Lent / Easter - The United Methodist Church of Babylon

The Ties that Bind – NEWSLETTER
United Methodist Church
Babylon, New York 11702
Phone #631-661-5151
Fax #631-661-3043
E-mail address - babylonumc@yahoo.com
Web Page - www.babylonumc.org
LENT/EASTER 2015
From the Pastor's Desk
Dear Friends in Christ,
In the season of Lent we remember the depth of Jesus’ love for us. Greater love has no man than a man lay down his life
for his friends. We are well into the season of Lent.
Palm Sunday is this month. It is March 29th and services will be at 9:30 and 11 am with the Chancel Choir singing at both
services.
Holy Thursday we will have both a soup supper and the historic service of the Upper Room. Soup Suppers are common in
Lent as we mark Lent as a time of fasting. In the historic service of the Upper Room only the words that Jesus uttered at
the Last Supper are spoken as we celebrate communion together. The fellowship of the soup supper will start in the
Fellowship Hall at 6:30 pm and the service will begin in the sanctuary at 7:30 pm.
On Good Friday the sanctuary will be open from Noon to 3 pm: those hours that tradition says that Jesus spent hanging on
the cross. At each quarter hour traditional scriptures will be read and prayers will be said and the church bell will ring. If
you would like to come and read, speak to Rev. Carney. There will be a service of music and drama in the sanctuary on
Good Friday evening at 7:30 pm.
On Easter Sunday there will be three services. They will be held at 8 am, 9:30 am and 11 am. The Chancel Choir will sing
at 8 am and 11 am and the Children’s Choirs will sing at 9:30 am. The sermons which are based on the three different
endings given to the gospel of Mark and based on reactions to the resurrection are entitled,
8 am – Stunned!
9:30 am – Commissioned!
11 am – Fearless!
Mark your calendars. We are in a most Holy Time.
Sincerely yours,
Tom
Pastor Tom
OUR MISSION STATEMENT – We are a community of Christ’s followers. Our mission is to be worshipping, welcoming,
inclusive, caring, growing in faith and to live and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ in the world.
Welcome to eNewsletter 2015. Receiving your newsletter via email will help us to save paper, postage and time. Please
continue to let us know your email address if you have not already done so. Complete the information on the outside of the
newsletter or email us at babylonumc@yahoo.com.
Lent began on February 18. There are many opportunities for you to participate in the life of the church before Easter
comes on April 5. Our Lenten Worship Services are at 8, 9:30 and 11 am. There will be communion at the 8 am service.
The Chancel Choir will sing at 9:30 and 11 am services.
Sunday School – 9:30 am – classes for 3 years through high school.
Easter lilies in memory of a loved one or in honor of someone may be ordered through the church office at $20. Please
order before April 1.
The lilies will be delivered to “Our Friends to Remember” after church services on Easter Sunday. Please volunteer to
deliver plants after the 11 am service.
Ushers are needed for Palm Sunday (8, 9:30, 11:00), Holy Thursday (7:45 in the sanctuary, Good Friday (7:30 in the
sanctuary, and Easter Sunday (8:00, 9:30, 11:00). Please call Doris Richter (669-7065) or the church office to volunteer.
The Infant Toddler Nursery is for all children 3 years and under and is an important element of our church mission.
Nursery care is currently under the direction of Sandra Haas and is available at 9:30 and 11 am. Our Infant Toddler
Nursery is located in the Education Building.
Bible Study – Join an open Bible study and discussion group - Monday morning at 9:45 a.m. Sharon Niggemeier and Ed
Tournu, facilitators. Tuesday Evening at 6:45 p.m. in the library with Rich Santoro, facilitator. For more information, call the
church office.
College Students/Parents – do we have your college address/email? We can email you a newsletter to keep you up-todate on the happenings at church. The Missions committee would like to be able to remember you too. Parents of the
college student please help us by providing their college address, or letting us know they are a commuter student.
