September 4, 2016
16th Sunday after Pentecost
​
 Sermon
"Wait...how much?!" 
by
Barbara Marks, Pastor
 Children's Sermon  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:

Psalm 139
 &
Luke 14:25-33
 ~

Announcements:

Pastor Barbara will be away from September 8th to September 11th.  John Blossom can be called in a pastoral emergency.  He can be reached at (203) 293-8511.
 
Church Tag Sale… - The First UMC Middletown will be participating in the town wide tag sale on September 17, 2016 at the parsonage.  So get ready and start to clean out those closets.  Drop off for your donations will be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9am-12pm…  Unable to make the drop off times, make an appointment for a special drop off with Jill.  If you would like to volunteer or help out in any way, please contact Jill Bennett (860) 345-7382.
 
Worship Team – Are you interested in being part of the worship team that “creates a look” that goes along with the scripture?  You saw it happen for Pentecost with flames of fire.  You saw it happen during Lent as we created a worship table week after week while building on burlap cloth.  Visual greatly enhance our worship experience! We need a few people to brainstorm how worship might “LOOK” if we were walking into the story.  Please let Pastor Barbara know if you are interested.
 
The Sew ‘n’ Sew’s - will meet the second Tuesday of every month at 10 a.m. at Heritage Commons.  Bring a brown bag lunch.  Please see Rachel Titus for more information. 
 
Church Picnic - will be September 25, 2016 following worship at 12 p.m., at the Lawrence’s home (72 Jacobs Terrace, Middletown). Everyone is invited to attend.  Ted and Shirley will provide the hot dogs,, hamburgers, rolls, iced tea and lemonade.  Folks can bring their favorite main dish to share or a dessert.  We look forward to seeing you.  Please call Shirley or Ted if you have any questions at (860) 343-7265.
 
The United Methodist Men - meet at the parsonage for a men’s breakfast Saturday, October 8th, and the first Saturday of each month. Bring a friend! See David Marks or Warren Western for more information. 
 
Harvest Fair - will be on November 12, 2016, at the parsonage.  We will be having crafts, bake table, lunch, silent action, and more….  Need more information?  Please contact the church office (860) 346-3689 for more details.
 
Choir Fellowship - If you have a desire to sing God’s praises with us, this would be a great time to do so.  For more information, please call Stephanie Buggie at (203) 494-3153, or email sbuggie@sbcglobal.net
 
Amazing Grace Donations – can now be brought to church any Sunday.  In addition to tuna and cereal, they are looking for donations of oatmeal, coffee and soup.    Please contact Marsha Judson with any questions at (860) 346-0005.
​

August 28, 2016
15th Sunday after Pentecost
​
 Sermon
"Anyone for Musical Chairs?" 
by
Barbara Marks, Pastor
 Children's Sermon  by Barbara Marks

Please join us for worship
Sunday at 10:00 a.m.  

 at

The Elk’s Lodge
44 Maynard Street, Middletown, CT 

~
Scripture:

Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
 &
Luke 14:1, 7-14
 ~

Announcements:
 
The United Methodist Men - meet at the parsonage for a men’s breakfast Saturday, September 3rd, and the first Saturday of each month. Bring a friend! See David Marks or Warren Western for more information. 
 
Tag Sale…HELP NEEDED.. -  The First UMC Middletown will be participating in the town wide tag sale on September 17, 2016 at the parsonage.  So get ready and start to clean out those closets.  Drop off information will be coming soon…  If you would like to volunteer or help out in any way, please contact Jill Bennett (860) 345-7382.
 
The Sew ‘n’ Sew’s - will meet the second Tuesday of every month at 10 a.m. at Heritage Commons.  Bring a brown bag lunch.  Please see Rachel Titus for more information. 
 
Harvest Fair -  will be on November 12, 2016, at the parsonage.  We will be having crafts, bake table, lunch, silent action, and more….  Need more information?  Please contact the church office (860) 346-3689 for more details.
 
