F I R S T U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H N E W S L E T T E R

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1 F I R S T U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H N E W S L E T T E R September 2017 Our mission: Share God s love Make and nurture disciples of Jesus Christ Positively impact our community and world CHARGE CONFERENCE - NOTE EARLIER DATE! Each year, we have the opportunity to come together, and share what God is doing here at First Church. We celebrate ministry, acknowledge challenges, and share where we see God calling us into the future. All this happens when the new District Superintendent (D.S.) Rev. Tracy Bass, meets with our congregation for a Charge Conference on Saturday October 14th, at 9 AM. This year s Charge Conference will be held here at First Church. Since we have a new D.S., Rev, Bass will be meeting with First Church solely, and we will not be a part of a cluster. More detail to come in future Newsletters and bulletins. We encourage all members of the First Church family to join us on October 14th, so be sure to mark your calendars. WELCOME OUR NEW WORSHIP LEADER! We are excited to announce the hiring of our new Worship Leader, Melinda Krpata. Melinda joins our staff in September and will coordinate and lead our praise band during our Contemporary worship services. Her gifts, knowledge, and experience are a welcome addition to our weekly worship. Melinda is currently the instrumental music teacher at Phil-Mont Christian Academy in Erdenheim, PA. At Phil-Mont, Melinda directs the high school and middle school concert bands and jazz bands. She also teaches instrumental lessons for all students grades In addition, Melinda leads the chapel leadership team and the chapel musicians as they prepare and lead chapel each week for the student body. After-school, Melinda teaches private piano lessons. Melinda s husband, Rev. Andy Krpata, is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church and is currently serving a church in Bethlehem, PA. Andy and Melinda have served several churches over the last 20 years and have been especially active in their music programs. Melinda has been a member/leader of praise bands, handbell choirs and vocal choirs. She has also served as a substitute organist/ pianist on several occasions. The move to the church in Bethlehem is what brought the family to Perkasie last summer because it is about halfway between Bethlehem and Phil-Mont. Andy and Melinda have four boys, Andrew, Timothy, Aaron and Caleb. Andrew graduated from Phil-Mont in 2016 and enjoys cars and playing guitar. Timothy and Aaron are entering 11th grade and are both active in the band program and sports. Caleb is beginning middle school and enjoys playing drums and also playing sports. The family also has two cats and a dog. Additionally, Melinda is currently pursuing her Masters in Worship Studies with a concentration in worship leadership from Liberty University and Seminary. Melinda is looking forward to putting all of her experiences, education and training into leading worship at First UMC of Perkasie and is also looking forward to getting to know and becoming a part of a new UMC community.

2 NOTE FROM THE PASTOR Did You Rest This Summer? With the turn of the calendar into September we have, for many of us, one of the biggest transitions of the whole year. Summer is finally drawing to a close, vacations are ending and the new school year is about to commence. It s about time! As parents and grandparents, we can feel quite sluggish and drained from watching the kids all summer. Growing up, my mother had 7 children to watch and now I finally understand why she was ready to pull her hair out by the end of August! We certainly knew how to push my mother s buttons. For the parents and grandparents, it s time for a much needed break. This truth may seem strange to us. We assume summer is a chance to get some much needed down time, to read a book at the park, lie out on the beach for a week without a care in the world, get caught up on our favorite shows or reconnect with loved ones or old friends. But as they say, sometimes we need a vacation from the vacation. Can I get an Amen! Summer routines and schedules are replaced with a new rhythm and focus. Even for those who are not going back to school, and those with no school aged children, the daily presence of yellow school buses on our streets signals a major shift in activity. For those who attend church, September