THE MESSENGER

THE MESSENGER
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF TOMS RIVER
MAY 2016
The Mission of
our church is to:
Invite people of all
ages to know Christ;
Give them the
resources to become
Christ’s disciples;
Create an environment
where they are
empowered by the
Holy Spirit; and
Motivate them to do
God’s will through acts
of love and service in
both the local and
global communities.
First United Methodist
Church of Toms River
129 Chestnut Street
Toms River, NJ 08753
Phone: 732.349.8155
Chestnut Hill Nursery
School: 732.286.9388
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.fumctr.org
Sunday
Worship Services
10:30am
Traditional
(Sanctuary)
9:00am
Contemporary
(Family Life Center)
Sunday School
9:00am
Preschool - 5th Grade
& Adults
10:30am
6th-12th Grade
SIX MARKS OF
DISCIPLESHIP
I will strive to:
1) PRAY daily
2) WORSHIP weekly
3) READ the Bible
4) SERVE at and
beyond FUMCTR
5) ENCOURAGE
SPIRITUAL
GROWTH in others
6) GIVE of my time,
talents & resources
T h e Mess en ger
to hang on!! Even though it looked like
madness, He said, “Pedal.”
Pedal (Forward)
As the pastor of this congregation for the
past eighteen years, I have often found
that the words and thoughts that I choose
to share with you are the very same
words and thoughts that I seek for myself.
As I sit here addressing the need for my
final article for the “Messenger”, I believe
that the following, which expresses where
I am right now, also expresses and
therefore addresses the position of the
"Body of Christ" known as First United
Methodist Church of Toms River.
At first, I saw God as my observer, my
judge, keeping track of the things I did
wrong so as to know whether I merited
heaven or hell when I die. He was out
there, sort of like a president. I recognized
His picture when I saw it, but I didn’t really
know Him. But later on when I met Christ,
it seemed as though life were rather like a
bike ride, but it was a tandem-bike, and I
noticed that Christ was in back helping
me pedal.
I worried and was anxious and asked,
“Where are you taking me?” He laughed
and didn’t answer, and I started to learn to
trust. I forgot my boring life and entered
into the adventure. And when I’d say, “I’m
scared,” He’d lean back and touch my
hand. He took me to people with gifts that
I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance and
joy. They gave me their gifts to take on
my journey. And we were off again. He
said, “Give the gifts away; they’re extra
baggage, too much weight.” So I did, to
the people we met, and I found that in
giving I received. Still our burden was
light.
I didn’t trust Him, at first, in control of my
life. I thought He’d wreck it. But He knows
bike secrets, knows how to make it bend
at sharp corners, jump to clear high rocks,
fly to shorten scary passages. And I am
learning to be quiet and pedal in the
strangest places. And I’m beginning to
enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my
face with my delightful constant
companion, Christ. And when I am sure I
just can’t do anymore; He just smiles and
says: “Pedal.”
I don’t know just when it was that He
suggested we change places, but life has May God’s Blessings be on us both.
not been the same since….Christ makes
life exciting. When I had control, I knew
the way. It was rather boring, but
predictable….it was the shortest distance
between two points. But when He took the
lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up
Bruce
mountains, and through rocky places, and
at breakneck speeds: it was all I could do
Inside this issue…
 Stewardship Report
 Covenant Bible Study
M a y 2016
 Mission/Outreach News
 Endowment / Upcoming VBS
 Eagle Ridge Golf Club - New View Value
P age 1
OUR MAY STEWARDSHIP MESSAGE
Compare the two practices of GIVING! "The streets of Cairo were hot and dusty. Pat and
Rakel Thurman took us down an alley. We drove past Arabic signs to a gate that opened to a
plot of overgrown grass. It was a graveyard for American missionaries. As my family and I
followed, Pat pointed to a sun-scorched tombstone that read: 'William Borden, 1887-1913.'
Borden, a Yale graduate and heir to great wealth, rejected a life of ease in order to bring the
gospel to Muslims. Refusing even to buy himself a car, Borden gave away hundreds of
thousands of dollars to missions. After only four months of zealous ministry in Egypt, he
contracted spinal meningitis and died at the age of twenty-five. I dusted off the epitaph on
Borden's grave. after describing his love and sacrifices for the Kingdom of God and for
Muslim people, the inscription ended with a phrase I've never forgotten" 'Apart from faith in
Christ,
there
is
no
explanation
for
such
a
life.'
