Union Rider July, 2016 Newsletter

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1 Union Church of Belgrade Lakes United Methodist Church Location: 67 Main Street, Belgrade Lakes, Maine Mailing Address: P. O. Box 133, Belgrade Lakes, Maine Phone: Church Pastor s unionpastor@myfairpoint.net Website: unionchurchmaine.org Union Rider July, 2016 Newsletter FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOR LUNCHEON Soups, sandwiches, desserts and more! Thursday, July 14, 2016 from 11:30 to 1pm. Come Join in the fellowship with our friends throughout the community. There will also be a game of trivia, come test your knowledge skills and have fun playing against everyone. Thank you Tony and Nancy for hosting this luncheon in June. 2nd Thursday, Friends and Neighbors Community Luncheon. Crockpot Soup, Crackers, Cheese, Cookies, more & more. Union Coffeehouse The Union Coffeehouse has a wonderful lineup of talent set for the summer of 2016! The Coffeehouse is a part of Union Church s community outreach program offering wholesome musical entertainment at a bargain price during the summer months. The Coffeehouse Committee, a loose-knit group consisting of Don and Linda Petersen and Lynn and Phyllis Matson, invites everyone to mark their calendars and plan to attend the next scheduled concert. BRIO To Enliven July Union Coffeehouse On July 9 at 7 PM, the Union Coffeehouse will present BRIO, three talented entertainers who will perform an eclectic selection of original songs, creative covers, and quirky classical daring-do. Spicing it all up with invented moments of unplanned music, the harmonic magic in the power of three will shine forth. BRIO features Matt

2 Loosigian, Deb Hensley and Martin Swinger who accompany themselves on guitar, harp, and percussion as part of their program. They share exactly what the world needs more of: powerful songs, lush harmonies, meaningful messages, and inspired audience participation. As always, an Open Mic hour will follow our featured entertainers. Enticing goodies baked by the Union Church Bakers Corps will be available to satisfy your munchy cravings. You can wash them down with coffee, tea, lemonade, or Arnold Palmers as you enjoy the entertainment. Be sure to mark July 9 on your calendar so that you won t miss another outstanding evening of wonderful music and delectable snacks at the Union Coffeehouse. Hope to see you there! Maple Syrup $12 per pint We support the ministry at the United Methodist Economic Ministry in Salem Township, as we extend the grace of God outward regionally. 100%, all of the funds raised from sales go directly to the Economic Ministries that help folks, that equip them for work readiness and life; Home Repairs, Thrift Shop, Food Cupboard, Christmas Gifts, Winter Clothing (New Coats and Boots), Backpacks (school supplies, essential clothing) Program, Life Skills, work. Children s Sunday School Ministry Christine Merckens and Jen Austin together are creating a wonderful Sunday School atmosphere and program for our children. Please take a moment to check out their classrooms upstairs. They continue to look for participation as classroom teachers or assistants on a scheduled rotating basis. Put this to prayer; let them know how you will help out. Sign Up Sheet in Fellowship Hall. Children Nursery Care Nursery Care Provider Annie Dobos is here every Sunday to provide care for our wee ones during our 9:30 a.m. Worship Service. An Opportunity for you to participate in our Children s ministry is available Each week our Nursery and Classrooms need a 2 nd! (this is a teaching assistant) as we strive to have 2 adults in our classrooms at all times. So, Step up and Step In; Contact our teachers; Jen and Chris and Nursery Care Provider Annie. There is also a sign-up sheet in Fellowship Hall Joys & Celebration Monies Endowment Ministry Concert The Endowment Committee invites you to join them in an evening of music. All your financial gifts will support the Love of Neighbor Fund. Sue Poliacik s Rutgers Trio will provide the evening s concert. Thursday, August 18 7 p.m. Our next two year Global Ministry Initiative is connected with UMCOR; W.A.S.H.; Water, Sanitation, Hygiene program. The WASH program and the global water projects this supports will be supported by our weekly worship's Joys and Celebration Offerings. Contributions as of 6/26/16 are $ Our Next Goal is $1250 by July 4 th.