also marks the return of the choir, Wednesday night Youth Fellowship, our annual 9/11 Memorial Service for the fire fighters and fire police. This month also kicks off our Financial Peace University classes! We will see a jump in attendance as people come home from their vacations. September into October brings many visual changes as well. The leaves start to change, the corn stalks are used for Halloween decorations and it gets a little colder outside. September may give you pause to reflect on your own summer; what you did and how you felt about it. As you do this, you may realize that you didn t slow down at all. It is hard to slow down when you re having so much fun! And there s always one more fun thing to do, and why not? Ultimately you pay a price for trying to do too much. Some of you may have gone to Disney World or some amusement park. You may have discovered that in the hustle to get in front of the line at your favorite ride, you missed some real down time to sit and relax by the pool. We are not machines with no feelings, hopes, or dreams. We are spirit beings temporarily living in these beautiful, amazing, but not bullet proof bodies. If we don t take time for rest we will wear down physically, mentally and spiritually. I was reminded recently of this story which illustrates the need for taking time out, to pause and rest. A group of Americans made a trip with Brazilian natives down the Amazon River. The first day they rushed. The second day they rushed. The next day they rushed. One day, anxious to continue the trek, they were surprised to find the natives seated together in a circle. When asked the reason for the delay, a guide answered, They are waiting. They cannot move further until their souls have caught up with their bodies. I find that to be a very interesting and poignant image. I wonder if our summer activity had us moving a mile a minute that our soul couldn t keep up. As we look back, we may confess that we didn t pray enough. We didn t stop enough, or take enough time just to be quiet. The thing we missed this summer was a sufficient experience of Sabbath. God ordered the Sabbath for us. From the beginning of creation we were meant to be fruitful and productive, but we were also meant to rest by taking Sabbath. This summer has reminded me of the necessity of Sabbath. Keeping Sabbath frees us from a debilitating cycle of busyness, which wears us down and drains the spirit from us. The challenge of course is, can we take a whole day off each week just to rest and let our souls catch up with us? I pray that we will all embrace true Sabbath. May God s grace, peace and love be with us all! In Christ, Pastor Scott FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY BEGINNING SEPT 7TH! Beginning in September, First United Methodist Church of Perkasie will be hosting Financial Peace University. This nine-week class that's already been attended by more than 4.5 million people in churches nationwide will teach attendees to learn to handle money God s way and take control of their financial futures. Classes begin September 7th and will take place every Thursday night at 7 pm. Each class will run approximately 1.5 to 2 hours. Group classes usually cost $93 per family but First Church will be asking for $25 per family, a $68 savings. First Church families as well as members of the local community are invited to attend, so tell your friends and families! 2

3 FIREFIGHTERS AND FIREPOLICE SERVICE SUNDAY 9/10/17 This year s Firefighters and Fire Police Service will be held on Sunday, September 10th. Breakfast will be held downstairs that morning at 9:30 AM, and a combined worship service will take place at 11 AM in our Sanctuary. Courtland Gardner is coordinating the breakfast. Please contact her if you can bring baked goods, casseroles, etc. Help in setting up and cleaning up is greatly appreciated! Be sure to join us on Sunday, September 10th, as we express our appreciation for the dedication and commitment to the safety of our community by the men and women of Perkasie Fire Company No. 1. AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE SEPTEMBER 1ST The Red Cross is holding a blood drive here at First UMC on Friday September 1st, from 2 to 7 PM. To donate blood, go to redcrossblood.org, sponsor code: Perkasie. We are in need of volunteers to call previous donors and make appointments. To volunteer to help out, contact the First Church office. (Registration instructions on Page 5 of this newsletter). FALL 