From the Pastor’s Desk

1

Parish Personals 2

Current Happenings & Upcoming Events

2

June Calendar 3

Youth News 4

Summer Service Experience—Learning to Love Like Jesus

5

Thank You to Christian Education Leaders and Teachers

5

Coming Up in Worship

6

Memorial Day in Westfield

6

June Birthdays 6

Inside this issue:

METHODIST MESSENGER Volume 75, No. 6 May 2019

Imagine a world where we see our inherent worth as beloved children of God. Imagine a world where we see value in our neighbors; even our enemies. Imagine a world where we see the absence of walls yet still celebrate our individual uniqueness. This is the type of world in which God imagined for us: a world without walls. A world in which we are not pitted against nor compares to one another. That God does not compare or rank us seems to be a point almost impossible for us to grasp, because we live in a world that ranks and compares people – people are seen as more intelligent or less intelligent, more beautiful or less beautiful, more successful or less successful. When all our lives we grow up in a world filled with grades, scores, and statistics, we learn either consciously or unconsciously that we must measure up. As a result, lines of delineation are drawn; barriers erected; and seen or invisible walls become evidence of our division. At FUMC Westfield, we interpret the love of God through Jesus as love that is more powerful than the intentional or unintentional walls we erect in our familial, community, or religious lives. And more importantly, that powerful love exists within all of us, and moves us to break down walls that prevent us from living into all that God has imagined for us and our world.

This June, FUMC Westfield is launching a new worship series, Anointed to Break Down Walls, and with it a bunch of exciting worship experiences. ● United Evangelical Christian

Fellowship and the Latvian Lutheran School will be taking part in our worship service for Pentecost Sunday on June 9th.

● We’ll be commissioning our Youth Mission Team during worship on June 23rd before they leave to serve for a week with The Philadelphia Project.

● Our children will be leading us in worship and teaching us lessons about love on Sunday, June 30th.

I invite you to worship with us Sundays at 10 AM as we learn about how we can put into practice the lessons that have prepared us to SOW miracles and break down walls.

Rev. William M. Williams, III

Next Messenger Deadline:

June 15, 2019 for the July/August 2019 edition. Please

submit your articles to the church office or email

communications @fumcwestfield.org

New Messenger Format

Beginning in September, Messenger articles will

feature a look back at the happenings at our church from the previous month.

Notices for upcoming events will be posted in

the FUMC Connect. Please submit your items

accordingly.

Altar Flower Chart The 2019 Flower Chart is posted on the wall outside the church office. You are invited to sponsor flower arrangements ($45 per week) for

our worship services each Sunday morning. Please sign up, then take an envelope for your payment and to indicate what reading you’d like to appear in the bul-letin. Thank you for providing these beautiful tributes for our services. You may take the flowers home, or leave them to be delivered to our homebound mem-bers.

FUMC Serves Free Meals June 10 Our next time to host Free Meals at Covenant UMC in Plainfield will be June 10, 2019. Although we have a

faithful crew, we welcome anyone who would like to come and join us! For more information contact Joann or Kirk Huber.

Join us at Prayer Shawl! The Prayer Shawl group needs women who knit or crochet to join us! We meet on Wednes-days from 12:30-2:30 in the Fel-

lowship Room. The group is open to both members and the community. If you know of a neighbor or friend who might be interested they would be most welcomed! Contact Sue Gandy (908-233-2389) or Charlotte Broadwell (908-232-5150).

Men’s Group Our Men's Group now meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every

month from 7:30 pm to 9 pm in the 3rd floor loft. Come ready to share, help each other and make new friends! This group is currently led by Dean Pratt and Brian Mulvey.

NJFO—Music That Makes Hollywood Epic Hollywood soundtracks by Wagner, Brahms and Bernstein are to be performed in their full symphonic glory by New Jersey Festival Orchestra in Westfield. Under the baton of Maestro David Wroe, with special guest virtuoso Stefan Milenkovich, NJFO will present a magnificent season finale celebration of these works on Saturday June 1 at 7pm at FUMC Westfield. Tickets, starting at $30, (students $15) may be pur-chased directly from the NJFO office, by calling the box office at (908) 232-9400, or at njfestivalorchestra.org.

