PEOPLES’ ADVENT/CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE

NOV. 24:   10 am—Service of Thanksgiving:  Food Bank Collection

                                                                             Bell Choir Playing

DEC. 1:    10 am—First Sunday of Advent:  Hanging Of The Greens Service

                                                                           Unwrapped Toy Collection

                                                                           Bring an ornament for the                                                                                              Sanctuary Christmas Tree

DEC. 7:     9 am—Victorian Christmas Fair

DEC. 8:    10 am—Second Sunday of Advent-- Island Of Misfit Toys

DEC. 15:   10 am—Third Sunday of Advent--Children’s Christmas Pageant

DEC. 22:  10 am—Fourth Sunday of Advent--“Christmas Grinch”

DEC. 24:  7 pm—Christmas Eve Candle Service--“Charlie BrownChristmas”

                                                                                      Bell Choir Playing

                                                                                      Harry & Humphrey

DEC. 29:  10 am—First Sunday After Christmas--“Frosty”

JAN. 5:  10 am—Epiphany Sunday--Traditional Covenant Renewal Service

CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS

NOVEMBER @ PEOPLES UMC

PLEDGE CARDS:  If you missed worship on Oct. 27 or needed more time to discern your pledge for the coming year, there is still time to bring in your Pledge Card.  Just place it in the plate at the offertory or give it to Finance Secretary Kathy Brann.  Pledges are confidential and cards are available in the back of the Sanctuary.

ADVENT MEDITATIONS:  Each year we share thoughts and prayers in the form of devotionals for the Advent season.  These are gathered into a book.  This year, we are also looking for stories of people who have influenced our lives and brought us to a better place.  While the deadline for submitting these essays is Nov. 10, it is helpful to get them in a.s.a.p., as it takes some time to put it all together.  Submissions should be sent to Art Tordoff.  Directions are available in the back of the Sanctuary or see Art.

CHRISTMAS PAGEANT:  Today starts practice for the children’s Christmas Pageant, which will be offered at our Dec. 15 service.  If you’d like to help with costumes, sets, etc. please see Teresa Folley.

CHURCH CONFERENCE:  Join us as we look over the past year and forward to the next year.  We gather Monday, November 11 at 7 pm in Ellis Hall

 

THIS WEEK AT PEOPLES

                     SUNDAY            Coffee Fellowship Follows Worship

                        6:30 pm--*12 Step                 

MONDAY    7 pm—Cub Scouts

                      7 pm—Bible Study @ Kit Pike’s house

TUESDAY   9 am—Bible Study @ Carol’s house              

                      7 pm—Trustees

                      7 pm—Boy Scouts                   

WEDNESDAY         7 pm—Prayer Gathering   

THURSDAY                7:30 am—Men’s Group

                             4 pm—Cluster @ Elm Street

                             6 pm--Finance

                             6 pm—Bell Choir/7 pm—Choir                       

FRIDAY           

SATURDAY            8:30 am—Men’s Breakfast

                        9:30 am—UMW Christmas Fair Planning

                           8 am--*Aerobics

SOME DATES TO KEEP IN MIND

NEXT SUNDAY—Sound System Training after worship

Nov. 11—Church Conference 

Nov. 12—Tai-Chi Classes Begin

Nov. 16—Bean Supper

Dec. 1—Advent Begins—Hanging Of The Greens Service 

Mulch and Compost Day, Saturday October 5, 2013

After the night of the Variety Show a number of church members were back at Peoples the next day. It was a beautiful crisp fall day in South Portland and the church garden superintendants had scheduled a day to weed and fall feed the gardens on the grounds. Marlene Tordoff, Doreen Gay, Ruth Doughty and Carol Bruneau pulled weeds, repositioned plants, and put white vinegar on the walkways to remove weeds. While they were doing this Tom Nelson was realigning the Cross walk that separates the garden into 4 distinct gardens.