3 Rev. Dr. David Glusker will hold a presentation here on Monday July 18 6:30 p.m. for anyone interested to learn more about this ministry with children and families or who may be thinking about going. Jim Webster will be traveling with Rev. Glusker; please come and see what an experience this could be and possibly plan on joining Jim on this trip. Hannah Foust, a 14-year- old from Carmel, Indiana, speaks at a May 13 press conference United Methodist 2016 General Conference in Portland, Oregon. Dakotas-Minnesota Area Bishop Bruce R. Ough is to her right. During the morning plenary session, Foust shared her passion for providing safe accessible water to communities in Africa. WaSH, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, our Global Mission Initiative is reaching out to those in need of the very water we have in such abundance here. In local community settings the WaSH program through our United Methodist Commission on Relief partners with other global and local agencies to help communities both here in the US and globally have clean accessible water. Our two year Mission Goal of $5,000 is being met with your generous contributions like those received at the start of each worship service with our Celebrations Prayers and Gifts. Our July 4 th, 2016 goal is $1,250 and we are almost there with receipts of $1,029 as of June 26th. May we reach so others may sip fresh water. With your generous gifts to this ministry, Jesus compassion and love are revealed, like an overflowing spring. An Invitation from Pleasant Street United Methodist Church For the second year, members of Pleasant Street United Methodist Church in Waterville are preparing for an extraordinary journey to Guatemala. VITAMINS NEEDED As plans begin to take shape for another mission trip to Guatemala by the members of the Pleasant Street United Methodist Church in Waterville, a specific need has surfaced. There is a need for the health of the little children who attend the Suzanna Wesley School at The Saludy Paz mission station in Guatemala. About 50 students at the school are fed nutritious meals and givens vitamins five days a week. This requires 1,000 vitamin pills each month. If you can t join the mission trip this year, and we welcome you to consider that possibility, how about offering your support by buying one bottle of children s vitamins each month for the months from now until October? The traveling team will be happy to transport them when we leave on October 8 th. The UMW is supporting this project and will be collecting vitamins for the next 5 months. It doesn't matter what brand or size bottle you donate, everything will help. Last Sunday Barbara Barrett led off the project with a double dose of STAR WARS Gummies! Good job. I wonder how many bottles we can collect between now and October? We will have a collection station in Friendship Hall. And a reminder that many stores have a buy one, get one free on vitamins!! Thank you Carol Johnson, United Methodists Women s Program The United Methodist Women-UMW-have outlined their activities for And yes-we are going to have a yard sale in July! This is our primary fundraiser that allows us to purchase warm

4 clothing for Belgrade schoolchildren in need. Our regular meetings are the third Saturday of the month from 9AM to 10:30AM in Friendship Hall. Following is our calendar: July 23rd - ANNUAL YARD SALE-set up the day before! August 6 th Quilt Show September 17 th Harvest Festival preparations October 15 th - Foliage trip and luncheon November 19 th -Thanksgiving program and community food drive December 17 th - Christmas trip to the Botanical Gardens Come to our next meeting and "try us out"! Meetings: A Year At A Glance Worship Committee: 7/5, 8/2, 9/6, 10/4, 11/1 and 12/6 Trustees: 9/17 and 11/2 Finance: 8/23, 9/27, 10/25, 11/29 and 12/27 Staff Parish Relations: 10/17 Prayer Shawl: 7/11, 7/25, 8/8, 8/22, 9/12, 9/26, 10/10, 10/24, 11/14, 11/18, 12/12 and 12/26 United Methodist Women: 7/16, 8/20, 9/17, 10/15, 11/19 and 12/17 All Church Council: 7/14, 10/23 and 12/11 Wednesday Conversation, Study and Reflection. We will be using our Upper Room Booklets to pick up a bit of scripture and consider it for our days of living in Jesus Way. Classes will be held on Wednesdays 11 to noon, Continuing through the end of August. On June 29 th we had 10 joined together in this discussion All are Welcome to Join Us; Bring A Bible, A Friend and a Smile! MESSALONSKEE HIGH SCHOOL ROBOTICS TEAM OFFERING BREAKFAST August 13, a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Serving: Eggs, Bacon, Sausage Toast and Pancakes. Breakfast by Donations either by per person or family All are welcomed.... Bring plenty of friends and family BELGRADE/ROME FOOD PANTRY The Month of June we collected and astounding 96 items for our local food pantry; Thank you all so very much! Our next Collection is this coming Sunday, July 3 rd! Let s try to fill the grocery cart again this month

