Photos and words cannot do justice to the amazing craft-work and creativity from heartfelt ministries brought to First UMC Middletown's worship service by members of Sew 'n' Sews this Sunday, 30 August. Dozens of knitted and sewn items and health kits were laid out for a blessing for them, for the hands that made them, and for the lives receiving them, led by Pastor Barbara Marks. Members of the congregation held hands and reached out to others near them in this moment of asking for God's grace, and for celebrating the grace that had brought us all together in ministry to one another. The scope of lives touched by Sew 'n' Sews' ministries is inspiring. One key focus has been the support of thousands of very poor children and elders of the Lakota Native American tribe living on the Cheyenne River reservation in South Dakota. Through the non-profit Hawkwing project, these beautifully crafted items are distributed to these people in need, offering dignity, joy, and hope. Mental health patients of River Valley Services in Middletown will be receiving cut-fringe scarves at their Christmas celebration this year from Sew 'n' Sews, cancer patients will be receiving bright and joyful sewn warming caps, and newborn infants in hospitals will be receiving knitted matching bonnets and booties. Health kits being assembled were also on display, part of Sew 'n' Sews' substantial contributions to the United Methodist Church New York Annual Conference's substantial effort to have basic health and hygiene supplies available to the homeless and other people with fundamental needs. Dolls being created for children in Haiti are another key project for the Sew 'n' Sews this year. Photos of these items will be posted over the next several weeks on a new page on the Pinterest social media service created to display Sew 'n' Sews work, as a part of our congregation's outreach efforts. The Sew 'n' Sews page on our web site is also now displaying examples of their beautiful work. As new items are created, please take photos of them and send them in, so that the world can be aware of God's redeeming love being made present and active through First UMC Middletown ministries! |
2 Comments
First United Methodist Church
Middletown, CT THIS WEEKEND AT FUMC August 30, 2015 14th Sunday After Pentecost Sermon "Let's Get Our Hands Dirty!" by Barbara Marks and Children's Sermon by John Blossom Please join us for worship Sunday at 10:00 a.m. & meet our new pastor Barbara Marks at The Elk’s Lodge 44 Maynard Street, Middletown, CT ~ Scripture: James 1:17-27 & Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 ~ Announcements: Christian Education – Please join us this Sunday, August 30th, following worship if you are interested in helping with Children’s Faith Formations in the fall. Classes will begin September 20th. Please see Barbara or John for details. S.P.P.R. will be meeting September 2nd. Contact Shirley Lawrence for more information at sllawrence45@frontier.com. Finance Committee will be meeting September 9th. Please contact Warren Western at w.western@att.net for more information. End of Summer Picnic is being planned for September. Stay tuned for details. Email Correction - Pastor Barbara’s correct email is Barbara.marks@comcast.net. It is listed incorrectly in the directory. Basic Lay Servant Ministry Courses will be offered through the District at Grace UMC in Southington, Saturday 9/12, 9/19 & 9/26 – 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. If you are interested please let Pastor Barbara know. Amazing Grace Donations can now be brought to church any Sunday. Summer is a very important time for the food pantry. 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. 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). The New York Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church thanks everyone at FUMC Middletown for the generous contribution of $2026.00 towards the fight against malaria. As of today (and with your help) they have raised nearly $800,000.00! For more information about what they are doing with the funds raised, please visit www.nyac.com/mission. ~ First United Methodist Church P.O. Box 65 Middletown, CT 06457 churchoffice@fumcmiddletownct.org. 860-346-3689 Do not hesitate to call the church office with any questions or concerns. Our summer office hours are: Monday and Wednesday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
First United Methodist Church
Middletown, CT THIS WEEKEND AT FUMC August 16, 2015 12th Sunday After Pentecost Sermon "Lead With Your Heart" by Barbara Marks and Children's Sermon by John Blossom Please join us for worship Sunday at 10:00 a.m. & meet our new pastor Barbara Marks at The Elk’s Lodge 44 Maynard Street, Middletown, CT ~ Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-20 & 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14 ~ Announcements: We Welcome John Blossom – Please join S.P.P.R. in welcoming John as our new Associate in Mission and Outreach. He has jumped right in delivering the Children’s Message, helping us dance by using a projector in the worship service, led Church School, assisted with computer issues, social media, and even visited possible “future church” locations. To find out more about John, introduce yourself to him during coffee hour! Help Needed - In an effort to get Children’s Faith Formations together for the fall we have been experimenting with those children who have been attending