February 2015 Grapevine - Green Street United Methodist Church

13 Green St.
Augusta, ME 04330
Sunday Worship
8 & 10:30am
Sunday School @ 9am
Office Hours
Monday - Friday
8am-2pm
Phone Number:
Office: (207) 622-0843
email: [email protected]
web: www.greenstreetumc.net
Minister:
Rev. Kristin White
With close to four feet of snow in the past week
and more on the way
I don’t think we will see the church sign until
spring!
Jesse Lee Cluster Event
Inside This Issue
Pastor’s Page
February Birthdays
AMT Soup Lunch
Storm Cancellations
Kid’s Page
Green Church
February Calendar
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pg. 7
Saturday, February 7th, 8:30am at Green Street.
(snow date: Saturday, February 14th) Clergy and
Lay Members of all committees in the cluster
churches are invited to gather and share their procedures, policies, and ideas. this is a great opportunity to learn the ways other churches in the cluster are doing things. Please come and participate
in this learning experience.
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Page 2
Pastor’s Page
Ash Wednesday
Learning to use a woodstove was a new experience for me when I moved to Maine.
I love the smell of wood smoke on a winter night and the warmth of the fire, and I’ve
now had enough practice to get a fire going without much effort. I’m also careful
about removing the old ashes to keep the woodstove clean. If all the ashes were
left in the stove, there would eventually be no space left to build a fire.
Not unlike a woodstove, we must also clear the ashes and debris out of our lives
from time to time, or our hope and passion for life will be choked by the ashes.
Our ashes may include painful experiences from the past, disappointments or fears
that linger with us. Like wood consumed in a fire, our ashes come from those
leftover feelings of pain and frustration that live in our hearts and consume us.
Among those things, unresolved guilt often tops the list. Guilt eats away at our
thoughts, emotions and relationships; it erodes our sense of self-worth.
Acknowledging our guilt and seeking forgiveness can be a powerful way to
cleanse and renew our lives.
Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent. Receiving ashes on our forehead
acknowledges our sorrow and humility because of our sin. The ashes symbolize
our repentance and our desire for change. Ash Wednesday provides a chance to
re-examine our lives each year: we acknowledge the guilt that we carry with us;
we reflect on our relationships that are not healthy or whole; we take stock of our
behavior to see what we need to change. On Ash Wednesday we offer our lives
to God for transformation. We clear out the ashes of the past year in order to build
a new fire in our souls.
As we approach Ash Wednesday this year, let us take time to reflect on the ashes
that have built up in our lives and to reflect on things of the past that need to be
cleared away. Take time this year to prepare for Lent by giving your ashes to
God; seek God’s renewal to live life with rekindled passion.
In Christ,
Pastor Kristin
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February Birthdays
2 – Rebecca Pullen
6 – Sue Landreth
8 – Donna Alexander
8 – Caleb Sutter
15 – Darby Rock
16 – Linda Forbes
17 – Robert Thurlow
24 – Kristen Tripp
25 – Charlotte McGuire
26 – Maria Elmshauser
United Methodist Women News
The next UMW meeting is Wednesday, February
11 at noon in LL rooms 1 & 2. The program is "A
Call To Prayer and Self Denial" presented by
Sandy Grady. Nancy Merrick will hostess. Bring a
bagged lunch. Dessert and drink are provided. All
women are invited to attend. For more information
contact Sandy Grady at 549-4513
Share Your Special Prayer
Do you have a favorite prayer? Perhaps a prayer
that you recite before meals, before bed or upon
waking up? Or a prayer that you were taught by a
parent, grandparent, or friend? Perhaps a prayer
that reminds you of a certain person, place or experience? Or a prayer that you came across and
kept, one that has stayed with you? If you are willing to share your favorite prayer with the congregation, please be in touch with Pastor Kristin (6223656 or [email protected]). Thank you!
Adult Mission Team Soup Luncheon
American Cancer Society
Needs Volunteer Drivers
The American Cancer Society Road to Recovery
program provides patients with free rides to cancer
treatment centers. They are looking for volunteers
who can u se their own vehicle to drive patients
undergoing cancer treatments to and from their
appointments. By giving a little of your time, you
can help save lives while fulfilling your own. To
become a volunteer driver call 1-800-227-2345
Worship Committee
Planning Meeting
The Worship Committee will meet for lunch followed by a planning meeting on Saturday, February 7 at 12:30pm in fellowship hall.
Thank You
The pastor and staff of Green Street
thank all of you for your kindness and
generosity with this year’s Christmas gift.
