All Church Meeting

Thursday, April 18, 2013
5 - 6 pm
All come and share your vision for our future. Please bring a sandwich or something for your personal supper. Coffee, beverages and dessert will be available.
Contact person: Duncan 978-223-3102

Angel Gabriel Fair

Saturday November 10, 2012
9 am - 2 pm

Angel Gabriel Quilters
Angel Gabriel Knitters
Newburyport Revisited photos and collectibles - Duncan MacBurnie
Herbert Crooks Paintings
Attic Treasures
Baked Goods and Sweets

Luncheon - Homemade Fish Chowdah, Sandwiches, Coffee, Sodas and Water

Peoples United Methodist Church
64 Purchase St.
Newburyport, MA 01950
978-465-5145
pumc-newburyport.com

Bible Study July 26

Bible Study will beheld on Tuesday July 26 at the James Steam Mill, 1 Charles Street, Newburyport. Joan will be hosting (apt 506), call 978-465-3359 for directions.

Concert + Coffeehouse on July 30

PUMC will be hosting Drive Theory on July 30 for a free concert. We will also hold an Open Mic from 3-5pm before the concert from 5-7pm. Bring your talent - music, poetry, or a reading - to share with this friendly audience. This is a family event.

Welcome Pastor Rusty and 8:30am Summer Worship

Pastor Rusty Davis began his ministry with us on July 1. Come meet our new Pastor during worship at 8:30am this summer.

Rusty is a Byfield native who has been serving the East Parish Church in Salisbury since 2006. Prior to that he served churches in Peabody, MA; Buxton, Gorham, and Newfield ME. As part of this new appointment, EPUMC and PUMC will be joining in shared ministry. Stay tuned to see where God's call will take us together!

Retirement Party June 11

Pastor Pam will be retiring in July so we threw her a retirement party this weekend. Here are some of the photos!

Pastor Pam entering the hall

Pastor Pam, Percy, Priscilla and Duncan are ready for lunch

Some of the party goers are having a nice time

Duncan reads "Oh the Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss to Pastor Pam

March 2011 Events

March 6, 9am worship

We will share Communion

Scripture: Matthew 17: 1-9

Homily "Change"

Note there will be no Sunday afternoon service on March 6. All are encouraged to join us at the Ash Wednesday service on March 9 at 12noon.

March 8, 7pm Bible Study

The group will meet at Jane's house on Parker Ridge

March 9, 12 noon Ash Wednesday Service

We will share Communion in a Taize style service with an opportunity to receive ashes

The service will be followed by a soup luncheon at the church.

If you cannot make a mid-day service, please join Merrimacport UMC for an evening service at 7:30pm featuring Sacred Dance, Communion and receipt of ashes.

March 16, 9am worship

Draw near us, precious Savior, with footsteps sure and true

Scripture: Luke 7: 36-50 Listen to the words of Nicodemus

Sermon: The Feet of Christ

Bring something that represents the feet of Christ

March 20, 9am worship

Reach out to us, dear Savior, with hands that nail prints show

Scripture: John 12:1-11 Listen to the words of Judas

Sermon: The Hands of Christ

Bring something that represents the hands of Christ

March 27, 9am worship

Bend down your ear, O Savior, and hear our urgent cry

Scripture: Mark 7:31-37 Listen to the words of Barabbas

Sermon: The ears of Christ

Bring something that represents the ears of Christ

April 3, 9am worship

Behold us, precious Savior, with deep and loving eyes

Scripture: John 9: 1-11 Listen to the words of Pilate

Sermon: The eyes of Christ

Bring something that represents the eyes of Christ

You are the Chocolate of the Earth

Pastor Pam provided a modern interpretation of today's scripture (Matthew 5:13-16) during today's children's sermon that seemed worth sharing.

What does it mean to be "the salt of the earth" today? Salt reminds us of high blood pressure, fried food, and unhealthy eating habits. That doesn't seem like something we should be spreading around. One might argue that throwing out salt "to trample underfoot" is a necessity this winter due to all the ice and snow. Trying to explain what Jesus meant by his analogy "You are the salt of the earth" to young Christians posed a challenge.

We thought about something we eat that makes us feel good. Fresh fruits and vegetables are good for our bodies, but how would your friend respond if you gave them some Brussels Sprouts as a sign of God's love? That analogy didn't seem to be quite right either.

Inspired by Valentine's Day, we thought that perhaps chocolate is a better analogy. The kids described making chocolate chip cookies or brownies and agreed that these were some of their favorite foods, and were something to share with their family and friends. Chocolate tastes good, it makes us feel good, and it's even better when you share it with others - just like God's love.

