special things on september sundays holiday food...
TRANSCRIPT
Special Things on September
Sundays
September 8th -- New message series,
"Celebrate Life," begins
September 15th -- Our church will be hosting
the installation service for our new District
Superintendent, JW Park, at 3:00pm
September 22nd -- Favorite Team Jersey
Sunday! Wear a jersey, T-shirt, or sweatshirt
representing your favorite team.
September 29th -- We will be receiving new
members. If you are interested in joining our
church, please see Pastor Wade as soon as
possible.
Holiday Food Baskets
School has started and the holidays are right around the
corner. The Montgomery United Methodist Church
family tradition has been to provide a Thanksgiving meal,
a Christmas meal and Christmas presents for the children
to 12 + needy families in the area.
The Holiday Food Basket committee wants to start a little
early again this year. It worked very well last year and
we had to buy very few non-perishable items. For the
month of September and the first part of October, we will
be having a canned food drive. Our goal is to have all the
canned goods we need for the two meals plus helping to
fill the families’ pantries by mid-October. Donations of
canned vegetables, fruits, meats and soups can be placed
in the box marked “Holiday Food Baskets” in the coat
room. Boxes are also available in the Children’s Sunday
School Classrooms.
Monetary donations are always welcome to help cut the
cost of the perishable items we need to purchase to com-
plete the meals. Please note on the monetary donation
that it is for the “Holiday Food Baskets.” We will also
need help sorting, shopping, making phone calls,
delivering and praying for everyone involved. If you
would like to help, please contact Rosa Mandich or Sue
Lake. Thank you all for your help in the past and for
your continued support again this year.
Additional Freedom Revelation photos on page 7
Page 2
September 1 Sunday School fall session begins, 9:30am
September 2 Happy Labor Day! Church office closed.
Newsletter submission deadline for the October
edition
September 5 Handbell Choir rehearsals begin, 6:30pm
September 8 New message series, "Celebrate Life," begins
September 15 Installation service for new District Superintendent,
3:00pm in the Sanctuary
September 21 Men's Breakfast, 7:37am, tentatively in the Fellowship Hall. (Alternate location might be
announced due to kitchen renovation project.)
September 22 Favorite Team Jersey Sunday
September 23 Heritage Circle luncheon, 12:00pm at Rhodes-Warfield cabin
September 28 Sisters in Faith Fall Event, 8:00am to 3:00pm
October 7 Newsletter submission deadline for the November
edition
October 19 Men's Breakfast, 7:37am, tentatively in the
Fellowship Hall
October 28 Heritage Circle, 1:00pm in the Memorial Room
Heritage Circle News
Luncheon September 23rd
The Heritage Circle will resume its monthly meetings this month with its annual luncheon at the Rhodes-
Warfield cabin on September 23rd at 12:00 noon. Joyce Rhodes and Linda Thompson will serve as hostesses
and Pastor Wade Martin will be leading the program for this event.
If you are a woman 55 or older who is interested becoming an active member of the Heritage Circle, please
contact Kate Warfield or Gloria Warfield.
The next meeting will be on October 28th at 1:00pm in the Memorial Room.
Attention, Guys! Men’s Breakfast September 21st
The next Men’s Breakfast is Saturday, September 21st, at 7:37am, tentatively in the Fellowship Hall.
Because of the kitchen renovation project, it might have to be at an alternate location that will be announced
prior to the 21st. Please check the Sunday bulletins for the breakfast location and join us for some really good
food and a great time of fellowship!
Dress is extremely casual. We’re usually done by 9:00, so you have plenty of time to get things done the rest
of the day.
Hope to see you there!
If you can't make it to this one, please plan to join us for the next breakfast on Saturday, October 19th, also at
7:37am.
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Keep Calm and Slow Down
By all accounts my laser eye surgery was a success. However,
as I write this article my vision is still blurry as my eyes continue to
heal. As the healing process continues my eyes are very clear for a while
and then as the day wears on they get tired and blurry. My doctor and all
the literature tell me, as well as the testimonies of others who have had
this surgery, that what I am experiencing is part of the normal healing
process and that I just need to be PATIENT.
