The United Methodist Church at Shrub Oak 1176 East Main Street Shrub Oak, New York 10588 Office: 914-245-4682 Fax: 914-743-1003 Parsonage: 914-245-3114 E-mail: umcso.ny@gmail.com OUR THIRD CENTURY IN SERVICE OF THE LORD Reverend Iwy Patel-Yatri, Pastor February, 2018 Vol. 40, No. 2 Next Deadline 2/18/18 *NEED YOUR INPUT* PLEASE RESPOND Dear Church Family, We are considering whether it makes sense to switch to digital format for the Chimes. Please let us know by the end of February if you prefer to receive a hard copy of the Chimes. If we don t hear from you, we will assume that you prefer digital versus a hard copy. Thank you for responding. *********************************************************************** Dear UMCSO Family, The new year usually brings with it a list of resolutions. Many of us might have made a list of well-intentioned promises for the new year. As the first month of 2018 ends, consider how well you have done in keeping them. At UMCSO, we too have made resolutions as we engage in conversations about our purpose as a church. Last year, through a sermon series focusing on the who, what, where and why of our faith, we explored why we believe in God and what that means for us in our personal lives as well as church life. We continued this theme on purpose with a discussion led by Rev. Jessica Anchutz on God s Vision for our church and our mission as followers of Christ charged with making disciples. The next step as we move forward is to craft a mission statement for UMCSO based on God s vision for us.
Let us approach this work prayerfully, seeking God s guidance in the writing of our mission. As we do this, let us remember that these are more than words on paper. The mission statement is to guide us in our purpose of making disciples for Christ. In Luke 14:28, Jesus talks about the cost of discipleship. Whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple. Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it? Otherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him. Before beginning his ministry, Christ went into the wilderness for forty days, where he was tempted by the devil and reflected upon the cost of saying yes to his mission, which was to free us from our sin and resulted in his death on the cross. On February 14th, Ash Wednesday, we will enter into the 40 days of Lent, which is a sacred time. During this season we will reflect, repent and renew our vows to follow Jesus. Let us consider what it means to follow Jesus and make disciples as part of our mission at UMCSO. And as we prayerfully begin writing and implementing our mission, may we always focus on reaching people for Christ so that they may find hope and salvation in the Savior of the world. What a blessing and privilege it is to be part of God s work in this world! In Christ,
LENT: REPENT, RENEW & TURN BACK TO GOD What is Lent? Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. The imposition of ashes on our foreheads or hands remind us that we have sinned, which has brought death and separation from you. Yet, in the midst of this, Christ s resurrection reminds us that Christ has taken our sins and offers us new life as we repent and turn back to you. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means "spring." The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, following his baptism, fasting, praying and facing the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry. Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a "mini-easter" and the reverent and solemn spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection. What do we do in Lent? During Lent, we take time to reflect, repent and renew our commitment to Christ. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. During this time, let us consider our sins and Christ s sacrifice for us. May we take this time to focus on our relationship with God, choose to give up things we have valued more than Christ, to volunteer and give of ourselves for others. Prayer for Forgiveness: Merciful God, I confess that I have not loved you with my whole heart. I have not loved my brothers and sisters as you have loved me. I have not done your will and held on to my needs and grudges. Forgive me, I pray this in Christ s name. Amen. When Jesus saw, their faith, he said, Friend, your sins are forgiven. (Luke 5:20) SAVE THE DATES: Ash Wednesday Service Wednesday, February 14, 2018, 7pm Lenten Bonfire - Sunday, February 18 th, 2018, 5pm with pot-trust dinner We will write down our sins and burn in the fire, remembering that through Christ, our sins are forgiven by his sacrifice.
