Schedule for Worship – If There Is No Interim Site
May 1ST – Worship at the Williamstown Youth Center (270 Cole Ave, Williamstown) at 10:30 a.m. Help us evaluate this potential interim worship site.
May 8TH – We are worshiping at our respective churches. Stephen Sneed will be preaching at Williamstown. Pastor Kim will be presiding over Holy Communion at both sites.
May 15TH -- We are worshiping together in North Adams at 9:00 a.m. Church Council Meeting after the service.
May 22ND – We are worshiping together in Williamstown at 10:30 a.m. This is Children and Youth Sunday
May 29TH – We are worshiping at our respective churches.
Pastor’s Message
Grace and peace to you!
Do you remember the story of Jesus sending the 70 out in pairs (Luke 10:1-9)? The one where he gives those strict instructions to carry no money, no change of clothes, no extra sandals?
Jesus instructs his disciples to leave their baggage behind and answer the call to minister to the world. They accepted the mission, and the rest, as they say, is history.
We have been invited to do the same—to leave our baggage behind and go into God’s mission field just like the first followers. We seem to have a harder time doing that—perhaps over the course of 2,000 years, we’ve accumulated more baggage.
We do have lots of baggage—both physical and emotional. We have our buildings, which also hold our memories. We have our past hurts and disappointments that make us hesitant to trust anyone, including God. We’ve exalted money – valuing it above our relationship with one another. Surely, this call to head out into the mission field with just the clothes on our back and abiding faith in God was meant for another time and doesn’t apply to sensible people like us.
Or does it? A few of you have shared stories about answering that call in some way, no matter how impractical it seemed. Whether it’s marrying someone despite different religious backgrounds and working to create a new family; taking a leap of faith to return to school and explore a new vocation; moving to a new place and starting over as you meet new people. Individually, you’ve taken great risks and experienced great rewards. You need to share these stories, noting where you have seen God in these adventures.
And then, we need to listen again to that call to leave our baggage behind and step out in faith into a world of unknowns with just the clothes on our backs and our faith. Jesus doesn’t promise it will be easy. In fact, he warns that we may be rejected, but he says we still need to move forward, shaking the dust off our sandals.
This month, we have three opportunities to worship together and build our community as we step out in mission to our community and world. On May 1, we will worship at the Williamstown Youth Center at 10:30 a.m. Talk about leaving comfort behind! The Youth Center is not a glamorous space, but it is a space where we can come together and be in the presence of God. On May 15, we’ll worship at First Congregational Church North Adams at 9:00 a.m. followed by our Church Council meeting. May 22, we will celebrate our children and youth worshipping at 10:30 at First UMC in Williamstown. We invite you to leave your baggage behind and join us in praising God and building community. In the words of the Spirit Song, “let Him have those things that hold you and His Spirit like a dove will descend upon your life and make you whole.”
Blessings and peace,
Michelle and Kim
Michelle’s Schedule
Michelle will be away for continuing education from May 1st till May 7th. She is taking a course on mediation training. If you need a pastor, call Corrine at 743-7455. She will call Kim and they will work together to respond to your needs.
Michelle will also be on vacation from May 24th through May 31st. If you need pastoral assistance during this time, just call Kim at 413-329-4939.
Michelle’s Appointment
As you might have heard by now, I have been appointed to First United Methodist Church in Hudson, Massachusetts. Hudson is situated in central Massachusetts about an hour west of Boston and a half hour east of Worcester. In its history, Hudson was known for its shoe industry which touches my heart since my father spent most of his career as a shoe salesman. Hudson boasts a population circa 19,000.
First United Methodist Church is an active church in the community. Nestled in the downtown, it averages an attendance of 150 people per Sunday. There are two services – one at 8:15 a.m. and one at 10:30 a.m. with Sunday School in the middle. There is also a Portuguese-speaking congregation that meets in the building on Sunday evenings. Besides numerous Bible Studies and other ways to nourish the spirit, this church also believes in helping the whole person. To reach out to those who are hurting physically and emotionally, the church offers a free medical clinic. Every Monday night, people line up outside to see the doctors on staff for free medical care. The church also sponsors free professional counseling services during the week. To nourish the body, the church offers a free weekly meal as well as a free monthly meal to the community. Both meals not only offer nourishment but fellowship for those who are alone and lonely. While I will dearly miss all of you, I am excited about all the opportunities for ministry that await me in Hudson. Besides reaching out to the immediate community around them, First UMC in Hudson also sponsors two mission trips per year on which anyone can serve. At least one of the mission trips is to Maine to help low-income and poor families who have nothing but shacks in which to live. This church truly believes in being the hands and feet of Jesus.
