eChurchlight, March 2010
Upcoming Events
March 7: All church lunch following the service, Social Hall
March 7: Hoop Shoot-Out for “Nothing but Nets”
March 11: Coffee Circle, 10:30am, parlor
March 25: Women's Book Group, 7:30pm, parlor
Check the worship schedule for Holy Week later in this newsletter.
The submission deadline for the next edition of the Churchlight is
Sunday March 21
through the looking glass
L.L.Wimmer
Writing in the Lenten booklet for Saturday last Henri Nouwen says that life is small, small and vulnerable. He writes, “Because life is very small, you can never see it happening. Life is basically hidden.” It made me think of the church. I honestly think that we have difficulty seeing our life as a community of faith growing and becoming, happening. If there is a problem we usually see that pretty well but we miss too often the steady, deepening life that abounds quietly and unnoticed in our presence; the growth of our relationships with each other and with the world and with God as we go from one day to the next and do what we do. There is a rich and beautiful life that is deep and still and hidden within us. Part of the call of Lent is to pay attention and to awaken to the grace that abides with us always, the blessed mercy of God in the gentle light of the sun on a winter afternoon, a kind word of a friend, the comfort of gathering to worship and pray in a place where we have become familiar, that feels like home. As we grapple with all that is before us let us not overlook all the life that is hidden in this community of the beloved. Let us open our hearts to the invisible grace manifested in the visible rituals and actions of our life together. Let us be glad for what we have, and pray without ceasing for the abundance of God’s blessing, for joy, for life that is hidden deep within each of us and all of us together this day and every day.
Peace, Larry
From Barbara…
What’s Happening?
Lenten Devotional Books – Christ Our Hope, a booklet of short daily readings by Henri J.M. Nouwen, is available in the Narthex. We have ordered enough books for every family to have a copy, so please help yourselves! Also available are some copies of “Holy Habits” by Rich Bimler, a more light-hearted approach perfect for families with younger children.
Adult Sunday School – Every Sunday from 11:30-12:15 the adult class meets in the parlor. During Lent we will be discussing the past week’s readings from the Lenten daily devotional book Christ Our Hope. Everyone is welcome!
All-church lunch Sunday March 7th – Everyone is welcome to come and share a simple meal and fellowship together, after worship. The food is prepared by our volunteers who cook and serve a monthly meal for Bristol Kitchen in Waltham the first Saturday of every month. Donations toward the cost of the Bristol Kitchen ministry are always gratefully accepted. Reminder: on Sundays when we have an all-church lunch, the elementary Sunday School class meets at its regular time (during the second part of the worship service) but the youth and adult classes do not meet. Note: there will be no all-church lunch in April.
Hoop Shoot-Out for “Nothing but Nets” March 7th – from 12:00-3:00 on Sunday March 7, we’ll be holding our third annual event to raise funds to send anti-malaria nets to Africa. Pick up a pledge sheet in the Narthex, sign up donors, and come and see how many baskets you can make from the free throw line in 2 minutes! Several of our staff members will be returning as shooters, along with our friend (and past high scorer!) Sophia from Belmont High School – our pledge sheets will be available during coffee hour and the all-church lunch.
Coffee Circle – March 11th – We meet in the Parlor on the second Thursday of the month at 10:30 a.m, for an informal get together. It usually lasts about an hour, but everyone is welcome to come and go as needed.
Women’s Book Group Thursday March 25th – This month the group is reading Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder. Join us in the parlor at 7:30 p.m. for a lively discussion.
Holy Week Schedule – we are once again sharing Holy Week services with our brothers and sisters at St. Johns United Methodist Church, 80 Mt. Auburn Street, Watertown:
Check out the calendar section for other meetings of committees and groups.
Missions News
BUMC encourages our members and friends to participate in mission.
Thanks for the Help:
Baby Blankets - We donated 17 baby blankets to the Young Parents Program at Children’s Hospital. Thank you to everyone who made blankets. We continue to collect baby blankets of all kinds – knit, crocheted, sewn… yarn, fleece, and cloth. There is a container in the office for the collection.
Special Missions this Month:
Save A Life - Hoop Shoot-out – Sunday, March 7th
In Africa a child dies every 30 seconds from malaria- one million each year. You can help!
Our third annual Save A Life Shoot-out event will be held in the gym on Sunday, March 7. This fun even raises money for mosquito nets to be purchased and sent to Africa through the “Nothing But Nets” program of the United Nations Foundation. Consider being a “shooter” and find sponsors or be a sponsor! The event begins immediately after our monthly lunch and continues until 3p.m. Every one is welcome to come and you can stay as short or as long a time as you like.
