June 2016 Brunswick United Methodist Church Congratulations Christine Detroy! We have received word that Christine, our Nominee for the New England Annual Conference Bryan Award for Social Justice will receive the 2016 award for her lifetime of accomplishments advocating for peace and justice. The Board of Church and Society writes, "Thank you to you and to the folks of Brunswick UMC for her nomination. We were moved by her witness and her life of service and work in Christ's name!" This award will be presented Saturday afternoon (around 2pm) at the Annual Conference session in Manchester, NH. As the recipient, Christine is invited to share a few brief remarks. For more information please contact Rosemary Word, [email protected] or 207-784-3264. Join us in the tree circle in front of Brunswick UMC at 9:30 AM on Sunday, June 12, as we dedicate a peace pole in her honor. Reflections from Pastor Karen Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. - 1 Corinthians 13:12 As I consider the privilege of walking the faith journey with you these past four years. I have grown in ways I never anticipated. One of the hardest parts of leaving a congregation is saying goodbye to people who have become beloved parts of my life and are embedded in my prayers. Thank you for sharing your lives with me. You have also taught me much about the depths of Christ’s possibilities as you’ve explored new gifts, relationships, and ways of working.It is my deepest prayer that you continue to grow in spiritual fruitfulness, collaborative partnerships and respectful listening and sharing. Change is always hard and you have done very hard work. In the time that we’ve shared the community has adjusted to the navy base closure, a major recession, and significant shifts in western and world culture-an anxiety producing environment for ministry! In the church we’ve had 2 successful capital campaigns, worked on goals set in 2009, and seen significant leadership development and structure change to adapt to the new realities we all live with. In all this we have sought guidance in scripture, prayer, experience, and holy conferencing with each other. We know who leads us: Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ. - Galatians 1:10 Elsewhere in this newsletter, you’ll see worship plans from our Summer Season Team. I’m struck by the synchronicity of their work and the vision of our youth on the May confirmation retreat. Both aim at participatory, creative and service oriented engagement with scripture and each other. I believe that aligning of insight points to God’s vision. Follow the divine leader! Words cannot describe the confidence I feel in your future with Rev. Sharon Lovejoy’s leadership. She is a loving and gifted servant of Christ. While I will no longer provide pastoral care to you after June 15, (pastoral coverage plans are shared in this newsletter), I will look forward to seeing you around town and to following your growth in Christ during District Superintendent check-ins. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? - Romans 8:24 In Christ’s Love and Grace, Pastor Karen www.umcbrunswick.org 320 Church Rd., Brunswick, ME 04011 Inside this issue Pastor’s Page ...................... 2 Summer Music .................... 3 Finance Update .................. 5 Possibilities Summary ......... 9 THE SIMPLE PATH The fruit of silence is PRAYER The fruit of prayer is FAITH The fruit of faith is LOVE The fruit of love is SERVICE The fruit of service is PEACE Mother Teresa 207-725-2185 Greetings from Pastor Sharon Sisters and Brothers in Christ, the time is fast approaching when we will serve in ministry together, so I thought I would send you a short note of introduction. I would like to begin with my life verse, the scripture passage which sustains me day to day, “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7) Coming up in Worship Sunday, June 19 , 8:30—10:30 am The Lay Leader Trio shares their vision of ministry. Sunday, June 26 8:30—10:30 am Rev. Sharon Jones shares her work with women in Nicaragua. Throughout my life, and especially over the past thirteen years of ministry, I have found no matter what we take to God in prayer, God listens. Whether I am sitting at home or walking by the ocean, spending time alone with God in prayer is foundational to my spiritual well being. There is something about that one-onone time with God that fills my very soul with peace. Therefore, as we get closer to the time of transition and begin our ministry together I invite you to remember Paul’s words to the Philippians and…“do not worry.” Instead, spend some time with God in prayer letting God know the desires of your heart; and as you pray, please also pray for Pastor Karen and her family, the people of St. James UMC, and all those in transition this year. On a more personal note, I will be arriving with my husband of thirty-five years, Paul, who is happily retired, and our daughter