Welcome, Pastor Brad!

In This Issue

Pastor’s LetterA Note from Pastor Brad

Summer Worship News

Coffee Hour Sign-Ups

Turnover Sale

Sneak Peek: Fall Programs

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Calendar

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July 2015

Morrow Memorial United Methodist Church Newsletter

1Morrow Church www.morrowchurch.org

JULY

5SUN.

Pastor Brad’s First Sunday!10:00am, Worship in the Sanctuary

Our Turnover Sale is here! Our coordinators and volunteer workers have been working around the clock to prepare the grounds and receive donations. Opening day is Thursday, July 2, from 7pm to 9pm. See inside for more dates and details!

It’s That Time of Year... Shop our Turnover Sale!

Join us for Worship in the Sanctuary at 10:00am on Sunday, July 5, as we welcome our new senior pastor, Rev. Dr. Bradford L. Motta.

After the service, we’ll gather on the front lawn of the church to meet Pastor Brad and give him a warm welcome during Fellowship Hour.

Coming Home to Morrow ChurchA Note from Rev. Bradford Motta

It was early February of this year when I got the call from our District Superintendent Rev. Manolo Sardinas, informing me that Bishop Schol was appointing me to Morrow Church as senior pastor. In a way, it is a kind of homecoming for me: 32 years ago, I got a similar call when I was appointed to Morrow Church as associate pastor. A lot has changed in those years, both in my life and in the life of Morrow Church, but one constant has been my admiration for the mission and ministries of this faith community. Words cannot express how excited I am to return.

Over the past couple of months, I’ve met with Morrow Church leaders, read church publications, and worked closely with church staff in preparation for my arrival on July 1. Pastor Chris has been an enormous help in offering his time and wisdom as I learn about Morrow Church’s vibrant community. Pastor Brenda, Holland, and I have begun sharing wonderful ideas in anticipation of our ministry together. Led by the transition team, your congregation has been working hard to prepare for my arrival, and I am grateful. The team, led by Elizabeth Kahn, the Staff Parish Relations Committee Chair, includes Mark Goodman (Church Council Chair), Andrea Wren-Hardin (Lay Leader), Paige Chant (Communications Specialist), Margaret Prentice (Membership Secretary), Nicole Hubert (Board of Trustees Chair), and Kris Hubert (House & Grounds Representative). I cannot thank them enough for their support during the past few months. They have been a wonderful witness of Morrow’s commitment to service, hospitality, and community. Already I feel a warm welcome here.

As we begin our ministry together, I’m excited to get to know the Morrow Church family and the Maplewood/South Orange community. In addition to worship on Sunday mornings, I look forward to seeing you when you drop by the church office and volunteer (or shop!) at the Turnover Sale. I also hope you’ll attend one of our neighborhood gatherings, where we can get to know each other over light refreshments in a casual, small-group atmosphere. (To sign up for a neighborhood gathering near you, contact Margaret Prentice, our Membership Secretary, through the church office at (973) 763-7676 or opendoors@morrowchurch.org.)

The House & Grounds Committee has been working hard to make repairs and get the parsonage ready for us. While I will begin my ministry on July 1, we anticipate moving into the parsonage on July 20. As we make the move, I will continue to lift up the Morrow Church community in my prayers. I request your prayers for me and my family as we pack and move into our new home.

Morrow Church is an exciting place to be in ministry, and we look forward to joining with you in that work for years to come.

In Christian love,

Rev. Bradford L. Motta, Senior Pastor

2Morrow Church www.morrowchurch.org

3Morrow Church www.morrowchurch.org

Summer Worship News

Come meet Pastor Brad over coffee and light refreshments! We’ll be hosting multiple coffee hours in local areas to give people a chance to talk with Pastor Brad in a casual, small-group setting.

Our first coffee hour will be held on Thursday, July 23, at 3pm in the Second Mile Room.

Contact the church office to reserve your spot! Additional dates and times will be posted soon.

For questions, or to sign up for a neighborhood coffee hour near you, contact Paige Chant, Communications Specialist, at (973) 763-7676 or opendoors@morrowchurch.org.

Don’t Forget to Wear Your Name Badge!

Cultivate a new habit of wearing your name badge at worship and Fellowship Hour! Pastor Brad will have a much easier time

getting to know us if we wear our badges while socializing together after worship. Take them off just before leaving and they’ll be ready for you again the following Sunday!

