In this issue:

Holy Week. . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Sunday School.. . . . . . . . 4

Youth News.. . . . . . . . . . 4

Scholarships. . . . . . . . . . 5

Focus on Women. . . . . . . 5

Men’s Notes. . . . . . . . . . 6

Grief Workshop .. . . . . . . 6

Adult Fellowship. . . . . . . 7

District Conference. . . . . 7

Missions. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

FUND Night Out . . . . . . . 8

Easter Memorials.. . . . . 10

Within Our Family. . . . . 13

April 2017

The Resurrection –

An Historical Event

Easter is a time for celebrating the most important event thatever took place in the history of creation: The historic, physicalResurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Were it not for theResurrection of Jesus, the birth of Jesus would be meaningless.Without the Resurrection of Jesus, His death would not have thesignificance for us that it does.Because Jesus – God the Son – hasthe power to rise up from the dead toindestructible resurrection life, His birthsignals the coming of God into theworld. Because Jesus – God the Son –has the power after death to liveindestructibly forever, His death on thecross is the event that takes awayevery sin that every man, woman andchild ever committed and ever willcommit.

Jesus’ Resurrection – Easter – is thesource of all our hope. Because of

Newsletter of the

First United Methodist Church

Meriden, Connecticut

Ric Hanse

Pastor

Jesus’ Resurrection to indestructible, everlasting life we arenot prisoners of guilt and hopelessness. Because Jesus rises onthe Third Day we are not trapped in our sins. Because Jesusrose from the dead, death is not the end for us. Because Jesusdefeated death, we are no longer the devil’s property. BecauseJesus came out of the tomb on the Third Day, Hell does nothave to be our destiny. Because Jesus rose from the dead,we can experience the peace that passes all understandingeven in the midst of the difficulties and disasters that confront usin this life.

Easter is God’s declaration to all creation that neither bad, norevil, nor death ever has the final say. Easter is Jesus showing usthat He has the power to bring the greatest good out of the worstbad.

Please join me in making the celebration of Jesus’ historic,physical resurrection from the dead on 16 April a time forrenewing your commitment to loving and following our risen andliving Lord Jesus Christ. The risen and living Jesus is with youright now. Today Jesus is inviting you to let Him into thoseplaces in your heart, mind and life that need His Resurrectiontouch. Please say “Yes” to Jesus’ invitation so you canexperience the Resurrection power of Easter in the bad times,the mundane times and the good times of your life – forever!

Affectionately,

Pastor Ric

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CHURCH SCHOOL

Join us for a Sunday School Lenten Easter Egg Hunt next Sunday, April2 during Fellowship Hour. All are welcome and our activity willnd

be multi-generational!

Our Sunday School students will be participating in ourChurch service on Palm Sunday, April 9 . As is theth

tradition in our Church, our children will bring the palmbranches to the altar and will be participating in the opening song.Students need to arrive early that Sunday as we need to review our anthem andline up before the service begins. Please have your child in Rogers MemorialHall by no later than 9:30 am.

Don’t forget our Church School Children will be rehearsing a special anthem forPalm Sunday, and Children’s Day, May 7 , every week in their classes tillth

then. Regular attendance is appreciated.

YOUTH NEWS

All Junior & Senior High youth of the Church and their friends are welcome.Youth will meet Sundays after worship until 3:00 pm. Meetings will be filled withfun, food, friendship, and fellowship with specific areas of interest to thedifferent age groups. Questions? Call Jim at 860-324-2588 or e-mail:jhazlett1222@gmail.com.

4/2 Lenten Project #5 after church 3PM

4/9 Palm Sunday Breakfast 6AM 3PM

4/16 Easter Sunday no youth group

4/23 Day in Park after church 3PM

4/30 Kite Flying after church 3:30 PM

5/7 End Clothing Drive after church 3PM

VBS NEWS

Save the week of July 10 – 14 . 5:30 pm for Cave Quest.th th

More info to come...

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SCHOLARSHIPS

To our graduating seniors who will be attending college, a technical school orsome other course of advance training, full-time, our scholarship applicationsare available. Applications are located in the Cloister (hallway connecting thesanctuary and the Rogers Hall) or may be obtained from the church office,Monday through Friday 8:30-4:00PM. Applications must be returned to thechurch office no later than the first Sunday in May. A letter of acceptance fromthe institution, you will be attending, must accompany your application. Returning college students, applications will be mailed, in June, to your currentaddress on file in the church office and will need to be returned to the churchoffice the first Sunday in July. You must be continuing your education full-time. Please contact Holly Wishart (203) 907-5725 or hwish@cox.net should you haveany questions.

Please Note - there are also hundreds of scholarships available to collegestudents of all ages through the General Board of Higher Education. Call 615-340-7344 or go to the web-site www.gbhem.org. Click onto Scholarshipinformation and requests. A form is available to request information.

