It’s that time of year! As students prepare to go back to school, there are some who do not have access to the necessary school supplies. We are asking for donations of school supplies like: pencils, erasers, crayons, pencil boxes, notebooks, backpacks, etc. for our youth attending the Middletown Public Schools. We can help by providing some of these basic supplies to support our local families within our community. Please bring your donations to church August 19th & 26th. Help support our local schools and ensure that all students have the resources to be successful this school year!
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Are you feeling empty and know that life must have a greater meaning?
Do you want to be part of a growing Church where you are family, and everyone knows your name? Then come as you are, bring your family, and worship outdoors, May 20th – 10 am as we consecrate our new property on the corner of Tuttle and Newfield Streets-Middletown CT. (RAIN LOCATION - Elk's Club, Middletown, CT) First United Methodist Church something is happening here! We had a very productive brainstorming meeting today after church about how we can utilize the land we purchased to help serve the community. Below are some of the ideas we came up with. Please feel free to comment with any of your suggestions. We look forward to implementing these ideas over the next year and are hopeful that you will join us on our property on Tuttle Road in Middletown!
Small Great Things is a novel by Jodi Picoult which tackles the profoundly challenging yet essential concerns of our time: prejudice, race, and justice. We encourage you to read and come discuss with us on Thursday September 28th at 7:00pm at the FUMC Parsonage, located at 221 Ridge Rd in Middletown. The book is available at Barnes and Noble, Target, Walmart, and various local libraries. This book club discussion will be combined with the Hartford United Methodist Church. We look forward to seeing you there and engaging in meaningful dialogue that is pertinent to our world today!
We thank David Hurlburt, our pianist Patty Hurlburt's son, for his musical contributions to our worship services, and for his devotion to Christian service. David is planning to join a mission trip to Mingo County, West Virginia, one of the poorest counties in the Appalachian Mountains region of our country, from July 30th – August 6th, with a team of 14 (11 high schoolers and 3 leaders).
David says, "I am excited to go to Mingo County, West Virginia on a mission trip this summer.I want to help the people there who are in poverty, and however God wants to use me.I would appreciate your support and prayers." Mission trips like David's help to change young lives in ways that bring them to Christ in powerful ways. Please offer your prayers for David, and, if you can, please make a contribution to his mission team's financial goal to support their mission from donations. Thank you, and good luck, David! When [the man possessed by demons] saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" ~ Luke 8:28 Good people can be possessed by powers greater than themselves that drive them to insanity, and death. In Jesus' time, people saw these powers as demons. Today, we are afraid to call out the demons that affect our loved ones - until, sometimes, it is too late. Addiction to prescription drugs, especially opioid painkillers, is sweeping through our community like wildfire, and leading people to cheaper and more dangerous "street drugs" such as impure heroin.
What does Jesus have to do with opioid abuse? It is up to us to answer the Gerasene demonaic's question to Jesus through faith, for today's people in need. On Wednesday, June 14th, at 6.30PM in the Elks Lodge Crystal Ballroom, First United Methodist Church Middletown is hosting Ginger Katz, a renowned national speaker on the effects of drug overdoses on everyday families like hers. The death of her son by drug overdose is repeated again and again in our community, and has touched families in our church. Our hospitals, schools, social programs and law enforcement can do only so much to help these people in need. We can help through letting people who we know hear Ginger Katz' words of love and hope, to refer people who hear her to appropriate support, and to pray with them for healing and hope. HOW TO HELP Please join our Brighter Visions ministry team in spreading the word about this event. You can print the poster below to give to friends and family, or email it to them. You can pray for the success of this event. You can attend the event, and let people know that you're attending on Facebook. You can share this link to the event summary/ The power of God in Jesus released the Gerasene demonaic from his demons. Though faith and devoted service to our community, we can help God do the same, today.
Our thanks to everyone for a joy-filled Easter celebration, with bright Easter joy rolling away the stone of our doubts and fears in the light of Christ's resurrection! Flowers, families, young adults, long-time members, wonderful music - what could be better than to experience faith with such warmth and hope. See our photos below. Easter is just the start of getting our faith rolling for the year. We invite you to keep your Easter joy rolling in the days and weeks ahead:
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom..." ~ Luke 23:42 Two condemned criminals faced death at the side of a man named Jesus, an innocent man, whose crime was being the Son of God, who offered forgiveness, love, healing and hope to them and everyone. How can we not want to be with him as he goes into his kingdom?
Please join us Thursday, April 13th, 7PM, at our 221 Ridge Road fellowship house living room, to experience being with Jesus at his Last Supper and his sacrifice on the cross, both offered to us as the embodiment of God's love for us in Jesus Christ. Stay a while afterwards as you wish for contemplative prayer, and prepare your heart for God's amazing gift of Easter joy. Our church's participation in the Middletown Refugee Resettlement Coalition continues, as the coalition welcomes a new refugee family to our community. Our latest family comes from Syria, and their young children will appreciate gifts of children's books especially. Best age ranges: 1-4 years.
The family will also benefit from gift cards for local grocery stores and pharmacies for food and general supplies. The family follows "Halal" guidelines for their foods (similar to Kosher food guidelines), to the gift cards will allow them to make the most appropriate choices according to their traditions. If you have any donations for the family, or questions about how you may participate in the coalition's work, please contact John Blossom |
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