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Letter From the Pastor

Something in the Air Is Changing

“The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” — John 3:8

Lately, I’ve found myself standing still for a moment after worship, in my office, just taking it in. Have you felt it lately? There is subtle stirring happening around us, like the air before a season changes. The breeze has cooled, the leaves have turned, the summer crowds are mostly gone, and there’s a stillness that feels like hope is coming. I can’t help but feel that something sacred has been building up these past few weeks. It’s as though God has taken a deep breath right here with us, and something sacred is waking up. I have felt it in worship, through our prayer meetings, during fellowship hour, in events we’ve hosted, and in plain conversations with people. 

As we prepare to celebrate All Saints’ Day this coming Sunday, I feel like that same Spirit keeps whispering, reminding me of all that has been taking place. I know Sunday will be tough for many of us. Even as we remember those who’ve gone before us, built our church, and loved us, we will grieve and be reminded of how they shaped our faith and this church. We will speak their names, light candles, ring our historic bell, and hopefully, that veil between heaven and earth will feel thin. In remembering them, we will also be reminded who we are: a community of faithful people connected by God’s grace and courage, one that even when times are tough we still love each other.

It’s been quite a month, October. We’ve stood together on sacred ground. At the Summit on Homelessness, we saw a couple of churches and nonprofits join us to talk about the needs of our community and to imagine what could be possible if we collaborate. It wasn’t flashy or loud, and not everyone whom we had invited came, but it was a “God moment”—one of those times when you sense that God is right there in the middle of whatever is happening. I could feel God was weaving something in that room. The team that brought it all together was incredible, and I thank God for the love and compassion that guided their work.

In our Bible studies on Ephesians by N.T. Wright, but truly by the apostle Paul, we’ve been exploring what it means to be “rooted and grounded in grace.” We tried something new this year, we offered one of the studies at the Local Grounds Cafe in Cataumet. Between 3-8 people gathered every week there and needless to say, we also had some good coffee. We also ran two more studies, one on Tuesday and another one on Thursday. Paul’s letter may be two thousand years old, but it has been speaking into our hearts, calling us back to unity, grace, humility, and hope.

And just last week, we had the Men’s Breakfast, where Mel T. did a much welcomed and needed presentation about being better prepared for emergencies. Every time we come together, it is always about much more than the food and the information, it’s about building our community. We ate good food, we laughed and we grew together just a tiny little bit. 

We also just completed our four-week stewardship campaign, “What Can We Bring?” We were invited to reflect on how our gifts—time, talents, and treasure become offerings to God when we bring them with love, but it was mostly about how our church can become more faithful in our love for one another. Officially, the campaign is over, but the invitation continues. If you haven’t yet turned in your pledge, I pray and encourage you to do so. Every gift matters, and when we pull our resources together they allow us to participate in this movement of the Spirit.

I could go on and on about the amazing things the Holy Spirit is doing with John Wesley. Things like the Thrift Shop, our new Website, the Blessing of the animals service, the work the trustees and other faithful members have been doing in and around the church building, and the many other ways this congregation is seeking to remain faithful. 

So yes, something in the air is changing. The days are getting colder, but our hearts are getting warmer. We’re becoming more aware of the holy ground beneath our feet, the sacred weight of each other’s presence, and the Spirit that keeps nudging us forward. So if you feel that change in the air, don’t rush past it. Pause. Breathe it in. You might just find that what you’re feeling is the very breath of God, moving through us, among us, and ahead of us, and turning even cold days into holy ground.

Let us welcome the Holy Spirit into our November, 

Pastor René

On a sunny Saturday morning, October 11th , we held our first Blessing of the Animals. Five dogs and their guardians, as well as two cat lovers, came. We hope to build on this next year. Treats, anyone? Zane is pictured showing appreciation to Pastor René for his blessing.