Kimberly, a massage therapist, who will be living with us for a time as well. Our son Jared is currently serving in the US Army and is deployed to Afghanistan. His wife Ashlee is anxiously awaiting his return to base in Colorado Springs, CO, hopefully in November. Oh yes, we can’t forget our beloved Lily, our adopted, four year old Australian cattle dog/ golden retriever mix who is full of energy and always on the move. Life is certainly busy in the Lovejoy household. Sunday, July 3 9:00 am Marcia McGee shares news and experience of NEAC 2016. As the days fly by I am growing more and more excited to come home to Maine and begin this exciting new journey in ministry with all of you. I know there will be growing pains along the way, but I trust God will continue to guide us as we reach out to all God’s children and share the good news of Christ Jesus our Lord. Sunday, July 10 9:00 am Grace and Peace, Pastor Sharon Rev. Sharon Lovejoy’s first sermon at Brunswick UMC. Rev. Sharon Lovejoy serves communion. 2 From the Pastoral Transition Team Let’s fill the frige! For Pastor Sharon and Paul’s moving-in day. Look for the sign-up sheet in the Clip-board area in Fellowship Hall. NO BEEF! We are looking for the following: Casseroles that can be frozen; fruit/salad items/Breakfast/ Brunch items. Deliver on Sunday, June 19th-we will deliver to the Parsonage. Expected move in dates are June 20-21. See Sue Tesar for questions. Welcome Center at the Church Office Window Volunteers will be available 11am - 1pm, Tuesday - Friday to: Provide a welcoming presence and information. Answer phones and direct calls Check church email and direct messages Do 2-3 tasks (printing and folding bulletins, setting up children’s worship clip boards) Shifts in Administrative Tasks: Worship ushers and a Sunday School representative will record attendance for each of the three time periods and leave this information for the weekly counters to record in a log book set up by Nick Schroeder. The Administrative Assistant will receive initial calls or emails for building use requests, check calendar, and provide information, then pass contact information to a volunteer facilities host who will fill out facilities use form. Facility use forms are available in the front office for any special events being hosted by members of the congregation. This lets staff have all set up ready for the groups. Beginning in the fall, Public Supper Reservations will be taken by Welcome Center volunteers and a dedicated voicemail box, as well as staff when available. Pastor Karen is available by appointment as well as office hours through June 14. She can be reached at 207-446- 5703 or [email protected]. Pastor Sharon will be available at this email beginning July 1. Pastoral care will be available June 19-24, 2016 with Rev. Elizabeth B. Smith, Lisbon Falls UMC, [email protected] (207) 446-7115. June 25-30, Pastor Neil Gastonguay, Bath UMC, 207-607-2197, [email protected] Administrative Assistant Lex Lannan is available Tuesday 8-11 and 1-4, Thursday 8-11, 1-4, Friday 12-4. For other church matters please contact a member of our Lay Leader Trio: Loren Porr, Sue Tesar, and Nick Schroeder. SUMMER MUSIC AT UMCB 2016 Get a refreshing worship experience this summer…at church! For the second year, we are a Community Concert location for the Bowdoin College International Music Festival—Artists of Tomorrow! Mark your calendars specifically for a special concert during the week: Wednesday, July 20 from 1pm2pm. We have a number of guest musicians punctuating our worship services throughout the summer bringing their gifts of music and voice. Our list includes an accordion hymn hobbyist, a classical opera soprano; 3 Christian music artists, one of which won top honors in the recent Midcoast Maine’s Got Talent contest, and an inter-generational classical string instrument orchestra. We will be announcing the details as we get closer to their events. Graphic courtesy of openclipart.org Notes from your Summer Worship Team - 9-10am Shared Summer Worship This year marks a complete year of the Seasonal Worship planning teams. We work together with the Pastor to organize and prepare each Sunday service. This Summer, for the first time, we have recommendations from last year’s team. We have just met with Church Council where our primary suggestion was unanimously approved. We proposed a single worship service for July and August (9-10 am); there are several reasons for this: The weather—there are heat/cooling considerations. Last year we set water stations and fans for cooling and hydration. The early service 8:30-9:30 is usually warm, but temperate; the later service 10:30-11:30 has a greater challenge due to time of day and rising temperatures. A single, blended service would allow all to experience guest musicians and vocalists, as well as showcase the musical gifts of members who may not perform regularly. This year’s Summer team has continued the