East Stroudsburg

United Methodist Church

The Trumpet Call

Ma

y 1

7,

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Pastor’s Corner

Our Eastern PA Annual Conference meets May 14-16 in Oaks (near Valley Forge), PA, with our Bishop, Peggy Johnson, presiding. The focus this year is on Christian stewardship, and our guest speaker is Clif Christopher, one of the premier experts on stewardship for the 21st Century. In fact, our Ministry Placement and Stewardship Team (MPST) has been reading and discussing Clif's

book, Not Your Parents' Offering Plate. It has already made an impact on that team and you will see some of the fruits of the new thinking in coming months.

Annual Conference is about more than hearing inspiring speakers. We also spend time in prayer, praise singing, Bible Study, and doing the business of the Conference. Note that I put the business last, because the Christian disciplines we engage in affect how we conduct our busi-ness together. Some of that business can bring about sharply divided opinions, so I invite you to be in prayer for the three days of our Annual Conference. One of the most important pieces of business we do this year is to elect lay and clergy delegates who will represent us next year at the 2016 General Conference in Portland, Oregon. I will be voting for clergy delegates; your lay member to Conference, Linda Drake, will be voting for lay delegates. Karen Todd is also going to Annual Confer-ence, as a lay equalizer representing the Northeast District. Please keep all of us in prayer as we discern God’s will and make important decisions.

After the end of Conference on Saturday, Karen and I will go to Lancaster County to meet up with people from our own Vision Team here at ESUMC. We will be attending worship on Sunday morning at Hempfield UMC (the largest church on the Southwest District), then meet with the senior pastor and lay representatives to discuss with them how they successfully transitioned from three services to two on Sunday morning.

We are taking this field trip and having this meeting, because this is something we are considering here at ESUMC. That word “considering" is important, because no decisions have been made nor will be made until we receive input from all of you, the congregation. The goal of the Vision Team is to have listening sessions early in the summer to use as part of our discernment process. We will announce these far enough ahead of time to make sure you can put these on your calendar to attend. We hope that everyone with an interest in our Sunday morning schedule will attend and offer input.

In the meantime, I call all of us to prayer about any transitions we might make as a church. I know you will look forward to hearing the Rev. Bob

Our Vision:

To challenge and encourage every-one in our congregation to know

and follow Christ by:

Growing as disciples through

Christ’s teachings

Connecting with one another in

Christian community

Serving Christ by serving others

Praising God as we worship Christ

Sunday Services

8:30 a.m. Traditional

9:45 a.m. Contemporary

11:00 a.m. Traditional

East Stroudsburg United

Methodist Church

83 S. Courtland St.

East Stroudsburg, PA 18301

(570) 421-3280

church@esumc.net

Outreach Ministry Outreach Ministry Stephen Ministry “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.” Na-hum 1:7

Each of us has times when we are lonely, grieving, hurt, or in need of care. In his second let-ter to the Corinthians, Paul tells us that such troubles can bring spiritual growth to the sufferer.

When we who are in Christ suffer, we also find comfort through Christ, and one of the ways we find this comfort is through others who have found Christ’s care and com-fort in their sufferings. Stephen Ministers are trained to offer this Christ-like care to those in need.

For more information about Stephen Ministry, contact Peggy Strack at the church office, 570-421-3280, ext. 1023.

Are You Getting to Know Each Other’s Names?

As we continue to wear our lanyard ESUMC name tags, we are putting names with the faces of our congregation! Please con-

tinue to wear your name tag

whenever you attend a church event. When you leave church,

name tags may be placed in the “Name Tag Return” baskets. If

you take your name tag home, please remember to wear it each

Sunday! If you would like a name

tag and have not received one, please sign the sheet on the

name tag table in Oberholtzer Hall.

