Our church newsletter

 

 

 Dear Friends,

 

Have you ever heard of a God-wink? It is what some people call a coincidence. But, when you know what to look for, you call it an answered prayer or simply an experience so astonishing that it could only have come from God.

 

They happen all the time… but often we don’t notice them. What makes them noticeable is having a heart of gratitude. You might be surprised to know that having a heart full of gratitude opens our ears and eyes to the God-winks all around us.

 

Perhaps you’ve been thinking of someone who needs a call and you unexpectedly meet him or her on the street. Some might say it was just a coincidence, but you know that it was a God-wink. You see something so beautiful it takes your breath away. It is a glimpse of the glory of God… a God-wink. Or maybe you were at the cemetery putting flowers on a stone when a butterfly flew across your path.

 

God-winks happen a lot, when you know how to look for them. God uses God-winks to let us know that God is near, that we are not alone, that our lives are in God’s hands and we are safe.

 

May God wink at you often. 

 

 

 

 

   

  

 

The latest survey results are in. The 8 quality factors in which we are evaluated are as follows:

          Empowering Leadership

          Gift Based Ministry     

          Passionate Spirituality

          Effective Structures     

          Inspiring Worship Service

          Holistic Small Groups

          Need-oriented Evangelism

          Loving Relationships

 

Our lowest score once again was Passionate Spirituality. It is important to remember that we will always have a minimum factor to work on. Several years back our low score was Need-oriented Evangelism and now this has become our highest score. 

   The Health Team will now re-focus our efforts at improving our “passionate spirituality”. The involvement of the whole congregation will be required to bring improvement so please stay tuned. During the summer please take some time to pray for our church and for God’s wisdom for the NCD Health Team.

 

Bruce Denson, Steve & Brenda Gabel, Bob &

Deb Parmenter, Doug McVeigh, Rev Paula

 

 

 

 

 The summer season will soon be upon us.   Many of us will be off to favorite vacation spots or just taking time away from hectic schedules for some well needed R & R.  

 Although somewhat quieter, the work of the church continues and our routine operating expenses still need to be paid. Please remember to keep up with your stewardship pledge during your time away. 

Steve Gabel, Sue Stone Nancy Bouchard, & Rev Paula

 

"Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart:  not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver."

 

 

  

UMW Naomi Circle has resumed its Wednesday meetings until the last one, June 9^th. Meetings will resume on September 15 at 9:30 AM. It was voted to do Children’s Day flowers again this year for Sunday, June 6^th. 

 

The group has had many programs from Response magazine and stories from the internet.   Greeting cards were sent to shut-ins for Valentine’s Day and Easter. Also, get well cards when appropriate. Thanks to Sally and Phyllis for carrying on in my absence. 

 

April was named Cooper Community month and it has been supported financially, spiritually and emotionally since its founding in 1916 by the United Methodist Church, the only New England agency to fall in this category.

 

Cooper’s programs address the need of families, all of who are low-income and/or single parents, living in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Jamaica Plain. Ranging in age from one month to twelve, the children they serve are ethnically and culturally diverse: 69% are African American; 14% are African; 8% are Latino; 7% are Biracial and 2% are Cape Verdian.

 

Approximately 44% of children at Cooper belong to families living at or below the Federal Income Poverty Guidelines and 82% of families earn less the $25,000 a year. Only 10% or our children live in two –parent households.

 

As our UMC Congregation just finished the “Haiti” and “Nothing but Nets” projects, the women are doing this alone. However, any cash donations will be gratefully received by Treasurer, Pat Baril, if you want to support the project.

 

As a fund raiser for the mission the UMC will have a Bake Sale June 12 at the chicken barbeque. We’d love donations from UMW members. Thanks to those in advance who choose to donate.

 

Please ladies, we’d love to have you in our group. It’s fun and educational.

 

God Bless!

