1

The Capsule A Monthly Newsletter for Members and Friends of

Bethel United Methodist Church 141 Greenwood Avenue, Bethel, Connecticut 06801

Office: 203-743-6835 Pastor’s phone: 203-312-6789 Church email – bmethodistchurch@snet.net

Pastor’s email – pastorjohnparille@gmail.com Website – www.bethelmethodist.net

Pastor – The Rev. John Parille Pastor Emeritus – The Rev. Robert T. Johnson

Director of Music – Todd Gorski Administrative Assistant – Cheryl DePoi

October 2016

A Message from our Pastor

One of my pastoral mentors gave me good advice many years ago…never, ever, talk about politics from the pulpit.

It was good advice then and it is really good advice now! Our current political scene with the upcoming

presidential election in November is one like I have never seen before in my life. There is much doubt, confusion

and an overall sense of concern for our nation.

Now staying with the wisdom my mentor provided to me, I will not reveal who I’m supporting or who I’m not. It is

really not important who I’m voting for. But what is important is that we keep our focus on God and not on any

single man or women.

As in most elections, candidates will provide their predictions and promises about the economy, human rights,

taxes, and a host of other topics. They may ask questions like; Will there be war or peace? Poverty or prosperity?

Progress or stagnation? They will then try to promise the world and lead us to believe that by trusting in them, the

next four years will be better than last, but we all know that no one knows what will happen in the future. But

God does!

We all may wonder what the answer is to the question, “Will the world will get better or worse?” I believe the

answer is “Yes, to both!”

The apostle Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:1, 13-14, “In the last day’s perilous times will come; . . . evil men and

impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which

you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them.”

I share this scripture with you today as a reminder that the inspired Word of God instructs us, corrects us, and

most importantly encourages us as we follow God’s path. God has a plan for each of our lives and it has nothing to

do with who lives in the White House! What we should focus on are the promises of God found in the Bible and

then of course apply these promises to our everyday life.

I think we would all agree that the world today just seems to grow darker with each passing year. But as this

spiritual darkness grows deeper, it should encourage us to let the light of Christ shine more brightly through all us

who know and love Him. Jesus is our joy and hope, today, tomorrow, and forever! Our hope will never be found in

the person sitting behind the big desk in the oval office in Washington DC.

I do encourage you to pray and ask God for guidance on who you should vote for in the coming election. I also ask

that you to please go out and vote on Election Day for many have paid a heavy price so we may have this

incredible gift to choose our countries leaders.

Let us also remember that God is in control and thankfully I believe He still has His hand upon our great nation. Be

encouraged and be an encourager to all around you!

May you be blessed as we enter this new season of Autumn here in New England.

New Website We have a new website! Log on at www.bethelmethodist.net and discover our church calendar, download and listen to our weekly sermons, as for prayer requests and so much more!

Facebook If you are on Facebook and have not liked our page, please do so. Here you will find links to our sermons and also get a sneak preview of the upcoming sermon. If you are a member of our Facebook page we would ask that you “share” links with your community of friends. Sunday Morning Ministries for 8:30am & 10:00am October 2nd

2 Readers & Communion Stewards 8:30am: Marty Bishop, Readers & Communion Stewards (set-up and serve): Kyle Johnston, Bill Struth Communion Stewards (serve and clean-up): Tom Wolff, Diane Meldon Counters: Janette Blackstock and Dave Albin Greeters: Linda Bruce and Betty Lepus Ushers: Team B: Alan Brown, Linda Bruce, Tammy Esposito Sunday Morning Ministries for 8:30am & 10:00am October 9th

Readers & Communion Stewards 8:30am: Peter Eckert Readers & Communion Stewards (set-up and serve): Chris Barnabo, Pat Deuschle Communion Stewards (serve and clean-up): James Wolff, Tracy Brown Counters: Craig and Kathy Keith Greeters: Deb and Dave Albin Ushers: Team C: Debbie Albin, Krista Mayer, Frank Tomaino Sunday Morning Ministries for 8:30am & 10:00am October 16th Readers & Communion Stewards 8:30am: Paul Young Readers & Communion Stewards (set-up and serve): Family Worship Communion Stewards (serve and clean-up): Family Worship Counters: Linda Bruce and Betty Lepus Greeters: Family Worship Ushers: Team F: Family Worship plus Alan Brown and Tammy Esposito Sunday Morning Ministries for 8:30am & 10:00am October 23rd Readers & Communion Stewards 8:30am: Dave McClain Readers & Communion Stewards (set-up and serve): Jessica Bardelli, Julien Schaad Communion Stewards (serve and clean-up): Sarah DeShan, Peter Philip Counters: Bill Struth and Claudia Schaefer Greeters: Alan and Debbie Brown Ushers: Team D: Tracy Brown, Fran Bartholomew, Paul McHugh, Lee Griswold Sunday Morning Ministries for 8:30am & 10:00am October 30th Readers & Communion Stewards 8:30am: Marty Bishop

