Dear Centenary Church Family:

This Sunday at Centenary: October 11, 2009
The Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost / Laity Sunday

9:00 AM – Adult Study – The Prayers of Jesus(Sunshine Room)
10:15 AM – Worship & Sunday School(Pre-K through Grade 12)
Preacher:Keith A. Swatzel II Theme: Living a Line-item Life
Lectionary Readings: Job 23:1-9, 16-17 Hebrews 4:12-16
Psalm 22:1-15 Mark 10:17-31
Children’s Time:Pastor Terrilisa Durham Bauknight
Music: Chancel Choir- I Love the Lordby Douglas E. Wagner
Celebration of Found Coins:2009 CROP Walk (October 18)
11:30 AM – Fellowship Time(Room 20)
11:45 AM – Junior Choir Rehearsal(Music Room)
12:00 Noon – Confirmation Orientation Session(Youth Room)
6:30 PM – United Methodist Youth Fellowship – Grades 7-12(Youth Room)

Centenary United Methodist Women
Church Library & Centenary Men’s Club
METUCHEN COUNTRY FAIR has been postponed to this Saturday, October 10.We need lots of help that day—for setting up our booths—for the Women, the Library and the Men’s booth. Please help by being available for approximately 2-hour time slots during the day. If you are unsure exactly what is expected, please call Sylvia Woodfield (732) 549-9042 or John Painter (201-46305552). This is a fun day and a great way to meet and greet people and let them know Centenary is a great place to worship. This is the only fund raiser that these three groups have during the year so come out and join the fun! (Note: Additional Rain Dates for the Fair are October 17 & 24. If the Fair is postponed again this Saturday because of inclement weather, we will send an E-mail announcement as soon as we are aware of that decision.)

Please remember in your prayers:Tydvil Applegate; Dorothy Brown; Doris Dawalt, Dwanah Sumo Dwanah; Michelle (Moyer) Fontaine; Lovina Garbochesky; Roland Gregg; Mary Iacone; Melissa, Jack & Reese Lechelt; Norma MacDonald; Stephen Marcinko; Stephanie Ringler. Extended Family:Bishop Sudarshana & Prima Devadhar (esp. Thurs. @ Noon); The Rev. Robert W. Scott, Jr. (Raritan Valley District Superintendent); Emily Almeida (Age 6, request of Grandmother Jill Prickett); “Bec” (Sue Poet’s niece in Australia); Richard W. Benjamin (Jonathan Benjamin’s father); Mary Therese Bennett (Alice Sloss’ cousin); Gary Beyer (friend of Steve & Shirley Mosteller); Josephine Bossbaly (Giselle Esquivel Cordero’s cousin); Wally Camlin (Nancy Rapp’s brother); Terry Cartusciello (friend of Steve Mosteller); James Chek (Mary Ellen Heim’s brother); Damian (friend of Maria Armington); Jacob Doud (Age 2, at request of Pat Iacone); Clyde Durham (Terrilisa Durham Bauknight’s uncle); Dwain (Terrilisa Durham Bauknight’s student); Elsie & Harvey Franklin (Linda Serentino’s parents); Judy Gaitan (Jim Iacone’s cousin); Stanley Halifko (Jodi Mochel’s uncle); Gladys Harmon (Reginald Harmon’s mother); Helen (Ruth Valentine’s aunt in India); Brielle Hemberger (Age 9, request of Steve Orzechowski); Douglas Jackson (Julia Sanchez’s brother); Joanne (friend of Tookie Bacon); Lucas Jorgenson (son of Eric & Alicia Jorgenson); Ben Kitsko (son of the Rev. Jill Kitsko); May Lynch (Christine Rose’s aunt); Patty Mangione (Ed Stern’s sister); Ron Mialetti (Friend of Mary Iacone); Rawley Poet (Randy Poet’s brother); Bill Rooks (former Centenary Member); Logan Strauss (step-grandchild of Jane Strauss); Bernadette Tardio (Alice Sloss’ sister); Dolores “Dee Dee” Tucker (Alison Williams’ aunt); Frank Viazanko (Audrey Viazanko’s husband); Clay Wilkinson (friend of Tom Moyer); Terry Willis (friend of Jodi Mochel); the Rev. Camille Yorkey (friend of Lois Hines); Donald Zubic (request of Äli Woodfield).
+ Tydvil Applegatecontinues her recovery from a recent fall and hospitalization at Brighton Gardens in Edison. She is grateful for your thoughts and prayers.
+ Melissa Lecheltcontinues to do well in her 29th week of pregnancy and will shortly undergo an ultrasound to determine future treatment for her placenta previa. Your prayers are deeply appreciated.
+ Patty Mangione continues to make good progress in her recovery at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital from recent colon surgery. Patty and her family are thankful for your many prayers.
+ Donald Zubicis the father of a co-worker of Äli Woodfield, and she has requested prayers for him as he undergoes testing to determine the cause of a loss of sense/feeling in his muscles.
+ Rudy Lechelthas been under treatment for swelling in his right eye, and this week received excellent news from the doctors at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia that he vision has been restored to 20/20. He will continue treatment and further healing, but has asked to be removed from our formal Prayer Concerns listing with thanks to everyone for your prayers during recent days.
+ I have just received the great news from Christine Cullin that their friend, Dr. Roberto DeBari, has been declared cancer free, following two surgeries to remove cancerous growths from his tongue. Christine writes: “He asked me to tell you and the Centenary family that he truly appreciates the prayers for his recovery from the cancer.” With thanksgiving to God, and with prayers for continued health and well-being, we are removing Rob DeBari from our formal Prayer Concerns listing.
T. G. I. F. Friday, October 9thfrom 6:30—8:30 PM:A delicious Dinner and Intergenerational Discussion on various topics and the Lectionary readings for the week. Barrel Offering received. Open to all persons and all ages. Further information: Speak with Michael or Cathy Savoia. Come join us in the Sanctuary!
TheCentenary Book Clubwill meet this Friday, October 9, 2009, at 7:30 PMin the Sunshine Room. Book for October: My Sister’s Keeperby Jodi Picoult. The Book Club is open to men and women ages 18 years and older. Welcome!

