Commack United Methodist Church 486 Townline Road Commack, NY 11725-7310 - (631) 499-7310 Web Site: http://www.commack-umc.org Emails: mail@commack-umc.org : pastor@commack-umc.org CELEBRATING 225 YEARS OF CHRISTIAN SERVICE IN COMMACK 1783-2008 Rev. Dr. John E. Carrington, Pastor 631.499.4770 MAY 2008 Open Hearts Open Minds Open Doors A WORD FROM THE PASTOR Last Saturday morning, April 19, I drove to Greenport and took the ferry to Shelter Island and was on my way to meet twenty-seven members and friends from our church who were spending the weekend at the 17 th annual family retreat. They had all managed to squeeze into one of the comfortable lodges at Quinipet Camp and Retreat Center I soon learned that the name of this Methodist facility came from five large boulders located near the entrance of the camp. Years ago children took delight in climbing the rocks. Signs are now posted prohibiting such dangerous activities. This was probably my third trip to Camp Quinipet and each time I say to myself that it is a lovely place to spend a retreat for a day or a week. I noticed that many improvements have been made, such as, new energy efficient windows and new siding on many of the houses at the site. As a trustee of the New York Conference, I am aware that it takes money to maintain this property and to improve it year after year so that we preserve what has been given to us. Our Commack church is celebrating its 225 th Anniversary this year and, in many ways like the camp, it has been given to us by all who have preceded us. We must care for our property so that we can pass it on to those who will follow us in better shape than we received it. While sitting for lunch at the long L shaped table, I heard someone say to me, What happens at Camp Quinipet stays at Camp Quinipet. Of course I said yes, but all that I saw and heard was good. I saw Mike Hervey cooking hamburgers and franks on the outside grill. I tasted and enjoyed Mel Walker s famous spaghetti sauce and meatballs. I saw that everyone had assigned tasks. I noticed older kids playing games with the younger children and keeping a watchful eye on the smallest ones. I learned that an April day could be as warm and beautiful as a summer s day on Shelter Island. I was constantly reminded of how fortunate I was to be in the midst of warm and caring friends in a place where we could appreciate the beauty of the earth, Southold Bay and the glory of the skies. When I arrived back at the parsonage Saturday night, I immediately made a cup of green tea and enjoyed a delicious chocolate cupcake that the children had made earlier with guidance of Penny White. It was the end of a perfect day. 1
225 th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION June 15; Strawberry Festival 10:15am -1:15pm Do you remember the Ladies Aid Society? The United Methodist Women activities we now share, and aid we offer to various needs are some what different from seventy years ago, according to the minutes of some of their meetings. Let s look at a few excerpts from their minutes: October 6, 1937: Rose Byrnes, Secretary. Meeting was held at the parsonage (then next door to the church now the 1789 Chapel. Opened with the Lords prayer. Motion to get 20 yards toweling and articles to serve at Oct. 28 luncheon. Discussed card party to go halves with the Fire Co. and Ladies Aid. Birthday party to be held Oct.20 at the Parsonage. November 3: Held at Mrs. Hubbs, six present. Lord s prayer repeated. Card Party committee named. (a) Sandwiches: Conklin, Beck, Fischorne, Kreigh; (b) Cake: Hubbs, Jaeggi, Bessie (c) Coffee: Mars; (d) Prizes, Edie Byrnes, Warren (e) No Luncheon in November because of Thanksgiving. Big card party postponed to later date. Next meeting to be held at Mrs. Rulands. Adjourned December 1: 10 present; opened by repeating the Lords Prayer. Balance in treasury $136.69. Motion to get new lock on kitchen door and new wicks for stove, and to give Mr & Mrs. Sloatman [pastor] $5.00 for xmas. Jan. 5, 1938: Voted to get a ton of coal for church. Feb. 2, 1938 Pastor Sloatman to have the Ladies Aid members come with families on Sunday, Feb. 6; Black Horse $1.10 to Mrs. Beck March 2, 1938: $75.00 turned over to the Ladies Aid for Dance Committee. Committees named for Card Party. 