SAVE THE DATE…Church Picnic -  will be September 25, 2016 at Ted and Shirley Lawrence’s home.  Details to follow.
 
Choir Fellowship -  If you have a desire to sing God’s praises with us, this would be a great time to do so.  For more information, please call Stephanie Buggie at (203) 494-3153, or email sbuggie@sbcglobal.net
 
Updating our Prayer List – We want to be sure that our prayers are heard and supported, and that we can do this effectively.  Please help us by contacting the Church office to indicate which of your prayer requests on our current list should be active, and how long they should be active.  By default, we will keep new prayers on the list for six weeks, but feel free to indicate another time frame.  If you would like to have a member to pray with you personally, please contact Dianne Clark at (860) 346-7345.
 
Amazing Grace Donations – can now be brought to church any Sunday.  In addition to tuna and cereal, they are looking for donations of oatmeal, coffee and soup.    Please contact Marsha Judson with any questions at (860) 346-0005.
 
 
 
 
​

You've been rummaging around your attic and garage (at least in your mind, hopefully!), and thinking about what you can bring to be sold at our September 17th Tag Sale, 9AM-2PM. Well, we definitely will appreciate your donations, and also an "all hands on deck" effort to make the event a success. Please contact Jill Bennett to sign up for some of the important tasks that are before us:

• Receiving donations - items need to be organized and tagged at the parsonage
• Staffing a table - have a special interest in things that can help others to find what they need?
• Setup and cleanup - muscles of all kinds welcomed to help!
• Hospitality and outreach - we need to bring the attractiveness and joy of our congregation to people as visitors

Contacting Jill SOON will give us the best chance of a successful event! Thank you for your contributions of treasures, time and talent - all for a great cause!

August 21, 2016
14th Sunday after Pentecost
​
 Sermon
"Tale of Two Pigs" 
by
Barbara Marks, Pastor
 Children's Sermon  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:

Romans 14:1-13
 &
Luke 6:31-36
 ~

Announcements:

Special Thank You -  goes out to Bill Collins (Sidney) and Dave Marks (Norman) for bringing our “Tale of Two Pigs” to life today.
 
Trustee Committee -  will meet at the parsonage Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at 7pm.  This is a very important meeting for all Trustee, as there will be a special guest, Tom Edward from Nelson Edwards Company Architects, to discuss our future plans.
 
Sound System Special Appeal -  We purchased a new sound system for worship.  This will enable us to produce better sound and projection.  We ask you to contribute generously to enhance our worship to Praise God.
 
The United Methodist Men - meet at the parsonage for a men’s breakfast Saturday, September 3rd, and the first Saturday of each month. Bring a friend! See David Marks or Warren Western for more information. 
 
Tag Sale…HELP NEEDED.. -  The First UMC Middletown will be participating in the town wide tag sale on September 17, 2016 at the parsonage.  So get ready and start to clean out those closets.  Drop off information will be coming soon…  If you would like to volunteer or help out in any way, please contact Jill Bennett (860) 345-7382.
 
The Sew ‘n’ Sew’s - will meet the second Tuesday of every month at 10 a.m. at Heritage Commons.  Bring a brown bag lunch.  Please see Rachel Titus for more information. 
 
Harvest Fair -  will be on November 12, 2016, at the parsonage.  We will be having crafts, bake table, lunch, silent action, and more….  Need more information?  Please contact the church office (860) 346-3689 for more details.
 
SAVE THE DATE…Church Picnic -  will be September 25, 2016 at Ted and Shirley Lawrence’s home.  Details to follow.
 
Choir Fellowship -  If you have a desire to sing God’s praises with us, this would be a great time to do so.  For more information, please call Stephanie Buggie at (203) 494-3153, or email sbuggie@sbcglobal.net
 
Updating our Prayer List – We want to be sure that our prayers are heard and supported, and that we can do this effectively.  Please help us by contacting the Church office to indicate which of your prayer requests on our current list should be active, and how long they should be active.  By default, we will keep new prayers on the list for six weeks, but feel free to indicate another time frame.  If you would like to have a member to pray with you personally, please contact Dianne Clark at (860) 346-7345.
 