theme of Hospitality; one service has the potential of a “reunion” feel for 2 months as we get to know each other by worshiping together. With the recent Pastoral appointment, and the expected arrival of Pastor Sharon Lovejoy, we hope to ease the transition for all of us by sharing our gifts as a community welcoming Pastor Sharon with one voice. We are working with both Pastor Karen and Pastor Sharon, as well as the Music Director to create a truly blended service that will meet the sensitivities of those who participate in Contemporary and Traditional formats. Our goal is to create a worship experience that is a joyful, inclusive and respectful experience for all who participate and that welcomes newcomers and guests. From Him, the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4: 16 is our grounding scripture, please pray with us as we work together and plan for the season. From your Summer Worship Planning team: Zanada Maleki, Dan Dolan, Marcia McGee, Arlene Aldoupolis, Bob Durham, Becky Nichols, Shari Tarleton and Sue Tesar. The Caring Circle Do you find yourself helping and caring for your family and friends? Do you care for strangers with random acts of kindness? Do you care about the lonely and reach out to them? Do you feed the hungry? Do you find yourself donating your used clothes to those in need? Does caring feel natural to you? Do you wish you knew how you could help others, but don’t know where to start? Are you homebound, but would like to be a part of this circle and need a ride? The Caring Circle is being facilitated by Marcia McGee and plans are to meet every other month. It is envisioned to be a gathering of caring persons who will continue to do what they already do naturally independent of the circle, but come to the circle to share what has worked for them, concerns for needs in the community, and opportunities to learn new skills used in care giving. Marcia has completed the courses required for certified lay speaker, and her hope is to continue the process to become a certified lay minister. From Massachusetts, she had been trained as a Stephen Ministry Leader and was active in the Stephen ministry- a lay caring ministry, for five years until she joined this Brunswick church. Fully aware of how easy it is to volunteer and do too much, she aspires for this Caring Circle to be a place for all who are already involved in the caring ministry to find balance - and for those who feel a yearning to become involved will be inspired. The Caring Circle gathers June 11 in the chapel at 9:30 am with all who are interested in learning more. If you can’t attend this first meeting, but feel the pull to learn more about The Caring Circle, please email Marcia at [email protected] and she will email you an overview of this first meeting and the calendar for future Caring Circle meetings. Many thanks! Marcia 4 More from The Caring Circle If you would like to be part of the Praying Circle that regularly receives messages to hold in confidential prayer, please let Marcia McGee know. Marcia will be the Prayer Tree contact as part of facilitating the new Caring Circle (see article on the preceeding page). Marcia will receive and reword prayer requests as needed then determine appropriate routes: a. Confidential for Pastor b. Pass to praying circle Finance Committee News Our church finance team has accomplished some significant improvements since the beginning of the year. I would like to recognize and thank Lex Lannan, our office administrative assistant, and Anna Carnicella for their hard work to implement new bookkeeping and membership management software. They began their investigations at the end of last October and had the new systems up and running in January. We are now using Intuit QuickBooks for our financial operations and Seraphim church management software to handle confidential membership information and donations. These changes make it much easier and faster to handle our information while improving the security of the data. Great job Lex and Anna! We are now one third of the way through the year and we have a healthy financial outlook for our church. Income from your generous gifts is on target. Our expenses are running as expected compared to our budget. We are especially pleased with the amount we have been able to give to the missions work of the church. If anyone has questions or would like more details, please contact a member of the finance committee. We are happy to share. Steve Baldwin, Finance Chair Expenses Income Church Building Maintenance $ 1,798 Donations $76,208 Facilities $16,095 Missions & Outreach $ 3,522 Lay Leaders Conf $ 67 Public Suppers $ 4,047 Mission & Outreach $ 8,135 Space Use $ 695 Mission Shares to Conference* $26,493 Uncategorized Revenue $ 1,302 Office/Administrative $ 3,112 Wedding Income $ 100 Program Ministries $ 1,336 Total Income $85,875 Salaries & Benefits $44,014 Worship $ 487 Total Expenses $101,537 * Please