News & Notes 3/27/08
A Blessed Easter Season to you, my friends,
As I’ve thought about the things to include in this week’s issue of “News & Notes” I’ve noticed a pattern of thanksgiving (which isn’t a bad pattern, is it?). There is much for which to give thanks and praise to God - from this congregation.
As we have just completed the Lenten season - including Holy Week - and entered the Easter season, we have been blessed by many folks who made our times together just wonderful. I hesitate to begin naming names because there are soooooooo many, and I’m sure I would forget some - those who helped plan and lead our worship experiences (choirs, actors, liturgists, fire starters etc.), helped with the Eggs-Travaganza, helped decorate the chancel, helped deliver baskets of decorated eggs and Easter plants to many of our church members and friends, helped make our church buildings look so good, etc. Our collective thanks to ALL of you!
Then I want to thank Lenny Colongione and Barb MacKenzie for painting the ceilings and a couple walls in the upstairs bathrooms of Hartford Hall - and thank Barb for stenciling the walls in both bathrooms as well. Check them out soon. They look great, and make the rooms much more hospitable.
And Lenny got into the mix one more time as he and Drew Williams dismantled the brick planter at our church sign - beside Cataract Ave. This is in preparation for a new sign to be installed . . . today? We’ll see. But in the meantime, “Thank you” to Drew and Lenny!!
Then we had a terrific turnout on Tuesday morning - of “Holy Folders” to prepare “The Bell-Wether” for mailing!! What a great group of folks - and what a great time they have working together!! Thanks folks. And the rest of us can look for our “Bell-Wethers” in the mail . . . soon? Actually some of us received our yesterday!! Hope yours comes soon - if it hasn’t arrived already!
Don’t forget the two terrific events taking place this Saturday: The “Garage Sale for the Guys” (8 AM till 1 PM [I had the time incorrect in an earlier N&N that I sent you]) and the Public Corned Beef and Cabbage Supper (4:30 till 6 PM)! In order for these to be successful they need lots of contributions, lots of helpers and lots of customers! Invite your friends to join you!! And have some fun!!
Have you ever heard that the Sunday after Easter is traditionally the lowest attendance Sunday in the church year? I don’t know why that is. I’ve never heard anyone do a definitive explanation of that phenomenon. Perhaps it’s the letdown after Easter. I “name” it because I want us to “break the curse” of “Low Sunday!” If you’re in town this weekend, I encourage you to be in church for worship with your church family! Do you suppose we could match Easter Sunday’s attendance? Okay . . . maybe not. But let’s aim for our “average” attendance . . . or better!! See you there.
There are a couple things coming up for future Sunday’s that I’d commend to you. The first is the Cluster Choir Festival - taking place at St. John’s - on Sunday, April 6th, at 4:30 PM. There’ll be nine choirs participating, and the program will conclude with the choirs massing together for two anthems. A great time!
Then on Sunday, April 13th, we’ll have our next “Second Sunday” Concert with Rabbi Larry Karol, of Temple Israel in Dover. He’s a singer/songwriter who will present an outstanding concert, I’m positive! It all begins at 3:30 PM.
Don’t forget the request that I sent out a couple days ago - for help to move Barbara Murray from Dover to Durham - this Sunday afternoon (meet at the church at 1 PM). I’ve heard from a few people, and have a couple trucks so far. We could use many more - so the workload won’t be excessive for anyone, and so we can get the move accomplished in a timely fashion. Can you help?
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND at Wanakee United Methodist Center in Meredith, NH:
“Beginning Scrap Booking” with the very creative Kathy Mantler. This workshop is limited to 8 lucky participants
Date: Friday, April 18, 2008, 7:00pm thru Sunday 1:00pm, April 20, 2008
Place: Wanakee’s Homestead Retreat building
Do you have boxes of pictures waiting to be discovered? Then join in the fun as Kathy guides us in organizing, cropping, decorating and embellishing our pictures in a lovely scrapbook. A weekend packed with: 5 different informative scrap booking workshops; Free time for walking the grounds; Late evening enjoy a movie popcorn, home made ice cream; a weekend of friendshipping not to be missed.
Cost: $80 for 2 nights lodging and 5 meals and snacks
$20 fee for materials which are provided
Please call the camp office 603-279-7950 to register by April 10, 2008; a $50 deposit is required.
Nothing But Nets Raises $18 Million in First Year
Nothing But Nets, an anti-malaria campaign of the UMC and other partners, raised more than $18 million from 60,000 donors during its first year. As a result,
more than 700,000 insecticide-treated sleeping nets have been distributed in
the Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Chad, Mali, Gabon and the Democratic Republic of Congo. During 2007, the campaign attracted broad participation across the UMC through local churches, youth groups, annual conferences and individuals. Organizers also partnered with a number of bishops’ offices to host special malaria awareness events in Miami, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Houston, Detroit and Minneapolis. The UMC is a founding partner in Nothing But Nets. Other partners include the U.N. Foundation, Sports Illustrated, the National Basketball Association’s NBA Cares, Major League Soccer, the Mark J. Gordon Foundation and VH-1. “It’s just phenomenal what we’ve been able to accomplish in such a short time,” said Bishop Thomas Bickerton, UM spokesman for the campaign. “It’s been more like a movement than a campaign. The reality is that we can save a child’s life for such a small amount of money, and that message has really touched people’s hearts and compelled them to get engaged.” -UMNS (Note: Wanda Winnicki, Brenda Borchers and Alan Eastman have been coordinating the St. John’s efforts for this program. To date we have raised $478 for “Nothing But Nets.” But I think you might look for other events to come!)
This may be old news to you, but Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses (sp?) on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him (Oh, man, this is so bad, it’s good)…A super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
Enjoy your week! As I said earlier, see you in church! Peace, Mark