Building Christian Community Within and Beyond the Church. St. James United Methodist Church

Transcription

1 St. James United Methodist Church 646 Daniel Webster Highway Merrimack, NH Rev. Lynne Mentzer, Pastor Robin House, Office Administrator Contact Us: Office phone: (603) Stjames-umchurch.org Facebook: St. James UMC Prayer Request Building Christian Community Within and Beyond the Church On the Inside Pastor s Message Page 2 Ministry Action Plan Update Page 3 Worship Page 4 Advent Bible Study Page 5 Outreach Missions Page 5 Church Supper Page 8 Community Connections Page 8 Kids Page Page 10 Calendar Page 11 1

2 Pastor s Message Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, I have to admit it: my all-time favorite movie is Pirates of the Caribbean, starring Johnny Depp. From the eerie opening scene showing a young girl singing a pirate song to the wild-eyed pirate himself from the thundering music to the glittering gold, in my opinion this movie is a treasure. Of course, not everyone agrees. So maybe treasure, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. As you know, Treasure is the title of our generosity study this year. Written by Jacob Armstrong, Treasure encourages us to take Jesus words in Matthew 6:21 to heart: Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Together we ve been thinking about the things we treasure and the many ways they influence our lives. We started with scripture, then heard stories, watched some amusing video clips, and finally considered how God is calling us to share our treasures through St. James in the coming year. Our children are learning, too. They re helping us to collect bears for the Merrimack Fire Department, healthy snacks for our Food Pantry, hats and mittens for the Clothes Closet, and books for the Children s Room at the Merrimack Public Library to bless other children. Now I know that this time of year is not everyone s favorite. Many of us squirm when the pastor talks about money. Many of us believe that our giving to the church should be a deep, dark, well-guarded secret, like our age or real weight. Truth is, many pastors squirm through all this money talk too. But I ve come to understand that our squirming and dodging reveals a deeper misunderstanding about generosity as a whole. Generosity is not just a nice character trait, it s a spiritual practice. Even beyond that, it s not something we imagine ourselves doing someday when we have extra to share. What I ve learned is that generosity is a measure of our spiritual depth and maturity a result of God s generous love pouring through us. Once again, it s all about love. So, back to Pirates of the Caribbean. In the end, all but the tedious British officer Norrington were generously rewarded with treasures far more precious than gold. Forgiveness. Freedom. Hope. Life. And, above all, love. May our study of Treasure help us to practice generosity as an expression of God s love. Yo-Ho-Ho, Rev. Lynne Mentzer 2

3 The Clock is Ticking! The coaching clock, that is. Our one-year contract with coach Rick McKinley, Director of Congregational Development for the New England UMC, has begun. And not only is the coaching clock ticking, our team is working. Team members Molly Jenkins, Hannah Cote, Carole Vandermark, Bob Hurle and Lynne Mentzer have been asked to work with Rick to fulfill the two ministry goals we set last April: to expand ministry with children, youth and families and to improve the accessibility and visibility of our food pantry. Here are the action steps we re taking this month: Create a survey to be given to food pantry guests and volunteers to determine what s working well and how we might better serve our guests Visit Open Table, a newly renovated food pantry facility in Maynard, MA to experience and learn from their successful model Write monthly updates for the Opus Christi to keep members and friends of St. James in the know as we go along and to share opportunities to help Already, to meet the goal of expanding ministry with children, youth and families, we ve updated the bride s room to serve as a family room for kiddos who need to stretch and play during worship we ve added four youth to our list of scripture readers and we ve introduced Family Sunday, where families worship together on the last Sunday of every month. As we think about how we might improve the accessibility and visibility of our food pantry, we started by asking our guests. It was wonderful to hear how much they appreciate the food (especially the bread and fresh fruit and veggies), and instructive to hear how challenging the ramp is for those with mobility or breathing issues. Guests said they would also benefit from better signage and expanded hours. Our next coaching session with Rick is scheduled for Monday, November 26 th. If you have questions or ideas to help us reach these goals, please share them with Molly, Hannah, Carole, Bob or Lynne. Thanks! Speaking Of Clocks 3

