Sunday, June 1, 2008 – 3rd Sunday After Pentecost / Men’s Sunday / Communion
Dear Centenary Church Family:
We will observe Men’s Sunday during our 10:15 AM Worship Service this Sunday, June 1, 2008. Various men from the congregation will serve as Worship Leaders. Michael Savoia will bring a special word to the children, after which those in Pre-K through 12th Grade youth will be invited to participate in Sunday School classes. Robert Carlson will offer the morning Message, Becoming Like the Rabbi, based on the Gospel reading from Matthew 7:21-29. We will also share in a responsive reading of Psalm 46. Our Manly Men’s Chorus, formed for this special occasion, will sing How Can I Keep from Singing? by Robert Lowry, as arranged by Michael Burkhardt. As we come forward to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion, baritone soloist Lester Gesteland will sing The Beatitudes by Albert Hay Malotte. Our Celebration of Found Coins for June is designated for the ClothesLine Ministry.
IMPORTANT–Sunday School Worship Rehearsal—Sunday, June 1 at 9:00 AM: Please be on time, or your part will be given to someone else. Please contact Cathy Jean Savoia for more information or with questions at 732-826-1921 or 732-548-7622, Extension 12.
ADULT CLASS STUDIES “GREAT FIGURES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT” Centenary’s Adult Class is looking at some of the great figures of the New Testament before adjourning for the summer months. Each Sunday through June 8, we are studying the lives of some of the key figures in the New Testament, including Judas Iscariot (June 1); and, Pontius Pilate (June 8). Each class features a 30-minute in-depth video portrait of these figures by Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, Professor of New Testament Studies at Vanderbilt University Divinity School, who is an outstanding lecturer and Bible scholar. These vivid portraits are part of her DVD, Great Figures of the New Testament. Join us in the Sunshine Room, Sunday mornings from 9:00 to 10:00 AM, for these informative and entertaining presentations.
Kids’ Night Out—Friday, May 30 from 6:30-8:30 PM: We will be reviewing “Power Lab,” 2008’s Vacation Bible School (VBS) material, and performing some science experiments. Dinner will be hot dogs, chips, fruit and drinks. Come one, come all and have a fun night. Please register early for VBS so we can order supplies. VBS is August 4-8, from 9:00 AM to Noon. On Friday, August 8th, we will have a picnic at Roosevelt Park.
Ozanam Shelter Dinner is Monday, June 2
Centenary will be serving dinner at the Ozanam Shelter on Monday, June 2. Please check the information on the bulletin board in the Narthex and sign up to assist with food preparation or serving. The June Menu: Swedish meat balls, egg noodles, corn on the cob, pudding and cake. For further information, please contact Glenna Gundell (732-463-1431) or Mary Ellen Heim (732-548-2587). Thanks.
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.
Information Requested About Our 2008 Graduates: We are seeking information about those Centenary members and friends who will be graduating from college and high school in May or June. Please call (732-548-7622) or e-mail (CentaryUMC@aol.com) the Church Office so we may share in the joy of their accomplishments in our June & July Lamplighters. We will also have a special time of recognition for our high school graduates during our June 15th Service of Worship.
TGIF: ToGether Intergenerational Fun final gathering before Summer: Dinner at The Barge in Perth Amboy on Friday, June 6, from 6:30-8:30 PM. Please call Cathy Jean or Michael Savoia 732-826-1921 or 732-548-7622, Extension 12 for reservations.
ANNUAL WALK FOR HOPE TO CURE BREAST CANCER
Please support the 7th Annual City of Hope / Michelle Offsie Memorial Walk for Hope to Cure Breast Cancer on June 8th 2008. Registration will begin at 9:00 AM at the Jewish Community Center/YMCA campus at 1775 Oak Tree Rd, Edison, NJ. The Walk/Run will begin at 10:00 AM. You can make a difference and support this event by:
1. Joining as a walker or runner. There will be a 2/4-mile walk and a 4-mile run.
You may contact Giselle Esquivel Cordero at (732)549-6525 for information; or register at 800-344-8160 or online at www.walk4hope.org/edison.
