The Son Shine News A Monthly Newsletter for the Unity United Methodist Church Our Mission Statement is: Living, Learning, and Loving through Christ Nov 2018 Rest and be thankful. - William Wadsworth On Giving Thanks Thankfulness creates gratitude which generates contentment that causes peace. - Todd Stocker We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer Those blessings are sweetest that are won with prayer and worn with thanks. - Thomas Goodwin Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough - Oprah Winfrey If the only prayer you say in your life is thank you, that would suffice. Meister Eckhart Find the good and praise it. Alex Haley Grace isn t a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It s a way to live. Attributed to Jacqueline Winspear When eating bamboo sprouts, remember the man who planted them. Chinese Proverb Only a stomach that rarely feels hungry scorns common things. Horace Blessed are those who can give without remembering and receive without forgetting. Author Unknown God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say thank you? William A. Ward (Continued on page 3) 1
Additional mailing addresses (p 16) Bible Study (p 9) Boy Scout News (p 11) Camp Mechuwana (pp 8 9) Christmas Fair (p 15) District News (p 7) Good Samaritan Fund (p 9) Good Steward Thrift Shop (pp 10, 13, 14) Information Page (p 21) Ministry of Prayer (p 15) Mission/Vision statements and strategic goals (pp 19 20) Pastor s Message (pp 1, 3 4) Pastor s Schedule (p 2) Prayer Concerns, Joys & Prayer Chain (pp 17 18) Table of Contents (p 2) Trunk-or-Treat (p 10) Trustee s meeting minutes (pp 5 6) United Methodist Credit Union (p 12) Pastor Karen s Schedule Pastor Karen is generally available after worship on Sundays and in the evening during the week. She is happy to schedule meetings or visits when needed. Please feel free to reach out to her at (207) 623-4705 or by email at pastorkaren39@gmail.com. She typically responds to phone calls on the same day and emails within 24 hours. 2
(Continued from Page 1) A Thanks-Giving Prayer Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings each morning, thank you, Lord, that I can hear, for many are deaf. Even though I keep my eyes tightly closed against the morning light as long as possible, thank you, Lord, that I can see, for many are blind. Even though I huddle in my bed and put off the effort of rising, thank you, Lord that I have the strength to rise, for many are bedridden. Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned, and tempers are short, thank you, Lord, for my family, for many are lonely. Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced, thank you, Lord for the food we have, for many have little or none. Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my circumstances were not so modest, thank you, Lord, for the gift of life. Amen! Blessings, Pastor Karen Thank you, thank you, thank YOU! Many thanks to all who took part in our Laity Sunday activities last month. Our worship service was thoughtfully prepared and inspiring thanks to Deb for preaching and everyone who served. Our souper luncheon was yummy featuring three kinds of soup and cupcakes for dessert. Last but not least, thanks to Joan for pulling together our fashion show, and to all of the models who took part. Our Laity Sunday really was a celebration of all the many people who support our church with their time and talents. Thanks again! (Continued on Page 4) 3
(Continued from Page 3) Karen s Korner One look at our newsletter this month will tell you there s a lot going on! Celebrating the saints who have guided our faith journeys. Getting out the vote on Election Day. Celebrating the work of our church this year at our church conference. Remembering our veterans and the founders of our country. Caring for the needy in our community through our Thrift Shop. Our lives are truly rich! On November 27 th, Thanksgiving Day, our nation observes an official holiday to give thanks for the many blessings we know. As Christians and people of God, we are called to make every day a holy-day - not waiting for a national holiday but continually giving thanks for our abundance. What are you thankful for this day? Good health? A warm home? The love of family, friends and neighbors? The freedoms we know as citizens of this country? Work that supports and sustains you? We re about to enter the most commercial season of the year. Perhaps you ve already entered it, planning and shopping for the gift-giving frenzy we call Christmas. Many look to the holidays with dread, not with joy. But the spirits in Dickens Christmas Carol came to remind us it s not too late to change! As we look forward to Christmas, let s spend the month of November giving thanks for those daily blessings that we enjoy: Take five minutes at the beginning of each day this month to think about the things you re truly thankful for. Take a few moments at before every meal to say grace. At nighttime, remember some of the blessings you received during that day and give thanks for the people who crossed your path. Write down your many blessings in a thanks-giving journal, listing the people and things you re thankful for. Pray the Thanks-Giving Prayer found in this month s newsletter. Send a thank you note to someone, thanking them for their friendship or something they ve done for