August 7, 2021
Beautiful Beloveds,
It’s an old, old joke. A newly wed witnesses their spouse preparing a roast by cutting the ends off. “Why did you do that?” “I don’t know,” they respond, “my parents always did.” A call is made to the parents, “Why did you cut the ends off the roast?” “I don’t know,” they respond, “my parents always did.” Yet another call is made, this time to the newly-wed’s grandparents. “Why do we cut the ends off? Our roasting pan is too small.” Fifty years of cutting off the ends of the roast, to fit someone else’s roasting pan.
Why do we do the things we do? Is it habit, obligation, muscle memory, to fulfill someone else’s desire, need, or purpose? Tomorrow, we begin a new worship series, “A Word to the Whys.” We’re going to spend the rest of August and September exploring why we do the things we do: worship, read and study scripture, baptize, pray including confess and lament, practice Sabbath, share communion, give, and bless. We begin the way we begin, and end our week, asking “Why do we worship?”
As we gather, a gentle reminder, that we’re all still learning how to BE the church in the midst of a pandemic. We’ve called in expert help on our sound system, and we’re doing all that we can to make it work until that help arrives. We will be inviting those with hearing difficulties to sit on the choir side of the sanctuary. Let us continue to practice gentleness, kindness, and patience with one another. Let’s work together to keep each other safe. Physical distancing is recommended both inside and outdoors. We remain, Together in Christ…Committed to Serve.
Peace,
Heather
Mark Your Calendars
Sunday, August 8:
5:30 am Worship available on our YouTube channel and our Facebook Page
9:30 am: “Gather on the Green” In-person worship around the flagpole. Bring your own chair, use a church chair or remain in your car. —Please register here.
9:15-10:15 am Refreshment and Re-connection
10:30 am Worship in our sanctuary register here
7:00 pm Youth Group will meet at church. Please register here.
Monday, August 9:
9:00 am: Lend-a-Hand
7:00 pm: Men’s Study Group (via Zoom)
Tuesday, August 10:
9:00 am Yoga
12:00 pm: Deadline for “A Word on Wednesday,” AND Saturday Tidings
Wednesday, August 11:
Thursday, August 12:
9:00 am Yoga
10:30am – 3pm Rainbow’s End Open (Donations accepted 11 am-2pm)
6:30 pm COVID-19 Task Force meeting via Zoom
Friday, August 13:
10:00 am Al-anon Meeting
Saturday, August 14:
7:00 am Yard Sale Set-up
9:00 am – 2:00 pm Yard Sale
10:00 am Yoga
1:30 pm—Yard Sale Clean up
Sunday, August 15:
5:30am: Worship available on our YouTube channel and our Facebook Page
8:30 am: “Gather on the Green” Worship Please register here
9:15-10:15 am Refreshment and Reconnection
10:30 am Worship in our sanctuary register here
If you prefer not to register on-line, please contact the church office 508.428.2811 or office@umcchurches.org to let us know you’re coming. “This is Susanna Wesley, I’ll be attending worship every Sunday in June with all 17 of my children. We’ll bring our own chairs, and warmed hearts.”
Together in Christ—We worship, learn and grow
Our Sunday Schedule:
8:30—9:15 am Gather on the Green
9:15—10:15 am A time of refreshment and re-connection
10:30—11:00 am Worship in our sanctuary
We also continue to broadcast our worship on the fm transmitter to your cars if you prefer to join us that way. This will be available for both our 8:30 and 10:30 worship.
For the health and safety of us all, please follow our safety guidelines. This may be subject to change as our leadership team reviews this every week.
Gather On the Green (Outdoor Worship):
Refresh and Re-connection Time (Outdoors):
In Our Sanctuary
**Our COVID-19 Leadership Task Force is watching the current rise of COVID-19 on Cape Cod. We will gather in our sanctuary on Sunday, and will decide week by week if we will continue to do so. If a change is needed we will communicate quickly, clearly, and in a variety of media.
As we offer both indoor and outdoor worship, we’re recruiting Sanctuary Shepherds, to offer warm hospitality and help people enter and exit our building safely. All Sanctuary Shepherds will be trained in our new welcoming protocols. To find out more, please reach out to Wendy Lithwin or Pastor Heather.
In Appreciation
Thank you for the phone calls and acts of kindness towards us at this time as we are grieving the death of my mom, Elizabeth Gulezian and finding meaningful ways to celebrate her life during this rising of Covid. It is greatly appreciated to have a church family on which to be held in prayer. Everyone was so kind to mom, to stop and say Hi to her, whether in the past or recent months while we worshipped in our car. It has not gone forgotten. Thank you. With gratitude,
The Hartunian Family
Matthew 10: 42
Need Prayer?
Update on John Whiteley’s funeral
Due to John Whiteley’s deep roots on Cape Cod and in our church and community, the family is expecting a much larger crowd than our church can hold. The family will be finding a different venue that can accommodate their needs. As we learn more information, we will share it.
Youth Group—Summer 2021
August 15, we’re having a pool party!
