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Letter From the Pastor

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

“I am writing to God’s church in Falmouth (Corinth), to you who have been made holy by God in Christ Jesus, who are called to be God’s people.”               

      1 Corinthians 1:2

Well, my friends, this is my last newsletter article, and my last Sunday at John Wesley will be June 19^th. Over the past eight years, I have preached, taught and written about many aspects of our Christian faith, all with the hope of helping us be better equipped to “Love God, love others and serve the world.” And we have done so much together to live out this statement. I truly believe you are called to be God’s people. And as I prepare to depart, I would like to leave you with a few thoughts and reminders. 

1. Remember, it’s all about God! God is the reason we are at John Wesley. God is the reason we gather on Sunday mornings. God is the reason we serve the church. And yes, there are changes taking place at John Wesley, but God does not change. God is always there for us, no matter what the circumstances. And so stay focused on God, and trust in his promise, “I know the plans I have for you, plans for good and not evil. To give you a future with hope.”

2. Remember Jesus’ final command: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” That is what Jesus has called the church to do – to share the love and good news of Jesus Christ in such a way that others want to know him, to follow him and to serve him. 

3. Welcome and accept Pastor René with open arms. He comes with his own God-given strengths, talents and abilities. Give him the opportunity to share his visions and passions with you. Please do not make comparisons. The Apostles Peter and Paul did things differently, and thought differently, but they both made a major impact for Christ in the world. Pastor René is not me and he will do some things differently – and that is okay! Some things could be done differently!

4. There’s an old saying, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” May you continually strive for excellence in your ministries and work of John Wesley. You are ambassadors, representatives of the Lord, and what you do and how you do it, reflects on him. Consider that God has given us his very best – should we give him any less? So – pay attention to details, don’t do something just to get it off the “to do list,” give a little extra attention to your ministry, to your communication, to the building, to your guests, to your own spiritual growth. “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” God does it right, and so should we!

5. Take these words of St. Paul to heart: “Do not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (Galatians 6:9) During the height of Covid, we were separated and isolated, and we lost some of our spiritual habits. But now, I strongly encourage you to reflect on your role with John Wesley. Pastor Warren Wiersbe wrote that there are four kinds of people in church:

- those who make things happen (workers)

- those who watch things happen (spectators)

- those who criticize what’s happening (complainers)

- those who don’t know what’s happening (clueless)

Yes, sometimes God’s work can be difficult and tedious. But that’s especially when you need to remember Who you are serving. Because when you think of all that God has given you – all the blessings, the grace, the forgiveness, the guidance, the love – how can you not want to give back to God. Remember – it’s all about our attitude. I’ve shared the following before, but it’s good to hear again:

Some people have a job in the church. Others involve themselves in ministry. What’s the difference?

If you do it just because no one else will…it’s a job!

If you do it to serve God…it’s a ministry!

If you quit because someone criticized you…it’s a job!

If you keep on serving in spite of challenges…it’s a ministry!

If you’ll do it only so long as it doesn’t interfere with other things…it’s a job!

If you’re committed to staying with it, even when it means letting other things go…it’s a ministry!

If you quit because no one ever praised or thanked you…it’s a job!

If you stay even though no one notices your efforts…it’s a ministry!

If you do it because someone else said it needs to be done…it’s a job!

If you do it because you sensed God saying it needs to be done…it’s a ministry!

It’s hard to get excited about a job.

It’s almost impossible not to get excited about a ministry!

The average church is filled with people doing jobs! A growing church is filled with people involved in ministry!

Be in ministry!

6. And the final thing is – love one another! Be patient, put yourself in the other person’s shoes, listen to one another, be willing to change and to compromise, and remember #1 above – it’s all about God. 

I love you, John Wesley, and I thank you for eight wonderful years. This quote sums up my feelings for each of you: “How blessed I am to have known someone and something that makes saying goodbye so hard!”

Children and Youth ~ Hannah Stelter

Note from Hannah: I will be in and out of the office from June 22nd through July 16th for personal vacation and the High School Mission Trip to New York! You can reach me by email if you have any questions about anything going on. 

Weekly Schedule:

Sunday School & Nursery: Each Sunday following the Children's moment, there is Sunday School for Kindergarten - 4th grade students! Every week there are fun activities and an interactive Bible lesson that helps the children learn more about God! Nursery Care is also available during the 9:30 service.

