Time Change November 2

Daylight savings time ends on the first Sunday of November. Please remember to set your clocks back Sunday morning (Fall back, Spring ahead!).

New Music Director

As many know, the Staff Parish Relations Committee has been working for over a year now seeking a music director since the retirement of Dr. Malcolm Cass. During this time, Debbie Cole has graciously led music at Peoples many weeks. Debbie has brought many music gifts on piano and organ, as well as leadership of the senior choir. We realized recently that Debbie is in fact a wonderful fit for our music program, and she has graciously accepted our offer as our part time Music Director. She will continue a similar schedule, about three weeks of each month. Please say hello to Debbie and welcome her!

Debbie and David Cole
22 Colonial Road Portland, ME 04102
(207) 797-9618
Email

Consecration Sunday November 23

In the past several years, the pastors have written a pledge letter to church members. This year, the Finance Committee and other laity will be publishing a letter, which will contain a pledge card for 2009 and some personal thoughts from various people. We hope you will read this and celebrate all of the ways God has provided for you, and how God has worked through you to reach others with the love of Christ as well.

If you consider Peoples your church family, we hope you will seriously and prayerfully consider continuing or beginning "percentage giving" and to indicate your pledge to give for 2009. Why? Most importantly for our own faith. Our level of financial giving is a direct indication of how much we trust God, and how close a relationship we have with the body of Christ, which is the Church. When we decide to give a percentage of our income to our church family up front, we step out in faith that God will provide for us the rest of the week or month. On the other hand, when we give at the end of the week or month whatever we happen to have left over, or throw in the plate whatever we happen to have in our wallet, we are walking by "sight" rather than by "faith."

Pledging is also an indication of our level of faith. Some folks are only comfortable in giving what they can afford to give each week rather than making a promise to God and the Church what they will give for the coming year. When we budget out our giving ahead of time, we are walking by faith rather than by sight.

All of us (no exceptions) have room to grow in this area of stewardship of our finances. Even folks who are currently giving at 10% or more of their income can grow in what it means to give sacrificially. And we also have room to grow in other areas of stewardship; as we have been learning in Living For Giving, stewardship does have to do with money but is much bigger than money alone. We are in fact stewards of the manifold grace of God!

On Laity Sunday November 23, when the lay folks of the church lead worship, there will also be an opportunity to offer your pledge cards in response to God's grace in your life. This is called Consecration Sunday, as we will together bless the pledges of the church family. So offer your pledge with joy and gratitude for the manifold grace of God.

Fall Cleanup Day

The leaves are falling and snow is coming ... it's time for yard work! Please come and help out your church family on the morning of Saturday, November 22. Some folks will be there at 8am, others later. Bring a rake if you have one. However, Trustees will not be held accountable for any leaf fights or pile jumping that might occur! Come yourself, or bring the family and have some fun together.

Variety Show

Do you have an act to share in the Variety show to be held on November 22 (REVISED DATE)? 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!

Want to Walk on Water?

Walk on Water! Nov 6-8 in Bloomfield, CT with Paul Nixon as the keynote speaker! …

or Attend the satellite workshops in Belfast Maine on Nov 8 9am-12:30pm. Keynote speaker, Paul Nixon will be heard through broadcast. You can register online, or obtain brochures in the back of the church sanctuary.

Pastor Jamie will be attending the CT conference, as well as a special all-day workshop on Ignighting Ministries on Nov 5. Pastor Gwyneth will be attending the morning workshop in Belfast on November 8. If you are intersted in attending either, it's not too late to register!

Fall Mystery Ride November 2

Please plan to join us for Peoples Church Fall Mystery Ride. Dress warm, pack a picnic lunch, a blanket and/or chairs and meet in Ellis Hall following the church service. You will be given a set of questions to answer and directions to follow as we make our way to the mystery destination.Prizes will be awarded to those who answer the most questions correctly and arrive in the allotted amount of time. Hope to see you there! Hosted by Dan and Ruth Doughty.

Church Conference

About 20 attended this year's church conference with District Superintendent, Rev. Mike Davis presiding. Several brought refreshments, and we began with worship led by Mike before delving into business. Earle Harvey presented a creative lay leader's report with a horn of plenty, and each piece of fruit representing an area of ministry we will be focusing on in 2009. The pastors showed a slide show of highlights for 2008. And Pastor David Nicol represented the District Ministry Team to present ways in which we might "re-think" church in order to start growing and reaching people beyond our walls. This time included discussion in small groups with questions such as "What is your passion in life" and, "How could your passion in life be used to reach people with the Good News of Jesus Christ?"

Doreen Gay, Recording Secretary, will be publishing minutes within the next few weeks, which will be presented to Church Council. If you are unable to attend Council and would like a copy, please let the pastors or Chris Ward, Council Chair, know.

