Thursday, August 26, 2010

August 29, 2010 - FUMCOB Weekly News

First United Methodist Church will host the congregation of First Baptist Church and invite all to join them for worship at 10:00 am in the sanctuary this week. Pastor Cheryl Meachen’s sermon,
entitled "God’s First Class" draws from the story of who to invite to the banquet and where to sit found in Luke 14. The message will focus on God’s love for the least, last and lost with encouragement for those of us with means to serve others. Pastor Suzanne Andrews will assist with liturgy and give the Children’s Message. Margaret Fogg, flutist and Timothy Fogg, guitarist will provide inspiring special music throughout the service and be joined by the two pastors in a contemporary praise set of songs at the beginning of the service. The liturgical billowers will do a form of sacred dance with long bands of colorful cloth to “Amazing Grace.” Tithes and pledges placed in the offering plate in one or the other of the churches’ envelopes will be allocated to that church and all loose offerings will be donated to the Brattleboro Area Drop-In Center, a ministry in which we share as faith communities.

Week of August 29th – September 4th
SUN 10:00a Worship with First Baptist Church
MON 9:30a Exercise / Strength Training
4:30p Stewardship Meeting
5:30p Blueberry Debriefing
WED 9:30a Exercise / Strength Training
6:00p Family Game Night and Pizza
THU 10:30a Prayer Circle
5:30p SPRC (tentative)

A donation to “Nothing But Nets” is given by Grace Gunnip this week in memory of her brother Herb’s birthday, as evidenced by the wheat placed at the altar.

Kids of all ages are welcome to Family Game Night on Wednesday, September 1st from 6-8pm for board games, cribbage, Wii bowling and pizza, as well as some great conversation and fellowship.

Our United Methodist Membership vows demonstrate our covenant to share our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness in this church. What gifts do you have to share in service? Those that you have gained over years of experience as well as those lying dusty on the shelf of your imagination are welcome here! Please pray about what our church is and should be doing and how you are equipped to lead and participate in that endeavor, whether it is a named committee or a new ministry, we want you! Even if it appears to be running fine, your presence and ideas can infuse new life. The Lay Leadership Committee is accepting self-nominations to any committee, mission or ministry, existing or new. Please use one of the welcome cards in the pew to identify your gifts, ideas and willingness to serve!

The members of the Lay Visitation Ministry and Prayer Chain invite you to join us for a weekly prayer circle in the Pastor’s study on Thursday mornings at 10:30 am.

There will be a potluck picnic and meeting of UMW at Leslie Kramsky’s home on Tuesday, September 7th at 6:00 pm.

Join us here at the church on September 10th at 7pm for our monthly Sabbath Space, a wonderful opportunity to step out of the rigors and rituals of daily life and work and into a period of spirituality and Sabbath renewal. There are opportunities for prayer, candlelighting, reflective paint chip poetry, contemplative coloring of mandalas and a labyrinth walk.

Rev. Carrol Newquist and JoAnn Newquist are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary with their children in Hawaii. Carrol was the pastor of First United Methodist Church here in Brattleboro from 1965-73. Their daughter Liz invites us to send cards for them to open in Hawaii at their celebration. You may send your card to: Liz Newquist, 3583 W. Greentree Circle Unit D, Anaheim CA 92804 and write "surprise" in lower left corner of envelope for delivery by 9/25/10.

An SPRC meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, September 2nd at 5:30pm. A regularly scheduled church council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 15th at 6:00 pm and our District Superintendent has scheduled our annual Charge Conference for Wednesday, September 29th at 7:00 pm. Please plan to attend these open church meetings.

Acts of Hate and Bigotry in Windham County are Unacceptable! Let us be a community free of prejudice and unlawful discrimination. Everyone regardless of age, race, gender, religion, ethnicity, skin tone, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, economic standing marital status, physical or mental abilities deserves to live or visit here without the fear of bullying, harassment, bigotry or violence.

Let’s give Jenny a hand for harvesting 358 pounds of produce from the Helping Hands Garden so far this season. Or better yet, let’s give Jenny a hand by picking a few items to help. You’ll be amazed at how many beans or tomatoes you can pick in just 20 minutes after church or on your way through town on a weekday and you won’t even get that dirty. Please do your part in this church-wide ministry to feed those in need.
Please touch base with Lucie Fortier or sign up in the fellowship hall if you are interested in volunteering in local schools as a "foster grandparent." You are heartily encouraged to connect with our community in this way to provide a strong Christian witness to our youth and so that their joyous spirit may warm your heart.

Betty Stacy's children invite us to celebrate her 80th birthday with an Open House celebration here at the church on Saturday, September 25 from 1-4pm. Refreshments will be provided. All are welcome.

Don’t miss the PEP. Get the bounce back in your step: Monday and Wednesday mornings at 9:30 am here at the church. Exercise and Strength Training, previously known as Strong Living by Tufts University. Call Phyllis Emery at 802-254-2543 for more information. Donation $2.00.

Please join us to debrief this year’s Blueberry Festival on Monday, August 30th at 5:30pm. Together we can celebrate our successes, discern ways to tweak things that could have gone better and vision new ways to invite the community to share in the blueberry harvest with us.

