Beyond the Green Doors – March 2019
BEYOND THE GREEN DOORS
The newsletter of the
Peterborough United Methodist Church
43 Concord Street, Peterborough, NH
March 2019
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
Weekly
Sun Worship Service 10a
Sun Adult Bible Study 11:30a
Mon Confidential Meeting 6-8p
Wed Office Hours 9-12
Wed 24 Hours Bible Study 9:30a
Wed Choir Rehearsal 11a
Wed Covenant Discipleship Group 6:30p
Thu Office Hours 9-12
Thu Lenten Supper 5:30p
March
Mar 5 UMW Meeting 12p
Mar 6 Open Sanctuary Ash Wednesday 12:30-3
Mar 6 Ash Wednesday Service 7p
Mar 10 Free Community Breakfast 8a
Mar 12 PUMC Book Group 1p
Mar 12 Church/Administrative Council 6:30p
Mar 15 Open Mic Night 7p
Mar 17 Spring Interfaith Celebration @UUC 6:30p
Mar 23 Vision and Ministry Followup 9a
Mar 24 Free Community Breakfast 8a
Mar 26 Missions meeting 6:30p
Mar 26 Newsletter submissions due
Mar 30 Men’s Monthly Breakfast 7:30a
CHURCH FAMILY CELEBRATIONS
Birthdays:
Ron LaRoche Mar 1
Bill French Mar 5
Laura Nerz Mar 16
Andy French Mar 19
Phyllis Porter Mar 20
Ken Schultz Mar 23
Don’t see your birthday? Email info@peterboroughumc.org or just leave a note in the church office!
Membership Anniversaries:
Jon Cole
Sandra Cole
Ken Constantine
Laura Constantine
Michael Crowe
Shannon Dunning Morris
Cindy Faust
Karen Keenan
Matthew Keenan
Gloria Lodge Wenblad
Janet Mack Lewis
Phyllis Porter
PRAYER CORNER
It is because of the hasty and superficial conversation with God that the sense of sin is so weak and that no motives have power to help you to hate and flee from sin as you should.— A.W. Tozer
Lord Jesus, come yourself, and dwell with us,
be human as we are, and overcome what overwhelms us.
Come into the midst of my evil, come close to my unfaithfulness.
Share my sin, which I hate and which I cannot leave.
Be my brother, Thou Holy God.
Be my brother in the kingdom of evil and suffering and death.
—Dietrich Bonhoeffer
24 HOURS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD – BIBLE STUDY
During Lent, Peterborough United Methodist Church is offering seven classes based on the book, 24 Hours That Changed the World, which was designed by The Reverend Adam Hamilton.
The aim of this study is to help us better understand the events that occurred during the last 24 hours of Jesus’ life, see more clearly the theological significance of Christ’s suffering and death, and reflect upon the meaning of these events for our own lives. To do this, we will look at the geographical and historical setting of the events of that fateful day; reflect theologically on Jesus’ death; and, ultimately, look to see ourselves in the story, considering how we are like Pilate or Peter, Judas or John.
The study consists of the following resources:
– 24 Hours That Changed the World, a book by Adam Hamilton, (We have books available at PUMC, please let us know if you would like a copy.)
– 24 Hours That Changed the World: 40 Days of Reflection, this book has readings for every day in Lent. (This is a supplemental book—let us know if you want us to order one for you.)
– 24 Hours That Changed the World: Video Journey, a DVD We will use this DVD in our classes.
There will be three opportunities to participate:
Either on Sundays after Church with Lay Leader, Jim Poplin, starting on March 3rd
Or on Wednesdays with Rev. Kathleene Card at 9:30 starting on March 6
Or you may participate online with through our web site or Facebook page
Here are the session topics:
1. The Last Supper
2. The Garden of Gethsemane
3. Condemned by the Righteous
4. Jesus, Barabbas, and Pilate
5. The Torture and Humiliation of the King
6. The Crucifixion
7. Christ the Victor
Let Rev Card know if you want to join in, you can participate online.
Text Books are free; donations of $14 are welcomed. Daily devotional book is supplemental and costs $10.
MANY THANKS TO BRI!
Many thanks for all the time Brianna has spent with our children in the nursery. We appreciate all of her work and hope she goes on to do great things.
