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The Network Newsletter

June 12, 2008

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 1 Pet 4:10 (NIV)

Sunday the 1st of June was a foretaste of heaven. On that Sunday all three of our services and the people of Grace UMC gathered for worship for a 10:45 service in our Worship Center. We had so many people there we ran out of regular communion bread and had to take some of the delicious bread from the refreshment table in order to finish serving everyone!
As your pastor I want to express my heartfelt appreciation for how the whole church has reached out to welcome the folks from Grace. Though I’m sure I’ll miss something, let me list some of what you have done or are doing:

  • Barb Holland and her daughter Amy made a new banner symbolizing the union of Grace and Mays Chapel. (Ask Barb or Amy about the symbols and colors used on the banner which is now hanging in the entrance to the Worship Center.)

  • Carroll Sauer enlisted many individuals and families to serve as hosts to incoming Grace members. Thank you hosts!

  • Worship Team II has played for a worship service at Grace.

  • Many of our members have attended a service at Grace.

  • John Chay, George Kokinos, and Bill Oliver have taken responsibility for the sale of Grace property.

  • The Trustees have taken responsibility for the care of the Grace property until a sale can be made.

  • Our Finance committee has met with the Grace treasurer to insure a smooth transition of funds and for proper insurance coverage.

  • Martha Ann Dooley has taken a picture of the Grace UMC building which is now hanging in our Worship Center along with our pictures of the 1854 building, Stone Chapel, and the Worship Center symbolizing our joint heritages and unity.

  • All of our members have made a special effort to reach out with warmth, sensitivity, and love to the members of Grace UMC.

Thank you for “using your gifts to serve others.” It is a joy to serve the Lord with you.

Your Pastor,
Doug


SPECIAL DATES FOR YOUR CALENDAR

June 16– Trustees 7PM in library
June 17 – Drop-in Proverb Study 10AM & 7PM
June 18—Wednesday Night Worship! 7PM in Stone Chapel
June 23 – Ad Council 7PM in library
June 24 – Drop-in Proverbs Study 10AM & 7PM
July 6-12 – LOGOS Youth Retreat
July 16—Wednesday Night Worship 7PM in Stone Chapel
July 21-25 – Baltimore County Christian Work Camp
 


Wednesday Night Worship This Summer!
3rd Wednesdays in June, July, and August
7-8PM in Stone Chapel
June Preacher – our very own Emily Prince!


Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Ps 96:1-2 (NIV)

Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. Ps 149:1 (NIV)

A survey of our congregation taken several months ago revealed that many of our members are away on the weekends during the summer but are in town during the week. The survey also revealed that many people would be interested in attending a worship service during the week if it was made available. Therefore, we’ll give it a try! We will hold special Wednesday night worship services on the third Wednesday of June, July, and August this summer.

Ideally, the services will help us grow closer to God, closer to each other, reach out to new people who cannot attend on Sunday morning, and give Mays Chapel members who are considering pastoral ministry experience in preaching and worship leadership.

Come and sing a new song unto the Lord. Come and make new friends. Come and bring old friends. Come and support our brothers and sisters as they grow in their faith and service. Let’s assemble the saints and praise the Lord!

Doug


Baltimore County Christian Work Camp
July 21-25

 

Reserve and Serve

Reserve the dates—July 21st through July 25th—to serve at the Baltimore County Christian Work Camp this year. In the past we have helped clean up yards, painted ramps, built porches, trimmed trees, and cleaned up trash. Typically the people we serve are elderly and poor and are very appreciative of the help. We always work hard and have a great time. You can serve for a part of a day, a single day, multiple days, or the whole week—whatever fits you schedule. You need not have special building skills to serve.

Please contact Amanda Shultz for more information or to sign up. Thank you!


Summer Drop-In Small Group: Proverbs

Proverbs are short and easy to read, but filled with wisdom about how to get the most out of God’s gift of life. Topics will include: work, finances, priorities, sex, attitude, and discipline.

 

Dates: All Tuesdays in June & first two Tuesdays in August
Times: 10-11:30AM and 7-8:30PM
Location: Worship Center library
Sign Up: No sign-up needed. Come and enjoy!


Spruce Up Our Nursery

In order to better care for our children and in order to create an attractive space that will encourage new guests to bring their children and become active in the church, the Trustees have identified sprucing up our nursery as a top priority. The nursery walls need to be spackled and sanded in preparation for painting and everything in the room needs a thorough cleaning. (New carpets may also be installed.)

Pastor Doug plans to spend one morning or afternoon a week on this project until it is completed. Amanda Shultz is leading a team to remove broken toys and clean all remaining toys on June 21st at 9AM. Doug or Amanda would love to have lots of company and help! If you are interested in helping spruce up the nursery please let Doug or Amanda know. Thank you.
 


