April 2015

Volume XXI Issue 4

“In worship, fellowship and service we seek God’s peace as revealed in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.”

The Madison Methodist The Madison Methodist The Madison Methodist

MessageMessageMessage

The United Methodist Church in Madison

24 Madison Avenue Madison, NJ 07940

“at the corner of Drew University”

church@umcmadison.org www.umcmadison.org

Tel: 973.377.1231

Encounters Along the Way

We may think of Easter Sunday as the end of the Lenten Season and in a way it is. It is also much more. I might call it the end of the beginning, but I won’t because that phrase has been overused. But the fact re-mains the story does not end with the empty tomb and in fact we might indeed say, for us, our journey is just beginning. Some of the earliest manuscripts of the gospel of Mark end with 16:7-8 where the disciples see a young man, dressed in a white robe who instructs them to go to Galilee where Jesus will meet them. Then in v. 8 - So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. On the other hand, the gospel of Luke does not end with the Resurrection. Rather Luke tells of two disci-ples meeting Jesus along a lonely road to a town we only know as Emmaus. But they two inspire us with expectation of what will come. The point is what follows Easter are the encounters along the way. This is what has inspired the church for over 2000 years! The reality of experiencing God in terms of the Living Christ or called The Holy Spirit. We too are on that road. Sure it is different. It may be paved and lit with streetlights but the fact remains. For if we seek Him, Jesus will meet us along the way. I look forward to sharing the journey with you. Grace and Peace,

2

Staff & Elected Officers 2015

Pastor Rev. Robb W. Shoaf, Ph.D Student Assistant Pastor

Chelsea Jackson Director of Music & Organist

Susan McAdoo, D.M.A. Director of Christian Education

Kathleen Keane Admin/Editor

Natalie Dines Sexton

Marlice Borecki

David Green Chair, Church Council Jim Balfe Treasurer Scot Guempel Financial Secretary Alan Voorhees Finance Chair Gordon Fleming Facility Management Vic Schumacher President, Trustees

Program Facilitators Nurture Ministries

Lisa Moro Outreach Ministries

Jeanne Eisele Witness/Igniting Ministry

Kris Pfeifer Worship Ministries

Lisa Carballo Education/Youth

Kathleen Keane & Chelsea Jackson

Trustees

Vic Schumacher Gordon Fleming

Mike Kroeger Luke McKinnon

Shin-Ok Ha Wade Merrick

JoAnn Van Sciver Nori Tadano

Dan Engel

April 2015

News from our Student

Assistant Pastor

Happy Spring Everyone!

As the ground thaws and the days grow a bit warmer, we

find ourselves entering into the Easter season, a time for

reflecting on and celebrating the life, death and resurrec-

tion of Jesus. As we enter into this joyous time, I want to

take this opportunity to share some of our recent suc-

cesses as a church, and provide some information about

upcoming projects.

First, I want to thank everyone for their hard work and

support with Stop Hunger Now. On Saturday March

28th, 80 people from Drew, Madison High School and 3

different churches crammed into Memorial Hall and pack-

aged 20,088 meals in 2 hours. It was a wonderful time

filled with fun, music and hard work. After the event we

celebrated with a potluck dinner and a time of fellowship.

Thank you to all who gave their time or financial offering

for this event. It was a success!

As we reflect on the success of programs like Stop Hun-

ger Now, we also turn our attention to upcoming opportu-

nities and projects. One amazing upcoming opportunity

is a visit from the Taizé brothers. These bothers from the

well-known monastic order in Taizé, France are passing

through New Jersey. They will be at Chatham UMC on

April 16th, and will lead discussion at 7 pm and prayer at

8 pm. This is a unique and special opportunity and I en-

courage all to try to attend. If interested please see me for

details.

The Youth Boston Mission Trip is quickly approaching,

and are youth are continuing to fundraise. One such fund-

raiser is the Easter Breakfast April 5th at 8:30 am. This

breakfast is typically youth sponsored, and this year we

will be taking donations for the Boston Trip during the

breakfast. So we invite you to come on out and enjoy

some great food and company as we celebrate the resur-

rection of Jesus!

Lastly, at the beginning of Lent I suggested ways we may

be more eco-conscious throughout the Lenten season. I

hope we were able to achieve little changes that added up

to big impacts. Now that Lent is coming to a close, I en-

courage us all to continue finding ways to show love, re-

spect and care for Creation.

