CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR GRADUATES!

We can't wait to see where your journeys will take you next. Wherever it is, our prayers and warmest well wishes go with you!

Our 2023 Graduate keepsake will be available at this Sunday's 10:00AM worship service. If you would like to print a copy of the program from home, please CLICK HERE.

Celebrating Hal & Sue Burlingame 60th Anniversary

We invite you to join us in Rodda Hall following the service on Sunday, to honor and celebrate the 60th Wedding Anniversary of Hal and Sue Burlingame. Everyone is welcome!

June 18th, 2023

Celebrating Hal & Sue Burlingame's 60th wedding anniversary.

Margie Hancock

June 25th, 2023

Next weeks flowers are given in celebration of the marriage of Cameron Davis and Chris Kaberele which took place in CT yesterday.

Stephen & Kate Davis

Spotlight on Peter Hill

What’s something about you that few people know?

I directed my first music group in Middle School for the 7th grade talent show; we were called the Peter Hillmonic Orchestra and I arranged some pieces by J. S. Bach from his Brandenburg Concertos for my friends to play with me.

Are you an early bird or a night owl?

An early bird, because of our 3 1/2 year old!

What is your favorite hobby?

Even though it has to do with my job, finding new music to play and listening to new music .

What’s the first concert you ever attended?

U2 in high school, Classical music: the flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal when I was 5 or 6

Where is your favorite place to be?

At our family dinner table with our wee family: Valentine, Katie and Leighton

If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Either pizza or beef wellington

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was 7 I wanted to play the trumpet for the London Philharmonic Orchestra (because they played the soundtrack for Star Wars)

Are you a dog person or a cat person?

Cat person

This Sunday the Adult Discussion Group will conclude its discussion sessions until we meet again in September. In this gospel lesson Jesus sends his disciples into the world, giving them advice for their mission. Come join us in the Asbury Room at 11:15am after worship. Contact Ronald Yarger at ryarger@optonline.net. 

Sunday, June 11th's 10:00 a.m. Music, Arts, and Teaching Appreciation Sunday service will feature the Wesley Ringers ringing John-Joseph Mouret’s Rondeau arranged by Larry Sue, The Covenant Choir and Ukulele Orchestra with Mike Maguire, bass, and Steve Davis, cajon performing With A Little Help From My friends by The Beatles and The Covenant Choir performing John Rutter’s Look At The World. Join us! 

The Ukulele Orchestra will next meet in-person and online Saturday, June 10th at 10:00 a.m. in the Asbury Room and on Zoom. For more information contact, Peter Hill, music director at petepiano@mac.com.

From Peter Hill, Director of Music Ministries: Thank you to all of our musicians for your work during the 2022-2023 program season! As we finish the season on Sunday, June 11th with Music, Arts, and Teaching Appreciation Sunday, I am grateful to all of our singers, ringers, organist and accompanists, bassists, violinists, harmonica players, ukulelists, harpists, flautists, horn players, trumpeters, brass quintets, drum and percussion players, those who support our worship services with their welcoming and hospitality, and our young children who sing and sign in our Sunday School class. Your music and artistry has made our worship service experiences more substantial and beautiful. We appreciate you! 

Words from Peter Hill, Director of Music Ministry on Sunday June 11

Today is Music, Arts, and Teaching Appreciation Sunday, when Pastor Sharon and I are privileged to share our gratitude with those of you who make our Sunday mornings better: musicians, teachers, ushers and welcomers, audio technicians. Thank you for your ringing, singing, playing violin, organ and piano, bass, harmonica, ukulele, harpists, flute, horn, trumpet, drums and percussion, and for being all you are, for us.

Thank you to Mike Maguire. It has been wonderful to hear him grow so much as an organist and accompanist in the past few years. I am amazed at how deftly he weaves tunes through his preludes and postludes: a sign of a maturing, professional musician. 

Now, I would like to say one or two things as an old music director… and I know that our 15-year old would likely roll their eyes when I say that, and if you are under a certain age, you might think to yourselves, “oh boy… here we go!” But follow me for a moment or two, I hope that I may convey adequately my excitement for being here to experience our new generation, their music, and express my sincere optimism and my own hope to be open for the future. 

So, I’m a science fiction fan, a big trekkie since I was a kid, and also a Star Wars fan since I saw the OG Star Wars in 1977. And a huge fan of the British series, Doctor Who. Back then in the 70s and 80s we had to wait three years between Star Wars movies or a year or two between Doctor Who being screened on PBS. These days there’s a new Doctor Who series, lots of new Trek series, a new Star Wars trilogy and so many streamed series, it's like a sci-fi fan’s heaven. Yet, there are fans who criticize and critique new iterations of our beloved series to no end. Even though new generations of writers are fans of our old series and revere them and treat them like jumping off points for new stories. There are human beings of my generation who think that what came before will never be as good as the old. And as a classical musician, I know fellow musicians, musicians my age, who lament how things have changed since the days of LPs, cassettes, CD, and there’s so much different to classical music these days. 

