Archive for May, 2006

Greetings from King of Prussia, PA, and Valley Forge Conference Center. I arrived last evening to prepare for the opening of the 7th session of our Greater NJ Annual Conference this morning. The registration tables are set up to receive the more than 1,200 clergy and lay members of Conference who will shortly descend upon the Conference Center from all over the state of NJ and parts of NY and PA. We will convene at 10:00 AM as Bishop Devadhar and others lead us in a Service of Tribute and Holy Communion, remembering those of our UM clergy and laity who have joined the Church Triumphant since last we met. After considering plenary business matters later this morning, Dean Bender, our Lay Member to Conference, and I, will be attending our respective Laity and Clergy sessions before a late afternoon service at which Bishop Minerva Carcano of the Phoenix Area will speak. Like our own Bishop Suda, Bishop Carcano was elected as a Bishop of the Church in 2004, and is the first Latina woman to be elected bishop in The United Methodist Church. Her presentation today and tomorrow will be among several special events emphasizing and celebrating this 50th anniversary year of the granting of full clergy rights to women in our church. Dean and I look forward to sharing with you the events of Conference in the days ahead.
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Dear Centenary Church Family:

On this Memorial Day weekend, we will gather for Worship at 10:15 AM in our Sanctuary to offer our praise and thanks to God on this seventh Sunday in the Easter season: Ascension Sunday (Ascension Day was observed officially on Thursday, May 24th–forty days after Easter). We will begin our service with a time of special Memorial Day prayer in remembrance of those who have given their lives in service to our nation in many ways, and the singing of America the Beautiful. I will offer a message for the children. My morning Message, FANFI, will be based on the readings for Ascension Sunday: Luke 24:44-53 and Acts 1:1-11. Our Chancel Choir will sing Come, Christians, Join to Sing, the “Spanish Hymn” arranged by Dave & Jean Perry and by our own Shirley Mosteller, accompanied by several of our Harris Handbell Ringers. Our Celebration of Found Coins for the month of May is designated for the continuing appeal from United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) for assistance to the victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the Gulf Coast region. You can learn more about this ministry of UMCOR and other work around the nation and world at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/. (more…)