2017 AT FIRST UMC CHOIR REHEARSALS Choir rehearsal will resume on Wednesday, September 6 at 7:00 PM. New members are welcome! If you are interested in joining choir, please see Robert Creager. BIBLE STUDY The Wednesday morning Bible Study classes will resume in the fall starting on September 6th at 9:30 AM in the Library. YOUTH FELLOWSHIP YF will start on Wednesday September 20th at 6:45 PM in the Youth Room on the lower level. If you have questions about YF, contact Donna McCarthy. J.O.Y. CIRCLE Our first JOY Circle meeting will be held on September 14th at 7:30 PM at the home of Laura Carella. If you have questions about what JOY Circle is all about, contact Laura. SATURDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY Pastor Scott will hold a new monthly Bible Study starting Saturday 9/23 at the local Dunkin Donuts in Perkasie, at 8 AM. The Bible Study will take about 45 minutes. All are invited! HELP NEEDED We need acolytes to light the Sanctuary candles for Traditional Worship. We could use at least 4 volunteers in this area. We also need backup Communion helpers. To volunteer in either function, please contact the Church office. EAST DISTRICT CELEBRATION TUESDAY SEPT. 12TH Congregation members are encouraged to spend time with Bishop Johnson following the 5:30 PM buffet dinner ($10 per person). Agenda: Clergy session at 4 PM, buffet dinner at 5:30 and congregation session at 6:30 PM. Location: Sanctuary United Methodist Church, 1346 E. Prospect Ave., North Wales. Please register your attendance by September 5th. Register online at: (You can also access the above link to register by going to our website: PERKASIE HISTORICAL SOCIETY FALL 2017 SCHEDULE All meetings are at 6:30 PM here at FUMC. For reservations, call Pat Gahman. For late cancellations, call the church office. Tuesday, September 5th Memories of Menlo Park: 125th Anniversary of Menlo Park Tuesday, October 3rd Perkasie s own Rich Curtis experience with Live with Kelly Ripa and Good Day Philadelphia Tuesday, November 7th Perkasie Historical Society: Our history Tuesday, December 5th Pennridge HS Chamber Choir Holiday Concert 3

4 LOOKING AHEAD CROP WALK The Pennridge CROP Hunger Walk is on Sunday, October 5. Registration is at 12:30 PM and the walk begins at 1 PM. (1 mile and 5 mile). Location is St. Andrew s Evangelical Lutheran, 20 Dill Avenue, Perkasie. Please contact Mary Long. JAZZ & JOE CONCERT SUNDAY OCTOBER 22 Don t forget! The next Jazz & Joe concert will be held on Sunday, 10/22, here at First Church, from 2 PM to 4 PM. All are invited! We hope you can join us for light refreshments, fellowship, and great live music! This is a free concert event. (A free will offering will be taken). To learn more about the jazz musicians coming to First Church on 10/22, visit WORDS OF THANKS Dear Friends, my heartfelt thank you to each of you for your prayers on my behalf for successful back surgery. Mission accomplished! I have also enjoyed your cards and phone calls. One of the best days of my life has been the day I walked into this church. The love I felt that day continues to grow. Thank you again. I love you one and all. Marti Shaffer I want to thank the church for getting me a keyless lock for my front door. So cool. Ben Botti came today and installed it. Gave him little problems but it works great. Looks really cool too. I could not open my door with the key, so the church got me this cool keyless lock now I just push buttons. Thank you all so much. You know that you are loved when the church helps. In Gods love, Gail Snyder. HIGHLAND PARK CAMPMEETING UPDATE (from Barbara Leight) This was the 124th year for the Highland Park Campmeeting. We had 53 campers, 17 of which were affiliated with our church. They were a great group of young people. Many former and present church members are very interested in enabling Highland Park Campmeeting to continue and be successful. A very big thank you is extended to each and every one of you. Big things are in store for next year as there will be an 125th celebration of Highland Park Campmeeting s founding. Mark your calendars so you can be a part of the celebrations. July 28th to August 5th, SCOUT NEWS (from Bruce Cattie of Troop 79) Austin Thomas of Troop 79 earned his Eagle Scout rank on 08/15/17. Dan Lucas of Troop 79 earned his Eagle Scout rank on 08/16/17. Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). The designation "Eagle Scout" was founded over one hundred years ago. Only four percent of Boy Scouts are granted this rank after a lengthy review process. The requirements necessary to achieve this rank take years to fulfill. Since its founding, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2.5 million young men. Requirements include earning at least 21 merit badges. The Eagle Scout must demonstrate Scout Spirit, an ideal attitude based upon the Scout Oath and Law, service, and leadership. This includes an extensive service project that the Scout plans, organizes, leads, and manages. WAYS TO GIVE BACK ONLINE GIVING First Church has made available to our membership an online giving program. As we, as a faith community, continue to find ways to meet our weekly financial obligations, we felt that this method of giving, (stewardship) may be both appealing and helpful to you as we continually work towards funding our ministry program at First Church. We have installed a link on our website, that will enable you to donate online. Just log on to the website, left click on the button Give Online in the header at the top of the page, and follow the instructions. You may pay via credit card, debit card or ACH bank transfer with a one-time gift or recurring weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or annual gifts. We have found the process to be very simple and straight forward with an immediate receipt generated via and expect that you will find it equally simple. We hope you will find this a convenient way of giving, especially if you are unable to attend church. These are trying times financially for First Church and your continued support is needed. 4

5 F.I.S.H. CAMPAIGN 2017 To date in 2017, there are OVER A THOUSAND LBS of pantry items donated to F.I.S.H.! We give thanks to God for the many people who have helped out not just in giving, but also with the pantry deliveries. Many thanks to Eileen Hilt for covering August deliveries. Diane Holler will cover September. Please remember to contribute each week as you are able, whether you re coming to church for Sunday morning worship, attending a ministry meeting, etc., don t forget to bring an item for the FISH baskets! UPDATED F.I.S.H. PANTRY NEEDS Please note! The pantry is in need of SUGAR. Other pantry needs: Feminine Hygiene products, Laundry Detergent, Bar soap, Toothpaste, Mayonnaise, Knorr Pasta Sides, Macaroni & cheese, Stuffing Mix, Cake Mixes, Brownie Mixes, Gravy and Broth, Tea and Coffee, Shampoo. Bring your donations to the F.I.S.H. basket in the Sanctuary or to the basket in Spiritlight. SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS 09/01 Jeff Stork 09/04 Joan Keating; Deanna Tropea 09/05 Katrina Garber (Smith); Elaine Vanderslice 09/06 Laura Brandenburg-Carella; Brenda Leight 09/07 Richard Stauffer 09/09 Marian Hinkle 09/10 Ava Morgan 09/12 Joanne Clark 09/14 Jamie Smith; Jake Woolridge 09/16 Joan Cunning; Timothy Detwiler 09/17 Robert Snovel 09/23 Daniel McCarthy 09/24 Anthony Carella 09/26 Marti Shaffer 09/28 Betsy Branson 09/30 Andrew Jervis 08/21 Kathy Brun 08/22 Ken Metz 08/23 Lindsey Sokolis; Jake Wood 08/28 Angela Filer; Collin Keating SEPTEMBER ANNIVERSARIES 09/04 Kerry and Kellie Leight 09/18 Marie and Robert Howells 09/20 Nicole and Brian Yates 09/22 Lori and Raymond Wood 09/26 Ellan and Tom Flood 09/29 Wayne and Lois Tobin SEPTEMBER LITURGISTS 09/03 Ben Botti 09/10 Diane Holler 09/17 Kelly Rapp 09/24 Ronnie Sensinger COUCH FOR SALE! Diane Holler has a two seated couch she wants to sell. Interested parties should contact Diane directly 5

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12 NON-PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID QUAKERTOWN PA PERMIT NO. 43 FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Address Service Requested 501 Market Street Perkasie, PA Sunday Worship Schedule Church Office Hours 9:00 AM 10:30 AM Contemporary Worship Traditional Worship Tuesdays through Fridays: 9 AM to 1 PM Closed Mondays Pastor Scott Dorn Jac Filer Lay Leader Robert Creager Organist/Choir Director Jennifer Fabey Leanne Lightcap Nursery Attendants Alanna Jones Administrative Assistant Edmund Schonheiter Custodian S E P T E M B E R h i g h l i g h t s In this issue: New Worship Leader! Red Cross Blood Drive Friday 9/1 Financial Peace University begins Thursday 9/7 Firefighters Worship Service and Breakfast Sunday 9/10 East District Celebration Tuesday 9/ Charge Conference Saturday 10/14 Find Us on Facebook! Our mission: Share God's love Make and nurture disciples of Jesus Christ Positively impact our community and world. 12