90 cents taken in on dark horse won by Mrs. Cavallaro. Nov. 2, 1938: Motion to get a rug from Mrs. Warren for $5. and chance it off at Dec. card party at 10 cents or 3 for 25 cents. Mrs. Jaeggi won dark horse; 80 cents taken in. August 7, 1940: Meeting at parsonage. Motion made to send $1.00 to Mrs. Jones for Missionary Work. Balance in treasury $51.59. [Dark Horse, card party, continued!] Next meeting a luncheon will be held after which the Ladies Aid is to disband and meet at the church at 3 o clock, at which time a new organization will begin by the name of the Women s Work [Society] of Christian Service. Time marches on! If you would like to see/read some minutes of the WSCS 1945-1961, please see me. Most of the pages have burnt edges from the fire in the barn in 1970. Kathy Muller did an excellent job trimming off ashes and enclosing each page in plastic sleeves in a notebook. Janice Woods Church Historian ================================= Celebrate these important events in the life of our beloved church. Sunday, June 15, 2008 10:15-11:45am. Strawberry Festival (our Kick-off Event) Sunday Saturday, September 27, Outdoor Barbeque and Chapel Open House Sunday September 28 Homecoming Joint Service Our brothers and sisters of the Korean Methodist Church will be joining us for these celebrations. Reception to follow immediately after Homecoming Service. Guest Speakers Sept. 28 at 3:00 PM A MISSION MOMENT "It is beautiful to see another season come upon us in God's Country. The flowers are starting to pop up through the ground, the cranes are searching for food. We should have faith like a bird to know that God will provide. This spring we are busy in God's Country preparing for Volunteers in Mission teams to help us serve our neighbors in need." Katie Petersen, Deaconess and church & community worker, God's Country Cooperative Parish, Paradise, Michigan Mission Prayer Focus: All Africa Conference of Churches, Nairobi Methodist Church Children's Home, Meru, Kenya Mississippi Rural Center, Columbia, Mississippi 2
TUESDAY FAIR WORKSHOP We are happy to add Eileen Waidelich and June Fick to our group of crafters. We meet from 10-1, every Tuesday, in room # 9 of the Education Building. Santa pillows, Christmas tree ornaments, embroideries, cloth dolls, gift tags and flowered pens are among the items currently in progress. Mark your calendar: CUMC Fall Fair will be held October 11th. ================================== MONTH OF MAY BIRTHDAYS Phyllis D'Amato Dolly Walker Marge Wright Sam D'Amato Marsha Baron Tracy Donovan Tom Colavito Tricia Nehlsen Richard Tammaro Judy Titolo John P Kessler Alice Johnny Reddo Al Fick Thomas Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, God Bless you, happy birthday to you! NOTE: if you don't see your birthday listed, please let me know. The church does not keep a record of your birth. Some time ago, I polled our congregation and requested their birth months for this greetings list. Thank you, Kathy Muller PLEASE NOTE: UMW's High Tea scheduled for May 31st has been cancelled. Because of preparations for the LI East District Conference the Fashion Show will be rescheduled for the Fall. Pat Ross Chairperson Members of the Lydia Circle will meet On Wednesdays at 10:30 in the Parlor. All are invited. UNITED METHODIST WOMEN 'Sing a long' with our Pilgrim State guests will be the program for our May 8th meeting in the parlor. This annual event is always successful as the fellowship felt between our guests and our members is always enjoyable. The parlor will be set up with bridge tables, fresh floral centerpieces and pretty paper-ware, thanks to the arrangements by Marge Wright and Ann Aupperle. After refreshments a sing along will be led by Nancy Gamby. As our guests are always quite prompt, so we ask UMW members to arrive at 6:00 PM with a plate of finger foods. The sandwiches, cakes, cookies and fruit are usually eaten with gusto, and the extra goodies packed up to return to Pilgrim State Hospital so that our guests can continue to enjoy them. Decaf coffee and tea is always provided. Everyone is invited to attend, including the men in our congregation. UMW LOCAL OUTREACH: We again plan to assemble hygiene kits for the homeless on Long Island. These kits provide the few simple items the homeless need to maintain their hygiene in public or sheltered rest rooms. These portable kits are enclosed in plastic baggies and contain: travel-size bar of soap travel-size toothpaste toothbrush washcloth small comb a few bandaids We are asking our congregation to assist by purchasing some of these items. They may be given to Anne Aupperle or any UMW member. When assembled, the kits will be distributed with the peanut butter sandwiches. 3
