Junior Choir is going through some changes this year to make it more accessible to more kids. Jr. Choir will only rehearse and sing on the 2nd and 4th Sundays, but we are looking into other ways such as drama that kids could facilitate worship during the other weeks. Also, we have decided to set aside robes this year. This is not a matter of taking the responsibility of leading worship less seriously, but rather keeping worship relevant for the current generation.
Please contact Ellen Dunn for more info. or to join up!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Bible Politics Forum
What does the Bible have to say about the political issues of the day? This is not intended to be an easy question, nor do all Christians agree. What is important though is to understand how our faith impacts our politics and our involvement in the world. We are not expecting to all agree, but to listen, love and learn. All are welcome to participate in this open forum. Mondays through the election 7pm at church.
October 6 Economy, Environment, Energy
October 13 Life, Death and Choice
October 20 US Role in the World
October 27 Getting to the Truth in Media
November 3 Healthcare
November 10 Beyond Bipartisanship
FMI call Pastor Jamie at 799-6814 or see biblepolitics.blogspot.com.
October 6 Economy, Environment, Energy
October 13 Life, Death and Choice
October 20 US Role in the World
October 27 Getting to the Truth in Media
November 3 Healthcare
November 10 Beyond Bipartisanship
FMI call Pastor Jamie at 799-6814 or see biblepolitics.blogspot.com.
Taizé Meditation Services
Do you ever feel like you run from one thing to the next, even sometimes on Sunday morning? Why not try out the evening meditation service Sundays at 7pm. Taizé is a Christian youth movement in France that is formed around a community that emphasizes quietness, simplicity and Christian service. To read more about this community, see http://www.taize.fr/. The worship style includes meditation chant music, prayer, Scripture and silent reflection in candlelight. Visuals such as icons provide focus for our meditation. After about 45 minutes of meditation, we meet in the pastors' study for some refreshments and fellowship.The current Taize worship team that designs each service includes Betty Lane, Claralee Street, Ellen Dunn, Karen Freitas and Pastor Gwyneth. If you have any questions about Taizé, feel free to contact any of us and we would be happy to talk with you.
All welcome!
Church Auction October 10
Submitted by Doreen Gay (photo by Art Tordoff)Please donate items, a weekend at your camp, gift certificate, baked goods, or personal certificate for services such as babysitting, cleaning, or handyman! AND please save the date and invite a friend or two as it’s a fun event run buy a professional auctioneer! There will be a viewing at 6PM. The live auction will be at 7PM. Refreshments will be for sale also. FMI or to help, contact Doreen at 767-3572 or agay1@maine.rr.com
A Ministry of Caring
Small Group Workshop in Tri-State District – "A Ministry of Caring" by Duane A. Ewers. This is a small group opportunity in exploring your gifts and interest in reaching out to others.
TWO SATURDAY SESSIONS: Oct 11 & Nov 15 9 am – 4 pm
LOCATION: Tuttle Road UMC, 52 Tuttle Rd, Cumberland Center
INSTRUCTORS: Pastor Linda Brewster & Rev. Meg Queior
COST: $12
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER (by Oct 1):
Meg Queior 207-829-3766 mqueior@verizon.net
Linda Brewster 207-807-2210 ljbre@maine.rr.com
If attend both sessions, satisfies the requirement for Advanced Lay Speaker certification
TWO SATURDAY SESSIONS: Oct 11 & Nov 15 9 am – 4 pm
LOCATION: Tuttle Road UMC, 52 Tuttle Rd, Cumberland Center
INSTRUCTORS: Pastor Linda Brewster & Rev. Meg Queior
COST: $12
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER (by Oct 1):
Meg Queior 207-829-3766 mqueior@verizon.net
Linda Brewster 207-807-2210 ljbre@maine.rr.com
If attend both sessions, satisfies the requirement for Advanced Lay Speaker certification
Mechuwana Work Day October 11
Our Spring plans for a work day at Camp Mechuwana have been rescheduled for Saturday, October 11. Work will include clean up, painting and shingling and help with a running list of small projects for all ages to help close up the camp for the season.We hope many will come out for this fun time of missions and fellowship. Please contact Carol Bruneau if you plan to attend and if you would be willing to drive or need a ride.
Golf Scramble
Submitted by Earle Harvey (photo by Art Tordoff)Do you want to have fun and play golf at the same time? Peoples is sponsoring a golf scramble on October 18 at the S. Portland Municipal Golf Course. Entrance fee will be $35 / person. Tee times start at 8am. Prizes will be awarded and refreshments served at the church after the matches. Team captains are looking for golfers to complete their teams: Dan Doughty, Hank Dunn, Merrill Kaiser, Tom Nelson, Bill Beddie, Keith Snoddy, Art Tordoff, Fred Wade and Jamie Arrison.
Church Conference October 30 7:30pm
Church Conference is our annual meeting, a time for sharing and learning from our District Superintendent, Rev. Mike Davis, as well as a small amount of church business such as voting on the pastors' compensation package.
All are invited and welcome to attend, and all church leaders strongly encouraged to participate.
All are invited and welcome to attend, and all church leaders strongly encouraged to participate.
We'll begin with worship, and the Staff Parish Relations Committee is providing refreshments. Please mark your calendars for Thursday, October 30 at 7:30pm.
Want to learn how to Walk on Water?
Take a road trip for this year's School of Congregational Development event!
WOW: Walk on Water
Thurs-Sat, November 6-8, 2008
Bloomfield, CT at the Archdiocesan Center at St. Thomas Seminary, a Catholic retreat center
Keynote speaker will be Paul Nixon to New England! Paul will speak twice on Friday, November 7. Paul is the author of several books, including I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church.
Registration Details:
--Individual registration: $85 per person before Sept. 30; $100 per person after Sept. 30
--New this year: registration fees include all Friday meals and Saturday breakfast!
Register online today at www.neumc.org/wow.
One of the pastors will be attending. If you would like to carpool, please let us know.
WOW: Walk on Water
Thurs-Sat, November 6-8, 2008
Bloomfield, CT at the Archdiocesan Center at St. Thomas Seminary, a Catholic retreat center
Keynote speaker will be Paul Nixon to New England! Paul will speak twice on Friday, November 7. Paul is the author of several books, including I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church.
Registration Details:
--Individual registration: $85 per person before Sept. 30; $100 per person after Sept. 30
--New this year: registration fees include all Friday meals and Saturday breakfast!
Register online today at www.neumc.org/wow.
One of the pastors will be attending. If you would like to carpool, please let us know.
Variety Show
Submitted by Earle Harvey
Do you have an act to share in the Variety show to be held on November 8 ?
See Chris Ward or Merrill Kaiser to apply. The show starts at 7pm in the Vestry. Refreshments will be on sale all evening. Mark your calendars for an evening of fun and frolic!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Peoples Ice Skating
The Portland Ice Arena donated an hour of rink time to Peoples Church, including rentals. We hosted the party on September 7 after church, and a number of families came with their kids. A great time was had by all!
