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The Bethel Beacon

Bethel United Methodist Church May - June, 2017

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What does it mean to say, “I believe in Jesus Christ”? Once upon a time I was a fear-stricken “believer.” I thought that professing that a guy who lived a few thousand years ago, died on a cross, and rose on Easter was the Son of God would guarantee me life after death. Maybe that’s how you understood it once upon a time. Anyway it seemed like a simple thing to do in order to prevent future incineration. Then I began wonder if this “belief” was adequate, that it would actually “save” me from perdition and ensure a place in heaven for my soul. I began to wonder what the minimum requirement was for being designated a Christian. How many times a year did I have to attend church? How much money did I have to give? And what about all those other points that I was supposed to believe, those things mentioned in the Nicene Creed – that Jesus was “born of the Virgin Mary,” that he “ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father?” (I didn’t even know what that meant!) In short I began to wonder if my “belief” was really adequate to save my soul. Fear and doubt started working into my mind. I suppose that my doubts outweighed my fear, because I left the Church. I was unable to “believe” enough of the doctrine and dogma that seemed to be attached to “believing” in Jesus Christ. If you could attach a label to me, I suppose I was a Rationalist. Things had to make sense to me before I could actually believe them, and Christianity as I understood it did not make sense to me. I had no problem believing in God. I had no problem believing that Jesus was God in the flesh. What didn’t make sense

to me was that God decided that our whole eternal destiny depended upon us correctly identifying Jesus as the Son of God. What kind of a God would demand that we force ourselves to accept something that even the people in Jesus’ day had a hard time believing? Have you ever wondered about this? Are you wondering about it now? If so, I’m glad. I’m glad because you will be prompted to learn about Jesus, and when you get to know him – his words and deeds as reported in the Bible – you begin to see the true nature of God – loving, just, and able to do all things. As you get to know him, you come to realize that he is alive, as God is alive, and active in us and in this world. As you get to know him you come to love him, and as you love him you begin to understand the nature of belief. To believe in Jesus, the risen Savior, the Son of the Living (and active) God, is to trust him, to obey him, to follow him where he leads. And God empowers you to do all things! A church is not a place for us to check in and be counted to make sure we have enough credits to enter paradise. The Church is a place where worship the living God as a community, where we discern God’s will as a community, and where we pool our gifts and our resources to embark on ministries as a community, as Christ’s body. The New York Annual Conference will be meeting from June 7th through 10th. As a conference we are leading the United Methodist Church in initiatives to make the Church better reflect God’s love to all people. Please be in prayer as our delegates and I work to discern God’s will for our conference and our church. And may the Holy Spirit work within you and empower you to share God’s love with those around you. Together, and with God’s help, we can do all things.

Yours always,

I Believe!

In this issue…

Pastor’s reflection……1 Calendar………….….2 Bethel News……...…3-4 Upcoming events……..5 Prayer List…….…….6 Easter Flower form…...7

Church info……..……8

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May 2017 Christian Home Month / Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1

6 a.m. prayers 2 6 a.m. prayers 10 a.m. “Simply Good News” Book Study 6 p.m. Confirmation

3 6 a.m. prayers 7:15 p.m. Bible Study

4 National Day of Prayer 6 a.m. prayers 10 a.m. worship planning 7 p.m. Nominations committee meeting

5 6 a.m. prayers

6 Movie Night

5 p.m. worship service 6 p.m. potluck dinner

7 p.m. movie

7 Fourth Sunday of Easter 11 a.m. Worship 11:15 Sunday School

8 6 a.m. prayers

9 6 a.m. prayers 10 a.m. “Simply Good News” Book Study 6 p.m. Confirmation

10 6 a.m. prayers 11 a.m. Women’s League 7 p.m. Bible Study

11 6 a.m. prayers 7 p.m. prayers

12 6 a.m. prayers

13 Spring Fair

8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

5 p.m. worship service

CHRISTIAN FAMILY WEEK

14 Mothers Day Fourth Sunday of Easter 11 a.m. Worship 11:15 Sunday School

15 6 a.m. prayers Bishop’s Day on the District, Christ Church

16 6 a.m. prayers 6 p.m. confirmation

17 6 a.m. prayers 7:30 Church Council

18 6 a.m. prayers 10 a.m. worship planning 7 p.m. prayers

19 6 a.m. prayers Project Hospitality outreach meal

20 5 p.m. Worship

21 Heritage Sunday 9:45 Team Bethel rehearsal 11 a.m. Worship 11:15 Sunday School 12:30 Social Justice Forum 5 p.m. Friendship Dinner Our Lady Star of the Sea