FOCUS ON WOMEN

Unit 4 will meet Monday, April 10, at 1:15 pm for a dessert meeting. Dessertis provided and all women are most welcome.

UMW Spring Day Gathering for Spiritual Growth. April 22, 9:00 am – 2:30pm at Torrington UMC. For more info contact UMW President, Nancy Hauser.203-538-5901 84CollegePlace@gmail.com

The next UMW Book Club meeting will be Tuesday, April 25 at 7:30 PM atthe home of Myrna Spencer, 126 Ann St. We will be discussing “Illuminations” byMary Sharratt. All women are welcome.

Unit 4 of the UMW is again collecting items for Health Kits that will be takento NY Annual Conference for UMCOR to distribute to those affected by floods,tornados, and other natural disasters. Donations of the items or cash to buy & send them are appreciated! Please markany donations “Health Kits.” Please leave items in the Health Kits box in thehallway. Any questions see Sylvia Guerin or members of Unit 4. Thank you!!!

Items most needed by deadline May 1 : Hand towels, Wash cloths, Soap -st

Bar, Bandaids We will be assembling the Health Kits on Monday, May 8 fromth

Noon `til done.

Relief-supply kits help provide care for the most vulnerable people during timesof crisis. Health kits, sewing kits, school kits, bedding kits, birthing kits, andcleaning buckets are collected by generous donors across the United States.These items are then sent to one of two supply depots, where volunteersassemble, verify, and pack the kits so that they can be sent to where they areneeded most. Kits also help sustain everyday life for people who lack readyaccess to essential supplies. They provide vital support for UMCOR’s globaldevelopment work and make a tangible difference in people’s lives.

MEN’S NOTES

Brothers in Christ: Bible study, support & encouragement. The goal is to growin our responsiveness to Jesus Christ in all aspects of our lives. We meet on the1 and 3 Saturdays of each month, 8:00 am in the Parish House. If you havest rd

any questions or need additional information please see Hal Quigley. All menwarmly welcomed.

Prayer Chain continues active and strong, and would love to be praying for yourneeds and desires. If you have a special need for prayer, please let our prayer chaincoordinator (Holly Wishart) know so she can share your burdens and needs withthose who are on the chain. Please make certain you have permission from theperson(s) you are praying for, and then call Holly, 203-907-5725, or the Churchoffice, 235-9620. You can also e-mail the office, fumc@snet.net, if you prefer.

GRIEF WORKSHOP

April 23, 2:00 pm in Rogers Memorial. “Blessed arethose who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew5:4. Have you ever felt alone after losing someone youlove and care about? What does the Bible say aboutdeath and afterlife in Heaven. Join Dr. Wayne Smith asChristians explore death and the afterlife.

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ADULT FELLOWSHIP

Hebrews 10: 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on towardlove and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habitof doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Dayapproaching. Next gathering: Saturday, April 29 Yale Art Museum 1111 Chapel Street,

New Haven, CT. We will carpool from FUMC, leaving at 9:00 am. Aftertouring the museum we will get lunch locally before returning to Meriden.

Saturday May 20 Miniature Golf and Ice cream . We will meet at FUMC at5:00 pm to car pool and then come back to Rogers for icecream.

Saturday June 24 Bowling. We will meet at FUMC at 5:00 pm to carpool.

DISTRICT CONFERENCE

District Conference – Sunday, April 30, 2:00 – 4:00 pm

here at First United Methodist Church Meriden.

Great Speaker, wonderful worship!

MISSIONS

Sock for Socks: I would like to thank you, my FUMC family, for donating socksfor the last 3 years. Two weeks ago, I again took 2 big bag of socks down toVincent DePaul’s Shelter. Maria, the director, was very pleased to receive thesefrom our church. She said there is always a need for new undergarments. Such asmall item of clothing can make such a big difference, for when our feet arewarm, the rest of our body is likely to be warm. Your warm hearts for Jesus keepthis, just one small mission project, a very important and beneficial one in ourcommunity. Thank YOU! Maria also said that the shelter has a big need for newunderpants for men, and especially women. Would you kindly consider purchasinga package of adult underpants sometime in the next 6 months. We will keep the“SOCK” hanging in Roger’s Memorial, and a bin underneath. In the fall, I willresume collecting socks. Debbie Molloy

We are still collecting Box Tops and Campbell Soup Labels... A containerwill be available soon or just give them to Debbie Molloy.

Red Cross Bloodmobile: Wednesday, April 26, 1:00 – 6:00 pm in RogersMemorial. Giving blood only takes about one hour and can save up to three lives.Call 1-800-GIVE LIFE or make an appointment on the Internet athttp://www.redcrossblood.org/. The American Red Cross has an urgent needfor blood donations to help prevent a shortage of bloodproducts. If you make an appointment don’t forget to useRapidPass to complete your pre-reading and donationquestions online reducing the time spent at the blood driveby up to 15 minutes!