Hymnals are still available for you to take home or bring to a shut-in. There are a couple of large-print editions left (lyrics only). Hymnals are in the

fellowship hall by the Connections Desk. These hymnals are helpful for participating in

worship at home while watching livestream services when you are unable to attend in

person.

All Saints Sunday is November 2nd . A special service of remembrance for loved ones who have passed from November 2024 through October 2025 is planned. Dr. David Abbott will be our guest preacher.

SAVE THE DATE! Visions of a decorated church are dancing in my head! Our annual Hanging of the Greens will be November 23 after worship. Have a snack at coffee hour, then deck the halls, sanctuary, and chapel with your church family!

The first Sunday of Advent is November 30th. Our worship series will be based on

“Angels Among Us,” by Marcia McFee at Worship Design Studio. We will welcome our new District Superintendent, Rev. Byong Moo Lee, as our preacher. Remember to come to our Church Conference that day!

See you in church!

Lyndsey will be 
out of office on

Tuesday November 11th.

Voicemails left on the phone that day will be answered on Thursday November 13th.

Welcome everyone!  Our hope is that everyone who enters John Wesley UMC, or even hears our name, experiences the warmth of our community and discovers what they seek in a church home. 

Be sure to visit the Welcome Desk if you are a newcomer!  Visit the Connect Desk in the Fellowship hall or our website if you are looking to be more connected! If you’re here simply to worship, we’re glad you’re with us.  

On the website, go to the CONNECT tab where you will find so many things!  The calendar of events, prayer request forms, home visit for Shut-in request form, sign up to help with coffee hour, sign up to serve elsewhere, tell us about your interest in small groups, leave a comment, etc.  

Blessings!

Lianne, Carolyn, Loretta, Frank, Ted, Lisa, Dianne, and Pastor Rene

Spiritual Growth ~ Jenn Linton

Dinner and Discussion in November will be Spaghetti Night! The Team will cook the pasta at church. Sign up at the Connection Desk to bring the other parts of the meal (sauce, etc.). The topic of discussion is How Does God Communicate With You? We’ll use Isaiah 55:11 and John 16:13 as the basis for our discussion. Anyone is welcome to come at the last minute, but if you know you’re coming please sign up to bring a specific part of the meal. Contact Jennifer.v.linton@gmail.com.

Churchwide Advent Book Studies will start near the end of November. Stay tuned for more details! Interested in leading or co-leading an Advent study? It’s not too late to volunteer! Contact Jennifer.v.linton@gmail.com

The Spiritual Growth Team is holding an Advent Retreat on Saturday, December 13, 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM. In keeping with the theme of our Advent Worship services, the Angels Among Us Retreat will focus on en-courage-ment. We’ll explore how God’s messengers bring us courage in all phases of life, we’ll work on encouraging each other in real ways, and we’ll collaborate to provide tangible signs of encouragement for people who greatly need it. Watch for a sign-up sheet coming soon. Contact Jennifer.v.linton@gmail.com. (This retreat will replace the December Dinner and Discussion, since there is a Chorale concert at JW that evening.)

Men’s Breakfast on Saturday, Nov. 22nd

at 8:45 AM,



Above is the schedule for November Coffee Hour.

We need someone to help with All Saints Day Fellowship Hour THIS SUNDAY.

November 30th is our Annual Conference, we will be having a potluck style Fellowship Hour. Please Contact Maryellen with what you can bring.

The Hospitality Ministry Team

Stewardship Team ~ Dianne

Praise God! With your generosity, we’ve received $246,326 in pledges toward our $375,000 goal! Each pledge represents not just a gift, but a commitment to shaping our church’s future. Let’s keep moving forward in faith!

Return the pledge card that was mailed to you or visit

https://www.johnwesleyumc.org/pledging

to enter your 2026 personal commitment today.

If you’ve already pledged, THANK YOU for your generous commitment.

Outreach and Missions ~ Donna Fish

Each month our team discusses the many ways we can support missionary work locally and internationally. We update our Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall to show various missions including Thank You Letters. Posted are new updates from two Missionaries our team and church support, Allison Deyo and Dr. Bella.