22 6 a.m. prayers

23 6 a.m. prayers 6 p.m. confirmation

24 Aldersgate Day 6 a.m. prayers 7 p.m. Bible study

25 Ascension Day 6 a.m. prayers 7 p.m. prayers

26 6 a.m. prayers

27 Men’s Breakfast 8:30 a.m.

CLASSIC MOVIE NIGHT 5 p.m. worship 6 p.m. dinner 7 p.m. movie

28 Ascension Sunday 9:45 Team Bethel rehearsal 11 a.m. Worship 11:15 Sunday School

29 Memorial Day

30

31

Pastor on vacation

June 2017 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2

3

Pastor on vacation

4 Day of Pentecost 11 a.m. worship 11:15 Sunday School

5 6 a.m. prayers

6 6 a.m. prayers 6 p.m. confirmation

7 6 a.m. prayers 7 p.m. Bible Study

8 6 a.m. prayers 10 a.m. worship planning 7 p.m. prayers

9 6 a.m. prayers

10 5 p.m. Worship

New York Annual Conference at Hofstra University – Pastor out of town

11 Trinity Sunday / Peace with Justice Sunday 11 a.m. worship 11:15 Sunday School

12 6 a.m. prayers

13 6 a.m. prayers 6 p.m. confirmation

14 6 a.m. prayers 7 p.m. Bible Study

15 6 a.m. prayers

16 6 a.m. prayers

17 5 p.m. worship

18 Fathers Day 9:45 Team Bethel practice 11 a.m. worship 11:15 Sunday School 5 p.m. Friendship Dinner Pride Center of S.I.

19 Juneteenth

20 21

22 23 24

Pastor on vacation

25 Second Sunday of Easter 9:45 Team Bethel practice 11 a.m. worship 11:15 Sunday School

26 6 a.m. prayers

27 6 a.m. prayers 6 p.m. confirmation

28 6 a.m. prayers

29 6 a.m. prayers

30 6 a.m. prayers

6 a.m. prayers

Pastor on vacation

WORSHIP THEMES FOR MARCH – APRIL 2017 May 7 May 14 May 21 May 28 June 4 June 11 June 18 June 25

The Great Fifty Days of Easter Our Mission

Awakening to Communion

Becoming One with Christ

Becoming One with Each Other

Becoming One in Ministry

Flowing into All the World

We Are One It All Comes

Home In All Things,

Pray

What’s on the Radar?

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Community News

Staten Island Council Holds Lenten Service at St. Mark’s We were indeed blessed to have so many people come to worship at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Pleasant Plains on March 5

th for the

Staten Island Council of Churches Lenten Worship Service. It was truly an ecumenical an ecumenical event as well over a hundred people representing various denominations united in prayer, praise, and fellowship. Two choirs (The ROTM Moving Spirits and the Staten Island Council of Churches Combined Choir) contributed to the service, as did the

the Full Soul Dance Company. It was a joy to see so many new faces as well as a good group of folks from Bethel attending the service.

Friendship Dinners Focus on Our Relationships

Four members of the Bethel family joined people from across Staten Island in two separate Friendship Dinners sponsored by the Staten Island Inter-Religious Leadership. The first was held on March 19

th at the Temple Israel Reform Congregation, and the

second was on April 23rd

at the Turkish Cultural Center of Staten Island. Dozens of folks gathered to break bread together (actually there was much more than bread; everyone brought a vegetarian dish, so it was quite the buffet!), to get to know one another, and to discuss the good and the bad aspects of living in this very diverse borough. The hosts gave their guests a history and background of their respective houses of worship and discussed issues pertaining to their religious community on Staten Island. One of the stated goals of the dinner was for each guest to get contact information from at least one person who they didn’t know before the dinner.

