July 28-August 4, 2012 and August 4-11, 2012

Cost: $250 for one week, $325 for two weeks

Project Includes: Painting inside and outside of Groveton UMC, roofing and repair work on parsonage and church building
All talents and ages are welcome. Work positions can be provided for anyone from age 14 - 100. (Those under 16 must be accompanied by a parent)

Team Leader: John Blackadar

If you cannot participate personally, you can help provide a scholarship for someone who would like to go. For more information or registration materials, call or write: Rita Blackadar, 23 Birchdale Road, Bow, NH 03304, Telephone 603-219-0921, e-mail: rblackadar [at] comcast [dot] net.

Help New Hampshire’s only Methodist camp and retreat center maintain its facilities and prepare the camp for a summer of spiritual growth and renewal for all ages. Join other volunteers as we open the cabins and grounds for the spring and summer season. Paint, plant and pound nails! All ages and abilities welcome. Volunteer and be in mission for a day. Lunch and coffee provided.

Contact Wanakee to make a difference: 603-279-7950 ormail@wanakee.org.

My week is a bit crazy, so I’m going to be quick with this morning’s issue of “News & Notes.”  Let me jump right in!  It’s great to be back from vacation.  Wendy and I went to Washington, DC to visit our daughter and her boyfriend - and to play tourist!  Both went wonderfully!! 

Wow!  You were all very generous with your gifts to the Church World Service Blankets for Mothers Day.  A total of $658 was given to honor and remember our mothers!! 

Public Supper comes upon us this Saturday.  Lots of places to volunteer!  Won’t you give some time?  It’s Corned Beef that’s on the menu.  See you there.

Our Hospitality Committee will graciously host a “Teacher Appreciation” brunch after 1st service this Sunday. It’s a wonderful way for St. John’s to say thank you for all that our Sunday School staff does with our children and youth at our church! If you see any of them this week, be sure to add your words of appreciation!! (And thanks, too, to the Hospitality Committee for making this happen!)

We will be blessing a prayer shawl this Sunday during both services.  If you have someone in your life that would be in need of one of our shawls, please let me know before Sunday morning - we can add others to the shawl that we will be blessing.

Thanks to many wonderful people “Ending 69 Hours of Hunger” fully qualified for the matching donation offered by the anonymous organization in honor of Mother’s Day!  We received $1,015 in donations dated the 13th and more are still coming in!  Thank you all!
On another note, we are very close to losing our space in Barclay Square, and are desperately looking for donated space to which we can move our program!  If you know of anything in the Dover/Somersworth area, please let me know!  We need 300-600 square feet with light and heat and 24 hour access!
You will be receiving one more message from me to finish out this year.  It will be our annual report which will be coming out very soon, and I want to thank Jennifer Pribble for the hard work she has put into it.  Also, the website has been updated and revamped by Diana Schuman, adding to the long list of volunteers who have made it possible for us to continue to ensure that 100% of the funds donated are used to purchase food!
We started October 1st with 19 backpacks a week in one town, and are finishing with 127 a week in four towns!  We are extremely close to starting in Milton and Eliot, and they will certainly be on board in the Fall!   Thank you all for your support!  Sincerely, Claire Bloom

Our church sign by the entrance on Cataract Avenue is looking refreshed!  Thanks to the work of Jody Pomeroy and Avery Willett, the message section of the sign received a fresh coat of paint!  Thanks young ladies!!

Wanakee Work Day –  May 26, 9:00-3:00 — Volunteer to Open Camp — Help New Hampshire’s only Methodist camp and retreat center maintain its facilities and prepare the camp for a summer of spiritual growth and renewal for all ages. Join other volunteers as we open the cabins and grounds for the spring and summer season. Paint, plant and pound nails! All ages and abilities welcome. Volunteer and be in mission for a day.  Lunch and coffee provided.  Contact Wanakee to make a difference: 603-279-7950 ormail@wanakee.org.

Volunteers In Mission Opportunity at Groveton UMC, Groveton, NH  (Sponsored by the New Hampshire District VIM Team)
July 28-August 4, 2012 and August 4-11, 2012
Cost: $250 for one week, $325 for two weeks
Project Includes: Painting inside and outside of Groveton UMC, roofing and repair work on parsonage and church building
All talents and ages are welcome. Work positions can be provided for anyone from age 14 - 100.  (Those under 16 must be accompanied by a parent)
Team Leader: John Blackadar
If you cannot participate personally, you can help provide a scholarship for someone who would like to go.  For more information or registration materials, call or write:  Rita Blackadar, 23 Birchdale Road, Bow, NH 03304, Telephone 603-219-0921, e-mail: rblackadar [at] comcast [dot] net.  

