eChurchlight, October 2011

Upcoming Events
Oct 2:  All church luncheon following the service, American and Korean menu
Oct 9: Presentation on the merge discussion, following Coffee Hour
Oct 15:  Pumpkin Fair, 10:00am - 3:00pm
Oct 27: Young Adult Pot Luck Fellowship, 7:00 - 9:00pm
Oct 27:  Women's Book Group, 7:30pm
Oct 29:  Fresh Air Workshop on Prayer, 9:30am - 12:30pm

In this issue
  Worship Reflection and Notes
  Mission News
  Announcements and Events (Pumpkin Fair, Merge Update)
  Community Center (Youth Group, Young Adult Group, Book Group, Coffee Hour)

Like the grains which become one same loaf,
like the notes that are woven into song,
like the droplets of water that are blended in the sea,
we, as Christians, one body shall become…
Brothers, sisters, in life, in love, we’ll be.

The above is a verse in one of hymns for Holy Communion. It sings beautifully the unity among people that the love of God in Jesus creates and sustains. The first Sunday in October is observed as World Communion Sunday by the great majority of Christian churches regardless of their denominational differences.  It is a day that we are called to celebrate and reflect on God’s deep desire for all to be in deep and growing union with (comm-union) God and with one another as brothers and sisters. 
       As we have been witnessing recently, our country and the people seem to be deeply and gravely divided than ever before.  Whether it’s about tax policy, how to create more jobs, federal aid to the recent flood victims, or the issue of death penalty, we hear two sides that can be no more opposite all in the name of addressing our issues and fulfilling fairness and justice. The irony is that more than 67% of Americans want our politicians and leaders to come together in the middle! Most of us believe and know that we need to come together as a people and nation to turn this crisis around. 
       As a sacrament, the Holy Communion is believed to reveal the truth of God as each time we come to celebrate. What this holy sacrament reveals is that we as the people of do indeed need to come together!  But not to solve our problems, not to turn our economy around, not to just have our government work, but to live and love together as  brothers and sisters. Where would we be as a people if we truly treated each other as brothers and sisters to care and support?  Where would our economy be if the brokers issued mortgages, the managers managed the funds, the regulators watched carefully, and the law makers legislated as if they were working for their own brother and sister? Imagine a nation where the greatest concern of all is to care and support each other.  Imagine a world where the hope and dream of all is the well-being of each other.  This is why our nation needs a true Communion!  This is what we, the followers of Jesus, can and should offer to the nation and the world.
        BUMC is living the call of this Communion these days.  Since September we have been sharing our space with Boston Korean Central Church (BKCC). On Sunday, October 2, we will celebrate the communion with brothers and sisters in BKCC as we hold a joint worship and fellowship. We are also in the middle of holy conversation with our brothers and sisters in St. John's UMC in Watertown to discern God’s will for a possible coming together as one community of faith.
       From toddlers to adult, we are learning what it means to be brothers and sisters in Christ in our Sunday school.  Through our various missions we are practicing this brotherhood and sisterhood with those who live near and far from us.  On our church clean-up day in September, the parents from Belmont Co-op nursery, boys scouts, and member of BKCC joined hands in hands with volunteers from BUMC to make our building clean and beautiful. It was a true witness to our faith that when we work together, things around us becomes beautiful!!!
      
       I invite you to come and be a sacred and life-giving part of this true Holy Comm-Union here at BUMC. 
      
Your Brother in Christ,  We  
 
Worship News

Two Congregations in One House of Worship
Beginning September 4, 2011, our church building is now a home to two congregations.  Boston Korean Central Church (BKCC) is a Korean faith community that has existed for more than two decades.  They began to use our building as their worship space.  They use the building on Sunday from 12:30pm to 5pm and an office space on the third floor as their office.  They also meet every morning at 6am for their morning prayer in the chapel.  The church council voted to welcome BKCC and make a contract on a yearly basis.  Please welcome our new brothers and sisters.

World Communion Sunday: October 2, 2011
Joint Worship Celebration with Boston Korean Central Church
World Communion Sunday is observed by all churches throughout the world celebrating the unity of Church around the table and love of Jesus Christ.  Regardless of denominational differences, this Sunday teaches us that we are all the children of God redeemed and sustained by the grace of God in Jesus Christ.  This year we will celebrate this unity by offering our worship together with Boston Korean Central Church. 
   We will celebrate the worship both in Korean and English. Following the service we will share the luncheon fellowship featuring both Korean and American menus!!!  Please come to meet your new friends in Christ and share the true celebration of communion! 

