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BEYOND THE GREEN DOORS
The newsletter of the Peterborough United Methodist Church
43 Concord Street, Peterborough, NH
March 2022
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Sun 11a Sunday Worship Service in-person and online
Tue-Thu 9a-12 Office Hours
Mar 1&2, 9-12 Lent to Go Kit pickup with ashes for online Ash Wed worshipers
Mar 1, 7p COVID Response Team meeting via Zoom
Mar 2, 7p Ash Wednesday in-person and online
Mar 8, 6:30p Admin Council meeting via Zoom
Mar 29 Newsletter submissions due
UPCOMING FOR LENT
CHURCH FAMILY CELEBRATIONS
Birthdays:
Ron LaRoche 3/1
Jenny Pierce 3/1
Bill French 3/5
Sandra Cole 3/6
Nathan Luscombe 3/16
Glynn Wells 3/18
Andy French 3/19
Phyllis Porter 3/20
Thea Southwick 3/24
Membership Anniversaries:
Dot Cass
Jon Cole
Sandra Cole
Ken Constantine
Laura Constantine
Michael Crow
Shannon Dunning-Morris
Cynthia Faust
Phyllis Porter
ANNUAL REPORT
The 2021 PUMC Annual Report is out! You can view it here: https://www.peterboroughumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/PUMC-Annual-Report-2021.pdf If you need a paper copy please let the office know.
THANKS FROM REV CARD
To All of my Friends at PUMC,
Andy and I want to say thank you for the generous donation PUMC made to the US-Afghan Women’s Council. It will really make a difference in the lives of the refugees.
You all have been so kind, and I deeply appreciate the notes and cards and messages I have received regarding my foot fracture. My foot is healing, and I can walk on it, so I am making good progress.
Andy and I love worshipping with PUMC online. Pastor Todd is a great preacher, and the worship leaders are outstanding! We hope everyone is doing well. I keep you all in my daily prayers.
God bless everyone, and again, thank you.
Kathleene Card
PUMC BOOK GROUP – March 15th @ 1:30 PM
Shaking the Gates of Hell- A Search for Family and Truth in the Wake of the Civil Rights Revolution by John Archibald
The next book up for discussion is John Archibald’s memoir of growing up during the turbulence of the civil rights revolution of the late 50’s and 60’s in Alabama. John, the son and grandson of Methodist pastors remembers his growing up years through the lens of a child protected from the harsh times of racism, protest, and death that ensued when American
blacks and civil rights advocates took their protests into the southern bastions of oppression.
At the same time, Archibald, the now adult, addresses his father’s role during that stressful time through close examination of his sermons and actions as a pastor of the various congregations that he served and through memories of a father who was a fun and loving influence. This is a poignant read that addresses questions of honesty, honor, moral integrity, and seeming silence in the face of great injustice. An important read – grist for great discussion.
Books can be downloaded, borrowed through interlibrary loan, purchased on-line or through our local booksellers. All are welcome to read and discuss this book, deemed ‘one of the best books of the year’ by NPR. Hit the link below for a more in depth look at this book.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/621070/shaking-the-gates-of-hell-by-johnarchibald/
WOMEN OF AFGHANISTAN THANK YOU
As part of our congregational thank-you to Pastor Kathleene Card, we collected money for a group that Pastor Card was involved in that supports Afghan women. Here is a nice thank you note from that group.
Dear Friends,
I just wrote to Rev. Kathleene Card to inform her of the very generous gift her parish made in her honor to support at-risk Afghan women. I understand as the Financial Secretary you were instrumental in in making the contribution possible, and we at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace & Security are very grateful to and your fellow parishioners.
