Dear Centenary Church Family:

We will gather in our air-conditioned Sanctuary at 9:30 AM this Sunday, June 25th, for Worship and Summer Sunday School. Michael Savoia will bring a message for the children, after which those children who wish may join in a Summer Sunday School session. My morning Message, Who Do You Trust?, will be based on the Gospel reading from Mark 4:35-41. We will also share in a reading from 2 Corinthians 6:1-13. Trumpeter John Messenger will offer special music during the Offertory, as well as accompany a number of our hymns and songs in Worship. Our Celebration of Found Coins is designated for the ClothesLine Ministry.

Special Church Conference—This Sunday, June 25, 2006, Immediately Following Worship: As authorized by the Rev. Veronica P. Palmer, Raritan Valley District Superintendent, there will be a Special Church Conference of Centenary United Methodist Church on Sunday, June 25, 2006, immediately following the 9:30 AM Worship service (approximately 10:30 AM), at which Pastor John Painter will preside. The sole purpose of this Special Church Conference will be to receive a nomination from the Committee on Lay Leadership and the election of a person to fill a vacancy in the membership of the Class of 2007 of the Board of Trustees. In accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey and provisions of The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church (2004), all members of Centenary United Methodist Church age 18 or older are eligible to vote in the election of a member of the Board of Trustees during this Special Church Conference.

“FIESTA”—Vacation Bible School—July 31 to August 4, 2006
WANTED: Caring and loving people who enjoy working and having fun with children. Also to help guide children on their Christian Journey through Vacation Bible School. We are in need of teachers and youth workers who speak English and/or Spanish. This year’s VBS will be a dual language program that models God’s love in all our friends and neighbors in all that we say and do. “FIESTA” will be held Monday, July 31 through Friday, August 4, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon and includes Hot Bible Adventures, Chadder’s Drive-in Theater, Cactus Crafts and Missions, Maraca Munchies, Grande Games, and Sing and Play Ole’. Our FIESTA Finale will be on Friday, August 4th at Noon. Child Care will be provided for younger children, age 1 through 3 years old. Registration is $12.00 per child; $30 per family of 3 or more. For more information and registration please call the Church Office at 732-548-7622 or Cathy Savoia at 732-826-1921.

Don’t forget—United Methodist Women will provide $100 scholarships for those children from our church who register to attend any of the programs at Camp Aldersgate this summer. Let Pastor Painter know if you are planning to attend and he will let the UMW know.
INDONESIA: UMCOR EARTHQUAKE RELIEF AND RECOVERY
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is working with partners in the region to respond to survivors of the May 27 earthquake on the Indonesian island of Java. An earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale shook the city of Yogyakarta and surrounding areas on the highly-populated Indonesian island of Java in the dawn hours of May 27. More than 5,000 people are reported to be dead with more than 200,000 people left homeless by the violent quake.
UMCOR Indonesia’s offices are located on the neighboring island of Sumatra. UMCOR is in contact with ACT International, one of UMCOR’s international partners already on the ground in Yogyakarta. UMCOR Indonesia staff is at the ready to provide any additional assistance ACT may need. UMCOR is working with another long-time partner, Church World Service, which is distributing supplies since the quake and is assessing further needs throughout the region. UMCOR is also sending needed financial support to assist with their efforts.
Contributions to UMCOR’s “Indonesia Emergency” relief efforts can be placed in an offering plate on any Sunday (Please make your check payable to Centenary UM Church and write “Indonesia Emergency” in the Memo line), or sent directly to UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087. Designate checks for UMCOR Advance No. 217400 and “Indonesia Emergency.” Credit-card donations may be made online at www.methodistrelief.org or by calling (800) 554-8583.

Painters Away June 30-July 15: Tina and I will be leaving for some vacation time next Friday, June 30th. We expect to travel to Rehobeth Beach, Delaware, Washington, D.C., and Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, before returning to Metuchen sometime on the evening of Saturday, July 15th. During my absence, our Assistant Pastor, Terrilisa Durham Bauknight, will be “on-call” for pastoral care emergencies. Please contact the Centenary Church Office if you have need of pastoral care. Or when our Church Office is closed, you may contact Pastor Bauknight at 908-419-4101 (cellular) or 908-245-1529 (home).

Next Sunday, July 2 — 9:30 AM – Summer Worship / Holy Communion
Please Note: There will be no Summer Sunday School or Child Care on July 2nd
Preacher: Terrilisa Durham Bauknight
Theme: The Right Equation: Faith + Grace = Amazing Results
Lectionary Readings: 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 2 Corinthians 8:7-15
Psalm 130 Mark 5:21-43

Some Thoughts for This Week:
If God loves best in community, who are we to set up ourselves as spiritual loners? – Jane McAlister Pope
Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation. – C. Everett Koop

The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridges to cross, and which to burn. – David Russell

If you do not want the fruit of sin, stay out of the orchard.

When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find it’s those who, instead of giving advice, solutions or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. – Henri Nouwen

Lying to ourselves is more deeply ingrained than lying to others.
-Fyodor Dostoevski

A person who is always finding fault seldom finds anything else.
Don’t worry about what you do not understand in the Bible;
Worry instead about what you do understand but do not live by.
Courtesy and consideration of others are two important marks of a Christian.

Don’t mind criticism.
If it is untrue, disregard it.
If it is unfair, don’t let it irritate you;
If it is ignorant, smile.
If it is justified, learn from it.

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 Service. Go to www.CentenaryUMCnj.org to explore this and other new features and links. Our thanks to Web servant Ernie Agtarap for providing this on-line ministry of Centenary.

I look forward to sharing with you in Worship and fellowship this Sunday at Centenary.

Shalom, John