note that the mission shares to conference figure includes a payment of $15,072 made in January HAVE YOU HEARD? Brunswick United Methodist Church has been participating in the easiest fund raiser ever! In 1 year, we have earned over $ 2,000 just by you buying your groceries at Shaw's or Hannaford. Here's how it works. Hannaford and Shaw's grocery cards are sold weekly after worship services by Joyce Neely in the foyer, and during the Administrative Assistant’s office hours. We sell them in $50 increments. Payment for the cards is either cash or checks made out to the church. The cards are face value with no hidden fees. No extra expense to you. Use them for your weekly shopping or give them as gifts. The church is able to buy the cards at a reduced cost offered to non profit organizations. The difference between our cost and face value is a 5% profit. If we have just 10 family units spending $100 a week on groceries, that is a $2600 yearly profit. Think of the potential profit we can make. If you want more information, contact Joyce Neely 716-998-8867 OR contact Lex, in the church office. Public Supper Update May 14, was the last supper of this season and we will start again in October. Thank you to everyone who works to help make these suppers successful. Please watch for a “foodless supper” invitation in the mail! - Pat Emerson and Phil Kerber, Kitchen Crew Chiefs. Christmas Fair 2016 Greetings my name is Arlene Aldoupolis and I have taken a leap of faith to volunteer to chair the Christmas Fair. I have chaired Christmas Fairs in the past so I am familiar with the process. If anyone would like to take a leap of faith and co-chair it with me I would love to work with you. As I look at the calendar it is only six months away so we need to start thinking about it if you haven't already. For those of you who work on crafts (sewing, knitting, crocheting, etc) if you have started making items that is wonderful and if not we need to start working on them as the fair will be here before you know it. For those who have gardens and can consider putting a few cans aside to sell at the fair. As you are spring cleaning and getting rid of items you don't need or use anymore consider putting them aside for Granny's Attic.It's too early to think about food items but if you try a new recipe that you think would sell at the fair put it aside for the food table. You know how we Methodist like to eat. For those who have chaired tables in the past I would like to reach out and ask if you would consider doing it this year and anyone else who would like to help I would greatly appreciate your help in making this a successful fair. This is a great way to share your time and talent doing the Lords work. Arlene Aldoupolis, Chair [email protected] 207-353-5494 6 Trustee Updates Our church family celebrates the love of God in Jesus Christ by welcoming all persons, nurturing our life with God, and serving our community and world. Many thanks to everyone who came to the Spring Spruce Up Day. There was a great showing with everyone pitching in cleaning windows, wood work, ceiling fans and anything that needed that extra attention. We also installed some insulation to the Fellowship Hall (thanks Helen!) to reduce the heat loss. Helen has some interesting infrared photos of the area to show the before and after that we will post to a bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall. The Trustees are actively soliciting costs for professional repair or replacement of the sidewalks of the church. The previous repairs have not lasted and makes wheelchair and senior travel more difficult. We will provide updates as we move ahead with this project. Part of welcoming the next Pastor is providing a welcoming Parsonage. Our Parsonage is in great shape overall, but could use some painting of a couple of rooms and doors. The Trustees are planning a painting session on June 4th from 9 - 2 pm. Paint and brushes will be supplied, as well as Frosty's donuts for motivation! Hope to see you there. BUMC Trustees: George Umberhind, Phil Kerber, Rosemary Effiom Vaughan, Helen Watts, John Light. A Week in Nicaragua Dan Dolan In April Brunswick UMC returned to Nicaragua. Loren & Nancy Porr, Lori Bozeman, Phil Kerber, and Dan & Sandy Dolan made up the team journeying from Maine to Managua. We were joined by Brian Ellis, Dan’s cousin from Ohio. The team’s itinerary included cultural and historical education, visiting Nicaragua Covenant sponsored programs, sightseeing, attending an evangelical church service, and a dinner under the stars within view of an active volcano. The centerpiece of the team’s visit were two days spent reconnecting with our sister church community in Coyusne (Coyuse-nay) Nicaragua. This was BUMC’s fourth delegation visit to Coyusne 1999, and the first delegation to visit in ten years. Through the successful March pie sale and separate donations, the team raised $1400 to buy materials and services