We feel blessed by all of you.
Pastor Kristin, Darby, Dan, Bob,
George and Meaghan
At coffee hour on Sunday, Feb. 22, the Adult Mission Team will be serving a soup luncheon.
A “free will” offering will the gratefully accepted.
Please plan to come and support our trip to Oak
Hill, West Virginia in March.
Dear Church Family,
Yesterday I shed my heavy cast for a lighter
one. My other ailments are much improved. I
have felt the love, the prayers and the good
wishes coming my way from you, family and
friends.
I have been so lucky to be here where I have
been waited on hand and foot and the sun has
been warm but I shall be glad to be back in
Maine in late February.
Much love,
Marjorie Tribou
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Page 4
Healthy Boundaries 201
Beyond the Basics
A workshop to deepen faith leaders' understanding of the importance of healthy boundaries in
ministry and teaching and critically discern the
complexities of boundaries in light of new challenges and emerging issues. Laity in church leadership, teaching roles, children and youth workers,
etc. are encouraged to attend. Also good for
members of Staff/Parish Relations Committees. Saturday, March 21 8:30am to 3:00pm at
Pleasant Street UMC in Waterville. Pastor Kristin
will be attending. Deadline to register is February
15. For more information contact the church office.
Lenten Women’s Retreat
Friday, March 6 beginning at 6pm to Saturday,
March 7 at 4pm at Camp Mechuwana. “Lord
Teach Me to Pray” Led by Heidi Chamberland.
Cost is $75. includes lodging, snacks and meals.
(commuters $55.) Registration deadline is February 25. For more information or to register contact
Heidi Chamberland at 860-888-2934 or
[email protected]
Green Street Storm Cancellations
When worship is canceled or postponed due to
weather we will notify church members three
ways:
A One Call Now phone message: If you are not
receiving phone messages please let the church
office know that you need your phone number
added to the One Call Now database.
Email: if you are not receiving emails from Green
Street please let the church office know that you
want your email address added to the contact list.
Facebook: There is a Green Street Facebook Public Page and a Green Street Facebook Group. The
Facebook Group has cancellations and postponements along with other information, prayer
requests and posts from group members that are
private and can only be viewed by the group
members. In order to be a part of the group page
you can send a request to join through Facebook
or contact the church office to be added to the
group.
Contact Darby at the church office 622-0843 or
[email protected].
Camp Mechuwana Youth Rally
Youth in grades 6 -12 are invited to the Youth Rally February 6th – 8th . Camp Mechuwana will continue their tradition of celebrating winter with hosting a winter carnival with many events and games,
some of them wacky, some of them difficult but all
of them fun! This weekend’s theme is “Doing More
with Less”. We will talk about and do some interesting activities around protecting God’s creation –
earth. Cost is $40. Go to www.mechuwana.org for
a registration form
Household Goods Drive
for Homeless Veterans
Lanny White on behalf of the Waterville Elks is
collecting household items and furniture for homeless veterans. If you have any new or gently used
household items such as towels, blankets, pillows,
kitchen items, furniture, bedding, etc. Lanny will
gladly accept them for area veterans.
Church Supplies
You can help save on the budget by picking up an
extra item here and there when you shop and donating it to the church. Below is a list of items that
are always needed.
Paper Towels
Toilet Paper
Tall Kitchen Bags
Coffee Cups (no Styrofoam please)
Coffee Creamer
Donations can be left in Fellowship Hall.
Pastor Kristin on Vacation
th
Pastor Kristin will be on vacation from February 9
to February 17th. If you have a pastoral emergency
contact Jim Jacobsen at 215-5767, Lynn Kennard
at 215-5634 or the church office at 622-0843.
They will know how to contact a covering pastor.
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Page 5
Mechuwana Campership Time
It’s time to sign up for Summer Camp at
Mechuwana. To download a brochure, visit
www.mechuwana.org or call 377-2924. Please
provide a copy of your registration form to the
church office before May 15 if you are attending a
summer camp, as we often cover a significant portion of the cost with a campership. Any questions
contact the church office.
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Page 6
EMPTY ME
Gracious and Holy One,
Creator of all things and emptiness,
I come to you full of much that clutters and distracts,
Stifles and burdens me,
And makes me a burden to others.
Empty me of gnawing dissatisfactions,
of anxious imaginings, of fretful preoccupations,
Of nagging prejudices, of old scores to settle,
And of the arrogance of being right.
Empty me of the ways I unthinkingly think
Of myself as a victim,
As determined by sex, age, race,
As being less than I am, or as other than yours.
