john wesley united methodist...
TRANSCRIPT
John Wesley United Methodist Church 270 Gifford St., Falmouth, MA 02540
Telephone: 508-548-3050 Fax: 508-540-7273 Email: [email protected] www.johnwesleyumc.org
“The Wesleyan”
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
“You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity.” 2 Corinthians 9:11
Throughout the Bible there are many verses in which we find comfort, strength, peace and hope. Verses like Jesus saying, “Come to me you who are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest,” or “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Or Paul: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Or the prophet Isaiah, “Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength, they will mount up with wings like eagles.” We cling to these verses and believe them, and they help guide our lives.
The above verse from Corinthians, however, I suspect is harder for us to really believe and guide our lives. We don’t really trust that generously giving away our money will enrich our lives. It's so counter cultural! And yet, when we think this way, we lessen God. Because listen to what God says through the prophet Malachi, “Bring all the tithes to the Temple so there will be ample provisions in my Temple. If you do, I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will
pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!” Imagine God saying, "Put me to the test!" And Jesus told us, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” You see, our God gives generously, extravagantly to us – his unconditional love, his absolute forgiveness, this beautiful creation – just think about all your blessings. And, as humans made in his image, God wants to see us give generously, extravagantly, as well.
However, when it comes to our money, we often (wrongly, I might add) believe that what we give is a personal matter, rather than a spiritual matter. And yet, our giving, and how we spend our money, is really a statement of what matters most to us. Our checkbook clearly shows where our priorities lie – is God peripheral in our lives or at the center? So many people give God what’s “leftover” after they’ve spent the rest of their money on what they think they want or need. Consequently, many churches struggle financially. That’s why, in his book, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, Bishop Robert Schnase writes that “extravagant generosity” is a hallmark of churches that are vibrant, growing and fruitful. He writes, “People who give generously to the church do so because they genuinely desire to make a positive difference for the purpose of Christ and because they want to align their lives with higher purposes.” And “extravagant” generosity describes the practice of giving that exceeds expectations, that goes beyond, that is sacrificial.
All this being said, I have to point out how very grateful I am for the many “extravagant givers” here at John Wesley. A couple of Sundays ago, when I blessed the pledges that you have committed to for the year 2017 at the altar, it was a profound joy to share with you that right now we stand at pledges of just over $302,000, or $26,000 more than last year at this time! Because of your generosity we will have the ability to add more meaningful and creative ministries, make much needed improvements to our building and grounds, better compensate our wonderful staff, and get our name, and more importantly the name of Jesus Christ, into the community. As Schnase writes, “Churches that practice "extravagant generosity" accomplish great things for Christ, offer robust and confident ministry, and have the resources to carry out ever new and helpful missions. They prosper for the purposes of Christ and make a difference in the lives of people.” And I believe that describes what we are doing at John Wesley.
So I want to thank you for your generosity, and your willingness to give to cause of Jesus Christ. And I pray that you will always be enriched in every way by generously giving back to our most generous God.
~ Pastor Rebecca
February, 2017
This is a half-hour service in the chapel with hymn singing, followed by a message from a local pastor or JWUMC member. Lunch is served in the Fellowship Hall after the service. All are welcome. There is no cost, but donations are always gratefully accepted.
Food for the Soul Wednesday, February 1st at 12noon
Lent Study Beginning in March: We need volunteers to lead the weekly church-wide Lent study! Lent starts on Ash Wednesday (March 1) and runs through April 15. You get to choose a day, time, and location that work for you, and we provide the curriculum. If you haven't led a study before, this would be a great opportunity to co-lead or serve as an apprentice leader. Contact Jenn Linton ([email protected]) if you're interested.
Thank you from the Staff!
Thank you to everyone who gave to the Staff Appreciation Fund
for our Christmas gifts. We really appreciate your support
and generosity. It is a blessing to work at
John Wesley UMC.
We are grateful for the way our music ministry has grown over the past few months at John Wesley. With the addition of the Bell Choir and Children’s Choir and the continued beautiful music of our Adult Choir, we have been blessed. Unfortunately, however, we must say good-by to Joe Dudzinski as our Music Director. Due to some personal changes in his life, and additional responsibility at the Conservatory, he decided to accept a job at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church closer to his home. We have wonderful people stepping in while we begin the search for a new Music Director. Ted Burt will lead our adults, Mike Bonnett the bells, and Tom Hoke the children. We thank these gentlemen for their time and talent. And please put new Music Director on your prayer list!
