40 Days of Love

You don’t want to miss out on this small group opportunity, beginning after Easter. Nothing matters more than relationships—and no one understands them better than Jesus. Based on an exhaustive study of what Jesus did and said about relationships, this book guides readers on a forty-day journey that will bring new health and richness to their marriages, families, friendships, and all the relationships in their lives. The 6-week DVD-based study follows topics of Christian love such as “Love is Patient,” “Love Speaks the Truth” and “Love is Forgiving.” For more information go to Saddleback Resources.

Current groups are planned for Sunday School at 9am, Tuesday mornings 9am at Rosemary's, and Thursday afternoons 3pm at Ruth's. Other possibilities may include a mom's daytime group, as well as evening studies Mondays and/or Wednesdays. If you would like to join, host or lead a group, please contact Art Tordoff at 799-6222.

Wednesdays with the Cluster

Every Wednesday during Lent the United Methodist Churches have gathered together for worship at a different church each week, and a different presiding pastor. The church choirs have each helped to lead worship, and we have had some special music as well, such as the "Messengers of Hope" as seen inthe photo.

Our last service will be held Wednesday, 4/1 7pm at First UMC with Lynne Campbell preaching. The church is located at 179 Ridgeland Avenue in S. Portland. FMI call 767-2688.

Thank you to all who have attended and supported these mid-week worship services!

Meditation Service 1st Sundays

There will be a Candlelight Meditation Service next Sunday, April 5 at 7 pm. Come and enjoy meditative music, Scripture, prayer, and silent reflection in candlelight for 45 minutes, followed by a time of snacks & fellowship. All are welcome to attend. Please bring a friend and offer them a ride!

Vacation Bible School 2009

The Beach Party last summer was so incredible, and it seems like a lot of people want to see us do another VBS this summer! Although we haven't found anyone yet who feels called to head up a Vacation Bible School this summer, we have spoken with a number of people who would like to help out again. So we're thinking that we should go ahead and move forward trusting that God will provide what we need.

Our hopeful plan is to host a VBS program called "Crocodile Dock" by Group Publishing. You can get a glimpse of the curriculum at www.group.com/vbs/crocodiledock This is an excellent center-based curriculum and we can share it with other churches to save some money. We are tentatively planning to host it the week beginning July 13, although we are still able to adjust this if necessary to get sufficient volunteers.

We will begin asking people to lead centers, setup, snacks, etc and finalize the date in the coming weeks. It will be an excellent program and we hope to have you participate. If you would be able to help out at Crocodile Dock this year, we are holding a planning meeting on May 3 at 9am in Ellis Hall. We hope you can attend. And would you please keep this event in your prayers? Thank you!

Lay Speaking Classes

Upcoming classes are in Augusta at the Green Street UMC April 18, 25 and May 2 8:30 am-1:00 pm. There is a basic lay speaking class for first-timers, a refresher basic class, and two different advanced lay speaker classes. These are required for certification as a lay speaker or advanced lay speaker but anyone can attend even if you do not wish to be certified. Registration forms are in the back of the church. If you have any questions please contact the pastors at 799-6814.

Freed-Up Financial Living

The new Good $ense financial planning workshop, called Freed-Up Financial Living, was excellent. Attendees at this brand new, video-based seminar included Art Tordoff, Kathy Brann, Chris Ward, Rosemary Herd, Earle Harvey, Pastor Gwyneth and Lori Haffner Travis from the Cape Elizabeth UMC. Gary Melville of the Methodist Foundation helped to facilitate.

Now that the church owns the DVD we can host this seminar regularly. Tentatively the plan is to begin a class in June, after the 40 Days of Love study is completed. This would be perfect for a daytime or evening small group of folks who would like some ideas on balancing their family budgets and increasing joy and freedom regarding finances at the same time. We would most likely schedule three or four sessions to cover the material and allow sufficient discussion rather than one long day and evening. The program is designed for anyone to have more control of their personal finances by developing a budget which helps in better handling spending, debt, giving and savings.

Another option for those who cannot attend a small group is for individuals or families to view the DVD in their own homes. It is recommended that couples take the seminar together to increase communication around finances, which is the single biggest factor in marital tension and divorce. If you would like to borrow these materials, please contact Art Tordoff or the pastors. Workbooks cost $15 as you are able. Workbooks do include a prework guide that helps in organizing financial matters.

Pastor Gwyneth to Nicaragua

Pastor Gwyneth will be part of a delegation of 7 people from United Methodist Churches in Maine and Massachusetts traveling on a mission trip to Nicaragua April 13-20 (departing the day after Easter). This includes two pastors (including myself) and five laity. We will be traveling to the communities of the South Atlantic Coast (RAAS-Region Autonoma Atlantico Sur) beginning with Kukra Hill and traveling north to the Laguna de Perla. Once we arrive to the coastal area, we will ride horseback for transportation.

We will be traveling with the AMHC (Amanecer Mobile Health Clinic) which has recently expanded to include more than 70 of the most isolated communities in Nicaragua, providing both medical and dental care on a quarterly basis. We will have the opportunity to work with Jairo Lezama who is Director of the AMHC, and with Dr. Maria Elena Espinosa and dentist, Dr. Antonio Arguella. Please keep Dr. Aruella in prayer - just this week both of his sons, ages 25 and 7, were killed in a motorcycle accident.

