9:00 AM — Adult Study – The Parables of Jesus 10:15 AM — Worship and Sunday School (Pre-K through 6th Grade) Preacher: Keith A. Swatzel, II Theme: Hospitality of the Heavenly Host: A Subversive Invitation Lectionary Readings: Exodus 32:1-14 Philippians 4:1-9, Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23, Matthew 22:1-14 Chancel Choir: Este Momento by Pablo Sosa 11:30 AM — Fellowship Time 11:45 AM — Junior Choir Rehearsal Celebration of Found Coins: 2008 CROP Walk (October 19)

TGIF Intergenerational Dinner and Lectionary Discussion and a lot of fun together will meet on Friday, October 10 from 6:30-8:30 PM in the Sanctuary. A barrel offering is taken to defray the costs for the meal and materials. Persons of all ages are invited and encouraged to attend.

ADULT CLASS WRESTLES WITH OBSTACLE-TO-FAITH ISSUES
After completing its current study of The Parables of Jesus, Centenary’s Adult Class will begin a new five-week study of obstacle-to-faith issues, starting October 19. This will be part two of a DVD study called Serious Answers to Hard Questions. In part one of the study last year, the class discussed Evangelism and Tolerance, the God of the Old Testament, Religion and Science, the Sins of the Church, and the Gnostic Gospels. The schedule for this study is as follows:

October 19………………….The Problem of Evil in the World
October 26………………….Other Religions
November 2…………………Jesus and Christianity
November 9…………………Forgiveness
November 16……………….Resurrection

You don’t necessarily have to make a year-long commitment to be part of the Adult Class. We usually schedule our courses to run no more than five or six weeks so you can attend as your schedule permits. If you see a course that has special interest for you, please join us on Sunday mornings from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM in the Sunshine Room. If you have suggestions for courses you would like the Adult Class to offer, please contact Bob Carlson at 732-549-6296.

2008 CROP Walk ? Sunday, October 19 at 12:30 PM
The Metuchen-Edison Area 2008 CROP (Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty) Walk for World Hunger will begin with sign-in and registration at 12:30 PM on Sunday, October 19, 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 Clergy association to be used for emergency assistance for local individuals and households.) And you can 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 2008 CROP Walk are presently available through 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… Please speak with Pastor John Painter for additional information or to offer your assistance.

You Can Support UMCOR’s Response to 2008 Hurricanes in U.S. and in Haiti: The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is at work in the U.S. Gulf Coast and is also responding to four catastrophic storms that tore through Haiti in less than a month. You can support UMCOR’s efforts in the Gulf Coast and/or Haiti by making your checks payable to “Centenary UM Church.” Please write either “Hurricanes 2008” or “Haiti Emergency” on the memo line of your check. Then place it in an offering plate at a Sunday morning Worship service, or mail it to our Church Office (200 Hillside Avenue, Metuchen, NJ 08840-1900). Checks made payable to “UMCOR” can also be mailed directly to UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087. Write “UMCOR Advance #3019695, Hurricanes 2008” or “UMCOR Advance #418325, Haiti Emergency” on the memo line.” Credit-card donations can be made by calling 800-554-8583 or at www.givetomission.org (link to “Hurricanes 2008” under UMCOR Emergencies on the right hand side of the page).

CENTENARY UNITED METHODISTCHURCH
INVITES YOU TO A

SILENT MOVIE NIGHT
Be prepared to laugh your head off!

An evening of short films accompanied by live piano music
created by Jonathan Benjamin.
Saturday, October 25
7:00 p.m.

Free Will Offering

All Saints’ Sunday, November 2, 2008
At our 10:15 AM (EST) Service of Worship on Sunday, November 2, 2008, 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 1, 2007, and you would like their names lifted up in memory during our All Saints’ Sunday Service, please provide that information to the Church Office by Wednesday, October 29 so 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.

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.

You are invited to sponsor flower arrangements for our Worship services. The 2008 Flower Chart is posted in the Narthex. Floral arrangements cost $25.00 each week to sponsor. (Please make your check payable to Centenary UM Church and write “Altar Flowers” in the Memo line.) 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.

Some Thoughts for This Week:

We must learn from the mistakes of others because we won’t live long enough to make them all ourselves.

Don’t look down on another person unless you are leaning over to help them up.

What a different world this would be if people would magnify their blessings the way they do their troubles.

The largest room in the world is the room for improvement.

Winners – people who tell you what they did and not people who tell you what they think you ought to do.

When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost. – Billy Graham

A smile is the lighting system of the face and the heating system of the heart.

Anger helps straighten out a problem as much as a fan helps straighten out a pile of papers. – Susan Marcotte

Were there no God, we would be in this glorious world with grateful hearts, and no one to thank. – Christina Rossetti

Peace and love are always in us, existing and working, but we are not always in peace and in love. – Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love

After the verb “to Love,” “to Help” is the most beautiful verb in the world. – Bertha von Suttner

It’s strange that in prayer we often ask for a change in circumstance rather than in our character.

Well done is better than well said. – Benjamin Franklin

The purpose of life is to live a life of purpose. – Richard Leider

If you find in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded. – Maya Angelou

[T]he biggest challenge that any of us will ever have: to really get up in the morning and say, “OK God, what can I do to help somebody else today, how can I be a blessing to somebody else?” – Joyce Meyer

Show me a dreamer and I’ll show you one of God’s heartbeats for the human race. – Joan Chittister

Next Sunday – October 19, 2008:
9:00 AM Adult Study Obstacles to Faith (Sunshine Room)
10:15 AM – Worship
The 23rd Sunday After Pentecost / Children’s Sabbath
Director of Children’s Ministries Cathy Jean Savoia and the children and youth
of Centenary will plan and lead the service for Children’s Sabbath 2008
Lectionary Readings: Exodus 33:12-23 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Psalm 99 Matthew 22:15-22
Children’s Message: Pastor Keith Swatzel & Centenary Youth Fellowship
Music: Junior Choir & Sunday School – There Was a Man Named Jonah
Celebration of Found Coins: 2008 CROP Walk (October 19)
11:30 AM – Fellowship Time (Room 20)
12:30 PM – 2008 CROP Walk for World Hunger (1st Presbyterian Church)
6:30 PM – Centenary UM Youth Fellowship (Grades 7-12) (Youth Room)

Food Collection—Sunday, October 19
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

Prayer for the Week of October 12: We give you our thanks, dear God, for all things. We thank you for air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat, and a roof over our heads. We thank you for the color of trees, the songs of the birds, for sunrise and sunset. We thank you for all that is familiar and comforting, but we also thank you for all that is new and challenging. We give you thanks for the times when we are busy and feel useful and for the times when we are quiet and can rest. When we feel strong and know the gift of good health, we give you thanks. When illness and difficulties come our way, we give you thanks we can turn to you for comfort and strength. We praise you for the gift of your presence and your love, gifts of more value than we could ever deserve. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Pastor John Painter will be attending the 2008 Tipple-Vosburgh Lecture Series and annual Alumni/ae Reunion at Drew Theological School from Tuesday afternoon, October 14, through mid-day on Thursday, October 16. The theme for this year’s lecture/workshop series is “The World Is My Parish: Church, Academy and Civic Engagement.” Pastor John’s attendance partially fulfills the annual requirements for his Continuing Theological Education.

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

Shalom, John