THE THRIFT SHOPPE During the month of May, featured items at half price will be bed and table linens. All sheets, blankets & table cloths will be 50% off. BOOK BONANZA All books are Buy One - get One Free New Saturday Hours...An extra shopping day has been added... We will now be open 2 Saturdays per month Questions...call 631-499-7310. Thrift Shoppe Hours are 10:00 AM 4:00 PM Tuesday, Friday and the First & Third Saturday Dates to Mark on your calendar Commack United Methodist Church Hosting May 3 rd Special LI East District Conference 8:30 am-1:30 pm Lay Speaker Awards Registration at 8:30 - Coffee/Bagels. Recognition of Lay Speakers, Farewell Lunch honoring Rev. Richard Rice s last meeting together. Please let the church office know if you plan on attending (asap). 499-7310 or mail@commack-unc.org May 18, 2008 Confirmation Sunday June 15 Fathers Day Booklet June 15 Strawberry Festival following Service of Worship June 18 9:30 AM Fellowship Hall and June 20 9:30 AM + 11:30 AM Fellowship Hall June 28 Farewell Covered Dish Supper Honoring Pastor Carrington July 6 Reception for our new Pastor, The Reverend Lynda J. Bates-Stepe Immediately following church service. Sept.19-21 UMW Retreat Quinipet 225 Celebration DATES Sanctuary Open House Saturday, September 27, 2008 PM Christian Band Saturday, September 27, 2008 evening Joint Service with our sister Korean Church Sunday, September 28, 2008 Homecoming Service. Reception in the Fellowship Hall to follow immediately after Homecoming Service. September 28, 2008 3:00 PM Guest Speakers Souper Bowl Sunday Raises $276 Our final total raised for Souper Bowl Sunday was $276!!! Around the country, youth to date have raised a total of $10,031,328. The youth group decided to split it evenly between buying Peanut Butter and Jelly and the Northport Food Pantry. Approximately 50 pounds of Peanut Butter and 16 jars of jelly were purchased for the April PB&J gang. Graduation Pumpkin Patch Nursery Belated thank-you for COOKIE-GRAM Support 4
Members of Commack UMC sent lots of love via 155 Cookie-grams in February. That was a total of 299 cookies baked, wrapped and delivered by the Youth Group! Special thanks to our bakers Deb Hervey, Maureen Kessler, Dagmar Mackay, Jenn Mallgraf, Rose Manchio, Sobana Prasad and Margie Zoltowsky. The Youth Group netted $325 to fund our activities. Sunday School News Our children are finishing the year with lessons that focus on rebirth. That will also be the theme for their year-end program on June Sunday, June 22 nd. They will also soon begin making special gifts for all the mothers and fathers in the congregation. Our children s chorus will sing on Mother s Day. Save the Date for VBS 2008 Aug 17 th to 21 st This summer we will be Surfin the Scriptures during our VBS Beach Party. Everyone 3 to 103 is invited to participate. This year, we hope to have a return of our adult program. VBS will be held from 6:30PM to 8:30PM from Sunday August 17 th to Thursday, August 21 st. Watch for a planning meeting in mid-may. Helpers in all areas bible storytellers, crafts, registration, snacks are needed to make it as successful as past years. See Deb Hervey if you are available to help. Youth to Participate in World Vision Sponsored Event In February, our Youth Group fought hunger locally with the congregation s help. Now they will be fighting it nationally and globally. From 11AM Saturday, April 26 th until 5:00PM Sunday, April 27 th our youth will be experiencing hunger. They will be allowed a single serving of rice until their food relief on Sunday, April 27 th. Unlike many starving children, they will have a supply of water and some juice. They will be hiking to find food though, as they conduct a door to door food drive as a service project during the event. They will be sharing their experience during worship on the 27 th. The congregation is invited to join them at 5PM in the Fellowship Hall for a soup supper and to hear more about World Vision and the people they will be helping. The youth are collecting pledges from the friends, teachers, neighbors and families. Members of the congregation who wish to support them can do so on Sunday, April 27 th. The youth