Dear Centenary Church Family:

This Sunday at Centenary:
January 18, 2009 – The Second Sunday After the Epiphany /
Human Relations Sunday

9:00 AM – Adult Study: The Miracles of Jesus (Sunshine Room)
10:15 AM – Worship & Sunday School (Pre-K through 12th Grade)
Children’s Message: Michael Savoia
Preacher: John D. Painter Theme: The Courage to Listen
Lectionary Readings: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20) 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 John 1:43-51
Music – Chancel Choir: Here I Am, Lord by Daniel Schutte
11:30 AM– Fellowship Time (Room 20)
11:45 AM– CUMYF Parents and Youth Meeting (Youth Room)
11:45 AM– Junior Choir Rehearsal (Music Room)
3:00 PM– Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebratory Service (New Hope Baptist Church)
6:30 PM– Centenary Youth Fellowship (Youth Room)

Food Collection—Sunday, January 18: Please bring cereals, staple food items in plastic jars or cans, and paper products to share with senior residents in Perth Amboy. We and they 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

Human Relations Sunday: Please remember to share in this annual Special Sunday Offering of The United Methodist Church on January 18. A brochure/envelope for your offering was included in the January edition of The Lamplighter, and additional envelopes will be in our Worship bulletins this Sunday morning.

Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebratory Service
Sunday, January 18th @ 3:00 PMat New HopeBaptistChurch
Members of the Centenary Church Family are encouraged to attend, as we gather to remember and celebrate Dr. King’s faith and commitment to civil rights, human justice, non-violence, and international peace. The theme for 2009 is “Evidences of a Dream Fulfilled.” Pastor John Painter will be among those who will share “Reflections” during the service. New Hope Baptist Church is located at 45 Hampton Street in Metuchen.
Congratulations to Madeleine Hines: “Maddy” had been chosen to receive one of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Outstanding Student Awards” which will be presented at the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebratory Service this Sunday afternoon. We celebrate with and congratulate “Maddy” on the occasion of this special honor.

“The Miracles of Jesus” Adult Class Study
Beginning Sunday, January 18, 2009
Beginning on Sunday, January 18, the Adult Class is taking an in-depth look at six of Jesus’ miracles, focusing on their impact on the lives Jesus touched, what they reveal about the heart of God, and their significance for today. The topics are: a bleeding woman, water to wine, feeding the five thousand/walking on the water, the Canaanite woman, the cursing of the fig tree, and the ten lepers. The DVD we are using is part of the “Deeper Connections” Bible study series. Filmed in Israel and the United States, the sessions are led by theological professors with specialized areas of knowledge. Join us on Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM in the Sunshine Room, for this inspiring and faith-building look at “The Miracles of Jesus.”

Hey Centenary Youth!
Sunday evening youth fellowship will start again on this Sunday, January 18 at 6:30 PM. Also, this Sunday morning we will have a meeting of youth and parents concerning the next 5 months of youth group activities. We will meet in the youth room right after service ends. Come with questions and some ideas if you have any. We are still planning on a ski trip this February or March. I am working now to arrange it. I hope to give more details very soon and pass some dates by you. Until then, be safe and be smart. I will miss y’all a great deal. I know that together we can make your New Year one to remember.
May the force (Holy Spirit) be with you, Keith Swatzel
Please hold Keith Swatzel and his fellow Drew students and faculty advisors in prayer as they return to NJ from their international cross-cultural experience in El Salvador tomorrow, Friday, January 16. We look forward to welcoming Keith back to Centenary this Sunday morning.

United Methodists Look to Assist Civilians in Gaza
United Methodists are trying to assist with the ongoing need for aid to civilians caught in the war zone of the Gaza Strip.
They also are concerned, with other humanitarian organizations, about the effect the ongoing confrontation between the Israeli military and Hamas-led Palestinian government is having on medical care in Gaza.
The United Methodist Committee on Relief is working with Action by Churches Together and Muslim Aid to provide humanitarian assistance in Gaza, according to Melissa Crutchfield, head of international disaster relief. “We’re monitoring closely the situation on the ground,” she said.
The agency already has contributed to ACT’s previous appeal for general humanitarian aid to Gaza and is waiting for a revised appeal on this emergency, she explained.
Crutchfield also expects to get approval soon from UMCOR directors to contribute to the efforts of Muslim Aid, an UMCOR partner, which has access in a different part of the Gaza Strip. “That’s going to allow us to expand our reach,” she said.
Centenary United Methodists can contribute to humanitarian assistance in Gaza by making your checks payable to “Centenary UM Church”. Please write “Middle East Emergency” on the memo line of your check. Then place 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). Donations can also be made by going to www.umcor.org and clicking on “Gaza Crisis”; calling (888) 252-6174; or by mailing a check payable to “UMCOR” to Advance GCFA, P.O. Box 9068, GPO, New York, NY 10087-9068. Please write “Middle East Emergency, UMCOR Advance #601740” in the Memo line.