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Community Fair
Community Fair/Nickel Carnival A Success
What a fantastic time was had on Saturday, September 6 by one and all!
Primarily through the efforts of Andy Folley and Rosemary Herd a wide array of games were prepared for the children of the
neighborhood. Children could dig in a sandbox to discover Noah’s Ark-eological finds or they could do a Biblical word scramble to identify the books of the Bible. 
Jonah was present also for a bean bag toss into the whale’s mouth. Some children found that finding the real "Angelic" duckies in a pool was fun while others took out frustrations and feelings by tossing darts at balloons. Each game that children participated in cost a nickel which in turn would go toward the support of a mission project that the Sunday school would determine at a later date. Free food was available in the form
of Sno-cones, Popcorn and hotdogs. Carol Bruneau and Earle Harvey representing the discipleship committee willingly acquired information, materials or actual personalities to man booths that advertised many of the local and distant missions that Peoples church supports. Ronald MacDonald House, Root Cellar, Wayside Soup Kitchen, the Food Pantry, Boys and Girls Club, Meals on Wheels and the Heifer Project along with information from the South Portland Police and Fire Departm
ents were available for children and adults to investigate. Our own Shawl Ministry was also well represented with a beautiful display of handiwork.
An estimate of the number of folks who came through the door on this Saturday morning was somewhere in the vicinity of 100. This could be disc
erned by the number of hotdogs, sno-cones and cones of popcorn that were handed out. For those serving food and those working at various stations the general feeling was that we all had fun and the event offered an opportunity to disciple to the community that we live in.
What a fantastic time was had on Saturday, September 6 by one and all!
Primarily through the efforts of Andy Folley and Rosemary Herd a wide array of games were prepared for the children of the
neighborhood. Children could dig in a sandbox to discover Noah’s Ark-eological finds or they could do a Biblical word scramble to identify the books of the Bible. 
Jonah was present also for a bean bag toss into the whale’s mouth. Some children found that finding the real "Angelic" duckies in a pool was fun while others took out frustrations and feelings by tossing darts at balloons. Each game that children participated in cost a nickel which in turn would go toward the support of a mission project that the Sunday school would determine at a later date. Free food was available in the form
of Sno-cones, Popcorn and hotdogs. Carol Bruneau and Earle Harvey representing the discipleship committee willingly acquired information, materials or actual personalities to man booths that advertised many of the local and distant missions that Peoples church supports. Ronald MacDonald House, Root Cellar, Wayside Soup Kitchen, the Food Pantry, Boys and Girls Club, Meals on Wheels and the Heifer Project along with information from the South Portland Police and Fire Departm
ents were available for children and adults to investigate. Our own Shawl Ministry was also well represented with a beautiful display of handiwork.An estimate of the number of folks who came through the door on this Saturday morning was somewhere in the vicinity of 100. This could be disc
erned by the number of hotdogs, sno-cones and cones of popcorn that were handed out. For those serving food and those working at various stations the general feeling was that we all had fun and the event offered an opportunity to disciple to the community that we live in. Well bless our souls! Guess who's birthday it was? Happy Birthday Pastor Gwyneth!
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Back into the Swing Fall 2008
The Fall schedule has begun! Here are a few reminders. For locations please go to the church calendar link.
SUNDAYS
Adult Sunday School 9am
Coffee Fellowship 10am
Worship 10:30am
Kids Sunday School during worship (kids leave after the children's message)
OTHER WEEKLY EVENTS
Walking group Monday, Wednesday, Friday 4pm
Prayer Service Wednesdays 7:00pm
Senior Choir Rehearsal Thursdays 7:00pm
MONTHLY MEETINGS AND EVENTS
Staff Parish Relations Committee 1st Tuesday 7pm
Worship Committee 2nd Tuesday 6:30pm
Finance Committee 2nd Tuesday 6:30pm
Church Council 2nd Tuesday 7:30pm
Prayer Shawl and Craft Ministry 2nd Thursday 7:00pm
Men's Breakfast 2nd Saturday 7:30am
Ushers Meeting 2nd Saturday 8:45am
Discipleship / Missions / Nurture 3rd Tuesday 7pm
Bean Supper 3rd Saturday 5:00pm
United Methodist Women 3rd Tuesday 1pm
Trustees 4th Tuesday 7:00pm
Still up in the air for scheduling ...
Junior Choir (most likely will be practicing Sunday mornings only; stay tuned for more)
SUNDAYS
Adult Sunday School 9am
Coffee Fellowship 10am
Worship 10:30am
Kids Sunday School during worship (kids leave after the children's message)
OTHER WEEKLY EVENTS
Walking group Monday, Wednesday, Friday 4pm
Prayer Service Wednesdays 7:00pm
Senior Choir Rehearsal Thursdays 7:00pm
MONTHLY MEETINGS AND EVENTS
Staff Parish Relations Committee 1st Tuesday 7pm
Worship Committee 2nd Tuesday 6:30pm
Finance Committee 2nd Tuesday 6:30pm
Church Council 2nd Tuesday 7:30pm
Prayer Shawl and Craft Ministry 2nd Thursday 7:00pm
Men's Breakfast 2nd Saturday 7:30am
Ushers Meeting 2nd Saturday 8:45am
Discipleship / Missions / Nurture 3rd Tuesday 7pm
Bean Supper 3rd Saturday 5:00pm
United Methodist Women 3rd Tuesday 1pm
Trustees 4th Tuesday 7:00pm
Still up in the air for scheduling ...
Junior Choir (most likely will be practicing Sunday mornings only; stay tuned for more)
Community Fair & Carnival Sept 6
Peoples is hosting a community fair and children's nickel carnival on Saturday, September 6. Nickel Games, Prizes, & Food! Bring your nickels and come join the fun! In the event of rain, the carnival will be held in Ellis Hall. If you have questions or can help out, please contact Rosemary Herd or Andy Folley.
Kids Sunday School Begins September 7
This Fall the Sunday School is using a new program called PowerXpress. Children will participate in "High Voltage Bible Experience Stations," which incorporate art, cooking, games, music, movement, science, storytelling and video to teach the children the stories of the Bible.Children attend worship during the 10:30am service, and then go downstairs after the children's message with their teachers. Parents should pick up children immediately following worship.
If you would like more information or learn how you can help out, please contact Andy Folley at 749-5702.
Free Ice Skating Party September 7
Fun for all ages! All are welcome and bring as many friends as you like for a free hour of ice skating Sunday September 7 1:20-2:20pm. Portland Ice Arena (near the Sea Dogs stadium) at 225 Park Avenue.
Skate rentals are included. Kids should bring helmets if possible, or wear a thick hat as a minimum. Recommended dress: pants, warm shirt, mittens, and if you get cold easily a hat and light weight coat. If you don't feel like skating just come out and watch and get a few laughs! (but dress warmly for that too).
Hope to see you there!
Skate rentals are included. Kids should bring helmets if possible, or wear a thick hat as a minimum. Recommended dress: pants, warm shirt, mittens, and if you get cold easily a hat and light weight coat. If you don't feel like skating just come out and watch and get a few laughs! (but dress warmly for that too).