Youth Group: The Middle School Youth Lesson is Sundays from 4:00-5:00 in the youth room. Afterwards, the high schoolers join us in the Fellowship Hall for dinner and group games! At 6:00, the middle schoolers leave and the high schoolers have their lesson until 7:00. If you would like to volunteer to make dinner for the youth, you can sign up by clicking this link!

This month, there are a few Sundays where youth group is different:

June 19th: Senior Night

June 26th: Youth Group Celebration

See more information on these Sundays below.

GRADUATING YOUTH GROUP SENIORS

Merrick Kehoe

Falmouth High School

Elmira College

Matty O'Brien

Upper Cape Tech

University of Rhode Island

Milo Van Mooy

Falmouth High School

University of Massachusetts

Upcoming:

Car Washes - June 18th, July 10th, and July 23rd

This year, our youth group is going on TWO mission trips! The High Schoolers are headed to Niagara Falls the first week of July and the Middle Schoolers are serving in Maine the last week of July. To offset the costs of these trips, we are going to have THREE car wash fundraisers this year! It is $5 or a donation of your choice. All proceeds go directly towards making our service trips more affordable for our youth. The car washes on June 18th and July 23rd will be from 11:30am-1:00pm. The car wash on July 10th will be immediately after the 9:30 service until 12:30pm!

Senior Night - June 19th | 4-7pm for All Youth

We are so blessed to have three active seniors in our youth group this year and we want to celebrate them! The morning of Celebration Sunday (June 19th) the youth will be honored during the worship service and will be presented with gifts from the congregation. That evening, we will have Senior Night where the seniors will be invited to share their wisdom with the other youth as we play their favorite games and celebrate together over food and a bounce house! This will be from 4:00-7:00 for all youth. 

Youth Group Celebration - June 26th: 5:00-8:30pm (RSVP by June 19th)

This has been as really long school year and we are SO excited that it is almost over! On June 26th, we are going to celebrate the end of the school year with a trip to Skyzone in Kingston! This is an indoor trampoline park and our youth will be able to spend an hour jumping and celebrating together. The cost per youth is $10 and an RSVP is required. Click here to RSVP by June 19th! If you are willing to drive, please let me know!

Middle School Mission Trip - Registration due by July 3rd

We are so excited to be returning to Camp Mechuwana in Maine this Summer for our Middle School Mission Trip! The trip begins on Monday, July 25th and we will return on July 28th. This is open to all middle schoolers entering 6th grade through 9th grade. To find out more information, click here to download the registration packet!

Summer Calendar 

We have SO many fun things planned for this summer! Because we know you all are busy, we want to go ahead and give you our tentative calendar for June through August so you can plan around any fun activities your family wants to participate in. This calendar has been updated since last month so click here to download the calendar! 

Recap:

Family Spring Celebration

On April 30th, four families gathered in the Fellowship Hall for our first annual Family Spring Celebration! We painted birdhouses and pots and even played some Spring themed Bingo! Thank you to everyone who participated!

Having fun at the Family Spring Celebration!

Pool Noodle Tag at Youth Group!

Worship Announcements:

Pentecost Sunday – June 5^th! Otherwise known as the “birth of the church.” It is when we celebrate that the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples with “tongues like flames of fire” and from that point on, they spread the good news of Jesus Christ throughout the world. In celebration of God’s Holy Spirit coming upon us, so that we too might “be on fire for God,” we will wear our red John Wesley shirts (or something red.) 

Pastor Rebecca will be out of the office at the New England Annual Conference from Wednesday, June 8^th through Saturday, June 11^th. We will welcome Rev. Bob Hansen to the pulpit on June 12^th. 

Celebration Sunday – June 19th! We have much to celebrate this year! We will highlight some of the children and youth events during the year, honor our graduating seniors, baptize Henry Mickle, welcome our new Music Director, Paula King, hear our choir and bells share beautiful music, and Pastor Rebecca will have some parting words, as this will be her last Sunday. After the service, there will be a bouncy house for the kids, Smitty’s will come again with an ice cream truck and there will be cookies and lemonade for all. Come share in the many ways we worship and glorify God!

On June 26^th, we welcome Rev. Sheldon Keller to the pulpit. During the last two weeks in June, he will be “on call,” in case of pastoral emergency. If you need to reach him, please contact Ruth in the office, or Rev. Keller directly at 860-608-7961. 

