News & Notes 7/9/09
Hello St. John’s Church Family,
And who said miracles don’t happen? I see that bright round thing in the sky again! What do they call that? Halleluja!!!
The next time you see Barb or Tim MacKenzie be sure to congratulate them . . . for they have finally attained grandparenthood!! Their daughter, Ali, and her husband, Dave, had their first child yesterday (July 
. Isabella Rae Moody was born at the York Hospital.
We host the next Red Cross Blood Drive tomorrow - from 1 till 6 PM - in Hartford Hall. Please be sure to remember to bring your food and/or show up to work your shift - if you volunteered for these things! And if you’re one who donates blood, the Red Cross would love to see you come!!
Someone has reminded me that this will probably be the first Blood Drive that Don Cheney has missed working at - since we’ve held them at St.. John’s. I heard last night from Don’s daughter, Donna McAdam, who told me that Don sleeps most of the time now. The medication that he receives relieves his difficulty with breathing, but also makes him sleep more. Let’s pray that Don be at peace, and that God’s grace fill his life.
Jinny Scott asked me to remind folks that our Childcare during worship this summer is for children through six years of age. We’ve extended the age for childcare so that families might find it easier to attend worship. So we hope to see more and more folks coming! (By the way, there are still openings for volunteers to work with Sandy Shepard to provide this childcare. Any takers? It can even be some of us whose children have grown up - or some of us who never had children!!)
The sign-up sheets for our July 25th Public Supper (a Chicken BBQ) will be posted this Sunday. Please check ‘em out, and fill ‘em up!! An added feature for the supper this that month will be that a portion of the “Rock My Soul” gospel group will be singing throughout the supper! What a treat! Won’t you spread the word?
In the July issue of “The Bell-Wether” I asked for your input about possible subjects for sermon series for the coming year. I’d like to hear what sorts of things are concerns for you today - what issues do you hear neighbors or co-workers wrestling with - what biblical stories have you had questions about? So far I’ve only had two people give me input. I’d really love to have more folks give me their thoughts. Just write them down and pass them to me on Sunday mornings - or drop them in the mail. I’d love to hear what’s on your mind.
During worship this Sunday we’ll hear the next “round” of stories - about how God has worked in the lives of some of our sisters and brothers - through the different parts of the service. Jerry Small, Antje Dolen and Ruth Mitchell will share with us. This is all a part of our emphasis on passionate spirituality at St. John’s. I hope these stories help you reflect on God’s presence and activity in your own life. Maybe they will be a model for you to speak more freely about your own faith journey.
I happened to notice that no one has signed up for Coffee Fellowship for this Sunday (or next). Many of us gather for conversations over coffee and treats each Sunday, and seem to enjoy it a great deal. It would be too bad not to have it. If you haven’t hosted Coffee Fellowship in awhile (maybe never?) and would be willing to take this on, please give Ann Kippley, the chairperson of our Hospitality Committee, a call. She’d love to hear from you, and if you’ve not done this before, she can give you the rundown.
For fifteen minutes before we begin our worship service this Sunday, we’ll have a hymnsing. That’s your chance to pick the songs we sing before the service. I’d like to add a different twist to it this time, and ask what the important word/phrase/message is that makes this your favorite hymn. What hymn would you pick . . . and why?
You may have read this following piece, but I think it’s good enough to read again: A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. “I’ve gone for 30 years now,” he wrote, “and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them. So, I think I’m wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.” This started a real controversy in the “Letters to the Editor” column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: “I’ve been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!” When you are DOWN to nothing…. God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!”
Online Registration for New England Assembly of the Laity
The New England Assembly of the Laity (NEAL) invites all of God’s people to attend the 56th annual session July 31 - August 2, 2009 at the Marist House in Framingham, MA. This is a unique opportunity for us to come together, as people of God, to fellowship with one another, learn from one another, and to praise our almighty God! The theme for the 2009 year is “Stretch Out Your Hands.” Guest speaker is Rev. Curtis Brown, Director of Congregational Development for the New England Conference. The excitement is building, so join us for this inspirational weekend that includes fun, fellowship, and spiritual enrichment! Visit www.assemblyofthelaity.com for more information, or go to www.neumc.org/NEAL to register online now!
VIM Team To Port-Au-Prince, Haiti
February 16-25, 2010
Lebanon UMC in Lebanon, NH is sponsoring another Volunteer in Mission (VIM) Team to Port-au-Prince, Haiti to continue construction of the new church building for the Croix des Mission congregation, a priority project of the Haitian Methodist Church. Over the past few years, land was purchased, the site was prepared, the foundation constructed and in February 2009 the walls finally went up. The roof is the next construction phase. Who wants to help put the roof on? Anyone over age eighteen and in good health may be a member of this twelve member VIM team. What will team members do? We do unskilled manual labor acting as “gofers” for the skilled Haitian workers. This project is being built using a Haitian design, Haitian materials and Haitian skills. We North Americans do not impose our cultural values nor our sense of what is the “right” way to build. We work WITH the Haitian builders and church members. Have you been looking for a different way to serve God? For more information, please contact Bob Parker. Telephone: 603.863.7348; E-mail: parker.nh [at] gmail [dot] com
That’s all I have to share today. Enjoy the sun this weekend!! See you in church. Peace, Mark