Dear Centenary Church Family:

We will gather for the Worship of God at 9:30 AM in our air-conditioned Sanctuary this Sunday, July 15, 2007…The Seventh Sunday After Pentecost. I will share a word with our children, after which they will be invited to participate in our Summer Sunday School program for children. We will celebrate the Sacrament of Christian Baptism for Sarah Margaret Downes, and we will receive as new members of Centenary Martin and Darla Kay Downes, Sarah’s parents. My morning Message, “Do This and You Will Live,” is based on the familiar Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. We will also share in the reading from Colossians 1:1-14. Tenor Joel Sorensen will sing The Call by Ralph Vaughn-Williams during the Offertory. Our Celebration of Found Coins for July is designated for the Aldersgate Center Capital Campaign. (Please see the article below regarding a special opportunity next Sunday, July 22, to view rebuilding plans for Wesley Lodge and Asbury Village at Aldersgate Center.)

Food Collection—This Sunday, July 15: Thank you for bringing 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

Pancake Breakfast
Saturday, July 21, 2007

8:00 – 11:00 AM
at Centenary UM Church

Only $7.00 per person
Children 10 and under – $5.00

Proceeds will help fund a Mission Trip in November 2007 to the Evangelical Methodist Church in Mar del Plata, Argentina, where we hope to bring materials, supplies, encouragement, and physical labor to an active and growing congregation trying to reach the poorest citizens living off what they can salvage from the city dump. Projects include a radio ministry, facility repairs and renovation, health education, starting a recycling business, a textile project, and leadership training for social and cultural mobilization.

Come, See the Plans for Aldersgate Center: On Sunday, July 22nd following the Worship Service, Doug & Wendy Woodfield will be hosting a Focus Group meeting, during the Refreshment Time, to share with you the plans for the future Aldersgate. They will include the Architect’s drawings for both Wesley and Asbury Lodges. It will be an informational time with a chance for you to ask questions. Declan Thompson, Site Director of Aldersgate Center will also be here. Please look for more information in the mail and Sunday Bulletins. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Doug or Wendy Woodfield at (908) 233-2653.

On Saturday, July 21st, Aldersgate will be sponsoring a concert at the camp that combines a fun day out with an opportunity for the whole family to experience spiritual renewal. The gates will open at 2:00 PM, the pool will be open so bring your bathing suit, as well as boating and fishing on the pond, along with the many winding trails on the property. Bring a picnic or join us for a Bar-B-Q around 5:00 PM. Our evening will culminate with a concert starting at 7:00 PM with guest speaker Terry Weaver and the Tommy Bowman Band. Families and Youth Groups welcome—children under 17 must be supervised. Call the Aldersgate office for more details: 973-383-5978.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL—July 30 through August 3 from 8:45 AM-12:15 PM Theme: The Sea of Galilee. $12.00 per child. Registration forms are available on the Sunday School bulletin board and through the Church Office. Bring a bathing suit and towel daily. More details in parents’ letters that have been sent out recently.

Centenary will next be serving dinner at the Ozanam Shelter on Monday, August 6. Please check the information on the bulletin board in the Narthex and sign up to assist with food preparation or serving. For further information, please contact Glenna Gundell (732-463-1431) or Mary Ellen Heim (732-548-2587). Thanks.
Please faithfully use your offering envelopes during the Summer, and at every possible opportunity to help with the progress our Church is making in underwriting our ministry and mission this year. God is good to us, and one by one we can make a difference in sharing the gospel story, if we work together in the days ahead.
Thank you in the name of Jesus Christ for making ministry possible.

Some Thoughts for This Week:

Don’t cross the stream to look for water. – Swedish Proverb

Just pray for a tough hide and a tender heart. – Ruth Bell Graham

Nobody who is somebody looks down on anybody.

Hope arouses, as nothing else can arouse, a passion for the possible. – William Sloane Coffin, Jr.

He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass. – George Herbert

God is the only one who can make the valley of trouble a door of hope. – Catherine Marshall

True terror is waking up one morning and realizing your high school class is running the country. – Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

We must not allow other people’s limited perceptions to define us. – Virginia Satir

Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn’t mean he lacks vision. – Stevie Wonder

Some people are willing to give the Lord credit but no cash. – Unknown

Next Sunday, July 22, 2007:
9:30 AM – Summer Worship & Sunday School
The Eighth Sunday After Pentecost
Preacher: John D. Painter Theme: Say “Yes” to the Mess
Lectionary Readings: Amos 8:1-12 Colossians 1:15-28
Psalm 52 Luke 10:38-42
10:30 AM – Fellowship Time (Room 20)
10:45 AM – Aldersgate Rebuilding Plans Review (Sanctuary)

Prayer for the Week of July 15: O God, we thank you for those who are neighbors, those who embrace us and cherish our lives. We thank you that you gave us rules for life that go beyond moral regulations and call us toward a profound love for ourselves and all people. We thank you that you see deeply into our hearts and invite us into a journey toward truth. Thanks be to you, O God, for your life is abundant indeed! Amen.

It is good to be back among you following our time away, and Tina and I look forward to sharing with you in Worship and Christian Fellowship this Sunday at Centenary.

Shalom, John