Ongoing Mission project “Fostering Love” Children placed in Foster Carereceive from 1st UMC Church a backpack with an outfit, a toy, and toiletries. Weare in need of: Boys coloring books, cards and other games for olderkids...especially for boys. Thank you for your generous help!

FUND NIGHT OUT FOR FUMC II:

The Trustees of FUMC invite you to a FUND Night Out at Panera Bread, 1094North Colony Rd, Wallingford, CT 06450 on Tuesday, April 4 from 4:00 toth

8:00PM. All you have to do is bring your appetite and the included flyer (paper oron your smart phone). We receive a percentage of the sales depending on howmany flyers are submitted (one per person).

Over 19 flyers: 10% of net sales

Over 50 flyers: 20% of net sales

Can be used for dine-in or drive thru but not for on-line orders. Money receivedwill go towards the deficit. So come on out for good food, good fellowship andhave some FUND! And invite your friends and neighbors!!! (but no soliciting atthe restaurant). Last year, we had 100 flyers turned in and made $274.88. I

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KNOW you’re hungrier than that! Just remember 4-4 from 4 to 8 for food andfun. And let’s take a bite out of that deficit. Note: Administrative Board is samenight at the church, so you can arrive happy and full of energy! Thank you foryour support!

If you would like to order an Easter Lily to beautify the

sanctuary on Easter Sunday, please fill out the form below

and include a donation of $10.00 for the First UMC Flower

Fund. Please place your reservation and donation in the

offering plate, drop it by the Church Office, or mail it to

FUMC 15 Pleasant St. Meriden, CT 06450.

Some members and friends may wish instead – or in

addition – to make a separate contribution to one of the special funds listed

below. These gifts are also acknowledged in the Easter bulletin. Please make all

checks payable to First UMC.

hAbsolute DEADLINE (to be included in the Memorial list) for

receiving memorials is Friday, April 7 . th

We wish to place ____ Easter Lily(s) in the sanctuary at $10.00 each.

We wish to contribute $____________ to the

( ) Living Memorial Fund

( ) MemberCare Endowment Fund (For our future)

( ) MemberCare Transfer Fund (For current requests)

( ) Help defray the costs of Health Kits. (UMW Mission)

In Memory of__________________________________________

___________________________________________________

In Honor of___________________________________________

___________________________________________________

Giver’s Name__________________________________________

Phone ___________________________________________

Please check:

_______ I will deliver Easter Lilies on April 17 .th

Amount enclosed $

FELLOWSHIP HOUR

April 2 – Team 5: Nancy Coppola, Mary Alling, Kate Eglee, Bette Grasso, MaryLavado, Tracy Wodatch

April 9 – Team 6: Deane Poirier, Alison Green, Maurice Poirier, MaryEllenBrechlin, Trudi Schott, Mark Fancher, Carol Porsch, Lauren Rhines, Ellen Fisk.

April 16 – Team 7: Myrna Spencer, Karen Caproizzo, Earl Yeomans, LindaMizell, Jim Pearsall, Renee Pearsall, Betty Thomson, Mary Andersen

April 23 – Team 8: Ed & Nancy Peterson, Donna Oddie, Gerry West, JimHazlett, Beverly Teixeira, Ruth Petrucelli

April 30 – Team 1: Sue Winchell, Barbara Quigley, Evelyn Mills, Stacy Morgan,Sarah Uylaky, Cathy Bacon

May 7 – Team 2: Stanley & Sharon Kapustinski, Brenda Daly, Nancy Tracy,Jan Richardson, Stacy Harris, Karen Harrison

May 14 – Team 3: Debbie Molloy, Novelyn Cosmiano, Susan Farquharson,JoAnn Myers, Steve Rittenhouse, Jennifer Janus.

Worship Leaders: April 2 – Dave Krol. April 9 – Luke Henderson. April 16 –Hal Quigley. April 23 – Joann Myers. April 30 – Calvin Henderson. May 7 –Childrens Sunday. May 14 – Kate Andersen

Ushers: April 2 – Jesse Timm, Tom & Tracy Wodatch, Dennis & Kim Cracraft.April 9 – Hal Quigley, Stanley Ekpunobi, Roy Childers, Stan, Sharon, & JacobKapustinski. April 16 – Dave Krol, MaryEllen Brechlin, Robert Quigley, DeanSmith. April 23 – Jim Willhite, Larry Aresco, John Hardy, Keana Lippold.April 30 – Jim Kostuk, Betty & George Thomson, Peter Doerfler

Briefs: We have openings for Altar Flowers April 9, 23, & 30. If you wish todonate flowers in honor of or in memory of someone please sign up on theposter in the Cloister at least one week before or call the Church office,203-235-9620.