I hope you all have a wonderful April, and may we find

time to enjoy the coming of Spring, and share in deep

community with one another.

Chelsea Jackson

3

Other News ... Bits and briefs

April 2015

Did you know… UMC Madison has a Facebook page?

Search “United Methodist Church in Madison,” and see

updated photos and updates.

Sunday School News

We are looking for teachers for next year's Church

School. You do not need any experience working with

children or knowledge of the Bible, just a love of knowl-

edge and sharing. If you are interested, please reach out to

Kathleen Keane at umcmseeds@gmail.com.

Save The Date

Please continue to support the Interfaith Food Pantry

through your donations. During 2014 the Pantry distributed

over a million pounds of food—1,010,117 pounds. This is

13% more than in 2013 and 47% more than in 2011. Assis-

tance was provided to more than 11,400 Morris County resi-

dents. Items especially needed now include:

Canned fruit

Soups

Peanut butter

Cereal

Canned beans

Rice (1 or 2 lb. size)

Baby food (stage 1 fruits)

Interfaith Food Pantry

New members Received March 29

On Sunday March 29th it was our joy to formally re-

ceive Nick Murphy and the Deutsch Family, John, Melissa,

Lily and Jackson.

Fa

i

r

Tr

a

d

e

Ne

w s

4

APRIL 2015

May Newsletter Deadline: April 20

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 6:30 am Men’s Breakfast 7:00 pm Book Study

2 7:30 pm Worship Service

3 7:30 pm Worship Service

4

5 7:30 am Early Service 8:30 am Break-fast 10:00 Worship Service 11:15 Coffee Hour

6 8 pm AA

7 7:30 Trustees Meeting 8 pm AA

8

6:30 am Men’s Breakfast

9 8 pm Chancel Choir

10

11

12 8:30 am Early Service 10 am Family Worship & Sun-day School 11:15 Coffee Hour/lunch

13 3 pm Tutoring 8 pm AA

14 8 pm AA

15 6:30 am Men’s Breakfast 7:00 pm Book Study

16 7 pm Taize

Brothers visit Chatham UMC

8 pm Chancel Choir

17

18

19

8:30 am Early Service 10 am Family Worship & Sunday School 11:15 am Coffee Hour

20 3pm Tutoring 8 pm AA

21

7:30 pm Church Council 8 pm AA

22

6:30 am Men’s Breakfast

Newsletter Deadline

23 8 pm Chancel Choir

24

25

26

8:30 am Early Service 10 am Family Worship & Sunday School 11:15 am Coffee Hour

27 3 pm Tutoring 8 pm AA

28 8 pm AA

29 30 8 pm Chancel Choir

Maundy

Thursday

Good

Friday

Easter

Sunday

5

April 2015

Fenestration, fenestration, fenestration or as the song

from the famous musical Hair goes, "Let the sunshine in…”

In other words, the window replacement project at the Par-

sonage, in the Lounge, in the office, and in the Education

Building is complete. Next on the list is the installation of

a replacement floor covering in Memorial Hall. We will

also be raising the floor area where the organ currently sits,

followed by regarding and reseeding the summer refresh-

ments lawn area as soon as the weather permits.

Vic Schumacher

Trustees News

Someone Need a Bible!

On March 27 the Naomi Circle of United Methodist

Women attended a moving performance of Pergolesi’s

Stabat Mater. A very reflective and devotional sacred

piece, presented as a part of the Lenten Organ Recital Se-

ries at Grace Church. Soloists Patricia Ruggles and Elena

Bird participated along with organist Anne Matlack.

After the recital we enjoyed lunch and fellowship with

Patty and others at Grace Church.

The Naomi Circle is continuing to collect for The

Neighborhood Center of Camden, New Jersey, which is

supported by United Methodist Women and the Board of

Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church. The

Neighborhood Center helps with the needs of young

adults, senior citizens, children and teenagers in Camden,

an area of extreme poverty. The donations continue to

come in, and so far we have sent checks totaling $505 to

the Neighborhood Center. Donations can be made by

collection of quarters in plastic medicine vials (please use

your own vial) or by placing a check payable to “United

Methodist Women” in the offering plate. Please note

“Neighborhood Center” in the memo portion of your

check. Thank you.