Amazing Grace Donations – can now be brought to church any Sunday.  In addition to tuna and cereal, they are looking for donations of oatmeal, coffee and soup.    Please contact Marsha Judson with any questions at (860) 346-0005.
​​

​❑ 1 hand towel
15 x 25 inches to 17 x 27 inches; Kitchen, cleaning, and microfiber towels not acceptable.

❑ 1 washcloth

❑ 1 comb
Comb needs to be sturdy and longer than 6 inches long; No pocket combs or picks please;
Rattail combs and combs without handles are acceptable with a minimum of 6 inches of teeth.

❑ 1 metal nail file or nail clippers
No emery boards, please.

❑ 1 bath-size soap
3 oz. and larger sizes only; No Ivory or Jergens soap due to moisture content; Do not remove from original packaging.

❑ 1 toothbrush
Adult size only; Do not remove from original packaging.

❑ 6 adhesive bandages
¾ inch to 1 inch-size; Common household Band-Aids.

❑ 1 plastic bag
One-gallon size sealable bag only.
​
❑ $1.00 to purchase toothpaste, (optional additional $1 to help with shipping)

We say we want a good spiritual life, but then we look in the closet, the attic, the garage, and...oops, busted.

Your clutter can serve a good purpose for others, and help to free up your heart and your spirit for the rewards of faith that we're called to receive by Jesus. 

On Saturday, September 17th, 9-2PM, we will hold an event at our 221 Ridge Road parsonage that focused on a tag sale. Yes, it's a fund-raiser, but it's also an opportunity to reach out to our community as they come there. We will need:

• Items to sell - what things are you ready to give new life in other homes?
• Help in setup, organizing, hospitality and selling - gifts of service will matter greatly!
• Being present as the church - for many people visiting that day, this will be their first contact with us. You can help us to show them who we are as the church, in deed and in spirit.

Please contact Jill Bennett with information about what you'd like to donate - we all have something! - and please share with her your ideas for "radical hospitality" that can set our event apart from others as a faith event. If you do not have Jill's contact info, please contact the church office.

August 14, 2016
13th Sunday after Pentecost
​
 Sermon
"Fired Up?!" 
by
Barbara Marks, Pastor
 Children's Sermon  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:

Hebrews 11:29-12:2
 &
Luke 12:49-56
 ~

Announcements:

Circle of Prayer -  Will meet this TODAY, Sunday, August 14, 2016 following worship.  This will be led by Dianne Clark and John Blossom.
 
THANK YOU -  goes out to John Blossom and Bill Collins for the removal of the old air conditioner from the parsonage! 
 
Sound System Special Appeal -  We will be purchasing a new sound system for worship.  This will enable us to produce better sound and projection.  We ask you to contribute generously to enhance our worship to Praise God.
 
The United Methodist Men - meet at the parsonage for a men’s breakfast Saturday, September 3rd, and the first Saturday of each month. Bring a friend! See David Marks or Warren Western for more information. 
 
Tag Sale….. -  The First UMC Middletown will be participating in the town wide tag sale on September 17, 2016 at the parsonage.  So get ready and start to clean out those closets.  Drop off information will be coming soon…  If you would like to volunteer or help out in any way, please contact Jill Bennett (860) 345-7382.
 
The Sew ‘n’ Sew’s - will meet the second Tuesday of every month at 10 a.m. at Heritage Commons.  Bring a brown bag lunch.  Please see Rachel Titus for more information. 
 
Harvest Fair -  will be on November 12, 2016, at the parsonage.  We will be having crafts, bake table, lunch, silent action, and more….  Need more information?  Please contact the church office (860) 346-3689 for more details.
 