Annual Conference Update Peter Pantalena, our FUMC Lay Representative to An-nual Conference, will give a brief report on Sunday, June 2nd in the choir room after service.

Parish Personals

Convalescing: Marie Walford—at home; Lyn Walford— at home Solange Sandel—at home

Sympathy to: The family and friends of long-time member, Isabelle Myles who passed into eternal rest on Thursday, May 23, 2019. A memorial service will be held at the church in the next few weeks and her ashes will be placed in the Me-morial Garden.

Thank You: Dear Members and Friends,

Thank you so much for the very generous gift check that you sent to me last week. It is so much appre-ciated. I very much enjoyed reading all your notes, cards and words of encouragement! I am settling into my new apartment…still putting some boxes away and I need to hang some pictures, but it is feeling more like home. It’s been so wonderful be-ing close (10 minutes!) to my daughter and son-in-law. We’ve enjoyed meals together and we are setting up the nursery for their son who should arrive in early July! I do miss you all at FUMC…but I must admit it is a priceless experience for me to see my daughter preg-nant, feel the baby move, and help prepare for the new-est family member…I feel that I’m where I’m supposed to be.

Best wishes to you all,

Susan Granski

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Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1

NJFO Concert, 7 PM, Sanctuary

2 Worship, 10 AM;

Women’s Prayer Group, 11:30 AM; Annual Con-ference Report, 11:30 AM; 3rd Floor Open House, 11 AM; UECF, 4:30 PM; Youth Group, 5:30 PM

3

4

5 Prayer Shawl,

12:30 PM; WH Staff Meeting, 6 PM; Men’s Group, 7:30 PM

6

7 UECF Bible Study & Prayer, 7:30 PM

8 Decorate Sanctuary for Pentecost, 10 AM

9 Pentecost; Wor-

ship with Commun-ion, 10 AM; Women’s Prayer Group, 11:30 AM; UECF 4:30 PM; Youth Group, 5:30 PM

10 Free Meals @ Covenant UMC, 2:30 & 5:15 PM

11

12 Prayer Shawl, 12:30 PM

13

14 July/August

Messenger Deadline; UECF Bible Study & Prayer, 7:30 PM

15

16 Father’s Day;

Worship, 10 AM; Women’s Prayer Group, 11:30 AM; UECF 4:30 PM

17

18

19 WH Graduation

Practice, 9 AM; Prayer Shawl, 12:30 PM; WH Graduation, 7 PM; Men’s Group, 7:30 PM

20

21 UECF Bible Study & Prayer, 7:30 PM

22

23 Worship &

Mission Team Com-missioning, 10 AM; UECF 4:30 PM

24

25

26 Prayer Shawl, 12:30 PM

27

28 UECF Bible Study & Prayer, 7:30 PM

29 Lina Silvester Graduation, 3 PM

30 Youth-Led Wor-ship, 10 AM; UECF, 4:30 PM

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Sunday Worship Schedule

9 AM Education Hour 9:15 AM Fellowship Choir (4th Sunday) 10 AM Morning Worship 11 AM Fellowship Time in the Fellowship

Room

KEY WH—Wesley Hall School for Early Childhood; United Evan-gelical Christian Fellowship (UECF) Rooms: Fri: FR and Room 218. Sun: Sanctuary, SH, FR; Latvian Lutheran School: Room 215 (permanent)