have learned that approximately 29,000 people die each day of hunger and diseases stemming from hunger and malnutrition. $1 a day feeds a hungry person. For $1 pledged for each hour of the famine, a person will be fed for a month. But there s so much more about the 30 Hour Famine than raising funds. It s not easy going without food for 30 hours. But one of the many reasons groups do the 30 Hour Famine is to grow closer together to create camaraderie by working side-by-side toward a common goal. Another tangible result of the Famine is that this simple act of going without food on behalf of children half a world away also draws participants closer to Christ. They experience compassion -- feeling the pain alongside children who don t have a choice about their own circumstances. Just as Christ chose to suffer on behalf of the whole world. Please continue to pray for the youth in our congregation as they prepare to participate in the 30 Hour Famine. And consider how you can support their efforts to save kids lives 5
through World Vision s 30 Hour Famine. If you would like to learn more about WorldVision, please join us at the Soup Supper. You can also visit www.worldvision.com CHILDREN INVITED TO FILL AN ARK While the youth are fighting hunger by raising funds for World Vision, our Sunday School classes will be supporting the New York Annual Conference mission challenge. On Sunday, April 13 th, Deb Hervey shared with the children and the congregation that continuing the momentum of last year's amazing collection of more than $92,000 by the youth for Nothing But Nets, Bishop Park has designated Heifer International as a the mission project for children. Bishop Park has challenged the children to raise the funds to fill ten arks, a total of $50,000. The children will present their offering during the morning program in the arena. Bishop Park's Partners in Mission will donate $1,000 towards the first ten arks. Heifer International has agreed that all monies collected in this special children's giving will be used at selected United Methodist sites in countries where the New York Annual Conference is active. Bishop Jeremiah Park has issued an invitation for 1,000 children to join him on Sat., June 14, to gather for a day of celebration at the New York Annual Conference at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. where they participate in many activities and have an opportunity to present their gifts to him. Special thanks to Ginny Eichenauer for creating our spectacular altar decorations for our Fill the Ark children s time during worship on April 13 th. What is Heifer International? How does buying animals help people? Today, millions of people who were once hungry will be nourished by milk, eggs and fresh vegetables. Families who for generations knew only poverty will be building new homes and starting businesses. Children who once headed out to the fields to do backbreaking work will be heading into schoolrooms to learn to read. People who never thought they d be in a position to help someone else will be experiencing the joy of charitable giving. If you were to ask Heifer project partners, "What are the most fundamental principles upon which you build your life?" many would 6
answer "Heifer's Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development." These principles, used for more than 60 years, light the way for people who are on the road to self-reliance. Cornerstones stimulate group wisdom and personal insights, and they keep people's hearts, minds and actions balanced, focused and productive. all people are committed to sharing what they have and caring about others. Sustainability & Self-reliance is necessary for the long-term success of projects. Heifer can only fund a project for a limited time, so the families Heifer works with must plan to support themselves. Together, they form the acronym PASSING ON THE GIFTS and echo the quintessential Cornerstone and trademark practice that makes Heifer unique and its projects sustainable. Passing on the Gift Accountability Sharing and Caring Sustainability and Self-Reliance Improved Animal Management Nutrition and Income Gender and Family Focus ON THE Genuine Need and Justice Improving the Environment Full Participation Training and Education Spirituality Passing on the Gift allows families and individuals who have received animals to be donors themselves. This