Pastor Kelly

photo by Steve Hilbun

F � � � � � � � � � � D � � � When ELUMC members talk about transforma�ve moments in this congrega�on, many tell stories of ge�ng to know people who are different from themselves. In developing rela�onships with others, they learn more about another person’s experience, and they discover more about themselves.

Whether it’s tutoring a Muslim refugee family, serving someone without access to healthcare at the Pioneer Free Health Service, welcoming a gay visitor on Sunday morning and celebra�ng their marriage, hearing the stories of immigrants at the Jus�ce for Our Neighbor legal clinic, mentoring a confirmand, teaching our children, standing with Jews and Muslims against hate crimes, learning about food insecurity at the Crop Walk, si�ng with a member who needs visi�ng, working across racial & denomina�onal lines with New Hope Regional Ministry, the Council of Churches, the Rainbow Community Garden, or swinging a hammer on a Mission Trip, Habitat House or Revitalize Springfield – those encounters, with those of different backgrounds, lead to awakening, compassion, and transforma�on.

Learning to listen to and live with those who believe differently couldn’t be more important for our �me. It’s a relevant skill for our denomina�on headed into the called session of General Conference this February. Bishop Karen Oliveto’s new book Together at the Table: Diversity without Division provides wisdom about not confusing uniformity with unity.

And the regional clergy (Jewish, Chris�an, Unitarian, and Buddhists) have been working on an opportunity this fall (and another one in the spring) where two clergy from

various religious backgrounds pair up to discuss one of the sacred texts we have in common. We imagine it as a �me when we can explore our differences and learn more about one another. Part Bible study, part social commentary, our hope is that by understanding our own par�cular tradi�on be�er we can come to appreciate the other.

We know from experience that developing such rela�onships can transform. We’re coun�ng on

this �me together to help us engage the world in more faithful and civil ways. Given the ugly rhetoric in the public square and the demoniza�on of those with whom we

disagree, it’s cri�cal we come together with our neighbors to find

common ground.

The interfaith clergy from our area have been mee�ng together for years and planning for such an opportunity to

engage our neighbors next door in study, debate,

sharing and discussion. At the end of the 2nd 6-week session,

we hope to bring in scholar Amy-Jill Levine to illuminate our tradi�ons and how to avoid the slippery slope of disrespect and disengagement.

It’s one small way to stop griping about all the incivility and hate we see in our world and do something posi�ve.

I know you have lots of priori�es but I hope you will prayerfully consider se�ng aside a couple hours for six weeks – bringing together this broad array of religious leaders doesn’t happen o�en, certainly never so close to home. This is your opportunity to engage others and repair the world. Please see page 6 for the par�culars.

Shalom,

September 2018 [ on-line edition ]

T���� East Longmeadow

Longmeadow

Springfield

F � � � � Jewish

Chris�an

Unitarian

Buddhist

T�� W���� T���� Values

Civic engagement

Our calling

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Special health concerns: Hank & Bev K___ , Tom R___ & Phyllis R___ .

Marilyn B___ - LifeCare, Wilbraham

Dot B___ - Redstone

Joan K___ - Wells Country Village, Vernon CT

___ ___ -

C����� �� A������ Robert Ferguson 418 Reeds LNDG Springfield, MA 01109

Email: Bob_418@comcast.net

G������ S���������� CROP H����� W���

Sunday, October 14 Trinity UMC, Springfield

Registra�on: 1:00 PM Start 2:00 PM

Contact the Church office if you want to walk

CROP Kickoff Rally, September 10, 7:00 - 8:30 pm Foster Memorial Church, Springfield

Please see the back of the calendar or the last page of the on-line version for more information

CRAFTY APPLE FAIR

Saturday, November 10 9:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.

Contact Sco� Grabowski to volunteer.

Regular office hours resume Tuesday, September 4

Monday - Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

OCTOBER 28, 2018, 3:00 PM with District Superintendent David Calhoun

SPRC meets at 2:00 pm

September 7 Carol & Bill Johnston 10 Amy Baron-Burke & John Burke 16 Rick & Ellen Marcil 17 Cindy & John Arnold

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Dear Friends,

Your support has brought us to strength now, as opportuni-ty, changing minds, and the Bible itself call for ac�on to bring jus�ce and equality to our Church. Thank you for your recent gi� of $225. The generosity of Reconciling Communities like yours makes possible the lifesaving ministries of crea�ng safe sanctuaries and just policies for people of all sexual orientations and gender iden��es. We’ve come a long way in 30 years and there is s�ll much work to be done to manifest the peaceable kin-dom of God on earth today. We will put your gi� to good use right away. Thank you for your Reconciling Community’s inspiring support!