We will be staying in the homes of pastors in each community. The AMHA has communicated the greatest needs for medical supplies, which we will be bringing in. These include trip-antibiotic ointments, children's vitamins, Tylenol, Motrin, and anti-fungal medications. If you would be willing to make a donation, Peoples Church is being asked to focus donations on anti-fungal medications (athlete's foot medications such as Lotrimin, and yeast infection medications such as Monistat, etc.). However, we have been warned that if one medication is found that is within 6 months of expiring at the airport baggage check, they will refuse to accept any of our medications and will confiscate them. Therefore, please ensure they are dated later than mid-October 2009. Easter Sunday is the last day to make a donation of medicine. In addition, financial donations will be accepted and go to Nicaragua.

In addition to traveling with the health clinic on the East Coast, we will also spend time helping at the sewing program and one of the feeding programs near Managua. We will attend worship services in several communities and also spend time at one of the Iglesia de Cristo schools where children receive tuitions from the Nicaraguan Covenant with the United Methodist Church in New England. We will travel through the Managua dump where a community has thrived for a number of generations which is currently served by the AMHC.

The United Methodist Church focuses less on a short-term projects but rather on long-standing relationships and long-term justice issues, working with the medical clinic and churches in Nicaragua to bring long-term solutions to solve issues of poverty, health and education. The delegation leader, Sandy Melius from Weston, MA said: "You will be introduced to a people whose needs will make you weep and whose courage will make you humble." The United Methodist Church generally sends delegations between 5-7 people per trip as this places less burden on the families with whom we stay than larger delegations. For more information on the United Methodist Church covenant and partnership with Nicaragua go to http://www.neumc.org/page.asp?pkvalue=177

Many have asked me why I have felt led to make this trip. As most of you know, I have travelled in other countries vastly different from our own, including Turkey and a mission trip in Cuba. Any such trip expands our worldview, softens our hearts toward all of God's children, inspires our faith, increases our dedication to the Gospel and opens new doors for mission possibility even if just by opening eyes to the poverty right in our own neighborhood. I do covet your prayers for safe travel and fruitful mission.

Several churches in New England have begun sibling church relationships with churches in Nicaragua. This kind of relationship might be possible with Peoples Church right here in South Portland. The possibilities of such a relationship are endless: financial support, Sunday School children communicating back and forth by letter, doing joint Bible studies, and maybe even some others from our church making a trip sometime. Please be in prayer about these possibilities!

Dios te Bendiga!

HATS FOR MAINE MEDICAL CENTER

A big “thank you” to our faithful knitters. Marlene Tordoff delivered sixty beautiful hats for preemies and older children to Maine Medical Center on March 6, 2009. Most of the hats will be used in the radiology department with the remaining delivered to the Barbara Bush Center. Our knitters were Belle Graney, Nancy Greer, Janice Huelin, Pat Kaiser, Marlene Tordoff and a friend of Janice Huelin. Susan Angell and Kathy Brann donated hats that had been in the church fair. This ministry is serving a local mission by providing warmth for young children to comfort them in their healing.

UMCOR for April

Each month before Annual Conference, we are collecting a different kit to bring down. In March we collected school kits. In April we are collecting health kits. ALL items must be new.

Place these items inside a sealed one-gallon plastic bag.
1 hand towel (15" x 25" up to 17" x 27", No kitchen towels)
1 washcloth
1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)
1 nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)
1 bath-size bar of soap (3 oz. and up)
1 toothbrush (single brushes only in original wrapper, No child-size brushes)
6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages
$1.00 to purchase toothpaste

For detailed instructions please go to UMCOR. Note: they are no longer collecting kits for Nicaragua as the UMC has entered an agreement with a company called Cross International that makes getting items there must less expensively. Items can still be donated when there is a mission trip going down there though.

Easter Cleanup Day

We want the church Sanctuary to look real spiffy for all our guests on Easter, right? Well come on out to a cleaning party on Saturday, April 4 beginning about 8am but come when you can. There may be some heavy lifting, but also many light jobs such as dusting pews. The more the merrier so please come on out. If this day doesn't work but you would still like to help, please contact Doreen Gay who can arrange for the building to be open for you and help you find any supplies. Thank you!

TIDBITS ON STEWARDSHIP by Susan Angell

I will be writing about stewardship for a few months. I can hear you groaning now because you think of stewardship only in terms of being asked for money. I will touch upon that aspect in coming months. While financial commitment is an important part of stewardship, I want to let you know about ministries going on in our church as well. Peoples UMC has become a small church, population wise, BUT the ministries swirling around are exciting, dynamic and done by small groups of our people here and there. They are BIG and are having far-reaching and wonderful consequences.

This month I want to fill you in on two ministries, Hearts for Healing Pillows and hats and mittens for the homeless population in Portland.

The hats and mitten ministry was started by Belle Graney years ago and is one of her favorites. A small group of women, who want to be part of this ministry, knit them in their homes throughout the year or like me, bought them at Goodwill or the Dollar Store. This year when cold weather arrived I delivered two big bags of mittens and hats to Preble Street and to the Teen Center on Cumberland Avenue. They were delighted to receive them. The shock I got was when I entered the teen center while they were serving lunch and to my amazement that place was filled with around 60 children. Children carrying everything they own in backpacks and looking like any teens except they had that shop worn, uncared for, scruffy look. Looking at that crowd broke my heart. I know that having warm hats and mittens would make a difference for them.