UPCOMING EVENTS BLACK HISTORY MONTH! Saturdays, February 3 rd and 17 th 8:00 am Men s Group Sunday, February 4 th Souper Bowl Sunday Saturday, February 10 th 5-7:00 pm. Mission Statement Meeting with lite dinner Wednesday, February 14 th 7:00 pm Ash Wednesday Service Saturday, February 17 th 1:00 pm PWP Valentine Luncheon Sunday, February 18 th 5:00 pm Lent Bonfire Family fellowship pot trust Please bring your family and friends to these special events that are planned especially for you. SOUPER BOWL OF CARING SUNDAY Sunday, February 4 th, is the football Super Bowl. That day our church will have our SOUPER BOWL OF CARING. On February 4 th it is expected that 130 million people all over the world will tune in to the Super Bowl football game. There will be parties with abundant food, friendship and fellowship. At the same time, there will be people worrying about clothing their families, looking for shelter and hoping for a warm meal. Our youth will join tens of thousands of other youth around the country to demonstrate God s love by loving our neighbors. They will hold soup pots at the church doors February 4 th to collect money for those who are hungry and hurting. Our church will donate our entire Souper Bowl collection to our local food pantries at St. Mary s in Mohegan Lake and Peekskill United Methodist Church. Please support us in this effort to love our neighbors by dropping your dollar (or more) in the soup pot as you leave on February 4 th. Those who need help may not know the name of the person who cared, but God does. And our young people are developing hearts for giving that can last a lifetime. Thank you. Linda Hoernes -------------------------------------- BOY SCOUT SUNDAY We will be celebrating Boy Scout Sunday on February 11 th. Boy Scout Troop 38 and Cub Scout Pack 38 will be ushering and hosting the coffee hour. Any boy scout, cub scout, tiger scout or den leaders in our congregation can participate in this special Sunday time of worship. It would be nice if they wore their uniforms. PWP VALENTINE PIZZA LUNCHEON Saturday, February 17 th 1:00 pm - The People without Partners (PWP) are planning a valentine pizza luncheon on Saturday February 17 th at 1:00 pm in the. There will be a free will offering to cover the expense of the pizza. A sign up sheet is in the. They are in need of a coordinator for this event. Please see Maxine Haigh if you are interested. There will be games and a photo-guessing contest, so be sure to bring a photo of yourself (in your earlier years) and see if anyone recognizes you. Don t forget to bring a PWP friend along for the fun and fellowship!
UPDATED LEADERSHIP AND MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORIES Our updated Leadership and Membership directories are now on the website at www.umcso.com. -------------------------------------- ALTAR FLOWERS The 2018 Flower Chart is now located in the breezeway. Sign up to honor a loved one or event or in memory of a loved one, family or friend. The two vases are $40.00 or if you would like to share with another at $20.00 each. Let us know if there is a birth and we will have a single flower on the altar. Linda Purcell which sponsors Boy Scout Troop 376. His brother Daniel was master of ceremonies. Ricky s Eagle Scout project was installing a lattice frame on the porch of the Van Tassel House in Van Tassel Park located in Somers. The house is a meeting place for Senior Citizens. Ricky is a freshman at Delaware University majoring in mechanical engineering. Congratulations Ricky! We are very proud of you. We have several items, such as winter scarves, gloves, sweaters, etc., that were left in the church. They are presently on the coat rack located just outside the office door. When you come to church, please check them out to see if any belong to you. -------------------------------------- FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS Linda Everding 3 Beth Gilleo 3 Beverly Martinez 4 Robert Gutowski 5 Jaxon Weed 6 Bjorg Davis 7 Veronica Neal-Young 9 Stella Ganney 10 Timothy Kehlenbach 10 John Reed 10 Patty Robcke 10 Ruth O Neal 11 Benjamin Robcke 11 Stephanie Spina 12 Stacey Twoguns 12 Janet Weed 13 Laura Uribe 14 Linda Ann Stella 15 Nancy Mannino 16 Glenda A. Geis 20 Maria DeMartino 23 Michael Barnett, III 26 Suzanne Libfeld 26 Nancy Semcken 28 PREVIOUS EVENT Ricky Haigh, son of Debbie and Richard Haigh, Jr., and grandson of Maxine Haigh, received his Eagle Scout Award on January 7, 2018. The Eagle Court of Honor was held at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Granite Springs FEBRUARY ANNIVERSARIES Barbara & John Reed 16 Mary & Bruce Lockhart 19 Jo Ann & Garrett Stokes 20 Debbie & Richard Haigh Jr. 25 January 5 th 6 th On Friday, January 5th, UMCSO kicked off our new Youth Group program with an overnight lock in. The Middle and High School students of our congregation came
