Today we celebrated the Carolyn Halsted's last day as our interim pianist in style, but Carolyn was always more than a pianist - she has helped to bring our choir to a new level of performance that reflects her own considerable dedication to the crafting of fine music. Carolyn helped us to celebrate that creativity today with an original composition of hers which the choir performed as our offertory anthem.
We bid a fond farewell to Carolyn, knowing that she will always be a part of the First UMC Middletown family, and part of our legacy of encouraging our community to contribute their passion for spiritual expression through music to our worship services. Many thanks, Carolyn, and many prayers for a wonderful future for your gifts of grace! |
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January 31, 2016
Third Sunday after Epiphany Sermon “Are Those Words Coming From Me?!” by Pastor Barbara Marks Children's Sermon also by Pastor Marks Please join us for worship Sunday at 10:00 a.m. at The Elk’s Lodge 44 Maynard Street, Middletown, CT ~ Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4-10 & 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 ~ Announcements: Thank you Carolyn for your wonderful Spirit and guidance. We praise God for your gift of music and we are so blessed that you have shared it with us. Of course, this is not goodbye! "The Future of First UMC Middletown - Implementing the Vision" - Your voice matters for the future of our church! THIS SUNDAY, January 31st, after fellowship, everyone is invited to listen and to speak on how we will begin to implement the future of our church this year. John Parent, the Chairperson of the Church Council, will chair the meeting, and John Blossom, Seminarian Associate, will present materials to help facilitate the discussion. This will be the first of a series of meetings in which we begin to make informed decisions for action on facilities, ministries, and outreach, defined around long-term goals. Choir Rehearsal. Please join our new music director Eric Buggienext Saturday, February 6th at 10 a.m. at the Parsonage for an informal, 'getting to know you' choir rehearsal. All current members of the choir and anyone wishing to join the choir are encouraged to attend. Church Council Vision Meeting. Immediately after worship and fellowship on Sunday, January 31st, all members and regular worshipers are invited to join us for a Church Council meeting, at which we will discuss the future of the church, taking actions as needed to take further major decisions. Your voice and your vote matters - please come! Coffee and Devotion at the Parsonage is held the second Mondayof each month. Please join us Monday, February 8th, 9:30-10:30 a.m.Just stop in with Joys, Concerns and Thoughts. Sew ‘n’ Sew meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month. They will next meet Tuesday, February 9th. Please contact Barbara Hendershot for further information at 860-346-0467. Ash Wednesday Service. February 10th. Will be held in the Parsonage following a fellowship soup dinner at 6 p.m. All are invited and welcomed to bring friends. Amazing Grace Donations can now be brought to church anySunday. In addition to tuna and cereal, they are looking for donations of oatmeal, coffee and soup. The Missions committee will collect these items every Sunday and deliver to Amazing Grace. Please contact Marsha Judson with any questions at 860-346-0005. The Coordinator of Rides to The Elk’s Lodge in Middletown is Jill Bennett. Please contact Jill at 860-345-7382 if you are in need of a ride to our new location. Our mailing address has changed! All mailings should now be sent to First United Methodist Church at 221 Ridge Road, Middletown, CT 06457. Thank you! We have a Facebook page! Help spread the word about the church by “liking” the church page and “sharing” posts. (http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-United-Methodist-Church/109638702407308). ~ *Please Note: Church cancellations can be found on WFSB (channel 3) and NBC30. Make sure we have your email for additional notifications. A message will also be left on the church's answering machine if service is canceled. ~ First United Methodist Church 221 Ridge Road Middletown, CT 06457 churchoffice@fumcmiddletownct.org 860-346-3689 Do not hesitate to call the church office with any questions or concerns. For God, all things are possible. - Mark 10:27 This Sunday, January 31st, after worship and fellowship, you have the opportunity to begin to shape the future of First United Methodist Church, Middletown. Your voice and your efforts will matter and make all the difference!
