News & Notes 10/1/09
Happy October, my Friends,
Folks have been steppin’ up to pull our Rummage/Yard Sale together this week! Thanks everyone. The sale is Friday evening from 5 till 8 PM, and Saturday morning from 9 AM till noon. Quite a number of folks have been pulling the rummage sale together, but the yard sale portion of things is hurting. Are there half a dozen folks reading this who might come to the church today/tonight/tomorrow-daytime to price items - and then to take money on Friday evening and Saturday? And then there’s the proverbial clean-up for both rummage and yard sale (from noon till about 1 PM on Saturday). It would be great if everyone could come pitch in!!
And it would be great to have more merchandise to sell. There’s room! Bring it on in!
We have been invited to the “Mixed Company” concert by Billie Humphrey and his wife, Jess, at St. Mark’s Church in Kittery, on Saturday, at 7 PM.
This Sunday is World Communion Sunday - a time when we intentionally join with sisters and brothers all over the world, at the table of our Lord. There’ll be a special offering received - see the October issue of “The Bell-Wether” for details. And since it’s the first month of the new quarter, we will receive communion at the rail at the first service as well as the second.
The United Methodist Men will be gathering for our monthly breakfast meeting this Sunday, at 7:30 AM. All the men of the church are invited.
Jana Marie Whiten and the Church Health Team invite you to go with them this Sunday to walk a Labyrinth in Barrington. All interested folks will meet at the church at 2:45 PM to carpool to the house where the Labyrinth is located.
Ann Kippley asked me to extend a special “thank you” to folks who “stepped up to the plate” last Saturday, to provide food and/or work on the public supper. She acknowledges those who do so regularly - but with a special recognition this month for those who have not taken part in the Public Supper before. Thanks y’all!!
Our next annual “Blessing of the Animals” service, will happen at 3 pm Sunday, Oct. 11 here at the church. It’s a wide-open for everyone in the community, and every kind of animal and pet. We will be receiving donations at the same time for the Cocheco Valley Humane Society.
Edith Bailey has asked me to request your prayers for her niece, Amy DeStefano, who is waiting for a heart transplant. She’s a 38 year old single mother of two children. May God be merciful.
This next item was sent to us from our Annual Conference, and will be a valuable workshop. While we haven’t had much fore-warning, I hope there will be folks from St. John’s who can attend:
Mission in a New Day workshops have begun!
Upcoming workshops are happening on our District. All clergy and laity are encouraged to attend:
Wednesday, October 14 — Eliot UMC, Eliot, ME
Workshop Agenda
Weekday Workshops:
6:30 pm - Gathering
6:45 pm - Worship
7:00 to 8:00 pm - Workshop choice 1
8:15 to 9:15 pm - Workshop choice 2
Saturday Workshops:
9:00 am - Gathering
9:30 am - Worship
9:45 to 10:40 am - Workshop choice 1
10:45 to 11:45 am - Workshop choice 2
Workshops include:
–Doing What is Needed. Curtis Brown, Director of Congregational Development.
–Connecting with Mission Resources. Alexx Wood, Director of Communications.
–Being Mission: Deepening Discipleship Through Mission Experiences. Wanda Stahl, Director of Spiritual Formation.
–As a Fire is Meant for Burning. James McPhee, Director of Connectional Ministries
–Hands on Mission with United Methodist Volunteers in Mission. David Stackpole or Howard McGlaufin, United Methodist Volunteers in Mission.
–Youth and Young Adults in Mission. Lorraine Macpherson, Director, United Methodist Action Reach-out Mission by Youth - Northeast
–Mission Opportunities at Mechuwana. Norman Thombs, Camp Director.
Visit www.neumc.org/newday for more information on workshop offerings.
Sometimes when I’m writing things quickly, I wonder if I word things in “dangerous” ways. Here’s one that someone else wrote: “This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.”
That’s it for this week. See you in church. Mark