9:00 AM — Adult Study – Victory at Jerusalem
10:15 AM — Worship and Sunday School (Pre-K through 12th Grade)
Preacher: John D. Painter Theme: Good News/Bad News
Lectionary Readings: Numbers 21:4-9 Ephesians 2:1-10
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 John 3:14-21
Music — Chancel Choir: God So Loved the World by John Stainer
11:30 AM — Fellowship Time
11:45 AM — Junior Choir Rehearsal
6:30 PM — Centenary Youth Fellowship

Celebration of Found Coins: “Nothing But Nets’ Campaign

One Great Hour of Sharing Offering This Sunday
Our congregation can join with United Methodists worldwide by making a special offering this Sunday through One Great Hour of Sharing to support humanitarian aid through our United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). You can be assured that when catastrophes cause suffering, our church—impelled by Jesus’ love and compassion—will be in the lead to ease the pain.
UMCOR is a good steward of God’s gifts. UMCOR’s specialized ministries—responding in disaster, fighting hunger, alleviating poverty, providing relief supplies around the world, and offering hospitality to immigrants and refugees—assist the people whose need is greatest.
UMCOR receives no World Service funds or any other apportionments. Your gifts mean we are right there with hardworking people affected by storms or war, disaster or disease.
“The One Great Hour of Sharing offering provides for those basic needs that make the rest of UMCOR’s work possible,” says the Rev. Sam W. Dixon, deputy general secretary of UMCOR. “Without this offering, so much of what UMCOR does to bring hope and healing to the world could not happen.”
Gifts to Sunday’s One Great Hour of Sharing offering lay the foundation of all of UMCOR’s work by covering the costs of doing business. This means that all gifts designated to specific programs can go 100 percent to that program because UMCOR’s basic expenses are covered. Please give generously. Thank you!

We Welcome Our Newest Members. Please extend the right hand of Christian fellowship and welcome to these persons who are officially united with the Centenary United Methodist Church Family on Sunday, March 15, 2009,
· Joseph & Christine Cullin by Reaffirmation of Faith. Joe
· Susan Granski by Certificate of Transfer from Christ United Methodist Church in Piscataway, NJ.
· Maria Morgan by Reaffirmation of Faith.

The Art of Muriel Harris at Centenary
We have been blessed during the 2009 Lenten Season to have a number of Muriel Harris’ paintings and collages adorning the walls of our Sanctuary. You will want to take time to pause and view these special works reminding us of the themes of creation, liberation and justice. Muriel Harris, a long-time member of Centenary UMC, died on February 5, and these paintings were hung in the Sanctuary by her family for the celebration of Mrs. Harris’ life on February 28. During her long life, Muriel Harris received many awards and high recognition for her artistry. Although in recent years she endured the loss of much of her eyesight to age-related macular degeneration, Muriel Harris continued to create new art using a number of different media. Some of the collages in our Sanctuary represent her recent work in the more “tactile” media. We are grateful to the family of Muriel Harris for sharing the gift of her art with us.

Refreshments: Persons are invited to sponsor the time of coffee and refreshments following our Sunday Worship services. Please consider sponsoring a refreshment time and signing up for one of the many available weeks on the 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: Persons are invited to sponsor flower arrangements for our Worship services. A 2009 Flower Chart is 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.

Don’t forget to order your Easter Lilies for our Easter Sunday Altar on April 12, 2009.
Deadline for ordering is Sunday, April 5, 2009.
Lilies cost $13.00 per Order (which consists of two lily plants)
Order forms are available in The Lamplighter and in Sunday Worship Bulletins
Or you may call the Church Office (732-548-7622),
or Flower Chairperson Linda Serentino at 732- 940-2135.

Holy Week and Easter at Centenary
April 5, 2009 Passion/Palm Sunday (Harris Ringers play; Junior Choir sings)
(No Sacrament of Holy Communion)
Preacher: John D. Painter Theme: Behind the Scenes: Ordinary Details
April 9, 2009 – Holy Thursday
6:30 PM Soup & Seder Supper
7:30 PM Service of Holy Communion at the Tables
April 10, 2009 – Good Friday
12:00 – 3:00 PM – Ecumenical Good Friday Preaching Service at Saint Luke’s
Episcopal Church, Middlesex & Oak Avenues, Metuchen
7:30 PM — A Cantata: Behold, What Manner of Love by Eugene Butler
featuring the Chancel Choir, soloists & instrumentalists
April 12, 2009 – Easter Sunday (No Sunday School Classes on Easter Sunday)
6:00 AM — New Hope Baptist Church Sunrise Service @ Roosevelt Park
7:30 AM — Easter Breakfast sponsored by Children’s Ministries
9:00 AM — Easter Pageant—Once upon a Caterpillar
10:30 AM — Easter Worship & Sacrament of Holy Communion
Festival Brass and Chancel Choir at 10:30 AM Service
Preacher: John D. Painter (10:30 AM) Theme: A Never-Ending Story

Easter Pageant: If you like to be Creative, the Children’s Ministries could use your help making props for the 9:00 AM Easter Pageant. Contact Michael or Cathy Savoia.