This first in a series of all-church meetings will begin to explore how to take concrete steps towards implementing the mission and the means to fulfill God's plan for United Methodism in Middletown. John Parent, our Church Council Chairperson, will chair the meeting, and we will be able to shift to acting as a voting Church Council quickly as required to make important decisions. Our new Lay Leader Debbie Camp and Pastor Barbara Marks will also be helping to lead the meeting, listening to your voices and helping to lead us towards the promising future that God has prepared for us. Seminarian Associate John Blossom will provide presentation materials to help frame and moderate the discussion. All voices will be heard without dominance and with respect and good moderation, so that we can begin the work of discerning the way forward through the exciting opportunities that lay before us. Our mission is the key focus of this first meeting, but we will also be discerning how to move in a deliberate and committed way to defining the mission fields and the means to fulfill our mission. Bring yourself, your ideas, your hopes, your dreams, open hearts, and open minds. May God help us to do the rest, for in God, all things are possible, indeed! January 24, 2016
Third Sunday after Epiphany Sermon “Upon...Me?” by John Blossom, Seminarian Associate, CLS Children's Sermon also by John Blossom *Please Note: Church cancellations can be found on WFSB (channel 3) and NBC30. Make sure we have your email for additional notifications. A message will also be left on the church's answering machine if service is canceled. Thanks. ~ Please join us for worship Sunday at 10:00 a.m. at The Elk’s Lodge 44 Maynard Street, Middletown, CT ~ Scripture: Ezekiel 1:1, 2:1-3:3 & Luke 4:14-21 ~ Announcements: Choir rehearsal will be at the Parsonage, Saturday, 10AM, weather permitting. Thank You Church for the special Christmas basket filled with thoughtful goodies and to SPRC for your gracious gift! We are humbled and grateful. Pastor Barbara & Dave. Pastor Barbara will be away on business and pleasure January 12th-24th. In her absence John Blossom will be covering. In a pastoral emergency John can be reached at (203) 293-8511, otherwise, you may leave a message with the Church Office (860) 346-3689 during regular business hours. Coffee and Devotion at the Parsonage this Monday, January 25th,9:30-10:30am. Just stop in with Joys, Concerns and Thoughts. "The Future of First UMC Middletown - Implementing the Vision" - Your voice matters for the future of our church! Sunday, January 31st, after fellowship, everyone is invited to listen and to speak on how we will begin to implement the future of our church this year. John Parent, the Chairperson of the Church Council, will chair the meeting, and John Blossom, Seminarian Associate, will present materials to help facilitate the discussion. This will be the first of a series of meetings in which we begin to make informed decisions for action on facilities, ministries, and outreach, defined around long-term goals. 2016 District Resourcing Days - Save the Date. Come and learn at workshops focusing on Worship Design, Technology in Worship, Godly Play, Older Adult Ministries, Disaster Preparation and HUB Churches, Staff Parish Relations, Trustees, Church Finance, Facebook, Immigration and Incarceration, Prayer, and “Telling Our Story: Celebrating 250 Years of Methodism.” Sunday, January 31st, Westport UMC 49 Weston Road, Westport, CT 06880 2:00 p.m.- 4:45 p.m. Saturday, February 6th, Woodbury UMC 4 Church Street, Woodbury, CT 06798 9:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Amazing Grace Donations can now be brought to church anySunday. In addition to tuna and cereal, they are looking for donations of oatmeal, coffee and soup. The Missions committee will collect these items every Sunday and deliver to Amazing Grace. Please contact Marsha Judson with any questions at 860-346-0005. Amazing Grace Food Pantry would like to thank everyone at First United Methodist Church, Middletown for the generous donations made in 2015. In total FUMC donated 355 lbs. of food! It is only with the continuing commitment of so many generous members of our church and our community that Amazing Grace is able to provide food for families who are most in need. They are extremely grateful for your continuing support of this mission. The Coordinator of Rides to The Elk’s Lodge in Middletown is Jill Bennett. Please contact Jill at 860-345-7382 if you are in need of a ride to our new location. Our mailing address has changed! All mailings should now be sent to First United Methodist Church at 221 Ridge Road, Middletown, CT 06457. Thank you! We have a Facebook page! Help spread the word about the church by “liking” the church page and “sharing” posts. (http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-United-Methodist-Church/109638702407308). ~ First United Methodist Church 221 Ridge Road Middletown, CT 06457 churchoffice@fumcmiddletownct.org 860-346-3689 Do not hesitate to call the church office with any questions or concerns. What would we do if we suddenly discovered that God was standing right in front of us? What if God was not just in the Bible, or "up there," but alive, right now?