The next friendship dinner will be held on May 21st at Our Lady Star of the Sea RC Church, 5411 Amboy Road. To RSVP, contact Karen

Jackson at Karen_jackson@projecthospitality.org / 917-859-4535.

Seder Brings Communities of Faith Together

The Building Bridges Coalition of Staten Island held their annual interfaith Seder at St. Charles Roman Catholic Church on the evening of March 23

rd. People of the Islamic,

Buddhist, Hindu, Unitarian, Jewish, and Christian faith traditions attended the event; Bethelites Lil Leary, Carol Blankenhorn, Richard & Barbara Bartels, and Pastor Matt were there.

The Passover Seder is a Jewish ritual feast that marks the beginning of Passover. It has been celebrated for thousands of years. The central theme of the Seder is slavery to freedom. As the Haggadah (the Seder’s “order of worship”) puts it, "In every generation everyone is obligated to see themselves as if they themselves came out of Egypt"

Faith UMC Celebrates 150 Years of Ministry

Many folks gathered at the Staaten on the evening of March 12th to celebrate Faith United Methodist Church’s 150th

anniversary. During the evening, Faith UMC Good Service Awards were presented to William Smartt, Rev. Maggie Howard, the National Council of Negro Women Rev. Dr. Barry Sohm, Deacon Paul Kozinski, & Ed and Doreen Josey. We congratulate Faith UMC for their many years of faith-full service to the

Staten Island community, and look forward to many more celebrations down the road.

Bethel Hosts South Shore Council’s Good Friday Service

Each year the South Shore United Methodist Council

holds a combined Good Friday worship service, and this

year Bethel served as the host church. We were blessed

to have members of five South Shore Methodist churches

(Bethel, St. Paul’s UMC, St. Mark’s UMC, Woodrow

UMC, and Rossville AME Zion) as well as guests from

Christ UMC (including Pastor Rafael Garcia) attending

the service, which centered around The Seven Last Words

of Christ, in particular the choral work of Théodore

Dubois (“Les Sept Paroles du Christ”). Seven soloists

sang one of the last words (or, more accurately, last

sentences). A new addition to the service this year were

two songs performed by a combined South Shore

Methodist Choir led by Nancy Paugh of St. Paul’s UMC.

Bethel’s organist Bea Jay sang in the choir and played

prelude, postlude, and the two congregational hymns,

Beneath the Cross of Jesus and What Wondrous Love Is

This. We would like to thank our readers and ushers as

well for their help with this beautiful worship service.

Pastor Attends UMVIM Academy

Pastor Matt headed out to Pocono Plateau Camp and Retreat Center for four days at the end of March for Volunteer in Mission training. Among the seminars he attended were Foundations of Disaster Response Mission Innovation, Global Health Mission in the 21st Century, Asset-Based Community Response, and Global Ministries' Earthkeepers Program. The academy is held every year, and the training is geared for those interested in both local and global missions. One of the unanticipated outcomes of the training was Pastor Matt’s designation as a District Disaster Response Coordinator with particular focus on Staten Island. Another positive outcome was the connections he made with folks in the Northeast Jurisdiction who do mission work in Haiti. Pastor Matt will be going on a short-term mission trip to Haiti in July and work with the community to repair damage to dwellings in the village of Furcy that was caused by Hurricane Matthew. If you would like to support this mission you may send a check to Bethel and write “Haiti” in memo line.

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Bethel News

Congratulations to New Couples!

Cupid has been busy around our church lately. Alex Henoumont and Amanda Segreto tied the proverbial knot on March 31

st

and (impressively) showed up for worship service two days later. Alex jested that Amanda will be going on the honeymoon without him; seriously, they do plan on having their honeymoon sometime in October. Enjoy!