So this week, as you share chocolates with your Valentine, let's also remember to share God's love with one another.

February 2011 Calendar

Church Events:

Wednesday, February 16: Bible Study at Beverly's House.

Thursdays at 3pm: Choir Rehearsal,

Saturday, February 19: Church Council, 9am

Regular Meetings at the Church:

Meals on Wheels, Monday through Friday 11am - 12:30pm

Angel Gabriel Quilters, Tuesday at 7pm

Emotions Anonymous, Thursday at 7pm

Lent begins on March 9. There will be an Taize format Ash Wednesday service with Communion at 12:30pm followed by a luncheon. Merrimacport UMC will hold an evening service at 7:30pm with the Sacred Dance group sharing a selection.

There is Sunday afternoon worship the first Sunday of each month at 3pm. Please join us on March 6 for our next afternoon worship service.

September 2010

Church Council is meeting September 8 at 5:30pm at the church. The agenda will include completing a job description/request for the next pastor.

We will be holding Bible Study at Beverly's house, 25 Parker Ridge, on Wednesday September 22. The group will be selecting a new book for the fall.

Ministry Update:

Joan announced that she and her daughter have completed their goal of making 200 school bags for UMCOR. These bags are stocked with school supplies and will be sent to children in Africa. They have also assembled and sent over 160 health kits for Haiti. Praise God and thank you to all who have donated!

Duncan reported that he was able to purchase over $800 in food and personal care items for the Pettengill House, Our Neighbor's Table and the Salvation Army last week through the donations from the Ice Cream Social and the congregation.

Training Opportunities (See Pastor Pam for details):

• District training based on two books by Paul Nixon, "I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church" and "Finding Jesus on the Metro" will be held October 14
• Pastor Approved Lay Ministry training will start on Wednesdays in September

Please join us for "Back to Church Sunday" worship on September 12 - make regular worship or Bible Study attendance part of your fall schedule! Worship begins at 9am every Sunday and new Bible Studies will be starting up as well - we'll be publishing schedules here!

Mothers of South End Summer (MOSES)

Hey South End moms, can you give us a hand? We are planning a FREE summer Monday Moms program for you and your kids. We have some ideas, but would love to hear from you to get it right. Could you please answer this short questionnaire? Thanks!

Please keep your eyes open to see what we come up with for you and your kids. Hope to see you in June!

The MOSES Committee: Pastor Pam Maden & Lori Davis

April 2010

Today we recognized three newly trained CareGivers in our congregation.

The next Bible Study is May 4 at Emma's house

April 30 all are invited to Stand Against Racism by joining us and other members of the community at Waterfront Park at 6:30pm.

Holy Week Services and Activities

Tuesday March 30:

Bible Study at Gloria's house in Amesbury at 7pm. Call the church for directions.

Quilt Group at church at 7pm

Thursday April 1:

Choir rehearsal 3-4pm

Emotions Anonymous 7-8pm

Joint Maunday Thursday Service at Merrimacport UMC at 7pm

Friday April 2:

Special Service to remember the Last Words of Christ at 1:45 - 3pm

Saturday April 3:

The church will be open from 8am to 8pm for prayer and reflection

Sunday April 4:

Easter!

Sunrise service at Carey Park in Merrimacport

9am Worship at People's

Bible Study March 9

March 9 (Tuesday) Bible Study will be at Jane's house, 22 Parker Ridge, at 7pm.

March 14 Worship at the Sullivan Building

Join us at 2pm on March 14 at the Sullivan Building in Newburyport for a special worship service!

March 2010

Tuesday March 2:

There will be Bible Study at 4:30pm at LeeAnn's home. There will also be Bible Study at Beverly's home at 7pm. Both groups are starting Growing Older and Wiser.

Regular weekly events:

• The Angel Gabriel Quilters meet Tuesdays at 7pm at the church.
• Emotions Anonymous meets Thursdays at 7pm at the church
• The Choir rehearses at 3pm on Thursdays at the church.
• A special Cantata choir rehearses at 4pm on Sundays at the church. They will present a Palm Sunday Cantata on March 28.

Upcoming Sermons:

March 7 (Third Sunday of Lent): Praying from the Belly of the Great Big Fish - Jonah 2:1-10

March 14 (Fourth Sunday of Lent): The God of the Second Chance - Jonah 3:1-4

March 21 (Fifth Sunday of Lent): About Face! - Jonah 3: 5-10

March 28 (Palm Sunday): We will celebrate Jesus' entry into Jerusalem with Palms, then end the service with preparation for Jesus' trials on the cross.