As I wrote Kathleene, we have been able to evacuate over 1500 women and their families. The women had been in public life and targeted by the Taliban for their work advancing progress for women and girls and for working closely with the U.S. They arrived with just the clothes on their backs, not sure they’d make it out and they endured a perilous journey. Many of them are now refugees in the U.S. but several hundred whom we are supporting are still in host countries awaiting travel to their final destinations. There is much they need as they resettle. We have been connecting them, as appropriate, with colleges and universities. We have two Afghan women leaders, for example, now at Georgetown as distinguished university fellows. Others are receiving English lessons and other supports they need to succeed in exile. All want to continue their work supporting Afghan women and girls who are now living under the Taliban, and we are working with them to establish way they can do that. Afghanistan is confronting a dire humanitarian crisis with much of the country facing starvation, freezing temperatures, no income and more. The Afghan women leaders have also been advocating to the US government and the broader international community for greater humanitarian assistance.
We are very grateful to the Peterborough Methodist Church for its generous support of at-risk Afghan women.
With best wishes,
Ambassador (ret) Melanne Verveer
Director, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace & Security
COVID-19 PROCEDURES AT PUMC
The United Methodist church encourages all to get vaccinated.
The COVID Response Team is monitoring the COVID situation and ensuring the safety of all.
PUMC is offering both online and in-person worship at this time. However our building is only open for worship.
If you have cough, fever, or other symptoms of COVID, please worship with us online, do not come in to church.
Please contact the office, Jim Poplin, or Hiel Lindquist, if you are signed up to participate in-person and are not feeling well. We will work around all illnesses.
Please sign in on the clipboard at the entrance to the sanctuary. This is important for contact tracing purposes. You will not be added to a mailing list, but you can subscribe here if you like.
Please remember to use the hand sanitizer as you enter the church.
Masks must be worn in the building. We recommend KN95 or N95 masks. Masks are available near the hand sanitizing station at the entrance to the sanctuary.
Please maintain a 6 ft distance from others when in the church building. That means sitting in pews that are distanced, with your family or pod, as well as standing about before services begin.
We are not singing in church.
Please do not linger in the fellowship hall after church. We recommend exiting to the parking lot and sharing fellowship outside in the open air.
If you have attended service and test positive for COVID within two days of attending please let the office know.
Donate to the UMCOR COVID Response: https://advance.umcmission.org/p-2025-umcor-covid-19-response-fund.aspx
WORLD’S CHILDREN
IT’S EASTER BASKETS TIME!
We will be filling Easter Baskets again this year for our neighbors in area transitional housing at MATS (Monadnock Area Transitional Shelter) and SFTS (Shelter From The Storm) and New Life Home. So keep an eye out for Easter candy, stickers, small toys, and books to donate. Soon we’ll have a box in the Fellowship Hall for your contributions. You can also donate money for the cause. Just write ‘Easter Baskets’ in the memo line of your check made out to Peterborough United Methodist Church and send to 43 Concord St, Peterborough NH 03458, or donate online at https://bit.ly/pumcjustgiving and write Easter Baskets in the notes field. Items due April 10. Thank you!!
JOIN THE MISSIONS TEAM!
Looking for a new way to become more involved with your church AND your community? The Missions Team might be a great fit for you! We are actively engaged in assisting and supporting local agencies such as Shelter from the Storm, New Life Home, Hundred Nights Shelter, River Center, the Monadnock Area Transitional Shelter and area food banks. In addition, we also offer more personal assistance to our community members with special collections and donations for our Back-to-School Backpacks, Easter Baskets, Christmas Toys and Exit Bags for Women and Children. The Missions Team also coordinates the six special giving Sundays as designated by the United Methodist Church, giving our congregation every opportunity to share in financial giving for mission. Our team meets monthly (currently via zoom) and we look forward to bringing back some of our regular pre-covid events like Open Mic Night and Free Community Breakfasts. If you would like to assist with any of our projects or would like to come to a meeting, please email the church at info@peterboroughumc.org.
HUMAN RELATIONS DAY – SPECIAL OFFERING from Feb 6
Together we collected $251 for Human Relations Day. THANK YOU for your contributions. We offer a prayer of thanksgiving…
PETERBOROUGH FOOD PANTRY
2021 END OF YEAR FINANCE REPORT
Checking account balance 12/31/2021: $24,145.12
Income – $118,226.06
Expenses – $132,054.47
Difference – ($13,828.41)
Checking account balance 12/31/2021 was $10,380.43
Some money was collected that was designated for specific uses. That money is included in the total Income above. Here is how that money is designated and what our checking account balance is when those monies are subtracted.
