Monday, August 30, 2010

Community Carnival September 11 10am-2pm

We are inviting everyone to join us for a Community Carnival! There will be games, crafts, a fire truck tour, face painting, and pony rides as well as opportunities to see all the ways Peoples people are making a difference in the community. Pony rides cost $5 but all food is free, and will include hot dogs, popcorn, cotton candy and lemonade. It’s sure to be fun for the whole family, and please bring your friends!
You can go here to see the 2009 Community Carnival Photo Album.
If you are part of the Peoples family, here are some ways you can help!

Ways to Help:

§ Sponsor a child for a pony ride, which cost $5/ride. Please mark your envelope or check as “pony ride” and this will purchase tickets for families in need within the church and community.

§ Walk around the neighborhood to drop off flyers so our neighbors know about this event.

§ Help set up on Friday, assist with games, displays, kitchen or general hospitality, and help clean up Saturday afternoon.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

WOW! Worship on Willard Summer 2010

Every Sunday in July and August Pastor Jamie led morning worship at 8am on the beach, an earlier option in a beautiful sanctuary! Most folks who attended were from the community, but a few from church attended, and Betty Lane, Jody Fyles and Tom Nelson led two Sundays while the pastors were on vacation. We hope to host this worship option again next summer. If you would be interested in helping to design and lead, please contact Pastor Jamie. You can view the WOW Photo Album here.

Outdoor Fellowship

We held fellowship outside after worship on the last Sundays in June (with leftover food from Blessing of the Pets), July (hosted by Dan and Ruth Doughty), and and August, (hosted by Keith and Becky Snoddy). Many thanks to all who stayed after for some good food and good fellowship! You can view the August Outdoor Fellowship Photo Album here.

Youth Group Mini Golfing on 8/29

The youth had a fun summer outing to Martel’s in Saco in August just before school started back up! After a game of mini-golf the youth all enjoyed ice cream. The regional youth group is hosted by several area Methodist Churches, and fall gatherings will be hosted at Peoples, Cape Elizabeth and Hope.Gate.Way. The group meets every 2nd and 4th Sunday afternoon at 1:30pm, and is open to all youth in grades 6-12. Go here to view the Mini-Golf Photo Album.

Summer Sunday School 2010

Summer Sunday School was headed up by Barbara Fletcher, who is new at Peoples with her husband Chris and two boys, James and Nathan. Barbara is a kindergarten teacher, and enjoyed using her gifts and love for children during the summer months. It’s quite a challenge handling the summer program as volunteers are inconsistent and kids attendance is even more inconsistent – some weeks there would be 2 kids and others 15 kids! Not only did Barbara head up circle time with name games and other get-to-know-each-other activities, she led a Bible teaching and related craft or activity each week as well, and always had ideas to fill in if worship ran late.
Perhaps the most exciting event of the summer Sunday School was putting together a banner for Camp Freedom for the mission team to bring down to the kids in Wilmington. The Sunday School kids at Peoples had a wonderful time adding their hand prints and names. Many thanks to Barbara for designing and creating the banner. You can view the Summer Sunday School Photo Album here.
Summer Sunday school typically runs from Father’s Day through the end of August. The fall program will start up this year on Sunday, 9/12.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Thank you from the Pastors!

Many thanks to the folks who helped out for the two weeks in August while the pastors were on vacation: Betty Lane, Jody Fyles and Tom Nelson for heading up the beach worship, Keith Snoddy for printing bulletins, Rosemary Herd, Chris Ward and Chris Bowker for leading morning worship.

Thursday, August 05, 2010

Opportunity to Donate School Supplies!

Submitted by Sue Angell

Ellen Dunn, afire from the mission trip to Delaware (during which one of the projects was organizing donated school supplies), came up with the idea that we should help the Root Cellar by providing school supplies. The Root Cellar said basic supplies are needed.... 3-ring binders, spiral notebooks, filler paper (w/3-holes), pocket folders, pens, and pencils. So if you have already started buying your children's supplies and know what kids need, it would be delightful if you could pick up some extras.
If you personally are finding it difficult in these hard times to buy your children supplies, privately let either pastor know that you could use some help. Many of you are away having a wonderful time on vacation and might prefer to send a check, marked school supplies, instead of purchasing things.
This is a wonderful opportunity to be in mission within our community!