Beach Services begin July 3^rd at Surf Drive Beach, and run from 7:30 – 8:00 am. Bring a chair, and worship in God’s natural sanctuary. These services will last through September 4^th, with the exception of July 10^th (Triathlon) and August 21^st (Road Race).  Our 9:30 worship service in the sanctuary will continue throughout the summer, and will be livestreamed. We will have lemonade and cookies after the 9:30 service.

Name tags! As we prepare for Rev. René to come, we encourage everyone to wear your name tags! This is a sign of hospitality, as it will help him get to know you! If you do not have a name tag, please put your name on the sign-up sheet near the nametags.

Once again, we would like to give a shout out to all those who help make our services run smoothly, the ushers, greeters, liturgists, those who serve communion, the AV team, singers and ringers!  We would like to expand our ranks. Please consider sharing your gifts through one of these important ministries. Most especially as summer approaches, we will need greeters for the beach service and musicians to provide special music for our 9:30 services.  Please contact Diane Huban at [email protected] or 860.841.3952 if would like more information or if you are interested in helping out.  

The Staff Parish Relations Ministry Team will host a farewell reception on Thursday June 16th from 5:00-6:30 PM at John Wesley United Methodist Church in Falmouth. Hors D'Oeuvres will be provided by Eat Your Heart Out Catering. Please click here to RSVP or email Ruth [email protected]. 

Donations to defray cost for the reception are welcomed, but absolutely not required. If so inclined, you can put your donation in the offering plate, drop it off at the church office, or submit it by VANCO. Please indicate that your donation is for the "Farewell Reception". We look forward to gathering together in celebration of Rebecca and John's ministry and service to JWUMC.  

COFFEE HOUR “LITE” BEGINS! We will be making Coffee Hour a little easier for the summer! A concentrated effort is being made to reduce the man and woman hours involved. We will offer simple, light refreshments only: a beverage, such as lemonade or coffee, and a few simple no-fuss sweets to enjoy. We can enjoy each other’s company just as well over light refreshments as we can over a groaning plateful!  In June, the Trustees/Facilities & Grounds Ministry Team will host the month. If you are interested in helping out in June, please contact Steve Adams or his team. Looking forward to seeing everyone!

Plant Sale Recap 2022 ~ Tom Hoke

           Thank you to the 33 volunteers who worked the sale. We set up the tents and tables on Thursday, May 26. Others unloaded the plants from trucks, inventoried them and arranged them on tables. The plants were beautiful and some of the best we have ever received. The first sale day was Friday, May 27. It was overcast and a little chilly, but at least it didn’t rain. We had a steady stream of happy customers. By the end of the day, we knew that we were dealing with record revenue.

Then on Saturday the customers kept coming and our inventory of plants was very nicely distributed throughout all varieties. We hit a record in gross receipts of $18,271. After we paid for the plants and advertising, profit came in at $7,100!  We processed more than 411 transactions, again the largest ever. That means that many individuals, couples, and families visited our church and experienced the spirit of John Wesley UMC.

Thanks also to Kappy’s, Teaticket Market and the Falmouth Service Center for providing us with cardboard trays which our customers used to carry their plants home.

Tom

Church Mouse

It’s Spring. The flowers, bushes around the church, and the trees are growing leaves. The grass is greener and all the bugs are out hum, hum. The noisy birds are nesting on top of that pole in the front parking lot again. I wanted to investigate the nest on top but the pole is too high and the birds make too much noise. I can not sneak up on them.

The church was very busy again this month with the ladies sorting through all the stuff that people drop off day after day after day. One day lots of people came to the church and setup tables and clothes racks. Many people helped carry boxes and bags of stuff into the large hall from down stairs. They worked for two days to fill the tables and racks with clothing and all kinds of other stuff. The workers were really tired at the end of each day but they still came back the next day. On the day before the church service crowds of people came and carried out the things to their cars and drove off.   I overheard that this is called a clothing & yard sale. I overheard people saying this is the best place to shop, it is clean and organized. Everyone looked happy including the helpers. Hmm!

The next day at church Pastor Rebecca said that $2,200 was raised at the sale. Everyone clapped. Again, a mouse does not know what that means but everyone was happy. It has something to do with mission work in the church like providing space for groups.

Hannah and the children in the church are doing a lot of activities. One evening families and others came to the church for something called Game Night. Everyone looked so happy to be in the big hall playing games. Of course, food and drinks were provided for everyone. I did manage to find a few crumbs on the floor, thank you very much. Hanna, I enjoy your children time at the altar each Sunday. I actually understand your stories. Guess I am just a kid at heart.