Our Food Pantry needs have increased. We are serving many more families on a monthly basis. Please continue to
remember the FOOD PANTRY when you are shopping. Spam, corned beef hash, beef stew, tuna, chili, jelly, peanut butter,
dry milk, canned vegetables, canned fruit, juice, spaghetti sauce, instant potatoes, rice(2lb), coffee, shampoo, toothpaste,
bar soap, disposable razors, dish detergent and laundry detergent. Bread and margarine can be delivered directly to the
food pantry during church office hours. In addition to non-perishable food items, cash donations and supermarket gift cards
are needed and gratefully accepted to assist in meeting the current demands of our food pantry
The Sharing & Caring Soup Kitchen will be seeking donations of packaged candy for “goody bags” from our good
stewards to serve for their Easter Sunday celebration. All donations are greatly appreciated! We also continue to need your
loving donations of hearty soups. If you would like further information, or wish to make donations of soup or candy, please
call Rose Alfini at 669-4581 or Vicki Troise at 234-2560.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - Help with sending newsletters, Update collections in the library, Teach and Substitute at
Sunday School, help at Rotary/BUMC food collections to benefit our food pantry – next food drive on April 11 at Stop/
Shop, Montauk Highway, West Babylon contact Sue Tremblay (422-5839) to help,. Call the church office for additional
information and/or offer to help in other areas.
NURSERY SCHOOL –
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“We say Grace before we have our birthday snack."
Open Registration is underway for the upcoming school year 2015-16. If you would like more information, please contact
Lisa Murray at the Nursery School (661-5165) or email her at umcnsbabylon@hotmail.com.
The Nursery School held a series of after school open house tours for families and their children. Families toured the
school, spoke with our staff and enjoyed watching their children interact with the teachers – some even painted! Thank you
to all who made it a success---the teachers, the Nursery School Board, the Church Office and our custodial staff.
Once again, the Nursery School held a Yankee Candle Fundraiser. This fundraiser will supplement our Equipment Fund.
We are hoping to replace our worn gym equipment and classroom rugs.
The children and teachers participated in our annual cereal drive UMC Blocks Out Hunger which benefits the United
Methodist Food Pantry. This event gives us the opportunity to demonstrate to the children that there are those in our
community who don’t have what they may consider a staple in their cabinets- breakfast cereal. In addition to discussing our
community, the children constructed a large structure in the lobby of the school using their problem solving and creative
skills.
As we move into April and continuing with the theme of our community and what it means to be a contributor towards it, the
children will be creating the UMC Village which will be displayed in April. We hope you take a moment to meander down
Blue Bell Lane and make a right onto Yellow Brick Road to enjoy the sights.
To learn more about our school, visit our website at http://www.babylonumcnurseryschool.com .
OUR PARISH FAMILY
BAPTISMS – Roman Julien Valville Quintero, son of Steven and Monica on February 15, 2015
Alexander John Faure, son of Christopher and Tamara on February 22, 2015.
SYMPATHY – We extend our Christian sympathy to the family and friends of Roy Rasmussen on his death January 17,
2015, to Patricia Klein and her family and friends on the death of her son, Garrett on February 17, 2015 and to Phyllis Ingle,
her friends and family on the recent death of her husband, Phillip.
Hospital Visitation – Due to the Hospital Privacy Act, it is vital that you call the church office when loved ones in the
hospital wish a visit from the pastor.
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The BUMC Wellness Initiative - March Schedule
March 13 - 7pm: Open Mind Dialogue - Inequality
March 14 - 9:30am: Fellowship and Art Service
March 20 - 7pm: Open Mind Dialogue - Being a Christian in 2015
March 21 - 9:30am: Fellowship and Art Service
March 28 - "De-clutter Your Life" Indoor Yard Sale 8am set-up/9am start
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Fellowship Service and Open Minds Dialogue:
Held in Sunday School Chapel, Education Building, Second Floor
De-clutter Your Life Events: Will be held in Fellowship Hall
Wellness Initiative - Open Minds Dialogue
During the season of Lent the Wellness Initiative will be hosting a series of
group discussions on contemporary topics facing us today.