Hope to see you there!
Taize Meditation Begins Again Soon
Our Taize worship team will be continuing to create a meditative space for worship in the Taize (pronounced Tah-Zay) tradition on Sundays at 7pm. We hope to begin on September 21 so stay tuned for details.
Taize is a quiet and reflective time spent in meditative chant music, prayer, Scripture and silence in darkness and candlelight. We made changes along the way last year, including moving from the choir loft down into the pews for better sound and space for worshippers as well as icons and other visuals.
After we worship, all are invited for a time of fellowship and refreshments.
Taize is a quiet and reflective time spent in meditative chant music, prayer, Scripture and silence in darkness and candlelight. We made changes along the way last year, including moving from the choir loft down into the pews for better sound and space for worshippers as well as icons and other visuals.
After we worship, all are invited for a time of fellowship and refreshments.
Hours of Fun at Children's Fun Hour!
Children's Fun Hour was the new name for a new way of allowing children to worship on Sundays during the summer. Betty Splettstoesser and Karen Jennings worked together to create craft bags for kids while they attend the first part of worship, and then organized fun center-based activities downstairs.The kids began with a circle time on mats with a Scripture reading from Genesis 1; each day we read about one day of creation and shared briefly about the Scripture with some interaction from the kids. Then we shared prayer requests and passed an offering plate.
Kids were then instructed to choose a center for the remainder of the time. They could read Christian story books in a reading center with tent and bean bags. They could watch a Christian video in the Parlor. Or they could make a craft related to the Genesis story that had been read. Each of the centers were popular, although the older kids generally chose the video and the younger ones chose the craft or reading centers.
Since it was difficult to find workers for the children's fun hour, we depended many weeks on the nursery workers who were already scheduled by Betsy Morrison. This worked well since we only had one or two babies through the summer, and they were older so could participate in the centers with supervision.
Thank you to ALL who volunteered their time this summer in the nursery and children's fun hour. And thank you especially to Karen and Betty who put together the program each week so that workers just needed to show up and have fun with the kids!
Worship on Willard, Fun in the Son
The beach service this summer was fun and worshipful. Pastor Jamie led most weeks, and Earle Harvey also led a few weeks. Attendance ranged from 2-10, but included different people each week, including some who had just been walking on the beach and stopped by to see what we were doing (and a few dogs too!). We hope to do it again next year and that you will join us.
Church Auction October 10
This year’s live church auction will be held on Friday October 10. Suggested items old, new, or nearly new: furniture, furnishings, a weekend at your camp, gift certificate from your workplace or where you are a regular customer such as a restaurant or store. Bake a dessert or candy. A personal certificate for services such as babysitting, cleaning, or handyman! AND please save the date and invite a friend or two as it’s a fun event run buy a professional auctioneer! There will be a viewing at 6PM. The live auction will be at 7PM. Refreshments will be for sale also.
If you have any questions or want to help out, please contact Doreen Gay. Thank you.
If you have any questions or want to help out, please contact Doreen Gay. Thank you.
Mechuwana Work Day October 11
Our Spring plans for a work day at Camp Mechuwana have been rescheduled for Saturday, October 11. Work will include clean up, painting and shingling and help with a running list of small projects for all ages to help close up the camp for the season. We hope many will come out for this fun time of missions and fellowship. Please contact Carol Bruneau if you plan to attend and if you would be willing to drive or need a ride.
Church Conference October 30
The conference is attempting to move conferences to the early Fall. Ours at Peoples is scheduled for the evening of October 30, and our District Superintendent, Rev. Mike Davis will be presiding. We'll begin with worship, and the Staff Parish Relations Committee is providing refreshments. Please mark your calendars!
Walk on Water! Nov 6-8
WOW! The "Walk on Water" 2008 School of Congregational Development is coming to Bloomfield, CT from Nov. 6-8, 2008.
Don't miss the opportunity to experience outstanding speakers who will inspire and challenge; engaging worship that will uplift and empower; and fellowship with sisters and brothers from other churches around New England and beyond! The event features more than 30 workshop choices focusing on a wide range of topics that will equip you for transformational ministry in your community!
Childcare is provided by the same folks from Annual Conference who host Kids Klub and they are excellent.
Visit the Congregational Development Website and register today! Discounted registration if by September 30. Please let the pastors know if you are registering as we may be able to get a group discount.
Don't miss the opportunity to experience outstanding speakers who will inspire and challenge; engaging worship that will uplift and empower; and fellowship with sisters and brothers from other churches around New England and beyond! The event features more than 30 workshop choices focusing on a wide range of topics that will equip you for transformational ministry in your community!
Childcare is provided by the same folks from Annual Conference who host Kids Klub and they are excellent.
Visit the Congregational Development Website and register today! Discounted registration if by September 30. Please let the pastors know if you are registering as we may be able to get a group discount.
Stewardship: What Lies Ahead
A few members of the Finance Committee and some other folks will be delving into a 5-week study, "Living For Giving," which is a study on stewardship from the perspective of Methodism and its founder, John Wesley. John for instance is well known for teaching folks how to "make all you can, save all you can, give all you can." In fact, his tactics were so successful that many of the working poor moved into the middle class in England.
If this pilot study is successful, we will be inviting multiple groups to form in October, and initiating a preaching series to follow each of the study topics. Stay tuned to hear more next month. In addition, if you would like to see the workbook, you can email Pastor Gwyneth and she can email you a copy.
If this pilot study is successful, we will be inviting multiple groups to form in October, and initiating a preaching series to follow each of the study topics. Stay tuned to hear more next month. In addition, if you would like to see the workbook, you can email Pastor Gwyneth and she can email you a copy.
2nd Quarter Financial Status
Detailed spreadsheets are available to you by request to the Chair of Finance, Kathy Brann. However, the Finance Committee this year is providing communication on the overall financial status at the end of each quarter. The following is a summary of our finances through the summer:
Total Income through August: $86,188.70
Total Expense through August: $94,964.46
Deficit: $8,775.76
Commentary: In the words of our Financial Secretary, Chris Bowker, "We made it through the summer!" In addition, we ran three months straight (June, July and August) without a deficit. On the other hand, we are running a significant deficit and our income is a little over $3,000 less than last year this time. And last year we were paying mission shares to the conference each month and this year we have not yet paid. Times are tough, but God is tougher. Let us trust in the Lord and respond in joyful stewardship of God's gifts.
Total Income through August: $86,188.70
Total Expense through August: $94,964.46
Deficit: $8,775.76
Commentary: In the words of our Financial Secretary, Chris Bowker, "We made it through the summer!" In addition, we ran three months straight (June, July and August) without a deficit. On the other hand, we are running a significant deficit and our income is a little over $3,000 less than last year this time. And last year we were paying mission shares to the conference each month and this year we have not yet paid. Times are tough, but God is tougher. Let us trust in the Lord and respond in joyful stewardship of God's gifts.