THE 2009 CENTENARY MEN’S REVUE
Centenary United Methodist Church
200 Hillside Avenue
Metuchen, NJ
Saturday, October 10, 2009
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Musical and comedy acts presented by the Centenary Men’s Club
Can’t wait to see “A Prairie Home Companion” in New York later this year? Come enjoy an evening of music and comedy entertainment closer to home. Right here in Metuchen, we have a group of men who have pooled their many talents and no lack of bravado to produce an extravaganza of non-Biblical proportions. Centenary’s United Methodist Men’s Club will present a Men’s Revue on Saturday, October 10, 2009 at 7:00 PM. Musical and comedy acts will include the singing of both serious and silly songs. Stand-up comedy and a wide variety of skits will have you rolling in the aisles.
There are no tickets to purchase, but you may want to come early enough to get the best seats in the Sanctuary (the ones in the back fill up fast!). As with most Methodist services, meetings, and other functions, refreshments will be served.

2010 Confirmation Class Begins in October
Pastor Painter invites youth who are in the seventh grade or above to participate in the 2010 Confirmation Class at Centenary United Methodist Church. Confirmation is an opportunity for young persons to explore their faith journey with the Pastors and other youth, accompanied by an adult Mentor, and to consider becoming Confirmed members of Centenary United Methodist Church at the conclusion of the Class sessions. The 2010 Confirmation Class experience will continue from October until Sunday, May 23, 2010, Pentecost Sunday, when we will Confirm and receive into membership the 2010 Confirmation Class.
There will bea special Confirmation Orientation Session foryouth interested in participating in the Class and for their parent(s)to share more detailed information about the 2010 Confirmation Class. This session will be at 12:00 PM on this Sunday, October 11th, in the Youth Room at the Church. We will have a light lunch available during the session, and we will share together in conversation and reflection until about 1:30 PM. Confirmation Class books and journals will be handed out, along with other materials for the Confirmands. We will also attempt to determine the best schedule for class sessions during the year ahead.
Individual letters of invitation have been sent to those youth we have identified who are eligible for participation in the 2010 Confirmation Class. However, all youth in seventh grade and above who are interested are asked to contact Pastor Painter as soon as possible to indicate their interest. We hope to see many of you and your parents this Sunday at the Confirmation Orientation Session.