Readers & Communion Stewards (set-up and serve): Diane Meldon, Tom Wolff Communion Stewards (serve and clean-up): Bill Struth, Kyle Johnston Counters: Tracy Brown and Krista Mayer Greeters: Marty Bishop Ushers: Ushers: Team B: Alan Brown, Linda Bruce, Tammy Esposito The People’s Corner Keeping up with the news of our congregation:

New entry on Caring Bridge Journal entry by Betsy Johnson — 9/21/2016 Bob/Poppy came home from Candlewood last week. VNA visits a few times a week and he is still receiving some PT and OT and getting stronger. Visits are welcome and we hope that people will reach out to visit. As we do not want to overwhelm him with too much activity at one time, please email Sandy at rtjohnson01@snet.net to arrange times to visit. -Thank you everyone for all of the love and support.

Please join us for our monthly

Family Pasta Dinners Bethel United Methodist Church

141 Greenwood Avenue, Bethel, CT

October 08, 2016 November 12, 2016

December 10, 2016 January 14, 2017

February 11, 2017 March 11, 2017 April 9, 2015

May 14, 2015 June 11, 2015

Serving 5:30 – 7:30 pm

Adults $10 Seniors & Students with College ID $8 Kids $5 (under 5 eat free)

Family max price $25 (parents & kids)

Dinners also available to go! Call BUMC 203.743.6835 the day of dinner to place your order

Dinner includes:

Salad with homemade dressings

Pasta with marinara or meat sauce

Homemade meatballs .50 ea

Homemade desserts

3 Fundraiser – Bottle/Can Drive Please consider saving your nickel deposit bottles and cans for our bottle/can drive the 2nd Saturday of every month. Our next drive is October 8th. This year the benefits go to Julien Schaad’s ASP tuition. Sunday School Welcome to the 2016-2017 Season. We have a great teaching staff again this year! We have also made some changes to better serve our students. Pat Deuschle is now in charge of our Youth Department program - this year consisting of the Pre-Confirmation Class and Youth Class.

There will be Confirmation for 7th and 8th graders this year. The Pre-Confirmation Class is an important lead-in, and will help 7th-8th graders determine if they want to be confirmed. It is a mandatory class. If kids have conflicts, see Pat.

The PreK-1st grade class meet in the first classroom on the right in the VPS area. The 2nd - 6th grade meet in Room 201 of Randall Wright Hall. Erin Volpintesta will be helping us add music to our program as well.

Bibles will be presented to 3rd graders on October 16th at the 10:00am service News from the United Methodist Women * The Prayer Shawl group continues to meet at 7 pm on the 4th Thursday of the month. All who like or want to learn crochet or knitting are welcome. They meet in the Johnson Building alcove. Contact Linda Bruce for more information. * The next UMW meeting is October 24th at 7:30pm and our topic will be ‘Wicked Women of the Bible' led by Marty Bishop come and learn about the everyday lives of women in Biblical times. Our annual memorial "Service of Light" will be at the November meeting. Please join us. All Saints’ Day to be Observed We will be observing All Saints’ Sunday on October 30th. On that day we will be calling the roll of our saints who have passed away in the past year. Please give Cheryl the names of any of your loved ones who have gone on to glory in the past year if you would like them to be remembered at that service. Contact her at 203-743-6835 or bmethodistchurch@snet.net . There will also be a clipboard in the back of the sanctuary you can add the name to. Off the Streets Off The Streets is all all-volunteer run organization which works to get homeless people into housing. If a homeless person has a source of income, Off The Streets will provide a security deposit and basic furniture and household goods. Off the Streets collects furniture and household goods from 10am to 12noon on the first Saturday of each month behind the Bethel United Methodist Church. Items most in demand are dressers, small kitchen tables with chairs, end tables, nightstands and lamps. The next drop off date is November 5th. For more information, go to www.offthestreetsnow.com or call 203-733-5880.