for projects identified by Pastor Francisco Luna, of the Coyusne church. Money was wired to Nicaragua a month prior to our visit so that materials needed to build a new outhouse, repair the old outhouse, install a concrete porch, and awning on the front of the church, were all purchased and delivered to Coyusne before we arrived. When we reached Coyusne we discovered that Pastor Francisco and several men from the church had already built the new outhouse, and installed the awning on the front of the church. The work that remained for us would be to assist with mixing and laying the concrete for the front porch. As it turns out, there is a lot more you can do with a pie than eat them—you can make some major capital improvements to a little church in Nicaragua. Our pre-work tour of the community was interrupted by a battle between to Brahman bulls that broke out on the dusty road in front of the church. Thankfully, no one, or no cow was injured. When the bull fight ended, Pastor Francisco gave us gawking gringos the universal “all clear” hand wave and then took us to his house, where we met his wife and he explained to us his work as a farmer in the hills above Coyusne. Many people expressed anxiety over the precarious shortage of fresh water in the region, echoing concerns expressed by Pastor Santos Bozas at the Sunday church service in Managua. Pastor Santos spoke of the increasingly frequent droughts brought on by climate change and its impact on the poor in Nicaragua. Here in rural Coyusne we could see the effects for ourselves. 7 A Week in Nicaragua continued… As the normal winter “dry season” was coming to an end everyone in rural Nicaragua looked to the sky hoping for a good rainy season in late April, but two years of preceding droughts have left the land scorched and the wells near empty. When a team member asked one of the teachers at the little two room school, “is there anything you need?” The answer was “rain.” We finished our community stroll, and got to work: leveling the porch area with dirt and gravel moved from around the church yard one bucket at a time; assisting with mixing and pouring the concrete by hand with buckets and shovels. After observing the process we all took turns at mixing a batch. We were amateurs compared to the Nicaraguan men that volunteered to help, but they were amused watching us try. We all had a great deal of respect for our brothers and sisters in Coyusne that work that hard every day just to get by. We finished the entire patio after putting in a 6 or 7 hour day then spent the night at a little resort motel about 10 miles from Coyusne. We enjoyed a relaxing evening after the hard work and heat. We returned to Coyusne the next morning with two giant piñatas loaded with treats, coolers full of cold refreshments, and some gifts for the school and teachers. Before the party started, Lori Bozeman led an activity for the students of the school that was a lot of fun, and a great way for our team to interact with the children, and many parents in attendance. The fiesta was a sugar fueled fun-fest with lots of happy kids. Before leaving we spent time with Pastor Francisco and his friend Pastor Lorenzo who was supervising the work. We presented Francisco with an enlarged photo of BUMC’s altar with the Ault banner in the background to Francisco. We explained how this was a gift many years ago to a retired pastor in our church. We noted that the banner was from a group of Catholic nuns working in mission together with Bishop Ault to carry out God’s work in our world, and we now give this as a gift to our sister church as we work together in that common goal of carrying out the Gospel as described in Ephesians 4:16. The Brunswick team expressed their pride to Francisco at having a sister church community like Coyusne with so many hard working and Godly people. In an emotionally powerful moment for all of us, Francisco expressed his gratitude for all that we have done over the years to assist the community, and he expressed regret at not being able to give us anything in return. The spirit touched our hearts, and at the same moment we all felt that words could not express the treasures in our hearts that Coyusne has given to this team, and to those that have made the journey before us. The April 2016 Nicaragua Mission team would like to thank all of you who baked a pie, bought a pie, made a donation, offered prayers, and positive thoughts for our mission trip. We had a safe and meaningful journey thanks to you. At dinner on the rim of Masaya Volcano park 8 Our group pictured with Dr. Belinda Forbes DDS Discovering Possibilities Summary Thank you to all who participated in the “Discovering Possibilities” workshop early in 2016. Rick McKinley, Director of Congregational Development for the New England Annual Conference UMC, will be back with us on Sept 18 for conversation about the results and possible next steps. Meanwhile, here are some highlights from what we learned! Members of our congregation see us empowering laity, putting energy into engaging with youth, being willing to take risks, and being committed to service in the community. We historically value missional engagement, risk taking in Christ’s service, meeting the needs of the congregation, and empowering laity. Most value WORSHIP that is God Centered, sensory, and participatory worship experiences are valued. “The more the congregation participates, the more meaningful the service.” This works well with recent shared worship experiences and Season Teams’ attention to the five senses. 