John Wesley United Methodist Church 270 Gifford St., Falmouth, MA 02540

Telephone 508-548-3050 Fax: 508-540-7273 Email: jwumcfalmouth@verizon.net www.jwumcfalmouth.org

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

“Whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your

Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:6 In Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount, he talks about prayer, including teaching the Lord’s Prayer. And his point in this particular verse is an admonition not to be like the Pharisees, the religious authorities who wanted to be seen praying and wanted their prayers to be heard by those around them. For many of you, I doubt this is an issue – most people don’t want to pray aloud. They feel uncomfortable, thinking they are either going to say something wrong, or they’ll stumble, or they won’t know what to say. Although, in reality, none of this bothers God at all. But Jesus’ message is loud and clear – when we come before God we are not to be prideful or insincere. We are to come humbly and honestly. But there’s more to this verse. Jesus also tells us two other things. 1) Jesus wants us to pray – “whenever you pray.” This is an expectation, not a suggestion. Jesus knows the importance of prayer and relationship with God, and he expects that prayer will be part of our daily life. 2) Jesus encourages us to come alone into God’s presence. This is not to say that corporate prayer is not important – it is. We should come together as a community of faith to lift our prayers with and for one another. However, God also wants some alone time with us. Where our sole attention is on God, on sharing our needs and feelings with God, and listening to God. Because prayer is what opens our hearts and minds and souls to the presence and power and voice of God. In the classic book The Kneeling Christian, the author writes: “Why are so many Christians defeated? Because they pray so little. Why are so many church workers and leaders

so discouraged and disheartened? Because they pray so little. Why do most Christian folk see so few people brought

“out of darkness to light” by their ministry? Because they pray so little. And why are our churches not simply afire

for God? Because there is so little prayer! The Lord Jesus is as powerful today as ever before. His arm is not

shortened that it cannot save: but He cannot stretch it forth unless we pray more- and more really. We may be

assured of this – the secret of all failure is our failure in secret prayer.”

So I encourage you to find that place where you can pray in secret, alone with God. Perhaps it is a physical place in your home, or a special location outside. Or maybe it’s just in your mind’s eye – a place where you know you would sense God’s presence. And then go there. Go talk to God about your day, what’s on your mind, all things you would share with a spouse or friend. Pray for our church, for where God is leading us. Pray for family and friends. And then just listen. Feel God’s presence, hear God’s voice come through your thoughts as He fills your spirit. Go, go in secret to Almighty God, and trust fully in Jesus’ promise, “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

~ Pastor Rebecca

“Where there is no vision, the people

perish.” Proverbs 29:18

We have completed some significant steps in making Vision 20/20 a reality for John Wesley. This project has been presented to our Church Council, and met with enthusiastic acceptance. Larry Ward has agreed to lead and facilitate this program, along with me. A Core Team is in the process of being assembled with representatives from each of the Six Focus Areas – Spiritual Growth, Sunday School & Youth, Building, Invitation & Hospitality, Outreach, Fellowship. A brochure with more information is being created and will soon be distributed. Meetings will be held to more fully communicate the plan and process as we move forward. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Larry (lw7050@comcast.net) or me. It is an exciting and necessary time to be the Body of Christ in our community and our world. Let us continue to pray that we will faithfully follow God’s leading, so that we can make a difference in the lives of those around us. ~ Pastor Rebecca

Worship Thank you to everyone who helped make our Lenten and Easter season so special and meaningful. And let us continue to live as Easter people – those who worship and follow the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ!

May 3rd – Ride a Bike to Church Sunday. It’s a great way to get fresh air, exercise and enjoy God’s creation as we come to worship and share in Holy Communion. May 10th – Happy Mother’s Day – Each of our women will receive a flower, and our children will offer a prayer at the 10:30 service. May 17th – Prayer and Praise Sunday. This is a special Sunday with wonderful music, prayer and personal stories from members of our congregation. Everyone loved this Prayer and Praise Sunday last November, so you won’t want to miss it! May 24th – Pentecost! The Birthday of the Church! We commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit on the early followers of Jesus Christ. The “tongues of fire” enabled the disciples to go out and spread the word of Christ to all parts of the world. It was on this day that the church started, afire for Christ, and Christianity began to grow and expand. To celebrate, we will be asking everyone to WEAR RED! Just as the early church grew, so John Wesley is growing, as we will be welcoming new members. We will also remember our soldiers who gave their lives for our country.