Now I would never say that us older folks shouldn’t still enjoy having and listening to our music on the old physical media, and remember the things we had growing up - I like my spot on our living room couch, it’s my spot, it’s comfortable and it’s mine - ask my wife Katie! But, when I remember to open my eyes and look around for new music, I discover how much new music there is, how many new stories there are, and how fantastic it is to find younger generations than I, sharing their stores and music, sometimes right here in our own sanctuary.

The Italian linguist and philosopher of the 20th century, Umberto Eco, originated the concept of an open work. An idea that treats old works of art, texts, as fields of meaning that are dynamic and open for engagement like reimagination or reinterpretation. In fact, he says that artistic texts are most rewarding when they remain open for each generation to interrogate. It means that we may continually re-think texts we know like The Bible, Beethoven's Ninth, or Handel’s Messiah.

Being here at Chatham UMC as a director of music ministry at this time, I and all of our choir members have so much enjoyed having our choral scholars join the Covenant Choir. And it has been wonderful to find more young people to join in our music ministry. I have had so much fun singing with the whirl kids in Sunday School. And how wonderful it is for us to bring on board a new director of youth ministry in Sammi. I am enormously optimistic seeing this past season we have been able to re-grow our music groups anew. It seems to me that our music program and we as a congregation are an open work: able to be re-interpreted for the future.

Perhaps it is a signal of this moment in time, having navigated through a pandemic, I’m so glad to be alive to be witness today to build upon what has come before, to redo, reimagine, to say without cynicism, “look at this world” and how wonderful it is to be optimistic about the future. Theology, philosophy, the zest for life that music can give us, begins in wonder. 

One last charge to you in the congregation: at the end of the service, find a musician or a teacher, an usher or a greeter, and shake their hand and give them a fist-bump, or a hug if you are comfortable. Tell them thank you. Thank you, musicians and artists.

There will be no e-news next week, June 22.

The office will be closed during this week as our office staff take vacation. Thank you!

June 25th, 2023

Evan Skinner and her husband Mark have lived in Chatham since 1986. They started and fully launched their family of four from their home at 26 Hilltop Terrace. A year after their youngest left for college, Evan volunteered at the Chatham Emergency Squad and just celebrated her ninth anniversary with them. She rides on the Tuesday day crew. She has served as Secretary, Vice President for Community Engagement, and is currently serving her second term as President.

The Chatham Emergency Squad is an all-volunteer squad that serves both Chatham Township and Chatham Borough. The Squad is almost 90% funded by donations from the community. With 80+ members, including more than 20 college students who continue to serve when home on vacation, the squad serves the community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No member is compensated for their service as an EMT or an officer. The squad is always looking for new volunteers and invites anyone who is interested to contact us at membership@chathamemergencysquad.org.

Church Office Summer Schedule

Begins on Monday, June 26^th

The Church Office will be closed on Fridays from June 30 - September 6th, office hours are 10am - 1pm.

The Church Office will be closed in observance of the following Summer Holidays:

Independence Day, Tuesday July 4^th

Labor Day, Monday, September, 4^th

The Church Office will return to regular schedule beginning Tuesday, September 5^th

We will be continuing to have our weekly worship services on Sundays at 10:00 AM in our Sanctuary throughout the summer. 

UPDATE: Our weekly coffee fellowship following the worship service will be moved outside the Narthex Main Street Doors. In addition to our usual goodies, we will have juice boxes and sidewalk chalk available for our youngest friends.

All are welcome to join us!

Important Dates:

Sunday, July 2nd Service: Join us at 10AM for the Blessing of the RISE Teams

Tuesday, July 4^th: Pick your spot on the CUMC front lawn for the annual Chatham 4th of July Parade! Our RISE Teams will be here selling some much needed refreshments on a hot summer day! This is a fundraiser event for our Teams!

Sunday July 16^th Service: Join us at 10AM to welcome back the RISE teams and hear about their experience.

Ways to Support CUMC RISE Teams

• Come for the blessing of the RISE Teams on Sunday, July 2 at 10am worship service.

• Come and support the RISE Fundraiser at the July 4 parade, and help us sell popcorn, water, and ice pops.

• Pray for the team members joining this trip from July 9 - 15, 2023.

• Pray for our homeowner hosts.

• Come to hear about the RISE experience on Sunday, July 16, 2023

• Support this ministry with your finances. Checks payable to Chatham UMC, earmarked CUMC RISE 2022.

 Thank you!!!

Chatham United Methodist Church

460 Main Street

Chatham, NJ 07928

(973) 635-7740

Email: info@chathamumc.org