At the end of the month the church held a Plant Sale. I remember the same thing last year. Many people helped set up tables in the front of the church and someone delivered all kinds of flowering plants. Some plants were called vegetables and herbs. The next day many people pick up the plants and put them in their cars after the cashiers check them out. I overheard that someone called Tom was the organizer. He is the one who sings in the choir and has a deep, deep voice. He announced in the church the next day that the sale made $7,100. Again, everyone clapped. Guess it is a good thing if they do it every year.

I am beginning to understand that people use the church for many events. This month a big truck with all kinds of equipment inside parked in the front of the church. People were carrying things into the church like tables and beds. I remember this happening before and it involves blood. I overheard it called a blood drive. I heard that the hospital is in need of blood that is why so many people come to give blood. The only thing I like about this is the crumbs on the floor after it is over.

One day the big hall was set up with tables and a lot of food. Many people came for a gathering for someone called Cherlyann. I think her family was here and a lot of her friends. I overheard people talking about how inspiring she was to everyone. I was hoping a few crumbs would be left on the floor, but they cleaned up really good.  Please leave a few on the floor.

Something called DreamTale Puppets used the big hall one day this month. I heard this was a man who used puppets to tell a story to kids. I didn’t stay in the hall too long. The puppets were coming out of one hole then another. I heard the story was about Alice, not that a mouse knows who Alice is.

Bonnie and Tim are in the kitchen all the time. I heard they were finding all kinds of secret hide aways. They have cleaned and re-organized the whole kitchen area. I will say it looks good. I hope they do not find my secret hiding place. Also, please leave a few crumbs on the floor.

I traveled outside to the community garden on the side of the church. It is all cleaned up and someone with a big machine came and turn all the ground over. Then people started digging and planting seeds and plants in each garden area. I did not stay to long as it is a little scarry outside alone. 

Summer is almost here and I may take a little vacation time, so see you in a few months. Cheers!!

Change the World:

How can you CHANGE the world? Well, with your loose change! We will use the change from Change the World in June to contribute to the efforts to collect medical supplies for shipment to Ukraine. Sally and Bud Tracy are collecting unopened prescription medications, over the counter and other medical supplies and will deliver them to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Jamaica Plain for shipment to Ukraine. Call 508 540 6987 or email [email protected] to arrange collecting them. Just about any items will be helpful as they sort them for greatest need. 

Hello Church family,

How do we even begin to adequately say “Thank You” for the wonderful memories over the last 12+ years. You truly became our church FAMILY and saying, “See you later” certainly did not come easy. As we got older the pull of warmer climate and being closer to family became significant for us.

We know God brought us to Falmouth to serve and demonstrate our love for HIM with the talents he gave us. Neither of us looked at the things we did as work…we were doing what we love with the benefit of being in HIS service. We are thankful for the time we had with you and do pray we’ll stay connected and find ways to see each other in the future. Please do reach out if you’re coming south!

We also, with such a full heart, want to say “Thank You” for the special and overwhelming send off we got on our last Sunday. A huge “Thank You” to Sue Sievert and her fabulous team and everyone that played a special part. We Thank You, We Love You!

“Don’t cry because it’s over….Smile because it happened.

A memory lasts forever…Never does it die.

True friends stay together and never say good bye.”

Our new address for the next 14 months is… 212 Whisk Fern Way

Holly Springs, NC 27540

With much love and thanksgiving for having been part of the JWUMC FAMILY.

Blessings,

Aline & Larry Ward

"Lord, when did we ever see you thirsty and give you something to drink?"

"I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!"

A huge THANK YOU to all who donated to my 6K Run for clean water and those who prayed! As you can see, this year's donations far surpassed my goal of $800 and donations received in each of my other three runs for this cause.  $2,154!!!!

God bless you!!

Betty Smith

Announcements

Racial Justice Committee: Ever wonder "what do they talk about in the racial justice meeting"? Well, in May we talked about using the Experiencing God concept of "Looking for where God is at work and joining Him in the work." as relates to fighting racial inequities. We talked about the recent shooting in Buffalo. We also talked about how the Baptism and confirmation rituals in the UMC talk about renouncing and rejecting spiritual forces of wickedness and evil. Racism is one of these evils. If this is intriguing to you, come and join us June 15 at 5pm. We will be discussing weeks 5 and 6 in the Faithful Lent study. Please contact Ali Armitage at [email protected] if you would like more information.