The Check Challenge is on!!  The Conference Youth (Conference Council on Youth Ministry) are once again asking every church to send $25.00 to support the conference youth program in our conference. This money is CCYM’s only program funding.  Every year the CCYM sponsors youth to go on Mission of Peace trips. They also help fund local youth programs throughout the conference.  CCYM will be giving awards out for the following: the district raising the most money, and the district with the highest percentage of participation.  CCYM will be giving awards out for the following: the district raising the most money, and the district with the highest percentage of participation.
Again we are asking for a minimum donation of $25.00 from each church. Checks should be made payable to “CCYM-NEAC.”
 
Opportunities to Serve in the New England Conference
WE NEED YOU - The New England Leadership Committee (aka the Conference Nominating Committee) needs good and faithful members for several committees. New England Conference needs you to serve. It takes your support to keep our conference strong and operating at its highest potential. Won’t you be part of the solution? All of us are busy people but without your volunteerism the Conference cannot function to its fullest.
* COSROW:   Commission on the Status and Role of Women. This committee is made up of 12-36 members and every district should be represented including 6 at large. 1/3 laymen, 1/3 laywomen, 1/3 clergy - women majority. 
* RACE & RELIGION: This committee does monitoring and it is very important that it is  active, diverse and alive!! 1/3 laymen, 1/3 laywomen, 1/3 clergy - ethnic majority. If you feel our Conference does  not properly represent our diverse membership this is the committee for you.
* DISABILITIES: This committee deals with the disability issues of the Conference and needs new members to include all the Districts of our Conference.
Pray! Pray! Pray! about these needs of the Conference and contact with any questions.
* Marie MacDougall at macdome [at] juno [dot] com,  telephone 802-461-4452
* or Leeda Marsh at LeedaM [at] aol [dot] com, telephone 978-840-0158
There are many other committees that need your membership support, tell us about your interests.

It was the end of the day when I parked my police van in front of the station. As I gathered my equipment, my K-9 partner, Jake, was barking, and I saw a little boy staring in at me. ‘Is that a dog you got back there?’ he asked. ‘It sure is,’ I replied Puzzled, the boy looked at me and then towards the back of the van.  Finally he said, ‘What’d he  do?’

That’s the news for today.  See you in church.  Peace, Mark

]]> http://www.stjohnsdover.org/sjd/20120513/sermon-%e2%80%9clove-is-a-decision%e2%80%9d-by-claire-bloom-5132012.html/feed/ http://www.stjohnsdover.org/sjd/20120509/news-notes-592012.html http://www.stjohnsdover.org/sjd/20120509/news-notes-592012.html#comments Wed, 09 May 2012 14:22:50 +0000 Pastor Mark All Posts foradults news 'n notes http://www.stjohnsdover.org/sjd/20120509/news-notes-592012.html Dear St. John’s,

In Pastor Mark’s absence I’m writing this brief “News & Notes,” because I thought there were a couple things that needed to be shared.

Pastor Mark said in last week’s “News & Notes” that one of the ways you could get in touch with Pastor Deb Shipp, was to call Gail Korth, our Associate Lay Leader.  Mark didn’t know that Gail was going to be out of town most of this week.  So please call Todd Warfield or Bill McWilliams if you need to reach Pastor Deb.

We should note that this Saturday is the US Postal Services collection for local food pantries, and we’d encourage all of us to leave something by our mailboxes - for the mail carriers to pick up.  All the food helps to fill local food pantries.

If you are interested in going on the Heifer field trip to Rutland MA on June 3rd, please contact Jane (jajolan [at] gmail [dot] com) by this weekend, as final numbers for the tour need to be in by Monday.

If you or your child is planning to apply for one of our  College Scholarships, be sure to get the application in right away.  The deadline is May 20th.

