Vernon United Methodist Church
Our Newsletter

MARCH 2008

WORSHIP

The Lenten season came early this year and this newsletter comes out just about in the middle of season. There are still opportunities for us to come together as we prepare ourselves to experience the agony of the cross and the joy in celebrating the victory of the empty tomb.

At the Ash Wednesday Service, those attending were challenged to use these 40 days before Easter to seriously consider our lives, repent and return to the Lord for He is gracious and merciful.

We are continuing our Thursday evening supper and fellowship time this year. The study this year is "Living with the Mind of Christ" - based on Philippians 2:1-11. There is plenty of food and room for everyone to come and share together. Suppers start at 6:15 pm with Fellowship discussions ending by 7:30 pm.

MAUNDY THURSDAY

An Ecumenical Service will be held March 20th at the First Congregational Church. Rev. Roberta Williams will be presenting the message.

WOMEN'S COMMUNION
BREAKFAST

A call is going out to all the women of the Church to mark their calendars for the 35th Annual Women's Communion Breakfast on Sunday March 9, 2008. That is only 3 weeks away. Tickets will be available from Jim Haag at a cost of $5.00 per ticket. The men are ready to don their aprons once again to prepare their usual breakfast feast. Our guest speaker will be Rev. Heidi Chamberland, the District Superintendent. Be sure to purchase your tickets early. And invite a friend or acquaintance to share in this special time of fellowship.

EASTER LILIES

It has been a tradition for many years that members of the congregation bring in their potted lilies to decorate the Sanctuary on Easter Sunday, so please plan on sharing your plants again this year.

EASTER SUNDAY

We will celebrate the dawn of the The Resurrection at 6 am at Foxhill Tower in Henry Park once again this year with our brothers and sisters from Rockville UMC and Crossroads Community Church. Regular services will be held at the usual time. Come join in the celebration of Jesus' triumph over death.

FINANCE COMMITTEE

The First Step!:

As might be expected, there is nothing surprising about the financial picture after the first month into the new year. The important news is that we are nearing the completion of the financing plan for the sanctuary roof renovation. The Trustees have received a preliminary cost estimate from the builder and the Finance Committee and Trustees are working together to come up with a financing plan that is compatible with the present and future financial base of our church. We should have final details worked out within the next month. We hope to present a unified plan to our church family when that is complete. Stay tuned!

Fund balances at the end of January 2008, are as follows:

Dave Howe: Chair

WAGES OF EXPERIENCE

Experience is one thing you can't get for nothing.

TRUSTEES REPORT

At the beginning of February, Pelletier Builders presented their preliminary budget estimates to the Trustees. They were not broken down into quite the same categories as we had asked, so there is some additional work being done in that regards. And the numbers were presented in a high to low range. This is because we have not been able to give them a definite priority list of just what we want done for the amount of money we have available and plan on borrowing.

Towards that end, the Trustees and Finance Committees have been working together to hash out the numbers. Our plan is to present our recommendations to the Administrative Council at next week's meeting and then present the options to the congregation in early March.

If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to talk to me and I will try and answer you.

In the meantime, please keep this project and the members of the Committees in your prayers as we strive to be good stewards of this facility.

Two words of praise that we can lift up is a great big Thank You to Roger White for the donations of the new paraments. We dedicated them to the memory of Caroline at the beginning of the Lenten season. They are a wonderful addition to the Church and are greatly appreciated by one and all.

Jim Haag

WORSHIP COMMITTEE

The Worship Committee is working on a number of opportunities for you to participate and experience the Holy Season in unique ways and at different times. We will have our special Ash Wednesday service at 7:00 pm at the Church. This year our soup and sandwich suppers and study group will be meeting on Thursday evening. This is a new change, so please mark your calendars. Other opportunities include the ecumenical Maundy Thursday service being held at the First Congregational Church. Then there will be the Easter morning sunrise service at Fox Tower at approximately 6 am followed later in the morning by the traditional Easter worship service. Prayerfully consider being a part of any or all of these worship opportunities as you prepare and ultimately celebrate the Risen Savior. Plans are in the works for the annual Women's Communion Breakfast for Sunday, March 9th. It will be extra early this year as Daylight Savings Time just so happens to fall on the same day. We will make an extra cup of coffee for you to enjoy (wakeup) with your breakfast. Our special guest speaker will be the Reverend Heidi Chamberland, District Superintendent. We trust that all the ladies will take this opportunity to share in this unique fellowship and worship service.