One Great Hour of Sharing – Sunday, March 14th
In 1949, church leaders from several denominations formed an ad hock committee to organize an appeal to support the separate campaigns of American churches. In 1950 the title “One Great Hour of sharing was used for the first time.
The purpose of One Great Hour of Sharing has always been to collect special gifts to assist those in need. Each denomination allocates its’ One Great Hour of Sharing differently but all use it to make disaster relief, refugee assistance and development aid possible.
The United Methodist Church gives these funds to the United Methodist Committee on Relief also known as UMCOR. This is the not-for-profit global humanitarian aid organization of the United Methodist Church. They use these funds to support the organization so when there is a disaster an organization will be immediately available to help the victims. Then all the monies given to the disaster can go directly to the victims. Any funds beyond UMCOR’s general expenses go to programs which have not been fully funded through designated gifts.
Programs run by UMCOR! Emergency Response, World Wide Health, Refugees and Immigration, World Hunger and Poverty, and Relief Supplies. These programs are National and International. UMCOR is established in Haiti.
Gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing lay the foundation of all of UMCOR’s work by covering the costs of doing business. This means all gifts designated to specific programs can go 100% to those programs because UMCOR’s basic expenses are covered. Please give generously.
Continuing Missions
Partakers’ “College Beyond Bars” – Our Mission at MCI Framingham continues. We are supporting Yvette’s studies at BU emotionally and monetarily. She has been studying in the Culinary Arts Program and has earned her Food Service License. Yvette has been asked to mentor other students in the program also.
She continues to keep in contact with her children by phone. We want to support her in this vital link to the outside would. Any donations to help Yvette pay the phone expenses will be greatly appreciated. Please indicate Yvette on the memo line of the check or on the pew envelope used to make the donation.
Bristol Kitchen - BUMC continues to provide a nutritious, evening meal to the men and women at Bristol Kitchen on the first Saturday of each month. Volunteers gather in the church kitchen at 1:30PM to prepare casserole, salad, bread, and dessert for the soup kitchen located in Waltham. Those transporting and serving the meal meet at 4:30. We provide a meal for approximately 50 men and women, and for some it is their only meal of the day. Upcoming meal dates are, March 6th and April 3rd. If you would like to volunteer, please talk to Terri Kolenbrander.
Belmont Food Pantry – We continue to collect boxed and canned foods for the Belmont food Pantry. Please place donations in the cart in the Narthex. (Please check the dates to be sure the food has not expired. The food pantry can not distribute expired items.)
Here some missions you can perform at home during your daily routine.
Do you use a computer? Go to www.freerice.com – There you can practice vocabulary, art identification, geography… And more. At the same time you are feeding the poor through the United Nations World Food Program. Take a look and explore the web site.
Do you shop at Amazon? Go to www.umcbelmont.org – (our website) and link to Amazon from the Amazon icon. The church receives a percentage of sales when you link through our site.
Submitted by Louise Halstead, Mission’s Chair
Coffee Hour Schedule for March 2010
March 7 Group RSTU, coordinated by Kathy Touzjian and Donna Esposito
March 14 Group VWXYZ, coordinated by Terry Grimm
March 21 Group ABC, coordinated by Carolyn Backus
March 28 Group DEFG, coordinated by Terry Grimm
Lectionary for March 2010
March 7
Third Sunday in Lent
Isaiah 55:1-9
Psalm 63:1-8 (UMH 788)
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Luke 13:1-9
March 14
Second Sunday in Lent
Joshua 5:9-12
Psalm 32
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Luke 15:16-21
March 21
Fifth Sunday in Lent
Isaiah 43:16-21
Psalm 126 (UMH 847)
Philippians 3:4b-14
John 12:1-8
March 28
Palm Sunday
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 (UMH 839)
Philippians 2:5-11
Luke 19:28-40
March Sunshine Page
Please contact the church office with any additions or corrections.
Also, send any notices for the "Transitions" section (moves, graduations, etc) to the church office
office@umcbelmont.org
Thank you!
Birthdays
3: David Coombs
Faye Reagan
6: Dorothy Rosales
Jen Bourque
9: Terri Kolenbrander
Michael Montanaro
11: Ron Bourque
12: Ramona Cass
14: Susan Haller
18: Scott Pluskey
20: Richard McGowan
21: Kathie Stayton
24: Michael Duval
25: Connor LaRocque
30: Brian Schaffhausen
Anniversaries
4: Ron and Cindi Bourque
15: Bruce and Diane Pahlm