5 July 4 th July 23rd August 20 th 2016 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Strawberry Shortcake Carol, Phyllis & Gail UMW Yard Sale United Methodist Women s Group Turkey Dinner Shelly Fitzgerald & Val/Horatio Castle October 8 th Harvest Festival We are looking for a Volunteer to Chair December 3 rd Christmas Stroll Bobbi Mahler These events financially support our local/regional and global missions activities. United Methodist Women s Yard Sale July 23 rd Soon, we hope, it will be warm enough to do your Spring Cleaning and we are in hopes to be recipients of the items you no longer want. Please let Carol Johnson, Gail Rizzo or Bobbi Mahler know that you do have items you would like to donate. They will need these items prior to Friday the 22nd as they will be setting up that day. Thank you Stewardship Campaign Oh, the Places You ll Go!* This may be a title of a long loved book often quoted during graduation and commencement programs, but this too highlights our hearts and hands that are engaging the community near and far with the love of God we ve found, we ve come to know, and desire to share. This whimsical and yet thoughtful title and writing describes our 2016 Stewardship Campaign as we look to plan, celebrate, and work towards implementing our 2017 ministry plan together. July 24 through August 14 we will celebrate our ministries accomplished and envisioned for the year and years ahead. Join us in worship, watch for our mailings. Oh, the Places We ll Go! * Thank you Dr. Suess! Mission & Outreach Awards from Union Church Go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus commissioned us, God has inspired it, the Spirit is equipping it. The Technology Committee proposed it, the Church Council approved it, the Endowment Committee is supporting it and the Finance Committee has blessed it!. The Technology Enhancement Project is born. We are at work to increase our worship capacity by expanding into Fellowship Hall with the aid of live projection of our worship service on to a large screen TV. Tables, chairs, coffee and worship oh my! We will have the capacity to live stream our worship service so those far and near can view not only worship services, but other special services and programs too. Our audio system will be enhanced, improving the quality of the sound for better hearing. This will not only equip our worship ministry, but can provide for teaching, training opportunities for all ages. In this manner we will welcome those the Holy Spirit has been inspiring to join us for worship, those we are reaching out to, those we are baptizing, bringing into membership and discipleship. This project is on a fast track for the Spring and Summer. Vendors and contractors have provided detailed quotes, equipment specifications and requirements. We are developing the cost, funding and project schedule towards an early August completion. The project is looking to cost $15,720. We have received the maximum available award from our Endowment Committee, we have now received generous grants from the New England Foundation of the United Methodist Church and from the New England Annual Conference Congregational Development Committee as our New England Conference looks to equip

6 congregations in their efforts towards evangelism welcoming, equipping and sending God s people into their families, the community and the world all in God s holy service. Join us as we reach up to give thanks to God for the blessings, the sustaining grace and love we have found. Join us as we reach out not only to enhance our quality of worship and programming, but to welcome those not here yet, those the Spirit is inviting. Just last week, as I looked out into our worshiping congregation I could see that 20% of those worshiping, singing, praying, laughing, loving were new to us in the last year. The Holy Spirit is on fire here, it s a Pentecost time. Join us this month with your prayers, with your financial support and with your presence in worship and service. Gifts may be given in worship or mailed to the church marked: Reach Up! Reach Out! Thank you again for all your leadership, prayers, gifts and support - we imagined, we gave, we saved! Blessings, Bonnie Marden Imagine No Malaria Field Coordinator With your gifts now we look to place the order for equipment and schedule the contractors right away. You ask: How much more do we need??? $1000 in donations; will reach our goal. By God s grace, for God s glory, together with you, Pastor Joe Congratulations to all of the New England Ambassadors and Imagine No Malaria supporters as we surpassed our $1Million goal this weekend during Annual Conference! With gifts and pledges totaling over $1,009,825 we have exceeded our hopes and demonstrated our commitment to...changing the world! ITALIAN NIGHT DINNER & MYSTERY THEATER A Huge Thank You to Kim Haggan for chairing this wonderful event! The night was well attended and everyone had a great time either being part of the Mystery Theater or enjoying the dinner and watching the Hilarious theater production! We will share more of the stories and accomplishments of the campaign in the coming weeks, but I wanted to share our gratitude and good news with all of you as soon as possible!

7 SCOUTS: Michael Barrett announced on May 29 th that we would be passing around a basket to receive donations for the Boy Scouts who are in need of monies to purchase scout supplies. And was going to pass the basket again the following Sunday; however, through everyone's generosity on May 29 th we raised more than the $150 they were attaining to; they received $179! Plus; the next week we did receive an additional $15. Thank you all! Welcome back Summer Family and Friends. We are looking forward to sharing the summer together..and After Worship We Have Cookies +, 3 C's 3C s; Coffee, Cookies and Conversation Cystic Fibrosis Walk: Kennedy Austin was excited to report and give her thanks for the donations she and her family received towards their walk on May 22nd. The Austin's collected $750; Emma and Carter's (both have CF) Group collected over $4000; the Augusta Chapter collected $27,000+ and the Northern New England Chapter collected over $64,000. They thank you all for your support from the bottom of their hearts. To show their appreciation, Kennedy made delicious cake she made and decorated herself. Following worship each week we sit, stand or walk about; but one way or another we are in fellowship, checking in with one another, introducing ourselves, welcoming another, beginning or continuing a conversation. You are invited to welcome. You are invited to receive. You are invited to share a smile and kind word. Who knows; some have met one such as Jesus this way (Matthew 25). It s what we do, it's who we are and how we get to be...

8 Union Church of Belgrade Lakes United Methodist Church 67 Main Street P.O. Box 133 Belgrade Lakes, Maine Our Mission is to live our experience of God s love in all that we say and do Our Vision is to be a growing spiritual faith community in the manner of Christ, where all are welcome and cared for