Laurie Hagerich

Sunday School News

The UMC Seeds hosted an Egg

Hunt on Saturday, March 28th. We

were joined by families from the

church as well as families from the

Acorn Academy. It was very sweet.

We celebrated Palm Sunday,

March 29th in a room full of crafts

where the Youth and Confirmands

helped the Church school children

make all sorts of fun Easter crafts.

Kathleen Keane

United Methodist Women

Through the rest of the Spring and I hope beyond we will

have a chance to understand the Bible a bit better.

The lectionary readings for each Sunday will be based on a

narrative lectionary. What that means is we will look at

the stories of the Bible as a way of better learning and un-

derstanding how God empowers us as in our lives.

So, this is Good News. In fact I would like to share it with

others! I have purchased some young readers’ Bibles as

well as some Bible translations that are very easy to read

(“The Message”). I want us to offer them to those who

visit the church and desire to have a Bible. So, if they do,

we will provide one for adults and/or children.

Of course while supplies last! But we can always get more!

The point is for so many people The Christian Faith and the

book that proclaims it are a history that remains a mystery.

We as Christians can help change that, for them and for

ourselves.

Do you know someone without a church home? Do you

know someone who has been frustrated, felt left out from

the life of faith and has no way of getting back in?

Invite them to church! And let us offer them this gift.

I will share more about this in the coming weeks after

Easter! May God’s Grace and Peace abide for us all.

Robb W. Shoaf

6

April 2015

OUTREACH MINISTRY TEAM Lenten Speakers series and Easter Offerings

Stop Hunger Now returned

on Saturday, March 28th,

for an ALL CHURCH and

GUESTS meal packaging

extravaganza with the goal of

20,000 meals for distribution

overseas. This effort was led

by our Youth and funded

through a generous grant from the Jones Fund Endowment.

Thank you to all the volunteers from our congregation and

other local partners! We will learn the destination of our

meals when they are loaded into a container with another

approximately 300,000 meals. Learn more at

www.stophungernow.org.

Other Outreach News

Our partnership with the Interfaith

Food Pantry of Morris County

was recognized during a ceremony

on March 13th with the dedication

of the Giving Tree for 2014 con-

tributions displayed in the recep-

tion area at their Morris Plains

facility. Katy Galton is on staff as

Nutrition Educator and helps to

bridge our relationship with IFP.

Thank you to everyone who

brings in groceries to share or par-

ticipates in food distribution and

home delivery as well as the annual Thanksgiving distribution

effort.

CUMAC (Center of United Methodist Aid to the Community,

CUMAC/ECHO), incorporated in 1986 as an urban mission

of the United Methodist Church in Paterson, is celebrating

their 30th anniversary of service. CUMAC started as a vision

of one teacher who made it his mission to feed hungry stu-

dents. The services and reach of CUMAC has expanded over

these past decades. Their food support reaches more than

40,000 people. In addition to the food pantry, CUMAC runs a

clothing closet and thrift store, provide housing and shelter

support for homeless clients and offer coordination to other

social services.

Jeanne Eisele

Our Easter Offering is designated to three organizations:

First Friends, providing support and advocacy for immi-

grants in detention in New Jersey; Roots & Wings, providing

vital support for young adults aging out of foster care in

Morris County; and UMCOR – One Great Hour of Sharing,

a special offering to cover overhead costs of the agency and

allow 100% of designated contributions to go directly to each

project.

During the 2015 Lenten Speakers series, we heard from

Chelsea Jackson about her experiences in El Salvador and

Bill Westerman spoke to us about the compassionate efforts

of First Friends – a non-profit organization that provides

visitation and non-legal assistance for immigrants held in

detention centers in northern New Jersey, and we also heard

from David Shertzer, who spoke to us about Roots & Wings

– a non-profit

support or-

ganization

providing

young adults

who age out of

foster care

with safe

housing, edu-

cational sup-

port and counseling to aid in their successful transition to self

-sufficiency. During the ‘brunch’ each Sunday, people cheer-

fully gathered in fellowship to discuss these worthy projects

and our commitment to all of God’s creation. A round of ap-

plause and a big thank you to everyone who helped make

these Sunday gatherings a success.