together for a super fun night of games, movies, laughs and lessons. We had an intense Bake Off and hilarious team challenges. The night was a great start to what looks to be a very promising year with our new Youth Group. Meetings will be held weekly on Sundays from 12 2:00 pm - all Middle and High School students are welcome! (See photos within.) Cory Casey ------------------------------------- A special thanks to all our volunteers who so freely and willingly give of their time and talent in the name of the Lord. Acolytes Michael Antonucci Chris Closi Donovan Matthews Annette Reynolds Patti Scozzari Debbie Vesuvio Audio Visual Marilyn Bucher Cliff Cullum Dom Schiavi Chimes Jean Engel June Willis Coffee Hour Hosts Friends of the Church New Year s Brunch Dianne Benincasa Kathy Casey Jean Engel The Horton Family Marshall Moseley Annette Reynolds Jill Clockadale Communications Marilyn Bucher Communion Elements Patricia Scozzari Debbie Vesuvio Greeters Muriel Carpenter & Grace Reynolds Susan Crookston & June Willis Jean Engel & Joan Prentice Don Hoffmann & Joan Prentice Connie Vollmer & Mary Washburn Hospitality Jean Engel Maxine Haigh Joan Prentice Grace Reynolds Kathy Schiavi Ushers Dianne Benincasa Jean Engel Pat Golanec Peter Hoernes Annette Reynolds Joy Santaroni Patti Scozzari Debbie Vesuvio LECTIONARY SCRIPTURE READINGS (for the month of February) Sunday, February 4 (Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany) Isaiah 40:21-31 Psalm 147:1-11 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 Mark 1:29-39 Sunday, February 11 (Last Sunday after the Epiphany) Transfiguration Sunday Scouting Sunday 2 Kings 2:1-12 Psalm 50:1-6 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 Mark 9:2-9 Sunday, February 18 (First Sunday in Lent) Genesis 9:8-17 Psalm 25:1-10 1 Peter 3:18-22 Mark 1:9-15 Sunday, February 25 (Second Sunday in Lent) Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 Psalm 22:23-31 Romans 4:13-25 Mark 8:31-38
SUNDAY SCHOOL CORNER The time has come (Jesus) said, The Kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news! Mark 1:14-15 NIV We are so thankful for the good news from God for all of us. The Lenten season starts Wednesday, February 14. As we enter this time of introspection and preparation let us look to a closer walk with our Lord. January has been a great month! We started with the kick off of our new Youth Group. Youth Group meets every Sunday from 12 2 pm in the Upper Room. Please see Youth Group write-up and pictures. Then, despite the frigid temperatures, as a church family we welcomed in the new year with our traditional pancake breakfast! (We reaffirmed that we are a family of great cooks!) Our thanks! to Tony Capozza, the wonderful kitchen volunteers, and Flap Jack for the delicious pancakes! This month of February we have exciting plans! Our Middle School Class is planning a puppet show on February 11 th. Make every effort to attend service and enjoy the hard work of our kids who develop, write and produce these productions. These are always excellent teaching moments for all involved. The 11th is also Boy Scout Sunday. We welcome Troupe 38 and Den Pack 38 to our worship service and to Sunday School. We are working on plans for a Lent Bonfire February 18 th. This will include family fellowship with a Pot Trust dinner. All are invited. Opportunities still exist for Youth Liturgists. This is an important way for our children to be active in their church, as well as a service to our Lord. If your child is interested let their Sunday School Teacher or Pastor Iwy know. God bless the children, families, and teachers as we move forward into this Lenten Season of repentance and renewal. Your Sunday School Teachers YOUTH GROUP KICK OFF (January 5-6)