summer worship. There has been an invigorating Children’s Message and a short lesson afterwards. We have had excellent feedback, and need a group of volunteers to help with this effort. It will mean that you might miss worship once or twice a month but our children will make it well worthwhile. Remember in order to keep in line with Safe Church Policy we need to have two adults present. Please ask Pastor Barbara or John Blossom how you can help! Email Correction - Pastor Barbara’s correct email is Barbara.marks@comcast.net. It is listed incorrectly in the directory. Basic Lay Servant Ministry Courses will be offered through the District: Wethersfield UMC, Saturday 8/22 & 8/29, 9 a.m. - 3:30.p.m. and Grace UMC, Southington, Saturday 9/12, 9/19 & 9/26 – 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. If you are interested please let Pastor Barbara know. Shirley Lawrence, Chair of S.P.P.R., is available if you have questions about the pastoral transition. You can contact her at 860-347-9687 or email her at sllawrence45@comcast.net. Amazing Grace Donations can now be brought to church any Sunday. Summer is a very important time for the food pantry. 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. 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). The New York Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church thanks everyone at FUMC Middletown for the generous contribution of $2026.00 towards the fight against malaria. As of today (and with your help) they have raised nearly $800,000.00! For more information about what they are doing with the funds raised, please visit www.nyac.com/mission. ~ First United Methodist Church P.O. Box 65 Middletown, CT 06457 churchoffice@fumcmiddletownct.org. 860-346-3689 Do not hesitate to call the church office with any questions or concerns. Our summer office hours are: Monday and Wednesday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. First United Methodist Church
Middletown, CT THIS WEEKEND AT FUMC August 2, 2015 10th Sunday After Pentecost Sermon "Where the Crumbs Lead" by Barbara Marks Please join us for worship Sunday at 10:00 a.m. & meet our new pastor Barbara Marks at The Elk’s Lodge 44 Maynard Street, Middletown, CT ~ Scripture: Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15 & John 6:24-35 ~ Announcements: This Sunday Join Us as We Welcome for our Communion and Baptism service the Rev. Sara Lamar-Sterling. Rev. Sara Lamar-Sterling is an ordained elder in the New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. After serving 11 years in the local parish at churches in CT and NY, Sara is now the Pediatrics & Maternity chaplain at Yale New Haven Hospital. Sara lives in New Haven with her husband, Chris, and their dog, Madison, and is one of the clergy in residence at Golden Hill UMC in Bridgeport. This Sunday we welcome Michael Joseph Perry into our Church family as he is baptized in Christ. Michael’s parents are Elizabeth and Michael Perry, and his proud big brother is William. We Welcome John Blossom – Please join S.P.P.R. in welcoming John as our new Associate in Mission and Outreach. He has jumped right in delivering the Children’s Message, helping us dance by using a projector in the worship service, led Church School, assisted with computer issues, social media, and even visited possible “future church” locations. To find out more about John, introduce yourself to him during coffee hour! Help Needed - In an effort to get Children’s Faith Formations together for the fall we have been experimenting with those children who have been attending summer worship. There has been an invigorating Children’s Message and a short lesson afterwards. We have had excellent feedback, and need a group of volunteers to help with this effort. It will mean that you might miss worship once or twice a month but our children will make it well worthwhile. Remember in order to keep in line with Safe Church Policy we need to have two adults present. Please ask Pastor Barbara or John Blossom how you can help! Sunday Breakfast – Join us for breakfast the second Sunday of each month at the Elk’s Lodge. Breakfast will be served next Sunday, August 9th. A great breakfast is served downstairs from the ballroom, starting at 8:00 a.m. for just $6.00. Join us for fellowship and breakfast and then come upstairs to worship. Email Correction - Pastor Barbara’s correct email is Barbara.marks@comcast.net. It is listed incorrectly in the directory. Basic Lay Servant Ministry Courses will be offered through the District: Wethersfield UMC, Saturday 8/15, 8/22 & 8/29, 9 a.m. - 3:30.p.m. and Grace UMC, Southington, Saturday 9/12, 9/19 & 9/26 – 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. If you are interested please let Pastor Barbara know. Shirley Lawrence, Chair of S.P.P.R., is available if you have questions about the pastoral transition. You can contact her at 860-347-9687 or email her at sllawrence45@comcast.net. Amazing Grace Donations can now be brought to church any Sunday. Summer is a very important time for the food pantry. 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. 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 P.O. Box 65 Middletown, CT 06457 churchoffice@fumcmiddletownct.org. 860-346-3689 Do not hesitate to call the church office with any questions or concerns. Our summer office hours are: Monday and Wednesday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. |
News topics
All
|