you recently. Let s spend this month remembering our many blessings. May they fill us with joy which carries over into the upcoming holiday season. Pastor Karen Folks who are struggling with illness or injury. For Your Prayers This Month: Families that don t know where their Thanksgiving meal will come from. Single folks, shut ins, and the elderly who will be alone on Thanksgiving. The November elections. Those who have to make tough decisions about food, medicine or heat. Volunteers who give their time at hospitals, schools, community dinners and other places. Areas of war and crisis in our world. Folks who will face their first Thanksgiving without a loved one. Veterans and members of our military who serve far from home during the holidays. All who travel during the holidays. Folks who struggle with the increasing darkness and the coming of winter. Emergency workers and those who have to work on Thanksgiving. Families and individuals that are estranged from each other. 4
Trustees Meeting The Trustees met on September 9, 2018 in the sanctuary after worship. Those attending: Pastor Karen Garcia, Barry McCormick, Trustee Chairperson, Chris Aspinall, William Russell, Stephen Giggey and Joan Bradstreet. Christie Saunders, our Lay Leader, was also present. Dale Shaw, Daryl Bell, and Jackie McCormick were unable to attend. Highlights of the meeting are as follows: Barry called the meeting to order. Pastor Garcia offered the opening prayer. The previous minutes were read and accepted. OLD BUSINESS: Barry informed the group that the boiler had been cleaned at the church as well as the GSTS. We own the copier. Bill informed the group it had been cleaned before the purchase. Pastor Karen inquired about the maintenance of the unit. The sanctuary doors were discussed. Pastor Karen will e-mail Jay Mason to see if he would be able to do the repairs. Pete offered to clean the heat pumps in the F/H as well as the GSTS on a regular basis. Pete will also contact Waldo County Oil for advice/repair work for moving the baseboard heating in the kitchen. We plan to move forward with the renovations there. NEW BUSINESS: The sound system needs repair. Pastor Karen will contact Gene on this matter. The light behind the piano is not working. Bill will work on getting that fixed. Bill informed the group that he had given Waldo Cnty Oil a key for the F/H doors. Waldo Cnty Oil advised using graphite to lubricate the locks. Bill will see that this is done. Bill also informed the group that Barry Gillette has many church records found in the Max/ Helen Gillette home. He will hand them over to Bill. We talked, once again, about investing in a fire proof filing cabinet. At this time this purchase is on hold. Chris will get an estimate on new lighting for the basement. Chris will do the caulking around the basement windows. The dehumidifier is not working properly. Bill will check on pricing for a new unit. Chris was thanked for repairing the signs entering Unity. (Continued on page 6) 5
(Continued from page 5) Chris also asked how many church keys are out and about. We might want to consider changing the locks. Bill will see that plaques are made for Midge Prior & husband, plus Max & Helen Gillette for the memory wall. Our next scheduled meeting will be on Sunday, December 9th (the 2nd Sunday of the month). Our final matter was the official resignation of Barry McCormick, who has been our chairperson, for many years. We all agreed that Barry had done an outstanding job as our leader and will be sorely missed. He was given a round of applause. Barry informed the group that he was recommending Chris Aspinall for the position, knowing that Chris will do a good job! Bill made the motion to elect Chris and Christie Saunders was the seconder. It was a unanimous yes vote. Upon his departure, Barry voiced his concerns regarding the new Governing Board and the complications along with it. We were reminded that it had been decided to try this new system for a year and Pastor Karen will be looking into this matter. A discussion on the health of the church, followed. With great sadness, we accepted Barry s resignation. Barry has agreed to remain a member of the board. We thank Chris Aspinall for stepping up and relieving Barry of this obligation and we vow to help Chris in any and all ways that we can. It is said. If you want something done, ask a busy person. The meeting was adjourned. Respectfully submitted, Joan Bradstreet, Recording Secretary 6
New England delegation to General Conference plans listening sessions The New England delegation to the General Conference wants to take time to listen to the concerns and questions from the people of New England Conference as we prepare for the special session of General Conference Feb. 23-26, 2019 in St. Louis to decide on the future of the denomination relating to same-sex unions and the ordination of LGBTQ people. At the end of this listening period, the delegation hopes to have a clearer understanding of the diverse feelings within the Conference. Watch the calendar and e-news for information about more sessions. A session is scheduled for Oct. 26 in the Tri-State District; details TBA Join the bishop for his visit to your district Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar is making his annual visits to the districts; they began in Vermont in September. These are