Cool Cape Series-All Welcome
Cape Elizabeth UMC is sponsoring a series of lectures called "Cool Cape" on the environment and energy conservation. These lectures are open to the community. As stewards of God's Creation I hope you find these relevant and helpful.
Cool Cape is a new initiative in Cape Elizabeth, modeled on the Sierra Club's nationwide Cool Cities program to develop and implement smart energy solutions to global warming at the local level. All talks will be at 7p.m., and will be held at the Cape Elizabeth United Methodist Church, 280 Ocean House Road (on Rte 77 just north of downtown and the filling stations), except “Local and Sustainable Food” which will be at Turkey Hill Farm.
Tuesday, September 16th
Global Climate Change - Local Climate Impacts
Ray Sirois, Senior Associate and IT Director and at Wright-Pierce Engineering
Based on the Oscar winning documentary film, An Inconvenient Truth, this will be an updated, live, non-partisan presentation on the science of climate change. Local data will show the impact on Maine, and what additional climate changes are coming within our children's lifetime
Tuesday, September 23rd
Home Electrical Energy Efficiency
Dudley Greeley, Environmental and Economic Sustainability Office, University of Southern Maine
Come and learn how to save money on your electrical bills, and to make your home more electricity-efficient. Discussion will include phantom loads, closing energy leaks, and the use of cutting edge technology.
Wednesday, October 1st
Home Performance and Insulation
Charlie Huntington, Certified home performance evaluator and insulation installer, I & S Insulation, Newcastle
If you are concerned about the high cost of heating your home this winter, join us to learn how to improve your home’s insulation and close air leaks, the single best investment you can make to reduce your heating bill. This will be an informative, entertaining, practical presentation and discussion.
Tuesday, October 7th
Local and Sustainable Food
David Buchanan, manager of Turkey Hill Farm for Cultivating Community
Cheryl Laz, Chairperson, Dept of Sociology, University of Southern Maine
This session will focus on how individual and collective choices
related to food and eating can have significant impacts on the environment and the local community. A tour of the farm will be held at 6:15, for those who are interested. To be held at Turkey Hill Farm, 122 Old Ocean House Road, Cape Elizabeth
Wednesday, October 15th
Energy Efficient Transportation
Steven Linnell, Senior Transportation Planner and Coordinator of Maine Clean Communities, Greater Portland Council of Governments
Come to learn about statewide carpool programs, bicycle commuting, electric cars, and regional transportation network possibilities
Tuesday, October 21st
Alternative Energy Plans and Projects in Cape Elizabeth and Nearby Towns
Bill Slack, Cape Elizabeth Alternative Energy Committee
Eric Cote, Saco Town Councilor
This is not only an opportunity to hear the Cape Elizabeth Alternative Energy Committee’s findings and proposals for next steps to save energy for the Town, but also a chance to learn about cool, innovative energy projects that are ongoing in neighboring towns, such as Saco’s windmill.
To learn more about Cool Cape, please email hubbac@gmail.com or call 799-6026. To learn more about all the “Cool Communities” in Maine, go to http://www.coolmaine.org/
Cool Cape is a new initiative in Cape Elizabeth, modeled on the Sierra Club's nationwide Cool Cities program to develop and implement smart energy solutions to global warming at the local level. All talks will be at 7p.m., and will be held at the Cape Elizabeth United Methodist Church, 280 Ocean House Road (on Rte 77 just north of downtown and the filling stations), except “Local and Sustainable Food” which will be at Turkey Hill Farm.
Tuesday, September 16th
Global Climate Change - Local Climate Impacts
Ray Sirois, Senior Associate and IT Director and at Wright-Pierce Engineering
Based on the Oscar winning documentary film, An Inconvenient Truth, this will be an updated, live, non-partisan presentation on the science of climate change. Local data will show the impact on Maine, and what additional climate changes are coming within our children's lifetime
Tuesday, September 23rd
Home Electrical Energy Efficiency
Dudley Greeley, Environmental and Economic Sustainability Office, University of Southern Maine
Come and learn how to save money on your electrical bills, and to make your home more electricity-efficient. Discussion will include phantom loads, closing energy leaks, and the use of cutting edge technology.
Wednesday, October 1st
Home Performance and Insulation
Charlie Huntington, Certified home performance evaluator and insulation installer, I & S Insulation, Newcastle
If you are concerned about the high cost of heating your home this winter, join us to learn how to improve your home’s insulation and close air leaks, the single best investment you can make to reduce your heating bill. This will be an informative, entertaining, practical presentation and discussion.
Tuesday, October 7th
Local and Sustainable Food
David Buchanan, manager of Turkey Hill Farm for Cultivating Community
Cheryl Laz, Chairperson, Dept of Sociology, University of Southern Maine
This session will focus on how individual and collective choices
related to food and eating can have significant impacts on the environment and the local community. A tour of the farm will be held at 6:15, for those who are interested. To be held at Turkey Hill Farm, 122 Old Ocean House Road, Cape Elizabeth
Wednesday, October 15th
Energy Efficient Transportation
Steven Linnell, Senior Transportation Planner and Coordinator of Maine Clean Communities, Greater Portland Council of Governments
Come to learn about statewide carpool programs, bicycle commuting, electric cars, and regional transportation network possibilities
Tuesday, October 21st
Alternative Energy Plans and Projects in Cape Elizabeth and Nearby Towns
Bill Slack, Cape Elizabeth Alternative Energy Committee
Eric Cote, Saco Town Councilor
This is not only an opportunity to hear the Cape Elizabeth Alternative Energy Committee’s findings and proposals for next steps to save energy for the Town, but also a chance to learn about cool, innovative energy projects that are ongoing in neighboring towns, such as Saco’s windmill.
To learn more about Cool Cape, please email hubbac@gmail.com or call 799-6026. To learn more about all the “Cool Communities” in Maine, go to http://www.coolmaine.org/
Prison Ministry Opportunity
September 18, 7 pm to 9 pm OR September 20, 9:30 am to 11:30 am
Long Creek Youth Development Center
675 Westbrook Street, South Portland
Matthew 25: 36: “… I was in prison and you came to visit me."
Learn how you can become part of an ecumenical team of men and women of all ages (clergy
and laity) who become mentors to the youth in the facility. Torch is a structured program with an excellent mentoring program and mentor guide.
Training will prepare volunteers to be mentors in the Youth Center environment and within its rules. In addition, you will get to know and share the support of a terrific team of committed Christians, many of whom have long experience in prison ministry. If you have ever wanted to put Jesus' words about visiting prisoners into action, but were hesitant to work in the prison setting or concerned about doing it alone, this is your chance!
The need is great; the kids are receptive; and you could change a life. Why not find out more? There is no subsequent obligation! If you're interested, please contact Pastor Jamie at 799-6814.
Long Creek Youth Development Center
675 Westbrook Street, South Portland
Matthew 25: 36: “… I was in prison and you came to visit me."