We gather at 7pm, weather permitting at the church and via Zoom when it’s raining. We welcome all youth entering 6-12th grades in the fall.Please fill out this one-time registration for July 2021-June 2022. Please fill out separate registrations for each youth.
Together in Christ—Our United Methodist Connection
Our church is one of 84 United Methodist Churches in the Seacoast District, which includes Western Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Cape Cod. The Seacoast District is led by our District Superintendent, David Calhoun. Our District is one of seven districts (574 churches), spread over 6 states making up the New England Conference. Our Conference is led by our Bishop, Sudarshana Devadhar.
Open Spirit Task Force
The Open Spirit Task Force continues to delve into who we are as New England United Methodists are and who we are called to be. During the summer months, the Task Force will be hosting weekly presentations about their work and open conversation about the future of our denomination and as an annual conference. Please join a conference-wide presentation via Zoom held on Tuesday’s beginning at 6:30 pm June 15 through Aug. 31, 2021. The sessions are an updated version of the District Presentations that were canceled due to the pandemic. Please click the link to register; plan to attend one session, choosing the time most convenient for you: Register for a Zoom OSTF gathering.
Find more information on the Open Spirit Task Force
Find the event on the Conference calendar
Committed to Serve—We are making a difference
Our next Church Council meeting will be Wednesday, August 18 at 7:00pm. All are welcome to attend. More details will follow soon.
Local People Who are Currently Challenged by the Economic Times on the Cape need and appreciate our support! Dear Church Family, thank you for the Breakfast Foods you donated in July – this made a difference in the lives of many local community families in need! For the month of August we are helping parents and children prepare for the school season. August at UMCO is the month for collecting and donating School Supplies. Your help is really needed. We are collecting: Boxes of Crayons (24/Pkg.), Colored Pencils, Washable Felt Markers, No. 2 Pencils, Pencil Sharpeners, Pink Erasers, Glue Sticks, Blunt-tipped Scissors, Backpacks, Lunchbox or Lunchbag, Blue or Black Ballpoint Pens, Rulers, Wide-ruled Spiral Bound Notebooks, Pencil Pouches or Cases, Highlighters, Index Cards, Bottle of School Glue, Post-Its, and Primary Composition Notebooks. Please keep an eye out for those BOGO specials!
Food for Thought: Our Justice Team offers resources for further conversation on Anti-Racism and more
Tools for Anti-Racism work: Curiosity, Humility, Willingness to Learn Check out “The Next Question,” a web video series on Anti-Racism.
Green Tip: Minimize your Carbon Footprint
Learn about carbon footprint and then use one of the carbon footprint calculators to determine your own footprint so you can work towards reducing the environmental impact of your actions.
Volunteers Needed:
Help is needed with the gleaning on Fridays at the Marstons Mills Stop & Shop (3900 Falmouth Road) between 10 a.m. and 12 noon on Fridays. After the food is picked up it needs to be delivered to Faith Family Kitchen, which is located in the Faith Assembly of God Church at 154 Bearses Way, Hyannis. Regular volunteers are needed as well as folks willing to substitute. Please call Allen Morell, 703-725-2772, for more information and/or to sign up.
Committed to Serve—Funding Mission and Ministry at the UMC
Summer Yard Sale—August 14, 2021
7am-9am—Set up
9am-2pm—Yard Sale
1:30—Clean up
You can help make the day a huge success! Donate stuff, work the sale, tell your friends and neighbors, share our facebook posts! Sign up here to let us know if you can help by giving stuff or helping to sell stuff. You can also sign up by calling Jane Gray, in the church office. 508-428-2811 or office@umcchurches.org
JoAnn Shrum will be coordinating the sale and appointments to drop off stuff to sell. Please do not drop off items at the annex or the church, unless you have made an appointment with JoAnn.
Rainbow’s End, our church thrift boutique, is open Thursdays, 10:30-3pm. We are accepting donations Thursdays between 11 am and 2 pm.
Rainbow’s End generates funding for our church missions and ministries. If you’re interested in helping open the shop another day, please volunteer. You can volunteer once a week, once a month, or once a quarter. You can help our shop thrive. Talk us up! Tell your friends, neighbors, and share our Facebook updates. Donate items for us to sell. Or consider consigning with us.
To volunteer, donate items, or find out other ways to support our store, please call shop manager, Pamela Turner, at 508-548-2245.
Look through your cell phone photos. I bet you may have many shots of nature and our beautiful Cape landscapes that would be perfect for our Calendar. We can only make this happen with help from all of you.
Your kids or grandchildren may also have created some artwork that might be appropriate. Think about taking some new photographs, doing some new artwork and asking the kids to do the same. Please call or email me if you have submissions. I am so looking forward to hearing from you.
–Jane Gray, office@umcchurches.org, 508-428-2811.
Give online. Visit our online giving portal, to set up your pledge, make a one time gift for a special project, support the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund, make memorial contributions, and more. You can use your credit card, bank card, or set up an electronic funds transfer.
We’re here to help. Give Jane Gray, financial secretary, a call 508.428.2811 if you need help navigating the online giving portal.
Zoom Link:
Topic: Church Council Meeting–August, 2021
Time: Aug 18, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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Meeting ID: 881 7429 9390
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