opportunities for clergy and laity to hear directly from the bishop and to ask questions and share their thoughts. Click the links for more specifics. Information will be added as it becomes available. CT/W MA District Nov. 28, 2018 Northern Maine District Dec. 1, 2018 Mid-Maine District Dec. 2, 2018 Webinars offer introduction to One Board leadership model The United Methodist Church allows local congregations to create the model for leadership that makes sense for them. Many churches are finding the One Board Model (or Single Board Model) to be life-giving, freeing leaders up from endless meetings while making the meetings they do have more effective. This 90-minute webinar, led by the Rev. Rick McKinley, New England Conference Director of Congregational Development, will walk you through the basics of the One Board Model and the next steps you will need to implement it. The Nov. 7 session is full but there are openings in the Nov. 8 session. Click the link below to learn more and register. This material will also be offered in early 2019. 10:30 a.m. Nov. 8, 2018 New session added: 3 p.m. on Nov. 8, 2018 7
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We Are Getting A Gazebo Eagle Scout Candidate Logan Wadick of our Boy Scout Troop continues his work on the gazebo. The left picture shows the initial layout beginning. The right picture was taken Sept 24th and shows the supports in place. The center picture shows the deck is installed and the roofing being added. The Eagle Scout project is the final requirement Logan must complete before he appears before his Board of Review. Our best wishes to Logan and the other scouts in their endeavors. 11
Does your congregation know they have a credit union resource? Serving the United Methodist community since 1948, United Methodist Federal Credit Union is a full-service financial institution. Your savings are federally insured to at least $250,000, backed by the U.S. government through the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). Participation in the nationwide CO-OP network provides thousands of walk-in Shared Branch locations and surcharge-free ATMs. Online and mobile banking offers 24/7 access to your account with remote deposit and bill pay. How to share this resource with your church community: A link to www.umfcu.org on your church website Follow UMFCU on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/umfcu Utilize this bulletin insert Request informational brochures by contacting Sandra Moore sandra@umfcu.org 12
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Madeline Stevenson Room #27 Woodlands Senior Living of Waterville 147 West River Road Waterville, Maine 04901 Bruce Jansen Room #39 Oak Grove Center 27 Cool Street Waterville, Maine 04901 Helen Gillette Room #14 Stillwater Health Care 335 Stillwater Ave Bangor, Maine 04401 16
The Ministry of Prayer As a church we believe in the power of prayer. Please pray for the following concerns: All who are struggling with addiction; For the Shaw family Dale is home from the hospital and doing better & continued prayers for Sharon; For Daisy, who has a viral infection and is suffering from migraines; For Joyce s cousin Bette, whose cancer is back; For students who have midterms this week; For the family of Clem Blakney, who was killed in a tragic accident, and for his granddaughter who remains in the hospital; For those who are shut in, including Lisa Smith; Continued prayers for Daisy, who has been diagnosed with migraines; For Betty, whose cancer has returned; For Emma s recent ER visit; For a grandson in Afghanistan; For Chris, who has cancer; For college students on break this week; For those who aren t here with us this week; For those who struggle with thoughts of suicide.; Our nation as the elections approach; For two people in Emma s reenactment group; Daisy, Ian and Sarah, who are all sick; For a classmate of Emma s who has been struggling; Abby s friend s newborn son Lincoln, who has his first cold; For a stepdaughter in Tennessee who has a progressive disease and is now confined to a wheelchair; For Christie s niece, who is struggling with MS; For an older woman who was taken by ambulance to the hospital; Safe travels for Dick and Joyce Chase, who are leaving for Florida this week; For Rita s follow up appointment; For a granddaughter who is talking about suicide; For Matthew, who is serving in Afghanistan and is very homesick; For Deb, who is preaching next week; For Jackie s friend Lisa, who is lonely; For our firefighters during National Fire Prevention Week; For those who are unemployed or underemployed; For those who are homeless, as the temperatures drop. Also please pray for the following joys: Rita s grandson s 12 th birthday 75 people came to the Thrift Shop on 9/29, with $768 in sales; For all the volunteers who serve at the thrift shop; Great to have Charlene and Paul back; For Roger & Marie, who are visiting today; For Forrest and Moriah, who have joined the choir; For the day of service in our community yesterday ; Sandi s mom turns 80 this week; Two friends who are here; Kay is in Rehab and her daughter is here helping; A brother is here visiting & safe travels for his return; Anna Grace is turning 5 this week; Jackie is here with us this week; The Thrift Shop continues to be a blessing; For Audrey s upcoming trip; There are 33 people