News & Notes 5/15/08
Dear St. John’s Church Family,
There’s allot to share with you today, so I’ll get right to it.
We had a great time this past Sunday in worship - as we celebrated Mother’s Day/Pentecost/Confirmation/Blanket Sunday!! I was particularly blessed by the six young folks who made their profession of faith and joined the church - were Confirmed!! God bless them all! I haven’t asked if I can put their names here, to I’ll just encourage you to look for the article in the upcoming Bell-Wether.
Rummage Sale/Yard Sale/Tag Sale - you name it. We’re having it this Friday and Saturday in Hartford Hall. As I write some material has been brought for sale and set up, but there are miles to go before we open the doors!! Can you help? — with things to sell, with set up and pricing, with working on the sale, with clean-up? Come tonight or tomorrow night for set up. The sale will take place Friday evening from 4:30 till 8 PM; and Saturday from 9 AM till Noon. Then we’ll need help cleaning up all the leftovers. Even if you’ve never helped with something like this at the church before, we could use your help this time!!
This came from Tina Weinberger: Hello everyone, I just wanted to extend an invitation to y’all to see my Gospel group perform at the end of May, if you’d like to enjoy a great evening of rockin’ music and fun! This performance is close by, right at the Federated Church in South Berwick(!), and is less expensive than normal. It looks like the ticket sales will only be about $5, so it’s a great time to come and see ‘Rock My Soul’ perform. The concert is at 7pm on Saturday, May 31st; and for those of you who attend the public supper at St. Johns, you could pop on over right after, if you wish. I’d love to see your happy faces in the audience!! and you will really enjoy the energy and music this group has to share…it’s very hard to sit still, so be ready to groove a little. 
The message of Gospel music can be felt by any age group, any nationality, any background. Our purpose is to uplift, and bring varied culltures and people together with our “down to roots” music. I hope many of you can attend. Again, it’s: Saturday, May 31st at 7pm. First Parish Federated Church, Corner of Main and Academy Sts., South Berwick, ME If you’d like more information on the group, our website is www [dot] dfgp [dot] org. The tickets are $6 in advance of the show, and $8 at the door. Children (under 12) are free. To get tickets in advance, you can order them off our website through PayPal, which is very easy (no extra fees to do that) or you can advance the money to me, and I will get tickets for you. Thanks all, and I hope to see you there!
Good news!! We have a new Prayer Chair Coordinator!! Praise God! With our thanks once again for Sherrie Fillebrown’s ten year’s of leadership, Sheryl Wentworth is the new prayer chain coordinator. She can be contacted by phone at (603) 292-6146 or by email at blessedtimes3 [at] comcast [dot] net Please use this wonderful ministry liberally!! I am inadequate to explain it, but things are different because of prayer.
This Sunday, May 18th, UM churches will celebrate “Peace with Justice Sunday” by receiving a special offering designed to enable the UMC’s voice in advocating for peace and justice at home and around the world. Peace with Justice Sunday gifts empower compassionate people to advocate for human rights, buy fair-trade products, care for the environment, demonstrate for important causes, eradicate poverty, feed the hungry, provide health care, seek affordable housing and model nonviolence. Peace with Justice Sunday, one of the six UM Special Sundays with offering, is observed on the first Sunday after Pentecost. Half of the Peace with Justice offering goes to the GBCS for grants to special programs. The other half remains in our own Conference for peace with justice ministries. Special offering envelopes will be included in the bulletin this Sunday.
Sunday afternoon, beginning at noon, our “20’s, 30’s & Thensome” will gather for at church for a BBQ and a game or two of waffle-ball. It’ll be a great time of fellowship for our young adults (and their children). They’re encouraged to bring meat to cook on the grill plus a “dish” (i.e. drinks, chips, salad, etc.) to share. And please bring your own place setting.
Then at 5 PM on Sunday, the whole congregation is invited to a Pot-Luck Supper and program. The program is about the Healing Ministries of our congregation - including the new Healing Touch Spirituality. What is it? Come and find out!! As with every pot-luck, please bring a casserole, salad or dessert to share as well as your own place setting.
Next Tuesday will be a big day around these parts. The Bishop is coming to St. John’s Church to hold his annual “Bishop’s Day on the District.” He’ll spend the afternoon with the clergy of the District. Then supper (Chicken stew with biscuits, salad, dessert, and beverage. Cost: $4.00) will be served from 5 till 6:30 PM - for the clergy who are staying for the evening session too, and for the laity who might be coming directly from work. And the evening session for laity and clergy will be from 6:30 till 8 PM. If you will be joining us for dinner or need child care, RSVP by tomorrow morning (churchoffice [at] stjohnsdover [dot] org or 603-742-3406). I extend an invitation for our whole congregation to come to the evening session, as the Bishop focuses on those things that make for inspirational worship in our day. What’s different from thirty years ago, and what remains the same? What’s the role of the worship leaders and what’s the role of the congregants? Come be part of the discussion.
