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Pastor's Letter

Dear Beloved Centenary Friends and Families,

As I write to you, my heart overflows with the joy and gratitude that filled our summer at Centenary. I have witnessed the remarkable ways in which God has worked through us and among us.

In early June, we held our third annual Spring Healing Concert. Seventy-six members of our congregation, along with friends and neighbors, gathered on our front lawn to experience the healing power of music. My heartfelt thanks go to all the dedicated volunteers, the audio and video team, and Centenary's choir for their commitment. A special acknowledgment goes to our music director, Brian, whose leadership made this concert a success.

Later in June, our Vacation Bible School thrived under the theme "Joy-Full Story." Over three days, 32 children and teens, supported by 24 enthusiastic volunteers, explored the joy God gives as a vital part of their spiritual lives through lessons, crafts, dance, games, and yoga. I am deeply grateful to every volunteer who served with such joy and love, making this year's VBS truly special. Special thanks to our family ministry coordinator, Grace, whose passion and leadership enable Centenary to connect with so many in our community.

As summer draws to a close, we eagerly anticipate our Welcome Back Sunday in September. Our regular worship service will resume at 10:15 AM on September 8, along with the return of Sunday School and our choir ministry.

 I warmly encourage you to participate fully in our church's activities during these upcoming months. We've planned several special events to deepen our connection with God, and with each other:

• September 8: Welcome Back Sunday (Blessing of the Backpacks, start of Sunday School, and Ice Cream Social following the service)
• October 6: World Communion Sunday and International Snack Fellowship
• October 20: Laity Sunday
• October 27: Harvest Festival and Potluck Fellowship

Please join us as we embrace the joy and gratitude of this beautiful season.

Blessings and Love,

Your Pastor, Sooah

In-person & Online Worship Service

September 9, 2024 at 9:30 AM

Welcome Back Sunday

16^th Sunday after Pentecost

*Scripture Lesson

Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23;

Galatians 5:22-26

*Sermon

"Choosing How We Shall Live"

by Rev. Sooah Na

*Worship Assistant:

Paul Manjourides

We are excited to announce that September 8th marks our much-anticipated Welcome Back Sunday!

This special day not only brings back our church service at 10:15am, but also offers a wonderful opportunity for community engagement and connection.

We invite you to join us for an delightful Ice Cream Social during fellowship time, where you can indulge in delicious treats while reconnecting with friends and meeting new faces.

We warmly welcome you and your family to be part of this special occasion!

Watch the Latest Worship

Announcements

Children and Youth information

Dear Children and Youth Families,

I hope everyone had a good summer! The following email includes information about important information and upcoming dates.

This Sunday, September 8^th is Welcome Back Sunday. Church service will go back to its 10:15am start time and we will be celebrating with an Ice Cream Social during fellowship time. Please come out and enjoy ice cream and fellowship with all our friends!

Pastor Sooah will be blessing the children and their backpacks during Children’s Time. Please bring in your child’s backpack for a blessing!

SUNDAY SCHOOL

Sunday School will also be starting up. We will be meeting in Rm 20 after Children’s Time each week except for Communion Sunday which is the first Sunday of the month. The children and youth will stay in service on these Sundays.

The following is a brief overview of what the children and youth will be learning for the upcoming months. September;( Deny Thy Selfie: God Calls Us), October; (The Body Of Christ: Church), November;( Ready, Set, Go: Jesus’ Early Ministry), December; (The Joy Of Christmas).

Pastor Sooah will be giving her sermon during Children’s Time and the Sunday School teachers will be following through with the lesson. Activities and discussion will be part of the lesson, along with fun art activities and games. We have a mixed age group, so you will see a variety of activities presented. A packet will be given each week that will include the bible verse in which the lessons are taken from. Parents of older children and youth are encouraged to read and further discuss at home. Packets will be in the narthex during Communion Sunday. The Sunday School teachers work hard to create a fun, loving and safe environment for the children and youth where they can enjoy time together while learning and being filled with the spirit.

YOUTH GROUP

Youth group will also be starting back up. The following are dates are for our meetings for the next few months. Meeting will be after fellowship time.

September 22

October 13

November 10

December 1

**In addition to these dates, we are currently planning an outing for Friday, October 18^th in the early evening. Save the date and more details to follow.

ADDITIONAL DATES

October 6^th  World Communion Sunday (The children and youth will be working on a song for service)

October 27^th Harvest Festival

Pumpkin Picking at St. Lukes (Date to be announced)

December 15^th Children and Youth Christmas Service

December 29^th Christmas Karaoke

We are excited for our new year of learning and fellowship!

Many Blessings,

Grace

Sandwich Thursday on September 12th

Sandwich Thursday: September 8th, 6:30 pm (Room 20)



Join us in making a difference!

Contact Bob Carlson or Pastor Sooah to support Jesus' mission.