THE CHURCH MOUSE Wow! April was some month at John Wesley. I just don't know where to begin. So let's start with Easter. The Easter Bunny went crazy on Saturday the 4th, leaving all sorts of colored eggs filled with candy all over the place for the kids. Everybody thought Mr. Bunny was so wonderful, including Debra and Mr. Tags who just fawned all over him and helped him make the day so special. There were over 50 kids, Pastor Rebecca was there, and a whole bunch of parents. It was like a love fest out there. As the one and only official church mascot of John Wesley, I kind of resent this sort of attention given to another little critter no matter how delightful you may find him. So next year I'm inviting Elmer Fudd to the Easter Egg hunt, and we'll see what happens to that "wascally little wabbit". Then Easter Sunday was really special! A perfect sunrise service, a well attended 8:30 service, and a packed house for the 10:30 service. Where did all those people come from, Pastor Rebecca? Usher Mel Trott said he learned something for the first time since he's been at John Wesley... just exactly how many people can fit into the sanctuary! Once he sat 280 people and ran out of pew space, he had to start bringing in the folding chairs. The Choir was awesome, and Jenn Linton organized a wonderful coffee hour with plenty of food and fellowship. And to top it all off, "Christ is risen!" was the resounding phrase of the day. Now, not that I can compare myself to the good Lord in any way, shape, or tiny form, but I was gone for a period of time, and now I'm back too! But I haven't heard anybody get too excited about me. So can I please get a little love from the congregation as well. Maybe just leave your words of appreciation or, better yet, a piece of cheese on Laura's desk so I know I'm doing a good job. Thank you.

What a beautiful garden we have out front now! It's just shouts out springtime! And it makes our church look so good as people come through the front door. I'm here 24/7, as you know, watching and listening to everything, and you can't believe all the smiles that I've seen on people's faces as they admire the new garden. And it's all thanks to Gudrun Bjarnarson and her friend Grafton. You know, Denmark's national motto is, "God's Help, the People's Love, Denmark's Strength." And that mind-set was certainly obvious to me when Gudrun took on the huge job of fixing up the garden for her church. Thank you, Gudrun!

Finally, I want to talk about the rummage sale. Aline and Sharon were busier than two Jehovah Witnesses working a twenty story apartment building. It was a lot of work, but it brought in almost $3000 for the church. And based on what I saw, everybody had a lot of fun! There was fellowship, good stories, and lots of laughter. And I even found this great T-shirt. It shows an empty pair of shoes on the front, and the words, "In the Event of the Rapture, these Shoes will be Empty". It describes me so perfectly! But the rest of you... I'm not too sure. Ha! Ha!

Happy May to everyone!

Please continue to wear your name tags,

and let Marilyn know if you cannot make

any of these scheduled Sundays.

May, 2015

3rd Mel Trott, Beverly & Roger Arbo, & Brian Linton 10th Sharon Mulcahy, Louise Bailey, Karyn Briggs, & Dick Sherman (Mother’s Day) 17th Ken Whitcomb, Linda Duane, & Karl & Pearl Jurentkuff 24th Al Croft, Karen Dean, Jim Grosslein, & Lorraine Hunt 31st Russell Brown, Jan Brooks & Marilyn Mugno June, 2015

7th Mel Trott, Beverly & Roger Arbo, & Brian Linton 14th Sharon Mulcahy, Louise Bailey, Karyn Briggs, & Dick Sherman 21st Ken Whitcomb, Linda Duane, Karl & Pearl Jurentkuff (Father’s Day) 28th Al Croft, Karen Dean, Jim Grosslein, & Lorraine Hunt

Our church looked so beautiful on Easter Sunday,

thanks to the green thumbs of Gudrun Bjarnarson

and Grafton Briggs Landscaping.