Staff Contact Information

Rev. William Williams, III, Senior Pastor—pastorwilliamwilliams@gmail.com

Marcee Rogers, Children’s Program Coordinator—mmrogers93@gmail.com

Jonathan Evers, Music Director— music@fumcwestfield.org Kylie Haskins, Youth & Communications Coordinator—

kyliewhaskins@gmail.com Melissa Romelli, Director of Wesley Hall—

director@wesleyhall.org

Church Office Hours: 12-4 PM, Monday-Thursday

Lectionary Readings for June

June 2 Acts 1-11; Psalm 47; Ephesians 1:15-23; Luke 24:44-53

June 9 Acts 2:1-12; Psalm 104:24-34; Romans 8:14-17; John 14:8-17

June 16 Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Psalm 8; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15

June 23 1 Kings 19:1-15a; Psalm 42; Galatians 3:23-29; Luke 8:26-39

June 30 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14; Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20; Galatians 5:1, 13-25; Luke 9:51-62

JUNE

Family Promise

Youth Mission Trip

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Hello friends! Here's what we have coming up for the Youth Group: 6/2 - Sloppy Sunday! 5:30-7:30 PM. Join us from 5:30-7:30 PM to play lots of messy, sloppy games! Please wear clothes you don't mind getting messy and bring a towel. 6/9 - Surprise Night! 5:30-7:30 PM. Our last Youth Group of the year is a SURPRISE! Meet us at the church at 5:30, please bring $3 for dinner.

6/23-6/29—The Philadelphia Project! Please be praying for Hope Basaman, Jonathan Culhane, Vinny Culhane, Julia Flowers, Kylie Haskins, Ethan Heifetz, Sean Merkle, McKenzie Meyers, Riley Pantalena, Dahlia Pantalena, and Suzanna Rogers as we prepare to serve in Philly! And be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see up-dates from the team throughout the week! Much love, Kylie

FUMC Youth News

Kylie Haskins, Youth Coordinator • kyliewhaskins@gmail.com Facebook: FUMC Westfield Youth • Instagram: fumcwestfieldyouth

Congratulations to the newest members of the Youth Leadership

Team, Fiona North and Lucy Burke! From Left: Rev. Williams, Fiona North,

Hope Basaman, Kylie Haskins, Lucy Burke.

Playing Life Size Hungry Hungry Hippos at our Youth Group Life Size Game

Night!

Congratulations to our Scholarship recipients: Lina Silvester, Luke Spellman, Matthew Auda, and

Kaitlyn Wilson! From Left: Lina Silvester, Rev.

Williams, Luke Spellman.

PAGE 5 VO LU M E 7 5 , N O . 6 ME T H OD I S T ME S S E N G E R

Summer Service Experience—Learning to Love Like Jesus

Christian Education Teachers and Leaders

Grateful thanks and warm appreciation to the following members and friends for their committed and competent caring in leadership to our many educational groups and

activities during 2018-2019. Sunday School Superintendent: Nancy Anderson

Education Secretary: Linda Newingham

Nursery Room Staff: Amy Brodersen, Patricia Guglielmi Growing in Faith Together: Sarah Ashworth, Janice

Guglielmi, Joyce Williams Elementary Faith Explorers: Summer Burke, Lauren

Genato, Solange Sandal Middle & High School Bible Study: Peter Pantalena, Greg

Wilson, Bonny Chopey, Mark Froehlich

Special Program Teachers: Alison Power (songs/guitar), Mae Merkle (pageant choreography), Patti Merkle (chancel drama director), Sarah Ashworth & Kirsten Pantalena (music/bells)

Adult Faith Development: Dean Pratt, Traci Basaman, Bob Anderson, Lynn Petrino

Director of Wesley Hall: Melissa Romelli Childrens Programming Coordinator: Marcee Rogers Youth Coordinator: Kylie Haskins

An Intergenerational Mission Education Program July 15 & 22, August 19 & 26, 5:30-7:30 PM

Cost: $5 per person, per night

The mission statement of FUMC Westfield draws from Micah 6:8 - What does the Lord require of us? To do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God. In response to that call, we invite you to Learning to Love Like Jesus, an exploration of service and mission activities of our church and in our local community. Each session will include dinner, time for fellowship and study on our call to mission and service. This program is designed to be intergenerational - involving children, youth, and adults of all ages, in assorted hands on activities and learning experiences. Regis-ter as an individual, a couple, or a family for one or more of the program days – find what works in your summer schedule!