If you need a name badge, email Margaret Prentice, Membership Secretary, at opendoors@morrowchurch.org.

New Worship Schedule for the Summer

During the summer, Morrow Church offers a modified schedule of worship services.

On Sunday mornings, our

early service will be at 8:15 in the Chapel Garden. Our late service will be in the sanctuary at 10:00am (please note the change in time).

Our regular worship schedule will resume in the fall.

Neighborhood Coffee Hours with Pastor Brad

Sing at Worship with Our Summer ChoirSummer choir is a great, low-commitment, low-pressure way to try singing with our chancel choir members. Just come at 9am on Sunday morning to learn the anthem. You can also have the music & a recording emailed to you mid-week.

If you’re interested in joining our summer choir, email Holland Jancaitis, Director of Music Ministries, at hollandj@morrowchurch.org.

JULY

23THURS.

4Morrow Church www.morrowchurch.org

Don’t Miss This Year’s Turnover Sale!Our legendary Turnover Sale begins soon! Opening day of the sale is Thursday, July 2, from 7pm to 9pm. See above for our complete listing of sale dates.

If you’d like to donate items to the sale, please drop them off in Fellowship Hall Monday through Saturday, any time between 9am and 7pm. Please note that we are not accepting any of the following items:

• CRTs, including tube TVs & computer monitors (flat-screen TVs & monitors are welcomed); • computer desks or entertainment centers;• children’s carseats or sliding-side cribs; • mattresses or box springs; • skis or exercise machines; • heavy sofa beds; and• VHS tapes.

Please try to deliver items on non-sale days during the morning, if possible. For questions, contact the church office at (973) 763-7676 or opendoors@morrowchurch.org. Thank you!

Sneak Peek! New Program Coming this Fall

www.morrowchurch.org 5Morrow Church

This fall, our children’s choirs will meet on Wednesday afternoons:

Cherub Choir (age 3 1/2 - Kindergarten),

4:00-4:45pm, Room 202Wesley Choir (grades 1-3), 4:00-4:45pm, Room 203Heavenly Handbells (grades 4-7), 4:00-4:45pm, Room 200Worship Arts Choir (grades 4-7), 4:45-5:30pm, Room 200.

Youth Choir will continue to rehearse on Wednesdays but slightly earlier: 5:30-6:30pm in Room 200. To learn more and/or to sign up, contact Holland Jancaitis, our Director of Music Ministries, at hollandj@morrowchurch.org.

Calling All 4th- & 5th-Graders for Route 45!

This fall we’re kicking off an exciting new program for 4th- and 5th-graders at Morrow Church: Route 45.

One Wednesday each month, from 5:30pm to 7:30pm, we’ll meet in Fellowship Hall for a fun evening of dinner and service. After dinner and game time, we’ll learn about groups that support those in need here in our local community and beyond. Join us as we grow our faith, engage in service, and have fun with friends!

Mark your calendars for the first day of the program on Wednesday, September 16, at 5:30pm. We’ll meet you out on Route 45!

Our annual tradition of Morrow Musical Theatre Camp returns this August! This year, our student actors will be performing the hit musical “Aladdin, Jr.”

Mark your calendars for our performance dates: Saturday, August 15, at 2pm and 7pm, and Sunday, August 16, at 2pm, in Fellowship Hall.

Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to help provide housing for at-risk teens. For more information, visit our website at http://morrowchurch.org/musical-theatre-camp/

Children’s Music Ensembles Moving to Wednesdays

MMTC Presents “Aladdin, Jr.” This Summer

www.morrowchurch.orgMorrow Church 6

New Adult Ed Class this Summer!Join Us for “Living the Questions” on Monday evenings

“Living the Questions,” a new adult class led by Morrow Church member Bill Ehlers, will meet on Monday evenings from 7:30pm-9:30pm in Fellowship Hall. In an open, informal environment, we’ll explore our Christian faith with a progressive approach toward the work of scholars, theologians, and other experts in the field of Christianity.

