Dear Centenary Church Family:

With the Gathering Songs “Amen, Amen” and “God Is Good, All the Time,” we will continue our Eastertide celebrations this Sunday, April 13, 2008, at our 10:15 AM Worship service. I will bring a word to the children, after which Pre-K children through 12th grade youth will be invited to participate in Sunday School classes. We will joyfully share in the Sacrament of Christian Baptism for Marco Alfredo Blas and Ohanna Pauline Delos Santos. My morning Message, The Gated Community, will be drawn from Christ’s words about the Good Shepherd in the Gospel reading from John 10:1-10. We will also receive a reading from Acts 2:42-47. Our Chancel Choir will sing a special choral arrangement of the beloved Gospel hymn Precious Lord, Take My Hand by Thomas A. Dorsey. Our Celebration of Found Coins is designated for the Red Bird Mission in Southeastern Kentucky.

TGIF (ToGether for Intergenerational Fun) A gathering for dinner, conversations, storytelling and fun. All ages are welcome to attend. Fridays, April 11, and May 2 & 9, from 6:30-8:30 PM. Dinner is provided by The Barge in Perth Amboy. A barrel offering is taken to defray the costs for the meal and materials.

Centenary Book Club will meet at 7:30 PM on Friday, April 11, in the Sunshine Room (following the TGIF Meal). We will discuss Black, White, and Jewish: Autobiography of a Shifting Self by Rebecca Walker. The Club will continue to meet while Rev. Bauknight recuperates from her surgery. In her absence, Mrs. Nancy Rapp will be responsible for leading the Book Club. The Centenary Book Club remains open to men and women, ages 18 years of age and older. See you there for some great discussion and reviews.

The Centenary Board of Trustees are planning a Clean-Up Work Day at Centenary on Saturday, April 12, beginning at 9:00 AM. There are many areas around the church exterior (and in parts of the interior, as well) where some attention is needed to remove the remains of winter and spruce up our facilities for spring. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Wear work clothes and bring gloves, and whatever implements (rakes, shovels, trimmers/clippers, wheel barrows, etc.) you can to help spruce up the church property. Contact persons: Trustees Scott Woodfield or Bruce Clarke would be pleased to know you are planning to be there or can provide further information. Thanks so much for helping out with this project.

Sunday Morning Adult Class—Serious Answers to Hard Questions: The Adult Class is engaged in a study called Serious Answers to Hard Questions. In this video study, hosted by Methodist Bishop Kenneth Carder, well-known theologians discuss important issues that sometimes prove to be obstacles to faith. The remaining issues we will be focusing on are: The God of the Old Testament, The Sins of the Church, and The Gnostic Gospels. Join us in the Sunshine Room on Sunday mornings from 9:00 to 10:00 AM for this provocative series.

Centenary United Methodist Women Communion Breakfast–Saturday, April 19 at 9:30 AM. Special Guest Speaker: The Rev. Linda Ross of St. Mark’s UM Church in Trenton. Come enjoy a morning of good food, reflection and fellowship to enrich your faith. If you’d like, bring a quiche, muffins or fresh fruit to share. Child Care will be available. Questions? Sylvia Woodfield (732-549-9042); Giselle Esquivel Cordero (732-549-6525); Centenary Church Office (732-548-7622)

Children’s Ministry Talent Show—Saturday, April 19 at 6:00 PM. Dinner will be served. Dust off your voices, instruments, and jokes for a family fun night. Sign up on the sheets on the Narthex bulletin board or on the Children’s Ministries bulletin board. A barrel offering will be received.

COME JOIN THE FUN
WITH THE
CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST YOUTH FELLOWSHIP
AS THEY BREAK THEIR FAST WITH
DINNER AND A MOVIE — Night at the Museum
SATURDAY, 26 APRIL 2008
5:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Donation: Adults $10/Children 10 and Under $4
Evening includes: Dinner, Dessert, and Snacks for the Movie
Monies raised for Fast benefit World Vision
Monies raised from Dinner and a Movie benefit CUMYF’s
Special Fund for Summer and other Mission Projects
Sign up on dinner roster in Narthex or call 732-548-7622 and leave number of persons for dinner

SEE YOU THERE!

Music Ministry Date to Remember: Saturday, May 3rd at 7:30 PMBrahms Recital featuring piano, English horn, clarinet and voice.

Red Bird Mission
April 2008 Celebration of Found Coins
Red Bird Mission is a non-profit agency affiliated with The United Methodist Church located in the Appalachian mountains of Southeastern Kentucky. Guided by Jesus Christ, the Red Bird Mission empowers individuals and advocates for justice by providing educational, health, and community outreach ministries to area low-income residents.
Areas of Ministry:
Education
K-12 Christian School, Residential Dormitories, Early Childhood Development
Health & Wellness
Medical Clinic, Dental Clinic, Pharmacy, Lab, X-Ray, Public Health
Community Outreach
Community Aid Ministries, Elderly Ministries, Family Ministries
Economic Opportunities
Community Store, Craft Marketing
Community Housing Improvement
Work Camp, Home Repair, Mission Facilities
You may learn more about Red Bird Mission at http://www.rbmission.org/index.htm