The Thurman’s took us straight from Borden's grave to the Egyptian National Museum. The
King Tut exhibit was mind-boggling. Tutankhamen, the boy king, was only seventeen when
he died. He was buried with gold chariots and thousands of golden artifacts. His gold coffin
was found within gold tombs within gold tombs. The burial site was filled with tons of gold.
The Egyptians believed in an afterlife -- one where they could take earthly treasures. But all
the treasures intended for King Tut's eternal enjoyment stayed right where they were until
Howard Carter discovered the burial chamber in 1922. They hadn't been touched for over
3,000
years.
Let's compare the two lives --Tut's life was tragic because of an awful truth discovered too
late--he couldn't take his treasures with him. William Borden's life was triumphant. Why?
Because instead of leaving behind his treasures, he sent them on ahead." " We must
remember that God is keeping a record of all we do for Him, including our giving." The above
was
taken
from
Randy
Alcorn's
book,
The
Treasure
Principle.
Stewardship quote of the month: "Do you know that God entrusted you with that money (all
above what buys necessities for your families) to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to help
the stranger, the widow, the fatherless, and indeed, as far as it will go, to relieve the wants of
all mankind. How can you, how dare you, defraud the Lord by applying it to any other
purpose?"..........John Wesley
T h e Mess en ger
M a y 2016
P age 2
should seek things that we can do to help alleviate the
horrible effects suffered by Christians being persecuted.
Remember they are our brothers and sisters in Christ!
HOPE CENTER REPORT
1.) Households served 60
2.) Total $ expenditures
$2594.78
3.) Emergency Shelter 29 families
$1810 4.) Utilities 5 families $214.78 5.) Gas vouchers
17 families $340 and 6.) ShopRite cards 9 families $230.
The Food Pantry - Bags of food distributed 636 serving 225
families consisting of 337 adults and 186 children. The
Hope Center in cooperation with The Foodbank of
Monmouth and Ocean County will have a Mobile Pantry
Food Distribution at the Presbyterian Church on the third
Tuesday of every month. This is for families or individuals
that live on fixed incomes, are disabled, out-of-work, or are
working on low paid jobs. The distribution will be from 10
A.M. to 11 A.M. or until the truck is empty.
At First United Methodist Church we must always
remember that our life must reflect the love of God, who
saved us from our sins and gave us the gift of eternal life
by sacrificing His Son on the cross. We must show the
same type of love for God's other children who face
persecution, hunger, sickness, poverty, and want. God
sent Jesus so that He could teach us the lifestyle that
would establish the Kingdom of God on planet Earth. That
is the basis of our Mission! That is the basis of our
Outreach! Be cheerful when supporting the many missions
of FUMC. We are a RESURRECTION people that receives
our power, our hope, and our ability to make the world a
better place......JUST ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT!!!
RECENT CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION REPORT
For the Christian Community in Pakistan's second largest
city, Lahore, Easter Sunday was supposed to be special.
After attending church services, families gathered in the
vast Gulshan-e-Iqbal park. Then the suicide bomber struck,
having made his way to a nearby children's swing set. At
least 72 people were killed and more than 300 injured in
Pakistan's largest terrorist attack since late 2014, when
145 people died at a Peshawar school. And though
Lahore's oppressed Christian community was the target,
most of those killed were Muslim. That didn't concern the
militant Islamist group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a vicious offshoot
of the Pakistan Taliban, which claimed responsibility. A
spokesman for the group, which sees all non-Muslims as
potential targets, said the bomb was calculated to show
that it still retained the ability to strike deep into Pakistan's
heartland particularly Lahore, the political base of Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif. For terrorist groups like
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, which has cells throughout the province
around Lahore, attacks like the Easter Sunday bombing
are far easier to mount than strikes against the troops
fighting militants in Pakistan's tribal areas. They are aware
that Pakistan's Christian community enjoys little protection.
"This is the softest of soft targets," says Ali Dayan Hasan,
the former Pakistan director for Human Rights Watch. And
the death toll, tragically showed it. (Time Magazine). The
persecution against Christians is increasing worldwide and
we people of faith should fervently pray for God's
intercession in this matter, but we as people of the faith
T h e Mess en ger
M a y 2016
P age 3
ASSOCIATE PASTOR APPOINTED
In February the Staff Parish Relations Committee
(SPRC) announced that Bishop John R. Schol
had appointed the Rev. Dr. Edward Davis as our
in-coming Senior Pastor. That was but one piece
of the puzzle. All of the puzzle pieces are now in
place and fitting together nicely.
COVENANT BIBLE STUDY
Covenant Bible Study Participants Complete 24 Weeks.