We received a nice thank-you letter from Joe Conroy, Food & Volunteer Coordinator at Preble Street. He said, “We are grateful that you accept the responsibility and share the joy of making sure that youth, adults, and families in our communities who have no home will not go hungry, will not have to be on the street when they are tired or sick or cold, will not have to live in fear and danger, and will have a chance for a better life."

The making of Hearts for Healing Pillows was a fun project. Many of us sewed them in our homes from yardage purchased at WalMart, Trustworthy Hardware or from our own stock of remnants. We then brought the pillows to the Prayer Shawl and Arts & Crafts Ministries meeting one night and 9-10 gals helped stuff them and sew up that little seam allowance. We had so much fun and the fellowship was priceless! Art & Marlene Tordoff delivered the pillows to Mercy Hospital.

The thank-you letters from Lenore Kraus and Colleen O’Connor, Oncology Social Workers, brought tears to my eyes and touched that mushy spot in my heart. Lenore said, “Yesterday one patient said she brings her pillow in for every treatment because it’s such a comfortable head rest. Many of our patients use them for head or neck support, others to support an arm receiving treatment, to prop a book during the long hours in their chair or just as a warm ‘lovey’.”

A few people, nine to ten seems to be the magic number, CAN give to our community. We CAN share part of our miniscule wealth and good fortune with others. We CAN make the time to give of ourselves. We CAN make a difference!!!

I hope you too will be touched by the impact of these two small ministries. This is the just one facet of STEWARDSHIP.

Knights Hill Retreat

Knight’s Hill Retreat
Saturday, February 28 dawned bright and crisp. Amy and Braden Wellington had gone to the Arrisons’ home in the Knight’s Hill portion of Bridgeton the night before where they were hosted by Pastors Gwyneth and Jamie Arrison and their three children for a night of games and relaxation.. Art and Marlene Tordoff picked up Earle Harvey and Doreen Gay and headed for the Clubhouse on Moose Pond. Shortly after arrival Ruth and Dan Doughty joined the rest of us for a day of retreat learning about our Spiritual Stories and how they have evolved.
Jamie introduced us to a mind mapping activity in which we all traced several strands of our lives and then whittled those down to one to work with. All of these strands would lead back or from the center box that represented God. God is the center of our lives. In a sense, what we were developing were elements of our testimony. In between our individual activities or discussion with partners, we were shown passages in the stories in the Bible that had some direct relationship to spiritual development.
While we were left with homework to go and develop the taste, smell and hearing of our stories the time together was a great way to get to know each other through a different, relaxing, yet thought provoking means.
It was nice to have Gwyneth, Faith, Dena and Alex stop in during the lunch hour. Faith and Dena, in particular, were fascinated by a number of ladybugs that had gathered on the inside of one of the warm windows. While most of them were either scattered or removed from the window it was interesting to experience the persistence of six of the specie. I wondered what the persistence of the ladybugs meant as we returned to developing our own stories and how in order for us to complete our assignments we would have to be as persistent as those little creatures. We need to be persistent in continuing to develop our spiritual life in spite of the world around us pulling in many different directions.
I hope that others who did not have this retreat experience take advantage of the opportunity when it comes around again.

Freed-Up Financial Living

On Friday March 20 from 7-9 PM and Saturday March 21 from 8:45 AM to 3 PM Peoples Church and the United Methodist Foundation of New England will co-sponsor a seminar and training opportunity with the new Good $ense Program called, "Freed-Up Financial Living.



The program is designed for individuals and families to get to a place in their finances--and lives- characterized by grace, joy and freedom. The program gives all attendees the opportunity to get to that place in their lives through the application of Biblical Principles.


Members of other churches who are faced with financial issues are encouraged to attend. It is also possible for folks representing finance committees who would like to bring this program to their own churches to be trained in how to use it.

We expect that Gary Melville of the United Methodist Foundation of New England will be with us to assist and support the operation of this new program.


Each person or family will need to have a copy of the Prework Booklet and a copy of the Participant's Guidebook. The materials will be available at the Seminar. The leader of the session will have the use of a DVD to run through a 6 Session format. The program is often given in 6 weekly hour installments or in the same format that we will be using for this Friday night and Saturday seminar.


Costs for attendance and participation are related to the material and a lunch only. $15 will pay for the participant guidebook and the Prework booklet. A husband and wife team need only one copy of each. Lunch on Saturday can be purchased for $3 a person. It will be necessary for materials purposes and food ordering to have registrants indicate their attendance via e-mail to Jamie or Gwyneth Arrison at thearrisons@peoplesumc.com or Discipleship Chairma, Art Tordoff at atordof1@maine.rr.com or by phone at 1-207-799-6814 by Tuesday, March 17. Earlier reservations would be helpful in determining how many guidebooks, booklets and food we will need.


Folks who have gone through the Good $ense program before have all felt that it was worth it and fun to be with others at the same time.


Please let us know that you will be with us and you should know that you are already in the graces of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

What Is Lent?