Care Team for Allison Deyo: Allison's Care Team will be meeting for prayer on June 5 after service in the Chapel. Please contact Ali Armitage at [email protected] if you would like more information.

FUNDRAISING

CHRISTMAS FAIR   Yes…it’s time to think of the Christmas Fair and find a willing partner/s who will work with me to coordinate this year’s event.  

The date has been set…….Fri & Sat.   Nov. 11-12th

The majority of the station chairs have agreed to return…we THANK them all…..

Crafters: Linda Duane

Sweet Treats: Sue Sievert

Jewelry: Lynne Brown

Wooden Treasures: Mark Karsner

Wreaths & Greens: Kate Finemore

Luncheon: Danna Dimrock & Patrick Shanley

Dinner: Bonnie & Tim Valade

Baked Table: Eileen Burt

Boutique: Need 2 volunteers

Jams & More: Matt O’Connor

Silent Auction: Maryellen Geoghan & Christine Quesnel

Boutique Clothing: Marti Jeglinski 

Hardware: Henry Brown

Kids Room: Becky Dickens & looking for another volunteer

Attic Treasures Looking for 2-3 volunteers to help with this room

Table Set-Up Looking for a volunteer

Money/Finances: Sharon Mulcahy

Advertising: Lynn O’Brien - Poster design & Lynne Brown - Poster distribution

Unfortunately, with our relocation to Holly Springs, the church is now in need of a Chairperson/s to run this year’s Fair. As you can see by above, many of the chairs will be returning this year. The individual chair people know their roles well, tables will be set up with the table cloths and the chairpeople will set up their own tables. There are a few stations in need of a leader/s. Won’t you PLEASE consider. The church needs YOU!

Many of you know I’m an organized person so in the church office (see Ruth) there are binders for Fundraising. One binder is of course Christmas Fair. This binder will provide the new Chairperson a timeline with what functions should be done and when. All functions are recorded…just need someone to be the conductor to make sure everything runs smoothly..again, with my assistance if it is needed. The binder also includes all the historical data of past years. 

How about two of you? Two friends? Husband and wife? Or just YOU!

The church needs YOU more than ever….our Fair is important for the community and of course the church. PLEASE consider it…if you’d like to talk to me about it, please call me at 603-566-3482. This is a very rewarding role.  Let’s gather together to make this 2022 Fair another great success! We can do this!!! I am willing to help you to do the Lord’s work. 

Blessings, Aline Ward

June Meetings and Events at JWUMC

Sunday June 5th - Care Team for Allison 10:30 am

Monday June 6th - Leadership Team 6:30 pm

Saturday June 11th - Youth Trip to Six Flags

Monday June 13th - Alternate Gift Market 4 pm

Wednesday June 15th - Racial Justice Group 5:00 pm

Thursday 16th - Farewell Reception for Rebecca & John Mincieli 5 pm

Saturday June 18th - Youth Car Wash 11:30am - 1:00 pm

Saturday June 18th - Youth Mission Trip Training 12:30 pm

Sunday June 19th - Senior Celebration and all Youth Game Night 4 -7 pm

Tuesday June 21st - Finance Ministry Team 4 pm

Saturday June 25th - People For Cats Yard Sale 9 am - 2 pm

Sunday June 26th - Youth Group celebration 5 pm

Wednesday June15th - Outreach/Missions Ministry Team - 6:30 pm

Weekly Meetings:

Sunday - Middle School Youth Group 4 pm (June 5th & 12th)

Sunday - All Youth Free Dinner & Games 5 pm (June 5th & 12th)

Sunday - High School Youth Group 6 pm (June 5th & 12TH)

Monday - Crafters 10 am

Tuesday - Bible Discussion Group with Tim Cline 10 am

Tuesday - Gudrun's ESL Class 6:30 pm

Wednesday - Prayer Meeting 11 am

Wednesday - Handbell Rehearsal 5:45 pm (as scheduled)

Wednesday - Chancel Choir Rehearsal 7 pm (as scheduled)

Birthday Wishes for June: 1st~ Tom Hoke, 4th ~ Dorothy Linton, 6th ~ Kim Black, 9th~Mel Trott, 15th ~ Judy Harbison, 23rd ~ Allison Deyo

Let us celebrate life among our church family. It's a great thing to have a birthday, a gift from God. Please give your birthday information by recording it on the calendar on the Fellowship bulletin board.