Please enjoy our newsletter for March 2017.
Beyond the Green Doors – March 2017
Beyond the Green Doors
The newsletter of the Peterborough United Methodist Church
43 Concord Street, Peterborough, NH
March 2017
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
Tue 7 UMW Meeting 7p
Fri 17 Open Mic Night 7p
Tue 21 Ad Council 6:30p
Tue 28 Prayer Shawl Group 1p
Wed 29 Newsletter due
Apr 1 Shep Pie Benefit Dinner
Weekly
Sun Worship Service 10a
Sun Adult Bible Class 11:15a
Wed Lent Studies 6:30-7:30p
Wed Open Sanctuary 10-1
Thu Lenten Suppers 5:30p
Thu Choir Rehearsal 6:30p
CHURCH FAMILY CELEBRATIONS
Birthdays:
Bill French Mar 5
Andy French Mar 19
Laura Nerz Mar 16
Ken Schultz Mar 23
Francis Grose Mar 27
Membership Anniversaries:
Jon and Sandra Cole, 23 years
Michael Crowe, 45 years
Shannon Dunning Morris, 29 years
John and Cindy Faust, 39 years
Matt and Karen Keenan, 23 years
Gloria Lodge Wenblad, 45 years
Janet Mack Lewis, 17 years
Phyllis Porter, 14 years
Ken and Laura Constantine, 1 year
WORDS OF WISDOM
Passing forward words of wisdom regarding worship:
Does corporate worship still matter?
Trends on worship show that to be called a “regular” attendee of corporate worship these days means that you attend about twice a month. Recently Adam Hamilton, senior pastor of Church of he Resurrection (www.cor.org), sent out an email to his congregation acknowledging those at COR who had perfect attendance in 2016 as well as those who got an A+ (90% attendance or better). Today I had a chance to ask him about worship attendance at COR and their focus on celebrating that. First, how did it start?
15 years ago, he said, regular worship at COR meant someone attended 3 weeks out of 4. More recently, they found that the average was 1.75 times a month. In other words, regular worshippers attended less that twice in a month. They realized that if they wanted to see a difference, they needed to pay attention to this aspect of congregational life. The first year he took everyone with perfect attendance to lunch. There were only thirteen. Thirteen, in a congregation with 20,000 members! They also acknowledge the folks with 90% attendance. The next year they gave out insulated mugs to all 90% or above. It cost them $6000 – clearly paying attention changed the behavior.
After that, I asked him this: Take me deeper. Why does corporate worship matter?
Without hesitating, he answered (this is not verbatim but rather my summary of a conversation from a few hours ago.
Worship matters because it’s important to be able to teach and expound upon the word of God.
Worship matters because it allows you to reinforce the vision of the congregation.
Worship matters because it keeps people connected to each other. Lower attendance correlates to lower and lower engagement and more people leaving the congregation “through the back door.”
Worship itself taps into the power and meaning of what it means to be community together
Worship teaches us what to pray for – to be reminded or shown what else is going on in the world and that we all need to lifting those things in prayer.
Worship matters to God. Yes, we are to be worshipful everyday, in all we do, but God calls us to honor the Sabbath and make it holy – for God’s people to come together in praise and thanksgiving.
Finally, he shared that higher levels of worship attendance correlate with other positive behaviors. People who are in worship regularly are more likely to be engaged in mission, are more generous, are more likely to be involved in other spiritual formation opportunities and so forth.
Worship matters.
So, my thought:
What is your congregation doing to help people grow in the practice of worship? What might you do to positively reinforce the practice of worship? And since inspiring and meaningful worship is critical to the spiritual growth of people early in their faith journey (think visitors here!), what are you doing to make sure each worship experience is just that – inspiring and meaningful? Long-time members will tolerate mediocre music, messages and ministry. New visitors will not – they look elsewhere – or worse, stop looking altogether.
So yes, worship matters!
Rev. Rick McKinley is the Director of Congregational Development for the NEUMC https://scituatedrev.blogspot.com/
SIGNUPS
Don’t forget, we have signups available for worship helpers, as well as kitchen helpers, in the fellowship hall. Many hands make light work.
EASTER BASKETS
We will once again be collecting items for Easter baskets for the kids in transitional housing, grab an extra bag of candy and keep an eye out in What’s Happening for details!
FOOD PANTRY
Don’t forget to bring in a non-perishable item in to church Sunday!
NOTICE: CHURCH LOCKS ARE BEING CHANGED!
In an effort to take better control of who has keys and at the same time allow for better access to our church when needed, the trustees have purchased and will soon be installing a Keyless Entry Lock system for the crash bar side (ramp) door.
The installation is scheduled for March 25th after which time there will not be a key to open the side door, but instead a pass code will be distributed to those who will need access.