God’s Presence Photo/Art/Poem Project

Pastor Doug is beginning a new sermon series which focuses on the many ways God reveals His presence to us. For example, God reveals Himself through nature, through His Word, through worship, through the witness of others, and in many other ways.

Last Sunday Pastor Doug used photos of nature to help convey the message of his sermon. In that spirit we invite anyone of any age to submit photos, drawings, collages, poems, essays, etc. that remind us of the many ways God makes His presence known to us. Submissions will be displayed in Stone Chapel and in the Worship Center for everyone to appreciate and enjoy.

Unleash your creative talent.. Encourage your family to look for God’s presence. Share with the church how you see God revealing Himself to you. Bring your submissions on Sunday or to the office during the week. We’re eager to grow in our appreciation of the presence of God in our world.
 


 


 


 


 

 

 


 

March 12, 2008

 

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.                             2 Pet 3:18 (NIV)
 

Have you ever wondered why Mays Chapel was chosen to merge with Grace UMC? I think we were selected for several important reasons:

1. Mays Chapel is a loving church family with many varied worship opportunities.  
This means that the people of Grace have a good chance of finding a worship service to their liking and will be assured of a very warm welcome.

2. Mays Chapel is only 3 miles from Grace UMC.
This means most Grace members will not have to drive farther to get church than they have in the past. In fact, most members will have a shorter drive!

3. Mays Chapel and Grace share a common concern for local missions.
Grace UMC has a long history of supporting UCAN, Sara’s Hope, and the Baltimore County Christian Work Camp. Mays Chapel has been actively involved in all of these missions for many years.

4. Mays Chapel has many people with the skills and experience needed to arrange for the sale of the Grace property.
Not every church is blessed with members who have business savvy and experience and well as a strong faith and desire to serve. Not every church has so many talented and experienced trustees.

5. Mays Chapel is a healthy and growing church.
Our District Superintendent recommended us for this merger because she recognizes the health and vitality of Mays Chapel and believes that we have an even brighter future ahead.

It clear from the above that we have been blessed by God in many many ways. The best thing we can do in response to that blessing is to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and give Him glory both now and forever!”

Your Pastor,
Doug

PS—Thanks to Carolyn Lutz for help preparing this newsletter!
 


Special Dates for Your Calendar

April 23 - Flower Workshop – 12:30 in Music Room
April 27 - Bob Willasch plays to honor Native American Sunday
May 2 - Women’s Night Out – 6PM
May 11 - Worship Team II plays at Grace UMC
May 18 - Youth Sunday – youth lead worship at 10:45C
May 25 - Our very own Nick Bufano preaches at 8:30 and 10:45C
June 1 - Welcome Worship Service with Grace UMC
                One Service at 10:45 in Worship Center
 


LAST WOMEN'S NIGHT OUT BEFORE SUMMER

For all those who wish to get their women's fellowship fix in before the summer break, be sure to come to the last event this spring on Friday, May 2 at 6 p.m. when we will be watching and discussing the classic "Casablanca". Women's night out will then take a vacation for the summer and start up again on Friday, September 5.

The new season will promise an exciting new format, with rotating hosts offering their own take on their favorite flicks. Have a favorite film you'd like to share? Contact Julie Kays at loyoso @ excite.com or to reserve a night in the 2008-2009 season.


 

Flower Workshop – Wednesday, April 23rd
 12:30 PM in Music Room


Nick Bufano Begins Journey Toward Ordained Ministry

One of the greatest joys a church family can have is assisting one of its members to go into the ordained ministry. At present, our very own Nick Bufano is beginning the journey into ministry. Nick has been serving as a part-time interim pastor at the Hereford Charge for the last two months. When that assignment finishes he hopes to take another part-time but year-long assignment beginning in July 1st. This summer he plans to attend License to Preach School at Wesley Seminary.

The following year Nick hopes to take a full-time appointment and attend Wesley Seminary in pursuit of his Master of Divinity degree. Until he begins seminary Nick plans to continue teaching full-time in the Baltimore County Public Schools.

Nick is married to Joy Bufano (who often leads our Kid’s Time and is also a teacher) and has three children Josh, Alison, and Gabriella. Joy and the kids hope to attend Mays Chapel until Nick is settled into a full-time appointment.

Mays Chapel can do a lot to support Nick and his family as they begin this new and very demanding adventure: we can pray for them, we can love them, we can listen to them, and we can offer scholarship support. (Our Ad Council will consider giving scholarship support at its next meeting on May 12th.)

Another way we can encourage Nick is to be present when he preaches. Currently he is scheduled to preach on May 25th and we hope to hear him on a couple of Wednesday nights this summer as well.