Yes, patience is a virtue and is one of the fruits of the Spirit
(Galatians 5:22). But patience is still one of those things I struggle
with, although my patience has improved while on Sabbath leave.
To help me remember the importance of patience, I have
displayed in a very visible place a framed sign a member gave me my
last Sunday before going on Sabbath leave. It reads, as you might have
guessed, “Keep Calm and Slow Down.” One of the meanings I have derived from this profound statement is
to be patient, which has taken on new meaning since I decided to have my vision corrected.
As I have reflected more about vision, my thoughts moved beyond just physical vision, which is a
tremendous and important gift itself. But vision goes beyond seeing physically to also see spiritually. God
has a vision for each of us that will bring clarity and purpose to our lives. We are reminded in the book of
Proverbs, “without vision the people perish.” This statement does not speak of physical vision but speaks of
God’s vision for us as individuals and for us as a church family.
But lets face it, like our physical vision, our spiritual vision can get blurry or at a minimum may not be
as sharp as it can be at times. As a result life can get out of focus. But like our physical vision our spiritual
vision can be corrected. God provides us with three tools that, like a laser, can get our vision sharply focused
so that we can see clearly where and how God is leading us. God’s vision corrective tools include: prayer
(understanding prayer is a two-way conversation with God), scripture (which provides guidance and hope),
and other Christians (those individuals who will walk with us and help discern and see more clearly God’s
plan).
So, my friends, may you always see clearly God’s vision, understanding sometimes patience is required
to achieve 20/20 vision. KEEP CALM AND SLOW DOWN!
See you in church,
Pastor Wade
P.S. Bring your Bibles to worship.
Page 4
Faith in Action Become a Mentor!
Support Potential First Generation College Enrollees and English Language Learners
Every student who dreams of college should have the opportunity to attend…
Plans are underway for adult mentors to meet with high school students once a month to offer support to
potential first generation college enrollees and English Language Learners as they prepare for college and a
career. Mentors and students will use a structured guide which outlines plans for meetings each month.
In 2012, Maryland passed a portion of the Maryland DREAM Act, which allows immigrant students to pay
instate tuition prices to attend colleges in Maryland if they meet the eligibility criteria. With this door of
opportunity now open, more of our youth throughout Maryland will be able to participate in gaining a college
education.
Also in 2011, a College and Career Ready Task Force publicized a report recommending that local schools
increase college and career support available to potential first generation college enrollees and English
Language Learners. The task force specifically recommended establishing a mentoring program.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor and would like to learn more, please contact Christine Bingaman.
Become a mentor and help our students live out their dreams…
Music Participation Opportunities!
Come and Join a Choir or a Band!
Our Handbell Choir is always looking for new ringers. No experience necessary! We will rehearse on
Thursdays at 6:30pm, starting September 5th.
The Chancel Choir rehearses at 7:30 on Thursday evenings. Come out and lend your voice in song!
Do you play Guitar? Drums? Keyboard? Do you want to sing in a worship band? If so, please contact Jeff
Martin, our Director of Music Ministries and let him know what you would like to do!
Attention Youth Singers!
The National Christian Choir is now accepting registrations for our 3rd annual National Christian Choir
Christmas Children’s Choir. This opportunity is open to children in grades 2 through 7. The children will
sing in the Christmas Concerts on December 7th in Silver Spring, and December 14th in Lancaster,
Pennsylvania.
There will be four regional rehearsals beginning the week of October 27th and two combined rehearsals in
Rockville on November 25th and December 2nd.
This is a unique opportunity for children to sing with a full orchestra and the 170-voice National Christian
Choir. There will be a limit of 150 children.
To obtain an application, please contact a member of the choir (Sandy Day, Nancy Hood, or Donna Isaacs),
or contact the choir office at [email protected] or by calling 301-670-6331.
Regional rehearsals will be held at Montgomery Church on Wednesday evenings starting on October 30th at
6:15pm.
Page 5
We are celebrating this September at the Children’s Center -- we are now
entering our 30thyear!!! As we welcome in new faces and catch up with
returning families, we give thanks to God for the opportunity to provide
another year of high quality, Christian preschool education to our students.
