Sunday, April 2 at 10:15 AM EDST – The Sacrament of Holy Communion
This Sunday, April 2nd, we will gather for Worship at 10:15 AM Eastern Daylight Saving Time (Please remember to turn your time pieces ahead one hour before going to bed Saturday evening) as we celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion together. The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Woodruff Tait will be our Guest Preacher for the morning, and she will share her thoughts with us on the theme This Holy Mystery: On Constant Communion. You are encouraged to read Luke 22:14-23 in preparation for receiving Dr. Woodruff Tait’s Message. A commissioned Probationary Member of the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference seeking ordination as a permanent Deacon, Dr. Woodruff Tait is the Methodist Librarian at Drew University in Madison, NJ. She recently was awarded the Ph.D. degree in Methodist studies at Duke University. A native of Illinois, Jennifer Woodruff Tait and her husband, Dr. Edwin Woodruff Tait, reside in New Providence, NJ, where Jennifer is active in The New Providence United Methodist Church. We look forward to welcoming Jennifer and Edwin Woodruff Tait to Centenary this Sunday for Worship and Fellowship. Jennifer has indicated that she will remain following Worship and our Special Church Conference to share with any who might be interested in a conversation around Communion in general and specifically in the change from the use of wine to grape juice in Methodist Communion practice…the theme of her recent doctoral dissertation. We will gather in the Sunshine Room immediately following the Special Church Conference.
In addition to Dr. Woodruff Tait, our Raritan Valley District Superintendent, the Rev. Veronica P. Palmer, will share with us in Worship and will preside at the consecration of the bread and the cup for our sharing in Holy Communion. Our Junior Choir will sing Lead Me to a Brighter Day by Dave & Jean Perry early in the service, and I will then share a special Message with the children. Our Chancel Choir will also offer Blessed by the Bread, Graced by the Wine by Mary Kay Beall during the time of offering just preceding Communion. Our Celebration of Found Coins for April has been designated by the Church Council for the reduction of Centenary’s current expense budget deficit.
Please note that Sunday School classes for children and youth will be held at 9:00 AM this Sunday. Because of the Special Charge Conference at 9:00 AM, the Adult Class will not meet this week, but will resume its study on Discovering Everyday Spirituality on April 9th.
Kids’ Night Out Game Night is tomorrow evening, Friday, March 31st-6:30-8:30 PM: Bring a game to share with others. Child Care provided. $8.00 per child.
HEALTH KITS NEEDED BY UMCOR
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is the Methodist Church’s agency that responds to all sorts of emergencies such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc. nationally and internationally.
This past year as we all know has been quite a year for that sort of disaster locally and around the world. Their supplies have been depleted and they are in need of health kits to replenish their supplies.
The United Methodist Women in the Raritan District have made the gathering of health kits a project of their group. The health kits will be collected at their meeting on Saturday, April 8th.
Our United Methodist Women, with some help from our friends in the Youth Groups of our church and the congregation, will be collecting the items needed for these health kits during the month of March. We will have a box in the narthex to collect the items needed for the kits.
The Youth Group and United Methodist Women and anyone else who would like to help will be assembling these kits this Sunday evening, April 2, at 6:30 PM.
Items Needed for Health Kit
1 hand towel 1 bath-size bar of soap in original wrapper
1 wash cloth 1 toothbrush in original sealed package
1 hair comb, regular size (not pocket) 1 large tube of toothpaste
1 nail file or nail clipper (no sample or travel sizes)
6 adhesive bandages (such as Band-Aids*) *suggested brand-name item
Any questions, please contact Sylvia Woodfield (732) 549-9042. Thank you in advance for your help in making this project a success!
Ozanam Shelter Monday, April 3rd: Centenary will be serving dinner at the Ozanam Shelter on Monday, April 3rd. Please check the information on the bulletin board in the Narthex and sign up to assist with food preparation or serving. Please have your food available at the Church by 5:00 PM. For further information, please contact Glenna Gundell (732-463-1431) or Mary Ellen Heim (732-548-2587). Thanks.
TGIF Intergenerational Dinner and Lectionary Discussion and a lot of fun together will meet on Friday, April 7th at 6:30 PM. A barrel offering is taken to defray the costs for the meal and materials. Persons of all ages are invited and encouraged to attend.
Upcoming Children’s Ministries Events:
+Saturday, April 8th 9:00 AM-3:00PM in the Sanctuary – Walking in His Footsteps
A multi-media, labyrinth journey through Jesus’ last week.
+Sunday, April 9th—Palm Sunday Brunch & Easter Egg Hunt (Following Worship)
+Sunday, April 16th @ 7:15 AM—Easter Breakfast (Following Sunrise Service)
(Please note: There will be no Sunday School classes on Easter, April 16th.)