● July 15 – Loving Families & Friends. When we take care of each other, we are responding to Jesus’ command to love one another. We will discover the importance of nurturing ministries and how we can show love by building connec-tions with others. Hands on activities to include creating care packages for those in need of comfort.

● July 22 – Loving Neighbors & Community. Feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, welcoming the stranger – dis-cover ways that FUMC Westfield is already responding to this call found in Matthew 25:35-36 and find your personal or family path into one of these areas of mission. Hands on activities to include making sandwiches to be taken to the St. Joseph’s Service Center in Elizabeth and the Plainfield Salvation Army.

● August 19 – Loving Neighbors & Community. Caring for the sick, clothing the naked, visiting the imprisoned – learn how community partners are working in these areas and discover additional ways to answer this call to ministry found in Matthew 25:35-36. Hands on activities to include making hygiene and school support packages to be dis-tributed by UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief).

● August 26 – Loving Friends & Family. In Matthew 18:20, we read ‘Whenever two or three of you come together in my name, I am there with you.’ Whether gathering for worship, fellowship or a mission project, when we gather as a church family, we represent the body of Christ. Hands on activities to include assembling welcome kits for visitors and worship support bags for use by families with young children.

You can pick up a paper registration form from the church office, or download one from the Children’s page at fumcwestfield.org! Please return completed registration forms to the church office. Contact Marcee Rogers at mmrogers93@gmail.com with any questions.

Special notes: ● Transportation assistance is available ● Children in 3rd grade or younger do need an adult to attend with them (come as a family ☺ ) ● No one will be turned away due to an inability to pay the registration fee (which helps defray dinner costs)

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The Methodist Messenger is published by

First United Methodist Church Westfield 1 East Broad Street Westfield, NJ 07090

(908) 233-4211

If you would like to receive the email version of the Messenger (via a PDF

file), please contact Communications

@fumcwestfield.org

1st Aidan Heiftetz Stephen Merrill

2nd Evan Fernandez Robert Soong

4th Nathan Fallin Benjamin Pulliam Elizabeth Kwok Erick Vitale Jeffrey Warmke

6th Kylie Haskins Wesley Baldwin

7th Lillian Jones Caitlin Worthey Mark Sutton Peter Pantalena Robert Uzzolino

8th Jackson Tennant Patricia Relton

10th Scott Painter

11th Wyatt Sigler Katherine

Newingham

13th Christopher Cox Brenda Failla

16th Sebastian Wiegand Margaux Babalian

17th Katherine Morash Sonja Gibson

18th Autumn Gewirtz Tucker Rose Joseph DeAngelis

19th Timothy Dougherty

21st Audrey Sewald Finn North

22nd Savannah Makely Patrick Rogers

23rd David Baird John Wiley, Jr.

24th Mila Guliano Karen Taylor

25th Anna Cerone

27th Andrew Wilson

28th James Williams William Williams,

IV

29th Jillian Chong Carolyn Mulvey

We apologize if you were not included on our list. If we have not listed your birthday, please contact the church office so we can

include you in future editions.

Coming Up in Worship: ● June 9th: Pentecost Sunday. We’ll be joined in worship by

United Evangelical Christian Fellowship and the Latvian Lu-theran School. We’ll also be celebrating Holy Communion.

● June 16th: Father’s Day. Worship with us and celebrate all of the fathers in our lives.

● June 23rd: Mission Team Commissioning. Please join us in blessing our Youth Mission Team as they prepare to serve for a week with The Philadelphia Project!

● June 30th: Youth Led Worship. Our children and youth will be leading us in worship and teaching us lessons about love.

FUMC Westfield members Charlotte Broadwell and Gus Jakubowski laying a wreath in obser-vance of Memorial Day during the Westfield, NJ Memorial Day Parade.

JUNE BIRTHDAYS