All are welcomed to our meetings on the third Wednesday of each month at 2:00 pm in the Fitzgerald room.

If interested or willing to join our team please contact any member of our Team:

Marge Dean, Penny Dean, Kate Finemore, Tracy Jackel, Nancy Peterson, Marie Syverson, Anne Tupper, Bonnie Valade, and Donna Fish, Chairperson

Changing our World for November and December is Pastor’s Discretionary Fund here at John Wesley. Our Pastor uses the funds to help members of the community who need temporary help.

Thank you for all your contributions to all our Changing Our World programs.

Please review the bulletin board and learn how your Mission Dollars are spent.

As always, the box for food donations is in the Fellowship Hall near our Bulletin Board. 

Please donate food for the Falmouth Service Center on Gifford Street by placing your donations in the box. 

The food most needed for November is posted on the box.

Don't forget we "fall back" an hour as Daylight Savings ends on November 2nd!

Calling all Bakers! The Church Fair will soon be here!

We need lots of baked goods. Breads, Scones, Cookies, Brownies, and more. Gluten Free items are needed as well. We also need large cookies about 4” diameter, individually wrapped. Please mark items so we know what they are. If they contain nuts, please be sure to include that in the description.

Goodies may be dropped off at the bake table in the Narthex beginning Thursday afternoon, Nov 13. Any questions, please reach out to Penny Dean.

Thrift Shop Committee Meeting

Get ready to share ideas, plan, and have some fun! Our next Thrift Shop Committee Meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 18th at 3:00 PM in the Wesley House.

Join us as we discuss upcoming projects, brainstorm creative ways to keep the shop thriving, and celebrate all the great work our volunteers do. Your input makes a difference—plus, there might just be a few laughs (and maybe some snacks!) along the way!! See you there!

It’s That Time of Year Again — Dress a Live Doll Is Back!

Can you believe Christmas 2025 is just around the corner? The Salvation Army’s Dress a Live Doll program is kicking off, and we’re excited to share that this year we’ll be sponsoring four children and one teen!

🗓️ Gift Collection: November 16 – November 30

🎁 Deadline: All wrapped gifts must be at the church by Sunday, November 30.

Each Sunday before and after service, Marie Syverson will be available to help you choose a child and guide you through gift selections.

Because of your generosity, these children will wake up on Christmas morning to find beautifully wrapped presents under the tree — and hearts full of joy and hope.

Let’s come together to make this season extra special for some very deserving kids. Thank you for helping us share the true spirit of Christmas!

Visit  www.alternativegiftmarketcapecod.org

Questions or want to volunteer helping?

Contact Kate Finemore 508 641 4658

Bfinemore36@comcast.net

We have a Spotify Account!!

Listen to past sermons and scripture readings

Anytime, Anywhere!

Click here to view our podcast!

Prayer Chain 

The prayer chain is an email/text confidential prayer chain list {18+}. The prayer requests are sent out, and the team prayer warriors are asked to pray for those requests for the whole month. (At the end of the month you are contacted to see if you need to continued prayers.)

If you are interested in joining in praying for others, contact Karen Camp: at 508-737-1636 

or nerakpmac13@gmail.com.

Wednesday Prayer Group 

On Wednesdays at 11am, there is a prayer group to pray for those who would like to have prayers for themselves or others.

If you are interested in joining as a prayer group member or have prayer requests, contact the pastor or the church office.

Prayer Team

Our Lord Jesus said that whenever 2 or 3 are gathered …On the second and fourth Sundays of the month, there is a prayer team to pray for those who would like to have confidential prayers for themselves or as a proxy for others. The team is usually up at the front on the pulpit side by the wall. The prayers will continue for the week.

If you are interested in joining as a prayer team member, text Karen Camp: 508-737-1636

or nerakpmac13@gmail.com.