We have been blessed over these 30 years with a dedicated staff, a
supportive church, and wonderful families!! We will be marking this spe-
cial year with different activities throughout the year – look for more information to come!!
For the 2013-14 school year we have classes for 2’s, 3’s, and 4’s, and a Pre-K class. We have a current
enrollment of 147 students in 12 different classes. The MMCC staff members are:
Teachers: Darci Botti, Teresa Cooley, Christy Farster, Sandy Greenlee, Cindy Maggio, Judy Semenuk,
Beth Stafford, Kathy Thurston and Mary York.
Assistants: Debbie Buck, Joann Clugston, Linda Logsdon and Ruth Reitz
Office Manager and Classroom Assistant: Sharon Rhodes
Director: Margaret Olsen
Chairperson, MMCC Board of Directors: Marti Seraphin
For more information about what’s going on at the preschool you can go to the school website at
www.mmchildrenscenter.org, or you can access it from the link on the church webpage.
Thanks again for all the support MMCC receives from our church family. We are truly blessed!
In Christian Love,
Margaret Olsen
Shoebox Ministry -- Operation Christmas Child
Montgomery will once again be participating in Samaritian's Purse Operation
Christmas Child's Shoebox Ministry. Operation Christmas Child was started in 1993
by Samaritian's Purse and is a worldwide project that uses simple gift-filled shoe
boxes containing school supplies, toys, toiletries items and notes of encouragement to
let underprivileged children know that God loves them and they are not forgotten.
We will be collecting the shoeboxes in early November. This is a great project for families, community
groups such as Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts, Sunday School classes, etc. Shoeboxes will be available if you
need one. Please look for the display in the Narthex in early September. If you have questions, please feel
free to contact Lynn Zebroski.
Page 6
Missions Spotlight Here is a brief outline of the ministries that our church supports/participates in through our Missions and
Outreach:
Youth For Christ (YFC), as a part of the body of Christ, has the vision of wanting to see every young person
in every nation have the opportunity to make an informed decision to be a follower of Jesus Christ and
become a part of the local church. In the Frederick area, YFC engages with middle and high school youth in
addressing the problems and concerns facing today’s teens. Contact: Arn Bjorndal, http://www.yfccm.org/
Good News Jail and Prison Ministry has chaplains serving in the United States and abroad. Gifts help to
reach inmates and staff with the Gospel and to disciple them for Jesus Christ. Contact: Chaplain Isler, 22880
Whalen Lane Boyds, MD
Faith Connections is a non-profit Christian ministry that works in collaboration with churches, government
agencies and various organizations in the Damascus-Clarksburg area to provide emergency assistance to
families in crisis situations and works to support efforts to empower clients towards self-reliance. Contact:
www.Faith-Connections.org or 301-482-0522.
China Outreach Ministries works to bring Christ to China’s future leaders who are undergraduate students
at colleges and universities in America. Contact: [email protected]
Damascus HELP provides assistance to needy persons and families in the Damascus and adjacent areas in
the form of emergency food, holiday food baskets and gifts, transportation, furniture, and emergency financial
assistance. Contact: [email protected] or 301-253-4100.
Grace Covenant International Ministries -- Ken and Cathie Metz, are partnering with local churches in
Peru and are helping towns and villages gripped by drug and violent cultures transform into healthy and
productive societies.
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their
communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Contact:
www.worldvisiongifts.org
Compassion International is a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual,
economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.
Contact: http://www.compassion.com
Heifer International, by giving families a "hand-up," empowers them to turn hunger and poverty into hope
and prosperity. By bringing communities together and linking them with markets in their area, this
organization helps bring sustainable agriculture and commerce to areas with a long history of poverty.
Contact: www.heifer.org
The Samaritan Woman: The TSW Residence Program serves women who have endured trauma, including
veterans and victims of human trafficking. This program emphasizes the restoration of women’s lives in the
areas of academics, vocation, spirituality, relationships, and self-care. The TSW Farm & Food Ministry
operates a large urban farm that provides local produce to families in need. Contact: Jeanne L. Allert at
Note: The contact information shown is for anyone who would like additional information about any of these
ministries.