Unlike the learning participants may have experienced in
other groups, this in-depth study of the whole Bible
emphasizes the biblical concept of covenant as a unifying
pattern through all the books in the Old and New
Testaments. It underscores the unique relationship that
After the appointment of Dr. Davis SPRC God chooses to have with us as God’s people.
continued to evaluate the needs of First Church
During the past year, three eight week sessions have
and clarify were we would like to see the Church
been offered. The following persons have completed all
in the next three to four years. The Committee
three sessions:
Sonia Butler, Meg Muller, Becky
consulted with Dr. Davis and all decided a
Lemasters, Kathy Quigley, Evie Paulsen, Sue Burch,
complete restructuring of the pastoral staff was in
Charlie Burch, Mary Bode and Nancy Kaulback.
order. Thus, we requested the appointment of
an Associate Pastor. On Sunday, April 10th it The Covenant study will continue to be offered in 8-week
was announced that Bishop John R. Schol has sessions. New members are welcome to join in at any
appointed Pastor Wesley W. Ellis as Associate session that fits into the individual’s schedule. Questions
regarding the study will cheerfully be answered by
Pastor of First Church.
Jessica Gorczyca, 732.349.8155 or Heike Graef
732.270.6428.
This scripture seems to be written just for mothers.
“If you have any encouragement from being united with
Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with
Pastor Ellis is graduating this spring from
Princeton Theological Seminary with Master of
Divinity and Master of Arts in Theology degrees.
While with us he will begin work on a PhD
degree. Pastor Ellis has a wife, Amanda, and a
2½ year old son named Henry. They worshipped
at our Contemporary Service on Easter and
Henry has already checked out our nursery care!
They will live in the Walchest parsonage.
So, now all the puzzle pieces are in place and
creating a complete picture. SPRC believes that
Pastors Davis and Ellis compliment each other
and look forward to working with them in the
coming years. Both appointments take effect on
July
1st.
SPRC
also
thanks
District
Superintendent Rev. Dr. Gina Hendrickson for all
her help throughout this entire process. Please
continue to pray for our current staff.
the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make
my joy complete by being like minded, having the same
love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of
selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider
others better than yourselves. Each of you should look
not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of
others." Philippians 2:1-4*
Mothers make up a crucial part of our lives. So
whether it is a Hallmark card, dinner out, hug, or a
kiss on the cheek, we should show we care. It is so
important to give our love to these dedicated women
in our lives and don’t take them for granted.
“Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each
T h e Mess en ger
F
U
M
C
other; let us show the truth by our actions.” I John 3:18
M a y 2016
P age 4
CHESTNUT HILL NURSERY SCHOOL
The children are so happy to see all the May flowers
finally blooming. We are excited to go outside on the
playground and enjoy the beautiful Spring weather! We
are very happy to be back in all our regular classrooms.
A huge thank you to the trustees for all the hard work and
help the provided to get us back and running as fast as
they
did.
April was a busy and fun month at Chestnut Hill. We
celebrated the week of the young child with crazy fun
days that included Super Hero day, Sports day, Luau day
and even a wacky messy day! The children really loved
dressing up for the theme days and we all had a blast!
May sees us getting ready to celebrate our MOMS! This
is still my favorite event here at Chestnut Hill. Our sweet
little 3's make a special tea and sandwiches for mommy.
They work so hard to make mommy a gift and set a
beautiful table to show how much they love her. The
Public Works Department will be stopping by to show us
all how to do our part to recycle. We celebrated Earth day
learning how to help our planet by reusing our plastic
bottles and other items and turn them into art. We also
planted a root garden, potted flowers and even tried our
green
thumb
outside.
As our year comes to an end we will be preparing for our
End of the Year Programs on May 23rd, 24th and our big
program on May 25th.The year really flew by!
Registration is filling up quickly and we offer a variety of
programs to fit every ones needs. Our newest addition to
our full day programs is a NEW 3 YEAR OLD FULL DAY!
Stop by our office or give us a call to see our wonderful
little school.
TO EDUCATION ASSISTANCE FUND
In memory of Edward Sudziarski
by Jim & Heike Graef
TO MINISTRY AND MISSION
In memory of Rev. Sherman Robinson
by James & Donna Privette
In memory of Edward Sudziarski
by traditional service ushers
EDWARD SUDZIARSKI
died 4.2.16
BAPTISMS
ALANA NOELLE PETERSON
daughter of Jason & Kristen Peterson on 3.13.16
MOTHERS
The first love of your life is generally your Mother. She is the
one without whom you could be delivered into this world. She
is the one who usually teaches and corrects you throughout
your childhood years. When you are really blessed, she is the
one who goes from being your Mama to your coach and
eventually to one of your best friends. Other than Jesus, a
mother is the one whom we see the Bible gives most glory
and honor.