Together, let's spread love and feed the hungry. Be there

September-October Lamplighter

30 Days Bible Reading Challenge

Do you want to read the Bible? Here is a great opportunity for you! We would like to invite you to read through Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I Thessalonians, II Thessalonians (Total 28 chapters) during the month of September.

You can take this challenge individually or do it with people with a Bible Reading Challenge small group. Two online Bible study sessions will be offered during September as part of this challenge for those who want to learn more about the introduction to each book and to discuss and share questions and insights.

If you would like more information, please contact Pastor Sooah at pastorsooah@gmail.com.

Every Wednesday & Sunday

• Celebration of Found Cans (nonperishable item collection ministry from 9:30 am to 12 pm)

September 8th (Sunday)

• Choir Practice at 9:45 am
• Welcome Back Sunday Service at 10:15 am
• Blessing of the Backpacks
• Start of Sunday School
• Ice Cream Social (following the service)

September 9th (Monday)

• BOT Meeting at 7 pm (online)

September 12th (Thursday)

• Sandwich-Making Thursday at 6:30 pm in Room 20

September 16th (Monday)

• Church Council Meeting at 7 pm (online)

September 22nd (Sunday)

• Youth Group Meeting (after Fellowship time)

October 1st (Tuesday)

• Prayer Group Meeting at 7 pm (online)

October 6th (Sunday)

• World Communion Sunday/International Snack Fellowship

October 10th (Thursday)

• Sandwich-Making Thursday at 6:30 pm in Room 20

October 13th (Sunday)

• Youth Group Meeting (after Fellowship time)

October 19th (Saturday)

• GNJ Charge Conference at 9:30 am at Christ UMC, Piscataway, NJ



We pray for...

Remember in your prayers: Janet Sweeney (friend of Donna Dingle); Howard Tarlow's family (Martino family's acquaintance), Kerwinna Ortega (Jegari's sister), Jennifer Ignacio (Jegari's cousion), Richard Heim (son of Mary Ellen Heim); Darla Downes; Michelle Moyer; family of Rosalina Magno (mother of Virginia Giordano); family of Young Oh (father of Se Hoon Oh); Harvey Schwartz’s family (Diana Lee-Cary’s uncle); Joseph Gehrmann’s family (James Mojomick’s friend); family of Miriam Dingle; family of Shirley Utts; Joelle Williams and her family of Metuchen School District; Fontaine Anzalone (aunt of Paul Manjourides); Rodrigues family of Metuchen; Rosanne and Chris Moxley; family of Doreen Jones (mother of Darla Downes); family of Kiara Gonzalez (cousin of Nicole Tierno); Michael Gabriel (friend of Ruth Lechelt); Jessica Elil (daughter of Stella, co-worker of Peggy Martino); Kenny Fischer (cousin of Charles Giordano); John & Portia Lashley; family of Celeste Ramsey (mother-in-law of Isabel Pichardo); family of Ed (friend of the Mojomicks); families of Sylvia Woodfield; family of Heather Vail (friend of Ruth Lechelt); Amelia (student at Edgar MS-Metuchen); Mary Ellen Heim; family of Sandy Baks; family of Rev. Dr. Hoo Sug Lee; family of Anne Beattie; parents of Lester Gesteland; mother of Asher Irfan; family of Rowena Principe (sister of Odessa Delos Santos); family of Rev. Gary Frieze; family of Samantha Nu Nguyen Hogan (friend of the Tiernos); Shirley & Steve Mosteller; family of Lewis Hause; Monika Van Houten; Carolee Szajko; Patricia Thompson; family of Matthew Ferry (former teacher of Lily Tierno); Pvt. Brian Reppert (serving overseas and family friend of Ruth Lechelt); Poonam Chauhan (sister-in-law of Mala Roberts); Arthur Manjourides (father of Paul Manjourides); Terri Sgambati (aunt of Nicole Tierno); Lori Loza; Debra Martin (daughter of Mary Ellen Heim); Lee Lehman; Lester Heim, Jr.; Laura Vasile (daughter of Rita Vasile).

*Bold indicates new to the list.

Prayer Request:

If you have a request for prayer, or a joy you would like to lift up, please let pastor Sooah Know or send your requests to: 

prayercentenaryumc@gmail.com

The requests will be passed along to Pastor Sooah. Please keep us updated on your requests.

Celebration of Found Cans

LET’S REPLENISH! LET'S FILL THE BINS!

Centenary continues its weekly collections of non-perishable food items to help “REPLENISH” (formerly the Middlesex County Food Network) make a dent in food insecurity!

Food collection at Centenary takes place on WEDNESDAYS and SUNDAYS from 9:30 a.m. – noon. On Wednesdays, the green REPLENISH collection bin is located at Centenary’s front door; just drop off an item or two or more (follow your GPS to 200 Hillside Avenue in Metuchen)!