Speaking of October, KC Servilio and Tim Lubniewski recently announced to the congregation that they are an item! Yes, they are engaged and scheduled to be married in October.

So let these couples serve as warnings to all single folks out in the pew; something’s in the air, and it ain’t just pollen! You could be the next to catch the love bug if you’re not careful Congratulations Alex & Amanda and Timmy & KC!

Lori Lambertson Honored at SICOC Awards Dinner

We congratulate Lori Lambertson for being honored at the Staten Island Council of Churches annual Awards Dinner on April 27th.

Lori has been active at Bethel for over three years. She currently serves as President of Bethel’s Women’s League and as Chair of the Staff/Pastor Parish Relations Committee. Congratulations Lori!!!

Many Worshipers Join Us for Holy Week Bethel was pleased to have many guests join us for worship on Palm Sunday and on Easter Sunday. Each day was marked by special children’s activities. On Palm Sunday the children worked together decorating a cake

Thank you, Bethel Women’s League for filling so many eggs with candy, and Sunday School teachers and parents for ensuring that the Egg Hunt was conducted in an orderly fashion! Of course Holy Week and Easter are not all about cakes and eggs; our worship services focused on the events

that took place in the last week of Jesus’ life, his death, and his resurrection. The Palm Sunday service was conducted as a Palm Sunday / Passion Sunday service, with readings, prayers, and hymns that reflected on the events

between Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and his death on the cross. On Thursday of Holy Week we held a Love Feast at the church, and on Good Friday the church hosted the South Shore Methodist Council’s Good Friday worship service. Easter morning we held a Sunrise Service and .breakfast, then had our regular Family Worship Service at 11 a.m. complete with Easter Choir, special music, and children’s

pageant. The Lord has risen!!!

Many Methodists Attend Judicial Council Hearing

Carol Blankenhorn, Richard Bartels, and Pastor Matt were among many who traveled to Newark, NJ on April 25th to attend a Judicial Council hearing on the question of whether last July’s election of a gay bishop (Rev. Dr. Karen Oliveto) by United Methodists in our Western Jurisdiction is a violation of church law or a legal elevation of a clergy member in good standing. The petition was brought by a lay representative of the South Central Jurisdiction, Ms. Dixie Brewster. Each side argued their case before the council, which at the time of this article has not rendered a decision. Hundreds of Rev. Oliveto’s supporters (including Rev. George McClain, and Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli (both have been pastors at Bethel) came to the hearing and remained afterwards for a communion service. Pastor Matt played guitar for the service. The New York Annual Conference has consistently passed petitiones objecting to the language used in the Book of Discipline which discriminates against LGBTQI individuals prohibiting self-avowed homosexuals from serving as clergy and prohibiting all clergy from performing gay marriages.

which was entirely consumed

during social hour. On Easter

Sunday the weather was perfect

for an Easter egg hunt which

was held outdoors in front of the

church after the worship service.

Thank you,

Children’s Easter Party Draws Some New Faces

The Children’s Easter Party, held on April 2

nd, brought together twenty-seven parents

and children. We began with worship at 5 p.m., then moved on to egg coloring, dinner, and a movie. We also celebrated the birthdays of J.J. Ciarlante, Katelyn Cipully (4/4), and another regular-children’s-movie-night. Attendee, Emily. Thank you everyone who helped coordinate this fun evening!

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Upcoming Events

Upcoming Birthdays

Artie Konig ……………….…………..May 19th

Alissa Stapleton……………………..May 20

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Amanda Segreto…………………..May 20th

Eileen Tatarka..………………...……May 20

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Rose Braadt…………….……………..May 29th

Greg Adams…………………..………..June 6

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Ziggy Prieto……………………….…….June 7th

Al Gundersheimer…………..……..June 11

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Dawn Lagno…………………..………June 14th

John Cipully……………………………June 14

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Leah Janvier…………………..……...June 19th

Shannon Quick…………..………...June 22

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Cindy Lubniewski....….……………June 28th

If your birthday is in May or June and it

is not listed here, call (718) 984-1277 or

email bumcsi@verizon.net to inform us.