Until Nick and his family are “launched” it is our job to fill them to overflowing with the love of Jesus. We want them to have plenty of love to share wherever God calls them to serve.


 

Youth Sunday

May 18th at 10:45 Contemporary Service

 




Welcome Worship Service
for Grace UMC
 on June 1st



Baltimore County Christian Work Camp News

Mark your calendars for Baltimore County Christian Work Camp to be held July 20-25th. BCCWC is a great way to help improve the homes and lives of those in need in our community. All are welcome ...no special skills required. Come for an afternoon or the whole week. For more information, contact Amanda Shultz at arshulz @ comcast.net.
 



 

March 12, 2008


“And you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

We’re definitely not trying to keep it a secret. In fact, we want everyone to know. Mays Chapel gives the first two percent of its general offering to missions beyond our local church! Praise the Lord!

In the past we used our missions funds to support the Brown-Whales in Africa. Now that they have returned home, we are now sponsoring the reverends John and Bonnie Campbell ministry in Lithuania. Since very few of us know about the Campbells and their ministry, I thought we could use the bulk of this month’s newsletter to introduce them and tell their story.

My connection to John Campbell goes back to my college days when he was briefly my pastor. Subsequent to that connection, my church financially sponsored their ministries in Alaska as well as sent work teams to help with construction there. (The teams came back raving about the fresh salmon they were fed and telling hair-raising tales of having to watch out for bears when they went to the shower building on the camp site where they were housed.)

It’s appropriate that we talk about supporting missionaries as we enter into the Easter season. The wonderful news that Christ is risen is still being spread around the world from Timonium, to Africa, to Lithuania and to the ends of the earth.

May God bless you as you serve our risen Lord.

Your Pastor,
Doug

PS—Thanks to Carolyn Lutz for help preparing this newsletter!
 


Special Dates for Your Calendar

Mar. 16 – Palm Sunday!
Mar. 17—Trustee Meeting 7PM
Mar. 21 – Good Friday Service – 7PM in Worship Center
Mar. 23 – Easter!!!
Mar. 31—Ad Council 7PM
April 4 - Women’s Nite Out—6PM
April 9—Chat-N-Chew at noon in the library


New District Superintendent Appointed to Lithuania

Beginning in July of 2007, the Rev. John Campbell was appointed as the new District Superintendent for the Lithuania United Methodist Church. Rev. John Campbell is a missionary with the General Board of Global Ministries currently serving as the District Superintendent for the Lithuania United Methodist Church.

Prior to this assignment, which began in July of 2007, John was a missionary in the Alaska Missionary Conference. He was first commissioned as a missionary in 1986. He served two times in Alaska, from 1986-1995 when he was the founding pastor of two congregations, Aldersgate in Juneau, Alaska and the United Methodist Church of Unalaska, on an island in the Aleutians. John then returned to the Baltimore Washington Conference, which is his home conference and served for six years. He went back to Alaska in 2001 where he and his wife Bonnie co-pastored churches in Fairbanks and then in Anchorage.

John was born in Baltimore, Maryland and was ordained a deacon in 1972 in the Baltimore Conference and then and Elder in 1975. He is a graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan College with a B.A. in Religion and also a graduate of the Methodist Theological School in Ohio with an M.Div degree and also a Master of Arts in Christian Education. He has served churches in West Virginia and Ohio as a student and several churches in the Baltimore Washington Conference.

Rev. Campbell and his wife Bonnie, who is also a pastor and missionary in Lithuania, are parents of 4 adult children and are grandparents of 6 grandchildren all of whom live on the east coast of the US. John Campbell is available for Covenant Relationship support. The website for the Lithuania United Methodist Church is: www.lithuaniaumc.org .

(excerpted from Lithuania Link Jan. 2008)


 New rental space opportunity for ministry in Vilnius

The good news is that we were recently relocated into our new church space. The rent is high but, thanks to a very generous commitment by the folks in Michigan, and our ongoing support from our West End UMC in Nashville we were able to start a whole new life for us. I say a new life … because we now are in a terrific location for attracting folks from the many high rise apartments that surround us. Additionally … our new church is located just across the sidewalk from a two large schools … one for younger children and one for youth.

The neighborhood folks are dropping by during the week and asking lots of questions about who we are and when will our services be offered. One woman, who attended on our Consecration Sunday on November 18th said, “Thank you … oh thank you so much for coming into our neighborhood … we really need you here.” Other folks gathered on the pavement below and talked among themselves and were pointing to the sign we had put in the window inviting people to join us for worship that day. And just during our first week …

Pastor Herb and one of our members constructed two rooms … one for the smaller kids and one for the youth … in the large L shaped room. And meanwhile, the owner agreed to have the place painted, hung electrical lights in the ceiling and installed a sink for our new kitchen.