My fervent prayer is for each one of us to open our hearts and minds in preparation of meeting Jesus in a new and unique way this Easter.

Jim Haag

SERIOUS BUSINESS

People will take your example far more seriously than they take your advice.

MISSIONS COMMITTEE

SOUPer Bowl Sunday:
The soup pots were overflowing!!! Our VERY informal poll on the outcome was right on with the point spread but off on the winning team-our soup pots had the PATRIOTS winning by 3.
Many thanks to those who contributed and a special thank you to David Howe for delivering the donations to the Tri-Town Pantry.

Red Cross Blood Drives:
The Mission committee has been in contact with the Red Cross about the possible use of VUMC as a blood drive center. We appear to meet their space/facility guidelines so we will pursue this further.

Haitian Health Foundation
We were pleased to have a good turnout for the potluck lunch on February 10th. Odette Bosse and Michelle Harris brought lots of pictures and many samples of materials used for this mission. They were able to provide us with lots of information about the needs in Haiti and also gave us a good outline of how the materials we help provide are used and delivered.
On the collection container in the fellowship hall there are sheets (bright pink ones!) listing many of the items needed.
Odette has some very simple patterns for making infant dresses, bonnets, diapers, and tote bags. She would welcome help in sewing these items - or even just cutting the material.
One thing Odette did not have time to talk about was the need for help in transporting materials from Vernon to Norwich. If anyone has a pickup or van and would be willing to make this trip on an occasional basis, she would be most interested in talking to you. There is no special day or time --her husband would accompany the driver/vehicle to Norwich to the collection warehouse.
Odette and Michelle both expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to talk to everyone about this mission which is so close to their hearts. They also expressed appreciation for all the good food at the lunch!! (Thank you to those who brought food and those who helped with the setting up and cleaning up.)

Foster Child - thru Plan USA - Elube James who lives in Malawi, Africa
We have received new pictures of Elube and her sister, as well as an update on her family and on the Plan projects in her community. We have sponsored Elube since 1997 when she was six years old. There is a scrapbook with pictures, letters and updates, on the table by the Jerusalem Room. Take a look at how she has grown over the years.

Sunday, March 2nd: One Great Hour of Sharing
Begun in 1949 by Bishop Henry Knox of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, over the past 59 years this effort has been joined by over 10 denominations including the United Methodist Church, Catholic Charities and the United Jewish Appeal.

UMCOR (the United Methodist Committee on Relief) depends on this special offering to do its work worldwide. Each of us has watched the television reports of disasters around the world -hurricanes, floods, tornados, famine, fires.
Before you even hear the appeals for money for relief, your gifts are at work. Long after the reporters and cameras leave, UMCOR is there. One Great Hour of Sharing has brought the power of Christian faith to war-torn Korea; to Kurdish refugees in Iraq; to the homeless in Rawanda; to earthquake-damaged countries around the world. Storm relief has gone to India as well as to Florida, Louisiana, California and the Midwest. It is the receipts from One Great Hour of Sharing that make both the rapid and the long-lasting response possible.

Friday, March 21st: Good Friday Walk
Since 1972, people have been walking on Good Friday. Why? To raise money for the local Rockville Tri-Town Homeless Shelter and to support groups in Alabama and Mississippi who are making a difference in the lives of children suffering from poverty and racism.
VUMC has dedicated walkers among us. They ask for your support with pledges for the miles they walk. If you would like to walk or want more information on this walk, check out the table in the fellowship hall.There are brochures about the walk, information about Tri-Town Shelter, and registration forms.
Note: We have been asked to provide a few of the items to sustain the walkers on their journey : - there is a list on the table by the stairwell and a collection bin under that table - please check off if you can contribute an item. The items must be at VUMC by Sunday, March 16th

The next Mission & Outreach meeting will be Wednesday, March 12th at VUMC. (Note we have changed our meeting date to Wednesdays during Lent so as to not conflict with the Lenten studies) These meetings are open to everyone.

Lydia Dingle

MARCH SCRIPTURES

MARCH WORSHIP ATTENDANTS

LAMPLIGHTER DEADLINE
APRIL ISSUE

Please submit (preferably by e-mail) any articles you have for the April issue by Friday, March 28th. Anything not received by 6:00 p.m. on that date will not be included in the newsletter. Thank you for your cooperation.
Roger White – editor, pro tempore
E-mail vumcnews@sbcglobal.net

The space for this web site has been provided courtesy of the General Board of Global Ministries, The United Methodist Church.