Office Supplies -  would be greatly appreciated…  If you would like to donate anything from stamps, paper (legal or letter size), pens, pencils, or even gift cards to purchase…  Remember that your donations are tax deductible.
 
Choir Fellowship -  If you have a desire to sing God’s praises with us, this would be a great time to do so.  For more information, please call Stephanie Buggie at (203) 494-3153, or email sbuggie@sbcglobal.net
 
Updating our Prayer List – We want to be sure that our prayers are heard and supported, and that we can do this effectively.  Please help us by contacting the Church office to indicate which of your prayer requests on our current list should be active, and how long they should be active.  By default, we will keep new prayers on the list for six weeks, but feel free to indicate another time frame.  If you would like to have a member to pray with you personally, please contact Dianne Clark at (860) 346-7345.
 
Amazing Grace Donations – can now be brought to church any Sunday.  In addition to tuna and cereal, they are looking for donations of oatmeal, coffee and soup.    Please contact Marsha Judson with any questions at (860) 346-0005.

We heard Pastor Barbara say it this Sunday - we can afford to let go of things that do not bring God's treasures into our lives. Let's build up God's treasures now, for us and for everyone. Your items ready to be loved by others can help us to do this through our tag sale, Saturday, September 17th. Our tag sale will be listed as one of the sites for the city-wide tag sale that day, so we expect shoppers! Jill Bennett is coordinating the event, and will appreciate your time, your talent, but, most of all, your donations of items ready to become new treasures. For more information, please contact Jill or the Church Office.

August 7, 2016
12th Sunday after Pentecost
​
 Sermon
"Get Ready" 
by
Barbara Marks, Pastor
 Children's Sermon  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:

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
 &
Luke 12:32-40
 ~

Announcements:

 
The Sew ‘n’ Sew’s - will meet the second Tuesday of every month at 10 a.m. at Heritage Commons.  Bring a brown bag lunch.  Please see Rachel Titus for more information. 
 
The United Methodist Men - meet at the parsonage for a men’s breakfast Saturday, September 3rd, and the first Saturday of each month. Bring a friend! See David Marks or Warren Western for more information. 
 
Tag Sale….. -  The First UMC Middletown will be participating in the town wide tag sale on September 17, 2016 at the parsonage.  So get ready and start to clean out those closets.  Drop off information will be coming soon…  If you would like to volunteer or help out in any way, please contact Jill Bennett (860) 345-7382.
 
Harvest Fair -  will be on November 12, 2016, at the parsonage.  We will be having crafts, bake table, lunch, silent action, and more….  Need more information?  Please contact the church office (860) 346-3689 for more details.
 
Sound System Special Appeal -  We will be purchasing a new sound system for worship.  This will enable us to produce better sound and projection.  We ask you to contribute generously to enhance our worship to Praise God.
 
Office Supplies -  would be greatly appreciated…  If you would like to donate anything from stamps, paper (legal or letter size), pens, pencils, or even gift cards to purchase…  Remember that your donations are tax deductible.
 
Choir Fellowship -  If you have a desire to sing God’s praises with us, this would be a great time to do so.  For more information, please call Stephanie Buggie at (203) 494-3153, or email sbuggie@sbcglobal.net
 
Updating our Prayer List – We want to be sure that our prayers are heard and supported, and that we can do this effectively.  Please help us by contacting the Church office to indicate which of your prayer requests on our current list should be active, and how long they should be active.  By default, we will keep new prayers on the list for six weeks, but feel free to indicate another time frame.  If you would like to have a member to pray with you personally, please contact Dianne Clark at (860) 346-7345.
 
Amazing Grace Donations – can now be brought to church any Sunday.  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.

​

It's that time of year when tomatoes, squash, peppers, and other garden produce are ready for harvest. Celebrate our Christian tradition of helping to feed one another by sharing the bounty from your garden at church on Sundays! Swap your produce for others', or help out those whose budgets could use a little boost from your garden surplus. Let's share the abundance of God's creation together!