Bible story and a short video, some science, arts and crafts, and even drama and play. Their Deep Blue curriculum offers a free app from Cokesbury called Deep Blue Adventures. This app includes the week s video, games for the kids, and information for families. The youth meet with Amy and Mike Dolan for deeper Bible study, Eggs and Issues, and outreach/mission activities. On November 11 the youth will help at the Winthrop Food Pantry and at our church s luncheon honoring veterans. Our adult Sunday school class has been studying John Wesley and England of his day in the Adam Hamilton course Revival. They rate this study Excellent. Class begins at 8:45 and runs for 1 hour. They enjoy the new large-screen TV in the Upper Room for the video that summarizes the chapter they ve read. In addition to Sunday classes, we have studies on Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. and Friday morning at 6 a.m. Jill Howes and Enga Stewart will share information about Wednesday Lectionary and Sunday morning study during Advent in this issue of The Messenger. Lynda Pratt will take over the CE team when I become a snowbird. I ask you to support her, encourage her, and bring your ideas to her while I m away. Sookie Weymouth As you know our church family has been preparing an Advent devotional booklet for the 2015 Advent season. The Adult Sunday School Class will be studying the messages of these devotions for our Advent Study. Our meeting dates are November 29, December 6, 13 and 20 at 9 am in the Upper Room. You are invited to join us for coffee and fellowship. Enga Stewart Mt. View High School Chamber Singers The Mt. View High School Chamber Singers will present their annual Christmas performance of Carols in the Round at Winthrop United Methodist Church on Wednesday, December 16, 2915, at 7:00 PM. This year the group is celebrating 25 years of performing Carols in the Round. As a matter of fact, Choir Director Michelle Chick is an alumna of the group. If you have not yet seen these young people perform, you are in for an amazing treat; if you have, you know what we re talking about! The concert will be followed by a Meet and Greet in Fellowship Hall where light refreshments will be served. This is a free event; a free-will offering will be taken to help defray the singers travel costs. Once you have heard the hauntingly beautiful music produced by the Mt. View Chamber Singers, you will probably want to make their performance a holiday tradition. This event is proudly sponsored by the Worship Team of WUMC. "To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything He has given us -- and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him." - Thomas Merton (Thoughts on Solitude)

8 Don t Know Much About Squanto? Born circa 1580 near Plymouth, Massachusetts, Squanto, also known as Tisquantum, is best remembered for serving as an interpreter and guide for the Pilgrim settlers at Plymouth in the 1620s. Historians know little about Squanto's life. A Patuxet Indian, Squanto is believed to have been captured as a young man along the Maine coast in 1605 by Captain George Weymouth, who had been commissioned by Plymouth Company owner Sir Ferdinando Gorges to explore the coast of Maine and Massachusetts, and reportedly captured Squanto, along with four Penobscots, because he thought his financial backers in Britain might want to see some Indians. Weymouth brought Squanto and the other Indians to England, where Squanto lived with Ferdinando Gorges, who taught him English and hired him to be an interpreter and guide. Now fluent in English, Squanto returned to his homeland in 1614 with English explorer John Smith, possibly acting as a guide, but was captured again by another British explorer, Thomas Hunt, and sold into slavery in Spain. Squanto escaped, lived with monks for a few years, and eventually returned to North America in 1619, only to find his entire Patuxet tribe dead from smallpox. He went to live with the nearby Wampanoags. In 1621, Squanto was introduced to the Pilgrims at Plymouth, and subsequently acted as an interpreter between Pilgrim representatives and Wampanoag Chief Massasoit. In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims and Wampanoags celebrated the first Thanksgiving after reaping a successful crop. The following year, Squanto deepened the Pilgrims' trust by helping them find a lost boy, and assisted them with planting and fishing. Pumpkin Butter This recipe was shared with members of the Christian Ed Team by Christina Kennedy in November, Christina served it to the team by pouring some of it over a block of cream cheese and providing Ritz Social Whole Wheat crackers. Delicious! 1 (29 oz.) can pumpkin puree, approx. 3½ cups ¾ cup apple juice 2 tsp. ground ginger ½ tsp. ground cloves 1 1/3 1½ cups of brown sugar (depending on your sweet tooth) 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon ½ tsp. ground nutmeg Juice of ½ lemon (optional) Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in large saucepan. Stir well; bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently. Adjust spices to taste. Stir in lemon juice if using. Once cool, pumpkin butter can be kept in an airtight container in Refrigerator. To Preserve: Spoon hot pumpkin mixture into hot jars, filling to within ¼ inch from top. Remove air bubbles; wipe jar rims. Cover at once with metal lids and screw on bands. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