What is Lent? Forty days of Lent are celebrated by churches all over the world. Lent is the time of year the Church reflects on the events leading up to the crucifixion of Christ and on our own faithfulness as disciples who follow Jesus. Please continue reading below for ways to deepen your relationship with God during this special season which begins on Ash Wednesday, which this year is February 25.

Time and Fasting

From Bishop Pete Weaver, Partners in Ministry February 2009

As we begin Lent, I would once again commend to you the wonderful spiritual discipline of fasting. John Wesley considered it one of the six primary "means of Grace." But I was surprised to read TIME magazines cover story (Feb. 23) on "How Faith Can Heal" commending fasting also. "One of the staples of both traditional wellness protocols and traditional religious rituals is the cleansing fast, which is said to purge toxins...Done right, these fasts may lead to a state of clarity and even euphoria." Dr. Catherine Gordon of Children's Hospital Boston is quoted about the positive changes that occur in the body and brain (and I would add, spirit) during a "short-term fast." The "Wesley fast" consists of not eating from after dinner on one day to just before dinner on the next day...giving up two meals over a twenty four hour period. If you have any questions about your health you should check with your doctor first. It can be tough at first, but the members of the congregations I served and I found it to be a great blessing whether used just during Lent, or year around as Wesley did.
There are other forms of fasting such as foregoing things we think we "can't do without" like television or shopping for non-necessities. The time saved or the money saved can then be put to extra time for meditation or supporting special mission projects. It becomes a plus, not really a minus. Fasting centers us in the Spirit, confirming that strength that is greater than our appetites. It is an exercise in "God's will, not mine be done." What may seem at first to be "denial" becomes "affirmation," and that which at first seems to be "depriving" becomes a fullness of cleansing and clarity. Try it yourself, and commend it to your congregation.
Whatever spiritual disciplines you undertake during Lent, I pray that they will draw you closer to Christ, the Cross, and New Life!

Daylight Savings Time March 8

Fall Back Spring Forward
Don't forget to set your clocks forward 1 hour Saturday night, March 7.
If by chance you forget, why not join the Lent small group study with Art Tordoff? - It's held in the Parlor off of Ellis Hall 9am (which will feel like 10am!)

Inquirer’s Classes begin 3/1

Newcomers and others interested in learning more about the basics of the Christian faith, Bible, and the United Methodist Church, please join us after church on 3/1 with lunch at the pastors home next door. Classes will continue on Sundays at noon or Thursday evenings at 7pm through March following the schedule below.

These are required for those interested in membership, but anyone may attend (even just one or a few sessions), and there is no pressure to join. Current members are also invited to attend, both to learn and to help provide more insight to the newcomers. We have generally had a few members attend each inquirer's session.

The following is the schedule. Please contact the pastors if you would like to attend so we can get you the United Methodist Members Handbook. The class syllabus can be viewed as this link.

March 1: Bible 101
March 5 or 8: What We Believe
March 12 or 15: Why I’m a United Methodist
March 19 or 22: Finding my S.H.A.P.E. For Ministry
March 26 or 29: Why Membership?

Sacrifice for a Stranger

Lent is often a time to think of sacrificing, particularly for others. This is why it seemed an excellent time to share together in the small group study on hospitality and welcoming called Beyond 30 Seconds. What are you willing to lay aside to spend time with visitors on a Sunday morning? The study includes a workbook and video discussion starters for each session. Groups are meeting Sundays 9am at church with Art Tordoff, Mondays 7pm at church with Pastor Jamie, Tuesdays 9am at Rosemary Herd's home, and Thursdays 3pm at Ruth McLellan's home. Please contact the pastors to join a group and to get the materials – it’s not too late!

Sessions:
-- Classifieds: Trying To Fill the Hole in the Soul
-- Good Works: Putting Faith Into Action
-- Diversity: Understanding What Unites Us
-- Breaking News: Coping with the Unexpected
-- Rain: Seeing God in the Everyday Session
-- Love Letters: Mending a Lost Relationship

In addition, the pastors are leading a preaching series during this time based on the text. Those who wish to use these in their personal devotions may find these Scriptures helpful:

February 22 -- Group Session #1 -- Genesis 18:1-15
March 1 -- Group Session #2 -- Acts 10:1-11:18
March 8 -- Group Session #3 -- Luke 10:25-42
March 15 -- Group Session #4 -- Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12
March 22 -- Group Session #5 -- Job 15
March 29 -- Group Session #6 -- Exodus 3:1-4:17
April 5 -- Group Session #7 -- Romans 8:28-39

Midweek Lenten Service Schedule

On Wednesdays during Lent, the United Methodist Churches in the Casco Bay Cluster co-lead worship services on Wednesdays at 7pm. This year’s worship theme is “Personal encounters with Jesus on the way to the cross” and will consist of music, prayer, meditation and some creative art form such as art, dance or poetry. Afterwards, worshippers gather for some light refreshments. All are invited. You can get driving directions through www.neumc.org or contact the pastors at 799-6814.

3/4 Elm Street UMC Gene Koelker preaching
The church is located at 168 Elm Street in South Portland. FMI call 799-0407.

3/11 Buxton UMC Ruth Morrison preaching
The church is located at 276 Chicopee Rd in Buxton. FMI call 642-3996.

3/18 Thornton Heights UMC Lee Smith preaching
The church is located at 100 Westbrook Street in South Portland. FMI call 774-0487.