Learn how you can become part of an ecumenical team of men and women of all ages (clergy
and laity) who become mentors to the youth in the facility. Torch is a structured program with an excellent mentoring program and mentor guide.
Training will prepare volunteers to be mentors in the Youth Center environment and within its rules. In addition, you will get to know and share the support of a terrific team of committed Christians, many of whom have long experience in prison ministry. If you have ever wanted to put Jesus' words about visiting prisoners into action, but were hesitant to work in the prison setting or concerned about doing it alone, this is your chance!
The need is great; the kids are receptive; and you could change a life. Why not find out more? There is no subsequent obligation! If you're interested, please contact Pastor Jamie at 799-6814.
New Church Sign
Submitted by Chuck Kamilewicz
Jim MacKinnon quietly works around the church property using his skills and talent to refurbish various items. The sign that hangs outside of the Sanctuary in all of the weather was previously the project of the late Kevin Malcolm. Due the elements of Maine weather, it had begun to deteriorate. Jim, a member of the Trustees, decided to take on the project. He took the
sign home and painstakingly disassembled it and repaired the lettering. He found a product that he thought would preserve the finish on the letters of the sign at Mardens for less than $3.00. He didn't just paint the letters, he dipped them into the finish and hung them to dry before re-installing them on the sign. The sign is now back outside the Sanctuary entrance. Take a look and thank Jim for his Christian attitude towards preserving the sign and improving the looks of God's church. I appreciate him. Chuck Kamilewicz
Also, Jim just completed another project for the parsonage. The railing on the porch stairs was rotting away, and Jim took out the rotting piece, and replaced and painted a new piece. This had been a serious safety issue. Thank you Jim for taking care of this!
From Pastors Jamie & Gwyneth
Jim MacKinnon quietly works around the church property using his skills and talent to refurbish various items. The sign that hangs outside of the Sanctuary in all of the weather was previously the project of the late Kevin Malcolm. Due the elements of Maine weather, it had begun to deteriorate. Jim, a member of the Trustees, decided to take on the project. He took the
sign home and painstakingly disassembled it and repaired the lettering. He found a product that he thought would preserve the finish on the letters of the sign at Mardens for less than $3.00. He didn't just paint the letters, he dipped them into the finish and hung them to dry before re-installing them on the sign. The sign is now back outside the Sanctuary entrance. Take a look and thank Jim for his Christian attitude towards preserving the sign and improving the looks of God's church. I appreciate him. Chuck KamilewiczAlso, Jim just completed another project for the parsonage. The railing on the porch stairs was rotting away, and Jim took out the rotting piece, and replaced and painted a new piece. This had been a serious safety issue. Thank you Jim for taking care of this!
From Pastors Jamie & Gwyneth
Converting to Gas Soon
New gas lines have already been installed for the church and parsonage, as pictured in the photo to the left. Burners are planned for installation the end of September.
Submitted by Doreen Gay, Trustees
The Board of Trustees has been grappling with the several energy expenses as of late. While we have done numerous projects in the past as far as tightening up doors and replacing windows, this is not enough to combat the rising cost of fuel.
If we had continued on our current path the expected oil charges would have been around $30,000 (based on 3.799 per gallon) to heat both the parsonage and sanctuary this coming heating season, which is calculated from May1st to April 31st. Our 2008 budget, which was approved last year, allocated $14,000 for this time period…we spent all that and then some by the end of May! You can see our dilemma. I personally heat with natural gas and have had the fortune to avoid the extreme increases in heating costs, so with this in mind, I started researching the possibility of converting both our properties to natural gas.
The cost to run the gas lines is covered by Northern Utilities; this leaves us with the cost to convert the burners, which will be approximately $12,000. The estimated natural gas usage is approximately $15,000 for this coming heating season. As you can see the pay back is less than one year. Please bear in mind, that even the $15,000 is more than we have in our budget for the balance of this year, so our governing body has some very difficult decision to make in the coming months. If you feel lead and have the means to dedicate additional offerings to this need, please speak to our Pastors as soon as possible.
The Trustees are confident that this move to natural gas will be better for budgeting and hold down costs in the long run. The Public Utilities Commission controls natural gas prices in Maine so rate increases must be applied for and justified. For anyone you may have recently read a front page newspaper article that boldly stated Northern Utilities request a 17% rate increase, it was sensationalism, as the gas company each year needs to apply for their normal winter rates, this is not a reason for concern.
The Trustees have worked hard to do all we can to protect our buildings and provide comfort and safety to all who come through our doors. Please remember you can do your part too, by turning off unnecessary lights and running water, and dressing a bit warmer for functions and services.
Energy Saving Tips for Home & Church
Submitted by Susan Angell
This year we all face the challenge of higher energy costs than we could ever imagined of in our wildest dreams. Ordinary homeowners and small and big businesses are going to engage in a struggle to get through this coming winter financially intact. I just read the US Government energy saving pamphlet and I know almost all the stuff in it BUT what can I do for myself and my church based on living in the Northeast all these years and personal or in my case, historical experience. After all we live in the state of Maine and the home of LL Bean who is the expert in cold weather gear. You know, common sense stuff.
Electricity: Common sense will tell you that a whole house/church does not need to be lighted when only a few rooms are in use. The habit of turning on all the lights in Ellis Hall or our homes, is a habit we have to kick. I thought my Mom and Dad were unreasonable and very irritating people when they were constantly reminding me to shut off lights when I was no longer in a room. Nag, nag, nag. Well, in retrospect, I now know that they did not have a lot of money and my family responsibility was to join in that saving a nickel/dime/dollar here and there, period. Energy saving light bulbs are now available to purchase. Also, one of the things I learned from the government pamphlet is that leaving my computer on when I am not using it, I do it all the time, is very expensive. One is never too old to learn new things!
Heating Fuel & Thermostat settings: Heating people will tell you that thermostats should not be set any lower than 55 degrees. I totally agree. What they don’t actually say is how high it should be to warm a house/church because of a million variables. Our church has new windows and doors have been tightened up and have new sweeps and that is good. The church has zoned heat and that is good. We are converting from oil to gas and that is good. Thermostats are programmed and that is good. Church thermostats can be over ridden and that is NOT good. Turning up the temperature setting for a meeting or an event that will last only an hour and forgetting to turn it back down is NOT good. Some years back this omission would only cost a few bucks. Heating an empty sanctuary, Ellis Hall or the vestry for 24 hours in this day and age can cost hundreds. If somehow we manage to disrupt the programming and it does not revert to the proper setting in a certain number of hours, we are talking BIG bucks. Our homes are the same story. If everyone is out and going to school or working, heating an empty house is throwing away money. There are now reasonably priced thermostats that you can program and are another tool available to the common man.
My children still talk about this situation that occurred in the 80’s when they were youngsters and our family was short of cash to buy oil. We needed to conserve by lower thermostat settings. We sat in the living room at night watching TV wearing hats and bundled up in quilts. We dressed warmly at all times. I also vividly remember the 70’s when the US had short oil supplies and we could only get 100 gallons delivered every two weeks. While I remember these times as being filled with anxiety and fear, my children recall them as an adventure and just love to retell greatly exaggerated stories to one and all about their childhood deprivation.