Our Easter Offering also lifts up the exceptional work of the

United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) through

the annual appeal for One Great Hour of Sharing. This

special offering covers operating costs to ensure the con-

tinuation of the promise that 100% of each designated gift for

disaster relief goes directly to that effort. When we meet the

needs of those who suffer we answer Jesus’ call to ministry:

Moe Information:

First Friends: http://www.firstfriendsnjny.org/

Roots & Wings: http://www.rootsandwingsnj.org/

UMCOR: http://www.umcor.org/UMCOR/

“I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was

thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and

you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me

clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I

was in prison and you visited me.”

(Mt. 25:35-36, CEB)

7

Our Church Family

April 2015

Known Birthdays

in April Charlotte Rose Robinette

Charles Wiley McIntosh

Logan Ayash

Robert Henderson

Lance Carriere

Melina Ayash

Kyle Van Sciver

Eric White

Tara Kathleen Manz

Jane Frances Cyganovich

Jaelyn Atterbury

News from

Family Promise

People we remembered in prayer

Michael Leist

The Campbell Family

The Koes Family

Wade Merrick

Richard Tisch

Alida Geiger

Nancy Lutz

Kris Pfeifer

c offee hour is a time of fellowship and sharing. It would

not be possible without the dedication and sharing of

everyone that help make this fellowship time possible.

Thank You

On March 26 Family Promise hosted its annual Volunteer

Recognition Dinner, An Evening of Promise at Meadow Wood

Manor in Randolph. Jeanne Eisele, Chelsea Jackson, Parker

Loesch and myself represented UMC Madison. There was

good food and fellowship, along with many good speakers, in-

cluding Rev. Barry Winchell of Bethlehem Church in

Randolph, a congregation that recently became a host Church

and installed 2 showers and laundry facility in their Church for

the families. Another speaker was Solomon, a young shelter

resident of 7 months duration, who during his stay in shelter

formed close bonds with many volunteers and was able to

graduate from high school, find a job and be accepted into col-

lege where he is continuing his education.

This year’s Community Impact Award was presented to 9 year

old Benjamin Calao, a Madison resident, parishioner at St. Vin-

cent Martyr Church, and author of a series of biographies of

famous people. Ben has been compassionate and eager to help

others from a very young age and was inspired to help Family

Promise when he learned about the program in religion class.

He wrote the books over several months and began selling them

for $5 each to raise money for Family Promise. Ben has so far

raised over $3,000. The books can be purchased at Short Sto-

ries or Tons of Toys in Madison. As Ben says, “This is not for

fame, this is not for money, It is to help people. I want people

that are less fortunate to have the same opportunities as the rich

and famous.” It was a joy to see Ben honored, hear him confi-

dently deliver his humble and inspirational speech and receive a

standing ovation.

Family Promise gave an update at the dinner on Our Promise, a

new drop-in center to meet a gap in services created when a pre-

vious program, Our Place, closed. Our Promise will be located

at The First Baptist Church, at 51 Washington Street, in Morris-

town. Our Promise will provide a safe place for people during

the daytime hours to address basic safety needs and case man-

agement services. Clients will also be able to utilize the center

as a mailing address. Morris Habitat for Humanity is helping to

renovate the space for this exciting new program. Our Place

was supported by UMC Madison with a grant from the Jones

Fund in the fall of 2014. Family Promise also continues to up-

grade its Day Center with a Family Room addition in partner-

ship with Morris Habitat for Humanity, as well as new flooring

and interior painting.

Many thanks to Chelsea Jackson and parents of our youth, who

organized and cooked a meal for Family Promise on March 11

for their Parenting Program, which was delivered to the Day

Center in Morris Plains. Laurie Hagerich

8

Stop Hunger Now — 2015

Worship Schedule

Early Morning Worship 8:30 a.m.

Family Worship & Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Childcare is available for infants and toddlers.

Coffee and Fellowship 11:15 a.m.

Coming Up: April 2 Maundy Thursday 7:30 pm Service

April 3 Good Friday 7:30 pm Service

April 5 Easter Sunday 7:30 am Early Sunrise Service

8:30 am Breakfast

10:30 am Family Service

April 7 Trustees Meeting 7:30 pm

April 16 Taizé Brothers Event at UMC Chatham at 7:00 pm

April 21 Church Council Meeting at 7:30 pm

Check our website for more information: www.umcmadison.org