At the same time the lock on the back door will be repaired and rekeyed along with the back basement bulkhead door. Physical keys for those two doors will only be provided in limited supply to those needing them.
If you currently have a key to the church, and/or if you feel you need the code or a key you need to let Matt Keenan or one of the other members of the Trustees know as soon as possible.
Thanks and best regards,
Matt Keenan
Trustees Chair
SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER
We are currently in need of a second Sunday School teacher, to assist our one teacher, (Susan Lindquist). Currently this is an every other Sunday obligation, (meeting the current attendance participation), for the remainder of the 2017 school year, (March through June.)
Please contact either Susan or myself, to review this opportunity to serve, if you are able to join our Sunday School staff.
Thank you and God Bless;
Andrew Dunbar,
Christian Ed. Director
UNITED METHODIST WOMEN
The UMW will meet Tuesday, March 7th, at 7:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall of the church.
Susan Lindquist will be presenting the program on KIVA https://www.kiva.org/. Do you know what that is? Plan to come and learn. Also bring your ideas and suggestions for planning our 2017 year.
Everyone is invited to attend. Hope to see you there!
Carol Owen
LENTEN SUPPERS 2017
Fellowship and Reflection On the Journey Toward the Light
Peterborough United Methodist Church will hold Lenten Potluck Suppers every Thursday evening between March 1st and April 15th to celebrate the journey we all make during the Lenten season. As we contemplate the journey Christ made from the desert through his final ministries to Jerusalem and finally to Calvary and beyond, we will gather for a simple meal, a short devotional, and quiet, relaxed companionship with each other.
Join us for one or all our suppers. Simply come to the church for a 5:30 PM meal. The table will be set and ready. If you would like to bring a bowl of salad, a loaf of bread, or a pot of warm soup, that would be welcome, but it is not necessary. !f you are busy that day and can’t cook, no worries! Your presence is more important. Others will have provided food also. There will be enough, and enough is a feast.
So …come and be with us as we journey toward the joy that Easter brings. You and your family are welcome!
Lenten Soup and Salad Suppers are held on Thursday evenings at 5:30 PM. They take place in the fellowship room at Peterborough United Methodist Church, 43 Concord St. Peterborough, NH. and are hosted by the Worship Committee.
TRUSTEES NEWS
We voted to approve the purchase of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) for the church. These are becoming more prevalent in public and private facilities and have proven to be very effective in providing life saving emergency service to people suffering heart attacks or other cardiac events. Once installed we intend to offer all of those interested training in its use so we can all be prepared in case it is needed.
It was recently announced that two officers of the Trustees are planning to make this their last year in those roles and one or two others may be rotating off at the end of the year. If you have an interest in joining our working team please let one of us know. It would be good to get “on board” before the end of the year to see what is involved and make for a smoother transition.
Thanks and best regards,
Matt Keenan
Trustees Chair
QUILTING AND PIECING AT PUMC
Have you been wanting to get involved in a joint project with a bit of a personal payoff ? Well, here’s a thought! Come to a short meeting after church on March 12th. I have a neat idea for us to work on together … if we all pull together, we should have a nice sized quilt made by the end of the summer for us to raffle or auction off at our Holiday Stroll. We each will also have a stock of nine-patch blocks that we can use to design a quilt top for ourselves … sound like something you’d like to get in on? See you on the 12th! Oh … and be thinking what we might name our fledgling sewing circle!
Peace Hope and Inspiration!
Susan Lindquist
PRAYER CORNER
“Some say that a man will suffer in his life if he does not pray. I question it. Prayer is an interruption of personal ambition, and no person who is busy has time to pray. What will suffer is the life of God in him, which is nourished not by food but by prayer…When man is born from above, the life of the Son of God begins in him, and he can either starve that life or nourish it. Prayer nourishes the life of God.”
—Oswald Chambers, If You Will Ask
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:12-13 (ESV)
Lord, here is my Bible,
Here is this quiet room, here is this quiet time, and here am I.
Open my eyes; open my mind; open my heart; and speak.
LENTEN DISCIPLINES
What Lenten discipline are you planning to adopt this year?
What? You haven’t thought about it? When I was young, the hot topic of conversation at this time of year was, “What are you fasting on for Lent?” Chewing gum or chocolate or desserts were common answers. Whether or not you have adopted some kind of Lenten discipline in the past, I encourage you to do so this year.
WHAT IS LENT?
Lent is the period of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday (March 1 this year) and ends on Holy Saturday. The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry.
Lent affords an opportunity for a spiritual spring cleaning—a time to take a spiritual inventory and then clean out those things which hinder our relationship with God and our service to Him. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, a day of repentance, we are encouraged to confront our sinfulness and give thanks for the gift of salvation we receive through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many people adopt spiritual disciplines to assist them in achieving these goals. Here are some ideas:
BIBLE READING
Make a commitment to daily Bible reading. Or delve into Scripture with others in a Lenten study group. Or listen to sermons on the radio or the Internet.