Winter Clothing: Put away the shorts, flip flops, short sleeves and delightfully light clothing for this season. The practice of walking around barefoot in our homes needs to cease.
Nice warm socks and slippers should be the in thing. Sweats and thermal clothing has come a long way from the union suit era and can be very chic for both children and adults. Layering clothing can be a key to comfort. What about outside the house at work or church? If you are a “chilly” person, dress for the worst case in those layers. Ladies put aside the light hosiery and shoes and adopt those stylish warm tights and very attractive heavier shoes that are now available. When you are older your internal thermostat changes and you sometimes feel cold while all around you younger people are just fine. These past years I have recognized that I am a “chilly” person and instead of expecting the thermostat to be put up to suit my needs I have adopted a survival mode. I discretely wear silk long underwear in winter and thermal socks, attractive layered sweats and turtle neck tops for at home and wool pants, blouses, vests, brocade jackets, etc for church all the time. This works for me.
FOOD: As energy costs go up, food goes up. Some people will have the hard choice of managing to purchase both food and fuel. It has been a long time since these two things have occurred and many younger persons really have no idea how to feed their families and be warm too.
Many cost saving tips have never been heard of. Buy in season. What the heck does that mean? It means never buy the fruits and vegetables that are not in the US growing season at the time. Buy apples in the fall and winter, buy tomatoes or corn on the cob in summer, etc. Another: Plan meals for the whole week and make your grocery list accordingly. WOW! Not complex but big savings are involved here. No more running to the store every other day to buy meal ingredients and also picking up just a little of this and a little of that and looks so tasty on that day. I work hard and don’t have time for that is a common reply but this is a method of survival in hard times. Just try it, you can treat it as a challenge and you can boast about your savings to anyone that will listen to you and be proud. Using product savings coupons for family shopping can be worthwhile too. Getting the family involved in spotting those coupons for stuff they like that come with the Sunday paper, in daily newspapers and magazines, can be fun. Some of the young people that do this have told me they can save as much as $20-$30 per week. I find that hard to believe but why would they not tell the truth?
Instead of providing a piece of meat for every person, cook a roast or buy one large piece that can be divided and add rice or potato and 2 other vegetables and bread to the meal. For the working family the slow cooker used to be the best tool to provide tasty tender meals cooking delicious food while we were at our jobs. The dietary rule used to be: meat, a starch of potato or rice and one yellow and one green vegetable for the main meal. Another old rule was never to throw away food. I was a German girl living with two German parents and was served German food which I despised. I especially detested spatzel and it did one no good to eat only a little of this spooned flour and egg dumpling because if there were leftovers my Mom would take them and toss them into a frying pan with a scrambled egg and serve them again the next meal. Mom, Dad and my brothers loved this stuff. Ugh! My Mom excelled at creating good meals disguised as something else….casseroles of odd leftover items and hash was a favorite of our men folk.
My Dad always claimed that my Mom could feed an army with a few pounds of ground beef and when he was out of work, she proved that she could feed a family with it 3 times a week!
Hot soup from leftover chicken and turkey and vegetables with rice, barley or pasta was another addition to a meal as a filler. Adding one casserole a week is another way to trim costs. Make them as delicious as possible and the children will tell the tale of these good things to their spouses for the rest of their married lives, ad-nausea. A recent survey indicated that the average family throws away $5-$10 worth of food a week per person! That seems unbelievable and is a lot of money.
I know that Moms and Dads are both working at jobs out of the home now BUT takeout food will wreck the food budget faster than anything. It is tempting, easy and often really good tasting. If you do take out once a week or more, a good plan is to make it an event once a month. KFC chicken, Italian sandwiches, pizza and the like on the 2nd or 3rd Saturday of every month makes it an event that everyone looks forward to rather than same old, same old. Frozen dinners are a budget killer too and since such food containers are skimpy and the stuff in them is not really that tasty or nutritious, eliminate them from your food budget for awhile.
Sandwich Meats: If you really cannot do without the expensive sandwich meats and cheese from the deli instead of prepackaged meats and cheese, you can adopt my Mom’s “rule”. No one, and that included Dad, can open the refrigerator and take a piece of cheese or a several slices of meat and pop them into their mouths. You had to make a sandwich. It was a killer but we weren’t exactly sure of what the penalty was to do this and didn’t want to find out.
Cereal: I am very fond of sugary, unhealthy cereals. However, buying unsweetened nutrient packed healthy cereal is so much cheaper and buying this is a favor for your family and is great as snacks for ravenous children too. I’m hungry, they whine. Have a bowl of cereal will not endear you to them BUT you might end up with lean, mean children instead of chubby sugar eater couch potatoes. No guarantee here but an interesting possibility. In the olden days when Tupperware was first introduced, buying cereal in bulk and packing them in air tight containers was a cost cutting way for trimming the food bill.
Bulk Buying: While paper products, household cleaners, laundry detergents, trash bags, personal toiletries, etc. are not food, they are part of your weekly buying at the grocery store. People with families and have the storage room, now can save big time in buying these products at the big box stores. While this is just not worth the effort for me as a senior person, when I was young I would have jumped at the chance to save lots of money. When I first came to Maine, it was a popular thing to buy part of or a whole steer for meat and pop them into the freezer for good eating. I admired people that froze fresh produce things too. I was told once, and I have no idea if it is true, that purchasing a large freezer unit just to save money was not wise if the freezer wasn’t kept full and to remember to add the cost of electricity to run said freezer to the price of what was into it. In this day and age you can purchase tasty frozen vegetables during off season at very reasonable prices and buying meat in family packages on sale in a careful way and freezing them in your refrigerator compartment is today’s way of cost cutting.
Desserts and snack Foods: We all know and don’t really give a darn, about cookies and pies and snacks are not being in the “good food” category. We like them, we want them and we get them. Hard times require hard decisions. This could be handled the same way as take out. Instead of being a daily thing, dessert could be part of a special Saturday or Sunday meal once a week. Instead of answering, I’m hungry, with, have a bowl of cereal, the plan could be cookies and ice cream once a week. Not only will you have lean, mean, children, you will have adults falling into the same category. Hot fresh pop corn is an inexpensive treat to eat and can also be bagged in little baggies for school snacks and lunches. Innovative thinking can generate good ideas. Rice cereal and marshmallow bars are yummy. Here’s another idea. Limit the number of items meted out: one bowl of ice cream, three or four cookies, one rice bar, etc. In my world, treats were limited and it made them more prized than you could imagine. I think my Mom liked to torture us kids. She always made one more dessert than persons at the table. Mom’s “rule” was that the extra dessert belonged to Dad for “later”. We created our own “rule” and it was that if the king of the house didn’t eat it later than that night, it belonged to whichever child got to it first on the next day! It was a war but we loved it. How sweet it was eating the extra in front of your siblings.