Homecoming Retreat 2017!
February, 2017
Why the different colors? Have you ever wondered why we have banners of different colors hanging in the sanctuary? And why Pastor Rebecca wears different colored stoles with her robe? It has to do with the various seasons of Christianity, known as the “Liturgical calendar.” The liturgical calendar actually starts with the first Sunday of Advent, in preparation for Christ’s birth – thus the “beginning” of the Christian year. The color is purple, or it can be dark blue, to symbolize the colors of both royalty (Christ the King), and penitence (realizing our need for a Savior). Christmas through Baptism of the Lord Sunday, (usually the second Sunday of January), the color is white or gold – joyous, festive colors. Between Baptism of the Lord, and Lent, the season is Ordinary Time. This season, the scriptures often go through the life and ministry of Jesus. The color is green to signify a time of growth, and renewal of our faith. Lent begins 40 days prior to Easter, and the color again is purple, for the same reasons as Advent. Easter through Pentecost is white, with Pentecost being the color red, to signify the flames of the Holy Spirit coming upon the disciples. Between Pentecost and the end of the liturgical calendar, the color is again green, to signify growth in our faith. The final Sunday of the liturgical year is the Sunday before Advent which is Christ the King Sunday, and the color is white. So there is a reason for each season, which has to do with symbolism, beauty and significance.
Celebration of Marriage On Sunday, February 12th, in honor of Valentine’s Day, those who would like will have the opportunity to renew your marriage vows. After both the 8:30 service – plan to meet at 9:50, and the 10:30 service – plan to meet at 11:50, couples are invited to the chapel where Pastor Rebecca will lead a short celebration with words of encouragement, renewal of vows, and a prayer for God’s continued blessing upon your marriage. This is open to any and all couples who wish to reaffirm their love and commitment to one another. This is not meant to exclude anyone who is not or has not been married, nor is it a judgment on singleness or divorce. It is simply a time to recognize that marriage is a fragile institution, and is an opportunity to support one another in honoring the values of commitment, fidelity and marital love. Any questions- see Pastor Rebecca.
Sermons on the Go! If you are traveling during the winter months, remember you can read or
hear Pastor Rebecca’s sermons on the website at www.johnwesleyumc.org. Just go to the “Worship” tab, and click on Sermons and Music.
CHURCH MOUSE
Well, we have a new president who apparently loves to use Twitter. So I have some advice for him. "Tweet others as you would like to be tweeted." Ha! That's a good one even if I say so myself. And here's another thing. What's all the flap about fake news? I don't know if you've noticed, but I've been doing it in my column for some time now. Anyway, now that President Obama is no longer in office, we don't have to worry about his birth certificate. We can concentrate on the fake moon landing back in 1969. Uh oh, I had better be careful about my political jokes from now on, otherwise a wall might be built around John Wesley! So changing the subject to church matters. Did you know I was nominated to be a member of the new Leadership Team, but I was turned down. They asked me what my leadership style was, and I told them I was led by prayer. That's what Pastor Rebecca is always telling us to do. But I guess they didn't like my prayer... "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I cannot accept, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of those who get on my nerves." How about a choir joke? At her last church, Pastor Rebecca was giving a sermon on the evils of drinking. With great emphasis she said, “If I had all the beer in the world, I’d take it and pour it into the river.” Then with even greater emphasis she said, “And if I had all the wine in the world, I’d take it and pour it into the river.” And then finally, shaking her fist in the air, she shouted, “And if I had all the whiskey in the world, I’d take it and pour it into the river.” When the sermon was over she sat down. And then the choir director stood up and announced, “For our closing song, let us sing the hymn, “Shall We Gather at the River.” He was let go. Getting back to tweeting, I thought it would be fun to make believe that "tweeting" was invented back in Biblical times. So I've made up some "make-believe tweets". See if you can guess who sent them. (The answers are at the bottom of this page. Don’t cheat!) 1. Had a very good work week, but looking forward to my day off. 2. Feeling really bad. Must have been something we ate. 3. The cruise my husband promised me, turned out to be a real zoo. 4. We'll be moving, but have no forwarding address at this time. 5. Sleepless night. Wild dreams and my hip is killing me. 6. Frog legs for dinner again? 7. What part of, "thou shall not", don't you understand? 8. Nothing exciting happens around here. I think I'll just relax in the tub. 9. She said I'd look better if I shaved my head. 10. You're not going to believe my fish story. 11. My life is so boring in this town. Wait... I totally take that back. 12. I told Joseph to make the reservations!!! 13. Some not very wise men came by my palace today asking, "Where is the King?" 14. Amber alert! Amber alert! 12 year old male! 15. Herod's wife wants my head? I'm sure it's just a figure of speech. 16. Follow me! And not just on Twitter. 17. Wow! That was some mountaintop experience! 18. We finally got rid of that troublemaker. 19. Oops! 20. I'll be back!