LIFE GROUPS
Do you ever think that you’d like to grow closer to God, but you don’t know how to go about it? Do you ever feel that you are not living the full life that God offers?
PUMC will be offering a new type of small group for anyone who wants to grow spiritually. Recalling Jesus’s words, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10), these new groups will be called Life Groups. The goal will be for participants to experience more fully the abundant life of which Jesus spoke. It doesn’t matter where you are in your faith journey; there isn’t anyone who couldn’t benefit from being part of a Life Group.
Beginning after Easter, a nine-week introductory course will be offered to explain what Life Groups are, and to give a taste of the experience. The short text, A Spiritual Formation Workbook, by James Bryan Smith, will be used as a guide.
This book describes six major areas of discipline found in the life of Jesus Christ and the corresponding Six Traditions seen in the history of the church. These are prayer, holy living, experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit, social justice, evangelism, and the sacraments. The premise of the book is that spiritual growth depends upon three key ingredients: balance in our spiritual lives among these six disciplines; knowledge of how to practice these spiritual disciplines; and mutual encouragement and accountability.
At the end of the nine-week orientation, participants will have the opportunity to continue in a Life Group if they choose to. These will be very small groups, ideally 4-6 members of the same gender. There will be no homework per se in either the introductory course or the Life Groups themselves, other than self-selected practices to explore the spiritual disciplines. In that sense, it is like an independent study, each participant moving at his or her own pace and comfort level to explore the use of spiritual disciplines to grow closer to God, with the support and encouragement of a close group of friends.
Those who choose not to join a Life Group at the conclusion of the course will still be armed with a wealth of ideas as to how to explore each area of discipline, wonderful resources in themselves, which can be used independently. It’s just that one is less likely to do so without someone asking each week, “How is it going?” For most of us, it takes some nudging to put knowledge into practice.
Lent is an excellent time for taking a spiritual inventory. If you would like to challenge yourself to grow closer to God this year, please sign up for the Life Group introductory course!
UNITED METHODIST WOMEN PLANS FOR 2019
The UMW meetings for 2019 have been set. There are some daytime dates and some evening dates planned this year. Hopefully, those who don’t like to drive after dark will be accommodated by evening meetings planned for the time of year when it gets dark later. Mark your calendars!
March 5th – @ 12 PM Bag Lunch Meeting at the church – dessert and beverages provided.
April 2nd – @ 6:30 PM at the church
June 4th – Annual Salad Supper Meeting @ 5:30 PM at the Lindquist home
October 1st – Bag Lunch Meeting @ 12 PM at the church
November 5th – Bag Lunch Meeting @ 12 PM at the church
December 3rd – Annual Cookie Exchange @ 2 PM – place TBD.
News about the March 5th meeting – Our special program will be about the lesser known women of the Bible. Members are asked to do a little research on one of the women in the Bible that intrigues them. Bring their new knowledge and impressions of the Scriptural passages regarding their chosen Biblical woman to the meeting for a discussion. What lessons can be learned from these women? What qualities do we admire in them or look to avoid? How does God work within their lives?
Some ideas for research might be placing the women within the Bible timeline, finding out a bit of the history of the time in which this woman lived, looking at the woman’s culture and geographical placement in the Holy Land, investigating the social level of the woman, her work or lifestyle, and any archaeological connections you might find to give people a ‘visual picture’ of her times. Just ideas … have fun!
See you on Tuesday, March 5th at 12 noon at the church! All women are invited.
EASTER BASKETS FOR LOCAL CHILDREN – DONATION NEEDED
The missions committee will once again, be collecting items for Easter Baskets for families. Melissa French and Linda Wallenstein are collecting information from MATS, Shelter From the Storm, and New Life Home about specific numbers of families and children. While they are doing that, the rest of us can be slowly picking up bags of jellybeans, Peeps, small items for Easter baskets, chocolate treats, picture books, basket ‘hay’, and seasonal items appropriate for a child’s Easter basket.
A collection box will be placed in the fellowship room at church. Just drop off your donations and stay tuned for any special requests via ministry moments, weekly ‘What’s Happening’ updates, or general church emails. Many thanks!