It is my prayer that as you hear about First United Methodist Church in Hudson that you might get inspired. While I will be the pastor in Hudson, there is no reason that you cannot follow their example. You are not there yet, but notice the word YET. You, too, can grow to be a First United Methodist Church of Hudson. You can have the mission and vision to reach out to the community, to do mission trips, to be a beacon of light for those who are hurting. The opportunities for ministry that await me in Hudson are opportunities that I pray you will someday share as you grow and find your own vision and mission. I will miss each one of you, but I will also miss seeing what you are becoming. I pray you will become a church in mission. I pray you will boldly step out in faith in your community.
Michelle
Church World Service
This is always an exciting time in the Church World Service cycle as we look at all the items that have been collected for our School, Hygiene, and Baby Kits. My office and spare bedroom are stacked with boxes and bags of receiving blankets, towels, notebooks, etc. This abundance is evidence of your generosity. Thank you!
The task ahead of us is to assemble these items into kits. This will happen on Tuesday, May 3rd, 9:00 a.m. at St. John's Episcopal Church in Williamstown. If you can help us assemble the kits, please give me a call at 458-2798.
We are still seeking donations to cover the cost of shipping and handling, which is $2 per kit. We anticipate we will need around $470 to cover this expense. At this writing, we have $200 in our CWS account. Please consider making a donation - any amount helps! Checks can be made payable to the church (please put "Church World Service" on the memo line).
Thanking you in advance, Barbara Kourajian
We Announce Diane Phillips as our Church Secretary
SPRC is pleased to announce that Diane Phillips is Church Secretary for our merged congregation. Diane will work 15 hours per week providing support for our ministries. She prints our bulletins, maintains our database, edits the newsletter, answers phones, coordinates mailings, and makes sure our church runs smoothly. Starting in June the office will be open Wed., Thurs., and Fri. 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. This will enable her to meet with Pastor Kim on Friday mornings.
Diane was born and raised in North Adams and became secretary for the North Adams congregation in Dec. 1999. Before that she had a long career with the North Adams Transcript (28 years) in the production department where she designed ads, worked on legal publications and was a proof reader. With the changing world of computers, every couple of years she has had to learn different techniques of word processing. She is always challenging herself with new ways to stay updated.
Diane is married to Gary Phillips, retired now from Williams College. They have had a happy marriage since June 1973. Their favorite vacations are cruising the high seas.
They have a daughter (Kristy) who is married and is a lawyer in Boston.
Stop in the office sometime and say hi. She is looking forward to getting to know each and everyone of you.
Youth Group Bowling Event
Twelve people attended the bowling gathering on March 26th at Mt. Greylock Bowl, which was hosted by the youth group. Young and old were there to bowl and cheer on those who were bowling. It was a fun time for all filled with strikes, spares, and a few gutter balls even with the bumpers up. Overall it was a great time to laugh, talk and of course bowl! Submitted by Nicole Allen
Wesley Walkers – Relay For Life
Team Wesley Walkers is ready to walk again! For the second year, our church has gathered together family and friends to participate in Relay For Life in North Adams. The event will take place Friday, May 20th and Saturday, May 21st from 6:00 p.m. to noon. We would love to have you join our team of walkers. If you are unable to walk, you could participate by donating to our team. Together we can help make a difference! Please contact the church office or your team captains for more information.
Lisa Allen and Christa Levesque,
Team Captains
Panda Camp – Vacation Bible School
Our theme this year for VBS is PandaMania – Where God Is Wild About You! Children will learn how God has a plan for each of us and how we were each crafted from God’s own loving hands. We are excited to celebrate VBS with the children and youth in our community from August 1 – 5, 9:00 a.m. to noon at the Masonic Temple. All children are welcome to attend this fun-filled, adventurous week.
We are looking for your assistance to make this week unforgettable. Can you volunteer to help with snacks, crafts, music, or bible stories? We are also looking for donations to support our VBS program this year. This is a wonderful opportunity to reach out to the children and youth in our community. Please contact the church office to volunteer or donate. Panda Camp is going to be wild – it promises to the Pantastic!