February, 2017
ANSWERS to the Church Mouse's Tweeting Quiz
1. God 2. Adam & Eve 3. Noah's wife 4. Abraham 5. Jacob 6. Pharaoh 7. God 8. Bathsheba 9. Samson
10. Jonah 11. Mary 12. Mary 13. Herod 14. Joseph & Mary 15. John the Baptist 16.Jesus
17. Peter, James & John 18. Caiaphas 19. Caiaphas 20. Jesus
February, 2017
UPCOMING EVENTS
There will be NO Sunday School or Youth Group on Sunday, February 19th,
enjoy your Winter School Break!
Nursery Assistant:
We are looking for a volunteer nursery assistant in the rare event that Debbie is unable
to be in the nursery on a Sunday. You will only need to volunteer during one service.
Please speak to Allison if you are interested in serving in this capacity.
Youth Group Sub Fundraiser (Super Bowl Sunday, February 5, 2017) The Youth Group (grades 5 and up) is going on their annual Winter Ski Retreat to New Hampshire to grow closer to God and their peers. In order to minimize the costs for our families, the Youth Group puts on a fundraiser where they make sub sandwiches on Super Bowl Sunday for you to order. The Youth will create your sub(s) and have them available for pickup on the 5th. This fundraiser is the sole contributor towards minimizing the costs and making it affordable for kids to go on the trip. We hope you will support this yummy fundraiser to help send our Youth on this amazing weekend retreat!
Please fill out an order form in the narthex or fellowship hall by Thursday, February 2nd. Thank you!
Youth Group Winter Retreat (Friday, February 10 - Sunday, February 12, Ossipee, NH) IT’S FINALLY HERE!!! The Youth Group’s Annual Winter Ski Retreat is just a few days away and they can hardly contain their excitement! The weekend will include many spiritual opportunities, such as morning/evening devotionals, activities and helping lead Sunday’s worship Service. There will also be a ton of recreational activities such as skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, ice skating, camp fires, games, ice cream and more! (This year, we’ll be with another United Methodist Church, Northside UMC from Brewster (Pastor Rebecca’s previous congregation). We hope the congregation will keep the Youth and their leaders in your prayers; for their safety traveling/skiing, camaraderie between students, passion for God to be ignited and for a fun time!
If your student wants to go but you haven’t spoken to Allison, please do so IMMEDIATELY as we need to get our
final numbers into Camp Calumet.
Important Details:
• $60 is due for the weekend (plus rental/lesson fees if applicable) • $25 extra if youth didn’t participate in the Sub Sandwich Fundraiser • Friday, February 10th: Drop off at the church at 1:00 pm • Sunday, February 12th: Pick up at the church at 4:30 pm • Follow the packing list (bring warm clothes and extra shoes/socks)
PAST EVENTS:
Indoor Rock Climbing Outing 13 of our Youth had an awesome time on Friday, January 6th as they ventured up to Carabiner’s in New Bedford to spend the evening indoor rock climbing! It was amazing to see the courage and strength our students possessed while climbing the 3 story high rock walls! Even Timmy and Josh Leonard belayed some of the Youth!
