Bean Supper

Peoples and Beans

Becky Becky and David

Sue and Carol check in the guests

Chuck and Barb in the kitchen

Methodist churches and their congregations are famous for serving food to their communities. Sometimes the food is collected and dispersed via the local pantries or shipped to needy people elsewhere in the country or overseas. It also seems that one of our missions as a church body is to serve folks right here at home in our own facilities too. On the second Thursday of the months from September through June, Peoples UMC have initiated the Senior Community Luncheon with entertainment. On the third Saturday of every month excepting July and August a bean supper is served smorgasbord style in Ellis Hall. This meal has been in existent under one groups leadership or another for more than a half century.  Many members of the church provide all of the food ingredients that consist of two kinds of beans along with casseroles, salads, condiments, bread and butter for the meal and a variety of pies, cakes and other goodies for dessert. Before the meal begins Dick M entertains the early arrivals with his keyboard musical magic. Coffee is always on once the crew arrives.

Kitchen Crew

Kathy and the Mini-fair

The folks that are in Ellis Hall by 5 PM are ready to hear a blessing by the Pastor or someone else if he is unavailable. As the folks who are there to eat arrive they pay for their meal at the table near the back door, proceed to pick up their pie or other dessert and then pick one of the seats that are available. The same table always seems to be the first table of people to get up and get to the self-serve tables of food and, therefore, the observer often finds the same “regulars” getting to that table well before others have even arrived. On this most recent supper 80 people were in attendance at $8 a person or somewhat less if a family is there to eat.

Reggie and Karol get their pie

Paul the pieman

Sue and Carol and usually Joanne are often at the check in table while Kathy and Jody are usually next to them on the Mini-fair table. Working in the kitchen are Keith and Becky, Rosemary, Pastor Tom, Barb and Tom N, Chuck, David and Dick S. Merrill, Pat, Pam and Janice could be seen pouring coffee, punch and water to the attendees.

We must also thank the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts for usually helping set up the hall and later taking tables and chairs down.

Jack gets seat number 1 on Table 1

Dick plays for early arrivals

This was the last bean supper until September 21, but there will be a Spaghetti supper sponsored by the church and Darling family on the 15^th of June at 5 PM. This supper will be a benefit in honor of Chris Darling Ward who passed away recently. Money raised will go toward improvements to the kitchen in Ellis Hall.

Betty Sally and Pam

The crowd grows to 80

Guests in line for smorgasbord serving

Would you believe the Pastor and Lay Leader?

150 Years of Methodist Women and Mothers Day

Mother's Day and UMW day

150 Years of Women’s Organizations

Celebrated at Peoples UMC

The present name for the women’s group, United Methodist Women,  has been used since the unification of Methodist and United Brethren churches in 1969. Prior to that date and for a while beyond, the organization was known as the Women’s Society of Christian Service. Even earlier it was known as the Ladies Aid Society and according to a picture displayed in the History case in the vestry in 1916 the organization for women was known as The Women’s Missionary Society. As one looks at that picture men appear to be members as well. It appears that an official title has been put on Methodist church women’s organizations since 1869, four years after the American Civil War.

Opening the Mother's Day service

On Mother’s Day, May 12, 2019 present members of the UMW gathered in the sanctuary and chancel and led the congregation in a spiritually moving regular church service.

Choir with Debbie

Pam Libby

Lay Leader Rosemary opened the service with announcements and the welcome. She was followed with Pam Libby who led the responsive reading and the opening prayer.

The choir of 14, on this occasion, was next and did include both males and females and led by our organist/music minister Debbie Cole. The spirituality of the morning is always lifted with the praiseful voices of the members.

Senior Choir

Nancy tells a story

Once the choir was reseated in the congregation as is always the case, the children were brought forward for the children’s story that was told by Nancy Brackett. The children listened and participated with her rendition and links to their world.

Carol gives the message

Shari leads Apostles Creed

Carol Bruneau then was responsible for both the scripture taken from 1 Peter4: 10-11 followed by her sermon/message titled “In His Service” which we are all called to be to church, to community, to family and to the world.

Mariah

While the offering was being taken Mariah Bowker sang a beautiful song that also was spiritual and inspirational..

As is usually the case, at this time of the service, the prayers of concern and joy submitted by members of the congregation were collected and read by Rosemary. This is an excellent way of sharing with others that usually influence the prayers of others when they are home and praying on their time with the Lord.

After the service

In closing the last hymn was “This little Light of Mine” which was certainly appropriate to think of our service for the Lord and others even though our light may be small, what we say and do can carry that light to the world in many ways. Betty Splettstoesser finished the service by giving the last words to go forth and be a light in this world.

Greeters for this service were Jean Miller and Pam Darling and the ushers were Pat Kempton and Kathy Brann with Becky Snoddy as the acolyte.

Thank you all for your participation and your own role in shining the light of Christ on all in attendance on this day dedicated to Mothers everywhere.

In a small role the United Methodist Men  gave a symbol of Love to all women present in the form of a red

rose.

Becky and Roses

May Senior Luncheon at Peoples

May Senior Luncheon at PUMC

The Tables are set

Dan sets up Amp and Mike

Early arrivals from Spurwink

91 Folks from the surrounding Senior Community and from Peoples UMC got together on the 9^th for the next to last month of Luncheons before a break for summer. Workers began arriving to set up and to cook the meal around 9:30 AM. Several men and women helped set up the tables and chairs, placed table clothes on each and then decorated with a May pole theme on each table, thanks to Pam. Dan helped set up the amplifier and mike for speakers and the soon to be with us singing group. In the kitchen, Brad was warming up the food while assisted by Rosemary, Keith and Len.

Brad at work

The welcoming crew

Kitchen crew

By 10:30 AM some of the folks who would be our guests began arriving with a large contingent from the Spurwink home. Many have been coming for a number of years and always appear to enjoy themselves. Others who have been regulars brought others with them and some were with us for the first time. Likewise some of the helpers and servers were there for the first time.

Dick and Jeanne Miller

Ready to serve

Happy to be here

Well attended

Spurwink

Marlene the hostess

Port City Sound

At 11:30 AM, Marlene announced the singing group which on this day were a part of the Downeasters, a men’s a Capella chorus. This particular group is called the “Port City Sound”. The four men in this particular group are among those groups that have won several singing competitions. Marlene knew two of the 4, one as a result of working in a school with his wife and the other was a classmate of hers years ago. Each of those that have served as the entertainment on a given day have been greeted with audience enthusiasm and that was no less for this particular group. They sang many songs that would have been popular over a long range of time and we would look forward to their return at a later date. We are grateful for their gifts to us.

Port City Sound in color

Servers are ready for serving

Shortly after noon the kitchen was ready to serve as were the servers. Dick S gave the blessing in lieu of the pastor not being with us on this day.

More of the crowd

Brad had prepared a delicious meal that included lemon-chicken, rice pilaf, and green beans with molasses cookies for dessert. Delicious meal was had by one and all.

Thanks go out to a number of Peoples people for helping on the cleanup after the meal.

Next month the luncheon is scheduled to be held on June 13 in Ellis Hall. The doors are open by 10:30 AM and coffee is on. The program will be a member of the staff at Broadway gardens in South Portland talking on plants and their care. The meal will be Bacon, Tomato and Chedde Macaroni.  Dessert on that occasion will be carrot cake

As a curiosity piece the results of another project, “the End the Growling” food packing program could be seen to the right of the stage area. Over 15,000 packets were waiting to be distributed to local food panties or shelters.