Lenten Coin Folders
You are encouraged to return your filled 2009 Lenten Coin Folders between now and Easter Sunday, April 12. You may place them in an offering plate during Worship or mail/bring them to the Church Office. Our Lenten Coin Folder offering is designated for support of The Fellowship Fund of The United Methodist Homes of New Jersey. These funds are used by our UM Homes to assist elderly residents whose financial resources have been depleted to remain in residence in our homes. (Note: If you choose to return your coin folder with either a check or paper bills [instead of quarters], our counting team will not be averse to your doing so…but we appreciate your gifts in whatever form they may be shared.) We are deeply grateful for your generous and sacrificial offering during these forty days of Lent.

2009 Summer Camp Programs
Aldersgate Center and Pinelands Retreat Center
Information about the 2009 Summer camping programs for children and youth (and some specialized adult and family programs) are posted on the Children’s Ministries bulletin board in the hallway alongside the Sanctuary, near the Narthex. Children’s Ministries Director Cathy Jean Savoia also has brochures available…and several copies of the brochure are in the literature rack in the Narthex. Please check out the dates and programs to see if your elementary-age child or Junior/Senior high youth may want to participate in a summer camp experience at Aldersgate Center (Swartswood, NJ) or Pinelands Retreat Center at Mt. Misery (Browns Mills, NJ). You may also check out the offerings and register online at either www.aldersgatenj.com or www.mtmisery.com. Scholarship assistance is available through the Church. Please speak with Children’s Ministries Director Cathy Jean Savoia or Pastor John Painter to get additional information about these programs, scholarship assistance, and appropriate registration forms.

Scholarship Opportunities: Information about scholarships and loans available to United Methodist students in higher education is now available. A poster listing many of these scholarships has been posted on the bulletin board in Room 20. In addition, an extensive booklet—The United Methodist Loans and Scholarship Program—is available on the literature rack in The Library. Scholarships and loans are available for those who will be beginning their studies in fall 2009, and for those who are continuing to matriculate. Several programs support students in graduate study, as well. The deadline for applying for many of these scholarships and loans is March 31, 2009. Please speak with Student Assistant Pastor Keith Swatzel for additional information about these scholarship and loan programs.

Hold The Dates!
Spring 2009 Spiritual Growth Retreat
April 17-18, 200 @ Pinelands Center at Mount Misery in Browns Mills, NJ
Theme: Jesus’ Prayer
Reflections and Conversations Around The Lord’s Prayer
Led by the Rev. E. Randall Bean
Brochures & Registration Forms will be in the April Lamplighter
and on the table and in the literature rack in the Narthex.

United Methodist Women: Annual Women’s Communion Breakfast will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 9:30 AM. The speaker will be the Reverend Hyekung Kang, pastor at Mount Horeb United Methodist Church, Warren, NJ. The women from Wesley and New Dover Churches of Edison, and Trinity Church of Highland Park have been invited to join us for this event. Child Care will be provided by either Lynn Colgan or Laura Crisco (our regular Sunday Child Care persons). We usually end our program before noon. You may bring muffins, quiche or fruit. There will be a sign-up sheet in the narthex in a few weeks. However, you may contact either Giselle Esquivel Cordero (732-549-6525) or Sylvia Woodfield (732-549-9042) if you have any questions. The donation for this event is $3.00.

Sight and Sound Theater: If you are interested in attending a show at Sight & Sound Theater in the Lancaster, Pennsylvania area during the Spring, please contact Cathy or Michael Savoia. Reservations need to be made well in advance. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the Narthex on which you can indicate your interest. We will charter a bus to transport everyone. More information will be coming soon about the program. Tentative date is Saturday, June 20, 2009.

Some Thoughts for This Week:

In honor of the recently passed St. Patrick’s Day observance (March 17), I am sharing with you a number of Irish Blessings which were shared with me this week by a friend. May you be blessed abundantly.

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

May you live as long as you want,
And never want as long as you live.

Always remember to forget
The things that made you sad.
But never forget to remember
The things that made you glad.
Always remember to forget
The friends that proved untrue.
But never forget to remember
Those that have stuck by you.
Always remember to forget
The troubles that passed away.
But never forget to remember
The blessings that come each day.

May the saddest day of your future be no worse
Than the happiest day of your past.

May the roof above us never fall in.
And may the friends gathered below it never fall out.
May you have warm words on a cold evening,
A full moon on a dark night,
And the road downhill all the way to your door.

May you live to be a hundred years,
With one extra year to repent.

May the Lord keep you in His hand
And never close His fist too tight.

May your neighbors respect you,
Trouble neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And heaven accept you.
May God be with you and bless you,
May you see your children’s children,
May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.

May God grant you many years to live,
For sure He must be knowing
The earth has angels all too few
And heaven is overflowing.

May peace and plenty be the first
To lift the latch to your door,
And happiness be guided to your home
By the candle of Christmas.

May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you