Designated money:
Internship $4,899
Prayer Shawl Ministry $402
Easter Baskets Ministry $135
Backpack Ministry $204
Donations to local family $50
100 Nights Meal Ministry $30
Checking Account Balance taking designated money into account: $4,660.48
PLEDGE APPEAL
Annual giving supports everything we do and are at PUMC. Your gifts of time, talent and treasure are spent on all aspects of our worship, outreach, and community support and engagement. Together we have affected, in ways both large and small, the lives of the people both within and beyond the walls of this church. Through the community nurtured by your gifts, we have equipped and empowered countless individuals and families To Be and To Make Disciples of Christ.
Each year we ask that our congregation consider pledging to the church. Why? What is a pledge for?
A pledge is your promise to provide a certain amount of financial support to the work of PUMC in the year ahead. In order to know what we can do each year, we need to receive pledge commitments, which assist the church in the development of the budget for the next year. Decisions about spending are made by clergy, staff, and the administrative council, the church’s governing body whose membership is drawn from members like you. These individuals are committed to prayerfully listening to church members and the promptings of the Holy Spirit as they make decisions about the church’s budget. Pledge money is spent only for operating expenses of PUMC – any other projects are funded separately. Even though attendance at our in-person worship services is down due to the COVID pandemic, our expenses for staff and clergy salaries and running the church building are about the same.
Why is it important to pledge in advance?
Pledging allows the leadership of our church to plan the church budget more responsibly. As we have a more accurate idea of the amount of income we can expect during the year, we can budget more accurately and be more responsible to our programs, staff, and creditors. Also, pledging allows you to be more purposeful in your giving. You can seek God’s guidance and examine your own situation to determine a realistic and God-honoring pledge. Pre-planned pledging is far superior to simple impulse giving, because it allows you to plan ahead of time and be prepared to give to support God’s work through this local body.
For the 2022 fiscal year, we have received 19 pledges for a total of $48,880, and we sincerely thank you for your gifts. Unfortunately, this amount falls short of what the $55,000 in pledges that we had expected when we set up the budget. We ask that you prayerfully consider pledging for 2022 if you have not already done so. Please contact Laura Constantine or the office with any questions or new pledges that you wish to make.
PUMC YEAR AT A GLANCE 2021
FINANCIALS
ATTENDANCE
Total worship attendance 3443
Farewell Rev Card attendance 146
Easter attendance 108
Average worship attendance 65
Christmas attendance 64
Average study group attendance 10
CHILDREN’S SUNDAY SCHOOL
Sledding, Easter egg hunt, Halloween party
MEMBERSHIP
CONNECT
Sign up for email updates: peterboroughumc.org
Listen to sermons online: peterboroughumc.org
“Like” us on Facebook: facebook.com/pumcnh
MISSIONS
Monadnock Area Transitional Shelter
Shelter from the Storm
Hundred Nights Inc
New Life Home
River Center
Peterborough Food Pantry
World’s Children
MEMBERS CURRENTLY SERVING 15
Everyone is invited to contribute to the newsletter! Send in your photos, thank yous, birthdays, events, testimonials, poems, letters, printable artwork, prayer submissions…
Please submit all materials for the next newsletter (April) to our editors by the LAST TUESDAY March 29. This is the newsletter that will be released Sunday April 3 and cover until Sunday May 1. Send to Melissa French at 603-924-4294 or email info@peterboroughumc.org, with the subject “Newsletter submission.” Thanks!
Want to subscribe? You can email or call the office (above) to get a print copy of the newsletter, or visit http://bit.ly/subscribepumc to get it in your email.
PETERBOROUGH UMC COMMUNICATIONS
In addition to “Beyond the Green Doors,” Peterborough UMC offers the following ways you can keep in touch.
We are on the web: https://www.PeterboroughUMC.org
We are on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pumcnh/
This newsletter was compiled by Melissa French. Any concerns with content can be addressed with the pastor.