Once this was done Walter Greer had arrived with a yard of mulch and a yard of compost to distribute around the property. Three wheelbarrows were employed to distribute the load in and around shrubs on the property as well as add to the gardens found between Ellis Hall and the Church. Most of the mulch and compost was delivered to each spot by Dave Bruneau and Art Tordoff with the ladies taking their turns. Walter and David cut out a new garden outside the kitchen door of Ellis Hall and planted some Hostas in that location. Trimming around the shrubs and edging the lawn was accomplished by Art Tordoff as well as blowing out sand, dirt and tar from the Ellis Hall parking lot.

 

While Tom was working on the Cross in the garden he uncovered a mystery that may be a slate from the old walk to the parsonage that at one time was at this location before Ellis Hall was built.

From 8:30 AM until noon the church yard was buzzing with activity and a good time was had by all in spite of the fact most of us knew we had been bending and stretching muscles that had not been used in that was for that long.

2013 PUMC Variety Show

This year’s edition of a nearly annual event in the history of the church was just that, variety. America’s Got Talent has nothing on what we experienced in the course of two hours. The evening was filled with music, comedy, and acrobatics.

After being greeted by Susan Angel, members of the church and their friends of all ages entertained an audience of about 60 folks in the church vestry, an intimate setting for this form of activity. Dick Matthews served as the Emcee and interspersed introductions with his droll sense of humor.

The evening was led off by Norah Anderson who performed an enthusiastic Karate demonstration. She was followed by Merrill Kaiser and his buddy Charlie who sang a country classic. Merrill was dressed in his cowboy finery which included his boots and hat.  The only thing missing was his horse.

Aaron Matthews played his clarinet and regaled us with his interpretation of the old rock and roll classic, “Duke of Earl”. Mariah Bowker followed and beautifully rendered the song,” Wind Beneath My Wings”.

Sally Smith returned from many variety shows past and recreated a character that sang, “The Old Gray Goose Is Dead”. What a sad song, but she certainly presented it in a hilarious format. The character she played certainly is different than the real Sally that we know.

The largest group to present themselves before the audience was “The Ushers”.

Most of the members of this group have or do serve as ushers on Sunday mornings and at other times during the year. Let us go on record to say that all who sang have ushered someplace. The female members who performed at the Variety Show this year were Kathy Brann, Carol Bruneau, Marnie Childress Rosemary Herd, Barbara Nelson, and Betty Splettstoesser. The male members consisted of Chuck Childress, Tom Nelson, Randy Pike, Dick Small, and Art Tordoff.

Others who have practiced and will be part of the group at a later date include Dan Doughty and Keith and Becky Snoddy. The first song that the group sang was “I Will Follow Him” and the second song was, “Oh Happy Day”. Both songs might be recognized for their inclusion in Sister Act I and Sister Act II.

 

At intermission folks could indulge in sweets, popcorn and punch as served by Janice Huelin and Becky Gotlieb. While no official intermission was charged donations were accepted. Even a ticket was handed out for the next bean supper, to one lucky person whose name was drawn form a bag.

 

In the second act Charlie and Merrill again entertained us with western flavor in song and Charlie followed with a rendition of a Jethro Tull classic.

 Pastor Tom and Kelly entertained us with a hilarious encounter between a pay phone user who loses his dime and a myriad of telephone company personnel played by Kelly. For those that have not experienced the travail that use to be pay phone difficulties you got the feeling of helplessness and frustration that that was sometimes in the lives of phone users.

Betty Smith sang acappella a song from the movies. She did a great job, one that takes courage without accompaniment.

Paul Obie and Fred Wade played the keyboard andUke during the mid-portion of the second act to a delighted audience.

Marnie and Chuck Childress who had participated with the Ushers sang an inspirational song together and told a few jokes. Marnie in the closing of the show sang with her sister, Rosemary Herd. Aaron Matthews appeared back on the stage briefly in the second act looking for “Attention”.

A good time was had by all and I think all went home glad they had come. It was a good way to support the Peoples family and a way to see people in a different light from the way we do on Sundays.