FMI contact Ellen Dunn at 767-8049 or Carol Bruneau at 799-5995. Supplies will be collected through September 12.

Monday, August 02, 2010

Experience High Seas Camp 2010!

The Peoples UMC High Seas Expedition 2010 Vacation Bible Camp was AWESOME! Thank you to all who set up, led, helped, donated, and most of all to all of the kids who joined us on the high seas!
We hope you will join us this Sunday, August 8, as the kids share a camp song, short slideshow and some other fun from the week.

Best of Spotlight Drama shown in worship on 8/8/10

Camp Video Clips


High Seas Expedition Great Success!

This August 2010, Peoples UMC hosted another amazing fun time and wonderful experience of God’s love for 30 kids, about half from the community! Children ranged in age from 2-11, plus several middle and high schoolers serving as assistant crew which gave them some responsibility but also allowed them to play alongside the younger kids.
Ellis Hall was transformed into the high seas this year, with MANY helpers, including Fred and Max Brann, Wes Splettsoesser, David Bruneau, and Chuck Kamilewicz who helped hang fishing nets across the entire Ellis Hall ceiling!

Pastor Jamie served as the core leader as well as music leader. The Galley Goodies and food pantry mission was led by Betty Splettstoesser. The Sail Away Cinema center was led by Tammy Tapley, Clipper Ship Crafts was led by Amy Wellington, Ship Rec Games was led by various people through the week including Pastor Jamie and Kimberley Edwards-Rusli, and the Bible Voyage story center was led by Carol Bruneau. Each center was decorated and designed by the leader, and overseen with a lot of work and prayer. In addition photographers included Martin and Margaret Whittemore and Pastor Gwyneth.

As the kids arrived, they colored ocean decorations until group time, after which time they split up into groups of 5-6. The themes each day included “God’s Word is True!” “God’s Word is Comforting!” “God’s Word is Surprising!” “God’s Word is Life-Changing” and “God’s Word is for Everyone!” … to which the kids would shout “Let’s Go” as loud as they could (sometimes so loud that it would knock Pastor Jamie right off his feet)!

Each day a different group of kids was selected for Spotlight Drama, in which posted photos were used in a video to re-tell the Bible story theme they had been studying that children in profile and then these were cut out and glued onto dolphins each child colored.

On Thursday evening, the leaders hosted a family style dinner with short presentations and showing a few of the Spotlight Drama videos. We re-presented the day’s crucifixion and resurrection drama as well during the evening. Barbara Fletcher also gave a short presentation on summer and school year Sunday School. Kids then showed their family and friends around the various centers, and some of their work at the craft area. We had a wonderful turnout for this special occasion.

Kids and teachers received certificates at the end of the week, and kids also received a magnetic photo of them posing at the wheel of a ship, and leaders received flowers. Kids got to share a song and a few slides during church Sunday, and helped with the drama of the Scripture reading from one of their camp stories. The kids blessed us all.

The best was hearing the kids tell their parents each day how they wanted to come back the next day! Thank you to everyone who donated items and money, helped set up and take down, helped out with the kids, visited to show your support and prayed. And thank you to the Lyric Theater, Thornton Heights UMC, and South Portland Church of the Nazarene for loaning many props and materials. You all made a difference in the lives of the children!!!
You can view a few photo albums and spotlight drama presentations at this link.

Sunday, August 01, 2010

Heads up - Lay Speaking Classes

Mark your calendars! The Casco Bay Cluster (Methodist churches in our local area) of the United Methodist Church are planning to host Lay Speaking Classes this coming winter. The classes will be held at Cape Elizabeth UMC, February 5, 12 and 19, 9:00am-12:30pm. Offerings include the Basic Lay Speaking class, as well as two Advances classes: Worship Matters and Spiritual Gifts.
Please contact the pastors at 619-1509, or Gini Link at 799 3952 if you are interested in attending.
Anyone is welcome to attend the Basic class. If you have not taken the basic class, you may still sign up for the advanced classes but not for certification. If you are currently a certified lay speaker, you must attend one advanced class every three years to maintain your certification.