The 47th Annual Church Bazaar 11/18 & 19

The church bazaar will be here before you know it. This is our biggest single fundraiser of the year and last year we

made

over $10,000. It is a line item in our budget.

Chair: Peter Philip

Here are this year’s booth chairs so far:

Theme baskets: Nancy O’Halloran

These are baskets of items made up with a theme in mind and tickets are sold at $1.00 each to win a basket. A

candy is given with each sale.

Holly Hearth: Jackie Penyak & Tamara Wachnuik

This booth features handmade Christmas items.

Plants And….: Dawn Tamaino

This green thumb booth sells house plants, jewelry and other unique/antique items.

Calico Corner: Alice Mayer

Handmade crafts other than Christmas items are sold at this booth.

Country Store: Sandy & Ken Bardelli

Baked goods, Cookies, Jams, Cheese, candy and anything yummy can be bought here.

The Book Nook: Ann McLellan

Used books, CD’s or video treasures will await you here.

Taste of BUMC: Maureen Raftery

Your favorite recipe is made by you in our certified kitchen, frozen and sold at this booth.

Pictures with Santa: Santa & Mrs. Claus, Pat Deuschle

Even some adults sit on Santa’s knee !!

The Kiss Tree: Maddy Wachnuik & Sandra Bonagura

The Christmas Tree shaped board holds Hersey kisses that have a # of a prize you can win.

Silent Bid: Krista Mayer

Goods and services are available for you to bid on. Of course highest bid wins.

The Lunch Room:

Kitchen: Don Olsen Jr.

4

Dining Room: Judy Serfilippi

A delicious lunch sandwich & soup is served for our guests.

Kids Craft Room: Audrey Stejskal

Kids can make a craft for a nominal fee.

And other chairs:

Publicity: Marty Stejskal & Lori Mott

Makes sure the whole world knows about the bazaar.

Business Solicitation: Carol Morey

Collects items donated for our silent bid/ kiss tree by our local businesses.

Finances: Dave Morey

Manage the money and credit card during the bazaar.

Please see Peter Philip or Alice Mayer if you can help.

Bethel United Methodist Church

47th ANNUAL COUNTRY BAZAAR

Friday, November 18th, 2016, 5pm-8pm Saturday, November 19th, 2016, 9am-3pm

The Bazaar’s success depends on your continued support!

10 Ways That You Can Help!

1. Donate a new/unused item or service for the Silent Auction (do you own a time share or property you could contribute? Do you have a skill, talent/hobby you could share?) 2. Donate handmade/new crafts (pillows, blankets, wood crafts, card making, doll making, knitting, crocheting, and felting) for Calico Corners 3. Donate Christmas crafts, ornaments, wreaths, or candles for Holly Hearth 4. Donate small, new/unused prizes for the Kiss Tree (hit the Christmas Tree Shop and visit those clearance bins when you are out shopping). We need prizes for adults and children 5. Donate plants and pots (or other containers), jewelry or small antiques for the Plants etc Booth 6. Cook a stew, soup, lasagna etc for the Taste of BUMC (cooking nights will be scheduled as these meals need to be prepared in the church kitchen) 7. Bake (cookies, loaves, breads, pies…) or prepare jam, fudge or candy for the Country Store 8. Donate a basket for the Theme Baskets Table (cooking, baking, coffee/tea lovers, pet, fishing, games, teddy bears, candles, movie night, sports….) 9. Donate your time to help at the Bazaar (setup the night before, run a booth, help in the kitchen or serve breakfast/lunch in the BUMC Café) 10. Donate used books, puzzles and games for the Book Sale

Please contribute in whatever way you can! Contact me with any questions, suggestions, offers of donation etc. (petersells@aol.com) Thank you for your support!

Peter Philip, Bazaar Chair

Save the date

Our first church sponsored blood drive will be held on Tuesday November 29. The Red Cross has asked us for this date since there is such a shortage of blood after Holidays. It will run from 1:00-6:00 p.m. We need 2 volunteers (one each for registration and canteen) for the duration of the drive. If you can help with a shift (1-2 hours) please see Alice Mayer.

5 Trustees Update - boy have we been busy!

Paint: In case you haven't noticed there is a huge lift on our front lawn! The lift is being used to repair and paint the church steeple as well as the front of the church. Our front lawn right now is covered with gravel which we had to put down to support the lift. Once the repair work and painting is done we will be landscaping the front to make it very welcoming to our parishioners and those passing by in hopes that they will stop in.

