An Important Message
April 5, 2023
Chatham UMC has new building protocols as of today.
We live in strange and troubling times. The Church always has and has adapted to meet the contextual and cultural needs that need to be addressed. On Monday, April 4, 2023, a report about a man with a gun was called in for Convent Station train station and St. Elizabeth University, which turned out to be unfounded. State, County, and local police forces set up a perimeter and command center to meet the potential threat. St. Elizabeth, FDU, and Drew Universities went into lockdown/shelter-in-place protocols. A few hours later, the Chatham and Madison School systems went into lockdown/shelter-in-place mode out of an abundance of caution. The Chatham Methodist Preschool, and all other local preschools and nursery schools also went into lockdown/shelter-in-place protocols. These are scary times, and many are understandably on edge. The CMP and CUMC staff were professional, caring, and smart in their response. We locked the outside doors to our entire building out of an abundance of caution.
Hal Burlingame and Jan Dvorkin are CUMC members who serve as CUMC representatives with the CMP Executive Board. They have been alerted to the growing concern from CMP parents that our building is not as secure as it could be. The CUMC Trustees are exploring options with new doors and locking devices inside and outside of our building that can rectify this concern. This may take some time, but we are on it.
Until further notice we have decided that we will keep the doors locked during the hours that CMP is open. We know this will be somewhat inconvenient and pose a challenge to our ministry of hospitality and welcome, but these are the times in which we live. After Monday’s experience of the Madison and Chatham schools’ sudden shelter-in-place response to word of nearby college campus' going into lockdown, we will need to do everything in our power to make the children, parents, and all staff at Chatham Methodist Preschool and CUMC feel safe.
Sincerely,
Rev. Jeff Markay
Senior Pastor
Glen Walker
Church Council Chairperson
Michele Johnson
Trustee President
Tom Belding
Trustee Vice President
Hal Burlingame and Chris Fillimon
Co-Lay Leaders
Jan Dvorkin
CUMC Representative on the CMP Executive Board
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Prayers Lifted on Sunday April 2, 2023
During the last Sunday's worship service, we received the following requests for prayers...
- Of healing, for Arthur, as he recovers and is still in hospital.
- Of healing, for Peg, recovering from pacemaker surgery and is still in hospital.
- Of healing, for Rosa, as she continues to heal and as she reopens her shop.
- Of healing, for the families of the victims in Nashville, including Katy and Michael and family, over the horrific loss of their daughter Evelyn..
- For Jim Maher and Family, Jim's mother entered life eternal.
- For Paula and her family as they go through the grief after their mother's death.
- For Chris, having knee surgery this week.
- Of healing, for a friend diagnosed with breast cancer.
- For parents throughout the world who have lost children through illness or violence.
- For guidance on parenting.
- For racial healing in our country and the world.
- For those awaiting an organ transplant, as well as their donors and surgeons.
- For travel blessings for those on the road this week.
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Easter Lilies
We are blessed to receive your gifts, given to the Glory of God, which will be used to beautify our Sanctuary and benefit the following:
Chatham UMC RISE Youth
UMCOR: Earthquake Relief in Turkey & Syria
Please click here for our 2023 In Memory insert.
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Please Note
Sunday School Classes will not meet on April 9, 2023 - Easter Sunday.
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Church Office Closed
The church office will be closed Friday April 7 - Friday April 14 and reopen Monday April 17.
Please note that we will remain accessible throughout the week as we will continue to check messages and respond to matters. Have a wonderful and blessed Easter!
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CHURCH OFFICE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
The Chatham United Methodist Church is actively seeking an organized and detail-oriented Church Office Administrative Assistant to keep our church running smoothly and efficiently. This is a great opportunity to assist the church staff, congregation and ministries with its diverse activities and provide general administrative support on a part time basis (22 hours/week).
Applicants should possess strong communication and recordkeeping skills along with financial and light bookkeeping skills to assist the Financial Manager. Solid computers skills are also required- working knowledge in Word, QuickBooks, and Excel. This position will also support the Community Relations & Communications Coordinator with the church's interface with outside groups and the greater community. Resumes may be sent to our church office at Chatham UMC, 460 Main Street, Chatham NJ 07928, or to our Office Manager at finmgr@chathamumc.org. For more information about our church please visit: www.chathamumc.org
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2023 Interfaith Iftar Dinner at Chatham UMC
Join us Saturday, April 15th in Rodda Hall. Please arrive at 6.30 PM for an Interfaith and Intergenerational Iftar Dinner experience as we observe the holy month of Ramadan.
Chatham UMC has been invited to host an Iftar Dinner which ends the fast of each day in the season of Ramadan for observant Muslim believers. The Iftar Dinner begins after the sun goes down. On April 15th that will be at 7:37PM. We’ll have a brief program before we eat that will explain some of the history of Ramadan as well as some time for interfaith Q+A. The Peace Islands Institute, who are also our partners for the Interfaith Abraham Lunches, have graciously offered to bring Turkish dinner for our guests. Spaces are limited.