Make sure you go to our blog to read all about the details of the evening and see all the pictures on our Facebook page! A big special thank you to Russ, Jacob and Lucas Brown for coming with us and hoisting the kids up while you belayed! Also to Tim Leonard for chaperoning the whole trip! MLK Day of Service
13 of our Youth used their DAY OFF from school as a DAY ON for service on MLK Day, Monday, January 16th! Our group drove to the Dennis-Yarmouth High School to partner with AmeriCorps Cape Cod to help create hygiene packages for the homeless in Hyannis. We also heard from many speakers about homelessness on Cape Cod; it’s hard not to be affected or feel burdened by the reality of it. We are so blessed that many of us don’t have to face that reality. Then afterwards, we made our way to Hyannis where we collected trash on the side of the road near the Airport rotary. It was so cool getting honks, waves and encouraging words by people driving by. We hope it’ll start a butterfly effect with others! Then we received a private tour of the Hyannis Airport’s control tower and Rectrix Hangar by church member, Mike Lowry. It was awesome! Thank you Mike, for giving us this really neat experience and showing so much hospitality! Thank you also to Carrie Leonard and Jack Gardner for serving with the Youth all day!
February, 2017
February, 2017
February, 2017
Michelle Espinoza Our February, 2017 Children & Youth Honoree is 5th grader, Michelle Espinoza! Michelle and her mom, Carmen, have been coming to John Wesley for a while…but you might have noticed that Michelle is more visible now, more than ever. Since the creation of the Children’s Choir, Michelle has played a big part as a singer and bell-ringer. But Michelle also plays the violin! We have so thoroughly enjoyed seeing and hearing her play in the 10:30 am service on Kids Sunday. Michelle has also enjoyed participating in WoW and has more recently been starting to get involved with the Youth Group. Michelle recently participated in the MLK Day of Service and plans on going on the Winter Retreat in February! During the Day of Service, Michelle, Morgan and Moriah had a great time together! The laughter of girls might have even drowned out all the boys!
We’re so glad to see Michelle blooming into a lovely young lady here at John Wesley!
February, 2017
Christmas Fair Financial Update:
I am so excited and proud to report that our 2016 Christmas Fair took in a gross amount of $18,720, resulting in a net of $17,775! WOW! A record accomplishment!
I cannot thank everyone enough for the role you played. It was certainly a lot of work—many of us work on it year round, and when we see results
like this, it's so rewarding! Let's keep the momentum going and do it again in 2017!
As always, I'm looking for ways to improve, so if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear from you.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!! Aline Ward - [email protected] or
508-444-6038.
Announcements
In the event of a major snowstorm and we have to cancel our worship services, we will post the cancellation on our website, www.johnwesleyumc.org, as well as on the local radio stations WQRC – 99.9, Ocean 104.7, Classical 107.5, WCOD – 106.7, Cape Country 104. Our primary concern is safety for our church family, so please use prudence and common sense in deciding whether to attend.
Don’t forget—our next Falmouth Eats Together is Thursday, February 2nd at 4pm. You are welcome to come and eat. And if you would like to help, please contact Bonnie or Tim Valade at (508) 563-9578.
The Men's Breakfast and Discussion Group will be on Tuesday, February 21st at 7:30am here at the church. All men are invited to share in breakfast and informal discussion of one of Pastor Rebecca's sermons. There is no cost for the breakfast but donations are gratefully accepted. A sign-up sheet will be in the Narthex. Any questions, contact John Mincieli at 508-776-8653. Pastor Rebecca will be out of the office from Wednesday, February 1st – Friday, February 3rd working at a Board of Ordained Ministry meeting.
February, 2017
FYI: DID YOU KNOW . . .
Card Ministry There is a mail box for the Card Ministry in the
lower right hand corner of the mail boxes for
church business.
Did you know we can always use new greeting
cards for all occasions? Just label them for Card
Ministry and put them in our mail box. You can
also put names and addresses of people not
currently in our church directory that could use
a card from their JWUMC family. Any
assistance from you to support and contribute to
this ministry would be greatly appreciated. It is
another way to communicate and care for each
other. Thank you.
SAVE THE DATES! The 2017 Annual Christmas Fair has been set. Mark your calendars for November 17-18th. Any questions or comments, contact Aline Ward—[email protected] or 508-444-6038.
Check your Sunday Bulletins and our website for additions and changes to the monthly calendar -
www.johnwesleyumc.org.
