First & Wesley United Methodist Church
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First & Wesley United Methodist Church 89 Center Street West Haven, CT 06516 Phone: (203) 933-8795 ! Email: [email protected] Website: firstwesleyumc.org Pastor Sungmu Lee, PhD "Celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the first fruits of the crops you sow in your field. Celebrate the Festival of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field” (Exodus 23:16). Brothers and Sisters in Christ, When we think of Harvest what do we imagine? I know I usually think of the farmers who are busily bringing in their crops. This sort of Harvest requires commitment. It requires work and diligence. If you want a good Harvest, then you have to be willing to participate in the growth period – watering, nurturing, cultivating what you have sown and doing all you can, all year long to ensure good end results. This works in gardening…and it works in life. Doing something as simple as bringing the good out of someone can be a Harvest. Bringing a smile to someone’s face is a Harvest. Complimenting someone is planting a seed and someone feeling good about themselves, as a result of it, is a Harvest. What does a Harvest look like for you? We all have the opportunity to plant and Harvest...it’s up to each of us to decide whether or not to participate. “Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6). As autumn ascends upon us and we prepare to close yet another year, we cannot begin a new season without giving thanks to God for all the grace, love and mercies He has bestowed on us. At this time of the year, we are especially grateful for the literal and figurative bounty we have reaped. Whether good or bad, we recognize that for everything there is a season, and in this Harvest season, we simply give thanks. First & Wesley will celebrate its annual Harvest Fair & Fundraiser on Saturday, November 7, 2015, and we encourage all of you to come and support this event. Of particular note, this year the Harvest festivities will culminate with a special service on Sunday, November 8 th , when we will all gather in praise and thanksgiving with our family and friends. During this service we ask each of you to prayerfully lift up a special gift in support of a new Church roof. As you have witnessed through leaks when it snows or rains, our Church roof is severely dilapidated and in dire need of urgent replacement. As we apply for the grants for the roof from the New York Annual Conference Parish Development Committee, we want to show our commitment to our own church. On Sunday November 8, in addition to the regular offertory, we will take an additional special offering to raise funds to replace the Church roof. Enclosed is a special Harvest envelope for this purpose. We ask that you consider making a generous contribution to support the new roof. Additional envelopes are available so that you might encourage family and friends to make a tax deductible donation towards a new roof. I would like to inspire and encourage you to help raise funds to repair the house of the Lord. Please bring the Harvest envelopes with you to Church on Sunday, November 8 th , where I will offer a special blessing. The Lord will glorify Himself this Harvest season at First & Wesley in Jesus’ name. Amen! Sincerely, Pastor Sungmu Lee, PhD
Transcript of First & Wesley United Methodist Church
First & Wesley United Methodist Church 89 Center Street
West Haven, CT 06516 Phone: (203) 933-8795 ! Email: [email protected]
Website: firstwesleyumc.org Pastor Sungmu Lee, PhD
"Celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the first fruits of the crops you sow in your field. Celebrate the Festival of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field” (Exodus 23:16). Brothers and Sisters in Christ, When we think of Harvest what do we imagine? I know I usually think of the farmers who are busily bringing in their crops. This sort of Harvest requires commitment. It requires work and diligence. If you want a good Harvest, then you have to be willing to participate in the growth period – watering, nurturing, cultivating what you have sown and doing all you can, all year long to ensure good end results. This works in gardening…and it works in life. Doing something as simple as bringing the good out of someone can be a Harvest. Bringing a smile to someone’s face is a Harvest. Complimenting someone is planting a seed and someone feeling good about themselves, as a result of it, is a Harvest. What does a Harvest look like for you? We all have the opportunity to plant and Harvest...it’s up to each of us to decide whether or not to participate. “Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6). As autumn ascends upon us and we prepare to close yet another year, we cannot begin a new season without giving thanks to God for all the grace, love and mercies He has bestowed on us. At this time of the year, we are especially grateful for the literal and figurative bounty we have reaped. Whether good or bad, we recognize that for everything there is a season, and in this Harvest season, we simply give thanks. First & Wesley will celebrate its annual Harvest Fair & Fundraiser on Saturday, November 7, 2015, and we encourage all of you to come and support this event. Of particular note, this year the Harvest festivities will culminate with a special service on Sunday, November 8th, when we will all gather in praise and thanksgiving with our family and friends. During this service we ask each of you to prayerfully lift up a special gift in support of a new Church roof. As you have witnessed through leaks when it snows or rains, our Church roof is severely dilapidated and in dire need of urgent replacement. As we apply for the grants for the roof from the New York Annual Conference Parish Development Committee, we want to show our commitment to our own church. On Sunday November 8, in addition to the regular offertory, we will take an additional special offering to raise funds to replace the Church roof. Enclosed is a special Harvest envelope for this purpose. We ask that you consider making a generous contribution to support the new roof. Additional envelopes are available so that you might encourage family and friends to make a tax deductible donation towards a new roof. I would like to inspire and encourage you to help raise funds to repair the house of the Lord. Please bring the Harvest envelopes with you to Church on Sunday, November 8th, where I will offer a special blessing. The Lord will glorify Himself this Harvest season at First & Wesley in Jesus’ name. Amen! Sincerely,
Pastor Sungmu Lee, PhD