To register click here or sign up on the sheet across from Rev. Markay's Office.
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Rev. Carol Spelman passed away peacefully surrounded by family in hospice care on Tuesday March 21, 2023. A memorial service and interment of ashes will be held at the Chatham United Methodist Church on Sunday, April 23, 2 PM at the Chatham United Methodist Church in New Jersey. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to www.pacing4parkinsons.org in support of John Hopkin's Movement Disorders Center.
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Adult Class
There will be no Adult Bible Study this week, but it will resume on Sunday at 11:15am in the Asbury Room.
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Music News
This Sunday's, April 9th, 10:00 a.m. Easter Sunday service will feature brass music from the Gabrieli Brass Quintet, the Covenant Choir performing Shawn Kircher's Cornerstone, and our annual sing-a-long of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah. All are welcome to hear our musician's special Easter offerings!
The Ukulele Orchestra will next meet in-person and online on Saturday, April 15th at 10:00 a.m. in the Asbury Room and on Zoom. For more information contact, Peter Hill, music director at petepiano@mac.com.
The next performance that Chatham UMC will host in our sanctuary will be the Suburban Music Study Club's April 13th Thursday morning classical music recital featuring our musical friend, Merynda Adams, harp, with Matt Zabiegala, voice, and Robin Park, cello at 10:30 a.m. All are invited! More information can be found at www.suburbanmusicstudyclub.com.
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Mehnaz Afridi
Tuesday April 11th: Mehnaz Afridi , 7-8:30pm
Rainis Auditorium
St. Elizabeth University
2 Convent Road
Morristown, NJ
Menhaz Afridi, global scholar, professor, and Director of Holocaust, Genocide, and Interfaith Education at Manhattan College, will address the educational connections between the Holocaust and the Muslim world. Her work, Shoah Through Muslim Eyes, illuminates an understudied aspect of the Holocaust. Use this link to enlarge the image.
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Recital
Thursday April 13
10.30am
Chatham United Methodist Church
Suburban Music Study Club presents:
Merynda Adams, Harp
Matthew Zabiegala, voice
Robin Park, cello
Use this link to enlarge image.
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Lunch & Learn
Wednesday April 12 - 11.30am - 1pm
Marco Polo Restaurant
527 Morris Ave, Summit NJ
WM. A. Bradley & Son Funeral Home will host a Lunch and Learn on how to share your unique legacy through the gift of funeral planning. Seating is limited please RSVP by 4/11. You may use the QR Code on the flier to register. Use this link to enlarge image.
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Faith Formation (Sunday School) takes place on Sunday mornings at 11:15 until noon for Kindergarteners and up!
Whirl Kids (K - 4th grade), led by Edie Myers-Arnold and Kate Radler, meets in Room 6 and includes Singing and Signing with Mr. Peter Hill, a fun video, crafts and activities, all based on the Bible reading used in that day's Worship Service.
Middle School (5th-8th grade), led by Pastor Sharon meets in the Library for growing in faith and community though sharing, Bible reading, discussion, activities, and prayer.
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High School Discussion – Sundays at 11:15 am meet with David Gaitan (our Simpson seminarian) and Matthew Beland in the Wesley Room.
Questions?
Email Sharon Yarger at scyarger@optonline.net
or David Gaitán at dgaitan@drew.edu
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Current Masking Status & Links | |
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The CUMC Church Council has voted unanimously to follow the CDC Covid Data tracker for Morris County to evaluate weekly Covid levels. This tracker is used to guide us in determining our indoor mask usage for all CUMC functions. Covid levels and recommendations are updated weekly on Thursday nights by the CDC. These updates will be used at CUMC from Friday-Friday and will state if masks required (high level) or optional (medium/low). You may check to see what the current Morris County Covid levels are prior to coming by clicking below.
Check Covid Level Here
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CUMC Rides for David
We are scheduling rides for our seminarian, David Gaitan, to get to and from church from his home in Madison. Please follow this link to sign up. Thank you for your help!
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Online Worship Liturgists Needed!
Please sign up to read and record yourself reading scriptures, this will be a blessing to our online worshiping community.
Sign up here.
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Bread Ministry
The bread ministry is looking for more volunteers to assist in collecting bread from Panera. Please contact the church office for more information.
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Communities of Care
If you wish to receive a call, a text or an email from someone at the Chatham UMC community. Please contact the church office.
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Help keep our food pantry and weekly distribution sustained.
Want to know more about our Pop Up pantry and how to help? Check out our webpage.
Or, if you wish, you can contribute directly online by visiting our donation page.
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Chatham United Methodist Church
460 Main Street
Chatham, NJ 07928
(973) 635-7740
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