Many blessings, Jan Lawrence, Execu�ve Director

H����� I������������ Dear Friends: Thank you for partnering with Heif-er Interna�onal. We have received $46 from your group of donors. The end of extreme poverty is

within our grasp, and your help ma�ers. Your commit-ment to helping others gives hope to families who once struggled with hunger and poverty and provides the foun-da�on for strong farming families.

Thank you for inves�ng in Heifer Interna�onal to help make a be�er world - family at a �me.

Sincerely, Pierre U. Farrari, President and CEO

Our thanks to Dave Ritchie and Steve

Wood for the great job they con�nue to do on the mowing of the church property, it is a huge task every week.

Another thank you to Brian Kingsley who has also been working on the grounds weeding, trimming grass, cu�ng branches and working on the hedges.

To all three of you we appreciate your service to the church.

Bob Ferguson, along with his son and daughter, Mark and Linda, wish to thank the members of the congrega�on for their

support and kind words over the last few weeks. Your thoughts and prayers have helped us heal from the loss of our mother and wife. We are especially grateful for those who had a part in the memorial service and to all those who helped with the luncheon. May God bless you all.

The Ferguson family

A L����� N��� �� T����� Dear Church Family,

Thank you for all of your prayers and guidance while I was looking for a job. I appreciated all of your kind words and support these past couple of years.

Blessings, Gail McGrath

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Thanks to all who donated school supplies for The Springfield and East Longmeadow schools. Your generosity will help our students have the supplies they’ll need to have a successful school year.

T����� �� L � J L���� A big THANK YOU to Jon Knight & Joyce D’Angelo and everyone at L & J Linens for always provid-ing tablecloths & napkins for the different func�ons here at ELUMC. The beau�ful cloth tablecloths & napkins give an

extra special touch to our gatherings.

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D���������� B������� �� ��� O�������, E����������� H������� �� D���� L�����

Inspired by the tradi�on of Cel�c spirituality and featuring the blessing poems of Beth A. Richardson (Christ Beside Me, Christ Within Me: Celtic Blessings), we spent time this summer steeping in the blessings that surround us and live within us. We invited you to look for blessings in the ordinary objects, habits, and stuff of life. These are some blessings our members shared with us.

Tom & Joan McGowan Bless to me ... front porches, evenings of recovering and rejuvena�on, zucchini pie and playfulness and oh yea, record-high Jenga.

Be s�ll, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10). Kimberly Ketcham shared a quiet moment while camping.

Fred Gagnon shared this for our sum-mer invita�on of finding blessing in the ordinary stuff of life: "Bless to me the JOY of remembrance every �me I look up from my desk."

Bless to me ... morning prayer walk and wildlife encounters (at Ashley Reservoir in Holyoke).

From Eileen Brogan. Bless to me to wake up to this peaceful view of Ireland

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PRAYER CHAIN IN NEED OF NEW “LINKS”

Currently, our prayer chain has two branches. Both branches have lost a few par�cipants, or

“links”, in the last year or so. Consequently, we are looking for replacements. Would you like to serve your church community by becoming a new “link” in one of our chains? If you care about the well-being of others in our church community, and if you don’t mind receiving calls, phone messages, and calling others, you are fully equipped to become a successful “link” in this caring ministry. People with prayer needs in the congrega�on really do appreciate being able to access a formal prayer ministry, when they feel a need for prayers about themselves or loved ones. Like sharing happiness and success, sharing anxiety, grief and pain with those who care brings a measure of relief and comfort to those in need of prayer. If you yourself have special prayer needs, please contact the pastor, the Rev. Kelly Turney, or the church secretary, Carol Derouin, in the church office at (413) 525-7416. Carol will pass the word along to the leaders of the 2 prayer chains. If the office is closed please contact Lois Harris at 413-525-9883.