4 WORSHIP Annual Church Conference Thursday, November 8, :00 pm Please join District Superintendent Rev. James McPhee for an evening of worship, vision, and reflection. Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend. Where Does Your Treasure Lie? On November 11, we will conclude our Treasure book study and sermon series with the opportunity to make personal commitments of giving to St. James United Methodist Church for the coming year. We will receive estimate-of-giving cards in the mail, and cards will also be available on Sunday mornings. All are invited to complete a card and bring it to worship on Sunday, November 11. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Nashua will host this year s ecumenical Thanksgiving service brought to you by the Merrimack Faith Communities. Rev. Jason Wells from the New Hampshire Council of Churches will deliver the sermon. Date: Tuesday, November 20 Time: 7:00 pm Address: 110 Concord St, Nashua, NH The 2019 Flower chart is on the bulletin board in the hallway between the sanctuary and fellowship hall. Purchase the flower arrangement for $20 in someone s memory or in honor of a loved one or to commemorate a special celebration. You may take the arrangement home after the worship service. Make checks payable to St. James UMC and write altar flowers on the memo line. 4

5 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION Advent Bible Study Go from, Bah, humbug! to a blessed Advent and a merry Christmas as you rediscover Charles Dickens classic viewed through the lens of faith. Join us on the four Sundays of Advent December 2, 9, 16 and 23 from 8:00 to 9:00 am. Books can be purchased for $ Sign up ahead of time so we know how many books to order. OUTREACH MISSIONS Red Cross Blood Drive here at St. James UMC Friday, November 9, :00 7:00 pm Register at The Food Pantry Needs Your Help The Scouts will be collecting food from neighborhoods on Saturday, November 10. We need volunteers to help with sorting on Wednesday, November 14 at 10:00am. Check with Donna Johnson or Dave and Barbara Jenkins for more details. 5

6 Operation Care for Troops Submitted by Louise Yeaton Packing for Operation Care for Troops holiday shipment is scheduled for November 14, 15, and 16. Please bring your lovingly knitted and crocheted scarves and hats to church by November 11. They will be delivered to the Nashua National Guard Armory on November 14. Volunteers are always needed at the Armory to help with packing the boxes for the troops to 1600 boxes are stuffed with goodies and love from home. Thanks, Louise Yeaton To the St. James UMC faith community, My name is Susan LaSante and you do not know me but you know my dear friend Molly. I want to share with you how your pocket prayer ministry touched lives my first day here in Kenya. You do not even know me but you sent your prayers and love with Molly in a box full of pocket prayers. When you made these and tucked your love and prayers into them none of us knew where God was leading me or what your prayers would mean here in Kenya. I am pretty sure you can't imagine how important they are to my walk here in the slums. On Tuesday morning I gave out my first two prayer pockets to Helen and her sixteen-year-old daughter Sarah and explained to them that they were full of love and prayers from America. At breakfast, on Wednesday morning I learned Sarah had died in her mother's arms as they arrived at the gate of the hospital early in the morning. She had been sick but no one expected her life was almost over. Wednesday night I sat alone with Helen in her living room holding her hand asking Jesus to give her my heart and all the love it had in it. I knew I would be refilled with all your love from back in America. Because of your gift I was able to give everyone who came to mourn a pocket prayer. As tears roll down my cheeks I know there are no words to truly express my thanks to you. Please know you are touching lives and making a difference here in Kenya. Love, Susan 6

7 It s that time of year for sharing our many blessings with families in our community who could uyse a helping hand We began Thanksgiving basket sign-ups on October 1 st in preparation for distribution on Tuesday, November 20,2018. Each year our pantry team collects, fills, and distributes Thanksgiving meals for families in need. We have been fortunate to receive donations from our congregation, civic groups, businesses, families and friends to make this wonderful mission possible. The Sidore Foundation has also contributed greatly to support our baskets for Thanksgiving and Christmas annually. We are grateful for everyone s generosity and participation in making this important commitment a reality for so many families within our community. The Thanksgiving basket items this year are: turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, carrots, corn, green beans or peas, cranberry jelly, rolls, and pie or baked goods. We are accepting and would appreciate donations of turkeys, stuffing, gravy, green beans, peas, cranberry sauce, pie and/or baked goods to fill our baskets this season. We are also extremely grateful for monies to help fund the purchase of fresh vegetables and fruit. As in previous years we pre-order fresh vegetables from our neighbor and weekly donor of veggies and fruit; the Depot Farm Stand. In order to adequately fill the baskets, we will need to receive the items by Sunday, November 18 th. If you are considering donating a set quantity or are part of a group that would like to donate enough to fill all of the baskets with one or more items, we would cheerfully plan for this Last year, we distributed over 65 Thanksgiving baskets and we are estimating at this time to be close to the same need. Thank you for supporting our pantry throughout this year. We couldn t thrive as such an important resource without each and everyone s continued prayers, service and donations! You may contact Food Pantry Director Donna Johnson at dmj22463@aol.com or or Co-directors David and Barbara Jenkins at FELLOWSHIP Women s Retreat at Rolling Ridge Last weekend, Pastor Lynne and twelve other St. James women (and two mice named Chester and Charlie) enjoyed a weekend of renewal at Rolling Ridge Retreat and Conference Center in North Andover, MA. We learned how to apply the ideas from the book, The Anatomy of Peace by the Arbinger Institute to our own lives with discussion, prayer and crafts. 7