3/25 West Scarborough UMC Jamie Arrison preaching
The church is located at 2 Church Street-Route 1 in West Scarborough. FMI call 883-2814.

4/1 First UMC Lynne Campbell preaching
The church is located at 179 Ridgeland Avenue in South Portland. FMI call 767-2688.

4/10 (Good Friday) Peoples UMC All clergy leading
The church is located at 310 Broadway in South Portland. FMI call 799-6814.

Preparing Children for Easter at Peoples

The children’s Sunday School is beginning a new unit during Lent ( the weeks leading up to Easter) to teach children how Jesus journeyed to the cross in order to show Gods powerful love for us.

The unit will kick off with a children’s worship service on 3/1, followed by a 4-week center-based curriculum, PowerXpress, which includes music and movement, crafts, storytelling, cooking and video.

Thank you to all of the teachers to will be serving during this unit. Please invite your friends and family who have kids! FMI call Andy Folley, 749-5702.

Freed-Up Financial Living

The Gospel is all about setting us free. One of the great burdens in our lives today is our personal finances. Come and study biblical principals for managing your finances and live more freely. This is an excellent opportunity to invite friends burdened with financial struggles, debt or just have a desire to understand their finances better. This is an excellent tool that can help set you and your friends free from worry about this constant challenge in our lives. Friday March 20 7-9pm and Saturday 8:45am - 3pm. Particpants guide $15 and $3 for lunch Saturday. Please consider paying for friends you are inviting. Checks payable to Peoples UMC. Contact Art Tordoff or the pastors for further information. Brochures are available at church.

Ministry at SMCC

For many years before we arrived in 2005 as your new pastors, Peoples people have been praying for the Southern Maine Community College, and for vision in how to be in ministry to the college in our neighborhood.

That vision began to be revealed to us several years ago when we began a discussion group with just a few students Fall semester 2006. Those students have now begun an official student group at the college, the first group in the history of the school that has been initiated by the students with no faculty or staff leadership. They have named themselves SERVE, and their vision is to serve the student body in various ways, including providing opportunities for study, discussion, prayer and service. They now meet several times per week:

The Inter-Faith Discussion Group Mondays at 2:00pm - Preble 106
The Bible Discussion Group Wednesdays at 12:00pm- Preble 207
The SERVE meeting Thursdays at 12:15pm- Hague Hall 201
The Prayer Group Thursdays at 3:00pm -Campus Center Boardroom

Community members are welcome to attend any of these meetings. SERVE would particularly appreciate financial support from local churches and the community as they do not wish to do fund raisers within the student population they are aiming to serve - what a great witness and example they set!

Pastor Gwyneth continues to participate in some of these meetings and provide pastoral support when needed. The students continue to send thanksgiving our way for the prayers through the years, and our continued support.

If you would like to contact SERVE to see how you might be able to continue supporting them, please call or email Bethany Aelmore at myall4_him@hotmail.com or 699-6322.

Life in Review 2008

What is Life in Review? Exactly that; a time to review our life together over the past year and celebrate what God has done through Christ's church at Peoples. Often we spend all of our time and energy on planning future events; this is a time to spend time remembering the past.

The event started with potluck lunch with the 2008 Variety Show video, made by Wes Splettstoesser, playing in the background. That was fun to see again, and Wes is making copies for a number of folks who wanted a copy of their own!

For dessert, there was a homemade cake by Carol Bruneau, as well as many other goodies. As folks began dessert, the senior choir sang, followed by the Junior Choir which sang some of the Sunday School songs they've been learning.

Next we saw a slide show created by Pastor Gwyneth showing many of the year's events, and getting a few laughs too.

The first presentation was a celebration by Dan Doughty, Chair of Staff Parish Relations Committee to celebrate Debbie Cole coming on as our part time Music Director in 2008. Debbie got a standing ovation! This was followed by an ABC list of Sunday School activities by Andy Folley and a Vacation Bible School video by Karen Jennnings.

Merrill Kaiser, Andy Folley, Carol Bruneau and Rosemary Herd presented a skit to summarize how our mission focus on Heifer began, and how we reached our goal of raising an ark through the inspiration of the Sunday School.


Earle dressed up as a mosquito for the Nothing But nets presentation! As Carol Bruneau talked they threw a net over unsuspecting attendees, and then set up a hoop for Isaac Dunn to throw his basketball. Peoples overshot their goal of 17 nets by a lot, with close to 70 nets purchased.

The Trustees skit was created by Chuck Kamilewicz, but was ill so his son Rob played the role of chair. All of the items on the agenda were tabled, but some of them were quite interesting!

Art Tordoff put together a great quiz show using the format of "So you think you're smarter than a ..." The questions revolved around the history of Peoples and People people in the distant as well as recent past. Groups competed for the correct answers. Do you know for instance the address of Peoples when it was in Ferry Village? Lots of fun learning. Marlene Tordoff also presented the people who have had the longest membership at Peoples. We concluded the presentations with Karen Freitas speaking about the new worship / meditation service we started last Spring and singing a reflective song similar to those used in this service.

A few words were spoken about Malcolm Cass, Ada Tordoff, Carolyn and Butch Teeter, and Grace Corey, all who went to be with the Lord this year. Pastor Jamie then wrapped up the time with an Igniting Ministries video to speak about some of our vision for 2009.