This comes to invite your support:
Hi Everyone!  It’s Ahna McCusker. I am starting a new fundraiser for Christine Skidds’s Crusade called “Run 4 Auntie”. “Run 4 Auntie” is going to be a fundraiser in which I will be running, and those of you who decide to sponsor me, will sponsor $1 (or any other donation) for every mile I run. That includes my track meets, road races, or any other running I do from 4/22/12-7/4/12.  Since our lives are so hectic I don’t really have a ‘plan’ of how much I will be running, but I hope to run at least 3 races per month in addition to my track meets.  The reason that I am doing this is because a little while ago, my aunt’s doctor’s found another cancerous tumor in her brain. She was taking her medication as usual, but at one of her recent appointments the doctors found that her tumor doubled in size.  It had originally been the size of a pencil eraser. Now, she is going to have to take a different, stronger medication.   All of these medical problems cost a lot. In order to fight cancer and stay alive, I want to help her pay for her treatment. Please sponsor me and help me, help my auntie stay with us.  Sincerely. Ahna McCusker
Donations/checks can be made out to Ahna McCusker with “Run 4 Auntie” in the memo and sent to:  Ahna McCusker, 2 Gold Post Rd.,  Dover, NH 03820

That’s all that I had to share with you.  Peace, Sandy Dearborn (office manager)

Please make your favorite dessert and drop it off in Hartford Hall before 3 PM on the 8th.

If you have questions or need someone to pick up your goodies, call Brenda Borchers at 534-7856.

Well it was a great week in Louisiana - trying to see the face of Christ in those we were assisting - and trying to be the face of Christ for them as well.  I refer you to our church’s website and facebook page for all the details and pictures!!  But as always, it’s great to be home!

The Trustees could use your help this Saturday, anytime between 8 AM and Noon - to do some spring clean-up/spruce-up jobs around the church.  Kathy Belair is taking the lead in directing our work - so see her when you first arrive.  If there is someone coming with a compressor and spray painter, we have a job re-staining the picnic tables for you.  Or if you have a power washer, some of our lightweight Sunday School tables and Public Supper tables could be cleaned, too.  But there are a number of other tasks that don’t need equipment like that.  Come on out, and offer a hand, to fix up your church home!!  The coffee will be fresh and the donuts delicious!!

If you wish to purchase one or more blankets in memory of, or in honor of your Mom - or someone who has been like a Mom to you - the form and the $5 (for the Church World Service blankets that we buy) are due this Sunday.  This is always a great way to honor our Moms - by helping Moms in need, in other parts of the world.  The blankets are used as shelter, or backpacks or child-carriers.  They are simple, but wonderful “tools” that we put into the hands of women in developing  countries.  May we be generous.

I’ll be on vacation next week, and Rev. Deb Shipp, from the Eliot UMC, will be covering for me once again.  If you need a pastor in my absence, you can be connected with Deb through our Lay Leaders, Todd and Gail, or through our Church Council Chairperson, Bill. 

The statements for the 1st quarter of 2012, that were out last Sunday, had an error.  The contributions that were deposit on January 29th were accidentally posted to April 29th.  The error has been corrected and there will be new statements to pick up this Sunday.  Sorry for any inconvenience.  Sandy

In an effort to keep you all up to date about what is happening with our program to End the 68 Hours of Hunger experienced by some of our local children I have three important pieces of news below!
1st:  We received $110 from our fund raiser with Five Below!  You spent $1100 there this week with our coupons, and we really appreciate it!  That is 11 backpacks of food for our youngsters!  Thank you!
2nd:  We have been offered an anonymous matching donation in honor of Mother’s Day!  Any donation dated or received on May 13th will be matched, up to a total of $1000!  I have prepared an electronic certificate that will be emailed to anyone providing their email address which you can give to the person you are honoring with your donation!
3rd:  There was a great article about our Kittery Program in the Portsmouth Herald this Sunday!  Here is the link:  http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20120429-NEWS-204290341
Enjoy!  And THANK YOU!!!  Claire Bloom

While taking a routine vandalism report at an elementary school, I was interrupted by a little girl about 6 years old. Looking up and down at my uniform, she asked, ‘Are you a cop?  ‘Yes,’ I answered and continued writing the report.
‘My mother said if I ever needed help I should ask the police. Is that right?’
‘Yes, that’s right,’ I told her.   ‘Well, then’ she said as she extended  her foot toward me, ‘would you please tie my shoe?’

That seems to be all that I have for today!  See you in church.  Peace, Mark