Dear Centenary Church Family:

We will gather in our Sanctuary at 10:30 AM this Sunday, September 30, to share in Music Appreciation Sunday Worship. The Harris Ringers handbell choir will start us off with a beautiful rendering of To a Wild Rose by Edward MacDowell (arranged by Frances L. Callahan) during the Time of Centering. We will sing Charles Wesley’s great hymn, O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing as we open our service. After we participate in a brief time of music recognition and dedication, our Junior Choir will share Making Music for the Masterby Hank Beebe. Continuing the musical theme, our Centenary Youth Fellowship and Assistant Pastor Terrilisa Durham Bauknight will offer a Children’s Time built around Psalm 150 and the song Praise the Lord with the Sound of Trumpet. My morning Message, Those Singing Methodists, will focus especially on the musical gifts of Charles Wesley, co-founder of Methodism with his brother John, whose 300th birthday we are celebrating this year. The special Scripture readings for the morning will be Psalm 98 and Colossians 3:12-17. During the Offertory the Chancel Choir will sing the moving anthem, How Can I Keep from Singing by Robert Lowry. Our Celebration of Found Coins is designated to provide supplies for the Volunteer-in-Mission Trip of Centenary members to Mar del Plata, Argentina, in November.

Reminder: Kids’ Night Out this Friday, September 28 from 6:30-8:30 PM
Children’s Ministries Director Cathy Jean Savoia has asked that, instead of the usual donation to attend, each child attending bring a soft-cover book to be taken by the Volunteer-in-Mission team to share with a child in Argentina. Ms Cathy indicates that inexpensive books (in Spanish) are available at Barnes & Noble Bookstore.

Wedding Bells: Congratulations to John C. Michael and Demise M. Somers who will be united in “A Service of Christian Marriage” at which Pastor John Painter will preside in our Sanctuary on Saturday, September 29 at 4:00 PM.

A Final Reminder:
ART AUCTION
Saturday, September 29, 2007
7:00 PM Preview — 8:00 PM Auction

Door Prizes – Silent Auction – Refreshments
Tickets Are Available at $10.00 per Person
See Glenna Gundell Sundays following Worship
or Call the Church Office to Reserve
732-548-7622
All profits from the Art Auction are to provide support for resources
to be used for the work of the
Volunteer-in-Mission Trip by Members of Centenary
to Mar del Plata, Argentina, November 3-11, 2007

Acolytes Needed: Young persons in the Fourth Grade and above who are interested in serving as Acolytes in Worship are invited to contact Acolyte Coordinator Leslie Hale (732-906-8581) or the Church Office (732-548-7622 or CentaryUMC@aol.com) to receive information and to sign up to serve on a specific date this fall/winter. Pastor Painter and others from our Worship Committee will be available to assist any new Acolytes to undertake their important responsibilities. Those who have served as Acolytes previously are especially encouraged to place their names on the sign-up sheet in the Narthex.

Centenary will next be serving dinner at the Ozanam Shelter this Monday, October 1. Please check the information on the bulletin board in the Narthex and sign up to assist with food preparation or serving in October. For further information, please contact Glenna Gundell (732-463-1431) or Mary Ellen Heim (732-548-2587). Thanks.

TGIF Intergenerational Dinner and Lectionary Discussion and a lot of fun together will meet on Fridays, October 5 & 12 from 6:30-8:30 PM. A barrel offering is taken to defray the costs for the meal and materials. Persons of all ages are invited and encouraged to attend.

Centenary Book Club: Friday, October 5 at 7:30 PM in the Sunshine Room: The Book under discussion will be The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography by Sidney Poitier. We welcome new members, male or female, ages 18 years of age and older. Interest, questions or the need for other information can be directed to Pastor Bauknight at (908) 419-4101, by e-mail at REVTDB395@aol.com, or by leaving a message at the church office.

Metuchen Country Fair—Saturday, October 6: Don’t let your hands and brains be idle this coming week. Use them to make some items for the United Methodist Women to sell at their table at the Metuchen Fair. This is our only fund raising activity so we need all the help we can get. If you need patterns for knitting or sewing, please see Sylvia Woodfield or Millie Pleuler. There is a sign up poster in the narthex for you to sign up to work at the fair on Saturday, October 6th. We will need help early in the morning setting up, working at our booth later in the morning and afternoon and then we will need help cleaning up and bringing unsold items back to church. It is a lot of fun and you get to see all your neighbors on Main Street!

Books for Sale: The Church Library will be having their usual book sale at the Metuchen Fair. If you have some books you wish to contribute to their sale please bring them in and leave them by the table outside the library. They will need help also early in the morning to set up and also to help at the table selling the books and then cleaning up in the afternoon.

FAREWELL OPEN HOUSE
FOR
MILLIE PLEULER

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20TH – from 2:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M
IN THE SUNSHINE ROOM
AT CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Some of you may have heard that Millie Pleuler will be leaving our area and moving to Florida to live with her daughter and son-in-law, Connie and Don Milone.
Millie will be leaving by October 24. This Open House will give you an opportunity to say your farewells to Millie, tell her how much you will miss her and remember good times we have had together.
We will have a Remembrance Scrapbook which we will give to Millie. If you wish to send a note, letter, or perhaps a picture or two to be included in this book, please send it in to the church not later than Wednesday, October 10th. You can mail it to the Church or give it to Stephanie Ringler at church on Sunday, October 7th as she will be composing the Scrapbook.
There will be some light refreshments and punch and coffee and tea. If you are able to provide some of the refreshments or help in any other way, please contact Sylvia Woodfield (732) 549-9042.