Our dream now … is to really reach out into this new community. We may be able to add another staff person to coordinate an after-school program for all of the children who attend school … right next door. We could also serve as a humanitarian center and provide food, clothing and nursing support to the families who live there. With God’s help … and lots of prayer … I believe we will grow to become a place for people to become a community of faith, to get their physical needs met … and to grow in Christ in their spiritual lives. And as Mark 10:27 puts it … “With God, all things are possible.”

Bonnie M. Campbell, pastor

(excerpted from Lithuania Link Jan. 2008)


On Saturday, March 8th at 5:30PM in the Worship Center Rabbi Ted Simon led about 50 Mays Chapel members and friends in traditional a Seder Meal. Rabbi Simon was born and raised a Jew and became convinced that Jesus is the expected Messiah.
Rabbi Simon did an excellent job of explaining the original Jewish meaning of the meal and connecting to meal to the Last Supper and Jesus Christ as our sacrificial lamb and Messiah.
 

Beth Oliver, along with many helpers, provided a delicious dinner which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Don’t miss the Seder Meal next year!
 


Our Good Friday Service will prepare us for the joy of Easter by helping us focus on the traditional Stations of the Cross. Using visual images, special music, hymns, and prayers we will remember that “we were bought for price.” The service will be held on Friday, March 21st at 7PM in the Worship Center.

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
1 Pet 1:18-19 (NIV)
 


Figuring out hospitality in Lithuania

Our first service in the new space was Nov. 11. It was in a huge L-shaped room with no lights, but large windows on two sides. The first Sunday was a bit of a disaster because the kids went wild, running around during the entire service and sailing paper airplanes. (Our church is more than 80 percent children and youth.) So that week we set about constructing two rooms within the larger space – one for the little kids and one for the teenagers. The owner installed fluorescent lights in the ceiling throughout.

Next, we set about delivering invitations to the community. This also presented a problem because the apartment buildings were locked, so we had to be very patient waiting for someone to come out, so that we could slip our invitation into all of the mailboxes. But in spite of our invitation campaign, there was little response. The children came, oh yes, they came in droves and they invited their friends! Are we meant to be a church for children, we found ourselves asking God. Maybe, maybe … we should rethink what our mission is in this community, maybe that is our calling here.

Meanwhile, we discovered that the two schools adjacent to our church are Russian-speaking, and in fact, there are a huge number of Russians living in this community. Ah-ha! We were beginning to see the light. Again, let’s think about where we are and what this community is crying for. I believe that in the next few months we will have hired a coordinator for an after-school program for all these kids that are coming and offer a Bible study in Russian for the adults.

Another factor is that three of our confirmation kids are literally sneaking to class. They want desperately to be baptized and to join the church, but their parents don’t approve and do not even know they are coming to our class. Now that’s a problem we could really use some prayer support for. But I am certain that we are on the right track and that God will help us to figure all of this out.

I am reminded of the passage in Mark that says, “With God … all things are possible.” That is one passage that I definitely believe in and rely on. When you’re doing hospitality for God … it’s all definitely worth it.

“Sveiki.” “Welcome.”
Rev. Bonnie Campbell

See www.lithuaniaumc.org
(excerpted from Connection 2/16/08 UMConnection)


Excepts from John and Bonnie’s Christmas letter

Christmas is of course about the One who was incarnate in the world and brought challenges and hope. We are grateful for the challenges and thankful for the hope that comes through our faith but is also experienced in those who care and pray for us.
The children are working on a Christmas program (bathrobe pageants happen in Lithuania too) and this week the church is starting an after school program on a trial basis. We expect that it will all go well and then we will look for some permanent funding.

I have been to Frankfurt, Germany for a meeting of Bishops and Superintendents from all the United Methodist Churches in Europe. Then we had several days of our annual "consultation" with folks from the General Board of Global Ministries and Bishop Olsen. Immediately following that weekend I was in Oslo, Norway for a couple of days for training for new Superintendents. This weekend I had my first charge conference and survived.

Oh, in the middle of all of this we had our final exam for Lithuanian language. Our teacher was kind and didn't put a grade on the paper but showed the things we got wrong. Bonnie passed, me we aren't so sure about but the important thing is that we continue to work on learning the language. We will continue with a tutor after the first of the year and a short break.

Our daughter Jill and her fiancé are coming for a few days between Christmas and New Years and so we are excited about this. Bonnie's Mom has been in the hospital in Pennsylvania, is now in transition back to her apartment.

We wish for all of you a blessed Christmas and holiday.
John and Bonnie


Join us for Easter March 23rd


 

 

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