September 2014 Morrow Memorial United Methodist Church Newsletter Home Again Sunday Join us on Sunday, September 7th, as we celebrate Home Again Sunday. This special day marks the beginning of our fall schedule and programming. We will offer many opportunities for worship, fellowship and sharing. Come and join in the activities that work for you and your family. Schedule 8:15 am - Worship in the Chapel (New this Fall) 9:00 am - Free Community Breakfast 9:30 am - Sunday School Kickoff 10:30 am - Worship in the Sanctuary 12:00 pm - Picnic on the Church Lawn (Food provided, but side dishes and desserts are welcomed) In This Issue Grafted Into a New Community Church Family Events Taizé Summer Highlights Community Updates Calendar Get Connected Pg 2 Pg 3 Pg 4 Pg 6 Pg 7 Pg 8 1
Grafted Into a New Community Greetings from Pastor Chris Heckert One of my summer reads has been Start with Why, by Simon Sinek. From a leadership perspective, Sinek makes the case that organizations which begin with an understanding of why they do what they do make the most impact and are the most effective in their work. In the church, we understand our mission as making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. I have been reflecting on the unique sense of community at. Why do we as a church community exist? We find it easy to come up with the what Morrow Church does: worship, service, youth programs, preschool, pastoral care and the list goes on. But, why do we do all of the what s? Why do we exist? Because the history of the Maplewood area, the train line and the distance to New York City, a vast majority of our church grew up in other towns, counties, or states and have moved here for education or work. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15: 5, 9, 12 Many members of our congregation have come from different faith traditions and backgrounds, as well as other towns, states and countries. offers the opportunity to meet other people, to help teach our families about faith, and to give us opportunities to help other people. The why of our community can be found in John 15, where Jesus says: I am the vine and you are the branches. No matter where we come from, we have been grafted into the body of Christ - a community of faith where we can explore what we believe and find other people who are both like us and who are very different from us. We have been grafted onto a vine, a new source of life, which is greater than we are as individuals. This body, the church, has the power to make a significant impact in the lives of other people. But we find our lives, the source of our being, in the vine - the message of a reconciling God who loves us despite our faults, who welcomes in the stranger and who calls us to stay in love with God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. This task by itself is impossible, but if we remember that we have been grafted onto the vine that gives us grace, gives us peace and new strength, we can live loving lives that make a difference. Grace and peace, Rev. Chris Heckert, Senior Pastor 2
Church Family Events One of the real joys of seeing children grow up in the church is watching them form connections to others. Kids call each other church cousins, church families get together for vacations, or visit one of our college students when they are traveling. We know that much of our faith nurturing and growth occurs in our families, and at times we share with our larger family. This year, we will be offering monthly opportunities for families and individuals to join together in fellowship and service as we grow together into the grafted family of God. These events are designed for families of all shapes and sizes -- from one on up. You can sign-up online to participate and find directions, background information, devotions, and other resources to use in advance of the event. Fall Family Events: OCT. 11 America s Grow-a-Row Family Gleaning Project NOV. 22 CUMAC Food Pantry Thanksgiving Day of Service NOV. 2 Telling Our Story Lunch Party DEC. 6 MEND (Meeting Emergency Needs with Dignity) Family Day of Service Taizé Four pilgrims from journeyed to the community of Taizé in Burgundy, France this summer. Over 3,500 young people traveled from all over the world to live in Christian community for the week, sharing in daily worship, community work, Bible studies and small groups. This pilgrimage is a profound spiritual formation experience for our young people. A highlight of the week was the reading of the names of all the countries present, including Russia, Ukraine and Israel/Palestine. The time closed with a prayer for peace and solidarity in the world. 3
Summer Highlights MMTC Morrow Musical Theater Camp is a week-long camp for children in grades 4-8. In August, 70 children filled s rooms to learn music, dancing, stage combat, and most important, about hunger facing neighbors right here in our area. At the end of the week they produced three incredible performances of Peter Pan Jr. Over $7,000 was raised for hunger relief for our partner agency, CUMAC in Paterson, NJ. The United Methodist Church in Sierra Leone A long-time mission partner of, Bishop John Yambasu of Sierra Leone met with a group from our congregation to raise awareness of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and to share how we can help in the church s efforts to address the crisis. We will collect a special offering for the Ebola Programs during worship on Home Again Sunday, Sept. 7th. Annual Turnover Sale A ministry of the Morrow United Methodist Women celebrating its 81st year, we raised a record total of $61,289.67 Thank you to all who donated, worked and shopped. Your participation will make an impact through ministries and mission projects that support women, children and youth, both locally and around the world. 4