Relative to the Bishop’s visit, we are looking for some volunteers to staff the childcare. Our own Sandra Shepard will be here for the evening session, but we need someone to work with her then - plus we need a couple folks to work during the afternoon session. These are paid positions - remuneration comes from the District budget. Sitters need to be eighteen years of age or older. If you can help (and please don’t assume someone else will do it), please call either Patrick Murphy or Jim Avrett.
The Conference Council on Youth Ministries (CCYM) will be back at Annual Conference this year, and the “Penny Challenge” is already heating up. District Superintendent John Blackadar is still excited about the New Hampshire District winning three years in a row!!! Are the other districts going to let that happen again this year???? Won’t you start saving your pennies? Each penny is worth one point. Any nickels, dimes quarters and bills that are contributed to another District’s bucket will serve to subtract points from that District’s total. So we can put pennies in the Tri-State District’s bucket, and silver coins and bills in the New Hampshire District’s (or any other District’s) bucket!! The winner will be determined Sunday morning of Annual Conference - and we’ll let you know how it went. The money collected will be used for Conference Council on Youth Ministries (CCYM) programs. We’ll put a collection vessel on the “skinny” table in the Narthex. Make your contributions anytime between now and Sunday, June 8th. It’s great fun - friendly competition - and a great way to fund youth ministry in the Conference.
This came from the 5/16/08 issue of “Newscope”:
UM Committee on Relief Responds to Cyclone in Myanmar
As the death toll rises in Myanmar, the UM Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is planning its response to the May 3 cyclone that wiped out entire villages and has left tens of thousands of people dead. The United Nations estimates between 63,000 and 100,000 dead as of May 13, with another 2 million homeless. UMCOR is working on relief efforts with its partner Church World Service, establishing an advance for donations and responding to the $5,000 initial request from Church World Service. The Rev. Sam Dixon, UMCOR’s chief executive, was scheduled to take part in a telephone call with Action by Churches Together, which could offer the opportunity to connect with additional partners for emergency response. “Because [Myanmar’s government] is on the watch list for the [U.S.] federal government, it’s difficult to get money into the country legally,” Dixon explained. U.S. officials have said they appear to be close to an agreement with the military government there to send in aid, though CNN reports that the military junta is keeping the best donations for itself and distributing rotten food. According to news reports, the first seven tons of United Nations relief supplies arrived in Myanmar by air May 8. Priority needs are identified as food, plastic sheeting, water purification tablets, basic medical kits and sleeping nets. The initial focus for CWS will be on food aid, followed by shelter needs. Dixon expressed particular concern about “the long-term consequences of the inability to produce rice, not only for their own consumption but for export to Sri Lanka and India.” Methodism has had a small but longtime presence in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. Bishop Zothan Mawia of Myanmar was a delegate to the 2008 General Conference, and has been unable to return to his home country. He is staying in Virginia for the time being, coordinating relief efforts by phone. He has been unable to contact his office, but he has talked to people in the area who have told him that the damage in that part of central Yangon, or Rangoon, is not as severe. Donations to UMCOR Advance No. 3019674, Myanmar emergency, can be made online at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/ or by phone at 800-554-8583. Checks also can
be dropped in our offering plates or mailed directly to UMCOR, PO Box 9068,
New York, NY 10087-9068.
I would also add that UMCOR will be responding to the people of China, following this week’s earthquake; and the people of our own country, following the multiple tornados that have occurred. If you wish to give to any or all of these efforts, please feel free to do so. Place your “well-marked” offering in the offering plate on any Sunday.
A guy walks in for his interview. The interviewer asks, “What’s the first thing you notice about me?” The guy responds, “Why, You don’t have any ears.” Interviewer: “Get out! Send in the next guy.” 2nd guy walks in for his interview. The interviewer asks, “What’s the first thing you notice about me?” The guy responds, “Why, You don’t have any ears.” Interviewer: “Get out! Send in the next guy.” This guy on the way out says to the 3rd guy “What ever you do, don’t say anything about his not having any ears - He’ll kick you right out.” 3rd guy walks in for his interview. The interviewer asks, “Whats the first thing you notice about me?” The guy looks at the interviewer intently for a few seconds and responds, “Why, you wear contact lenses don’t you.” The interviewer says, “That’s impressive that you’re so observant. How could you tell I wear contact lenses?” 3rd guy “Because you don’t have any ears to hang glasses on.”
That’s the news for today. See you in church!! Grace & peace, Mark