If you are interested in and would like to find out more about our program, or would like to join one of our teams, please contact Prayer Chain Coordinator Lois Harris, at (413) 525-9883, or Church Secretary Carol Derouin, at (413)525-7416, at your earliest convenience. Thank you very much for seriously considering becoming a par�cipant in this much needed and appreciated ministry of the ELUMC.

Lois Harris, Prayer Chain Coordinator

P������ O�� W�� F������

Each of us can help the denomina�on find its

way into a more inclusive, jus�ce-loving way for-ward. EVERY day for just 3 minutes we're praying for the United Methodist gathering on February 23-26, 2019 in St. Louis, MO. Set a reminder so that every day from 2:23-2:26 we can come together in prayer (wherever you are) for the kind of church we're commi�ed to crea�ng--one with truly open hearts, open minds and open doors.

Open hearts Open mind Open doors

"The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." Nelson Mandela

A N�� H��� F�� S��� �� O��

P��� A few of our pews found a new home thanks to Beverly Barre�. She knew Pastor Gwen at the

Abundant Life Congregation wanted pews to help their store-front church seem more like church. They took several pews from the back of the sanctuary (one proved too stuck), shortened them and made them stand on their own to en-hanced their worship space. They were grateful for ELUMC’s generosity and we’re glad they went to a good home. (P.S. If you have leads on others who want pews let the office know.)

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The Abun-dant Life Worship and Praise Tabernacle just cannot Thank you enough for the Love and Kindness you have shown to us by dona�ng these Beau�ful Pews!! We promise you that they will be used and taken care of as we Glorify God. May God con�nue to Bless your Church as you con�nue to Build up His Kingdom!!

Much Love from our Church Family To Yours,

Pastor Gwen Haynes

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F��� ��� M���� D�������

Hi everyone,

Well, we survived the summer ser-vices! I lost count of the bugs I swal-lowed during the medleys.

You may have no�ced that we have a new instrument – a very nice Yamaha Clavinova. This will give us the flexibility we need to support the needs of a flexible setup, while providing enough volume. Plus – it never needs tuning.

Choir rehearsals start on Thursday, September 6th, at 7:00 pm, no Bells that night.

The following Thursday, September 13th we will be on our regular schedule with Bells at 6:30 pm and Choir at 7:45 pm.

If anyone who would like to sing in the choir for just the Christmas service, please let me know.

Grace and Peace, Rick

One good thing about music - when it hits you, you feel no pain. -Bob Marley

N������� N���� O�� Before the skies opened up, ELUMC was represented by Bev Kalloch, Vance Gagnon and Brian Kingsley offering home-baked cookie hospitality.

Friends Next Door: Sharing Religious Values for our Time Loca�on: First Church Longmeadow UCC,

763 Longmeadow Street, Longmeadow, MA 7:00-8:30 with coffee, tea and desserts.

This is the first of two six week courses, one to be held in the fall and other in the spring. Together we will explore the different ways we read and relate to sacred texts. At each session representatives from two religious traditions will present, field ques�ons, and facilitate conversa�on.

October 15, 22, 29, Nov 5, 12, 19

Cantor Elise Barber, Temple Beth El

Rev Marisa Brown Ludwig, First Church of Christ

Rabbi James Greene, Jewish Community Center

Rabbi Amy Katz, Temple Beth El

Rabbi Jeremy Master, Sinai Temple

Rev Pam McGrath, First Church of Christ

Rev Ute Schmidt, Baystate Chaplaincy

Rev Jason Seymour, UU Society of Greater Springfield

Rabbi Mark Shapiro, Sinai Temple

Rev Anne Strickert, St Paul Lutheran Church

Rev Peter Swarr, St Mark’s Episcopal

Rev Kelly Turney, United Methodist Church

Con�nued from front cover

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Our team meets diligently on the third Wednesday of each month to prepare a

hearty meal in our church kitchen, which is then later served at an area soup kitchen.

At 8:30 a.m. a group gathers in our kitchen to cook up whatever recipe is planned for that day. WE NEED YOU to help us provide that meal.

If you don’t have �me on one Wednesday morning a month, how about buying pasta for the meal? They use 20lbs of Rigatoni/Ziti every month – they request name brand pasta “with lines on them” rather than generic brands that don’t hold up to baking.

Or you can help with a dona�on toward the food. Put Loaves & Fishes on your giving envelope or on the memo line of check.