78% of participants indicate they are in the “Exploring,” Beginning,” and “Growing” stages relative to worship practice. We can grow by helping each other see worship not simply as an event but a lifestyle. HOSPITALITY: We need to develop intentional process in place for welcoming newcomers to worship and following up with those guests, nor is there a process for following regular worship attendees. We have much to offer and see this in the 19 people received on Professions of Faith in the last 5 years (56 since 2006.) Yet worship attendance has declined 40% over the same time period. Is there a disconnect between making the commitment and understanding what it means to live out the covenant of prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness as part of the church? 76% of participants identify strongly with “accepting others” but only 4% with sharing their faith outside church. (This is consistent with other UMC congregations across the country.) We need to practice building relationships outside of the church and sharing personal faith. Leaders are already paying attention to growing hospitality. Season Teams are focusing on hospitality: developing greeters and welcoming skills in congregation. The Pastor sends note of welcome to all visitors with contact information and has Introduced the Circle of 10 (greet all with 10 feet of you) and Rule of 3 (greet first, business later for the first 3 minutes after worship). What we might yet do--Seek training on developing a holistic approach to hospitality with emphasis on building relationship with unchurches individuals. DISCIPLESHIP: Small group ministry is the primary statistical indicator for effectiveness of growing discipleship.. BRUMC has a large percentage of people in small groups. It will be important to explore how these groups fit within an overall discipleship process. SERVICE-68% of our Discovering Possibilities participants fall in the “growing” and “maturing” stages of service. There is a clear commitment to the community. The great omission is what is called relational evangelism……it’s the difference between “ministry to/for” and “ministry with.” In a ministry of engagement, the congregation not only provide resources for those with specific needs but also has direct contact with those being served, with specific focus on developing relationships that change us as well as others. WHO’S NOT HERE YET? Less involved in our church than they are represented in our community, are single parents, “College and Cafes” under age 35, and people without adequate transportation KEY NEEDS we noticed in the community: Single parents, Homeless teens, families valuing time together and supporting grandparent/grandchild relationships. GENEROSITY: Thanks to recent efforts, we have low debt & significant resources and a solid base of regular givers. The number of givers have declined 25% since 2009, but the average pledge has increased 22%. 48% of participants in Discovering Possibilities are tithing. BUT a very small % of the current budget is directed toward spiritual development and discipleship. COMMUNICATION: Bulletins, newsletters and Grace Notes are well written and easy to read, full of information. We need to add more of our personal stories and testimony to connect with others. Our website and Facebook are up to date, solid, informative. Note: in 2009, 33% of a national survey said the website was somewhat to very important in their decision to attend their current church. In 2012 that had risen to 46%. Discovering Possibilities Summary continued ... Our FACILITY is a clear asset, a legacy from a visionary, risk taking generation. Our current trustees have a well designed action plan with long and short term projects detailed. Most congregations don’t have anything like this, notes Rick. Please save September 18 on your calendars for Possibilities Study Conversation. Contact Us Brunswick United Methodist Church 320 Church Rd. Brunswick, ME 04011 (207) 725-2185 [email protected] Visit us on the web at www.umcbrunswick.org Please click on the above image or go to the following page in your internet browser: https://form.jotform.com/61463816124150 to complete the survey. Thank you! Brunswick United Methodist Church 320 Church Rd. Brunswick, ME 04011
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