8 Pot Roast Supper Back by popular demand! After a one year hiatus, the Pot Roast Supper is back. Date: Saturday, November 17 Time: 5:00 6:30 Ticket Prices: $10 adult, $8 senior, $6 children 12 and under Call church office for reservations. Tickets may be available at the door. Volunteer sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board in the office hallway. COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Blessing of the Animals On Saturday, September 29, Merrimack Faith Communities hosted their 3 rd Annual Blessing of the Animals at Watson Park. It was a beautiful day for people to bring their pets for a treat and a blessing. A memorial tree was decorated with ribbons in memory of pets that have passed St. James Harvest Fair St. James was buzzing with activity on Saturday, October 20. Our classrooms were full of beautiful handmade crafts and yummy homemade baked goods and candy. Taking a break from shopping for crafts or bargain hunting downstairs at the book corner and flea market, visitors enjoyed eating lunch in fellowship hall, while George Kenson s model train display was running. Later that evening, many came back for a hearty pork roast supper prepared by our choir members. Organizers Lesley Fallu and Brenda DuLong would like to thank all of the volunteers who worked at the fair and supper, made crafts and food, and donated items for the silent auction, book corner, and flea market. 8

9 Merrimack Faith Communities Takes Home the Golden Sneaker Award at Crop Hunger Walk Submitted by Robin House I got home from the women s retreat just in time to grab a quick lunch and change into my walking shoes. I headed down to Temple Beth Abraham in Nashua to represent Merrimack Faith Communities in the 34 th Annual Greater Nashua Crop Hunger Walk. In the wake of Saturday s shooting at Pittsburg s Tree of Life Synagogue, there was extra police presence, but also a great sense of community support and togetherness. The opening program included speakers from various backgrounds. We received our Golden Sneaker Award for being first time participants. Other awards were given for reaching fundraising goals. After the benediction by Rabbi Jon Spira-Savett, we joined our voices with the Nashua Community Interfaith Choir with a closing hymn We Are Marching sung in English, Zulu and Spanish. We began the walk as we were still singing the last verse. As we left the building, there were a couple of men standing outside holding signs with messages of peace for their neighborhood Jewish community. The 3.34 mile distance represents the average distance that people in some countries have to carry their water every day. Some people carried jugs of water to empathize with those people. I started with a jug, but a boy who didn t get one wanted to carry it, so I gave it to him. The time passed quickly since it was also a good time to socialize with folks from other churches. We returned to the synagogue to the smell of food! While we ate, we were entertained by The Nashua Community Interfaith Choir, the Raymond Street Klezmer Band and the New Fellowship Baptist Church Gospel Choir. I went home with a wonderful feeling of fellowship. I am already looking forward to next year s Crop Walk. I hope some of you will join me! ---Robin Upcoming Merrimack Faith Communities Events November: Details on page 4 of this newsletter 11/20 Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service, Church of Latter Day Saints, Nashua, 7 PM December: More details will be included in the December newsletter 12/8 St. Petersburg Men s Ensemble, Faith Episcopal Church, Merrimack, 7 PM 12/8-9 Live Nativity, Church of Latter Day Saints, Nashua, 7 PM 9

10 SMALL BLESSINGS 10

11 November 2018 RC Flying Eagle Remote Club FIN Finance Committee CH Council Church Council UMM United Methodist Men ECOH Eagle Court of Honor (Scouts) GS Girl Scouts BS Boy Scouts CS Cub Scouts 11 HHH Home Health & Hospice SJH St. Joseph s Fitness Class YG Youth Group FH Fellowship Hall CR Conference Room S Sanctuary P - Parlor UC Undercroft CL - Classrooms