2. Sponsoring a walker/runner with your tax-deductible contributions. See donation forms on the Narthex bulletin board.
You may also donate on line at www.walk4hope.org/edison.
3. Checking with your employer to see if they will match your donation.
Centenary Family Fun Night
Please join us for a night of
Fun, Food & Games.
The Evangelism committee is organizing an evening of fun & games for the congregation to get to know each other. There will be board games and activities for young and the young at heart.
Please join us and get to know your Centenary family.
Where: Centenary United Methodist Church
When: 6:00 PM on Saturday, June 14
Pizza will be served.
Food Collection—Sunday, June 15: 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
Centenary United Methodist Youth Fellowship
Father’s Day Car Wash following Worship on Sunday, June 15!
SummerWorship & ChurchSchoolat 9:30 AMBegins on June 22: From Sunday, June 22, through Sunday, August 31, Worship and Summer Sunday School will be held at 9:30 AM. (There will be no Sunday School classes on July 6.) Please make note of this seasonal change in our Worship and Sunday School schedule for the Summer. On Sunday, September 8th, we will resume our Sunday morning schedule with Worship and Sunday School for Pre-K through 12th Grade Youth at 10:15 AM. The Adult Class will continue to meet at 9:00 AM.
A celebration in honor of Raritan Valley District Superintendent Veronica P. Palmer will be held on Sunday, June 22, beginning at 5:00 PM at Christ United Methodist Church in Piscataway. All clergy and laity from the district are invited to attend as we recognize the leadership that Rev. Palmer has given to the Raritan Valley District for the past four years, and for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ which she has shared with us all. A fun time is planned with lots of laughter, a bit of serious reflection, followed by a light buffet. More information will be provided in the future…but now is the time to save the date and make plans to participate in Piscataway on June 22.
2008 Greater New Jersey Annual Conference
One in Spirit, All in Ministry: In the Spirit of Fellowship
May 29-31 at the Valley Forge Convention Center
The ninth session of our Greater New Jersey Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church is being held this week (May 29-30-31, 2008) at the Valley Forge Hotel & Convention Center in King of Prussia, PA. Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar will preside at the business sessions of the Conference, which will officially convene with a Service of Tribute and Holy Communion at 10:00 AM tomorrow, Thursday, May 29. Annual Conference is scheduled to adjourn at 4:30 PM on Saturday, May 31. Giselle Esquivel Cordero, Centenary’s Lay Member to Annual Conference, and Pastor John Painter will attend the Annual Conference sessions. They will join with about 1,500 clergy and lay members of Annual Conference for this three-day gathering, representing local congregations and other ministry settings in and beyond the geographical bounds of the Annual Conference (the entire state of NJ; portions of Rockland and Orange Counties, NY; and a portion of Pike County, PA).
One of the major items of interest during this 2008 Annual Conference session will be receiving reports from our delegates about the actions of the 2008 General Conference of The United Methodist Church, which met from April 23-May 2 in Fort Worth, TX, under the theme A Future with Hope. We will also take several actions in preparation for the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference to be held July 14-17, 2008.
Members of Centenary who may be interested in attending any of the sessions or services of Annual Conference are welcome to do so. You may access information at our Greater NJ Annual Conference Web site: www.gnjumc.org. We ask you to be in prayer for the Clergy and Lay Members of the Greater NJ Annual Conference as they gather in late May for “Holy Conferencing.”
Because I will be traveling to Valley Forge, PA, later this evening (Wednesday) to be present for the opening Annual Conference session tomorrow morning, I am sending this weekly E-pistle a day earlier than usual.
Some Thoughts for This Week:
The pearl of justice is found in the heart of mercy. – Catherine of Siena
Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring and integrity, they think of you. – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
When angry, count to ten before you speak; if very angry, a hundred. – Thomas Jefferson
God has called us to play the game, not to keep score.
Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones. – Phillips Brooks
Each day we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. – Charles Swindoll
The best inheritance we can leave our children is a good name.
Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved. – William Jennings Bryan
Because I have been athirst I will dig a well that others may drink. – Arabian proverb
It is not the cards you are dealt but what you do with them that counts. – Anonymous
I shall earnestly and persistently continue to urge all women to the practical recognition of the old Revolutionary maxim: “Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God.” – Susan B. Anthony
Golden Rule principles are just as necessary for operating a business profitably as are trucks, typewriters, or twine. – James Cash (J.C.) Penney
I am not the boss of my house. I don’t know how I lost it. I don’t know when I lost it. I don’t think I ever had it. But I’ve seen the boss’s job, and I don’t want it. – Bill Cosby
The truth is that we only learn to pray all the time everywhere after we have resolutely set about praying some of the time somewhere. – John Dalrymple
God takes us into deep waters, not to drown us but to cleanse us. – Unknown
Next Sunday–June 8, 2008:
9:00 AM– Sunday School Worship Rehearsal for Children’s Service (Snctry)
9:00 AM– Adult Study—Great Figures of the New Testament (Sunshine Room)
10:15 AM– Worship
The Fourth Sunday After Pentecost / Children’s Sunday
Last Day of Sunday School – Picnic on the Lawn Following Worship
The Children & Youth of our Sunday School will lead Worship
Junior Choir will Sing in Worship
Lectionary Readings: Genesis 12:1-9 Romans 4:13-25
Psalm 33:1-12 Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
11:45 AM– Children’s Ministries BBQ Picnic (Front Lawn)
6:30 PM– United Methodist Youth Fellowship (Youth Room/Room 20)
The Last Day for Regular Children’s Sunday School is Sunday, June 8. There will be a barbecue picnic lunch on the front lawn following Worship. Hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken and cold beverages will be provided. Please bring a salad or dessert to share.
Prayer for the Week of June 1: O give thanks to the Lord; for God is good. God’s steadfast love endures forever. God made the world and all that is in it, and God’s life-giving creation continues making new each moment of our days. God’s saving power is told throughout the scriptures. Through Noah the world was spared and creation was begun anew. Through Moses the people of promise were led out of slavery into freedom. Through Jesus Christ our salvation was made complete. We give you thanks, O God, for your mighty acts of deliverance and for those daily acts of rescuing us from life’s complexities. We thank you for standing with us in the midst of challenges, for not abandoning us, and for giving us a calling in life worthy of our commitment. To you be the glory through Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Pastor John Painter Is on “Renewal Leave” During the Month of June
I have been granted a “Renewal Leave” for the month of June (effective this Sunday, June 1 through Saturday, June 28), by recommendation of the Staff-Parish Relations Committee, with the endorsement of the Church Council, and the approval and authorization of our District Superintendent, the Rev. Veronica P. Palmer. This is in accordance with Paragraph 352.2 & 3. of The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, 2004, which provides for a month’s continuing education/spiritual growth leave for clergy during one year of every quadrennium. I last engaged in a month-long “Renewal Leave” in June 1999, while I was Pastor of Morrow Memorial UM Church in Maplewood.
I have provided further details about this “Renewal Leave” in my “Ministerial Musings” in the June edition of The Lamplighter. At present I anticipate using this time for extensive reading in several areas of theology, worship and the contemporary and emerging church. I will also be attending to several personal and medical matters. I am deeply grateful to all who have planned for this period of renewal and who will be providing Pulpit coverage during Worship services in June.
While I do not plan to leave the area for any significant period during June, administrative and pastoral care coverage during this time is being provided by Assistant Pastor Terrilisa Durham Bauknight. You may call the Church Office at 732-548-7622, or call Pastor Bauknight directly at 908-419-4101 (cell phone).
I look forward to seeing many of you at Centenary upon my return from Renewal Leave and vacation (June 29-July 12) on Sunday, July 13. In the meantime, May the Lord watch between me and thee while we are apart one from the other.
Shalom, John