M is for the Many things she gave me,
O means only that she's growing Old.
God’s Masterpiece
~Herbert Farnham
T is for the Tears she shed to save me,
God took the fragrance of a flower,
The majesty of a tree,
The gentleness of morning dew,
The calm of a quiet sea
E is for her Eyes with love light shining,
The beauty of the twilight hour,
The soul of a starry night,
The laughter of a rippling brook,
The grace of a bird in flight
Then God fashioned from these things
A creation like no other,
And when his masterpiece was through
He called it simply - Mother.
T h e Mess en ger
H is for her Heart of purest gold.
R means Right and Right she'll always be.
Put them all together, they spell MOTHER. A word that
means the world to me.
On Friday, May 6th, CHURCH WOMEN UNITED will
celebrate MAY FRIENDSHIP DAY at Faith Community
United Methodist Church, Rt. 9, Bayville. The theme is
Finding Grace at the Table with the Rev. Dr. Jean O'Brien
speaker. Service at 11am with luncheon to follow. Fellowship
of the Least Coin will be observed. For more info or
directions call Becky Lemasters at 732.300.1153.
M a y 2016
P age 5
YOU MAY BECOME
A HERITAGE SOCIETY
MEMBER BY
INCLUDING YOUR
CHURCH’S
PERMANENT
ENDOWMENT FUND IN
YOUR ESTATE PLANS
FOR $5,000 OR MORE .
We are urging you to plan for your
family in case you are no longer
around to personally do so. If the
families in our Church are true to
form, six out of ten, either have no
written plans or their plan is out of
date. We know New Jersey has
plans for your hard earned assets to
maximize your estate taxes and
fees. What you want will not matter. The probate
judge may appoint an accountant & an executor
both being paid from your estate. You will have no
influence on the guardian for your young children.
Added to the above expense will be any estate
taxes your estate may owe.
A WORD FROM
YOUR
CHURCH’S
PERMANENT
ENDOWMENT
&
PLANNED
GIVING
MINISTRY
COMMITTEE.
The information above may seem familiar, since it
appeared in last month’s newsletter. Now, here is
some info on the “Advantages of a Revocable
Living Trust.” This Trust is designed to make it easy
as possible for your family and friends. A major advantage is avoiding probate. With
just a Will, the family will have to hire a lawyer, wait for completion of all court
deadlines, and get judicial approval for every action they need to take. A Revocable
Living Trust also keeps your wishes and affairs private because a Trust does not have
to recorded with the Court. Another advantage is to avoid probate in multiple states if
you own property in more than one state. There are many more advantages, so call
the Church office, 732.349.8155 for a brochure, attorney’s list or to talk with an
Endowment Committee member. Committee Members are: Mary Bode, Doug Earle,
Jim Graef, Peter Rich, Frank Strucki, Sibyl Walczak, Bob Wahlers, & Jere Williams.
T h e Mess en ger
M a y 2016
P age 6
Vacation Bible School
Save the Dates
August 8-12, 2016
First United Methodist Church, Toms River
Look for more information in the June Messenger!
Want to help? Volunteer now at
www.signupgenius.com/go/8050b45aaad28a46-vacation
T h e Mess en ger
M a y 2016
P age 7
First United Methodist Church of Toms River
129 Chestnut Street
Toms River, NJ 08753
Non-profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit #77
Toms River, NJ
08753
FUMCTR Staff:
Bruce E. Quigley, Senior Pastor
Jessica Gorczyca, Director of Youth, Christian
Education & Minister of Visitation
Linda J. Hendrickson, Director of Music
Dr. Harold E. Schmul II, Pastor Emeritus
Kathy Newsome, Lay Leader
Judy Iovino, Administrative Assistant
Kimberly Dillon, Nursery School Director
The Messenger is posted monthly on the
FUMCTR website @ www.fumctr.org
Deadline for the June issue of
The Messenger is May 10, 2016.
The Messenger is published by
FUMC Toms River.
Publisher: Terry Waterhouse
([email protected])
Editor: Traci Maloney
Copy: Michele Kanzler
Distribution Staff: Diane Newman Manca,
Becky Lemasters, Kathy Muller, Fred Muller &
Members of Sarah Circle
T h e Mess en ger
M a y 2016
P age 8