in worship today, including 7 children; Lucas is learning to drive; Anna is having a birthday today; Great to have Christie back after her time away; Deb s oldest grandson turns 21 tomorrow; For the fun of attending a pot luck supper and pie auction last night; Joy for the sounds of children in worship; For Dick and Joyce, who arrived in Florida safely; For Gene s expertise with the sound system; For our many lay persons and all the tasks they do; Sandi s mom and friend who are here from Troy; For today s luncheon and fashion show; For visitors from the Mercer UMC; A joy that Moriah s roommate Cassie is visiting today; For Larry and Linda, who are visiting today; For Rita s aunt, who turned 92 this week See Pastor Karen to add your prayer concerns here or to change status of those listed. If you or a family member need pastoral care, please contact Pastor Karen, 207-948-3473. If she is not available, please contact our Lay Leader Christie Saunders at 948 1003. 17
Sometimes it s not easy to stand up and speak out our personal prayer needs. If you have a prayer request, we will keep your needs in our prayers each day for the week following your request. Also, if you need has been answered, we would love to hear and rejoice with you in prayers of thankfulness. OPTIONS: Turning in a prayer card (found in the back of the sanctuary) during our Worship Service Contact Pastor Karen, at 207-948-3473 Contact our secure online site for our Christian community Companions in Christ, The Way of PRAYER (http://www.unityunitedmethodistchurch.org/more/contact us) Our church believes in the power and importance of prayer: Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. 18
1. RADICAL HOSPITALITY FINAL STRATEGIC GOALS (SG) SG #1: Being intentional about inviting the unchurched into our faith community SG #2: Being intentional in church & @ the GSTS in offering sincere greeting to welcome people to worship as they are, where they are. God loves you as you are. SG #3: Being intentional about offering a safe, friendly, pleasant facility/grounds in which people can gather, learn and worship. 2. PASSIONATE WORSHIP SG #1: Being intentional about connecting people to God through a meaningful worship experience SG #2: Being intentional about exploring various ways of inviting church members/outside groups to share their gifts in worship. 3. INTENTIONAL FAITH DEVELOPMENT SG #1: To be diligent in offering opportunities for each individual of our faith community to grow in the grace of Jesus Christ and in the knowledge and love of God. 4a. RISK TAKING MISSION AND SERVICE **THE CHURCH SG #1: Discerning God s call to step out beyond our comfort zones to meet the needs of our community. 4b. RISK TAKING MISSION AND SERVICE **GOOD STEWARD THRIFT SHOP SG #1: Discern intentional ways in which to offer God s love and grace to our local community through the ministry of the Good Steward Thrift Shop. SG #2: Intentionally providing more opportunities for volunteers to share in God s love and grace by serving at the Good Steward Thrift Shop. 5. EXTRAVAGANT GENEROSITY SG #1: Intentionally seeking opportunities for making a positive difference in the lives of people beyond our walls through congregational support and outreach. SG #2: Intentionally cultivating a spirit of generous giving within the congregation throughout the year. SG#3: Intentionally teach, preach, and practice that generous giving is a spiritual discipline. 19
The Leadership Team has completed their work in discerning the church s new mission and vision statements. This has come after months of prayerful meetings in which the congregational responses to survey questions were considered. Below are the mission and vision statements along with the strategic goals formulated out of the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations material. All were approved by the Administrative Committee on Sunday, July 19, 2015. Thanks to all who participated. MISSION AND VISION STATEMENTS: Unity United Methodist Church Mission Statement: Living, Learning, and Loving through Christ Unity United Methodist Church Vision Statement: As followers of Jesus Christ, we strive to be a beacon of hope, reflecting God s light and love. In order to live out our vision we covenant to practice: RADICAL HOSPITALITY Welcoming one another as we are with the love of God PASSIONATE WORSHIP Connecting to God through authentic and engaging worship INTENTIONAL FAITH DEVELOPMENT Growing together in the grace and love of Jesus Christ RISK TAKING MISSION AND SERVICE Reaching out to meet needs within our community and beyond EXTRAVAGANT GENEROSITY Cultivating a spirit of generous giving of our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness for the Glory of God. 20
Information Page Unity United Methodist Church 13 Depot St. PO Box 146 Unity, Maine 04988 Pastor: Rev. Karen Garcia; 207-948-3473 or pastorkaren39@gmail.com Lay Leader: Christie Saunders; kayak5000@aol.com Council Chair: Gene Pfeiffer; gpfeiffe@ix.netcom.com Building & Grounds Chair: Chris Aspinall ; Worship Service 10 AM Sunday Bible Study 9:30 Tuesday Please Like the Unity United Methodist Church in Facebook Check out our Church WEBSITE at http:// www.unityunitedmethodistchurch.org/ Email articles to: gpfeiffe@ix.netcom.com or Contact us at 207-948-3473 final Can athiests get i nsur ance f or act s of God? 21