The BUMMs Keep Meeting and Eating

The Bethel United Methodist Men (BUMMs) continue to hold their prayer breakfasts on the fourth Saturday of each month at 8:30 a.m. They plan to meet on May 27th and June 24th. Aside from spending time eating and chatting, the men uphold one another in prayer and serve the Bethel community at large. John Spagnoli is currently organizing a work party to help fix up Wally Eagle’s house. Join us at our next breakfast in May!

Alexis Lambertson Due to Graduate in June

Congratulations will soon be in order for Alexis Lambertson, who will be graduating from middle school in June. Alexis plans to attend Tottenville High School beginning in the fall. Good work, Alexis!

Five from Bethel Attending Lay Servant School

We’re blessed to have five of our lay members attending Lay Servant School this year. This is the first time for two of them! Lay servant school is conducted each year on Staten Island, usually in the spring. Classes are conducted on two Saturdays. There is a basic and an advanced class. Each class teaches members basic Methodist history, theology, and how to serve their church as leaders (historically, the Methodist Church has always been a strongly lay-driven church). Thank you, all who have committed themselves to developing their leadership skills within the church.

Movie Nights: May & June

Our “Classic” Movie Night held a mini-film festival in April, featuring short silent comedies starring three brilliant actors, Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin, and Buster Keaton. Each month we hand out a ballot at movie night which allows attendees to vote for upcoming movies. Who knows what our next film will be? Our next two Classic Movie Nights are scheduled for May 27

th and June

24th

. Children’s Movie nights will be held on May 6

th and June 3

rd. Come join the fun!

Annual Conference Coming in June

Delegates and clergy are getting geared up for our Annual Conference at Hofstra University from June 7-10. The Pastor along with Lil Leary and Greg Adams will be voting on legislation and praying for the direction of the Church. As you may know, the United Methodist Church is divided on some important issues; some believe that the church is on the brink of schism. We encourage you to examine the legislation that will be voted on at Annual Conference (which will soon be available online at http://www.nyac.com and via hardcopy at the church) and let the Pastor and lay delegates know your concerns and opinions. Above all else, please pray for the Church.

Your Support for Mission Is Appreciated!

Pastor Matt is preparing to go on another mission trip to Haiti from July 3rd – 10th, this time with a group of over twenty people from four different churches. Among the projects that the mission team will be partnering with the community of Furcy to accomplish: Repairing and replacing roofs that were damaged during Hurricane Matthew; repairing a few desks and tables at the village school; teaching guitar to members of the church’s music team; working with village youth to plan and present a VBS to the children; serving a few meals to the community; and possibly laying concrete on the side of the church to make it more suitable for youth activities. Members of the mission team are also collecting items to distribute to the community, such as shoes, backpacks, classroom supplies, and school supplies. Your help will be greatly appreciated!

Some members of the church have already brought in items that the pastor can take to the community, but due to limited space, CASH would be most appreciated. Starting May 1st (and ending July 2nd), Pastor Matt

will again be trimming the fat! Some may wonder if he has any fat left to trim; DON’T WORRY; his doctor has assured him that he could lose another 25 pounds and be in really good shape! So please make a per-pound pledge to support the mission! The pledge sheet will be available on the literature table in the fellowship hall, or you can communicate your pledge to the church by phone or email! Thank you, Church!!

The Sunday School End of Year Celebration Will Be on June 25th! Please mark your calendars and come join us for worship and lunch after the service. If you can, please bring a covered dish.

Bishop’s Day on the District: May 15

Our Bishop, Thomas Bickerton, will be making himself available to laity on the night of May 15th, starting at 7 p.m., at Christ Church in Manhattan (524 Park Avenue). We hope you can take this opportunity to get to know him!

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OUR COVENANT:

To faithfully share our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness to the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

As we begin a new year, I thought it would be helpful to share with you some insights.