+Saturday, April 29th @ 6:00 PM –Annual Talent Show
Centenary Book Club—Friday, April 7th @ 7:30 PM in the Sunshine Room: This month’s book selection is Kindred by Octavia E. Butler. Come join us on the 7th April 2006 at 7:30 PM for good fellowship and discussion following TGIF. Just a reminder that the Centenary Book Club is open to men and women ages 18 years and older.
Lenten University at Centenary: Lenten University is on Wednesday evenings, from 6:30 PM until approximately 8:00 PM. We gather for the meal, and the study is directed by our use of The Bread and Broth Study Series for Lent. Supper and Study will be held on every Wednesday during Lent and conclude on April 12th in Holy Week. We look forward to seeing you and joining with you during this special time with fellowship and study.
Mulching Party Saturday, April 8th @ 9:00 AM: The Centenary Board of Trustees invite everyone to a “Mulching Party” on Saturday, April 8th at 9:00 AM, as we prepare the front of the church for Easter and Spring. All are welcome to lend a hand as you are able during the day. There is a need for some additional shrubs to replace a number that have died. Donations of $20.00 per shrub may be made to the church to assist with replacing these. Please make your checks payable to Centenary UM Church and indicate “Shrubs” in the Memo line. Thanks for your assistance.
Aldersgate Center Work Day Volunteers Needed Saturday, April 22nd – 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM: April 22nd is Aldersgate Center’s Work Day. There is a lot of work to be done in order to get Aldersgate ready for the summer. Even with the loss of Wesley Lodge, Aldersgate is offering an extensive program. Anyone who is interested in helping out, adults or youth, please contact Doug Woodfield @ (908) 233-2653 evenings or (908) 803-7118 cell phone. Doug will be available to take anyone up who needs a ride. Just as an added attraction, breakfast and lunch are included. We will be leaving the Church Parking lot at 7:00 AM on the 22nd. Please consider helping us out, Aldersgate is a great place!
UNO Fund Raiser on Wednesday, April 26th: Coupons are available in the weekly Worship bulletins and April Lamplighter. Come and enjoy a meal at UNO Pizzeria on US 1 in Menlo Park and help support our Church. You are invited to share your coupons with others who may wish to participate in this unique fund-raiser. Thanks for your support.
Handbell Concert: The Jubilation Ringers from Allentown, PA, one of the premier handbell choirs in the Northeast, will offer a concert at the Wesley United Methodist Church, 1500 Plainfield Avenue, South Plainfield, NJ, on April 9, 2006 at 7:00 PM. The Jubilation Ringers make music on one of the world’s largest church-owned collection of bells and related instruments: 7 full octaves of English handbells, 2 octaves of Silver Melody Bells, 3 octaves of Dutch handbells, and 5 1/2 octaves of handchimes–220 instruments in all! Tickets are available for a donation of $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for students in advance or $12.00/$6.00 at the door. To obtain tickets, call the Wesley church office at 908-757-2838, or Jack Willard at 908-754-3014.
The Art of Muriel Harris: We are richly blessed during the 2006 Lenten Season to have a number of Muriel Harris’ paintings adorning the walls of our Sanctuary. You will want to take time to pause on Sundays during Lent—or at other times you are in the building—to view these special works based on the indicated biblical passages, and reminding us of the themes of creation, liberation and justice. We are grateful to Muriel Harris for sharing the gift of her art with us once again this year.
Some Thought for This Week:
Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers. -Garth Brooks
God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.
The Gospels do not explain the Resurrection; the Resurrection explains the Gospels.
A river is powerful because many drops of water have learned the secret of cooperation.
People, like nails, lose their effectiveness when they lose direction and begin to bend. -Walter Landor
Character is the total of thousands of small daily decisions.
We tend to get what we expect. -Norman Vincent Peale
What worries you masters you. -John Locke
Sermons “Podcast” on Our Web Site: In addition to being available in print, the Pastors’ weekly sermons are now available as a “podcast” on our Web site. You may listen to each Message as it was delivered in Worship. Go to www.CentenaryUMCnj.org to explore this new feature. Our thanks to Web servant Ernie Agtarap.
One final Reminder: Spring Forward! Daylight Saving Time returns at 2:00 AM this Sunday, April 2nd. Don’t forget to turn your clocks and watches ahead one hour before you go to sleep this Saturday evening, or you will arrive an hour late for Church School and Worship this Sunday morning. You may also consider changing the batteries in your residential smoke and carbon dioxide detectors at this time, as recommended by safety personnel.
I look forward to sharing with many of you in Worship, Holy Communion, and Christian Fellowship this Sunday.
Shalom, John