Prayer Box

A prayer box is another option. It has cards on it to make prayer requests available for you. It’s located under the TV on a table in the narthex. There are four options you may select for types of prayer.

(If you would like to be contacted at the end of the month to see how your request is going, please feel free to add your phone number to the card.)

Trustees   

You may ask - what does the trustees committee do? The trustees take care of the physical assets of JWUMC. 

A trustee closes and secures the doors and checks the water level in the chapel each Sunday. If you are leaving the church, please feel free to close the fellowship doors, sanctuary doors, Sunday School wing doors, and the library doors. This is a fire prevention task & is encouraged.

The water leak has been found and repaired. Progress has started on using the Wesley House for a thrift shop. Henry made the much needed railing on the left side of the altar. Thanks, Henry! We would like also like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Stasis and Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds for their amazing gardening expertise around the church building! It looks so fabulous! Thank you so much for your time and talent in this area to make our church exterior so beautiful!

The Trustees’ bulletin board (near the kitchen) shows some of the recent accomplishments. Currently, most projects are in process, but we will let you know when they are completed!  

Greeters

We are really in need of a few greeters! You can choose to greet monthly or seasonally. There is availability to pick which Sunday of the month works best for you. This is a very important job for helping people to feel welcome at our church!

 If you are interested in being part of the welcome, contact Karen Camp: 508-737-1636 or nerakpmac13@gmail.com.

Rhododendrons  

We are in need of a rhododendron expert! Could it be YOU??? We need your invaluable advice on how to trim back the rhododendrons that grace the Sunday school wing. Please contact Karen Camp or Henry Brown if you can be of assistance to the trustees in this capacity!

Card Ministry 

At JWUMC we like to care for each other, & cards are one way to do so. if you’re new to John Wesley United Methodist Church, add your birthday to the calendar on the hospitality bulletin board in the fellowship hall. If you know of someone who’s ill, has lost a loved one, or could use a “thinking of you” card, etc., contact Karen Camp: 508-737-1636  or  nerakpmac13@gmail.com.

Library

We hope you enjoyed the October National Library Month activities. The library is located in the Lyman Lounge just down the hallway outside the sanctuary. You can also check out changing examples in a basket under the missions bulletin board in the fellowship hall!

Try using a Post-it note (on a shelf on the left bookcase) to write a review/comment & put it inside the book. It’s helpful for the person who’s considering reading the book. Here are 2 examples of recent donations!

Alleluia! I have noticed some wonderful things going on at JWUMC! 

Happy Thanksgiving! I’m so thankful for YOU! Thank YOU for your service, Veterans!! We thank you & God for your work and sacrifices!

I loved celebrating National Church Library Month! There are so many good reads & hiding places!

I’m looking forward to the Men’s (& mouse) breakfast!

Myles, Deb, & crew do such a great job! They let me watch all the slides, buttons, etc. as long as I don’t nibble on the wires. Thanks, media booth team!

It was so great to hear about so many organizations during the stewardship campaign. I’m going to cheerfully give!

The Ephesians studies are going well, & I am learning/relearning so much!

Did you know that October 19-25 was National Pastor Appreciation Week? Course, we can appreciate Rev. Perez every week! Thank you for all you do, Rev. Perez (Wanda, too)!

Have a fabulous & blessed rest of fall!

In Christ, 

Your JWUMC mouse

Birthday Wishes for November: 

Let us celebrate life among our church family.

~ 1st Helen Guy ~ 2nd Nancy Ledger ~ 3rd Sharon Mulcahy ~ 5th Barb Colturi ~ 8th Milton King and Frank Reynolds ~ 11th Myles Lowry ~ 14th Rich Murray ~ 16th Dottie Hack ~ 22nd Wanda Perez ~ 23rd MArge Dean ~ 29th Becky Dickens



It's a great thing to have a birthday, a gift from God. Please give your birthday information by recording it on the calendar in the Church Office or emailing the church office.