Units include “Invitation to Journey,” “Reclaiming the World,” “Call to Covenant,” and others. Through weekly readings, video clips, and discussion, this class will focus on exploring the questions of our faith in an authentic and open-minded way. We’ll also discuss various spiritual practices and aspects of our faith lives, both as individuals and as a community. For more details, check out the video at https://youtu.be/NbjZi17jfm4

To learn more and sign up for the class, contact Paige Chant, Communications Specialist, at (973) 763-7676 or opendoors@morrowchurch.org. Our first class session will be held sometime after July 4. Stay tuned--more information will be coming soon!

We’re just under $10,000 away from having a balanced budget for 2015. We’d love to welcome Pastor Brad with a church budget that is fully underwritten & ready for the year of ministry ahead. If you haven’t made a pledge, or if you think you can give a little more, now is the time! Please prayerfully consider donating to support our mission and ministries.Also, though many of us will be gone over the summer, our church bills will still be here! Please consider sending in your pledge donations via electronic transfer to help us pay our bills in the summer months. Thank you!

Finance Update from Kathy Finch, Finance Chair

Thank You for Your Support!

Register Your Child for VBS!

Vacation Bible School is open to kids in Pre-K through 6th Grade. Morrow Church will become the base camp for our Everest summit as we learn all the ways we can conquer challenges with God’s power.

VBS runs August 3-6 from 9am-12noon daily. We’ll end with a closing celebration & picnic on Thursday evening, August 6.

As a cooperative learning program, we require all parents/guardians to sign up for 3 hours of service when they register children for VBS.

For more details, visit our website:www.groupvbspro.com/vbs/ez/morrow/

July 2015

7Morrow Church

JULY JULY

JULY JULY

JULY

3

5 7

JULY

2

9 11

Church Office Closed

(Observance of Independence Day)

7pm, Turnover Sale 9am, Turnover Sale

JULY

8

Turnover Sale Begins!

7pm, Turnover Sale

Pastor Brad’s First Sunday!

8:15am, Worship in the Garden

10:00am, Worship in the Sanctuary (Kids at Worship)

10:45am, Fellowship Hour

7pm, Turnover Sale

FRI.

SUN. TUES.

THURS.

WED.

THURS. SAT.

Check our online calendarfor more event details!

www.morrowchurch.org

JULY

12SUN.

JULY

14 9:30am, Caregivers Ministry

7pm, Turnover Sale

TUES.

JULY

15 5:30pm, Farmigo Pick-Up

WED.

JULY

18 9:00am, Turnover Sale

SAT.

8:15am, Worship in the Garden

10:00am, Worship in the Sanctuary (Kids at Worship)

10:45am, Fellowship Hour

JULY

20 7:30pm, Building & Grounds Committee Meeting

MON.

JULY

1WED.

Welcome, Pastor Brad!

3pm, Leave for Christian Outreach Project Picnic (Camp Hoover, NJ)

5:30pm, Farmigo Pick-Up

5:30pm, Farmigo Pick-Up

JULY

198:15am, Worship in the Garden

10:00am, Worship in the Sanctuary (Kids at Worship)

10:45am, Fellowship Hour

11:00am, Staff Parish Relations Committee MeetingSUN.

JULY

21 9:00am, Turnover Sale

TUES.

JULY

23 3:00pm, Coffee Hour with Pastor Brad (Second Mile Room)

THURS.

JULY

21 5:30pm, Farmigo Pick-Up

7:30pm, Nominations Committee Meeting

WED.

JULY

268:15am, Worship in the Garden

10:00am, Worship in the Sanctuary (Kids at Worship)

10:45am, Fellowship HourSUN.

JULY

29 9:00am, JYF Beach Day (Ocean Grove, NJ)

5:30pm, Farmigo Pick-UpWED.

JULY

27 7:30pm, Board of Trustees Meeting

MON.

We seek to live as a diverse, multigenerational, Christian community where lives are transformed.

600 Ridgewood Rd,Maplewood, NJ 07040

8Morrow Church

Let the Farmers Market Come to You!

Buy your weekly groceries through Farmigo & support Morrow Church!

Here’s how it works:

1) Visit www.farmigo.com to buy produce & other items from local farms.

2) Place your order between Thursday & Sunday.

3) Pick up your items at Morrow Church on Wednesdays from 5:30pm-7:30pm.

4) Morrow Church earns 10% of the proceeds!

Shop now & receive 40% off your first order! Just enter code FARMIGO40 at checkout.