Empty me of the disguises and lies
In which I hide myself from other people,
And from my responsibility for my neighbors
And for the world.
Hollow out in me a space in which I will find myself,
Find peace and a whole heart, a forgiving spirit
And holiness, in the spring of laughter,
And the will to reach boldly for abundant life
For myself and the whole human family.
Green Street Has Gone Green!
Last year, we at Green Street. voted to become a
green church. In the year 2014 we had our first
Echo Covenant week in which we celebrated with
workshops each evening during the week. One of
the days we went to the grade School and gave a
demonstration about rain and how it comes to be
for some of the children. On Sunday we had a
cleanup day at Mechuwana. Our intension this
year is to expand and become even greener.
As followers of Jesus Christ we are called into a
covenant with God to take care of his creation, to
serve and care for each other, our neighbors, all
creatures we share our lives with and also for the
earth God created for us. I am grateful to be a part
of this caring and giving congregation at Green
Street UMC, and was proud of us as a people who
love God, when we voted last year to ban the use
of Styrofoam in our church.
As your co-lay leader and a member of the Echo
Covenant team I would urge you to bring your own
cups, or mugs for coffee and tea. If you don’t want
to do that please use the paper cups that we provide. Also, if you want to make a donation of
plates, cups etc. please keep in mind that we have
voted to use only paper, and not Styrofoam. I
would also encourage all of you to bring forth any
ideas you have in helping us to GROW OUR
GREEN here at Green Street UMC
Author Unknown.
Lynn Kennard
A Ton of
Thank you all for donating to the Augusta Food
Bank towards the ton of food drive. You were certainly generous as we got more than a ton. This
will come in very handy especially since the food
stamps are being cut way back. One person who
gave a check wanted it to be in honor of Peggy
Shore, Robin Forbes and Nancy Merrick. Thank
you Karen Garcia.
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February 2015
What’s Happening at Green Street United Methodist Church
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Worship Schedule
8:00 and 10:30 AM Worship
9:00 AM Sunday School
Church Office Hours:
Monday – Friday, 8AM-2PM
1
2
6:30 PM Women’s Bible
Study
6:30 PM Narcotics
Anonymous
8
15
11:30 AM Missions
Committee Meeting
22
First Sunday in Lent
Adult Mission Team
Fundraiser Soup
Luncheon following
10:30 worship
5:30 PM EcoCovenant
6:30 PM SPPRC
5
6
11
9:00 AM DCOM
Noon UMW Meeting
6:30 PM Church Council
5:30 PM Bell Choir
7
8:30 AM Jesse Lee
Cluster Event
12:30 PM Worship
Committee lunch and
planning meeting
5:30 PM Bell Choir
10
12
13
14
19
20
21
6:30 PM Choir Practice
16
17
President’s Day
Church Office Closed
6:30 PM Women’s Bible
Study
6:30 PM Narcotics
Anonymous
18
Ash Wednesday
5:30 PM Bell Choir
7:00 PM Ash Wednesday
Service
23
5:15 PM Nominations
Committee Meeting
6:30 PM Women’s Bible
Study
6:30 PM Narcotics
Anonymous
4
6:30 PM Choir Practice
9
Pastor Kristin on
Vacation this week
6:30 PM Women’s Bible
Study
6:30 PM Narcotics
Anonymous
Sally Joy Preaching
3
24
7:00 PM Trustees
Meeting
Noon Prayer Shawl
Meeting
6:30 PM Choir Practice
25
5:30 PM Bell Choir
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5:00 PM Angel Food
Supper
26
6:30 PM Choir Practice
27
28
Fuel Day/Ministry Day
I wish to donate _____ Fuel Day(s) or Ministry Day(s) (circle one)
Date(s) _____________,
_______________, _____________, _____________, ____________________
In Honor or Memory (circle one) of ___________________________________________________________
In Honor or Memory (circle one) of ___________________________________________________________
Given by _____________________________________Phone #___________________________________
Please enclose $25 for each day donated. Your gift helps keep our church warm and supports the ministries
of our church.
Green Street United Methodist Church
13 Green Street
Augusta, Maine 04330
Help Us Report Church News
Do you know about an upcoming event, program or other item of interest that should be included in the
newsletter? If so, please fill out the form below and drop it by the church office or email the information to
[email protected] deadline for news articles is the 15th of each month. News received after
that date will be published in the following issue, if it is still of interest.
Name_______________________________Phone__________________E-mail____________________
Name of event or activity______________________________Date and Time_______________________
Group or Committee involved______________________________________________________________
Other Information______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
__
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