CUMC Music Ministry
presents
Silent Movie Night
featuring
Harold Lloyd
in
“Safety Last”
with
Jonathan Benjamin
at the piano
Saturday, October 17that 7:00 PM
Suggested Donation: $5:00
Snacks will be available

2009 CROP Walk ? Sunday, October 18 at 12:30 PM
The Metuchen-Edison Area 2009 CROP (Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty) Walk for World Hunger will begin with sign-in and registration at 12:30 PM on Sunday, October 18, and “Step-Off” on the Walk at 1:00 PM from First Presbyterian Church, 270 Woodbridge Avenue in Metuchen (to which all walkers will return at the end of the walk).
CROP Hunger Walks help children and families worldwide—and right here in the U.S.—to have food for today, while building for a better tomorrow. Each year some two million CROP Walkers, volunteers, and sponsors put their hearts and soles in motion, raising over $16 million per year to help end hunger and poverty around the world—and in their own communities. (25% of the amount raised in the Metuchen-Edison Area Walk is returned annually to the Metuchen-Edison Area Interfaith Clergy Association to be used for emergency assistance for local individuals and households.) Last year, walkers in the Metuchen-Edison Area CROP Walk raised a little over $7,000.00. Our goal for the 2009 CROP Walk is to raise $9,000.00. And you can be part of it! Look for additional information about CROP Walks around the nation, and about the Metuchen-Edison Area CROP Walk at http://www.cropwalk.org/.
Envelopes to secure sponsors for the 2009 CROP Walk are available through Dee Gillet and in the Church Office. We need persons who are able to walk and those who can sponsor walkers, and others who can offer support as needed. For additional information or to offer your assistance, please contact Dee Gillet at 908-380-0946 or deegillet@msn.com, or Pastor John Painter at 732-548-7622 X11 or RevJDP@aol.com.

Centenary United Methodist Women
CAMPBELL SOUP LABELSand other related products: We are still collecting these labels for the Red Bird Mission. There have been BIGchanges to the Labels program. The part of the label that we need is the UPC section along with the Labels for Education symbol.Please check out the UMW bulletin board (in the area near the Men’s Room) for more information on how these labels need to be collected. There is a basket in the Church Library to receive your labels. The Red Bird Mission, in Beverly, Kentucky, is a Mission Project of the United Methodist Church. The latest newsletter from the Red Bird Mission says they expect to be able to acquire a van in 2009 with their 1,600,000 points received from all the Labels that they received for the last two years.
PECANS, TRAIL MIX, CHOCOLATES, ETC.will be available in late October or early November. This will be a fund raiser for the church budget this year.

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 the2009Refreshment Chart in the Narthex. You may wish to “team up” with another person/family to provide refreshments for Fellowship Time. Please speak with Pastor Painter, and we will do our best to find someone with whom you can team up. 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.
Please note: No one has signed up to sponsor Fellowship Time on October 18 or 25.

Community Harvest Dinner
Saturday, October 24th at 6:00 PM
Dinner = Chicken, mashed potato, corn, green beans, salad, rolls and butter.
Fall Dessertsinclude Apple pie and Pumpkin pie.
Apple dunking, games, build a scare-crow contest and a whole lot of fun.
Please sign up on the bulletins boards in the Narthex and hallway.
A Barrel Offering will be received.
Sponsored by Children’s Ministries

Metuchen-Edison Area
Interfaith Clergy Association
is pleased to present
the Showing of the Film:

Footsteps: A Journey in Faith
Sunday, October 25, 2009
at Centenary United Methodist Church
200 Hillside Avenue, Metuchen

Twelve religious leaders of very different traditions come together for an extraordinary trip to the Middle East; to a land they’ve read about, a land they’ve preached about for years, and a land some of them will see for the very first time. This documentary follows these leaders into the Holy Land where they witness each other’s faith and hope to deepen their friendship in the process.

This trip was not about solving the century-old crisis in the Middle East. Rather to explore faith – looking at the similarities that bring people together while looking honestly at the differences that stand to divide our world today. That same division tears the group apart when phone calls from the U.S. Embassy and Israeli Defense Force reveal a kidnapping threat just hours before their journey to the West Bank.

Upon their return, they realize that the journey has just begun. Now they tell this story of interfaith experience and understanding. The story empowers the group and challenges the viewer to really listen and act in faith.

6:00 PM Pizza/Salad Dinner and Gathering
6:30 PM Movie Viewing
7:30 PM Discussion of the Movie
8:30 PM Goodbye! See you at our Next Program.

Dinner is Sponsored by the Metuchen-Edison Area Interfaith Clergy Association
However, we ask that you RSVP so we can order food accordingly.
Please RSVP by Monday, October 19 to interfaithclergy@verizon.net
Questions?? Ask your clergy…

Mark the Date:
Halloween “Trunk or Treating”
on Saturday, October 31 at 7:00 PM in the Rear Parking Lot
Please fill your trunk with individually store-wrapped goodies and back your vehicle towards the sidewalk. Refreshments served for parents and children alike.