Lenten Events:

April 1: Maunday Thursday service at Merrimacport UMC at 7pm

April 4: Sunrise Service at Carey Park in Merrimacport at 6:15am

April 4: Easter Worship Service at 9am at People's UMC

January 2010

We have welcomed the First Church of Christ - Scientist Newburyport to our building. They meet at 11am on Sundays and on Wednesday evenings. We enjoyed meeting together over coffee in January, and are so happy to be able to provide them a temporary facility.

We are collecting supplies and cash donations to send Health Kits to Haiti through UMCOR. Joan Eaton is leading this effort. So far she and her family have assembled 56 kits that are ready to send!

Be sure to tune into the Opportunity Works Lend-a-Hand Auction on February 20 to see Pastor Pam auction off items from our sponsored table.

THANK YOU to the Newburyport Five Cent Savings Bank for your generous grant sponsoring one month of meals for the Meals on Wheels program.

Bible Study will be meeting at Beverly's house, 25 Parker Ridge, on Tuesday at 7pm. There is also a Bible Study at LeeAnn's house at 4pm followed by prayer shawl group meeting at the church at 7pm.

Spring into Ministry at PUMC

As spring arrives in Newburyport, our church is responding! Our new sign has been delivered and will be installed this month, allowing us to finish our landscaping project. As you may have seen in the Newburyport Daily News, church member Joan Eaton continues to sew school bags and collect supplies for children in Africa. The Wednesday weekly Bible Study group continues to read The Shack, while our smaller monthly group studies Psalm 23. We are inspired by our vision to live out our faith each day.

May 3: Communion and Semon: "Tough Love"

May 5: Bible Study at LeeAnn's, 4:30 pm, followed by Prayer Shawl group at 7pm at the church

May 6: Bible Study at Beverly's house at 7pm

May 10: Mother's Day service, blessing for our youth participating in the 30-hour Famine

May 17: Sermon: The "Kirk" of Jesus Christ (includes a short video from Star Trek)

May 24: Sermon: Our Love

May 31: Pentecost! The congregation is invited to wear red today. Sermon: A Violent Wind

For those who would prefer a weekday service, the Merrimacport United Methodist Church (also served by Pastor Pam) will start meeting on Tuesday evenings at 7pm.

Holy Week

During Holy Week (April 5 - 12) we will be offering several opportunities for reflection, prayer, fellowship and celebration.

April 5: Palm Sunday worship, 9am. This is an especially good service for children, who will receive a Palm Branch and learn about Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem

April 5: Choral Cantata, 5pm, First United Methodist Church in Amesbury (146 Main St
Amesbury, MA 01913). The Hopeful Cluster of Churches (Byfield Community UMC, East Parish UMC in Salisbury, First UMC in Amesbury, Good Shepherd UMC in Haverhill, Merrimacport UMC and People's UMC in Newburyport) will present Worthy! by Marty Parks. This is a free event, and a wonderful way to kick off Holy Week! A reception and fellowship time will be held after the concert.

April 9: Maunday Thursday service will be held at Merrimacport UMC (39 High Road, the corner of River Rd and High Street, Merrimacport, MA) at 7pm. This service will focus on the Last Supper and Jesus' preparation for the crucifixion

April 10 - 11: A vigil will be held from noon on Good Friday through Saturday night, the time when Jesus was in the tomb. The sanctuary will be draped in black and the church will be open for personal prayer, reflection, reading devotionals and quiet meditation. Sign up for a half hour or longer by calling the church office.

April 12: PUMC's Easter Celebration Service will be held at 9am. There is also an Easter Sunrise Service (~6:00am) held at Carey Park in Merrimacport.

March 2009

- The Bible Study group is continuing to read The Shack by William P. Young. Their meeting on March 4 at 7pm is at Elaine Falvey's house, 2 Coltin in Newburyport, studying chapters 4-6. The group meets every Wednesday at a member's home.

- We are planning a fellowship potluck brunch after the service on Sunday, March 15. Come join us!

- Church Council is planned for 9:30am, Saturday, March 14.

- March 21, 9:30am, will be a "First Communion" class for children in 3rd grade or older. The students will be encouraged to take their first communion on Maunday Thursday.

Sunday Worship:
March 1 - "Good News" and communion, scripture is Mark 1:9-15
March 8 - "God Almighty", scripture is Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
March 15 - "Holy Foolishness", scripture is I Corinthians 1:18-25
March 22 - "By Grace", scripture is Ephesians 2:4-10
March 29 - "Written in Your Heart", scripture is Jeremiah 31: 31-34