spirit of goodwill ripples through the community as animals are passed on and bonds are formed in a group effort to better their own lives. Accountability allows for organization at the grassroots level. Community members decide together what kind of animal and assistance they would like. They also set goals, plan appropriate strategies to achieve those goals and evaluate their success. Sharing & Caring embodies Heifer s belief that global problems can be solved if Improved Animal Management means that project participants learn how to keep their animals safe, healthy and productive through proper food, shelter, healthcare and reproductive management. Nutrition & Income are the rewards Heifer expects recipients to reap from their gift animal through the consumption and/or sale of products such as milk, eggs, cheese, honey and wool. Gender & Family Focus encourages women and men to share in decision making as well as in the benefits the animals and training bring. In the next few weeks the Sunday School classes will have lessons to learn more about certain animals like chickens, goats, llamas, water buffalo and yes, heifers have helped families and whole villages around the world. They will be sharing which animals they ve selected to buy and share that with the whole congregation. A collection to support their efforts will be held later in May. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Deb Hervey (543-5522). You can also learn more at www.heiferinternational.com. HABITAT FOR HUMANITY 7
An Ecumenical Christian ministry dedicated to eliminate poverty housing. Since 1987, 120 homes have been built in Suffolk County. The majority of their labor has been done by volunteers, to keep down costs. More than 500 single and double income families are currently living in shelters in Suffolk and need a simple, decent, affordable place to live. The Long Island East District of the United Methodist Church Of which we are a part Is building a Habitat for Humanity Home somewhere in Suffolk County The district hopes to raise $75,000. for this project The home being built will not necessarily be awarded to a Methodist family, but to a family in need. Last November Building on Faith United Methodist Choir Concert to raise funds for the Habitat for Humanity project was attended by several of our members. $4,000 was raised at the concert of eleven choirs from the LI District. Many sister UM Churches are fund-raising via bake sales, car washes, sponsored walks We are electing to raise funds via donation envelopes. On Sunday May 11, 2008 you will find an envelope within the Sunday bulletin. Please donate as generously as you can. Make checks payable to CUMC with Habitat for Humanity in the memo line. 631-499-7310 or via email to mail@commack-umc.org Wanted: Responsible Teens and Adults for media support. Involves operating church sound equipment, lighting, and other production. No experience necessary. Contact Mike Hervey Wanted: Volunteers on call for church bulk mailings. No experience necessary. Contact Carolyn Gehlbach Wanted: Volunteer Key Person to identify miscellaneous church keys. Wanted: Volunteer for filing church and choir music. Can work at your own pace. Contact Nancy Gamby Wanted: Bell Choir needs members. Wednesday 6:30 pm rehearsal. Ability to read music is nice but not required. Contact Dotty Arola Wanted: Coffee Hour Hosts and Hostesses. See Sign up Chart in the Parlor LOST and Needs to be found!! Missing Boy Scout Grill and Fire Pit... If you borrowed them please return to the church under the outside stairs...thank you. JOB OPPORTUNITIES Quinipet is seeking two leadership staff to work in their Christian camp program. The Chaplain position is ideal for a seminary or religious studies student with some peer counseling experience. The Program Director role is one of five people who are in charge of the overnight camp groups each week. The ideal person would be organized and have strong Christian leadership skills. Salary is between $300 and $500 per week. Summer season is from June 29 th to Aug 16 th, 2008. Do you need a change this summer? Call us for the most awesome job ever for the right person! Call Quinipet at 631 749 0430 or email us at greg@quinipet.org Greg Nissen ~ Director ~ Quinipet Camp and Retreat ~ Shelter Island, NY ~ 631 749 0430 Opportunities to Serve Contacts can be made through the church office at 8