Thank you to all who organized, participated, brought food, and came out for this special time.

Sunday School Mural

The Sunday School has been hard at work painting the mural designed by Rosemary's son, Gary Herd. The big day was February 15 when the kids completed the mural!

The theme as you can see is baptism, which the kids studied about in the winter Sunday School unit. The mural portrays John baptizing Jesus in the Jordan River.

The unit used the PowerXpress curriculum, and included center-based teaching such as cooking mud pies and locust pies, baptizing bears, singing, games and crafts. The unit concluded with a summary of what baptism means for us and why we believe in baptism, and used a bowl of water, shell, heart, rock and towel to explain some of the elements of baptism, followed by a time for questions.

What a fun time of learning this has been. Again a big thank you to the Folleys and all of the teachers and parents for your time and hard work.

Candlelight Meditation Services

Meditative music, Scripture, prayer and silence in candlelight. For the remainder of the Spring, the meditation services will be held monthly instead of weekly, on the 1st Sunday of the month:

Sunday, March 1 7pm
Sunday, April 5 7pm
Sunday, May 3 7pm
Sunday, June 7 7pm

The service begins at 7pm and lasts about 45 minutes, with a chance to gather for snacks and fellowship afterwards. This is a great chance to invite a friend.

"Hearts For Healing” Pillows

For the second year, the Prayer Shawl and Arts & Crafts Ministries made "Hearts for Healing" pillows for the Mercy Oncology Center. Sewing pillows before the meeting were Susan Angell, Janice Huelin and Marlene Tordoff. Helping to stuff the pre-sewn pillows with fiberfill and hand sew the openings were Joyce Alexander, Susan Angell, Kathy Brann, Doreen Gay, Janice Huelin, Betty Lane, Betty Smith, Marlene Tordoff and Catherine Whittemore. Art and Marlene Tordoff delivered 26 pillows on February 13, 2009 to the Mercy Oncology Center.

On behalf of the group, Marlene Tordoff received an e-mail from Lenore Kraus, Oncology Social Worker, expressing her appreciation and saying, "Those pillows may be feather light but are worth their weight in gold!"

Another Oncology Social Worker, Colleen O’Connor, sent a lovely thank-you note. She said, "The patients are enjoying different ways to use the pillows bringing some comfort at a difficult time."

What a joy to reach out to our local community and to provide the comfort to those in need as Jesus would have us do.

UMCOR Kits

This month we are collecting school kits, anyone who would like to make up a whole kit can do so or they can pick up any item or items on the kit list and put them in the box in the back of the church and we will put the kits together when we have enough items to do so. The school kits have to go in a cloth bag and the directions for these are included in the list in a box in the back of the church for anyone who would like to sew a bag. If you have questions, please contact Carol Bruneau at 799-5995. Thank you!

CLYNK !

If you would be willing to donate your redemption bottles to the church please see Susan Angell for a CLYNK bag, or call her at 799-8340. Then just fill up your bag (please no Smiling Hill glass bottles in the bags though) and drop it off at Hannaford - you don't even need to wait for it. CLYNK personnel are only there during daytime hours, but you can drop your bag off anytime the store is open.

Each bag has a bar code which is scanned by CLYNK and the money goes into the Peoples Church account automatically. The funds this year will be put toward paying our mission shares. For more information on CLYNK go to http://www.clynk.com/

Also, Chuck Kamilewicz has offered to help people get bags to Hannaford for those who may have difficulty doing this. You can contact him at 767-4841.

Valentine's Cookie Bake

The cookie bake began with pizza and card games after Sunday School on February 8. Behind the scenes in the kitchen, Rosemary Herd and others were busy baking delicious cookies - sheets and sheets of cookies! They were then brought out on racks to cook, and the kids got to work smearing frosting and decorating with heart candies and sprinkles.

Several hundred cookies were decorated by the Sunday School. Several cookies were then put in plastic bags for distribution.

While the kids were still decorating, some more adults were busily compiling the list of recipients who included newcomers, shut-ins and other grandmothers and grandfathers of the faith at Peoples. This group decorated cards and attached them to each bag of cookies.

A big thank you to Andy Folley and Rosemary Herd for coordinating this awesome event, and for all of the parents, teachers and others who came out to help make this such a successful and fun time.

Commissioned into Ministry

During worship on January 25, we commissioned everyone serving on teams, committees and ministries with our blessing and prayers. This was an idea brought forth by Linda Wade who had witnessed such a service at another church last year when she was out of state.

So that Sunday School folks would not miss out on this event, we held the commissioning service at the beginning of worship. And since Sunday School is studying baptism this month, it was the perfect opportunity to talk to the kids about how each of us receives our call to ministry at the time of our baptism, just as Jesus received the Holy Spirit and was empowered to begin his ministry at his baptism.

Commissioning involves not just blessing and prayer but also accountability. Each team, committee and individual serving in ministry at Peoples was asked to stand and remain standing, and then were asked a series of accountability questions ... by the children. Readers included Isaac Dunn, Megan Arey, Jonathon Locke, Faith Arrison and Nathan Dunn. What a humbling experience to be reminded of our responsibility as a congregation to love, serve and disciple children and adults alike.