PUMC BOOK GROUP – NEW MEETING DATE
The book group will be meeting on Tuesday, March 12th to talk up Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen. Meeting starts at 1 PM at Parker & Sons Coffeehouse. Bring you book suggestions for the March/April read! If you have a friend or know someone who might like to join the book group, bring them along too ! The more the merrier!
LENT BEGINS ON ASH WEDNESDAY
And so it begins … our church will have an Open Sanctuary from 12:30 – 3 PM on Ash Wednesday for community and congregation to stop in for quiet prayer and ashes. if you choose to come to Open Sanctuary, you will find a short list of readings and prayers for your use, soft contemplative music, and Rev Card ready to pray with you and present ashes of repentance. A more traditional Ash Wednesday service will be held at 7 PM. All are welcome to come and ready themselves for this time of contemplation and prayer.
LENTEN SUPPERS START UP SOON
Eastertide will be bringing us the annual Thursday evening Soup and Salad Suppers. The first Lenten Potluck will be on Thursday, March 7th. Look for a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the fellowship room on Sunday, February 24th. If you would like to provide a devotional and grace for the group, just write that by your name when you sign up.
Please note. You do not have to bring food to participate, just come! There is always enough for all to share! If you want to an easy item, sign up to bring a bag of oyster crackers or a loaf of bread to share. Keep it simple. The idea is to come for quiet fellowship and spiritual nourishment.
We gather between 5:30 and 6 PM to set the table, light the candles, and lay the board. The weekly host will provide a devotional and grace at 6 PM and dinner runs from 6 – 6:45 PM. Communal clean-up follows and we make our farewells by 7 PM. Join us and bring a friend!
EASTER LILY SALE
The worship committee will be planning an Easter Lily sale for the congregation during March. The lilies will arrive at the church on Saturday, April 20th and be used to adorn the sanctuary on Easter Sunday. Folks can take their blossoms home after church for their Easter table. Plants usually have at least three blossoms with a bud or two besides. So pretty and full of heavenly scent ! Look for Amy Clason-Gilmet to be handing around the order form during fellowship hour or call the church to place an order! Many thanks!!!
HUMAN RELATIONS SUNDAY
Thank you for giving to the Human Relations Special Offering last month. We raised $81 for this effort through UMCOR that supports ministries to our neighbors all across the country!
RECYCLE CORNER
REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE
When God created heaven and earth he entrusted mankind to be caretakers of our planet. PUMC is launching a new initiative to help REDUCE the amount of waste on our planet by offering the congregation items that are in good condition but no longer needed by others. The emphasis is on REUSE!
Every month in the PUMC Newsletter there will be a section called THE RECYCLING CORNER. If you have something (or things) you would like to find a good home for, just email Melissa French before the newsletter monthly deadline (the last Tuesday of the month) at info@peterboroughumc.org, let her know what you have and she will list it under “REUSABLES” along with your name.
IF you happen to need or are looking for a particular item(s), again email Melissa at info@peterboroughumc.org and she will list it under “REQUESTS” along with your name. Please don’t be bashful about using the RECYCLE CORNER because it is a Win-Win situation for everyone!
Reusables and Requests could be electronics (computers, printers, TV’s, cameras etc.), all kinds of tools, curtains, furniture, silverware, athletic equipment, medical equipment, housewares, baby/toddler equipment, lawn equipment and the list could go on forever.
REUSABLES
2 large glazed ceramic flower pots 12” high x 15” top diameter (Sue Norton Poplin)
39” tall wooden plant stand (Sue Norton Poplin)
REQUESTS
Please submit all materials for the next newsletter (April) to our editors by the LAST TUESDAY, March 26. This is the newsletter that will be released March 31 and cover until Sunday May 5. Send to Melissa French at 924-4294 or email
info@PeterboroughUMC.org, with the subject “Newsletter submission.” Thanks!
PETERBOROUGH UMC COMMUNICATIONS
In addition to “Beyond the Green Doors,” Peterborough UMC offers the following ways you can keep in touch.
We are at the church. Come visit us, Sunday at 10 am!
We are on the web: http://www.PeterboroughUMC.org
We are on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/peterboroughunitedmethodist/
This newsletter was compiled by Melissa French. Any concerns with content can be addressed with Reverend Card.