the messenger8.pdf · the messenger first & wesley united methodist church 89 center street...
TRANSCRIPT
The Messenger
First & Wesley
United Methodist Church
89 Center Street
West Haven, Connecticut 06516
203-933-8795
July - August 2019
We lost a best friend this spring, and our church had lost one of our most dedicated
members. After the funeral of Linda Memmott, a member of our church asked me,
“How can we manage without her?” I answered her by taking an example of the
basketball game played about 6 years ago.
The New York Knicks trailed by more than 20 points a few minutes before the first
half ended. What was worse, the star player Carmelo Anthony had to leave the court
as he was injured. It seemed that the game was over. However, the Knicks overcame
the loss of their leading scorer as well as a more than 20-point deficit and finally, won
the game. How was it possible? When the Knicks lost their star player, everyone else
stepped up and dedicated themselves to the game.
Not long ago, our church used to have plenty of star players who dedicated themselves to our church with
strong leadership. At that time, Christianity was part of American life, and many Protestant churches in North
America thrived. Our church sanctuary was filled with worshippers at two Sunday services, and a number of
Sunday school teachers greeted their students at the door with great joy. Our church did not have to worry as
much about financial resources or volunteers.
Yet, our church has lost Carmelo Anthonys one by one. Modern Christians are too busy working during the
week to volunteer at the church, and we are too tired to go to church on Sunday. Individualism has affected our
Christian lives, and economy has been slow. I feel like we are trailing by more than 20 points, and it seems like
the game is over. We desperately need Carmelo Anthony, but he left the court.
What can we do? Now is the time when all of us step up and dedicate ourselves to the game named God’s
ministry. “I am busy!” This cannot be a good excuse, in that every modern person is busy. It is a matter of
priority.
We have already had a good sign at our church as Linda Memmott’s spirit of service is still alive. As we had an
organizational meeting for Harvest Fair last month, we had nine volunteers willing to step up. It is true that we
have lost a lot of Carmelo Anthonys, but the game is not over yet.
Cheer up, First & Wesley! We are the Easter people. We have great hope: As long as each of us steps up, we
still have a chance to win the game of God’s ministry together. May the Lord, who has kept our church,
continue to guide us and give us strength for the spiritual journey! Friends, take a good rest during the summer
and be ready to come back to do more active ministry in September, fully recharged. Amen.
Sungmu Lee
Prayer Group
The Prayer Group will meet for the summer on July2nd and August 6th from 10:00am to 12:00 noon in Richard and
Thelma Reid’s home, 101 Bellevue Avenue. Come and spend some time in fellowship, time of study of scriptures and
time of prayer for each other, our families and friends and for our church family.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I want to share with you a blessing written by Helen Steiner Rice in booklet “A collection of Blessings”
A Pattern for Living
“Love one another as I have loved you.” May seem impossible to do But if you will try to trust and believe,
Great are the joys that you would receive.
For love makes us patient, understanding and kind And we judge with our hearts and not with our minds.
For as soon as love enters the heart’s open door, The faults we once saw are not there anymore – And the things that seem
wrong begin to look right When viewed in the softness of love’s gentle way.
For love works in ways that are wondrous and strange, And there is nothing in life that love cannot change, And all God
promised will someday come true, When you love one another the way He loved you.
First & Wesley United Methodist Church July 2019
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1
2 10-12p Prayer Group (101 Bellevue Ave. West Haven)
3
4 Independence Day
5
6
7 Independence Day Service 9:30 Worship & Communion 10:30 Celebration Coffee Hour
8
9 7:30p Finance Meeting
10
11 10 Koinonia Café
12
13 8-2p Community Tag & Book Sale
14 9:30 Worship 10:30 Anointing for Healing and wholeness 10:30 Coffee Hour
15
16 17
18 10 Koinonia Café
19
20 9:30 Setting up decorations for VBS
21 9:30 Worship & Communion 10:30 Coffee Hour ⟵ Vacation
22 Bible School
23 (5:30p Free Dinner;
24 6-8:30p Program)
25 10 Koinonia Café ⟶
26
27 9-1p Downstairs Painting Project
28 9:30 Worship 10:30 Coffee Hour
29
30
31
*Backpack Drive runs July 1st through August 4th.
* For further updates, visit www.firstwesleyumc.org/calendar.
First & Wesley United Methodist Church August 2019
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
*Backpack Drive runs July 1st through August 4th.
1 10 Koinonia Café
2
3
4 9:30 Worship, Communion & UMARMY Consecration 10:30 Celebration Coffee Hour ⟵
5
6 10-12p Prayer Group (101 Bellevue Ave. West Haven) U.M. ARMY
7 Mission
8 10 Koinonia Café Week
9
10 9-10:30 Men’s Breakfast ⟶
11 9:30 Worship 10:30 Anointing for Healing and wholeness 10:30 Coffee Hour
12
13 7:30p Finance Meeting
14
15 10 Koinonia Café
16
17 10 Harvest Fair Meeting
18 9:30 Worship & Communion 10:30 Coffee Hour
19 20 6p Missions & Outreach Meeting *Messenger Articles Due
21 22 10 Koinonia Café
23
24
25 9:30 Worship & Blessing of the Backpacks 10:30 Coffee Hour
26
27 7p Trustees Meeting
28
29 10 Koinonia Café
30
31
* For further updates, visit www.firstwesleyumc.org/calendar.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
2019
TO MARS AND BEYOND!