United Methodists Make MidwestFlood Response
Many residents are experiencing a “nightmare” as they deal with a series of weather-related systems affecting parts of the U.S. Midwest, according to Maxine Allen, the disaster response and missions coordinator for the United Methodist Arkansas Annual Conference.
Allen is working with partners and the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) to assess the needs created by all these events and to organize response and recovery. According to The Associated Press, at least 17 deaths have been linked to the flooding and other weather effects in parts of Arkansas, Ohio, southern Illinois and Missouri.
“We are in touch with the annual conferences affected by the flooding to provide support as events unfold,” said the Rev. Tom Hazelwood, who leads UMCOR’s domestic disaster response.
United Methodists can support UMCOR’s flood relief efforts with donations to Advance #901670. Write “Midwestern Floods” on the memo line of the check (payable to “Centenary UM Church”), and drop it in an offering plate at a Sunday morning Worship service, or mail it to our Church Office (200 Hillside Avenue, Metuchen, NJ 08840-1900). You may also mail a check (payable to “UMCOR”) directly to UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087. Online giving is available at www.givetomission.org

You are invited to sponsor the time of coffee and refreshments following our Sunday Worship service. Please consider sponsoring a refreshment time and signing up for one of the many available weeks on the 2008 Refreshment Chart in the Narthex. Information on what you need to provide is available on the information sheet attached to the Refreshment Chart. Thank you for providing hospitality on a Sunday morning.

You are invited to sponsor flower arrangements for our Worship services. The 2008 Flower Chart is posted in the Narthex. Floral arrangements cost $25.00 each week to sponsor. (Please make your check payable to Centenary UM Church and write “Altar Flowers” in the Memo line.) Information is available from our Flower Chairperson, Linda Serentino (732-940-2135) or by calling the Church Office. Thank you for providing these beautiful tributes for our Sunday services.

2008 Summer Camp Programs at Aldersgate Center and Pinelands Retreat Center: Information about the 2008 Summer camping programs for children and youth (and some specialized adult and family programs) are posted on the Children’s Ministry bulletin board in the hallway alongside the Sanctuary, near the Narthex. Please check out the dates and programs to see if your elementary-age child or Junior/Senior high youth may want to participate in a summer camp experience at Aldersgate Center (Swartswood, NJ) or Pinelands Retreat Center at Mt. Misery (Browns Mills, NJ). You may also check out the offerings and register online at either www.aldersgatenj.com or www.mtmisery.com. Scholarship assistance is available through the Church. Please speak with Children’s Ministries Director Cathy Jean Savoia or Pastor John Painter to get additional information about these programs and appropriate registration forms.

Some Thoughts for This Week:

Service is the rent you pay for room on this planet. – Shirley Chisholm

A “No” uttered from deepest conviction is better and greater than a “Yes” merely uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble. – Mahatma Gandhi

Imagination is the highest kite one can fly. – Lauren Bacall

I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love. – Mother Teresa, “The Simple Path”

We are old only when we shut our minds and stop learning and growing.

Heaven is full of answers to prayer for which no one bothered to ask. – Billy Graham

When we trust in God, the future always holds hope.

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. – Albert Schweitzer

A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing. – Laura Ingalls Wilder

Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man. – Mahatma Gandhi

The tragedy of our day is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer.

Cherishing children is the mark of a civilized society. – Joan Ganz Cooney

Before Jesus died, He willed us His Peace… He wants us to have peace in the midst of our current circumstances—peace in the morning, at night and all times in between. Peace is our inheritance! And it is a wonderful possession. – Joyce Meyer

Why not go out on a limb? Isn’t that where the fruit is? – Will Rogers

Next Sunday, April 20, 2008:
9:00 AM– Adult Study—Serious Answers to Hard Questions (Sunshine Room)
10:15 AM – Worship & Sunday School (PreK Children through 12th Grade Youth)
The Fifth Sunday of Easter / Women’s Sunday
Preachers: Women of Centenary Theme: Voices
Lectionary Readings: Acts 7:55-60 1 Peter 2:2-10
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16 John 14:1-14
11:30 AM– Fellowship Time (Room 20)
5:45 PM– Junior Choir Rehearsal (Music Room)
6:30 PM– Centenary UM Youth Fellowship (Youth Room/Room 20)

Food Collection—Next Sunday, April 20: Please bring cereals, staple food items in plastic jars or cans, and paper products to share with persons in need in our area. We are deeply grateful for your generous sharing. Special Appeal for Diapers and Infant/Toddler Food for Amandla Crossing: Your assistance is needed to provide diapers (sizes #4, #5 & #6…not pull-ups) and infant & toddler food for children at Amandla Crossing. Please bring the items to Centenary and leave them in the boxes provided in the Narthex. Thank you. —Your Mission Committee

Prayer for the Week of April 13: God of abundant life, we praise you today for the wonderful gift of the resurrection and the promise that death is not your last word. You are a life-giving God, and your followers throughout the years have exemplified great courage by giving their all. Many have suffered for your sake and have been persecuted for their faith. Many have sold their possessions and goods in order to give the proceeds away to those in need, and they have done so in order to bear witness to your redeeming love. We thank you for their boldness. Like them we have known the healing you provide through the wounds of Jesus. We praise you for his amazing love that has changed peoples’ lives. Thank you for the beauties of spring and the stirrings of new life in nature. And we give you thanks that we can live in the power of the good news of abundant life in Christ. In his name we pray. Amen.

I look forward to sharing with many of you in study, Worship and Christian fellowship on this Fourth Sunday of Easter at Centenary.

Shalom, John