All Saints’ Day: Sunday, November 1, 2009
At our 10:15 AM (EST) Service of Worship on Sunday, November 1, 2009, we will name and remember those members and friends of the Centenary Church Family who have joined the Communion of Saints since last November. If you have loved ones or friends who have died since November 2, 2008, and you would like their names lifted up in memory during our All Saints’ Day Service, please provide that information to the Church Office by Wednesday, October 28so that they may be included. You may leave those names with Mary Kay Dangremond by phone during regular Church Office hours (9:00 AM-1:00 PM weekdays), or provide them to the Church by E-mail (CentaryUMC@aol.com), Fax (732-548-6256), or regular mail.

Some Thoughts for This Week:

God’s best for you may not be your preference.

The human race has one effective weapon–and that is laughter. – Mark Twain

Joy runs deeper than despair. – Corrie Ten Boom

Babe Ruth hit more home runs than anyone; he also struck out more than almost anyone.

Goodness is a process of becoming, not of being. What we do over and over again is what we become in the end. – Joan Chittister, Benedictine nun, author, and lecturer.

We cannot hold a torch to light another person’s path without brightening our own. – Ben Sweetland

God has given us two hands, one to receive with and the other to give with. – Billy Graham

I wept because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet. – Persian proverb

Little progress can be made by merely attempting to repress what is evil; our great hope lies in developing what is good. – Calvin Coolidge

Losers see thunderstorms, winners see rainbows; losers see icy streets, winners put on their ice skates! – Denis Waitley

Surprises, by their nature, come in disguise, masked sometimes as disappointments or detours when they’re in fact dreams turning solid, if you’ll just step aside and give them some air. – Nancy Gibbs

The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience. – Emily Dickinson

Faith is not a thing which one “loses,” we merely cease to shape our lives by it. – Georges Bernanos

When we say we need more time, what we really need is to use the time God gives us more wisely.

The only ones of you who will be truly happy are those who have found and learned how to serve. – Albert Schweitzer

I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble. – Helen Keller

A good example is the best sermon. – Tomas Fuller

Keep a green tree alive in your heart and a songbird may come to sing there. – Chinese Proverb

The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world is to be in reality what we would appear to be. – Socrates

Next Sunday at Centenary: October 18, 2009
The Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost / Children’s Sabbath

9:00 AM – Adult Study – The Prayers of Jesus(Sunshine Room)
10:15 AM – Worship & Sunday School(Grades 7-12)
Children’s Ministries Director Cathy Jean Savoia and the children
of Centenary will plan and lead the service for Children’s Sabbath 2009
Morning Message: Commitment to Action Message Reading: Matthew 10:40-42
Lectionary Readings: Job 38:1-7 (34-41) Hebrews 5:1-10
Psalm 104:1-9. 24, 35c Mark 10:35-45
Music: Chancel Choir- Bless the Lordby Jean Pasquet
Celebration of Found Coins:2009 CROP Walk (October 18)
11:30 AM – Fellowship Time(Room 20)
11:45 AM – Junior Choir Rehearsal(Music Room)
12:30 PM – 2009 CROP Walk for World Hunger(First Presbyterian Church)
6:30 PM – United Methodist Youth Fellowship – Grades 7-12(Youth Room)

Sunday, October 18th—Children’s Sabbath: Create Change for Children Today: Bring Hope and a Better Tomorrow“As people of faith, we affirm that the driving force for creating change for children is nothing less, not because of how we will be better off for it, but because it is the right thing to do. God expects of us nothing less.”
Centenary children will design and lead the congregation in spirit for Children’s Sabbath on October 18that 10:15 AM. If there are children or youth who would like to sing or play an instrument for the service, please speak with Cathy or Michael Savoia.
Food Collection—Sunday, October 18: Please bring cereals, staple food items in plastic jars or cans, and paper products to share with senior residents in Perth Amboy. We and they 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#3, #4, #5 & #6…andpull-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

Prayer for the Week of October 11:Almighty God, I long to rest in your gentle arms. I need your compassion as I face the challenges and disappointments of life. When my heart is hard, and my concern is only for myself, turn me back to you. Remind me of your saving love and keep me close to you, Lord. Love me as only you can love, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

I look forward to sharing with many of you in Study, Worship and Christian Fellowship at Centenary on this Sunday morning.

In Christ’s Love, Pastor John