9 The Harvest Supper ~ a lesson in Christ s love Love God ~ Love People Pastor Ned reminds us of that every Sunday when he shares his message with our youth and us. We even have a banner on the outside of our church with the same message. Well, we had the opportunity to do just that; to share our gifts with others in need during the Harvest Supper held Saturday night, October 17 th. I thought I had it all figured out, an exact plate count, how many meals we served and counting our receipts for this fundraiser. How much food and how many plates ~ praying we would have enough and making mental notes of the event for next year. But what is it they say, if you want to see God laugh, tell Him your plans We had two genuinely heart-warming circumstances that evening that are worth sharing. Some were there to be witness to them; many so busy they went unnoticed. Towards the end of the supper 4 very polite young teenage men came through our open front door knowing that a friend of theirs was inside. They were hungry (what teenage boy isn t) but as most young people, they did not have the money to pay for a meal. Pastor Ned graciously invited them in and encouraged them to eat with their friend, (a girl of course) as we still had plenty to share and of course, there was no charge for their meal. All Ned knew was that they were hungry and we had the opportunity to feed them. That is what our pastor is and does in real time ~ with real people.. Love God ~ Love People. That mantra is what he has encouraged us, as a caring church family to do, every Sunday and every day. We filled their plates as we had ample food still on the serving line. They were so appreciative, thankful and very polite young men. They thanked us over and over again as we served them potatoes, carrots, squash, ham and all the rest of the fixings we had. A warm home cooked meal, feeding their tummies as well as their souls. Even after they had finished they went out of their way to thank us again for our generosity and caring. Someday these grateful young men will be husbands and fathers and wouldn t it be wonderful if, because of our caring church, they carry on our message and Pay It Forward in their Christian lives. The second incident happened towards the end of the evening. Our lights were on, our doors were still open and we were all busy doing the hustle and bustle of cleaning up when a clearly-distraught woman in an emotional crisis came in crying and repeating over and over through her tears, I need to talk to God! Oh my goodness, I thought; the only place I could take her where she could be alone was in the chapel, amidst the left-over desserts and table top ovens that we were clearing from the serving tables but... she had an immediate need and the food tables could wait. I doubt she even noticed them in her state of mind. What she did see however, was the alter with the kneeling stool and the simple and beautiful cross and flame canvas created by a previous member, Grace Bagley. Putting just that back on the alter table was an after-thought as we set the room up and I gently leaned it against the tapestry. We had never set up the alter table during a Harvest Supper before but it clearly was meant to be. God knows He knew! She stayed quite a while, had calmed down after leaving the chapel with people putting their positive loving energy around her and showing her they cared. So often just listening is the best way to show love. I cannot help but wonder the What if s" What if we were not there that night, what if our lights were not on, what if our doors were not open and our church not there for her in her time of need? What if, in her desperate state of mind, she was so distraught she chose a different way to resolve her situation? God put us there. Although I never met her, I believe Grace Bagley would have been pleased and proud to know that our beautiful chapel was used for our most basic Christian foundation tenet; of serving people. Our Harvest Supper is so much more than counting plates (as I had planned) but about counting our blessings. It is so much more than serving food ~ it s about serving God. Love God ~ Love People With and in Christ s love everyone is someone Sue Phillips

10 October has been a very busy month for us at Wonder Awhile Nursery School. We have had visits from firefighters and police officers. We have walked to the Library and given cookies to folks around town. We have been community helpers while setting up tables and chairs for the Harvest Supper and collected Halloween Candy for folks in town who love trick-or-treaters to visit, yet might not be able to afford the candy. Thanks to those of you who helped us with this effort. As we look ahead to the next month, we will be visiting Winthrop Manor, learning about the first Thanksgiving, and getting ready for the Christmas Fair. Craft nights are being planned to make crafts to sell at the Fair. A special THANKS to all of you who supported our Village Candle Sale. We truly appreciate your help in keeping tuition low for our families. Candles will be in before Thanksgiving. Preorders are being accepted for anyone interested in purchasing a large wreath to decorate for Christmas. If you are interested in a wreath, please contact Jane at WANS or Barbara in the office. December 5 th is the date for this year s Christmas Fair. We are looking for anyone interested in making some baked goods, have any gently used toys to donate to Santa s Toy Shop, and anyone interested in volunteering on that Saturday. Wish list: Gently used picture frames, any size! Also popcorn kernels, flour, vegetable oil, napkins, acorns, pinecones, reams of white paper, BROKEN crayons. The Upper Room Devotional Have you noticed that we have copies of the bimonthly devotional called "The Upper Room" available for you at WUMC? Each page of this little booklet has a daily Bible verse, as well as a meditation written by a volunteer, followed by a prayer and a thought for the day. Reading these entries takes only a few minutes but the messages can be a great way to start your day. You can find copies at the back of the sanctuary and on a table outside the library. The suggested cost is $1.25 per issue but please take a copy even if you are unable to pay at this time. "The Upper Room" website also has many interesting stories and reflections which may be helpful to you. Please think about taking home a copy of "The Upper Room"! You may find this small booklet is a big blessing to you! WUMC Prayer Chain Winthrop United Methodist Church has an electronic prayer chain which enables instant transmission of prayer requests to a large number of prayer warriors made up of members of the WUMC congregation. If you have a request, or if you would like to become a prayer warrior and be added to the prayer chain, please Christina Kennedy, the administrator of the prayer chain, at ckenny@roadrunner.com.

11 Winthrop United Methodist Church P.O. Box 136 Winthrop, ME Church Office Hours: Tuesday Friday 9 a.m 2 p.m (207) P.O. Box Main Street Winthrop, ME Ned S. Crockett - Pastor Jill Howes - Lay Leader Barbara Hamblin - Administrative Ass t office@winthropumc.org Pastor Ned: pastor@winthropumc.org Sunday Worship service 10:00 a.m. Sunday School 9:00a.m. The mission of the Winthrop United Methodist Church is to be a Christian community that invites all people to participate in God s love. Our purpose is to live out the mission through nurture, outreach and witness.