This is a forum where we can dialogue, share, learn, and grow together.
The goal is to open our minds to opposing viewpoints in the context of
Christianity; this is not about church policy-making.
Facilitated by Richard Santoro and Greg Lupion
Fridays at 7pm - Sunday School Chapel, 2nd Floor, Fellowship Hall
* March 13 - Inequality *
* March 20 - What does it mean to be a Christian in 2015? *
Wellness Initiative - Lenten Event
~ De-Clutter Your Life ~
March 28 - "De-clutter Your Life" Indoor Yard Sale 9am start/8am
set-up
Fellowship Hall
Rent a table for your own personal yard sale space
$10 for a card table/$15 for a long table
You can keep your proceeds,
or donate some or all to the Church
* Space is limited - reserve now *
* Please place in offering or return to the Church office
Name __________________________________________
Email __________________________________________
Tel. # __________________________________________
Yes, I am interested in reserving a table for the March 28 Indoor Yard Sale ____
* This does not officially reserve you space, it only helps us gauge numbers
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4th & 5th Grade Annual St. Patrick’s Day Bake Sale to benefit
Common Hope and Mill Neck School for the Deaf
Date: March 15th
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Make sure you pick up your yummy baked goods to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!
In years past, the bake sale has raised on average $350 to benefit various charities like the LI Ronald McDonald House,
Amazima Ministries, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and Soles for Souls. We are hoping to raise the
bar this year and raise $400, so we can split the donation to support two charities we have connected with as a class.
Common Hope promotes hope and opportunity in Guatemala, partnering with children, families, and communities
who want to participate in a process of development to improve their lives through education, health care, and housing.
Renee Walters, 4th & 5th grade BUMC Sunday school teaching assistant volunteered the summer of 2014 in
Guatemala and sponsored a child. The children would like to support Renee and Common Hope with half the bake sale
proceeds.
The children have been learning monthly bible verses in sign language as part of the Grow, Proclaim, Serve
curriculum and are in the process of learning May the Lord (Benediction) in sign language for promotion Sunday. The 4th
& 5th grade class would like to help children that are deaf on Long Island, so they would like to donate the second half of
the proceeds to the Mill Neck School for the Deaf.
Please support the children and their cause and let them know that their actions truly can make a difference for
children close to home on Long Island and abroad.
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Good Stewardship Tips –
1. Please write your name and/or envelope number clearly if your use pew envelopes.
2. Please designate the exact amounts for your offerings. We would like to make sure the donation is credited to the right
place. If no amounts are given, we cannot assume your intentions. Communion envelopes get credited to the Pastor’s
Discretionary Fund. For example: weekly $50. + soup $5. + pantry $5. = total $60.
3. Fill out your check completely.
4. If you have preprinted envelopes and you skip a few weeks, it is not necessary to send in the multiple envelopes. Just fill
out the current envelope and place your total offering in it. A lump sum will be entered with the current date on your
statement.
5. Yes, you can send your donation directly to the church if you are unable to attend Sunday service.
6. If you would like envelopes, please let us know. They can be provided any time during the year.
7. If you use bill payer and would like to mail a check directly to the church, please include your envelope number on the
memo line.
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Getting ready to plan your summer vacation?
Why not take a trip to the past at this year’s Vacation Bible School program? Please plan to join us as we take a
journey and discover God’s everlasting love with Bible Blast to the Past!
Time Travelers 4-years-old through those entering sixth grade AND Volunteer “Tour Guides” are needed so save the dates –
August 10th through August 14th, 2015 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day. If you are interested in teaching,
coordinating, decorating or volunteering to help out in any capacity, please contact Meredith Lupion as soon as
possible either by email at bumcvbs@gmail.com or by phone at (631) 748-1173.
Participant Registration information and registration forms will be available starting in May. Look for them in the church
newsletter!