Please enjoy our newsletter for September 2016.
Beyond the Green Doors
The newsletter of the Peterborough United Methodist Church
43 Concord Street, Peterborough, NH
September 2016
STRAIGHT TALK WITH PASTOR LENA
Dear Friends,
For those of us who have been in church for a long time, we have seen multiple programs, techniques, and formulas pronounced as the way in which to reach people for the Lord and to grow our churches. How many times over the years have we sunk all our efforts into the newest fads of evangelism only to exhaust ourselves and to discover that we are no further ahead in advancing the kingdom? Often we discover that we have actually regressed.
Throughout the past few months I have been in prayer asking God just what He is about and how we as a congregation are to follow Him into the future. I firmly believe that God is bringing His church back to its foundation: prayer and service.
I am mindful that as Jesus stormed through the temple with his whip, He quoted the verse, “My house will be called the house of prayer.” Looking closely at Jesus’ motive, intent and attitude at the time, we realize that this He was not making a mere suggestion, but giving a directive – a command. Sadly, over the past decades, the church has taken His words as suggestive, not directive. Paraphrasing Corrie Ten Boom, prayer has become the spare tire and not the steering wheel of the church. Because of this, the focus of the church shifted from serving “the least of these,” to maintaining the comfort zone of the eminent.
If we want to witness the mighty move of God once more in our personal lives, our churches and our communities at large, then each one of us must be determined to set the example set before us in 2 Chronicles 7: 14 (CEB):
“If my people who belong to me will humbly pray, seek my face,
and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”
It has given me great joy to see individuals within the congregation answering the call to return to their prayer closet. As a result, prayer is becoming the steering wheel and not the spare tire at PUMC and we are seeing God moving mightily in our midst. May it continue! May it be that PUMC becomes known as The House of Prayer, and that service is our mission.
Counting my blessings,
Pastor Lena
Welcome!
Clara Elise Regis is finally here!
June 30th, 2016
Mustard Seed Spirit Camp 2016 – It’s a Wrap!
Twenty-six kids plus 28 adults = this year’s Mustard Seed Spirit Camp. Add community speakers, parent chauffeurs, sots in the community that opened their doors to the camp and you have more connections! This year the kids met ponies, dressed vegetable beds with compost, ran like monkeys in the park, rode a fantastic quadra- cycle with a surrey on top, played yard games, built a Sukkoth shelter, painted T-shirts, made booklets, recycled some of their clothing for other kids’ use, learned some new prayers and songs, and heard stories from the Bible.
It was a sweltering, but fun week! MANY thanks to all the people who helped make it possible through volunteering time, resources, monies for materials, and prayers for the success of the camp! After a rest, it’s pretty well assured that ideas will start sprouting for next year’s Mustard Seed Spirit Camp! Stay tuned!
Homecoming Sunday –
September 18th
This is a special time of year when families come back from the ‘hither and yon of summer vacations’. The doors of the church will be wide open for all to enter for a special Homecoming Sunday service at 10 AM on the 18th. Our choir will be back in the loft, there will be special flowers and altar decorations that herald the autumn to come, and the smells of baked ham and turkey will float in from the fellowship room. After worship, there will be a special fellowship potluck lunch served with an ice cream sundae dessert buffet to top things off. Invites have been sent via snail mail and church email. Extra invites are available in the church sanctuary for folks to use ‘post card fashion’ to mail out to friends and family. All are welcome to come celebrate in our community of Christ!
So, get those postcards sent! Pick a fun potluck side dish recipe and get a pretty bowl to plop the food in, spiff yourself up and come on down for a fun Homecoming Sunday 2016!
Adult Bible Study starting 25 Sep 2016
The fall adult Bible study will lead us on a journey through the written word as God’s vision for His people and all mankind is revealed through the writings of Isaiah, Hebrews, and Revelations. It should be an interesting discovery of the perspective of the prophet through the apostles as we learn about God’s design for humankind. Authors Simon Iredale and Bob Walker bring us these concepts of faith and love God has implanted in humans through the ages. Please join us in this study as we meet in the Sunday school room after services and coffee break at around 11:20 each Sunday.
Grace and Peace
Jim Poplin
Sunday School Starts September 11th!!!