NOTE FROM OUR LAY LEADER DIANNE BENINCASA January is a time when we look ahead and plan into a new year. Sometimes the way is exciting and clear. Other times it may be foggy and uncertain. God s word gives us sure footing as we start each day. Every single morning His call to us is to trust Him with our day. He will direct our paths one step at a time. Remember Proverbs 3: 5-6? I just happen to read it and had to stop and really think about what it means. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path. Maybe this should be our verse for 2018.as we walk in ways that are pleasing to God. The promise of this kind of trust even aids our health as confidence in God will even reduce our stress. I have to believe this, as I patiently wait for this foot of mine to heal in Gods time. Acknowledging Him in every step and every decision is a wise way to live. Heavenly Father, Today we want to declare our trust in You and in Your divine ability to guide our pathways. When we don t know which way to turn we know You will direct us.. Right now we do acknowledge that You alone know what is best. You alone can see around each blind corner and You alone can show us just what steps to take. Thank you for Your steadfast love and Your sure direction in our lives. Amen. ---------- A NEW DAY - VISIONING THE NOW! The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Christ for the transformation of the world. Book of Discipline, (para. 120 based on Matthew 28:19-20) On January 7 th, Pastor Jessica led our church in a discussion about our Vision & Mission as Christ has given us to make disciples of Christ. We discussed in groups the following: 1. What is God calling us to do? 2. How can we live into the vision? 3. How will we impact our community for Christ? Our Dream List included the following: 1. Get the local Church to get more involved with the community. 2. Hold activities open to community (movie night, involve in mission/outreach work). 3. Use social media to communicate and invite others to join us for worship and mission & ministries. 4. Grow the Youth Group invite friends to join. 5. Get to know each other as a church family & hear our faith stories. NEXT STEPS: WRITING THE MISSION STATEMENT Saturday, February 10 th, 5-7pm. Join us for a potluck dinner as we work together to craft the statement. Sign up in. DINNER FOR EIGHT To get to know one another and hear our faith stories, we will meet over a meal in groups of eight.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH We often sing the hymn Lift Every Voice and Sing by James Weldon Johnson. James Weldon Johnson was born in 1871 in Jacksonville, Florida, the son of Helen Louise Dillet, a native of Nassau, Bahamas, and James Johnson. His maternal great-grandmother, Hester Argo, had escaped from Saint-Domingue during the revolutionary upheaval in 1802, along with her three young children, including James' grandfather Stephen Dillet (1797 1880). Although originally headed to Cuba, their boat was intercepted by privateers and they were taken to Nassau, where they permanently settled. In 1833 Stephen Dillet became the first man of color to win election to the Bahamian legislature (ref: James Weldon Johnson, Along This Way, his autobiography). James' brother was John Rosamond Johnson, who became a composer. The boys were first educated by their mother, a musician and a public school teacher, before attending Edwin M. Stanton School. Their mother imparted to them her great love and knowledge of English literature and the European tradition in music. At the age of 16, Johnson enrolled at Atlanta University, a historically black college, from which he graduated in 1894. In addition to his studies for the bachelor's degree, he also completed some graduate coursework. [4] The achievement of his father, headwaiter at the St. James Hotel, a luxury establishment built when Jacksonville was one of Florida's first winter resort destinations, inspired young James to pursue a professional career. Molded by the classical education for which Atlanta University was best known, Johnson regarded his academic training as a trust. He knew he was expected to devote himself to helping black people advance. Johnson was a prominent member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. [1] Johnson and his brother Rosamond moved to New York City as young men, joining the Great Migration out of the South in the first half of the 20th century. They collaborated on songwriting and achieved some success on Broadway in the early 1900s. Over