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THE WESLEYAN MAY 2023

Letter From the Pastor


Dear John Wesley Family,


As you all know, I have just returned from a two-week getaway in the bahamas. (just kidding). Although I have been away for two weeks, the first week Wanda and I spent it with my parents in El Salvador. We had the opportunity to visit with them, and we were also able to do some sightseeing, including a day at a beach a couple of hours away. That was pretty spectacular. The whole trip was great! I was also glad that our daughter, Kayla, was able to join us on our trip. 


After we landed at JFK on Sunday, April 16, we headed to Logan Airport in Boston, so that I could catch my early Monday flight to Maputo, Mozambique. This trip was organized by the mission agency of the United Methodist Church, the General Board of Global Ministries for the directors of the board (which I am one), in order for us to listen and interact with some of the United Methodist missionaries and missions in Africa. It was a learning, eye-opening and God-praising experience. Thanks be to God! We have over 30 missionaries in Africa proclaiming the good news of Jesus in this part of the world. 


Also, while we were there we commissioned 19 more world missionaries. All of the 19 missionaries were under the age of 30 years old. All I can say is that the United Methodist Church is alive and well in Africa and around the world. Believe it or not, this is all made possible thanks to the contributions sent by every United Methodist Church around the world. But… as good as that was, I am so glad to be back home. 


Yet, as I left that last week, I kept thinking about our own work as a local congregation. The passage that came to mind was Matthew 28 when near the end of his time with his disciples, days after his resurrection, Jesus comes to them and says “Therefore 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 I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”


Callings are a thing from God. They seem daunting at times, but there is nothing fearful about them, as long as we understand we will need God to fulfill them. Not wanting to leave them orphaned and without direction, Jesus announces how his work on earth would need to continue in order to prosper, by making disciples. 


For Jesus, discipleship was a centerpiece of his vision for a transformed world. Nothing can happen without discipleship. Without this commissioning of his disciples, there could be no pentecost experience, there could be no 3,000 being added to the church after Peter’s sermon. There would be no one showing the way to salvation. That’s the calling God makes to every Christian, to us, a calling to discipleship that leads to growth and transformation. An insatiable divine fire that won’t let us rest. A voice in the wilderness. A whisper in the silence. A word from a sermon. A sentence from a song. A calling which must begin with a simple “yes, Lord. I will go.” “Yes, Lord. send me.”


Pastor René

RECENT SERVICES 

CALENDAR

See what's happening this May

Children and Youth

Sunday School: Every Sunday at 9:30am

We are so excited that Amy Clatanoff-Brown will continue to lead the Sunday School class for the rest of the school year! Sunday School for Kindergarten - 4th Graders takes place during the 9:30 service! We start in the Sanctuary until the children's moment before we go back to the Education Wing. We have one Sunday School class.

A fully staffed Nursery is available during the 9:30 service for children under 4.

There is NO Sunday School on May 28 (Memorial Day Weekend)


Youth Group: May 7, May 21 & June 4 - 4:00-6:00pm

All youth (5th-12th grade) are invited to join us for an evening of fellowship and connection! We will begin at 4:00 in the Youth Room to share about our week. Afterwards, a special guest speaker from our congregation will come and share what God is doing in their life and how John Wesley has impacted their faith journey. At 5:00 we will enjoy a free dinner together before playing some games (including gaga ball!) We hope to see you then!


John Wesley Youth Recreation Center: Tuesdays & Thursdays | 2:45-5:00pm

The JWYRC is closed as of April 27, 2023. Since the Children & Youth Director position has not been filled and because of staffing and volunteer concerns, we decided that it would be best to close for the remainder of the school year. We hope to reopen in the Fall of 2023 once the position has been filled.

Testing out our Sunday School crafts on the playground!

Over 500 people enjoyed our annual Easter Egg Hunt! A big THANK YOU to everyone who helped!!

Several of our youth got together over April Vacation and went bowling! We had a great time!

