Peoples Carnival and Fair 2010
ally pony rides. Some of the scenes that I saw show how the crowd was varied and e
ngaged.
The carnival on 9/11 was great fun for church and community folks alike. Fire truck tours, games, crafts, pony rides, face painting, mission displays and lots of fun food including cotton candy, hot dogs, popcorn and pastries to advertise our monthly bean supper!
Many thanks to the South Portland Fire Department who brought a fire truck, and to Hearts and Horses Farm who brought ponies. Many thanks to Kimberley for a fabulous job face painting all day, to Kathy for keeping kids busy with card crafts, to Andy, Teresa, Karen, Betty, Benjamin, Brad, Betsy, Adrienne and others who set up and helped with games, to Betty for creating a 9/11 prayer room, to Jan, Rob, Dianna, Joanne, Chuck and others who helped out with food, to the Wayside, Scouts, Marlene, Chris, Rosemary, Tammy, Debbie and others who brought displays and helped behind the scenes, to Merrill, Chuck and Art for photography, David for the sign, and Brad, Chuck, and others who helped set up and clean up, to Carol for heading up and to all the folks who attended to make this such a great community outreach event!
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!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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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!
is 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.
ed hang fishing nets across the entire Ellis Hall ceiling!
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 loud as they could (sometimes so loud that it would knock Pastor Jamie right off his feet)!
, 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.
hare 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.
Vacation Bible CampYou don't want your kids to miss this opportunity. Click here to view photos from last year's amazing Vacation Bible Camp, Avalanche Ranch Photo Album.
The 2010 Strawberry Fest and Yard Sale was another great success and lots of fun. Many thanks to Barbara for heading up and all those who donated, helped set up and take down, made food, manned tables and showed hospitality to all those who came through the doors! Click here to view the 2010 Yard Sale Photo Album.
Earl e Harvey
The mission team had a great opportunity to join in the work begin done by Urban Promise in
One of the most impressive times was in sharing with the college students who come there to become counselors to assist in the training of the youth in the various programs. These college students feel led to give up their summers rather than to spend it on themselves. They have felt and seen the need to share Christ’s love with those in need; they reflect love which gives hope to those where there may be little hope.
Isaac Dunn I went on the mission trip to see how other people live, outside of what I’m used to. I was really impressed by the street leaders, how mature and responsible they are, and what they go through living in the inner city. Andthey’re only teenagers! It was an amazing trip, and I want to go again.
Fred Wade "Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” - Matthew 22:36-40 (New Living Translation)
Last month, I got a chance to see what the world could be like if we all really followed these commandments. I went to 
ajor who shared that she had just come back from a short weekend with her family. We later learned that she visited her father who was terminally ill. It was a reminder that even in place of such faith and service that there are still difficulties but that shouldn't keep you from living according to God's purpose and calling.
It was at
We were a little confused at first, we thought these beautiful kids couldn't be from the inner city and the environment of drugs and gun violence that we had heard about. The street leaders, high school kids, who are in training to be the next Urban Leaders, told us that indeed these kids come from neighborhoods where drugs and guns are rampant, but in
I wanted to see what poverty really looks like and to try to help. I really liked being with the kids and making new friends. Even though I got poison sumac (while doing yard work project), I’m glad I went and I would go again
Ellen Dunn
From the moment I first heard about a mission team being formed to go out from
Our journey to inner-city 
ncy and self-centeredness. Even with my Christian faith and good intentions, my life over a couple of decades had become all about Me and securing my own physical and emotional comfort. My week in
In
I also saw that for anyone who responds to this love and gets into and sticks with God’s ministry, there comes a time when you realize that you can’t do this by your own strength, skills, or good intentions alone. In a strange environment, in the heat and humidity, in the face of complex circumstances way beyond us, this became obvious very quickly. Like it or not, God’s love in action takes sacrifice and a willingness to be vulnerable to pain and discomfort. It requires a humble spirit and way of living. I’ll never forget how one staff member described Joel, a college-age intern who is a skateboarder kind of guy from
At
But that’s the good news! On our mission trip, I saw that God’s grace is available to all, sufficient for all, everywhere and at all times. It’s by His love and power that the
Pastor Gwyneth I remember when I was in 
zing to me, how God put together the team, how devotional ideas for each preparation meeting just came to me, as if God spoke the ideas into my head, and how the whole team handled our last minute change in plan from
Our drive together was long, but filled with good conversation, games and a relevant movie, “Blindside.” We worshipped Sunday morning at an African American church,
The team gladly accepted the idea of sharing the leadership of morning devotions, and it was especially meaningful to share communion together on several mornings. Since I know
While at
The most meaningful aspect of the actual mission was helping the kids feel valued. This was particularly apparent on the field trip to
1 Folks from Peoples joined together to send-off the church's first mission team out of the state of Maine on Saturday, going to Wilmington Delaware. Travel was smooth, taking about 10 hours with stops, and was a great time for team bonding - we talked, played games and watched the video "Blindside" which inspired some great discussion. We have a house to ourselves right in the i
nner city neighborhood which is furnished except for beds. On Sunday we worshiped at Mount Joy United Methodist Church, an African American congregation near Urban Promise. They were incredibly welcoming and joyful as their name implies. Sunday evening we met with Urban Promise staff and the other church group - about 70 people total, for a barbecue, devotion, witness, worship and orientation. Day 1 of the mission begins tomorrow... Click here to view the Send Off and Sunday Worship Photo Album
e Peoples mission team spent our first day in mission at Urban Promise! In the morning we helped out at Camp Freedom, a Christian camp with about 60 kids, and in the afternoon we did yard clean up and office organization at another camp location. In the evening we attended a panel discussion with teen street leaders at Urban Promise which was very eye-opening for all of us. We begin and end each day with devotions - morning devotions are led by the mission teams, and we are rotating leadership each day; evening devotions are led by Urban Promise staff who come over to the house for some Bible study and discussion about our experiences of the day. Click here to view the Day 1 Mission Photo Album
mission team has continued to be blessed in our interaction with the kids, street leaders and others at the camp. On day 3 we also got to serve at Sunday Breakfast Mission, an amazing ministry to homeless men, women and families, as well as those in need of a meal, clothing, litigation, education, resume and job training. We helped pack school backpacks there, and got a tour of the facility and the new family housing section under construction. Click here to view the Day 2 and 3 Mission Photo Album.
oday our group led the mid-day program with games, songs and a skit with the kids. In the afternoon we helped with several mailings which involved sorting, stuffing, labeling and stamping. This was our first air conditioned work project! In the evening we went up to South Street and Penn's Landing in Philadelphia and had cheese steaks! Since Pastor Gwyneth grew up near Philadelphia she was able to lead the team to the best places. Click here to view the Day 4 Mission Photo Album.
ng Wood Gardens. Most of these kids spend every day in the city and rarely have the opportunity to experience the beautiful sights, sounds and smells of gardens and fountains. Each group had about 15 kids and were given a guided tour, including a talk on Monet and a chance to sketch by the pond. We also saw catfish in the pond! After the field trip, our team from Peoples visited the Brandywine River Museum which features many Wyeth paintings. Ellen stayed back with Nathan for this portion of the trip due to his recovering from poison sumac; the two of them helped out in the office of Urban Promise with several huge mailings. After an evening debriefing with awesome reflection centers, we packed and cleaned up the house to leave Saturday morning. Click here to view the Day 5 Mission Photo Album.