Wayside Ministry Going Strong

Peoples serves at the Wayside Soup Kitchen every 5th Wednesday. Many from Peoples joined together on October 28 and served about 200. Some served in the kitchen, others waited on tables, and still others helped with drinks. Several also joined with us from the Tuttle Road UMC, as well as other local organizations.

Why not try this exciting ministry? You will be very blessed. Next time we're scheduled is December 31, New Years Eve. What better way to usher in the new year than to serve those in need? Helpers can arrive between 5-6pm, and the doors open at 6pm, with clean up generally done by 7:30pm. If you have any questions or need a ride, please contact Tom Nelson.

A very HAPPY Halloween

During worship the week before Halloween, the Sunday School initiated a mission for UNICEF. The kids collected loose change after worship, dressed in costume. On Halloween, the kids will be taking their UNICEF boxes out into the neighborhood to continue collecting money: kids helping kids!

Please stop by Ellis Hall and see the bulletin board display. Also, for more information on UNICEF, please see www.unicef.org

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 week after the election 7pm at church. FMI call Pastor Jamie at 799-6814 or see biblepolitics.blogspot.com.

Stewardship Preaching Series

We are in the midst of a stewardship preaching series through mid-November, “Living for Giving” which coincides with the 5-week small group studies that began the end of October. Stewardship is about a lot more than “giving money to the church.” It’s about God’s grace. Come and find out more! It’s not too late to join a group – please see Earle Harvey or the pastors for more information.

* Monday 7pm at the Dunns home
* Tuesdays 9am at Rosemary’s home
* Wednesdays 7pm in the Church Parlor (off Ellis Hall)
* Virtual Group by Email

In addition, the Finance Committee is scheduling special speakers throughout November to talk about the joy of stewardship personally to them.

For more information on this, please see the Stewardship article from last month's newsletter.

Pie Bake Fundraiser

Submitted by Rosemary Herd

Is there any interest in having a little time out of the kitchen during the holidays? How about your favorite pies being baked for you? What I am proposing is a fundraiser to help the church and you as well. The pies will be baked and either delivered to you or they can be piced up the day before Thanksgiving at the church. Unless specified, each pie will be 9" apple, pumpkin, squash, pecan and others on request. The cost would be $10-$15 depending on the pie. If interested, please contact Rosemary Herd 799-2392 or Chris Ward 767-2516. If it turns out well, we can repeat for Christmas, adding cookies to the mix.

Changes in Finance

As many already know, Keith and Becky Snoddy who have served as Financial Secretary for eight years are needing to step down from that role due to a work assignment that will place Keith overseas for large amounts of time in the next year+. We give thanks for these many years of faithful service and dedication. In addition, Becky will be assisting in counting, and Keith will be filling in as he can.

Kathy Brann has felt led to step in as acting Financial Secretary, and will be officially brought in when Church Council votes on the entire slate of leaders for 2009 in December. Kathy brings years of accounting experience, and has been serving as Finance Chair this year. Kathy also brings some innovative ideas, which will be brought to Church Council in November.

Please keep all of these folks in your prayers, and support them in any way you can. Thank you again to Keith and Becky, and to Kathy for stepping up to the plate!

Golf Scramble

Submitted by Earle Harvey

The Peoples Wild Golf Scramble was held on October 18 at the South Portland Municipal Golf Course. The event was jointly sponsored by the Methodist Men under Merrill Kaiser with support by Nurture Chairperson, Rosemary Herd who furnished the food.

Twenty-four members and friend participated for various prizes. The winning team was Tom Nelson, Captain. The longest drive for women was Barbara Nelson. The closest to the pin for the men was Mark Tordoff. The closest to the pin for the women was Cynthia Beddie.

Prizes were donated by Dicks Sporting Goods and South Portland Municipal Golf Course.

Second Saturday Mornings

Somewhere around 6:45 the lights go on in the vestry of Peoples United Methodist Church. The chef comes struggling through the door with pots and pans He makes a second trip from the car with eggs, bacon, sausage, orange juice and English muffins. Soon he is rustling through the cabinets in the kitchen for coffee, coffee makers and the toaster. Sugar and cream are placed on the counter along with plates, napkins and plastic ware. The pans are placed on the stove and the food of the day is soon under preparation. And to thin that this chef had cooked and prepared food the night before at the church auction.

The first person through the door after the chef can smell the food in preparation and gives the chef a "Good Morning" and then sets about cleaning the tables and setting them. While a general e-mail and some calls have gone out over the previous couple of days the preparers have no idea how many men will be popping in before beginning a weekend with family, friends and who knows what else.