Beverly Beck would love to receive get well cards and notes of encouragement from you. They may be mailed to her at Good Shepherd Plaza, Room 308A, 850 South

Blood Drive

Our first Blood Drive of 2015 sponsored by the American Red Cross that took place on Tuesday, May 5th was a success. Thanks to all who volunteered and to all who donated toward the 17 pints collected.

2015 Organ Series Concerts, 3 pm. Free, open to the public. June 14: Our Andy, Joe, Doug, and Pauline in variety of styles, with the Back Fami-ly – Greg, Carlena, and Greg-ory – in Broadway show tunes. Benefit offering for Family Promise. October 18: Solo concert by guest Christopher Johnson, Organist at Riverside Church in New York City Help needed for publicity/fundraising! Contact Pauline at foxes@esumc.net or 570-223-9889.

Health and Wellness Fair and Expo The Wellness Team of ESUMC will be hosting our third wellness fair and expo on Sunday, May 31

st

from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. Wellness profes-sionals and fitness enthusiasts will provide free infor-mation to promote good health. Learn about local health and fitness programs and prod-ucts to help live a healthier life. For vendor infor-mation, contact Darleen at 570-460-9160.

Pregnancy Resource Centers Baby Bottle Boomerang Help those too young to protect themselves. Pick up a bottle or two, bring it home or to work and return the filled bottle by Father’s Day. Vis-it the table in Fellowship Hall or see Jenni Poole or Jill Malefyt to get your bottle.

Opportunities/News

Opportunities/News Getting the Word Out Pastor Paul Scherer once said “Don’t ask for whom God’s Word is meant. It is meant for you”. God en-trusts us with the precious task of giving voice to God’s own part in the con-versation between God and His people. If you would like to get a better

understanding on how to read scripture aloud, please join us on MAY 31 at 12:15 p.m. for training on “Getting the Word Out”. Our youth will be confirmed on Sunday, June 7. Important: we will have two services that day: 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. The 8:30 a.m. service will be a regular Communion service, while the students will be con-firmed at the 10:00 am ser-vice which will combine elements found in both the 9:45 am and 11:00 am ser-vices of worship. A reception

for the confirmands will take place immediately following the 10:00 a.m. service. Positions Available at ESUMC!

We are in need of a Maintenance and Repair Consultant to spend 6-8 hours per week at the church doing a variety of repair work and maintenance. The interested applicant must have a working understanding of physical plant operation and management. In addition to knowledge about operations, the individual must also be able to lift and carry 50 pounds. Position to start June 1. We are also in need of a Weekday Sexton. This is a 21 hour per week position which will start at the beginning of July. Duties of this position include:

Check facilities at beginning and end of shift and stock supplies as needed.

Maintain cleanliness in both buildings. Set up and tear down chairs, tables and equipment in rooms as requested.

Utilize volunteers as needed. Launder Fellowship Hall tablecloths, towels and other items weekly or as needed.

Do minor repairs as needed, and alert Maintenance and Repair Consultant to any larger concerns

regarding property or building maintenance.

We offer a warm welcome to our newest members of ESUMC, received into mem-bership on Sunday, May 10, 2015. There were four who attended a three hour New Member Class and Orientation on May 2, and we also recognized another who had joined in late 2014.

Pictured at left are (l to r) Mary Sue Palmieri, Judith (Jude) Porter, Julie Bonser, and Karen Todd. Also recognized as a returning member of ESUMC is Sharon Hachtman, pictured below:

Each of these individuals brings gifts to our congregation. Mary Sue comes on letter of transfer from Bel Air United Meth-odist Church in Bel Air, MD. She was married in our church to Michael, and her three children were baptized here as well.

