News & Notes 1/21/10
Dear St. John’s Church Family,
I can’t tell you how proud you make me as your pastor. Your responses to the invitations to give last Sunday during worship were wonderful! I have sent off a mountain of letters of support to a church in Port au Prince. And Praise God! We have over $8000 so far to send to UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) for Haiti which came from the Special Offering on January 17 and a tithe of the Marjorie Stevens’ bequest. We anticipate more funds will be received during the next few weeks. We have learned that Sam Dixon, top executive of UMCOR; Clinton Rabb, head of Mission Volunteers; and Jeanne Arnwine, on a mission trip from Highland Park UMC in Dallas, all died as a result of the earthquake. We would like to give our offering in memory of these people and also in memory or honor of others you may know who are connected to Haiti. Please contact Diana Schuman at deeschu [at] Comcast [dot] net or 603-742-4858 or the church office until Sunday, January 31 with the names (and contact info if available). Our prayers continue to be with our sisters and brothers in the Caribbean.
Continuing the effort to keep you up-to-date on things, let me share this part of an article from today’s issue of “Newscope”: Visit the Facebook group for 10thousanddoors.org to lift up your praise or concern on the wall. Visit www.umc.org/haiti and www.facebook.com/unitedmethodistchurch for continuously updated information. UMCOR’s emergency response efforts will be coordinated with a variety of partners, including Church World Service, Action by Churches Together, Global Medic, Muslim Aid and the Methodist Church of Haiti.
A concert for Haiti Relief will be held at the First United Methodist Church of Portsmouth, on Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 6:30PM. 100% of all donations for this concert featuring Tenley Westbrook and her band (www.tenleywestbrook.com), Amy & Billy Petty (www.amypetty.com) , plus other artists will be used to help the people of Haiti through UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) whose director, Rev. Sam Dixon was killed in the earthquake.
*Also FYI: A DELICIOUS Chicken & Biscuit Dinner to benefit the Portsmouth Church will be served from 5-6:30PM The cost is $8.00 pp. For more info, please call the United Methodist Church at 603 436-6038.
Amie McGlauflin, our Pre-K Sunday School teacher, is looking for Baby Food jars for a craft project in her class. Do you have any - or have access to any? How ’bout donating them to “the cause.” They’re looking for them for the next couple of weeks. Thanks.
Tomorrow our “Holy Folders” will report for duty - to prepare our February issue of “The Bell-Wether” for mailing!! Can it be that time again? Yes! And many thanks to Carl Marshall and his team of “merry women and men” who make this happen.
Speaking of the “Bell-Wether,” let me give you a sneak preview of one of the articles:
A sad day in the life of our pastor
Pastor Mark learned that he is a “wanted man.” He has been issued a summons to appear before the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s Court Judge on February 18th.
His bail has already been set at $1,600! Wow!! He must have done something REALLY bad to have his bail set that high! Surely he’s gonna learn who his friends are on this one, as he looks for help in raising bail!
Is it worth it to you to get him back on the job? Let him know how much he could count on your help.
To pledge toward his bail, go to: https://www.joinmda.org/MyLockup/MyHomepage/tabid/124243/Participant/MarkMonsonAlley/Default.aspx
And here’s another sneak preview:
Your Outreach Committee plans to assemble UMCOR health kits for Haitian relief @ 6:30 PM on Wednesday, February 10. We invite all St. John’s members and visitors to contribute the contents of at least one health kit (estimated value $12). Individual items from the contents list are also welcomed. UMCOR health kits provide basic necessities to people who have been forced to leave their homes because of conflict or natural disaster. Due to the recent severe earthquake, over one million Haitians have lost their homes.
Place these items inside a sealable one-gallon plastic bag:
* 1 hand towel (15″ x 25″ up to 17″ x 27″; no kitchen towels)
* 1 washcloth
* 1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)
* 1 nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)
* 1 bath-size bar of soap (3oz. and up)
* 1 toothbrush (single brushes only in original wrapper; no child-size brushes)
* 6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages
* $2.00 for UMCOR to purchase toothpaste in bulk and help pay their shipping costs
This Sunday, during the first service, we’ll be baptizing Jackson Corbin, Holly (Eaton) & Travis Corbin’s son - and Joanne and Guy Eaton’s grandson! Jackson was born last June, and will the forth generation (at least) or Eaton’s to be a part of the St. John’s Church family!!
A couple more quick notes about this Sunday. This is “Cents Makes Sense” Sunday - where we are invited to bring our loose change to drop in the pail on the “skinny” table in the narthex - to be used toward mission work locally (as directed by our Outreach Committee.
And our Witness Committee will be inviting us to commit to times of prayer for the people of Haiti. Look in the bulletin for the details.
To keep your brain exercised (that’s not exorcized!), I share these thoughts:
Why do we sing “Take me out to the ball game” when we are already there?
Why are they called “stands” when they are made for sitting?
Why is it called “after dark” when it really is “after light”?
Doesn’t “expecting the unexpected” make the unexpected expected?
Why are a “wise man” and a “wise guy” opposites?
Get back to me on those questions, will ya? That’s it for this week’s news. I’ve pasted some announcements from our Retreat Center in Andover at the end here - in case you might like to take advantage of their offerings. Have a great weekend, and make sure to include worship with your church family right in the heart of it! Peace, Mark
There’s STILL time to register for upcoming programs at Rolling Ridge in Andover, Mass!
Coming on Tuesday, January 26, join Jane Gossard for “FINDING YOUR VOICE” As we move through our lives, it is our longing to feel a connection to the eternal that motivates our spiritual journeys. Voice is anything we do that enables us to feel that connection, anything that we do for the sheer joy of it.
(CALL US and use the code “Voice” to still get the advanced registration price of only $48.)
Join Retreat Leader, (and executive Director of Rolling Ridge) Larry Peacock on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 for “LEADING FROM THE HEART”. Author and Teacher, Parker Palmer, says a leader is “someone with the power to project either shadow or light onto some part of the world and onto the lives of the people who dwell there.” In this day apart retreat, we will look at four keys to being heart-centered people who bring light into leadership situations.
Many of you responded so quickly and wonderfully to the “Nurturing Passionate Spirituality” (Bishop’s Day) on February 23, 2010, that there are only 30 spots left! Go to our web-site to register.
MID-WEEK SPECIALS*- There are plenty of mid-week days available in the months ahead for your private retreat. Spend the day in our Merton Suite or bring your group for a winter overnight in our grand estate. We have Cross Country Skiing trails and there is Ice Skating on Lake Cochichewick!! Call Alison Green-Will, our Guest Services coordinator to reserve your time apart OR to book your group at 978-682-8815. Specials await! Don’t delay! Book one overnight personal retreat and receive a 10% discount. Book 2 nights and get a 20% discount! Bring a group of 10 or more and receive 10% off. Bring a group of 20 or more and get 20% off!
Can you help? Rolling Ridge is looking for wooden twin and double bed frames. If you can help us out, please contact Larry Peacock, Director, at 978-682-8815 x18