Our VBS is literally “Out of this world” this year. Come
and join us!
JULY 21st -25th
5:30 PM Free dinner - 6:00 - 8:30 PM - program
If you would like to help out with this mission program, please
contact Helen Smith either by phone at 203-444-2362 or by e-
mail at [email protected].
Donations needed for VSB as follows.
Food:
2 lb. of butter 2 gal. of whole milk 4 doz. hot dog rolls
6 lbs. Hot dogs (about 50 hot dogs) 10 pkgs. Oreos Lemonade – 3 5 lb. cans powder
Box of sterno Elbow macaroni – 4 1-lb. boxes Shredded cheese – 5 lbs
2 watermelons 5 packages seedless grapes 1 large Italian dressing
5 pineapples Chips/100 individual prepackaged 1 large Thousand Island dressing
Other:
Binder clips (8) 35mm film canisters with lids (12) Stopwatch (1) Clay Glitter
Acrylic or quartz rod (1) 3/4” styrofoam balls (36) 12” X 24” polycarbonate sheet (1)
wood blocks (4) Kaleidoscope (1) Microscope (1)
Telescope – small (1) 1-pint ball canning jars (6)
The gift card fund raiser has been on-going at our Church since 1993. Our
Church receives 5% of the value of the cards sold as a donation from Stop & Shop. Over the years, through
those who have participated in it, we have raised $2000-$3000 per year. It has raised $500 as of April 21 this
year. If you shop at Stop & Shop, please consider getting gift cards from our coordinator, Dave Smith. This is a
painless way to support our Church's finances based on your normal purchases at no additional cost to you.
The cards are available each week after the Church service.
Pennies from Heaven
The Native American Penny Collection for Conam is ongoing to provide very much needed food and fuel.
Please help the Sunday school students by giving them your loose change each week to support those in need.
The pennies keep on coming – getting rolled and deposited. We are in constant contact with other units of our
group as well as the rest of our other members.
UMARMY We have 3 youth and 2 adults going to UMARMY
(United Methodist Action Reach-out Mission by Youth)
from August 4-10. This is an opportunity for our youth
to help other people, gain leadership skills and grow in
their relationship to God.
If you would like to include someone for birthdays or
anniversaries, please see below. Example- name change,
address change, marriage, birth, death, etc.
Email: [email protected] or send to church office.
July Birthdays
1 – Sam Werle
4 - Leah Burbridge
Melissa Simone
7 - Elaine Schwag
9 - Art Yost
Laura Skipper
10 - Verna Marshall
Dominic Moscato
12 - Jim Ammon
Joe DelFranco
14 - Richard Pyrdol
15 - Kim (Lentini) Moscato
Jacki McKim
Marge Ambrose
16 - Edith Warner
17 - Vicki Soule
18 - Peggy Spagone
20 - Demari Foster
27 – Josephine Dondorful-Amos
29 - Cynthia Dodd
30 - Richard Wetmore
August Birthdays
2 - Lisa Kiesinger
Evan Corbin
3 - Joan Sablone
8 - Kimberly Geiger
11 - Geoffrey Danz
13 - Derek Baker
Michele Gertsch
14 - Tricia Spagone
Ryan Abekah
15 - Tara Rapuano (Lentini)
Laura Marshall
Richard Memmott
16 - Marcelyn Danz
22 - Jim Stuhlman
24 - Gail Bartozzi
25 - Michele Caron
26 - Edith Mulligan
28 - Helen Smith
31 - Robert Skipper
Brooke Moscato
July Anniversaries
7 - Edith and David Warner
15 - Gail and Al Bartozzi
20 - Raymond and Jodi Memmott
24 - Bill and Phyllis Hunt
26 - Chris and Jian Chan
August Anniversaries
There are no anniversaries in August.
If you would like to include someone for birthdays or
anniversaries please see below. Example- name
change, address change, marriage, birth, death, etc.
Email: [email protected] or send to church
office.
Have you visited our Church Website lately?
It is truly beautiful and informative.
The Church calendar is updated as needed
and you can check on dates and times of
meetings and events.
Website is firstwesleyumc.org
Check it out!
Pastors
Discretionary
Fund:
Please consider giving a “Love Offering” to Pastor’s
discretionary fund. You may place your gift in the
container on the back table of the sanctuary. If you wish
to write check to the church, please write “Pastor’s
Discretionary Fund” in the memo section.
Tell us if you have a member information change: example- name
change, address change, marriage, birth, death, etc.
Email: [email protected] or send to the Church
Church Painting Projects
July 27th 9 AM - 1 PM - The trustees will be painting
the dining room and the hallways on July 27th. We are
looking for anyone who would like to help us do this. If
you can help, please contact Helen Smith. If anyone
would like to help on Friday, the 26th to do prep work for
this, please talk to Helen.