First, a couple misconceptions:

1. The pastor prays on my behalf: The pastor can certainly pray for you, but the pastor has no special “connection” with God. Besides, God wants to build a relationship with you.

2. Prayer is telling God what you want: Intercessory prayer has its place, but God is not Santa Claus. He desires a relationship, and a relationship is two-way and involves more than wants and needs.

Here are some things to remember when you pray:

You are worthy – Jesus certainly proves that, so don’t be afraid to approach God.

You need to allocate time for prayer – While you can be prayerful throughout the day, you need to spend some focused time each day in concentrated prayer. You don’t need to be formal – no need to address God as “Thou” or use a lot of priestly jargon when you pray. In fact you don’t need to speak at all; God knows what’s on your mind.

You need to dialogue – Prayer is a two-way street. Be sure that you listen as much as you speak.

I hope that you find these insights helpful!

Please pray for

Donna Bergrin, Leslie Alleyne, Sandra, Sonya and Anna, George Psilakis, Grace Brown, Gadalia Reis, Gene Baufard, Alice & Eddie, Mildred Ekstrand, Dana White, Orville McCarter, Joan Jorgensen, Herb Gruberger, Lewis Pascola, Carol Plumb, Becky Weeks, Kim Thomas, Sal Alaimo, Wally and Gloria Eagle, Ken Eagle, John Higgins, Tom Quinn, Carol Barringer, Beth Cherrick, the Lambertsons, Frank DeJulio, Kevin Monahan, Carol and Don Josey, Tom Metz, Jim Gilligan, Isabella, Lucy Gallo, Rose Braadt, Margaret Beyl, the Konig family, Jenny, Julius Pinto, Tom Cameron, Bill Cameron, Dawn Caldwell, Patty Castellano, Gordon Ekstrand, Laura Ryan and family, Danielle, Zack Harrison, Maria and Christopher Gerardi, Derrick-Lewis Noble, Phil Chavez, Mary Lake, Joyce and Janet, Cristian Perullo, Sarah Hall, Robert Kay, Danielle S., Judy Bradley, Barbara & Paul Geidel, Bob Treglia, Jason Braadt, Kari Dalquist, Donald & Mae Bruckmann, Roy and Barbara Redman, Jean Houston, Peggy Lee, Don Lee, the people of Haiti, those struggling for human rights, refugees looking for a home, victims of violence, discrimination, and terrorism, those in prison, our elected officials, those seeking employment, our service members, police officers, veterans, and their families.

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invites you to our 2017

and

Saturday, May 13th from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

A wide selection of plants on sale

A fabulous bake sale table featuring fruit breads and pies

Outdoor flea market all day

Hot breakfast served from 8 to 11

Lunch will be served starting at 12:30 p.m. Lunch menu includes pulled-pork sandwiches, hot dogs, & homemade salads

Bethel United Methodist Church “A Beacon of Light”

7033 Amboy Road, Tottenville, Staten Island, NY For more information, call (718) 984-1277

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Bethel United Methodist Church

7033 Amboy Road Tottenville, Staten Island, NY 10307 Pastor: Matt Schaeffer

Gregory Adams 7307 Amboy Rd Apt 2 Staten Island , NY 10307

Bethel United Methodist Church 7033 Amboy Road

Tottenville, NY 10307 Office: (718) 984-1277

Parsonage: (718) 984-1354 Email: bumcsi@verizon.net

Website: www.bethelumcsi.com

Sunday Schedule 11:00 A.M.: Worship

11:15 A.M.: Sunday School (after Children’s Sermon)

Saturday Worship: 5:00 P.M.

Bible Studies: Tuesdays at 10 a.m., starting January 17th (at the church) Wednesdays at 7 p.m. (at the parsonage)

Prayer Service: 6:00 – 7:00 a.m. Monday-Friday UM Men’s breakfast: Third Saturday of the month, 9 a.m.

Church office hours: Tuesday – Thursday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays by appointment

Because schedules are apt to change, it’s a good idea to call or email the church to confirm all events except Sunday Worship