Don’t forget you can access our Church Calendar on our website athttp://www.firstumcmeriden.com/events/ This calendar has the most currentschedules.

A Food Pantry is available at New Opportunities, 74 Cambridge St, Meriden.Mon, Wed, Fri 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Thurs, 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm.

Lenten Self-denial Coin Folders and banks may be returned to the Churchoffice or placed in the offering plate. Thank you.

A reminder from our Financial Secretary and our Offering Tellers... Please useyour assigned offering envelope number on all gift giving to the Church,especially during the Holiday season. This will help ensure that you are givenproper credit. If you do not have offering envelopes or a number we will behappy to assign you one. Please check “Response” or call the Church office.Thank you.

Upper Room devotional books are available on the table by the kitchen inRogers Memorial. A small donation in the offering plate will help cover thecost. Large print copies are also available.

For the Comfort of Our Parishioners several cushions are available for use ifyou find our pews difficult to sit on. Please ask an usher.

Upcoming meetings: Administrative Board will meet Tuesday, April 4,7:00 pm in Rogers Memorial.

The Deadline for the May Parish Herald is Friday, April 21. The Herald will bemailed Wednesday, April 26, 9:00 am from the church office.

WITHIN OUR FAMILY

Dear FUMC family, On behalf of our whole family, we thank you for theconcern and love you have given us in the last year and a half throughPhil’s/Dad’s illness and passing. There have been so many appreciatedexpressions of love and concern over these months that have bouyed usbeyond measure. Your words, hugs, cards, flowers, meals, and mostimportantly your prayers are deeply appreciated. They help light our path inthis journey. Thank you for the wonderful and delicious memorial receptionyou provided our family with. It was such an important time of healing.Myrna and ladies, your thoughtfulness and graciousness is remarkable. Wekeep you all in our prayers of gratitude, Jane Ashton and Deb Molloy

Dear Friend: We would like to thank you for your generous donation of many,many packages of new socks and some bags of clothes for our residents.Thank you for organizing this sock drive for the benefit of the men andwomen who reside at our shelter. They are always in need of new socks sothey are appreciated more than you know. Donations such as yours help us toprovide the residents of the shelter with necessities of life that most of us

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take for granted. We would like to acknowledge that without your generosityand consideration, the customers of SHELTER NOW would not only be withoutpermanent housing, they would also be without hope. Your kindnessempowers our residents and encourages our staff to help those who struggleto make a better life for themselves and their families. Warm regards, MariaWagner, Office Manager, Shelter Now.

Births: March 4 - Brooklyn Rose LeBarron, daughter of Eric LeBarron andKristyn Ward. Sister of Aiden, Granddaughter of the late Kathleen LeBarron,Great-granddaughter of Joan Rose LeBarron and the late Jake LeBarron. _

Baptisms: March 26 - Michael David Kearney, son of Brendan & ColleenKearney and brother of Christian. Grandparents: Emily and Bob Parker, PattyKearney, Great-Grand mother: Barbara Parker. Godparents: Timothy Kearneyand Stephany Brando.

Hospitalized since the last Parish Herald: Charlie Rule

+ In Memoriam + Since our last issue of the Parish Herald, the followinghave passed into eternal life: March 8 - Tim Dolan

The Memorial service for Barbara Wimbish will be Saturday May 13, 10:00 am.

Adult Bible Study, Seasonally. Pastoral & Lay LeadershipBoy Scout Troop 52 Tuesday, 7:00 pm.Brothers in Christ 1 & 3 Saturday, 8:00 am, Parish House st rd

Chancel Choir Rehearsal, Thursday, 7:30 pm, Sunday, 9:00 amChurch School Children’s Choir – 1 Sunday and Seasonal: 10:15 amst

Handbell Choir Rehearsal, Sunday, 11:30 am. Youth Groups, Grades 6- 12 , Sunday, 1:00 pm.United Methodist Women, 2 Monday of each monthnd

and Special ProgramsWorship Service & Church School at 10:00 am Sunday

- Nursery provided.Web Site: www.firstumcmeriden.com

Scan to go to FUMC

website.14

Kindly tear off and return to Church office. Thank you.( ) Please add/drop person below to mailing list ( ) Would like offering envelopes( ) Would like to join Church ( ) Changes in Address, phone, e-mail...( ) The person below is in the hospital ( ) Please pray for:NEWS FOR THE PARISH HERALD, COMMENTS, INFORMATION.

Signed..........................................................................................................

Mail should be sent to our 15 Pleasant St. Church office address. Please do not usethe East Main Street address.

Our E-Mail address is fumc@snet.net

Phone: 203-235-9620

First United Methodist Church15 Pleasant StreetMeriden, CT 06450-5702