Windows: New windows had to be purchased for Mitchell Hall because of lead that was found in the old

ones. The new ones will be installed within the next couple of weeks and not only will they look good but

they will be a huge help when it comes to our heating bill this winter.

Parsonage: We have been hard at work getting the parsonage ready for renters! Pastor John has his

own home and because of that we have a wonderful opportunity to rent 5 Governors Lane and help our

financial situation. Unfortunately the home has been somewhat neglected over the last 10 years or so

due to us just not having the funds to do regular maintenance. In order to make it a rental property we

had no choice but to get things done which includes all carpets and flooring replaced, entire inside

painted, completely new master bathroom, outside deck reinforced and painted, patio weeded, house

power washed, garage cleaned out, repaired and painted and many other small things that I can't recall.

It looks amazing and we are hoping to have it rented by October 1st. Unfortunately the work on the

parsonage has depleted our cash reserves and we will need some time to recover before another major

project.

Chair lift: We proposed putting a chair lift in the stairwell at the side entranced ,which is serviced by our

new ramp, but we cannot do it without violating state fire codes. It is because of this that the lift will be

installed in the stairwell at the rear of the building. While the above 3 projects have taken much of our

attention due to time constraints, access is not being overlooked and will once again become our priority

in the coming months.

We, the trustees, appreciate your continued support.

Perennials Forms to order perennials are located on the table in the narthex.

Red Bird Mission The UMW collects Campbell’s labels and Boxtops for Education for the Red Bird. Please cut the bar code labels as we only need the bar codes. There is a small basket on the counter in Mitchell Hall for the

Need activity space? Mitchell Hall: $180 for 4 hrs including set up time, (Pledging Members: $51.00 – tax deductible donation). $51.00 for partial Kitchen use (refrigeration and warming of meals), There is also a $75 refundable deposit in case of damage to the room or in case professional cleaners have to be called in. Rm. 201: $15.50 hr

BUMC “Giving Gifts for Christ" List Items Needed The Giving Gifts for Christ program is a program where you can make a donation of an item needed by the church in honor or memory of someone. Below is a sample of some of the items needed at this time: General Needs of Church Pasta Dinner Needs Donations to the painting fund Sponsor a Pasta Dinner - $200.00

New steam mop White Plastic Tablecloths 52” x 108” Water for the cooler Roll of white plastic for tables Replacement chairs for Mitchell hall 1 case of sterno for dinners (Costco) (Costco, # 253029 Samsonite) Bethel Food Market gift cards Costco gift cards Sunday School Needs Sanitizer wipes or hand sanitizer

Music Program 3 first aid kits Donate to a new organ Small item for the Incentive Store (Religious theme

items preferred.)

Posted on the Bethel Community Food Pantry Facebook Page Big News! The Bethel Community Food Pantry is excited to announce we will be making a move to a new location that is going to be great for our clients and volunteers. The new location will be in the lower level of the Bethel United Methodist Church right down the street at 141 Greenwood Avenue. This location will provide much easier access for everyone involved. We cannot express our thanks enough to the good people of St. Thomas Church for all they have done over the years. The Bethel Community Food Pantry was originally founded by people who had strong ties to the community and understood the importance of serving those in need. With this move we plan to honor the

6

hard work of all the people who have supported the pantry in the past, and look forward to continuing these amazing relationships. We have so much to learn from all those who have served. More details to come. Randall Wright Hall 50 year anniversary We are looking for people to join our Randall Wright Hall Anniversary committee. Anyone interested in being part of the committee please contact the church office at bmethodistchurch@snet.net or 203-743-6835. Also anyone having information concerning the construction of this building please leave your name and number so we can get in touch with you. Thank you!

Bethel UMC Outreach Opportunities October will be Undies Sundays and collecting all kinds of under garments November will be collecting hats, gloves, coats, blankets and sheets. Other ways you can serve: Support the Jerry Shike Youth Missions Fund, join a firewood ministry team, think about becoming a Stephen Minister. There will be a basket in Mitchell Hall every Sunday for these items if the Spirit so moves you. The Outreach Committee is also looking for some new members. If you have any questions about the items above or would like more information about joining this committee, please contact Carol Morey or John Esposito...Thanks!!!

Leadership Have you ever thought of being in church leadership? This is a wonderful opportunity for your faith to grow and to serve your local church. In the coming months, the nominating committee will be meeting to fill positions for our church leadership. Will you consider becoming part of the team? See Pastor John for more details.