The volunteers who helped to put last

month’s newsletter together for you were:

Jan Brooks

Louise Bailey

Marie Syverson

Jane Souza

Thank you ladies!!

If you would like to help out with the

newsletter one a month, let us know!

Look for May to begin with Family Fellowship and Flowers! On Saturday, May 2nd, We will be having our First Flower Painting and Floral Arranging Event, along with Prayer Time from 9:00-11:00 A.M. We hope you are joining us for this special time!

We will honor our Mothers on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 10th with a prayer at the 10:30 service. Children will be practicing this prayer each Sunday during Sunday School and Wow. (copies available)

Our children will continue to meet in the chapel prior to the start of Sunday School to sing with our song leader Emily Moberg and close with a prayer, then adjourn to our classrooms.

Sunday School will continue until Sunday, June 28th.

Look for upcoming news about Vacation Bible School G-Force! The dates are Aug. 10—14 for Grades K-6!

May is Bike Month! May is Bike Month across the country and you can join in on the celebrations happening at

John Wesley United Methodist Church. And if your bike isn’t up to snuff, bring it into The Falmouth Bike Lab during

Open Shop and get some help fixing it up for the season.

May 3rd – Bike to Church Day

Save some money and get in better shape! Riding your bike to church instead of driving is a great way to accomplish

both. Kick start a new habit by joining in on Bike to Church day where there will be special refreshments and valet

bicycle parking available!

May 9th, 10am to 2pm – Falmouth Bike Fest

Join the Falmouth Bikeways Committee, Falmouth Bike Lab, and many other bicycle enthusiasts from around town

for a day celebrating bicycles. There will be food, bike rodeos, bike obstacle courses, maintenance and repair

workshops and free bikes! Bring the whole family, stop by the front parking lot of the church for a little while or hang

out with us for the entire duration

May 15th, 5pm – Family Group Ride

Meet in the Falmouth Bike Lab for our Friday Group ride. This is a chance for families and people of all ages to get

together and share in a bicycle ride around town. The Falmouth Bike Lab will be hosting these group rides on the

third Friday of every month.

Donate to our 15-Hour Famine

On May 22-23, our youth will be spending the night at John Wesley, and fasting for 15 hours in an effort to raise funds for hungry children around the world. We will be participating in a national event organized by World Vision that seeks to teach kids about world hunger and empower them to make a difference. Check out our bulletin board in the fellowship hall or visit our website to learn how you can help us reach our goal of $350, which will feed 10 kids for a month (www.jwumcfalmouth.org/ famine). If you would like to give a check, please make it out to “John Wesley” and put “World Vision” on the memo line.

Make reservations by Sunday, May 10th!

Rummage Sale Recap

It just amazes me what happens when we clean out our closets....A HUGE THANK YOU for the volunteers who gave up their time... THANK YOU to the shoppers, and THANK YOU for the donations of books, clothing, furniture & stuff. Almost $3000 was raised! This could not happen without all of it!

However, we ask you to keep cleaning...we will continue to accept your donations...the Fair will be here before you know it. We have areas that will be designated to accept your donations, please contact Aline Ward @ 508-444-6038 or aw7050@comcast.net.

While we’re on the subject of the Christmas Fair, we are also looking for:

• Used or new regular incandescent & candelabra light bulbs (to Aline Ward) • Mason Jars. (To Marilyn McFarland or Aline Ward) • Jewelry for the jewelry table at the church fair. You may leave it in the designated box in the church office or give it to Lynne Browne on a Sunday. We also need the boxes that jewelry comes in!

Don’t forget the dates for the Annual Christmas Fair:

Fri. Nov. 20th (2:00-7:00pm) Sat. Nov. 21st (8:30am - 2:00pm)

Any questions, please call Aline Ward @508-444-6038 or aw7050@comcast.net

Some of our fabulous Rummage Sale crew!

