The Cross & Flame The United Methodist Church, Branford 811 East Main Street, Branford, CT 06405 www.umcbranford.org (203) 488-0549 umcbranford1966@gmail.com October 2018 Pastor s Ponderings Dear Church Family, With the end of my Spiritual Renewal Leave approaching, I thought it would be an appropriate time to share a health update with you. Instead of this being a time of in-depth study and reading, I am being renewed through rest and recovery. I m sure you understand, but the reading and study goals I previously set for this Spiritual Renewal will not be met. I am hopeful that I might be able to include more reading time in my weekly schedule as I return to active ministry. My recovery is going smoothly following the removal of a sub-dural hematoma on Sept. 5th. On September 20th, I had my follow-up appointment with the surgeon. He is pleased with how the wound is healing and has even cleared me to resume driving. There are no medical restrictions on my activity, and I am almost completely off of pain medication (only a couple of doses of Tylenol each day). I am thankful for the Lord s plan to have preachers and Pastoral Care and lay leadership at Artis lined up for the past month. When I was sent to YNHH for surgery, I had no worries; all of my regular responsibilities were covered, and I could focus on healing and recovery. I am also thankful for all of your prayers, visits, and get-well cards, and for the meals that have been prepared for us over the past several weeks. You have truly demonstrated what it means to be the Body of Christ. Blessings, Pastor Kent At this time, I anticipate resuming my full Pastoral responsibilities on October 1st when my Spiritual Renewal Leave is complete. However, please know that I am experiencing limitations on my physical energy and mental focus. I am told that this is normal considering the surgery I had. Please understand that I will be spending a very limited number of hours in the office. I will be preaching, teaching Bible Studies, leading Learn & Play chapel, etc., but most of my administrative work will be done at home where I can rest when needed. During this time I will certainly be available by appointment. This will enable me to have some control over my energy level while still being available to all of you pastorally. Please, do not hesitate to be in touch through telephone, email, or texting as we continue serving together in ministry.
October Events Wed 10/3 7pm Church Council Wed 10/10 5:30pm L&P Board Sun 10/14 Coat Drive Mon 10/15 5:45pm Family Movie Night Wed 10/17 7pm Faithful Stewards Sat 10/20 8am Men s Breakfast Mon 10/22 12:30pm Women s Luncheon Fri 10/26 6pm Community Dinner 7pm FUNraiser 7pm Youth Night Wed 10/31 7pm Staff Parish Weekly Calendar SUNDAYS: 11:30am MONDAYS: 10am 7pm TUESDAYS: 7-8:30pm 7:30pm Communion at Artis Monday Morning Quarterbacking Branford Chorale Pastor s Bible Study Group AA WEDNESDAYS: 10am Learn & Play Chapel 10:30am Prayer Shawl Ministry 11am Faith Talk at Artis THURSDAYS: 10am Pastor s Bible Study Group 7:30pm Al-Anon 7pm Devotional Bible Study at Shoreline Cafe SATURDAYS: 7pm AA October Birthdays 2 nd Bob Shepard Michelle Werns 4 th Larry Appleton 16 th Barbara Marks 17 th Gwen Bush 18 th Ken Cronk 19 th Pepi Capezzone 20 th Scott Carr 21 st Daniel Appleton Laurie Gagné 23 rd Carmel Staplins 27 th Conny Umile October Anniversaries 2 nd Bob & Diane Nerkowski 23 rd Marcia & Brian Donnelly 24 th Bea & Bob Shepard 25 th Carmel & William Staplins SUNDAY SCHEDULE Worship & Sunday School - 9:30am (No Sunday School first Sunday of the month) CHURCH OFFICE HOURS Tue-Thurs 9:00am-2:00pm NEWSLETTER DEADLINE The 15th of every month Missed a Sunday? Unable to attend worship? You can catch the weekly sermon video at www.umcbranford.org
Pastor s Bible Study We will resume the week of October 7 with chapters 25 & 26. Two sessions of the Pastor s Bible Study are offered each week on Tuesdays at 7:00 PM and Thursdays at 10:00 AM. Please consider joining one of these groups!!! We are continuing our study of The Journey: Living by Faith in an Uncertain World by Rev. Dr. Billy Graham. We anticipate engaging times of conversation, growing together as we are inspired by the life and teachings of Rev. Dr. Billy Graham. Youth Night Our monthly youth night is a time for fun and fellowship!!! All youth from our church (6th-12th grades) are encouraged to attend and bring their friends. We meet in the church basement from 7-9:30 PM. Snacks are being provided. Ping pong, air hockey, foosball, and video games are all available, and we ll continue to add other activities in the future. The date of our October Youth Night will be Friday the 26 th!!! Men s Breakfast Our monthly Men s Breakfast group will meet on October 20 at 8:00 am. After a time of good food and fellowship, we will view a video which will (hopefully) stimulate some energetic discussion as we reflect on its meaning for our lives and our faith. We are currently studying The Ten Commandments by Dennis Prager. Women s Mid Early Fall Luncheon SEWING FOR GOD Mondays 4:30 to 6:30 pm We will be continuing to make our quilts for the lovely residents of Artis. This month, we ll continue to focus our attention on items for the Holiday Festival. Rice Bags, Cat toys and ALDI quarter holders. Monday, October 22 at 12:30pm 168 N. Main Street, Branford $15.54 per person. Includes soup or salad, choice of entrée, dessert. Beverage is NOT included. RSVP: signup sheet in Connector Hall. Can you press/iron? Pin? Sew? We could use some extra help. Rememb er all supplies are provided. Any questions, please see Rosemary LOOKING FOR YOUR TABS!! We will be making a collection in October to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities
Happy Fall! Learn & Play has gotten off to a busy start! Children, as well as parents and teachers, have all settled in to their new schedules and routines. We held our Back to School Night on September 17 where parents had the opportunity to visit their child s class and spend some time experiencing some of the activities that the children experience daily. Teachers explained lesson plans and why we do the things that we do. For a little fun, parents were asked to complete a scavenger hunt in the classrooms, highlighting important areas of the rooms. One lucky winner was drawn from completed forms for a free week of summer camp 2019! This month we will continue our Bible theme of the year on the Fruits of the Spirit by focusing on Joy. Our weekly Bible stories and chapel lessons will all depict stories of joy. We will also talk about general themes of fall, leaves and pumpkins. We will have a special in-house fall activities festival on October 23 with lots of fall and farm activities including a petting zoo (weather permitting). Robin Costa Learn & Play/UMCB Family Movie Night Learn & Play is planning a family movie night on Monday, October 15 at 5:45pm. All families of Learn & Play and UMCB are invited! Bring a picnic-style dinner plus a blanket to sit on while we watch a movie (yet to be determined - think Veggie Tales) in Herr Hall. Learn & Play will provide light snacks and beverages. Please watch the bulletin board in Connector Hall to sign up to attend. We would love to see you! Also, if anyone would like to help plan or set up, please contact Robin at (203) 488-4028. Stewardship Celebrations! Hey, everybody - Autumn is here, and it is time to celebrate the bounty of the harvest. By God s grace, we have been gifted in so many ways. Let s show God how much we love Him and share our joy with one another. Here are a few opportunities. Sunday, October 14 Please prayerfully consider your pledge for 2019, remembering the responsibilities and missions of UMCB. Return your pledge cards, and join in a special time of fellowship after the service. As part of Second Sunday Stewardship, please donate clean, gently used jackets and coats of all sizes so that others may stay warm as the seasons change. Bring them to the sharing table along with any other items you wish to share at our give and take table. Friday, October 26 YAHOO, we are having a FUN RAISER!! There is talent galore in this congregation. Let s celebrate the fun-loving spirit God has given us. We will begin with a Pot Luck at 6:00 pm, which will include our monthly free community dinner people. Cook Bob will be making roast pork, and it will be our job to use our culinary talents to supplement with sides and desserts. After that, we will all be in for even more treats as we share our talents. Singers, dancers, story tellers (come on, I know there are some of those in our midst, I ve heard you!), comedians, musicians, jugglers, even baton twirlers are welcome. Whatever you ve got to share, we want to enjoy it with you. There is a sign-up sheet in connector hall. Don t be shy - it s all in FUN!
As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry Jesus s cross (Matthew 23:32, English Standard Version) Learn and Play is again participating in the ShopRite for Education program. In the course of your typical grocery shopping, Learn & Play will accrue points to use towards equipment and supplies for the classrooms! Please register your ShopRite card at the store or online at www.shopriteforeducation.com. The school code is 56481. Feel free to share this information with your friends and family as well! We don t know a lot about Simon of Cyrene, but he played an important role in the passion of Christ. Cyrene was an advanced Greek and later Roman city located along the Mediterranean coast near today s Shahhat, Libya. It was the region s oldest and most important city under the Greeks and Romans and a strong Jewish community throughout its history. During the Roman period, the Jews were frequently prosecuted. Whether Simon was a native of Cyrene or an immigrant doesn t matter. We should ask, why was Simon of Cyrene important to us? What should we learn from him? Simon was just standing there, minding his own business and watching the spectacle processing along the streets of Jerusalem on that fateful Friday when an unknown Roman soldier pulled him from the crowd and demanded he perform an act of heavy labor: carry a cross because the criminal was unable to do so. No would you please or can you assist. Just a gruff impress into service. And Simon doesn t argue or protest. He doesn t even try to run away. He simply takes up the cross and follows Jesus to Golgotha. Simon had no idea that he would become a part of history that Friday morning. Simon was the first man to pick up the cross of Christ and bear his burden public by his actions. Nursing Home Ministry Don Robinson is dedicated to providing this important ministry. He visits a number of nursing homes and would LOVE to have others join this ministry. He would be happy to talk with anyone interested and help them get started. Call Don at (203) 488-6111 or see him in church. We who call Christ our Savior have been given an example and an admonition. An example in that as Simon was called to carry the cross of Jesus when Jesus was unable, so we are called upon to carry the burden of our brothers and sisters when they need our assistance. An admonition that we too may be called upon to carry the cross of Christ in our own lives and to bear the burden that comes with being witness of the Gospel in the world. Blessings, Don Robinson
Annual Holiday Festival Saturday, November 10 Believe it or not, it is now less than two months until our 2018 Festival! How can you contribute? We will need contributions to sell and people to help on the day of the festival. Setup and clean up help will also be needed. Are any of your spiritual gifts among our needs? Start early on handcrafts, jewelry, Christmas ornaments, photos, artwork, jams and jellies (catch fruit in season), silent auction items. Start a box for Granny s Cellar when you are doing spring and fall cleaning, Food sale contributions closer to the date. We need volunteers to chair and work in the departments: handcrafts, food, jewelry, silent auction, plants, Granny s Cellar, cook and serve refreshments. We have a dependable group who annually take charge. However, it would be good to have volunteers-in-training, as some folks may like to consider retiring. Please contact Ginger or Rosemary if you are willing to volunteer. The sooner we have our committee in place, the better. Watch for an insert in the bulletin in the near future for signing up. It will list all our needs. You will be able to fill it out and return it to us. As always, we are also open to suggestions for new and different additions to the festival. Ginger & Rosemary