All are welcome to bring items from home to sell to the public at our Church Family Tag Sale to be held on Saturday, September 11th here at the church beginning at 8am. We welcome your tithe to the church from your sale proceeds in lieu of a table fee. For example, if you sell $100 worth of items, you would give $10 to the church for the general fund. A great opportunity for some fall cleaning!

The Men’s Group is planning a dinner and silent auction for Friday, September 17th as a fundraiser giving 75% to the church and 25% for the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund. The dinner will be with one seating, with auction items to be bid upon prior to, and during the meal. Your contribution of auction items is invited on the signup sheets on the table in the fellowship hall.

Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors. All are welcome.

Check out our Facebook page at facebook.com/First United Methodist
Church, Brattleboro VT and our blog at http://fumcobvt.blogspot.com/
If you use Twitter, you are heartily encouraged to tweet during
worship or anytime using our hashmark: #fumcob.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

August 15, 2010 - FUMCOB Weekly News

I hope you plan to join us for one or more of the fellowship events
scheduled over the next few days!

Tonight, we are meeting at 6:00 pm at the church for Family Game
Night. We will enjoy worship videos as we share a meal of pizza
together, followed by everything from good old-fashioned cards and
cribbage to Wii bowling and golf! Everyone can play!

Friday night, we will meet at 7:00 pm for Sabbath Space, a monthly
opportunity to find a quiet center through acts of contemplation and
meditation. This month we will offer mandalas, prayer wall,
labyrinth, Sign Chi Do, paint chip poetry and creative collages. The
labyrinth is especially beautiful to walk quietly as the sun sets at
this evening hour.

And Saturday, August 14th from 8-3pm we will host our community for
the Annual Blueberry Festival! Come early to enjoy Marlene Rose’s
famous blueberry breakfast and the church ladies’ delectable blueberry
jam and baked offerings. There are crafters with items such as ethnic
jewelry, painted silk, woodcraft and homemade goats’ milk beauty
products for sale. Music is being performed by House of Purpose on
tour, a coffee house venue from Hillsboro NH specializing in gospel,
Christian and sacred music. A variety of musical artists, including
Purpose and Timothy and Margaret Fogg will play beginning at 10am.

Please touch base with Lucie Fortier or sign up in the fellowship hall
if you are interested in volunteering in local schools a
"grandparent." You are heartily encouraged to connect with our
community in this way to provide a strong Christian witness to our
youth and so that your heart may be warmed by their joyous spirit.

Pastor Cheryl will be attending a Suicide Prevention Seminar in
Strafford VT on Monday, but Priscilla Barnard has graciously offered
to lead our Monday morning Quarterback session here at the church at
10:30 am. Join her to discuss the week's scripture and sermon.

The Finance Committee will hold its regularly monthly meeting next
Monday, August 16th at 5:00 pm. All members of the Lay Visitation
committee and others interested in starting a weekly prayer meeting
are invited to gather at the church at 10:30 am on Wednesday, August
18th.

Worship will be held on Sunday at 10:00 am in the sanctuary. Pastor
Cheryl Meachen’s sermon, entitled "Faith: Lodgepole Pine Style” will
focus on faith in times of success and times of trial and will be
based on scripture from Hebrews 11:29 - 12:2. Margaret Fogg, flutist
and Timothy Fogg, guitarist will accompany the hymns including "Faith
is Patience in the Night." Lillian Hellinger and Betty Stacy will sing
"When We All Get To Heaven" as a duet for special music.

Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors. All are welcome.

Check out our Facebook page at facebook.com/First United Methodist
Church, Brattleboro VT and our blog at http://fumcobvt.blogspot.com/
If you use Twitter, you are heartily encouraged to tweet during
worship or anytime using our hashmark: #fumcob.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

August 8, 2010 - FUMCOB Weekly News

Greetings friends!

Pastor Cheryl apologizes for not blogging about the conference as hoped, but upon learning that Internet would cost $14 a day, I chose to save the $70 and wait until I returned to digest the material and share it with you. I hope some of you were able to view the webcast at the General Board of Discipleship site. There was truly amazing preaching and inspired teaching shared by leaders from across the country.

WORSHIP: This week you are invited to worship at 10:00 am in the sanctuary. Pastor Cheryl Meachen’s sermon, entitled "Hate Has No Home Here" will focus on the Christian value of truly loving one's neighbor while breaking down barriers of prejudice and thereby transforming a culture of intolerance into a culture of justice. Specifically, we will focus on the painting of swastikas in Dummerston and our response. You are encouraged to contribute generously through the offering to the ad we will place with other faith communities uplifting our shared message that we are Standing on the Side of Love. Margaret Fogg, flutist and Timothy Fogg, guitarist will accompany the hymns including "Seek Ye First" and provide inspiring special music throughout the service.

BLUEBERRIES: Plans for the church’s Annual Blueberry Festival on Saturday, August 14th from 8-3pm are rolling into high gear with Marlene Rose’s famous blueberry breakfast and the church ladies’ delectable blueberry jam and baked offerings. There will also be crafters with items such as ethnic jewelry, painted silk, woodcraft and homemade goats’ milk beauty products for sale. Music will be provided by House of Purpose on tour, a coffee house venue from Hillsboro NH specializing in gospel, Christian and sacred music. A variety of musical artists, including Purpose and Timothy and Margaret Fogg will play.