Here’s an update as to what is happening with the Missions Committee. Everyone is welcome to attend our meetings! Bring some ideas or suggestions! We discuss requests for funds, fund-raising events, finances, ideas, and much more! Join us on the last Monday of the month @ 7 in the Lyman Lounge. We have Food on the Fourth. You may drop off donations of non-perishable food items in the box in the fellowship hall at any time where the donations are delivered to the Falmouth Service Center monthly. They could use: canned vegetables, hearty soups, canned tomato products, pasta sauce, cereals, oatmeal, whole wheat flour, flour, bread mix, tuna, salmon, peanut butter, canned chicken/turkey, canned/dried beans, nuts, sunflower seeds, powdered milk, Ovaltine, instant breakfast drinks, V8 juice, tomato juice, salsa, canned fruit in natural juice, no sugar added applesauce, dried fruits raisins, canned/boxed 100% fruit juice, pasta, graham, animal crackers, whole grain crackers, granola bars, or evaporated skim milk. Thank you to those of you who have contributed to the women's shelter by giving donations in the large box in the fellowship hall! They can always use donations of: gift cards, feminine hygiene products, kitchen supplies, toilet paper, paper towels, hygiene items, laundry items, or other items listed on the backside of the door.

We are in the beginning of our "Change the World" campaign. We will be collecting loose change every Sunday, and each month we will collect funds for a different organization. May is slated for the Cape Cod Shelter for Women. Check out our bulletin board in the fellowship hall for a visual update on the amounts donated (like the proverbial thermometer). Just a thoughtful request … In an effort to keep fundraisers and donation collections coordinated (so as to not have too many going at once), please run ideas for missions through the Missions Committee. Thanks!

Here's a calendar of upcoming events in 2015 for the Missions Committeee:

May "Change the World" campaign will go to the Cape Cod Center for Women May 24 Falmouth Service Center Food Drive June 28 Falmouth Service Center Food Drive July 26 Falmouth Service Center Food Drive August 23 Falmouth Service Center Food Drive Missions will sponsor coffee hour September 18 Golf Marathon September 27 Falmouth Service Center Food Drive October 25 Falmouth Service Center Food Drive November 22 Falmouth Service Center Food Drive Alternate Gift Market December 27 Falmouth Service Center Food Drive

To the Board of Trustees:

“The Acorn that you placed on the Memorial Tree in honor of my 26 years of service to God and this church brings me great joy. As I read the engraving I was overwhelmed with the honor of your action on my behalf. What a wonderful surprise, something I will never forget. I write this with a heart full of gratitude and thanks for your thoughtfulness. It has been a pleasure to serve you as you serve God and

JWUMC. “ ~Eva Peterson

Announcements

Are you interested in learning more about and/or joining John Wesley UMC? Please come and share in a casual meeting where we will get to know one another, learn about United Methodism and learn about John Wesley. It will be held on Saturday, May 9th from 8:30 – 11:00. We will welcome new members on Sunday, May 24th, Pentecost. As we celebrate the birthday and growth of the Christian church, we will celebrate the growth of John Wesley.

Don’t forget – our next Falmouth Eats Together is Thursday, May 14th at 4pm. You are welcome to come and eat. And if you would like to help, please contact Tim or Bonnie Valade at (508) 563-9578.

Coffee hour volunteers needed! Please help us keep our fellowship going after our worship service! You don’t have to make coffee, that’s already done! Just make or bring a few cookies and/or cheese and crackers. Make it simple! Haven’t done it and not sure what to do? Please call Lorretta Croft at (508) 737-1921.

The Falmouth Chorale "Glory, Hallelujah!" concerts will be on Saturday, May 2 at 4pm and Sunday, May 3 at 4pm right here at JWUMC and will feature songs commemorating the end of the Civil War. Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for students if ordered online at www.falmouthchorale.org - $25 at the door. For more information call 774.392.2383.

As many of you know, Cherylann Randall is on the liver transplant waiting list and has been working hard to exercise and stay healthy until a liver comes through. Unfortunately, she found out she has a non-cancerous tumor of the pancreas, which needs to be removed before it turns cancerous. However, due to its location, the surgeons will not operate unless she can find a living donor that would be willing to give her part of their liver. Her chances of survival are slim if she does not receive this transplant. If you would like to help or would like more information, please give her a call at 508-648-3104, or visit her Facebook page.