Hey kids and families! It’s time to come back to church and help us get ready for a new year of worship and fun mission work! The nursery will be open for really small fry to rest and play while Moms and Dads worship and the Sunday school classrooms will be open for school age children to come learn some Bible verses, do some mission-oriented activities, and have fun.
Sunday school begins in the church sanctuary at the beginning of worship service. Children are included in the opening prayer and hymn and are then excused. Lessons include an opening prayer, a penny offering, a Bible reading/story, and a craft or project. Hope to see everyone from last year! Bring some friends! The more the merrier!
PUMC’s Book Group – Fall Start-up
This summer’s long tome, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle will be the topic for the PUMC book group when it meets on Wednesday, September 14th. Book group members should meet in the fellowship room at the church at 7 PM. Light snacks and tea or coffee will be served. Some ideas for the next read are below. Also, bring other ideas for the next book group read too! See you there!
Questions of Truth –
John Polkinghorne/
Nicholas Beale An Invisible Thread –
Laura Schroff The Porcelain Thief –
Huan Shu
Hundred Nights Dinner Coming Up! – October 1st
The next Hundred Nights dinner will be held at the Keene UCC fellowship hall on Saturday, October 1st. This month the guys have requested an Italian dinner. A tentative menu: anti-pasto skewers, your best baked ziti recipe, classic Caesar salad, warm garlic bread. The Community Kitchen of Keene will provide desserts. If you would like to help out by cooking a dish, providing the breads, or helping to serve, please grab Susan Lindquist and she’ll get you signed onto the volunteer list. There will be a sign-up sheet coming around by the middle of September! Thanks for all the help on this important anti-hunger mission! Every time we provide dinner, we are warmly thanked by many of the folks who come through the dinner line. Our efforts do make a difference!
NARTHEX SPIFFYING UP
Take a look at the narthex (the small hall closest to the road), it has been spiffied up.
LEADERSHIP RETREAT
On Saturday September 24 from 9-12 we will be holding a Leadership Retreat.
This is open to our current leadership and volunteers as well as anyone who has questions or would like to become more involved.
This is an informational meeting and training, for discussing the church leadership, the function of the various committees, and their jobs and responsibilities.
Attendance does not put you under any obligation. There will be no lassoing of new volunteers. There may be some nudging and winking, however.
MEMBERSHIP
With the closing of Grace United Methodist Church in Keene, the membership records are transferring to PUMC as of July 1, 2016. The members of GMC were notified earlier this year, and were given options to maintain their membership at PUMC or transfer their membership to another church. Karen Keenan and Pastor Lena are working to merge the membership records. Please let them know if you have any questions about this process.
Remember to update us with any address, email or phone changes you may have. Please contact Karen Keenan.
MANY THANKS
Many thanks to Lucy Benton for donating a gorgeous edition of The Message Bible for our liturgists to use at the pulpit.
WORDS TO PONDER…
“COME AS YOU ARE” (Crowder)
Come out of sadness, From wherever you’ve been
Come broken hearted, Let rescue begin
Come find your mercy. Oh sinner come kneel
Earth has no sorrow, That heaven can’t heal
Earth has no sorrow, That heaven can’t heal
So lay down your burdens, Lay down your shame
All who are broken, Lift up your face
Oh wanderer come home, You’re not too far
So lay down your hurt, Lay down your heart
Come as you are
There’s hope for the hopeless
And all those who’ve strayed
Come sit at the table, Come taste the grace
There’s rest for the weary, Rest that endures
Earth has no sorrow, That heaven can’t cure
So lay down your burdens, Lay down your shame
All who are broken, Lift up your face
Oh wanderer come home, You’re not too far
So lay down your hurt, Lay down your heart
Come as you are, Come as you are
Fall in his arms, Come as you are
There’s joy for the morning, Oh sinner be still
Earth has no sorrow, That heaven can’t heal
Earth has no sorrow, That heaven can’t heal
So lay down your burdens, Lay down your shame
All who are broken, Lift up your face
Oh wanderer come home, You’re not too far
So lay down your hurt, Lay down your heart
Come as you are, Come as you are
Come as you are
BUILDING UP THE POWER HOUSE
Look to the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face always. Psalm 105:4 (NIV)
Please pray with our Church Family for the following individuals, situations, and needs:
Needing Jesus to step into their lives:
Healing: Stacy, Melanie, Jeffrey, Barbara, Daniel, Tim and Bonny, Cassidy, N.M.