Worship ~ Betty Smith

Sermon Series: Half Truths* 

We all live by truths that help us make sense of our world and our experiences. We really don’t know if they are really true, because we have never taken the time to carefully examine them; yet we hear them all the time and often get up each morning counting on and believing that these beliefs are foundational to our faith and to life. 

 

Starting Sunday May 7, 2023, join us as we embark on a journey of discovery and reimagining. We will take some of these truths and examine them in the light of what we know about God and the Bible. Each Sunday, we will take one saying and hear what God really says about this. Is it true? Does God really say this? Where in the Bible is it?

 

1.    May 7- “Everything Happens for a Reason.” 

2.    May 14 - “God Only Helps Those Who Help Themselves” 

3.    May 21 - “It Doesn’t Matter What You Believe as Long as You’re Sincere” 

      May 28 - PENTECOST SUNDAY

4.    June 4 - “God Won’t Give You More Than You Can Handle” 

5.    June 11 - “When God closes a door, God opens another”

* Based on the book “half-truths” by Adam Hamilton


Altar Guild: The women who have been preparing the altar for worship services have faithfully done so for many years. Some of us need to step back from this responsibility. We would welcome new participants to the group and will be happy to show you what to do. If serving for a whole month doesn't work for you, serving a week at a time is an option. We are an equal-opportunity group! Yes, guys, you can do this, too!

Stewardship Ministry Team ~ Tom Hoke

Headline: New Stewardship Ministry Team Formed

 

We are excited to announce that the Finance Ministry Team has formed a new Stewardship Ministry Team. The team members include Pastor René Perez, Tom Hoke, Team Leader, Ted Burt, Lorretta Croft, Kate Finemore, Jan Dahl, and Maryellen Geoghan.

 

The team will take a holistic approach to stewardship as an outward and visible sign of our inner relationship with God. They will address JWUMC’s stewardship process with attention to the spiritual discipline of giving time, talents, and treasure, encouraging and appreciating all services and offerings made by all of us at JWUMC.

 

The team will promote messaging and marketing techniques to launch a motivational stewardship campaign in the fall of 2023 and in subsequent years. Our objective is to launch the campaign in September and wrap it up in October, which will allow adequate time for the Finance Ministry Team and The Leadership Team to consider the realities of the 2024 budget.

 

The team will also study and make recommendations for special holiday offerings, i.e., Christmas and Easter. They will tell the stories of JW’s successes, our missions, and our vision. They will develop strategies to encourage service and leadership for JWUMC. And they will find ways to THANK our parishioners for the contributions that they make.

 

The team is enthusiastic and optimistic. We look forward to serving JWUMC, trusting that God is guiding each of us to move forward in Christian love. We have a vision that is amazing and exciting. We are inviting you to invest yourself through the resources that God has given you - your energy, your prayers, and your contributions in this work to which God has called us.

Plant Sale

Hospitality, Invitation & Fellowship ~ Colleen Karsner

Due to the repairs ongoing in Fellowship Hall, Coffee Hour will be Very Light during the coming weeks. The Worship MT, who will be hosting May coffee hours and who is looking for volunteers, is asking that all treats be brought in on disposable or take-home-dirty serveware. We may even not have coffee, but just cold drinks, to welcome Spring and spare the library rug! We will go with the proverbial flow.


Sorry for the slight inconvenience but we will survive!


Thanks, Colleen

Men's Breakfast ~ Matt O'Connor

Men’s Breakfast on Saturday, May 20th from 8:45am – 10:00 am: Men of John Wesley (both young and old), please join us for an hour of food, fellowship, and good discussion. If you have questions or are interested in helping with the breakfast, please get in touch with Matt O’Connor at oconorscapecod@gmail.com

Trustees ~ Steve Adams

Fellowship Hall Update: Floor demolition starts Monday night at 5pm. It will take 2 weeks to demo the existing floor, pour concrete as a base, and let the concrete cure. Once the concrete is cured, it will take two weeks to install the new floor. The flooring we chose has a wood look and will be easier to maintain. We are sorry for the inconvenience since we will not be able to go into fellowship hall during this time. We are shooting for a brand new vinyl floor by June.