Dangerous Opportunities: The End of the Three Week Sermon Series
(Wee-Zee) is the words meaning crisis.  It means “dangerous opportunity.”  As our nation and the world are walking through a challenging and dangerous time, we need to turn to our faith to discern the seed of hope that are in this crisis.  Recently a rating firm downgraded the credit rating of America, which caused even greater confusion and anxiety over our future as a nation. Many say the current crisis is a credit crisis.  A word credit comes from a root word of “credo” meaning `I believe’. At its foundation, we are in a crisis of faith and trust.  For three Sundays we will discern together the meaning of our faith and what that means for our lives as individuals and as a world. As dangerous and uncertain as our time is now, it is also an opportunity to look deeply into what we truly believe and how it can reshape our lives and the world. 

Sunday, October 9 “Dangerous Opportunity 3: What does it mean to believe in the Holy Spirit?”

Laity Sunday, October 16
On Sunday October 16, we will celebrate the ministry of laity in the life of BUMC.  This is a day in which we honor and celebrate the faithful works of all our members and friends.  All people are called to be in the ministry of Christ and mission of God.  BUMC has been blessed with many faithful lay persons from all ages whose love for God is shared abundantly by their love for God’s church and its ministry.  Please come to hear and be inspired by what God has been doing through the hands and hearts of people here in BUMC.

Fresh Air Workshop on Prayer
Saturday, October 29th from 9:30am to 12:30pm
   BUMC has been chosen to be one of first congregations where the conference passionate spirituality team will be offering a workshop on learning and deepening our spiritual life as the people of God.
   This workshop will focus on learning about prayer life both as individuals and as a congregation. Rev. Beth Garnaas-Holmes will be leading this workshop.  It is open to all people who want to get closer to the heart of God through prayer and prayerful life.  Please sign up or contact Rev. Yoo-Yun Cho-Chang or Barbara Ryther if you have any questions.  Childcare will be provided. 

Missions News

World Communion Sunday – October 2nd 2011
World Communion Sunday donations are used by the United Methodist Church to for scholarships for racial and ethnic minority graduate students, undergraduate students and students seeking a second career in church–related vocations.  Students within our conference, throughout the country, and throughout the world are helped by these scholarships.
   Please give generously.  Please make all checks out to Belmont United Methodist Church and write Communion Sunday in the memo line.

Thank you for last month’s missions support!
* Thank you to the people who helped with the mission to Bristol Kitchen.  The people who receive your meals are very thankful for our nutritious dinners. 

* Thank you also to the people who made donations to the Belmont Food Pantry and to Linda Rodi for delivering the donations to the Pantry.

Announcements and Events
Pumpkin Fair
We will be having a Pumpkin Fair on October 15, 2011, 10:00 to 3:00
Please plan to come, enjoy the fair, and help out.

What Is the Pumpkin Fair?  This is how BUMC earns money for some of its missions.  The fair is a fun time for members, friends and neighbors to get together for a good cause.  We will have bounces, cotton candy, and pumpkin decorating for children. Bar-B-Q Express will come with their hamburgers and other food.  There will be a Bake Sale and also a Mega Yard Sale.  Anyone can rent a table for $30 to participate in the Yard Sale.  Ask your friends if they are interested.  Contact the church office to reserve a table.

Jane Staffier will be at the fair.  She will be sketching people and is offering free sketches of all church volunteers (adults and children) at the fair. She will also have other artwork for sale.

The church will have its own table at the Mega Yard Sale.  If you would like to help with the church table instead of renting your own please see Louise Halstead.  If you donate to the table you are expected to help man the table and remove items that do not sell.  We will be selling books also, which Louise will remove after the fair.  All proceeds from the yard sale table will go to the church.

Update on Merge Discussions

The joint BUMC-St. John’s transition team continued its monthly meetings in August and September.  The following is a note from the August meeting:

At our meeting on August 31, 2011, we have shared each church’s programs and congregational culture. We shared our thoughts on where the people of each congregation experience the Spirit of God in the life of their church as well as on what is common in both congregation and what is different.  The following is the summary of what we thought was common and different.