Beverages: Here is another battleground. We really like our sodas a lot. They are not good for you but taste so good. As a young mother I purchased weekly one 6 pack of cola and it was my treat. I drank one every evening until it was gone. The children got powdered packaged drinks made up with water. It was understood that severe repercussions would ensue for any that dared to touch my treat. Carbonated drinks were too expensive to purchase for little people. That’s the way it was and they remember it bitterly. The new idea that children are entitled persons is a concept created by those bitter children who are now parents and they will pay for this excess dearly not only with having obese children. Some day their children will deny their little people sweets and sodas, saying that they were not going follow in their parent’s footsteps of giving unhealthy food to their precious children.
So, all said and done, we US citizens are noted for a can do attitude. We are creative and have always managed throughout tough times. Our attitude sometimes irks other countries and they view us as spoiled, consuming people. We can be. We also have the freedom that allows us to believe that we “can do” no matter what. We can get through these hard times too and if we need ideas, we can ask our Grand Mothers and Fathers and our parents what they did during hard times and modify them to suit us.
This year we all face the challenge of higher energy costs than we could ever imagined of in our wildest dreams. Ordinary homeowners and small and big businesses are going to engage in a struggle to get through this coming winter financially intact. I just read the US Government energy saving pamphlet and I know almost all the stuff in it BUT what can I do for myself and my church based on living in the Northeast all these years and personal or in my case, historical experience. After all we live in the state of Maine and the home of LL Bean who is the expert in cold weather gear. You know, common sense stuff.
Electricity: Common sense will tell you that a whole house/church does not need to be lighted when only a few rooms are in use. The habit of turning on all the lights in Ellis Hall or our homes, is a habit we have to kick. I thought my Mom and Dad were unreasonable and very irritating people when they were constantly reminding me to shut off lights when I was no longer in a room. Nag, nag, nag. Well, in retrospect, I now know that they did not have a lot of money and my family responsibility was to join in that saving a nickel/dime/dollar here and there, period. Energy saving light bulbs are now available to purchase. Also, one of the things I learned from the government pamphlet is that leaving my computer on when I am not using it, I do it all the time, is very expensive. One is never too old to learn new things!
Heating Fuel & Thermostat settings: Heating people will tell you that thermostats should not be set any lower than 55 degrees. I totally agree. What they don’t actually say is how high it should be to warm a house/church because of a million variables. Our church has new windows and doors have been tightened up and have new sweeps and that is good. The church has zoned heat and that is good. We are converting from oil to gas and that is good. Thermostats are programmed and that is good. Church thermostats can be over ridden and that is NOT good. Turning up the temperature setting for a meeting or an event that will last only an hour and forgetting to turn it back down is NOT good. Some years back this omission would only cost a few bucks. Heating an empty sanctuary, Ellis Hall or the vestry for 24 hours in this day and age can cost hundreds. If somehow we manage to disrupt the programming and it does not revert to the proper setting in a certain number of hours, we are talking BIG bucks. Our homes are the same story. If everyone is out and going to school or working, heating an empty house is throwing away money. There are now reasonably priced thermostats that you can program and are another tool available to the common man.
My children still talk about this situation that occurred in the 80’s when they were youngsters and our family was short of cash to buy oil. We needed to conserve by lower thermostat settings. We sat in the living room at night watching TV wearing hats and bundled up in quilts. We dressed warmly at all times. I also vividly remember the 70’s when the US had short oil supplies and we could only get 100 gallons delivered every two weeks. While I remember these times as being filled with anxiety and fear, my children recall them as an adventure and just love to retell greatly exaggerated stories to one and all about their childhood deprivation.
Winter Clothing: Put away the shorts, flip flops, short sleeves and delightfully light clothing for this season. The practice of walking around barefoot in our homes needs to cease.
Nice warm socks and slippers should be the in thing. Sweats and thermal clothing has come a long way from the union suit era and can be very chic for both children and adults. Layering clothing can be a key to comfort. What about outside the house at work or church? If you are a “chilly” person, dress for the worst case in those layers. Ladies put aside the light hosiery and shoes and adopt those stylish warm tights and very attractive heavier shoes that are now available. When you are older your internal thermostat changes and you sometimes feel cold while all around you younger people are just fine. These past years I have recognized that I am a “chilly” person and instead of expecting the thermostat to be put up to suit my needs I have adopted a survival mode. I discretely wear silk long underwear in winter and thermal socks, attractive layered sweats and turtle neck tops for at home and wool pants, blouses, vests, brocade jackets, etc for church all the time. This works for me.
FOOD: As energy costs go up, food goes up. Some people will have the hard choice of managing to purchase both food and fuel. It has been a long time since these two things have occurred and many younger persons really have no idea how to feed their families and be warm too.
Many cost saving tips have never been heard of. Buy in season. What the heck does that mean? It means never buy the fruits and vegetables that are not in the US growing season at the time. Buy apples in the fall and winter, buy tomatoes or corn on the cob in summer, etc. Another: Plan meals for the whole week and make your grocery list accordingly. WOW! Not complex but big savings are involved here. No more running to the store every other day to buy meal ingredients and also picking up just a little of this and a little of that and looks so tasty on that day. I work hard and don’t have time for that is a common reply but this is a method of survival in hard times. Just try it, you can treat it as a challenge and you can boast about your savings to anyone that will listen to you and be proud. Using product savings coupons for family shopping can be worthwhile too. Getting the family involved in spotting those coupons for stuff they like that come with the Sunday paper, in daily newspapers and magazines, can be fun. Some of the young people that do this have told me they can save as much as $20-$30 per week. I find that hard to believe but why would they not tell the truth?
Instead of providing a piece of meat for every person, cook a roast or buy one large piece that can be divided and add rice or potato and 2 other vegetables and bread to the meal. For the working family the slow cooker used to be the best tool to provide tasty tender meals cooking delicious food while we were at our jobs. The dietary rule used to be: meat, a starch of potato or rice and one yellow and one green vegetable for the main meal. Another old rule was never to throw away food. I was a German girl living with two German parents and was served German food which I despised. I especially detested spatzel and it did one no good to eat only a little of this spooned flour and egg dumpling because if there were leftovers my Mom would take them and toss them into a frying pan with a scrambled egg and serve them again the next meal. Mom, Dad and my brothers loved this stuff. Ugh! My Mom excelled at creating good meals disguised as something else….casseroles of odd leftover items and hash was a favorite of our men folk.
My Dad always claimed that my Mom could feed an army with a few pounds of ground beef and when he was out of work, she proved that she could feed a family with it 3 times a week!
Hot soup from leftover chicken and turkey and vegetables with rice, barley or pasta was another addition to a meal as a filler. Adding one casserole a week is another way to trim costs. Make them as delicious as possible and the children will tell the tale of these good things to their spouses for the rest of their married lives, ad-nausea. A recent survey indicated that the average family throws away $5-$10 worth of food a week per person! That seems unbelievable and is a lot of money.