Families: Wilcox Family
Provision: Sara
Breakthrough:
Safe Travel:
Guidance: Sarah, Eno, N.M.
Community:
Protection: Marriages and Families
A MERRY HEART DOETH GOOD
A preacher visits an elderly woman from his congregation. As he sits on the couch he notices a large bowl of peanuts on the coffee table. “Mind if I have a few?” he asks.
“No, not at all!” the woman replied.
They chat for an hour and as the preacher stands to leave, he realizes that instead of eating just a few peanuts, he emptied most of the bowl. “I’m terribly sorry for eating all your peanuts, I really just meant to eat a few.”
“Oh, that’s all right,” the woman says. “Ever since I lost my teeth all I can do is suck the chocolate off them.”
A teacher was testing the children in her Sunday school class to see if they understood the concept of getting to heaven.
She asked them, “If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church, would that get me into Heaven?”
“NO!” the children answered.
“If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven?”
Again, the answer was, “NO!”
Now she was smiling. Hey, they’re getting it, she thought! “Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children, and loved my husband, would that get me into Heaven?” she asked.
Again, they all answered, “NO!”
She was just bursting with pride for them. “Well,” she continued, “then how can I get into Heaven?”
A five-year-old boy shouted out, “YOU GOTTA BE DEAD.”
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
Thu 1 HymnSing at Rivermead 11a
Wed 14 Book Group 7p
Fri 16 Open Mic 7p
Sun 18 Homecoming
Sat 24 Men’s Breakfast 7:30a
Sat 24 Leadership Retreat 9-12
Sun 25 Adult Bible Study 11:20a
Mon 26 Newsletter due
Tue 27 Prayer Shawl Ministry 1p
Sat Oct 1 Tailgate Dinner
Tue Oct 4 UMW Meeting 7p
Sat Oct 15 Peak Into Peterborough
Weekly
Sun Worship Service 10a
Wed Men’s Christian Discussion 6:30p
SUMMER BREAK IS NEARING ITS END
Book Group resumed Aug 17
Sunday School will resume September 11
Open Mic will resume in September 16
Choir will resume Homecoming Sep 18
Men’s Breakfast Group resumes Sep 24
Adult Bible Study will resume Sep 25
CHURCH FAMILY BIRTHDAYS
Mary Bee Johnson Sep 1
David LaDeau Sep
CHURCH CONFERENCE
November 17, 2016, 7pm
CUSTODIAL NOTE
Reminder: If you open a window, unlock a door or turn on a fan, light or coffee pot, you are responsible for closing that window, re-locking that door and/or turning off that fan, light or coffee pot.
Andrew Dunbar, Custodian
Report from the Staff Parish Relations Committee
The Staff Parish Relations Committee has been working on the development of a covenant between Pastor Lena and the congregation of Peterborough United Methodist Church. This covenant originated at the direction of the District Superintendent. The purpose of the covenant is to clarify the relationship between Pastor Lena and Peterborough UMC. The covenant discusses the goals of Peterborough UMC, key areas of focus for our pastor, priorities for our pastor’s time, and what the congregation will do to assist and support Pastor Lena. The covenant was approved by the Administrative Council at a meeting held on August 16, 2016. After church on August 28, 2016 a meeting was held and Lay Leader, James Poplin and members of the Staff Parish Relations Committee discussed the purpose of the covenant, its contents, and fielded questions from interested Church members. I would like to thank Ken Constantine for his work on the covenant.
The Staff Parish Relations Committee has also been working to fill the vacant organist position. We have advertised the position, held an interview and hope to have news in the near future.
Respectfully submitted by
Bruce Batten, SPRC chair
UPPER ROOM
The United Methodist Women recently received a generous anonymous donation, a subscription for 10 regular print and 10 large print Upper Rooms for one full year starting with the Sep/Oct edition. Feel free to take a copy of the Upper Room from the fellowship hall.
*The next UMW meeting will be held October 4th at 7PM at the church.
BEYOND THE GREEN DOORS
Church leaders should not be the only ones contributing to the newsletter! Send me your birthdays, photos, events, testimonials, prayer submissions…
Please submit all materials for the next newsletter (October) to our editors by the last Wednesday of the month, September 28. This is the newsletter that will be released on Sunday October 2 and cover until Sunday October 29. Send to Melissa French 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, silly. 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 Pastor Lena or in person.