May all who have been called by God into ministry this year know the blessing and power of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Baptizing Bears

The excellence and excitement of our Sunday School program continues with the unit on the Baptism of Jesus. The Power Xpress program we use immerses the kids in a single Bible story for four weeks through various interactive means that can include art, science, cooking and more. This unit includes Ellen walking the kids through a baptismal service using stuffed animals and an coloring in an amazing mural  designed by Rosemary's son Gary Herd. Make sure you see the mural  in the Sunday School room off of Ellis Hall.

Upcoming units include the road to the cross and Easter. It is always a good time to start, so make sure to invite friends and family with kids to join in the fun.

Peoples Hosts Church Life Training

Our annual Church Life training was particularly inspiring this year with a program led by Alexx Wood on welcoming and Igniting Ministry. Break out groups also covered finance, trustees, SPRC and reorganizing churches for growth. Check in with Jamie, Art, Dan, Kathy or Betty Smith to see what you missed. We will be bringing forward additional material from the igniting ministry program in the coming weeks, so please stay tuned. 

Sunday School during Lent

The kids Sunday School will be hosting their next PowerXpress unit during Lent, entitled: "Journey to the Cross." These will take place on March 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th.

This would be a great opportunity to invite a friend or family member with elementary-aged children. For questions or more information, please contact Andy Folley at 749-5702.

Valentine’s Cookie Bake

The Sunday School is organizing a cookie bake on February 8 after church to bake cookies and bring them to nursing homes in the community. More details will be available in worship on February 1, or you may contact Rosemary Herd at 799-2392 or Andy Folley at 749-5702.

Prayer Shawl Meeting Feb 12

The Prayer Shawl ministry and Craft group will be meeting on Feb 12. The group meets every 2nd Thursday at 7pm, and all are welcome who would like to help out. Last month, instructions were given out for preemie hats, which can be crocheted or knitted. We are also getting low on shawls – if you are able to crochet or knit, or can donate yarn, please contact Marlene Tordoff at 799-6222 as soon as possible. The latest shawls will be blessed during worship on February 8.

Letter from Marlene Tordoff:

The Peoples UMC Prayer Shawl and Arts & Crafts Ministries are reaching out to our local community with two projects. If you knit, crochet or sew, you can help with these project, too.

1. We are making knit or crocheted preemie, toddler or young children's hats to be delivered to Maine Medical Center at the end of February. These are to be made of soft, acrylic yarns, not wool or metallic and no pompoms. I do have several patterns. Betty Smith shared the Perfect Preemie Hat pattern with us at our last meeting. I know Rosemary Herd can use hats in her department, but Judy Tordoff Aiken said they have a need for children's hats in the radiology department, too.

2. We will be making Heart for Healing Pillows for breast cancer surgical patients at our next meeting on February 12 at 7 P.M. in Ellis Hall. We made 12 pillows last year for Mercy Hospital. The oncology department will gladly take more.

Materials needed are 1 1/2 yards of 100%cotton fabric that is soft on the skin, fiberfill and thread. Other supplies might be a portable sewing machine (I have one), scissors, pins and needles. If you do not sew, perhaps you could donate material, help cut out the hearts or stuff the pillows with fiberfill.

Providing we do not have another snowstorm, I look forward to having you join us on February 12.

In Christian love,
Marlene Tordoff

Grace Corey, beloved and remembered

Grace Corey, a longterm and active member of Peoples Church went to be with the Lord on January 10, 2009. A service was performed by Pastor Jamie and Rev. Lin Arnold at Peoples to celebrate her life, grieve her loss, and remember that the resurrection reality Grace now experiences is our own hope as those in Christ.

Thanks to all who surrounded the family with love and care, and especially to Brad Morrison and the UMW for hosting a beautiful reception in Ellis Hall.

We miss you Grace.

Valentines Day Men's Breakfast

Men’s Breakfast Feb 14 7:30am – Come on out and enjoy some great food and fellowship. All men are welcome!

The men's breakfast takes place every 2nd Saturday.

Life in Review 2008

Due to the storm, the celebration is postponed until February 15 after church. All are invited to lunch followed by some fun presentations from ministries and teams from the church to celebrate what God had done throughout the year.

Please contact Chris Ward if you can bring a casserole, dessert, salad or drinks to share. Mark your calendars!

United Methodist Women

United Methodist Women will be meeting February 17 2pm in Ellis Hall. This is the group primarily responsible for putting together the monthly bean suppers and annual Christmas fair. Please contact Chris Ward for more info at 767-2516.

School Vacation Notes

The pastors will be away during school vacation week February 16-22. Please contact Earle Harvey at 799-5088 for assistance, or to reach the clergy on call for pastoral care.

There will also be no Sunday School on February 22 due to the school vacation week. Kids are welcome to stay in worship with their families.

Root Cellar February 26

Join us to serve at the Root Cellar on February 26, as we provide food, worship music and a message for their community meal. More information will be available through the next few weeks. We will also be serving at the Root Cellar on May 28 and October 22.

Please contact Carol Bruneau for more information at 799-5995.

You Have a Story to Tell!

You have a story to tell! Come share a retreat time with guidance and practice telling the stories of our faith. Come to hear how Jesus has been faithful and active in the lives of your brothers and sisters.