I know that Moms and Dads are both working at jobs out of the home now BUT takeout food will wreck the food budget faster than anything. It is tempting, easy and often really good tasting. If you do take out once a week or more, a good plan is to make it an event once a month. KFC chicken, Italian sandwiches, pizza and the like on the 2nd or 3rd Saturday of every month makes it an event that everyone looks forward to rather than same old, same old. Frozen dinners are a budget killer too and since such food containers are skimpy and the stuff in them is not really that tasty or nutritious, eliminate them from your food budget for awhile.
Sandwich Meats: If you really cannot do without the expensive sandwich meats and cheese from the deli instead of prepackaged meats and cheese, you can adopt my Mom’s “rule”. No one, and that included Dad, can open the refrigerator and take a piece of cheese or a several slices of meat and pop them into their mouths. You had to make a sandwich. It was a killer but we weren’t exactly sure of what the penalty was to do this and didn’t want to find out.
Cereal: I am very fond of sugary, unhealthy cereals. However, buying unsweetened nutrient packed healthy cereal is so much cheaper and buying this is a favor for your family and is great as snacks for ravenous children too. I’m hungry, they whine. Have a bowl of cereal will not endear you to them BUT you might end up with lean, mean children instead of chubby sugar eater couch potatoes. No guarantee here but an interesting possibility. In the olden days when Tupperware was first introduced, buying cereal in bulk and packing them in air tight containers was a cost cutting way for trimming the food bill.
Bulk Buying: While paper products, household cleaners, laundry detergents, trash bags, personal toiletries, etc. are not food, they are part of your weekly buying at the grocery store. People with families and have the storage room, now can save big time in buying these products at the big box stores. While this is just not worth the effort for me as a senior person, when I was young I would have jumped at the chance to save lots of money. When I first came to Maine, it was a popular thing to buy part of or a whole steer for meat and pop them into the freezer for good eating. I admired people that froze fresh produce things too. I was told once, and I have no idea if it is true, that purchasing a large freezer unit just to save money was not wise if the freezer wasn’t kept full and to remember to add the cost of electricity to run said freezer to the price of what was into it. In this day and age you can purchase tasty frozen vegetables during off season at very reasonable prices and buying meat in family packages on sale in a careful way and freezing them in your refrigerator compartment is today’s way of cost cutting.
Desserts and snack Foods: We all know and don’t really give a darn, about cookies and pies and snacks are not being in the “good food” category. We like them, we want them and we get them. Hard times require hard decisions. This could be handled the same way as take out. Instead of being a daily thing, dessert could be part of a special Saturday or Sunday meal once a week. Instead of answering, I’m hungry, with, have a bowl of cereal, the plan could be cookies and ice cream once a week. Not only will you have lean, mean, children, you will have adults falling into the same category. Hot fresh pop corn is an inexpensive treat to eat and can also be bagged in little baggies for school snacks and lunches. Innovative thinking can generate good ideas. Rice cereal and marshmallow bars are yummy. Here’s another idea. Limit the number of items meted out: one bowl of ice cream, three or four cookies, one rice bar, etc. In my world, treats were limited and it made them more prized than you could imagine. I think my Mom liked to torture us kids. She always made one more dessert than persons at the table. Mom’s “rule” was that the extra dessert belonged to Dad for “later”. We created our own “rule” and it was that if the king of the house didn’t eat it later than that night, it belonged to whichever child got to it first on the next day! It was a war but we loved it. How sweet it was eating the extra in front of your siblings.
Beverages: Here is another battleground. We really like our sodas a lot. They are not good for you but taste so good. As a young mother I purchased weekly one 6 pack of cola and it was my treat. I drank one every evening until it was gone. The children got powdered packaged drinks made up with water. It was understood that severe repercussions would ensue for any that dared to touch my treat. Carbonated drinks were too expensive to purchase for little people. That’s the way it was and they remember it bitterly. The new idea that children are entitled persons is a concept created by those bitter children who are now parents and they will pay for this excess dearly not only with having obese children. Some day their children will deny their little people sweets and sodas, saying that they were not going follow in their parent’s footsteps of giving unhealthy food to their precious children.
So, all said and done, we US citizens are noted for a can do attitude. We are creative and have always managed throughout tough times. Our attitude sometimes irks other countries and they view us as spoiled, consuming people. We can be. We also have the freedom that allows us to believe that we “can do” no matter what. We can get through these hard times too and if we need ideas, we can ask our Grand Mothers and Fathers and our parents what they did during hard times and modify them to suit us.
Thanks to all who mowed this summer!
Submitted by Susan Angell, Trustee
The Trustees want to thank the wonderful people who volunteered their time and energy to mowing our church lawn: Janice and Bob Huelin (3 times), Charlie Lyons, Jim MacKinnon, Tom Nelson, Fred Wade (3 times) and Braden Wellington (Age 11).
Art Tordoff has done an exceptional job of keeping all the shrubs and bushes trimmed. The gals that kept the lovely garden in great shape are Marlene Tordoff, Janice Huelin, Linda Wade and Doreen Gay.
If any of you feel you missed out on this great ministry to our church, I still have the whole month of September and October available for mowing.
The Trustees want to thank the wonderful people who volunteered their time and energy to mowing our church lawn: Janice and Bob Huelin (3 times), Charlie Lyons, Jim MacKinnon, Tom Nelson, Fred Wade (3 times) and Braden Wellington (Age 11).
Art Tordoff has done an exceptional job of keeping all the shrubs and bushes trimmed. The gals that kept the lovely garden in great shape are Marlene Tordoff, Janice Huelin, Linda Wade and Doreen Gay.
If any of you feel you missed out on this great ministry to our church, I still have the whole month of September and October available for mowing.
Mission for SMCC
The Christian group at Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) that our church has helped to form is becoming a recognized student group called SERVE. Their first big event was held August 30 to help students move into the dorms. Pastor Jamie and Dana MacLean represented Peoples at this event, and worked together with Christians from the school and 7 other churches in the area for about six hours of lugging bags and computers. Please stay tuned for more opportunities to help out at SMCC.
The knitting and prayers continue!
The Peoples UMC Prayer Shawl Ministry will resume their monthly meetings on Thursday, September 11, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. in Ellis Hall. If you knit or crochet, like to share patterns, help with problem solving and enjoy the fellowship of other Christians, please join us. New members are always welcomed.
The Arts and Crafts Ministry meets with us at the same time. Perhaps you have a craft project you would like to share with the group or maybe you want to learn from someone else.
Call Marlene Tordoff at 799-6222 or e-mail her at atordof1@maine.rr.com for the Prayer Shawl Ministry.
Call Kathy Brann at 799-1981or e-mail her at kathy@insurancetrust.us for the Arts & Crafts Ministry.
The Arts and Crafts Ministry meets with us at the same time. Perhaps you have a craft project you would like to share with the group or maybe you want to learn from someone else.
Call Marlene Tordoff at 799-6222 or e-mail her at atordof1@maine.rr.com for the Prayer Shawl Ministry.
Call Kathy Brann at 799-1981or e-mail her at kathy@insurancetrust.us for the Arts & Crafts Ministry.
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