Spiritual Growth ~ Jennifer Linton

Wednesday Prayer group: 11 am weekly we meet in the Chapel. We pray for our church, for others as well as our country and world situations. Please join us. Take some time from your week to be with God and share your prayers.

A new book study starting in May “Half-Truths” - based on the book with the same name by Adam Hamilton. The study times will be:



Mondays at 6 p.m. (led by Karen Camp) Starting May 1st

Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. (Betty Smith) Starting May 2nd

Thursdays at 2 p.m. (Pastor René) Starting May 4th 


The books are available for $14.00 and there are sign-up sheets in the office.

Sacred Conversations: the Spiritual growth team is inviting the congregation for a time of sacred conversations this coming Tuesday, May 2 at 5:00pm. Following the Soup for the Soul stories, we want to invite those who are interested in having deeper dialogue about love, diversity and inclusiveness.  Those who attended the series know how powerful the listening sessions were. If you missed the talks, they can be found on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/@johnwesleyumc-falmouthma1698 Please join the Racial Justice Committee next week. If you have any questions contact Ali Armitage at alexarmitage72@gmail.com


Bible Studies Are you interested in studying a specific part of the Bible with other people, for several weeks starting the first week of June? Email Jenn Linton and you can help choose the meeting time and what to study.

Monday Morning Crafters

The Monday Morning Crafters meet at 10:00 in the Fitzgerald Room. We would love to have some new people join us along with new ideas. We are a small group but a mighty one, as we make and sell our wares at the Holiday Fair in November.


Do you knit, crochet, sew, quilt, Cross stitch, needlepoint, woodworking, etc., we would love to have you stop by some Monday. You do not have to join us every Monday. You can work at home and if you need some supplies, we just might have what you are looking for in our stash.


If you have any questions about our group, please see the following ladies: Marge Dean, Sally Tracy, Eileen Burt, Cynthia Smith or Linda Duane.

Outreach/Missions ~ Bonnie Valade

Changing the World for May will benefit Mercy Ships. To learn more about the work of Mercy Ships click on the link

Mercy Ships.

Changing our world collection for March benefitted UMCOR's disaster relief work for Ukraine. Our "change" added nearly $400 to this further this mission.


In February, Change the World was designated for the work of Dr. Bella's Journey of Hope and Love. With funds also coming from a potluck, JWUMC was able to donate $645 to her work in West Africa.


A great big THANKYOU to Hannah for leading the youth group to make five beautiful fleece blankets for the women that are in the women's houses... along with a note sending thoughts and love on their new venture as they left the houses.

Belonging To Each Other - The two-winter shelter homes have closed and will reopen sometime in November. There were a total of 23 men and women, and all have found homes to live in year-round. Thanks to all the support that BTEO offers them and works effortlessly during the time they are in the winter shelter homes to achieve this.

In From the Streets has also closed and will open in November. This program shelters and feeds homeless people during the coldest nights at the Holiday Inn and the Carleton Circle Motel. Duffy Health pays the overnight fees and the volunteers from the BTEO group prepare a home cooked meal every night they are there along with a meal pack for the next day which includes breakfast and lunch. 764 nights of shelter provided respite from the cold for 42 people. If you are interested in helping with preparing meals this November, PLEASE let me know. This would be a good time to get started to think and prepare for how it is done.


Habitat Build - This is a church-wide effort so even if you are not on the Mission Outreach Team, please consider bringing some coffee break treats for the Habitat volunteers. Habitat is working on the last four homes and should be completed in July. We support this amazing group of volunteers by delivering baked goods and fresh fruit every third Saturday of the month. PLEASE bring the goodies to the church Friday May 19th by 3pm. They are a great team of volunteers that give a lot of their time always with great big smiles and very big hearts. If you would like to join us when we bring the snacks I think you will also find the prayers during the break very moving. The next date is May 20th.


Falmouth Service Center -  Items needed for distribution at the service center for May are Apple Juice (64oz), Mustard & Ketchup, Diced Tomatoes, Canned Chicken, Canned Peaches, Diapers Size 6. While we appreciate all of the donations you generously make, the most helpful donations are from those on the list above as they are in short supply and are so helpful in rounding out the nutritional needs of the families being served. There is a collection bin in the Narthex.