“We are fragile creatures, and it is from this weakness, not despite it, that we discover the possibility of true joy.”

― Desmond Tutu, The Book of Joy: Las�ng Happiness in a Changing World

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N��� F��� T�� S���������� JFON C�����

Saturday, November 10th 5:00PM Trinity UMC

Annual Celebration & Dinner Fundraiser

The Springfield clinic of JFON, under the oversight of Urban Po-tential, Inc. is honored to host this event, as they will be cele-brating five years of service to the immigrant community. The Springfield clinic has welcomed more than four hundred cli-ents who were hoping for a green card and a path to ci�zen-ship. Through their partnership with Community Legal Aid Inc. a non-profit legal counsel, they have been able to help many of these clients realize their dreams. New England JFON is a division of Na�onal JFON, a United Methodist ministry offering legal aid to low income immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. The Springfield clinic launched this local effort five years ago at the home of Trinity United Methodist Church. In addi�on to enjoying a delicious meal and hearing some powerful stories about how people’s lives have been changed through this work, the evening will include sharing some new goals and visions. Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar of the United Methodist Church in New England will be present and speak at this event, along with some other special guests!

ELUMC has purchased a table for this special event. We hope you can attend to hear the compassionate voices engaged in this work and get informed about what is at stake in making this country the land of the free and the home of the brave. Be a part of the solu�on. Engage in our mission to raise the level of hope for those who cry out. Follow Jesus in welcoming the stranger. Please let the church office know if you can be a part of this exciting celebra�on. Come to the dinner, par�cipate in the silent auc�on, and support the on-going transforma�on of lives through JFON and its programs.

The interfaith clergy group is working on an editorial for the newspapers and has been working with the or-ganizers of "Yes on Three" to advocate for civil rights for trans folks. We've posted some great videos and ar�cles on the ELUMC Facebook page so you can get educated about the issues.

A YES vote on referendum Ques�on 3 will affirm an update to the state’s non-discrimina�on law approved by the Massachuse�s Legislature and signed by Repub-lican Gov. Charlie Baker in 2015 barring discrimina�on against transgender people in public accommoda�ons, including hotels, restaurants as well as public restrooms. “The core of our efforts is eleva�ng transgender voices and telling transgender stories so that voters can actu-ally see through the misleading informa�on that our opponents put out about who transgender people are, what non-discrimina�on protec�ons do and see that we are not the same as everybody else, but that pro-tec�ng us from discrimina�on really doesn’t impact the welfare of anybody else."

Research shows that once folks know the facts they overwhelmingly support Ques�on 3. But don't just vote yourself, get informed so you can help others wade through the mis-informa�on and fearful rhetoric to understand what's at stake.

If you're interested in how you can help, let the pastor know.

Don’t miss out on any important church e-mails. Please no�fy the church office if you change

your e-mail address.

SAFE SANCTUARIES

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Address Service Requested

East Longmeadow United Methodist Church 215 Somers Road, STE 2

East Longmeadow, MA 01028-2998

413-525-7416 • a reconciling congrega�on www.elumc.org

THE SUNDAY EXPERIENCE

8:30 a.m. – Bible Study for Jr./Sr. High & Adults 10:00 a.m. – Worship & Church School (pre-schoolers through Grade 5) Professional child care is provided for “Cribs & Creepers”/“Toddlers & Twos.” 11:15 a.m. – Fellowship Time

The Methodist Messenger is a journal of the ministry of The East Longmeadow United Methodist Church. Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.

September 9 th

Join us for a delicious French Toast Breakfast and register your children for

Sunday School.

Sunday School starts September 16th

For the on-line church calendar follow this link:

http://57650311.view-events.com/

Spring�ieldCROPHungerWalkKickoffRally

When: Monday, September 10 at 7:00 - 8:30 PM Where: Foster Memorial Church, 1791 Wilbraham Rd., Springfield, MA

Host: Steve Clark

Phone:413-427-9667

Message From Host

CROP Walk materials will be available to pick up at the rally.

Church World Service staff member Leslie Wilson will speak to us from Asia about her work with hunger programs in Indonesia. You are invited to bring a

few friends from your organiza�on to a�end the event.

Light refreshments including desserts will be served.

The CROP Walk will be held on Sunday, October 14 at 1:00 pm

from Trinity UMC.