ACTS OF HATE AND BIGOTRY IN WINDHAM COUNTY ARE UNACCEPTABLE! Let us be a community free of prejudice and unlawful discrimination. Everyone regardless of age, race, gender, religion, ethnicity, skin tone, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, economic standing marital status, physical or mental abilities deserves to live or visit here without the fear of bullying, harassment, bigotry or violence. Vermont Partnership is looking for sponsors from the faith community for a half page, color advertisement in The Brattleboro Reformer, The Observer, and The Commons newspapers to run once a week for two weeks with each sponsoring faith community contributing $250 or any other amount. Earmark your contribution in today’s offering by writing “Hate has no home here” on the memo line of your check.

HELPING HANDS GARDEN: The harvest is in full gear! 199.5 pounds have been harvested from the garden so far this season including 33 lbs of mostly mostly cabbages and rutabagas Tuesday Night that Jenny delivered to the AIDS Project. She has also begun to harvest potatoes, delivering those to the Drop-In-Center. The glorious spread she left on the table for the AA meeting here on Saturday night were gratefully "gobbled up." Take a moment to offer to help Jenny pick and deliver God's bounty to our neighbors in need. If you physically cannot help, your thanks to her and prayers would go a long way towards watering our harvest with your expression of God's grace.

SABBATH SPACE: Please join us on August 13th and monthly on each second Friday at 7pm for Sabbath Space, a new opportunity to step out of the rigors and rituals of daily life and work and into a period of spirituality and Sabbath renewal. There will be opportunities for prayer, candlelighting, contemplative coloring of mandalas, and a labyrinth walk. Please also consider donating old magazines for pictures to be cut and used in prayerful collages to the mail pocket beside Pastor Cheryl’s office door.

AN AFTERNOON OF RETREAT AND RENEWAL ON THE MANITOU LAND on Sunday, August 8th from 1-4pm (Sunset Lake Rd, 1.4 miles up from Williamsville, or approximately 5 miles from the Rt. 9 intersection at the Chelsea Royal Diner.) Co-sponsored by The Manitou Project and the Brattleboro Area Interfaith Initiative: Facilitators: Fred Taylor and Rupa Cousins. A time of visioning for anyone who wants to deepen their spiritual connection with nature. Contact r_taylor@antiochne.edu or 387-5276 for directions and information.

HELPING HANDS GARDEN: The harvest is in full gear! 199.5 pounds have been harvested from the garden so far this season including 33 lbs of mostly cabbages and rutabagas Tuesday Night that Jenny delivered to the AIDS Project. She has also begun to harvest potatoes, delivering those to the Drop-In-Center. The glorious spread she left on the table for the AA meeting here on Saturday night were gratefully "gobbled up." Take a moment to offer to help Jenny pick and deliver God's bounty to our neighbors in need. If you physically cannot help, your thanks to her and prayers would go a long way towards watering our harvest with your expression of God's grace.

GAME NIGHT: Join Pastor Cheryl and others for a night of games, pizza and fun at 6pm on August 11th. We’ll play board games, video games and have some great conversation and fellowship. Kids of any age are welcome!

MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK: The prophet Isaiah tells us in 55:11 that God has affirmed, “my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Do you want to explore the scripture shared on Sunday and take the next step putting what you heard and felt on Sunday morning into action with others who feel the same way? Join Pastor Cheryl and others for an hour beginning at 10:30am on Monday mornings for discussions seeded by Sunday sermons and proceeding as the Spirit leads.

SUMMER FELLOWSHIP FUN: Please join us on Friday, August 27th at 7pm for miniature golfing at Hidden Acres Campground at a cost of $3.00 a game. Please sign up on the table in the fellowship hall or see Bunny Fogg of WOW for details. If the cost is prohibitive for you but you wish to participate, please see Pastor Cheryl or leave a message at 254-4218, ext. 2 for financial assistance.

YES WE CAN: Please consider picking up extra food for the food pantry as part of your regular shopping routine. There has been a decline in giving and an increase in need due to the economy. Thirty cans of vegetables and twenty cans of soup are needed each month to feed the Brattleboro area families we serve in Christian love. The UMW encourage us to contribute full meals like tuna and noodles, stews, spaghetti and sauce and breakfast items to meet our neighbors’ needs. Cat food for pets also welcome. Together we CAN!

UNION SERVICES WITH FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH: We will invite our ecumenical neighbors at the First Baptist Church to join us on Sunday, August 29th sharing songs of praise, heartfelt prayer, inspired scripture and preaching. To help welcome our guests, please sign up to bring special fellowship snacks, set up, clean up and break down tables.

MEN’S GROUP: The Men’s Group is planning a dinner/silent auction for Friday, Sept. 17 as a fundraiser, a portion of which will be for the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund. The dinner will be with one seating, with auction items to be bid upon prior to, and during the meal. Your contribution of auction items is invited on the signup sheets.