Refreshments for 2009
Persons are invited to sponsor the time of coffee and refreshments following our Sunday Worship services in 2009. Please consider sponsoring a refreshment time and signing up for one of the many available weeks on the new 2009 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.
Flower Arrangements for 2009
Persons are invited to sponsor flower arrangements for our Worship services beginning on January 4, 2009. A new 2009 Flower Chart has been posted in the Narthex. Floral arrangements cost $25.00 each week to sponsor. 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.

Campbell Soup Labels and other related products – We are still collecting these labels for the Red Bird Mission. There have been BIG changes to the Labels program. The part of the label that we need is the UPC section along with the Labels for Education symbol. Please check out the UMW bulletin board (in the area near the Men’s Room) for more information on how these labels need to be collected. There is a basket in the Church Library to receive your labels. The Red Bird Mission, in Beverly, Kentucky, is a Mission Project of the United Methodist Church. The latest newsletter from the Red Bird Mission says they expect to be able to acquire a van in 2009 with their 1,600,000 points received from all the Labels for Education that they received for the last two years. So, keep on eating all that soup!!

Some Thoughts for This Week:

Thoughts become actions;
Actions become character;
And character determines our destiny.

Always listen to experts. They’ll tell you what can’t be done and why. Then do it. – Robert A. Heinlein

Trust the past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s love, and the future to God’s providence. – St. Augustine of Hippo

Anger is when your mouth works faster than your mind. – Evan Esar [adapted]

Don’t regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many. – Unknown

Our reward is what we become, not what we get.

Moving forward is not progress if we’re facing the wrong direction. – Chuck Reaves

Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. – Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address (1865)

You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

It’s better to attempt to do something and fail than attempt to do nothing and succeed.

One who wants a rose must respect the thorn. – Persian Proverb [adapted]

Never clutch the past so tightly that your arms are too full to embrace the present. – Jan Glidewell [adapted]

If you don’t have the time to do something right, where are you going to find the time to fix it? – Stephen King

Count the day lost in which you have not done something selfless for someone else.

Next Sunday at Centenary: January 25, 2009
The Third Sunday After the Epiphany

9:00 AM – Adult Study: The Miracles of Jesus (Sunshine Room)
10:15 AM – Worship & Sunday School (Pre-K through 12th Grade)
Preacher: John D. Painter Theme: Expanding the Net
Lectionary Readings: Jonah 3:1-5, 10 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
Psalm 62:5-12 Mark 1:14-20
11:30 AM– Fellowship Time (Room 20)
11:45 AM– Acolyte Training (Sanctuary)
11:45 AM– Junior Choir Rehearsal (Music Room)
6:30 PM– Centenary Youth Fellowship (Youth Room)

Acolyte Training Sunday, January 25, 2009, at 11:45 AM. If you are interested in being an Acolyte and are in the 4th grade or higher, please attend this very important training session with Pastor John Painter and Michael Savoia.

Prayer for the Week of January 18: God of mercy and compassion, weave your dream of justice into the fabric of our lives. Restore a prophetic voice to your church. Remove the scales from our eyes and lift the indifference from our hearts, so we might again raise the banner of your justice and peace for all. In this new year, give us a new urgency and a new commitment to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, remove the scourge of racism. At the end of each day, let us hear the words, “Blessed are the peacemakers and the justice-doers, for you are the children of God.” Remind us again that it is not only our efforts but as we cooperate with you, your kingdom comes. In the powerful name of Jesus. Amen.

Pastor John Painter to Attend Convocation on Ministry Next Week: I will be attending the Greater New Jersey Conference Convocation on Ministry at Willow Valley Resort & Conference Center near Lancaster, PA, from Wednesday, January 21st through Friday afternoon, January 23rd. Formerly known as the “Bishop’s Convocation,” this annual event brings together United Methodist clergy from across our Annual Conference for continuing education and fellowship. This year’s theme is Prayer in the Life of the Pastor, and will be led by the Rev. Dr. Renita J. Weems, a Biblical scholar and ordained Elder in the African Methodist-Episcopal Church, and by the Rev. Dr. Patricia D. Brown, Executive Director of Spiritworks Center in Pittsburgh, PA. Area Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar will also share time with us gathered clergy in Worship and conversation. I am looking forward to sharing in this time away for spiritual renewal and formation. If a Pastoral Care need should arise while I am in PA, please contact either the Church Office or call me directly on my cell phone: 201-463-5552.

I look forward to sharing with many of you in Study, Worship and Christian Fellowship on this Sunday morning at Centenary.

In Christ’s Love, Pastor John