PRAYER
How is your prayer life? Lent is a good time to develop or strengthen the discipline of daily prayer. Set a fixed time, a special place (which can just be a favorite chair) and ensure a quiet environment.
When you pray, do you do more talking than listening? Try spending five or ten minutes just listening for what God has to say to you. Some people like to keep a pad of paper nearby to jot down extraneous thoughts that come to mind.
Start a prayer journal: write out your prayers (amazingly powerful and rewarding!) or simply record the things you are praying about so you can review it periodically and see how faithful God has been in answering them.
FASTING
Fasting, a spiritual discipline which has long been practiced during Lent, reminds us that “Man does not live by bread alone,” that the needs of the body are nothing compared to the needs of the soul. Fasting draws our attention to the importance we place on certain things in our life. It teaches us to feel compassion for the hungry and motivates us to help those in need.
John Wesley considered fasting an important part of a Christian’s life and he fasted weekly. To Wesley, fasting was an important way to express sorrow for sin and penitence for overindulgence in eating and drinking.
Try giving up a certain type of food or give up one or more meals a week. Some people abstain from eating meat, which produces an awareness of how most people in the world live. Or give up or limit an activity such as watching television or using social media or the Internet.
THE SABBATH
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8) Prayerfully consider how you could spend more time in devotion to God on the Lord’s day.
SIMPLICITY
Simplify your life by giving away clothing or possessions. Or simplify your schedule by giving up some activities. Or eat more simply and inexpensively, donating the savings to a hunger organization or food pantry..
CHARITY
In addition to or instead of giving something up (fasting), many people like to take on some sort of charitable practice. Volunteer in some capacity to help the needy or commit to doing a daily “good deed.” Save up to make a financial contribution to a worthy organization, by collecting coins or skipping movies or meals out.
Lenten practices can be transformative and the possibilities are endless.
So, what Lenten discipline are you planning to adopt this year?
Janet Hazel
KANG NAMED NEW HAMPSHIRE DS
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Greetings in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
After prayerful discernment and proper consultations in accordance with The United Methodist Book of Discipline, I am pleased to announce the appointment of the Rev. Taesung Kang as District Superintendent of the New Hampshire District, effective July 1, 2017.
Rev. Kang follows Interim Superintendent Rev. Dr. Gwen Purushotham, who stepped out of retirement to join the Cabinet July 1, 2016.
In addition to the qualifications I seek in all Cabinet members, Rev. Kang possesses these qualities the NH District was particularly seeking: he is committed to living a life reflective of deep Christian faith, has a vision for the future, and understands the importance of relationships and how to develop and nurture those relationships, particularly with pastors.
Rev. Kang currently serves as pastor of Charlton City (MA) United Methodist Church, where he was appointed in 2012. He was ordained an elder in the South Annual Conference of the Korean Methodist Church in 1999, transferred as a full member to the North Carolina Annual Conference in 2004, and has been a member of the New England Conference since 2008. Prior to his current appointment, Rev. Kang was the founding pastor of two churches – one in South Korea and one in North Carolina, and served churches in Maine and New York.
During his ministry, Rev. Kang has focused a great deal of energy on leadership development, faith formation, and children/youth. One of his churches built a community outreach center, and his current congregation launched a summer Christian music festival drawing 400 people annually. Rev. Kang’s passion for ministry with children and youth and small groups will help steer the Cabinet in these directions.
Rev. Kang has a BTh from Methodist Theological University (Seoul, Korea) and MTh from The Graduate School of Theology, Mokwon University. He graduated from Asbury Theological Seminary in 2001 with an MDiv and Husson University (Maine) in 2008 with an MS in Business.
He serves on the Board of Ordained Ministry and the Congregational Development Team and is also chair of the Korean Caucus and Vice Chair of the Asian Commission.
Rev. Kang’s wife, Mina, is a project manager for Verizon. They have three children: Andrew, Kat, and Julie. He enjoys hiking, traveling, swimming and watching movies.
I want to express my deep gratitude to Dr. Purushotham for her willingness to come back from retirement and her outstanding leadership in the New Hampshire District. All of us on the Cabinet are blessed by the gifts of her experience and wisdom.
Please join me in prayer for the Kangs, the Purushothams, the New Hampshire District, and Charlton City UMC in this time of transition.
In Christ’s Love,
Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar
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 (April) to our editors by the last Wednesday of the month, March 29. This is the newsletter that will be released on Sunday April 2 and cover until Sunday April 30. 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.
43 Concord Street (Rt. 202)
Peterborough, NH 03458