The people of a small town called Nazareth had to answer these questions when a man called Jesus declared to them that the living God was standing before them, ready to help the world. Centuries later, though, people still have that experience, right in their own hearts, when the living God is upon them. Are we ready to have it happen for us? And how will we use it to help God's world? Explore the answers to these questions in worship this Sunday, 10 AM, 44 Maynard Street. Second Sunday after Epiphany
WESLEY’S COVENANT SERVICE Sermon “Just (Re)Married” by John Blossom, Seminarian Associate, CLS Children's Sermon also by John Blossom Please join us for worship Sunday at 10:00 a.m. at The Elk’s Lodge 44 Maynard Street, Middletown, CT ~ Scripture: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 & John 2:1-11 ~ Announcements: Thank You Church for the special Christmas basket filled with thoughtful goodies and to SPRC for your gracious gift! We are humbled and grateful. Pastor Barbara & Dave. Coffee and Devotion at the Parsonage this Monday, January 18th,9:30-10:30am. Just stop in with Joys, Concerns and Thoughts. Pastor Barbara will be away on business and pleasure January 12th-24th. In her absence John Blossom will be covering. In a pastoral emergency John can be reached at (203) 293-8511, otherwise, you may leave a message with the Church Office (860) 346-3689 during regular business hours. 2016 District Resourcing Days - Save the Date. Come and learn at workshops focusing on Worship Design, Technology in Worship, Godly Play, Older Adult Ministries, Disaster Preparation and HUB Churches, Staff Parish Relations, Trustees, Church Finance, Facebook, Immigration and Incarceration, Prayer, and “Telling Our Story: Celebrating 250 Years of Methodism.” Sunday, January 31st, Westport UMC 49 Weston Road, Westport, CT 06880 2:00 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. Saturday, February 6th, Woodbury UMC 4 Church Street, Woodbury, CT 06798 9:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Amazing Grace Donations can now be brought to church anySunday. In addition to tuna and cereal, they are looking for donations of oatmeal, coffee and soup. The Missions committee will collect these items every Sunday and deliver to Amazing Grace. Please contact Marsha Judson with any questions at 860-346-0005. Amazing Grace Food Pantry would like to thank everyone at First United Methodist Church, Middletown for the generous donations made in 2015. In total FUMC donated 355 lbs. of food! It is only with the continuing commitment of so many generous members of our church and our community that Amazing Grace is able to provide food for families who are most in need. They are extremely grateful for your continuing support of this mission. The Coordinator of Rides to The Elk’s Lodge in Middletown is Jill Bennett. Please contact Jill at 860-345-7382 if you are in need of a ride to our new location. Our mailing address has changed! All mailings should now be sent to First United Methodist Church at 221 Ridge Road, Middletown, CT 06457. Thank you! We have a Facebook page! Help spread the word about the church by “liking” the church page and “sharing” posts. (http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-United-Methodist-Church/109638702407308). ~ First United Methodist Church 221 Ridge Road Middletown, CT 06457 churchoffice@fumcmiddletownct.org 860-346-3689 *Please Note: Church cancellations can be found on WFSB (channel 3) and NBC30. Make sure we have your email for additional notifications. Thanks. Do not hesitate to call the church office with any questions or concerns.
Love playing music? Want a place to share a spiritual message through music? First United Methodist Church Middletown is a place where you can do that, with appreciative and ecouraging audiences - for up to $100 per performance. We call it #FirstMusic. We are now holding auditions for monthly performances at our church by local musicians who have a message that they'd like to share with others. We do not require specifically Christian music, though it is welcome, and previous experience with worship music is not necessary. If you have instrumental, vocal, or a group music talent that has something to say, in any musical genre, then let us help you to say it! Auditions will be held on an appointment basis at our church parsonage, 221 Ridge Road in Middletown. Our Music Director will be available to encourage and support you in your performance, and can help you to succeed. For more information and audition scheduling, please contact John Blossom by voice or text at (203) 293.8511, via email at outreach@fumcmiddletownct.org, or send us a message on Facebook or Twitter. We hope that you will share your music with us some time soon! Downloadable Poster: ![]()
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