What is common: Methodist faith and tradition, inspiring worship, committed to mission, fellowship with intention, authentic faith, thought provoking sermon, passionate about faith, desire to be a church that should be, not that we are and have been, open to new faith

What is different: the size of the congregation, power dynamics,  intimacy, traditions, music, worship time

What we have shared at the end of this conversation is that both congregations need each other to be even more faithful and authentic to the ministry of Christ.

We also shared a short report on what ministry/initiatives are on hold because of the merger conversation and what are ongoing in spite of it.  From the BUMC side, our discussion about visioning/goal-setting for the next five years is on hold.  Two things that are ongoing are sharing our building with Boston Korean Central Church, and exploring future options for the faithful and responsible use of Imler House (the building next to the church).

There was also a consensus that creating opportunities for the people of each congregation to get to know each other would be helpful.  Joint music programs, inviting each other to church events, and worshipping together for special occasions are some of the ideas that were shared.

In September the conversation focused on staffing.

Join us for a Listening Gathering
On Sunday October 9, one of the transition team members will give a short report on the merge discussion during the worship service.  After the coffee hour fellowship, there will be an open meeting to listen to any thoughts and questions. 

Please come to this opportunity to get more information on the holy conversation about a possible merger with St. John’s UMC.

October Community News
BUMC Youth Group
Nine of us had a fun kick-off meeting at Kimball Farm.
Mini-golf and bumper boats made us laugh and wet!!! 

We decided to meet on bi-weekly basis for the fall except for special events.

Keith and Jen Eisenman will work with Pastor We to help our teens to build a fun and exciting year of youth ministry here at BUMC.

All teens 6 grade and up are welcome to join us!

Youth Group Meeting Schedule for October
Sunday, Oct 2:  games and planning of the year, 6:30 to 8pm
Sunday, Oct 16: games and mission trip planning, 6:30 to 8pm
Sunday Oct 30: Halloween fun, 6:30 to 8pm

Young Adult Pot Luck Fellowship
Thursday, October 27, 7PM in the Parlor
   Are you and/or your partner in twenties or thirties?  BUMC has a brand new small group fellowship for young adults.  We will meet on a monthly basis to share our fellowship and support each other.  The group is for singles, couples, and the honorary infants and toddlers!!!  We meet for a pot luck dinner and share different topic to share.  In our October meeting, we will look for a possible mission project that our group can adopt.  The fellowship is open to all.  We meet from 7pm to 9pm. 

  *  Childcare will be provided for this monthly gathering.
  *  Please come to meet your new friends in Christ.

October Coffee Hour Schedule
Oct 2 – ABC, coordinated by Carolyn Backus
Oct 9 – DEFG, coordinated by Terry Grimm
Oct 16 – HIJKL, coordinated by Sally Shelton
Oct 23 – MNOPQ, coordinated by Linda Rodi
Oct 30 – RSTUV, coordinated by Kathy Touzjian

Coffee Hour coordinators are needed!  Two or three additional coordinators are needed to replace the "retiring" crew.  If you are looking for a way to serve the church, this may be it.   If you can help with this vital service to the church which features a minimal time commitment of once every 5-6 weeks on a Sunday morning, please contact Terry Grimm.

Women’s Book Group
The Women’s Book Group will meet again in October.  The date is the last Thursday of the month (Oct. 27).  Please watch for postings of our next book. 

   * If you have never come before please consider joining us!
   * Please contact Louise Halstead if you have any questions.

Birthdays
3: Stephanie Muirhead
8: Margaret Wicks
 Roy Greenland
 Fiona Milton
10: Brian Pahlm
 McKenna Ashford
12: Scott Koumjian
14: Kerry Wilson
17: Robert Montanaro
21: Virginia Jay
24: Pamela Vershbow
 Lynn Monahan
25: David Blaisdell
 Virginia Hayward
26: Joel Grimm
29: Sally Schear
30: Jane Albert
31: Ronia Peterson

Anniversaries:
6: Morrie Bailey and Anita Miller
26: Brad and Kathie Stayton
27: Mike Bent and Linda Kincaid

Let us know about any changes or additions!  If you notice any mistakes involving other folks, please let us know about that as well.  Thanks for helping keep us in the know!