Plant Sale – Friday, May 22nd from 9am – 7pm, and Saturday, May 23rd from 9am – 2pm. Tom Hoke is willing to chair this event but is in need of helping hands of all sorts, especially gardeners and plant lovers! This is a wonderful fundraiser for the church, and brings people from the community to our church and grounds. If you can help, especially if you know something about plants, please contact Tom at 617-834-8124 or sign up on the Sign Up sheet in the Fellowship Hall.

From Your Chief “Poster Post-er”. . . “Thanks to all who are posting posters. We are definitely letting the community know about the events taking place at our church. If you would like to be a “Poster Post-er” and have a place to post a poster, let me know and we can add it to our list.” ~Lynne Browne

Thank you to everyone who helped at our clean-up day yesterday! A lot of time, hard work, and effort went into making God's house cleaner and neater.

Pastor Rebecca and John will be visiting family from Wednesday, May 20—Saturday, May 23rd.

John Wesley Community Garden

Now that we can see the ground, it’s time to think about gardening. I will get our Community Garden started, but PLEASE HELP! We hope all gardeners will chip in to get it up and running. The gardens have to be cleaned up and then rototilled (we have the rototiller). Please let me know if you intend to still have a garden this year. The charge for a plot is $10. In the past we have had a breakfast to help raise money. Are you interested in having a breakfast? Also, we need chips to divide the plots. Dick MacKenzie used to get damaged bags of soil/fertilizer from Eastman’s. If you can help with that or have any contacts with landscapers or nurseries that would be helpful. We have some plots available, so if anyone is interested in having a garden, please contact me, Sharon Mulcahy at 508-457-0950 or email smulcahy1@comcast.net. Thanks!

Spiritual Growth Opportunities

The Day I Met Jesus: The Revealing Diaries of Five Women from the Gospels by Frank Viola and Mary DeMuth. “Has the fire left your faith? These imagined diaries of biblical women show how meeting Jesus revolutionized their lives – and can reignite yours! Each narrative is … tightly grounded in the Gospel accounts and faithful to first-century history.” Discussion questions found in the “Talking It Over” section will be used to aid in class participation. This is a six-week study facilitated by Betty Smith starts Tuesday, May 19th at 10:00 AM. Books may be ordered through Amazon or Christian Book Distributors. Contact Betty Smith at (508) 540-1073 or if you are unable to order your book on your own.

Women's Monday Morning Devotional Group: All women are welcome to join our group which meets in the Lyman Lounge. We start at 9:15am and end at 10:15am. We study different devotional material - right now we are finishing Hamilton's book, Making Sense of the Bible. You are welcome. For more information, contact Demaris Kooker (508) 477-6848 or dkooker@comcast.net.

PLANT SALE

Friday, May 22, 2015 ~ 9am ~ 7-m Saturday, May 23, 2015 ~ 9am ~ 2pm

John Wesley United Methodist Church 270 Gifford St., Falmouth, MA

Selections of: Annuals and Perennials

Hanging Baskets

Vegetables and Herbs

Proceeds to benefit the John Wesley United Methodist Church

and its mission to our community.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT TOM HOKE: Tel.: 617-834-8124 or Email: tomhoke@att.net

John Wesley UMC's May, 2015 Calendar of Events SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 2

7am AA 2pm AA Women 5pm Girl Scouts 5:30pm AA Study

Group 6pm Fal. Chorale

Rehearsal

9am Family Fellowship & Flowers

10am Bike Lab 4pm Fal. Chorale

Concert

3 Bike to Church Day 4 5 Cinco De Mayo 6 7 8 9

8:30am Communion Service

9:30am Sunday School 10:30am Worship/WoW

4pm Fal. Chorale Concert

4pm Youth Group 6pm Brazilian Church 6pm Narcotics Anon.

7am AA 9:15am Women's Devot.