A/V WORSHIP SUPPORT TEAM
If you are interested in helping out during our morning
worship by running the PPT for the service or monitoring
the sound, please see Helen Smith or call/text her at 203-
444-2362.
Also, if you are interested in programming the PPT for
Sunday morning worship, we really need one or two more
people who would be able to do this. Again, talk to Helen
Smith if you would be willing to use your computer skills
to aid in our worship!
Thank You
Adult Sunday School
Class will resume in September.
Wednesday Bible Study Class will resume in September. Please let the
Pastor know if you would consider attending on a
different day and time.
Prayer Shawl Ministry First and Wesley
United Methodist
No Prayer Shawl Meeting in July and August. We
will resume in September at the home of Linda
Kopec. Prayer shawls are available in the church
office.
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Children with backpacks (and adults with
briefcases, backpacks, or bags) are invited to
bring their bags to the service to be blessed.
Each person will receive a special tag.
Coffee Hour
Please help us keep the Coffee Hour going.
Coffee hour is needed. We all need the chance to
meet after church and chat with our friends. We
need kind-hearted souls to take a turn at serving
coffee after church services. Coffee, punch, milk
and sugar are set up for you ahead of time, all you
need do is put it all out just before the service is
over. Please see Christine Chan or call our church
secretary at 203-933-8795.
Sunday School and the Craft Corner
Sunday school will resume in September.
Please join us for Vacation Bible School
from Sunday, July 21 – Thursday, July 25.
For more information, contact Gail Bartozzi
with questions .
Craft Corner will not meet over the
summer. We will start again in
September.
Contact Gail if you would like a card sent to someone
or have questions about the group you can call the
church office or e-mail Gail at
Missions & Outreach
FIRST ANNUAL LIVING NATIVITY: After attending the NEW YORK ANNUAL CONFERENCE
(NYAC) with Helen Smith and Pastor Lee, Peggy Jerrell updated the committee on various resources and
grants available from the Conference to assist congregations in their community outreach. Capitalizing on this
opportunity, M&O will organize its first living “Nativity” in December. Event details are forthcoming, but we
hope to offer hot chocolate, a small petting zoo and create a new church tradition celebrating the birth of Jesus
Christ! Anyone interested in helping out should let us know as soon as possible.
MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING (Facilitated by BRIDGES) will take place on Friday,
September 13, 2019 at Parsons Complex (old Milford High School) located across from City Hall. This is an
all-day (8 hr.) interactive training course. The price is $50 (church will subsidize so final cost is $25) to attend
and includes lunch. Anyone interested in taking part in this training should let Peggy know ASAP as we have
limited spots available.
BRIDGES has a grant for a van to treat patients with opioid addiction. The van is parked at the West Haven
Green on Tuesday and Wed. from 1 to 5 PM. Patients can obtain a prescription for Narcan and/or Suboxone.
Other than the Tues. and Wed. times, the van is parked at the Bethel Shelter on New Haven Avenue in Milford.
WHEAT: During the summer families can go for food twice a month, instead of the once monthly.
SUMMER LUNCH PROGRAM: First & Wesley will not serve as a Board of Education Feeding site this
summer. We will put First & Wesley on the list again next year for reconsideration. There are opportunities to
assist with the Summer Lunch Program in the Hill Section of New Haven working through the United Way.
We are looking into this option and anyone with interest should let Nana know.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL (VBS) will be held on Sunday, July 21 through Thursday, July 25, 2019.
Donations and volunteers are needed. Please see Helen Smith to donate your time, and/or goods and supplies
for the five day program. We can still use your help in advertising, so please grab a postcard from Helen on
Sunday and share it with your neighbors.
ANNUAL FAIR will be held on Saturday, November 2, 2019: Our first planning meeting was held on June 15
to begin preparations. We are grateful to Mary Rolfe who has agreed to serve as co-chair and we look forward
to supporting her as she takes on this leadership role
Our next Meeting is scheduled for TUESDAY AUGUST 20, 2019 at 6:00 pm. All are invited to attend and
share your time and ideas.
Our Church's Financial Status Income Shortfall for Budgeted Expenses
Budgeted Income / Expenses Week No. 25 Year To Date
(1) Weekly Collections Of Current Expense Income - For Budgeted expenses 6/23/2019
Budgeted Income (2) For Budgeted Expenses - Fair, Pancake Day, Stop & Shop Cards, Envelopes, Room Use, etc. - Weekly Collections(1) $3,046 $59,494
- Fund Raisers(2) $250 $5,287 (3) Investment Income Paid In April And October
- Frontier Foundation Income(3) $0 $5,500 (4) Average Toward The $193,159 Full Year
Budget For 2019 Total Income $3,296 $70,282
Budgeted Expenses(4) $3,715 $92,865 (5) Income Shortfall = Expenses Minus Income
Budgeted Income Shortfall(5) $419 $22,583
The Messenger First & Wesley United Methodist Church
89 Center Street West Haven, CT 06516
Phone (203) 933-8795
www.firstwesleyumc.org
Email: [email protected]
Reverend Sungmu Lee
Sunday Worship Time: 10:30 am
The July ~ August Newsletter