2007 Church Conference – Sunday, October 21 at 5:30 PM: The Rev. Veronica P. Palmer, Raritan Valley District Superintendent, has announced that the 2007 Church Conference of Centenary United Methodist Church will be held on Sunday, October 21 at 5:30 PM at Centenary. You are encouraged to enter this date and time in your calendars and plan to attend this annual conference of our church.
As required by The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, and by the laws of the State of New Jersey, official notice is hereby given that at the Church Conference of Centenary United Methodist Church at 5:30 PM on Sunday, October 21, 2007, nominations will be received and an election held for a vacancy in the Class of 1009 and for three members of the Class of 2010 of the Board of Trustees. All members of Centenary United Methodist Church are eligible to vote on all matters before the Conference, and to vote in the election of leaders for the (except those under the age of 18 are not able to vote on the election of members of the Board of Trustees).

Further information about our 2007 Church Conference will be included in the weekly Worship bulletins.

2007 CROP Walk ? Sunday, October 21 at 12:30 PM: The Metuchen-Edison 2005 CROP Walk for World Hunger will begin with sign-in and registration at 12:30 PM on October 21, and “Step-Off” on the Walk at 1:00 PM from First Presbyterian Church in Metuchen (to which all walkers will return at the end of the walk). Envelopes to secure sponsors for the 2007 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.

Some Thoughts for This Week:

I feel the greatest gift we can give to anybody is the gift of our honest self. — Fred ” Mr.” Rogers, Children’s TV Show Star

God’s everywhere. God’s in the effort, God’s in the struggle, whether that’s for civil rights or creative expression. God’s always in the struggle with us. – Anne Lamott

Kindness is Christianity with its working clothes on. – Unknown

Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones. And when you have finished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake. – Victor Hugo

All the masterpieces of art contain both light and shadow. A happy life is not one filled with only sunshine, but one which uses both light and shadow to produce beauty. – Billy Graham

Forgiveness means giving up all hope of a better past. – Landrum Bolling

As the centuries pass the evidence is accumulating that, measured by His effect on history, Jesus is the most influential life ever lived on this planet. – Kevin Scott Latourette

When all is said and done, more is said than done. – Lou Holtz

Life has lessons to teach. We can remember them and share them with others, or we can forget them and have to learn them again. – Jan Pishok, from A Woman’s Spirit by Karen Casey. Copyright © 1994 by Hazelden Foundation.

Next Sunday, October 7—World Communion Sunday will be a very special service at Centenary as we will be united in worship with Pastor John Wonyung Choi and members of Dreaming Fellowship Church, the Korean-language congregation with whom we have recently entered into a shared facility-relationship covenant. This will truly emphasize and underscore the international spirit of “…the Church which Jesus Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races,” as our Baptismal Covenant reminds us.
You are encouraged to come to Worship wearing clothing that reflects your national or ethnic heritage. It is wonderful to look out over the congregation and to see how we reflect both the multiversity and universality of the people of God.
You will also be invited to consider coming forward at the end of the service to share a word of blessing to and for the congregation in a language other than English. As in prior years, that World Benediction will be a simple phrase—The peace of God be with you—but what a gift to receive it in the many different languages represented within our membership!
We are asking each household (individual and/or family) to bring a special loaf of bread to our World Communion Service on October 7. It may be a loaf you or another member of your family prepares and bakes at home; it may be a special loaf you select to purchase from a bakery. During the Celebration of Found Coins Pastor Painter will invite you to come forward with your offerings and also place your loaves in large baskets at the foot of the Altar. We will be using four different loaves of bread for our Communion serving at four different locations in the Sanctuary—representing “the four corners of the world.” We will bless all of the loaves and then distribute them back out to the congregation at the conclusion of the service. In this simple way you may enjoy the gifts of one another symbolized through these many different kinds bread. If there are loaves remaining when the service is concluded, we will arrange for them to be shared with people in our area who may be blessed by the gifts of our bread.
Flags: There will be a colorful display of flags from 150 nations around the world in our Sanctuary, thanks to a special gift from our Children’s Ministries program.
Finally, everyone is invited to share together in an International Pot-Luck Lunch following Worship. We invite you to bring a dish to share reflective of your heritage. In a congregation like Centenary, composed of persons from a variety of different cultures—along with our sisters and brothers from Dreaming Fellowship Church—we anticipate a delicious opportunity to sample food from a wide variety of cuisines. Come at Christ’s invitation to share in the Sacrament of Holy Communion and “International Table Fellowship” at Centenary on Sunday, October 7.

Sunday, October 7, 2007:
9:00 AM– Adult Study — Walk As Jesus Walked (Sunshine Room)
10:15 AM – Worship and Sunday School (Pre-K through 12th Grade)
The 19th Sunday After Pentecost / World Communion Sunday
Preacher: John D. Painter Theme: Christ, Our Lord, Invites You…
Lectionary Readings: Lamentations 1:1-6 2 Timothy 1:1-14
Psalm 137 Luke 17:5-10
Special Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
11:45 AM– International Pot-Luck Luncheon
5:00-8:30 PM– CUMC Youth Fellowship (Bridgewater UM Church)
5:30 PM – Dreaming Fellowship ChurchWorship, SS, Fellowship(Sanctuary, Parenting Room, Chapel, Room 20)
5:45 PM– Junior Choir Rehearsal (Music Room)

Prayer for the Week of September 30: Thanks be to God for the word of Christ that brings us stories of vivid life, warning us of our temptations and illusions and offering us a new way of being. Thanks be to God for the earthiness of the Gospel of Christ that makes creative changes an option for us. It makes real the delight of traveling with the Spirit into a world where anything is possible if we act in faith. Amen.

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

Shalom, John