Another opportunity to give to the Service Center is coming up on Saturday May 13th where mail carriers across the country will pick up donations left at your mail box or doorstep. The National Association of letter carriers holds a "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive and in Falmouth, the food will be given to the Falmouth Service Center.


If your desire is to help people in your community or abroad - join our great team.

Bonnie Valade - bvaladecc@comcast.com

Announcements

If you know of a church member who is not feeling well and could use a card from the church, please call or email Karen Camp 508-737-1636 or nerakpmac13@gmail.com.


If you know of anyone who has a used car they would like to sell, please contact Cathy Opaluch . She is looking for a reasonably priced car. Please call her at 508-564-4124.


JWUMC Community Garden Plots available

$20

It’s that time of year to get a garden plot. Are you interested in having a garden plot? I have a few available. They are approximately 12’ x 8’. We have it rototilled for you and it is fenced in and lots of sun for great produce. We have tools available to use. You can plant whatever you want and keep what you need and/or donate any excess to the church. All we ask is that you keep it neat and weeded. If you had a plot last year, please let me know if you want to continue with the same one. Thank you.

Contact Sharon

At (508) 457-0950, 508-274-91270 or smulcahy1@comcast.net

May Meetings and Events at JWUMC

Weekly Meetings:

Monday ~ Crafters 10:00am

Monday ~ "Half-Truths" Study 6 pm

Tuesday ~ "Half-Truths" Study 10:30 am

Tuesday ~ Bible Study Group with Tim Cline & Ted Burt 10 am

Wednesday ~ Prayer Meeting 11 am in the Chapel

Wednesday ~ Handbell rehearsal 5:45 pm & Chancel Choir at 7 pm as scheduled

Thursday ~"Half-Truths" Study 2 pm


May Meetings:

Monday 1st ~ Stewardship MT 9 am

Tuesday 2nd ~ ESL Meeting 6 pm

Wednesday 3 ~ Alternative Gift Mkt 4 pm

Thursday 4th~ TLT 6:30 pm

Tuesday 16th ~Stewardship MT 11 am

Wednesday 17th ~ Outreach/Missions 6 pm

Friday 19th ~ Memorial Service for Charles Berkley 11 am

Saturday 20th ~ Men's Breakfast Discussion 8:45am

Plant Sale Set-Up 9 - 5

Thursday 25th - SPRMT Meeting ~ 5 pm

Friday 26th ~ Plant Sale 9 -6

Saturday 27th ~ Plant Sale 9 - 2

Monday 29th Memorial Day ~ Office Closed

Tuesday 30th~Stewardship MT 11 am

Tuesday 30th ~ Trustees 5 pm

Birthday Wishes for May: 

Let us celebrate life among our church family. 8th ~ Aline Ward, 21st~ Brian Linton, 25th ~ Linda Duane, 26th ~ John Geoghan, 29th ~ Henry Brown.

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.

John Wesley United Methodist Church, 270 Gifford Street, Falmouth, MA 02540

(508) 548-3050 

 www.johnwesleyumc.org


John Loewen, Sexton

George Cary, Treasurer

Ruth Moulton, Church Administrator

Paula King, Director of Music Ministries

Myles Lowery, Audio Visual

Hannah Stelter, Director of Children & Youth Ministries

Rev. René A. Perez, Pastor

I Believe


Jesus died and rose from the dead

And forgives us for all our sin;

So we can be better Christians

And have our souls be cleansed within.


We must strive to do what is right

And worship the Lord faithfully,

Loving our neighbors as ourselves

And from evil burdens set free.


Let’s try to be kind and caring

Forgiving others for what they do,

For thoughtless acts of behavior

For selfish words they say to you.


Jesus forgave His enemies

And forgives us all today

So let us take a few moments

To worship quietly and pray.


Joy Stosz

April 9, 2023


Based on a sermon by Pastor Rene

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