10am Crafters 6:30pm Jamaican

Church 7pm Church Council

7am AA 10am Bible Study 11am Prayer Group 3pm Earn A Bike

7am AA 12 Noon Food for the

Soul 3pm Earn A Bike

7pm AA 7pm Choir

7am AA 3:45pm Earn A Bike 5:30pm Coalition for

Children 7pm Bike Lab Open

Shop 7pm Brazilian Church

7am AA 2pm Brazilian (Fitz/

FH) 2pm AA Women 2pm JML Nursing 3pm Royal on the

Main 5:30pm AA Study

Group

8:30am Information Mtg.

9am-4pm Brazilian (Fitz/FH)

10am Falmouth Bike Fest (front parking

lot)

10 Mother's Day 11 12 13 14 15 16

8:30am Communion Service

9:30am Sunday School 10:30am Worship/WoW 4pm Youth Group

6pm Brazilian Church 6pm Narcotics Anon.

7am AA 9:15am Women's Devot.

10am Crafters 12Noon Blood Drive

7am AA 10am Bible Study 11am Prayer Group 3pm Earn A Bike

7am AA 7pm AA 7pm Choir

7am AA 3:45pm Earn A Bike 4pm Falmouth Eats

Together 5:30pm Coalition for

Child. 7pm Bike Lab Open

Shop 7pm Brazilian Church

7pm SPRC

7am AA 2pm AA Women 2pm Atria Nursing 5pm Family Group

Ride 5pm Girl Scouts 5:30pm AA Study

Group

1-5pm Baby Shower FH

10am Rain Date for Bike Fest (front parking lot)

PawSox Faith & Family Night

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

8:30am Communion Service

9:30am Sunday School 10:30am Worship/WoW 4pm Youth Group

6pm Brazilian Church 6pm Narcotics Anon.

7am AA 9:15am Women's Devot.

10am Crafters 6:30pm Jamaican

Church

7am AA 10am Bible Study 10:30am Sight Loss

Group 11am Prayer Group 3pm Earn A Bike 7pm Fal. Chorale

7am AA 7pm AA

7am AA 3:45pm Earn A Bike 7pm Bike Lab Open

Shop 7pm Brazilian Church

7am AA 9am Plant Sale 2pm AA Women

2pm Royal Megansett 5:30pm AA Study

Group Youth Group Famine

Lock-In

9am-2pm Plant Sale

24 Pentecost 25 Memorial Day 26 27 28 29 30

8:30am Communion Service

9:30am Sunday School 10:30am Worship/WoW 4pm Youth Group

6pm Brazilian Church 6pm Narcotics Anon.

7am AA Office is Closed

9:15am Women's Devot.

7am AA 10am Bible Study 11am Prayer Group 6pm Trustees 7pm Missions

7am AA 7pm AA 7pm Choir

7am AA 3:45pm Earn A Bike 7pm Bike Shop

7pm Brazilian Church

7am AA 7:30pm Old Time

Gospel

31

8:30am Communion Service

9:30am Sunday School 10:30am Worship/WoW 4pm Youth Group

6pm Brazilian Church 6pm Narcotics Anon.

John Wesley United Methodist Church

270 Gifford Street

Falmouth, MA 02540 (508)548-3050

Email: jwumcfalmouth@verizon.net

www.jwumcfalmouth.org

Dated Material

Rev. Rebecca Mincieli, Pastor

Jeremy Tagliaferre, Dir. Of Youth Ministries

Debra Cormier, Dir. Of Christian Educ.

Laura Peterson, Office Administrator

John Yankee, Music Director

Robert Wyatt, Pianist/Organist

US POSTAGE PAID

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FALMOUTH, MA 02540

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

The Journey of Life

Each of us is on a journey. We know not when it will end. Every day is a gift from God,

Our dearest and closest Friend.

He knows what lies ahead for us. He knows the paths we’ve taken.

Whether we’ve lived our lives for Him, Whether He’s been forsaken.

It’s not too late to make amends, To pursue the righteous way,

To worship Him with love and faith. Follow His footsteps today.

No one can live our lives for us, But God is our constant Guide.

By prayer and thanks and His blessings, With Him we’ll ever abide.

Joy Stosz

March 18, 2015