Ruby Scott and Christa Levesque
Work Bee
Please mark your calendars for an important work bee and sale of items, to be held on Saturday, June 18th from 9:00 – 12 noon at the former FUMC of North Adams, 159 East Main St. Items to be sold: tables, chairs, dishes and other miscellaneous items.
We need workers with large shop vacs, two-three workers in kitchen to count dishes, place settings (to be stored in former pastor’s office). Coffee and donuts will be served. Please let Mickey O’Neill know if you are available, or have shop vacs. 663-9308.
Newsletter Help Always Needed
Help is needed in the N. Adams office at the end of each month to collate the newsletter, stamp envelopes with return address and permit number. With two or three people it can be accomplished in about 2-3 hours. Please call 664-9655 and leave your name and telephone number to volunteer. It will be greatly appreciated.
Help Needed at Williamstown
Volunteers are needed to help with custodial duties. Please sign up at church or see Rev. Michelle. Many hands make light work!!
MAY Take-Out or Eat-In Dinner
Roast Pork Loin, with gravy
Mashed Potato, Peas & Carrots, Corn Bread
Banana Split Cake for dessert
Saturday, May 14th, 2011
TIME: 5:00-6:00 p.m.
PRICE: Adult $9.00 Child $4.50 under 12
Please reserve your dinner in advance by calling the church office at 664-9655 by 5:00 p.m. on FRIDAY, May 13th.
You may leave a message on the answering machine with your name, address, telephone #, & number of dinners; also if you will pick-up, eat-in, or need delivery.
The profit from this dinner will benefit
the Camp Scholarship Fund
Take and Eat
Take and Eat is a weekend meal delivery program. We participate in the Williamstown area Take and Eat every other 1st Sunday of the month. You might be interested in baking desserts on occasion, helping to fill dinner trays or bags of fruit, bread, etc. or you might even be interested in delivering meals. Some of the delivery routes are very short, but even the longer ones don’t take more than an hour…not too much time to give to a very worthwhile cause. Please let one of our coordinators know if you would like to help. Jeanne Moulthrop 663-3630 or Judy Turbin 458-9930.
Newsletter Mailings
We continue moving toward a “Green” e-mail newsletter, for those who prefer to receive it that way. We invite those who wish to have it mailed, please consider making a special donation to off-set the expense -- $12.00 per year is suggested. Please call Diane 413-664-9655 if you would like to receive it by regular mail, or if you would like us to send it by e-mail, or contact us at info@umcwilliamstown.org. We also have printed copies available in both churches the beginning of each month and in the church offices.
Please help us keep our files up to date by reporting any changes of address, phone numbers or e-mail to the church office. This will help us save money on returned mail! 664-9655.
Celebrating Pierre Toureille
Dear Mr. Toureille, March 2, 2011
I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to you and your family for receiving the Righteous Gentile Award on behalf of your father. Pierre Toureille was an incredible man, hero, and friend to the Jewish people. Yad Vashem’s Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority would like to honor his memory with this special commemorative award. Nothing, however, can truly express the gratitude felt for what your father did. He risked his life to save Jews during a time when hate prevailed; he worked vigorously to rescue hundreds of French refugees, and he never faltered when questioned about his relief agency. His sense of moral clarity was and is an example for us all.
Mr. Toureille, the world will never know what would have happened had more people had the courage to do what your father did. He truly is a righteous among the nations. Please accept this award on behalf of your father, and know that his memory will never be forgotten among those of us who represent the State of Israel.
Sincerely, Shai Bazak
Consul General of Israel to New England
You Can Help
Japan Emergency, UMCOR Advance #3021317 is the designated giving channel for contributions to respond to the crisis in Japan. This advance originally was called Pacific Emergency, when the risk of tsunamis was expected to affect the entire region. (Make your check out to your church and note UMCOR #3021317 on the memo line)
100% of donations to this advance help the people of Japan recover from this still unfolding disaster. Your generosity will support the rebuilding of communities, and may address the reconstruction of homes and places of worship, among other needs. Please keep the people of Japan in your prayers.
Campbell’s Soup Labels for Education
Collect just the portion of the label that has the UPC and the point value on it. Bring to the office or there is an envelope on the library cart (with bibles & hymnals) to leave your labels in.
Aluminum Tab Collection
We participate in the aluminum tab collection-recycling project for the Shriner’s Hospital for Children in Springfield, MA. Please remember to save the tabs from soda cans, some soup, or other canned items. You may leave them in the church office or with Karen Marino.