She is a girl scout volunteer and has an MBA in business, and is currently a logistics specialist. Jude has been active here for several years, volunteering in the Soup Kitchen and with JAM. She believes God has called her and gifted her to help others with “hands on healing.” She currently works in aquaculture, and her hobbies include gardening and cooking, and she has a passion to learn more about Jesus. Julie comes to us from House on the Rock Family Church in Wind Gap and has been active here for several year. She enjoys helping in the Sunday School rotation and previously was employed in our church nursery for a short time. Her hobbies include reading, crafts, and yoga, and she is employed as a librarian at the Hughes Library in Stroudsburg. Karen came to ESUMC when her husband, Pastor Jim, was appointed as our pastor in mid-2014. Karen and Jim have two grown daughters, Lauren and Kristin, who both live out of the area. Karen was previously in banking and more recently a chil-dren’s ministry director. She transfers from First UMC of Ephrata. Her hobbies include cooking, bicycling, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing. Sharon transferred back to ESUMC after husband, Pastor Bob Hachtman, retired from Fritz Me-morial UMC in Bethlehem. Sharon has a passion working in advocacy for improving how our faith communities respond

This Week at ESUMC

Staff Contact Information Main Office: 570-421-3280

Pastor: Jim Todd jtodd@esumc.net 1014 Church Secretary: Maria Ragonese mragonese@esumc.net 1010 Congregational Care: Peggy Strack pstrack@esumc.net 1023 Music & Worship: Andy Waddell awaddell@esumc.net 1011 Youth Ministry: Scott Kuhnle skuhnle@esumc.net 1013 Children’s Ministry: Pam O’Brien pobrien@esumc.net 1017 Technology Support: Michael Corey mcorey@esumc.net 1012 Finances: Sue Mertz smertz@esumc.net 1015 Financial Secretary: Cyndie Faunce cfaunce@esumc.net 1025 Maintenance: Bruce Johnson bjohnson@esumc.net 1018 Foundations Preschool foundations@esumc.net 1019 Fellowship Hall Kitchen 1030 Church (Inside Breezeway) 1031 Organist: Pauline Fox foxes@esumc.net ---- Audio-visuals: Joe Dorsch josephdorsch@gmail.com ---

Pocono Mission Connexion

Aldersgate Day of Prayer

Monday, May 18, 2015

The Rev. Paul Crikelair organized the first Day of Prayer in May 2013 to commemorate the 275th anni-versary of John Wesley’s conversion in May 1738. Since then, it has been held twice a year and has enjoyed participation by all of the seven churches of our Mission Connexion.

On Monday, May 18, all seven churches will again participate and host those praying for an hour at their sites. We will be praying for our communities, church-es, leaders, outreach, ministries, special needs, etc. ESUMC’s staff will be a part of our hour of prayer,

and you are invited to join them!

You are invited to come to any of the churches and to the lunch at Faith UMC in the middle of the schedule. If attending the lunch, please RSVP to Sue Wilson at swilson18360@gmail.com.

The schedule for the day: 8:00-9:00 am Cherry Valley 9:30-10:30 am East Stroudsburg 11:00-Noon Faith Noon-1:00 pm Lunch at Faith 1:30-2:30 pm Analomink 3:00-4:00 pm Wooddale

JAM (Jesus And Me) Jr. High Afterschool Program meets every Thursday from 2:45 – 5:00pm. Information and Permission Forms are available on the church website (www.esumc.net) and in the youth room. Each week following the JAM program is a free Fellowship Meal for all stu-dents (from 5-6pm), followed by Jr. High Boys and Jr. High Girls Bible Studies (from 6-7:30pm).

Sr. High Bible Study meets every Monday Night from

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. This is a bible study for Sr. High students (9th-12th grade) who are looking to get deeper into their faith, and grow stronger as a disciple of Christ. We will have girls and guys combined bible study for three weeks, followed by girls and guys separate discussions on the fourth week of every month.

June 29- July 3, 2015

at

East Stroudsburg United Methodist Church

9:00- 12:00

Preschool-5th Grade

Thanks to all who are participating in the Dollar Challenge and donated to the Thailand Orphanage. May's challenge is paper products for Youth programs and VBS ( paper plates, small bowls, 9 ounce cups, plastic-ware, napkins ,green