the next 40 years Johnson served in several public capacities, working in education, the diplomatic corps, and civil rights activism. In 1904 he participated in Theodore Roosevelt's successful presidential campaign. After becoming president, Roosevelt appointed Johnson as United States consul at Puerto Cabello, Venezuela from 1906 to 1908, and to Nicaragua from 1909 to 1913. In 1910, Johnson married Grace Nail, whom he had met in New York City several years earlier while working as a songwriter. A cultured and well-educated New Yorker, Grace Nail Johnson later collaborated with her husband on a screenwriting project. After their return to New York from Nicaragua, Johnson became increasingly involved in the Harlem Renaissance, a great flourishing of art and writing. He wrote his own poetry and supported work by others, also compiling and publishing anthologies of spirituals and poetry. Owing to his influence and his innovative poetry, Johnson became a leading voice in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. He became involved in civil rights activism, especially the campaign to pass federal legislation against lynching, as southern states did not prosecute perpetrators. Starting as a field secretary for the NAACP in 1917, Johnson rose to become one of the most successful officials in the organization. He traveled to Memphis, Tennessee, for example, to investigate a brutal lynching that was witnessed by thousands. ] His report on the carnival-like atmosphere surrounding the burning-to-death of Ell Persons was published nationally as a supplement to the July 1917 issue of the NAACP's Crisis magazine, [7] and during his visit there he chartered the Memphis chapter of the NAACP. His 1920 report about "the economic corruption, forced labor, press censorship, racial segregation, and wanton violence introduced to Haiti by the US occupation encouraged numerous African Americans to flood the State Department and the offices of Republican Party officials with letters" calling for an end to the abuses and to remove troops. The US finally ended its occupation in 1934, long after the threat of Germany in the area had been ended by its defeat in the First World War. Appointed in 1920 as the first black executive secretary of the NAACP, Johnson helped increase membership and extended the movement's reach by organizing numerous new chapters in the South.
Every Sunday is Food Sunday February 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 Small Group 2 10-11:00 am GP Rm 4 5 th Sunday after the Epiphany (Green) Communion Sunday 9:15 Confirmation Class 9:30 am Adult Sunday School 10:30 am Worship 12-1:00 pm Choir practice 12-2:00 pm Youth Group Upper Room 11 Last Sunday After the Epiphany (White or Gold) Transfiguration Sunday Boy Scout Sunday 9:30 am Adult Sunday School 10:30 am Worship 12-1:00 pm Choir practice 12-2:00 pm Youth Group Upper Room 18 1 st Sunday in Lent (Purple) 9:30 Adult Sunday School 10:30 am Worship 12-1:00 pm Choir practice 12-2:00 pm Youth Group Upper Room 5:00 pm Lent Bonfire 25 2 nd Sunday in Lent (Purple) 9:30 am Adult Sunday School 10:30 am Worship During worship, Halos performing After worship, Ad. Council Meeting 12-1:00 pm Choir practice 12-2:00 pm Youth Group Upper Room 5 Women s Small Group 6:30 pm Trustees Meeting 7:30 pm 12 (Lincoln s birthday) Women s Small Group 6:30 pm 19 (Presidents Day) Women s Small Group 6:30 pm Vision Table 7:30 pm GP Rm 26 Women s Small Group 6:30 pm 6 Bible Study: 10:00 am & 8:00 pm 13 Bible Study: 10:00 am & 8:00 pm 20 Bible Study: 10:00 am & 8:00 pm 27 Bible Study: 10:00 am & 8:00 pm 7 Small Group 1 10:30-11:30 pm 14 (Valentine s Day) Small Group 1 10:30-11:30 pm Lent begins Ash Wednesday Service 7:00 pm 21 Small Group 1 10:30-11:30 pm 28 Small Group 1 10:30-11:30 pm 8 Prayer Group 11:00-11:30 am Chapel Small Group 2 10-11:00 am GP Rm 15 Prayer Group 11:00-11:30 am Chapel Small Group 2 10-11:00 am GP Rm Prayer Group 11:00-11:30 am Chapel 22 (Washington s birthday) Small Group 2 10-11:00 am GP Rm Prayer Group 11:00-11:30 am Chapel Crafts for a Cause 10:00 am 9 Crafts for a Cause 10:00 am 16 Crafts for a Cause 10:00 am 23 Crafts for a Cause 10:00 am Men s Group 8-9:00 am Small Group Leaders 9:30 am 10 Mission Statement Mtg. 5-7:00 pm Lite Dinner (All church members invited) 17 Men s Group 8-9:00 am Small Group Leaders 9:30 am PWP Valentine Lunch 1:00 pm 24