Sunday, May 6, 2007 – Sacrament of Holy Communion
Dear Centenary Church Family:
We will gather this Sunday, May 6, at 10:15 AM in our Sanctuary to celebrate The Fifth Sunday of Easter and to share together in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. I will share a word with the children, after which they and youth through 12th grade are invited to participate in Sunday School classes. My morning Message, Breaking Down the Barriers, will be based on the readings from Acts 11:1-18 and John 13:31-35. Our Chancel Choir will sing Hallelujah, Amen (From “Judas Maccabaeus” by George F. Handel) by Patrick M. Liebergen during the Offering, and I Remember You by Gene Grier during the serving of Holy Communion. Our Celebration of Found Coins for May is designated for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) Emergency Appeal for New Jersey Flooding.
Reminders:
TGIF Intergenerational Dinner and Lectionary Discussion and a lot of fun together will meet tomorrow, Friday, May 4, from 6:30-8:30 PM. And on Friday, May 11 from 6:00-9:00 PM for a special program by Marcia McFee…details to follow. A barrel offering is taken to defray the costs for the meal and materials. Persons of all ages are invited and encouraged to attend.
Church Women United May Friendship Day will be celebrated tomorrow, Friday, May 4th, at the First Presbyterian Church of Metuchen, 270 Woodbridge Ave. at 12:30 PM with a covered dish luncheon. Dessert will be supplied so other guests are to bring a covered dish. The women from New Hope Baptist Church will present the program. The theme is Friends Under God’s Wing based on Matthew 23:37. Come and join in this time of worship with friends from other churches in Metuchen-Edison-Woodbridge.
Adult Study at 9:00 AM this Sunday, May 6: We will view and discuss the Oscar-nominated documentary, Sister Rose’s Passion. This video tells of the life-long efforts of Benedictine Sister Rose Thering of Seton Hall University to eradicate anti-Semitism within the Roman Catholic Church. Pastor John Painter knew and worked with Sister Rose while he was Pastor at Morrow Memorial UMC in Maplewood (1993-2000), and he will guide the conversation this Sunday.
Centenary will next be serving dinner at the Ozanam Shelter on Monday, May 7. 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.
Centenary Book Club will meet on Saturday, May 19 @ 9:30 AM in the Sunshine Room to discuss In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. All women and men (over 18) are invited to participate.
LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MEN: We are putting together a Men’s Chorus to sing on May 20th for Men’s Sunday. Rehearsals will be on Sundays, 11:30 -11:45 AM, May 6th & 13th, as well as a brief run-through before the service on May 20th. If you can make at least 2 rehearsals, please join us. We had a great turnout last year! See Shirley Mosteller for more information.
Male Worship Leaders & Readers are also being recruited for the Worship Service on Men’s Sunday, May 20th. Men interested in serving are invited to contact Pastor John Painter.
Food Collection—Sunday, May 20: 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
2007 Summer Camp Programs at Aldersgate Center and Pinelands Retreat Center: Information about the 2007 Summer camping programs for children and youth (and some specialized adult and family programs) are posted on the Children’s Ministry bulletin board in the hallway alongside the Sanctuary, near 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 and appropriate registration forms.
Some Thoughts for This Week:
Genuine New Testament Christianity doesn’t hang out at headquarters; It gets into the trenches with the wounded and weary.
- Charles Swindoll
Disappointments are like road bumps;
They slow you down a bit,
But they help you appreciate the smooth road afterward.
Never take on more work than you have time to pray about.
One should marry not to find happiness, but to share happiness.
It’s possible to do the right thing for the wrong reason.
It is far better to know our own weaknesses and failings than to point out those of others.
We need never to worry about what the future holds if we know who holds our future.
Next Sunday, May 13, 2007: The Sixth Sunday After Easter / Mother’s Day
Festival of the Christian Home
9:00 AM – Adult Study (Sunshine Room)
10:15 AM – Worship and Sunday School (Pre-K through 12th Grade)
Guest Preacher: The Rev. Marcia McFee
Lectionary Readings: Acts 16:9-15 Revelation 21:10, 22-22:35
Psalm 67 John 14:23-29
11:30 AM – Fellowship Time (Room 20)
11:30 AM – Men’s Chorus Rehearsal (Music Room)
Prayer for the Week of May 6: As the birds soar in flight, so our lives are lifted high by your compassion, O God. As the flowers break forth from buds of promise, we thank you for the new beginnings that lie within our lives. As the earth itself refreshes the seeds, we thank you for your encouragement to us. As the rain falls on the just and unjust, we receive your water of life with thankfulness, O God. Amen.
I have been summoned to serve on Petit Jury Duty tomorrow, Friday, May 4, 2007, and will likely be unavailable during much of the day. In case of a pastoral care emergency, please call my cell phone and leave a message, and I will return your call as soon as I am able.
I look forward to sharing with many of you in study, Worship and Christian fellowship this Sunday at Centenary.
Shalom, John
John D. Painter, Pastor
Centenary United Methodist Church
200 Hillside Avenue
Metuchen, NJ 08840-1900
Office: 732-548-7622, X11
Home: 732-549-1786
Cell: 201-463-5552
Study: 732;516-9226
Fax: 732-548-6256
Visit Centenary on the Web: www.CentenaryUMCnj.org
See what’s free at AOL.com.