John Wesley UMC's February, 2017 Calendar of Events SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
1 2 Groundhog Day 3 4
7am AA 12 Noon Food for the
Soul 4:30pm Children's
Choir 5:45pm Hand Bell
Choir 7pm Brazilian Bible
Class 7pm Yoga with Grace
7pm AA
7am AA 1pm Sewing 101 4pm Falmouth Eats
Together 5pm Coalition for
Children 7pm Brazilian Church 7pm Fal. Orchestra
7am AA 2pm AA Women 5pm Girl Scouts 5:30pm AA Study
Group
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
8:30am Communion 9:30am Sunday School 9:30am Bell Choir
10:30am Worship/WoW 1pm Fal. Chorale 4pm Youth Group
6pm Brazilian Church 6pm Narcotics Anon.
7am AA 7pm Leadership Team
7am AA 10:30am Bible Study 6:30pm Mothers
Recovery 7pm Fal. Chorale 7pm Peace Study
7am AA 12Noon Prayer
Meeting 4:30pm Children's
Choir 5:45pm Hand Bell
Choir 7pm Adult Choir
7pm Brazilian Bible Class
7pm Yoga with Grace 7pm AA
7am AA 5pm SPR Ministry
Team 5pm Coalition for
Children 7pm Brazilian Church 7pm Fal. Orchestra
7am AA 2pm AA Women 3pm JML Nursing 5:30pm AA Study
Group
12 13 14 Valentine's Day 15 16 17 18
8:30am Communion
Service 9:30am Sunday School 9:45am Adult Choir
10:30am Worship/WoW 6pm Brazilian Church 6pm Narcotics Anon.
7am AA
7am AA 10:30am Bible Study 6:30pm Mothers
Recovery 7pm Fal. Chorale 7pm Peace
7am AA 12Noon Prayer
Meeting 4:30pm Children's
Choir 5:45 Hand Bell Choir 7pm Adult Choir
7pm Brazilian Bible Class
7pm Yoga with Grace 7pm AA
7am AA 5pm Coalition for
Children 7pm Brazilian Church 7pm Fal. Orchestra
7am AA 1:30pm Atria Nursing 2pm AA Women 3pm Royal on the
Main 5pm Girl Scouts 5:30pm AA Study
Group
19 20 President's Day 21 22 23 24 25
8:30am Communion Service
9:45am Adult Choir 10:30am Worship/WoW 6pm Brazilian Church 6pm Narcotics Anon.
7am AA
Office is Closed
7am AA
7:30am Men's Breakfast
10am Bible Study 3pm Finance
6:30pm Mothers Recovery
7pm Fal. Chorale 7pm Peace Study
7am AA
12Noon Prayer Meeting
4:30pm Children's Choir
5:45pm Hand Bell Choir
7pm Brazilian Bible Class
7pm Yoga with Grace 7pm AA
7am AA 7pm Brazilian Church 7pm Fal. Orchestra
7am AA
2pm AA Women 3:15pm Royal Megansett
4pm Dreamtale Puppet Rehearsal 5:30pm AA Study
Group
9am Dreamtale Puppets (show at
2pm)
26 27 28
8:30am Communion Service
9:30am Sunday School 9:45am Adult Choir
10:30am Worship/WoW Noon: Spir. Growth Min.
1pm Fal. Chorale 4pm Youth Group
6pm Brazilian Church 6pm Narcotics Anon.
7am AA 3pm Trustees
7pm Outreach/Missions
7am AA 10:30am Sight Loss
Group 10:30am Bible Study 6:30pm Mothers
Recovery 7pm Fal. Chorale 7pm Peace Study
Dreamtale Puppets February Vacation Puppet Workshop Series 9am - 2pm in the Fellowship Hall.
Youth Winter Retreat
Youth Retreat
John Wesley United Methodist Church
270 Gifford Street
Falmouth, MA 02540 (508)548-3050
Email: [email protected]
www.johnwesleyumc.org
Dated Material
Rev. Rebecca Mincieli, Pastor
Allison Deyo, Dir. Of Children & Youth
Laura Peterson, Office Administrator
Ted Burt, Interim Dir. Of Music Ministries
Roy Campbell, Accompanist
February Events
Will the ground hog see his shadow? Will it be a sunny day?
Or, will winter soon be over? Maybe spring is on its way.
Lincoln’s birthday is on the twelfth, Then Valentine’s Day is here.
A lot of days to celebrate In February this year.
So many people are honored. We give Washington acclaim, And celebrate Presidents’ Day
For all those who earned that fame.
This is the shortest month of all; It’s only twenty-eight days.
Let’s thank God for each one of them As we’re blessed in many ways.
Joy Stosz January 1, 2017