The appointed time comes for folks to come through the door. Brad the chef is obviously the first there. Soon it is Art and Dan and Fred, and Jamie along with Earle that have arrived for friendly conversation and a terrific meal. Chuck and Rob and Jim will also join the small group of early risers on this beautiful morning in October. While he cann not always join us because of his work schedule we are glad to welcome Andy Goodwin on this particular day.

The Men's Saturday Morning Breakfast welcomes all men of the church to drop by on the Second Saturday of the month at 7:30 AM in the vestry. While Brad Morrison is the principal chef Fred, Dan, Charlie, Chuck and Jamie have also done their part in bringing a meal to we who are more reluctant to cook.

If you wish to be reminded on a monthly basis please let Art Tordoff know and he will make sure that it is done.

The next Men's Breakfast will be on Saturday, November 8. Who know with the Red Sox schedule complete and the Election just over we might find something else to chat about.

Annual Auction Filled With Spirit

On Friday evening, October 10, the tables were filled with auctionable items ready at 6 PM for the attenders to peruse. Doreen Gay was still running around getting things in apple pie order while Betty Lane, Alan Gay and Brad Morrison were busy preparing the food that people would come early to eat. A number of folks, both members of the church and visitors, were in the hall early chowing down of chili, corn chowder and other delectable. They also bought homemade cookies and cakes for dessert.
Shortly before 7 PM Harold Sutherland, the famous auctioneer, came through the door to Ellis Hall and proceeded to look over the merchandise and renew friendships with Doreen and many others who had frequented his many auctions both at Peoples and elsewhere. Doreen welcomed the gathering of peoples there for an evening of entertainment and bargains. This was followed by a prayer offered by Pastor Jamie and then it was time for Harold to go to work.
It is rather interesting that some items of what might be considered of great worth seemed to go for very low bids while other items that one would not expect would bring in as much went for a rather tidy sum. The bidding certainly showed the tight financial times that we seem to be in at present. Some folks did walk away with some outstanding bargains. For the most part the attenders had a very good time and a goodly sum of money was again raised for the benefit of the church.
We certainly thank Doreen for all of the effort that she put in to the arrangements and Sue Angell, Marlene Tordoff and Betsy Morrison for their cool calculations of sales and money. Amy Wellington was helpful in assisting with the merchandise and Samantha Foote, Nathan and Isaac Dunn for their willingness to serve as runners.

Stewardship Study for the Whole Church

Beginning the week of October 13, we will be forming multiple small groups for a church-wide 5-week study of Living For Giving, a Wesleyan View of Stewardship by United Methodist Bishop Kenneth Carder, which you can download for free. The pastors will begin a preaching series on October 19 to further expand the Scriptural concepts that groups have been discussing during the week.

Many church-goers cringe when they hear the word "stewardship," which may bring to mind boring stewardship campaigns and feeling pressured to give more when finances are already tight at home. However, this study puts "stewardship" in a much broader perspective than money alone. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism himself taught widely about stewardship in connection to God's grace.

A pilot group, led by Earle Harvey, began this study together in September to evaluate its use for the church; those attending (as well as those studying the book on their own) have all had very positive feedback. The format is similar to Disciple Bible Study with video, workbook and life application questions. The workbook serves well as devotional material, but is especially fruitful when discussed in a small group setting.

Earle Harvey is currently seeking people to host a group in their home, as well as people to lead and facilitate. We will have sign ups at church, and hope everyone will want to join a group. In addition, if you are interested in leading or participating in a "virtual study" through email please keep this in mind as well.

WOW Satellite Opportunity in Belfast!

You may have already read the blog post below about the Walk on Water conference in CT. Pastor Jamie is planning on attending and would be happy to give anyone a ride who wants to go.

However, it's just come to our attention that a satellite version of this same conference is being offered in Maine!

Saturday November 8 at 9am-12:30pm in Belfast, Maine

Don't miss this opportunity!
The School of Congregational Development for the United Methodist Church in New England

For the first time, we’re thrilled to offer a shorter taste of the WOW event to those who can’t make it to the main campus in Bloomfield CT. Bring yourself, your church leadership team, or your entire congregation on Saturday, November 8th.

It’s close. It’s brief. It’s convenient. So plan to join us right now!

Keynote Speaker: Paul Nixon
We’ll rebroadcast Paul Nixon’s plenary presentation from the main campus. Paul is a pastor, church planter, coach, consultant, and the author of several books including “I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church.”

Location:
Belfast United Methodist Church
23 Mill Lane Belfast, ME

Schedule:
9:00 Opening Worship
9:30 Workshop Session #1:
A. From Fist to Fingers
B. Growing Healthy Churches

10:30 Keynote Broadcast: Paul Nixon
11:30 Workshop Session #2:
A. No More Boring Worship
B. Tuning In
12:30 Depart

Childcare will be provided.

Register Now!
Click here to download the flyer and registration: WOW Satellite