HAPI (Haitian Artisans for Peace International) HAPI is a faith-based community development ministry whose mission is to empower Haitians in the Mizak community to help families and communities live to their fullest potential. sent a team of youth and adults this Spring and recently helped HAPI meet its fundraising goal to open a health/maternity clinic in Mizak. We will be holding a meeting in September do discuss how we can deepen and sustain our partnership in the coming year. Worship in the Garden Each Sunday an average of 20-30 people attended summer Worship in the Garden communion service. This fall, we will continue to hold the 8:15am communion service in our chapel. Vacation Bible School The summer at ends as powerfully as it began with more than 120 children age 3 through 6th grade gathering for Vacation Bible Camp. The kids explored the power of God s love to all kinds of people. They had fun with great music, snacks, stories from the Bible and from other kids as well as science and games. Christian Outreach Project Twenty-one high school students and adults from Morrow Church joined seventy youth and adults from area churches to repair seventeen homes of elderly or disabled low-income residents in Sussex Co., NJ. Through heat, rain, and cold, the teams worked on wheelchair ramps, bathrooms, roofs, walls and floors. Local churches lovingly provided dinners and each evening everyone gathered for worship. Earth Sprouts This past year offered a new program for preschool-aged children called Earth Sprouts. Under the direction of Susan Gracey and Kathleen Good, children worked in the gardens and learned in an outdoor classroom as they explored God s big, beautiful creation. This program is held on Fridays at 1pm, Sept. 19 through Dec. 19. Registration and fee is required. 5
Community Updates Children s Music Program Update Beginning September 9th, our Children s music programs will offer opportunities for children from age 3 1/2 to grade 7 to develop musical skills with new leader Susan Gracey Please note the expanded times from last year: 4:00-4:45pm - Cherub Choir - Age 3 1/2 - Kindergarten 4:00-5:00pm - Wesley Choir - Grades 1-3 4:00-4:45pm - Heavenly Handbells - Grades 4-7 4:45-5:30pm - Worship Arts Choir - Grades 4-7 New Members Classes We will hold three sessions for persons interested in joining or in learning more about membership. The classes will be held Sunday mornings on November 2, 9, and 16. New members will be welcomed into the congregation in worship on Sunday November, 23rd. New Youth Choir This year our youth choir, Grades 6-12, will meet Wednesday evenings from 6:00-7:00pm - weekly. We are pleased to welcome Kristin Carbone, an active performer on Broadway and voice teacher as new director of our youth choir. Participants will take roles in selecting repertoire which will draw on a wide variety of styles. MEND (Meeting Emergency Needs with Dignity) Vicki Carter soon will be announcing opportunities for small groups to gather in the kitchen to make casseroles for the Bessie Green Center in Newark. We welcome contributions of non-perishable foods (in nonglass containers) look for the grocery cart in Fellowship Hall. We can also support MEND with contributions either by check or on-line at morrowchurch.org. Designate either MEND or Casserole Ministry. 6
Calendar SEPT. 4 Chancel Choir Dinner and 7 Rehearsal 7pm (Home of Margaret Prentice) Home Again Sunday Fall Worship & Sunday School Schedule Begins 9 THURS. SUN. TUES. Children s Music Programs Begin - 4 pm Church Council - 7:30 pm 10 11 12 Youth Choir Begins - 6 pm Adult Bells Rehearsals begin 11:00am; 7:00pm WED. THURS. FRI. JYF (Junior Youth Fellowship) Kickoff 7:00pm 14 District Superintendent Rev. Manolo Sardinas Installation 6pm (at ) 20 Church Council Budget Workshop - 9:00am 21 SUN. SAT. SUN. Methodist Youth Fellowship (Senior High - MYF) Kickoff 7:00pm OCT. OCT. OCT. 3 5 11 Ignite Youth Retreat (Grades 6-12) @ Wildwood, NJ Women s Retreat 12:00pm Loyola House, Morristown FRI. SUN. SAT. Family Service Day: Gleaning 9:30am-12:30pm OCT. 14 TUES. Church Conference 7
600 Ridgewood Rd, Maplewood, NJ 07040 We seek to live as a diverse, multigenerational, Christian community where lives are transformed. Get Connected There are many ways to connect with to stay informed and engaged with all that is happening in and through our vibrant faith community. Please connect with us here to find out more details of our events and stay in tune with new opportunities to grow in faith and serve others. App We will be launching a new iphone/android app to help our community stay connected and to provide daily devotional/ faith formation resources. Stay tuned in September for the launch of this app. Facebook Connect through the Facebook page and Facebook group. News This weekly e-blast will keep you up to date on all the latest community news and events. Children & Youth This weekly e-blast will keep you up to date on all the latest news and events concerning children and youth. Website Find more information about and events at www.morrowchurch.org Grafted Newsletter This is the first edition of a new periodic newsletter that will distributed among the greater community by email and post. We will distribute the newsletter primarily through our News email, website and the App. We will make limited print copies available for those who would like to have it mailed, or picked up at the church. Please let the church office know if you would like to receive a print copy of future Grafted newsletters. If you are not on the email list, please email opendoors@morrowchurch.org 8