Pat Baril

 

Joe Bouchard and his team of Trustees. The roof leaks are being fixed and the new siding near the stained glass window not only keeps out the rain but it also looks great.   The inside of the church has gotten a Spring Cleaning and we are sparkling again.

 

Thanks to Carolyn Wayne and her team of planters. The back entry to the church looks gorgeous.

 

Carolyn and Don Latham have been setting up for communion and cleaning up afterward for many, many months. We are looking for volunteers to help them. AND… we are so grateful to Carolyn and Don for their faithful help.

 

Oxford United Methodist Church,

Thank you for sponsoring Boy Scout Troop #147. We are truly grateful! (Editor’s note: our church has been sponsoring Troop 147 for 66 years!)

 

Morgan Leake, 10^th grade student at Bay Path Regional  Vocational Technical High School, was inducted into the National Honor Society on May 5, 2010. Morgan, we are so proud of you!

---

We have hired a new church secretary. Stop by the office on Thursdays and meet Martha Cady. Martha is retired, lives in Oxford and is looking forward to learning the ways of our office. 

Thank you to the church for giving me a planning week four times a year. It is not a week-off. It is a week of intensive focus on planning worship services for the next three months. At the end of each planning week, the Worship Committee finds someone to lead worship and preach so that I can spend the week entirely focused on planning. It has been a great benefit to me, allowing me to gather resources over a longer period of time. It is very helpful to Lenka and the Choir, helping them to plan and practice anthems well in advance.   It is helpful for the Media Team, enabling them to look for thematically related material over a longer period of time. And, last but not least, it benefits you with better worship services. Here’s the plan.

 

Jun 6       Children’s Sunday - Creation

Jun 13     Gambling: Dreams made from Scratch

Jun 20     Teach and Preach about Healing

Jun 27      Healing Service

 

Jul    4      Pastor’s Vacation Independence Day

Jul  11      Pastor’s Vacation

Jul 18       Pastor’s Vacation

Jul 25       Pastor’s Vacation

 

Aug 1     Heaven and Eternal Life

Aug 8     Pastor’s Planning Week - Bruce Denson leads worship

Aug 15   Hell and Purgatory

Aug 22   Angels

Aug 29   Demons & Sin

 

Sep   5  Judgment Day

Sep 12  Rally Sunday – celebration of OUMC’s 175 Anniversary –

          Return to 10:00 AM Worship Service

Sep 19  Blessing Back Packs & Commissioning our Teachers

            Regular Office Hours: Thursdays, 9:00am to Noon

 

            Sat       June 12            CHURCH BAZAAR

          SUN June 27    9:30am Worship   Healing Service

          SUN July 4      9:30am Worship   Pastor’s Vacation

          SUN July 11    9:30am Worship   Pastor’s Vacation

          SUN July 18    9:30am Worship   Pastor’s Vacation

          SUN July 25    9:30am Worship   Pastor’s Vacation

          SUN Aug 1      9:30am Worship   Heaven and Eternal Life

          SUN Aug 8      9:30am Worship   Pastor’s Planning - Bruce Denson

          Wed Aug 11    6:30pm Worship Committee meets

          SUN Aug 15    9:30am Worship   Hell and Purgatory

          SUN Aug 22    9:30am Worship   Angels

          Mon Aug  23   5:00pm Interfaith Hospitality Network

          Tue Aug   24   Noon CLOCK deadline

          Fri  Aug   27   Mail the CLOCK

          SUN Aug 29   9:30am Worship   Demons & Sin

 

          SUN Sept 5   9:30 am Worship    Judgment Day

          Wed Sept 8   6:30pm Administrative Council

          Thu Sept 9    7:00 Pastor Parish Relations Committee meets

          SUN Sept 12   10:00 am Worship  Rally Sunday – celebration of OUMC’s 175 Anniversary

                         Return to 10:00 AM Worship Service

 

          SUN Sept 19   10:00 am Worship Blessing Back Packs & Comissioning our Teachers