The pastors are hosting a retreat at their vacation home in Bridgton, Maine near Moose Pond. Friday evening beginning at 6pm will be time for food, singing, fellowship and games for all who would like to stay the night. Others can attend the daytime portion only on Saturday 9am-3pm (content will begin at 10am).

Children of all ages are welcome but there will be no childcare – children and parents can go ice skating, skiing, sledding or just hang out at the house (anyone for some Wii ski?).

Food will be provided (dinner Friday, breakfast and lunch Saturday). Financial donations will be accepted.

For questions or to register, please contact the pastors at 799-6814.

Ash Wednesday

Join us on February 25 at 7pm for worship on Ash Wednesday at the Cape Elizabeth UMC, and each Wednesday 7pm through April 1 at different local UM churches. The schedule will be published in the March newsletter, and will be available at Peoples News Online shortly. The senior choir will be rehearsing on Thursday evening during Lent to allow choir members to attend these meaningful times of worship.

What is Lent?

What is Lent? Forty days of Lent are celebrated by churches all over the world. Lent is the time of year the Church reflects on the events leading up to the crucifixion of Christ and on our own faithfulness as disciples who follow Jesus. Please look for announcements on ways to deepen your relationship with God during this special season which begins on Ash Wednesday, which this year is February 25.

New Small Groups Soon!

The Discipleship committee is planning a few exciting small group series in the next few months, and you don't want to miss these. The first is called "Beyond 30 Seconds," and is planned to begin the week of Ash Wednesday. Honing our hospitality and our sacrifical love for others is a suitable Lenten topic. The adult Sunday School will most likely be participating in this study, with the first week on February 22. That Sunday we will begin a preaching series in conjunction with the study, enabling small groups to discuss the topic after hearing the sermon that week. This is a 7-week study. Small groups currently meeting are welcome to participate, and we are also looking for others who would like to host and/or lead a group.

The second is called "40 Days of Love" which will begin a week after Easter Sunday. This study is very similar to "Purpose Driven Life" and would be great to invite an unchurched friend or family member to attend. Our vision is that 50% of each small group be unchurched friends, family and neighbors. Who might you invite to attend with you? The content revolves are 1 Corinthians 13 including topics such as "Love is Patient and Kind, "Love tells the Truth" and "Love is Forgiving."

Materials for both studies will be arriving within the next few weeks. Please contact Art Tordoff or the pastors for copies, or for more information.

Freed Up – Financial Living

Freed Up – Financial Living is a new Good $ense program sponsored by the Peoples UMC and the Methodist Foundation. March 20-21. Friday 7-9 pm, Saturday 8:45am –2:30pm. Learn valuable techniques for your own personal finances. This training will aid our church in sponsoring future seminars on our own, and will be led by Gary Melville. If you have questions, or wish to register, please contact Art Tordoff or the pastors.

Mark it on the Calendar

The Church Council hosted a special meeting to plan ministry and mission for 2009. The calendaring event took place on January 10 and was well attended. We planned out our committee meeting schedule, Easter worship schedule, special events such as the February church retreat and June BBQ, and discipleship studies such as the 40 Days of Community.

This is not to say that dates set at this meeting are cast in stone. Already several dates since the meeting have been revised. These revisions are made to the calendars and are available to download and print on the Calendar link on Peoples News Online at http://www.peoplesumcnews.blogspot.com/
We will be hosting these Church Council calendaring events three times per year so that there is overlap in our planning process, planning nine months of ministry at a time. The next scheduled events will take place June 6 9am-noon (planning June-February), and October 10 9am-noon (planning October-June), and then again in January (planning January-September). All are invited!

Church Winter Storm Guidelines

Winter has begun! The following are some general guidelines when there is a storm during worship:

1. Each person / family needs to assess the weather and decide for themselves if it would be best to stay home. If you feel that it would be best to stay home, why not take that opportunity to have your own family or private worship service? As a mission, perhaps you could think of some older members of the church and give them a call to see if they're okay and if they need anything.

2. If there is a parking ban in South Portland, and you need to drive to church, please seriously consider staying home. There is very limited parking in the parking lots, and the parking lots will most likely not be plowed anyway. In addition, if there is a parking ban, the Snow Angels will not have cleared the sidewalks so if you do walk to church please be prepared to trudge through the snow up to the doors. As a general practice sidewalks and parking lots will be cleared after a storm has ended rather than mid-storm.

3. We will post Sunday morning worship cancellation on TV WCSH channel 6. If the storm occurs Sunday evening or during the week, we will also post other cancellations on channel 6 as necessary. For individual groups (committee meetings, prayer service, choir rehearsal), the group leader will contact regular members if there is a cancellation.

4. Even in severe weather and worship has been cancelled, one of the pastors will be there to pray or to lead an informal service. There will most likely be no pianist/organist, and there will most likely be no Sunday School (kids or adults) or coffee fellowship.

5. If you decide not to attend church on a Sunday morning, please set aside your gift or pledge contribution and either mail or bring the following Sunday. Wintry Sundays are extremely difficult on the church budget when folks take this as an opportunity to skip a week's donation. Better yet, fill out a direct debit form so you need not worry about making up missed donations at all.

If you have any questions about these guidelines, please contact the pastors or church council chair, Chris Ward. Thank you!