TRACYTON TIDINGS

March, 2018

Tracyton United Methodist Church February Newsletter

Dates to remember in February

2nd Coffee Oasis 3:00pm

4th Food Bank Sunday

11th UMCOR Sunday

13th Finance/council 5:30pm

16th Backpack Brigade Volunteers

20th SPRC 4:00pm

24th Clean up day

25th Palm Sunday & Youth Bake Sale

27th Trustees 5:30pm

29th Maundy Thursday 6:00pm Meal

7:00pm Service and foot washing

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

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4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

March 2018

Connectional

PASTOR’S LETTER

Beloved Church!

What brand of Christian we are doesn’t matter to the gen-

eral public as much as it used to. The Protestants and Catholics

aren’t going to war over who’s in charge. We’re not going to

kick someone off the membership rolls for believing that we are

not going on to perfection or that we can be made perfect in

love in this life (one hallmark of Methodist theology, though it

makes Lutheran theologians uncomfortable).

One hallmark that makes Methodists unique, including our

United Methodist Church, is that we are connectional. We

Dates with a

star have

information

have been, ever since John Wesley organized the Methodist

movement in England and America in the 1700s. We’re not a

collection of independent congregations who hire their own

leaders, choose their own basic rules of operation. We establish

churches, and deploy pastors, to best serve the mission of the

whole church.

Every four years, our General Conference meets to revise

our Book of Discipline and to set overall policy for the worldwide

church. Now and then the General Conference meets in

special session, to consider a specific matter. A special session

has been called to consider how the United Methodist Church

can find a way forward through our serious differences on

matters of gender and sexuality: can we remain united as one

denomination with differing views and policies, or will there be

some kind of denominational split? (“Untied” Methodist Church,

anyone?)

Most of the action of our connection happens more local-

ly, though: Discipleship-development, mainly in local churches.

Regional oversight, planning and programming, mainly in the

Annual Conferences. We are part of the Pacific Northwest

Annual Conference, which meets annually – surprise! – in June.

All the pastors of our Annual Conference are appointed to

the mission of the whole Church and expected to serve not on-

ly in the individual parishes, but also in various roles beyond the

local church. I just finished a term as chairperson of the Confer-

ence Rules Committee, for example.

Our Annual Conference’s Secretary is Rev. Shirley DeLarme,

whose son Ethan is awaiting a new heart at Children’s Hospital

in Seattle. Because of this need for her attention, I was asked to

serve in the role of Secretary in her place this year. I had that

role for ten years, back around the turn of the century, so I

know some of what I’m getting into. It’s going to mean a busy

Spring, getting ready. It’s going to be a big job during the Con-

ference session. And it’s going to take a good deal of time

through the Summer (perhaps even into the Fall) finalizing re-

ports and getting the several-hundred-page Annual Confer-

ence Journal sent to the publisher.

I don’t get paid for the work. I do get expenses reimbursed,

and I will claim every expense. But it’s what I do because we’re

connectional. (Also: I’m just peculiar enough that I enjoy it.)

If there are ways you’d like to participate more in the

connected church, let me know. From serving as a member of

Annual Conference, to joining a Volunteer in Mission team or

an emergency recovery team or using your expertise and

passion in district or conference committees, we can try to get

you connected. Because we’re connectional. It’s how we roll.

Love,

Wes

Keep an

Eye on

your

weekly

“Trade

Winds”

Each Week Pastor will announce what Day and Time

to meet with him for “Wes’s Wet Weather Walk” to hike

some of the local trails around Kitsap. Or where to join

him for lunch for “Word on the Street”

W.W.W.W.

Because you give, the United Methodist Church’s compassion-ate response to human suffering continues today:

• When tornadoes ripped through Oklahoma, we responded • When children in Zimbabwe lost parents to AIDS, we re-

sponded • When a massive tsunami devastated lives in Japan, we re-

sponded • And when the next mass crisis occurs, we will be prepared to

respond UMCOR will be able to offer aid in Jesus’ name to those who

suffer because United Methodists give through UMCOR Sun-

day, (formerly One Great Hour of Sharing). In fact, it’s your

generous giving that allows us to respond when disaster strikes.

2018 FREE FINANCIAL CLASSES

Dates Time Class Topic Location Presenter

Coloring Mandalas

During the Lenten Season

Lyla will be practicing a

type of prayer study that

uses the coloring of man-

dalas as a tool to focus,

one on one time with

God. If you would like to

join her, she will be color-

ing from 4-5pm everyday

in the office.

March 29th

A light meal of soup and

bread at 6:00pm which

will be followed by foot

washing and Service at

7:00pm

Directories

Available

Currant

copies of our

new photo

directories are

available in

the Fellowship

Hall. If there

are no copies

on the table

please put

your name on

the list and I

will make one

up for you.

Your Church is in

need of a day of

Spring Cleaning,

we sure could use

your help.

Saturday, March 24th beginning at 9:00am

We would like to have a couple of

crews, inside and out. The more

hands the better. There will be

coffee and snacks or maybe a light

meal served. We will continue until

clean.

If you shop online please sign up at

iGive and shop thru them. All you have

to do is go to them first and then to

your store, it’s that simple, then TUMC

gets a donation from your purchase.

Recipes Wanted

Dig out that old family file of recipes

and bring us one or two maybe even

three. We think it is time for a new

Tracyton United Methodist

Cookbook….

Add a story about a time the dish was served, or who in

the family liked it most, a picture of yourself or the family

member or friend who gave you the recipe would be

great as well. Let’s add some history and fun to go along

with the sharing of food and hospitality.

If you are interested in helping to put this cookbook to-

gether please let Lyla know. Better things happen when

more people are involved.

Kids Day at the library

First Thursday of each month

starting promptly at 2pm.

Tracyton Community Library invites children of all ages

to join them. There ’s make and take crafts and of

course there will be a story or two, and maybe even

some yummy treats. Thursday March 1st!

Be sure to come join in the fun! If you need more

information call 377-3571

February’s Brunch was a success

Over $600.00 was raised!

All monies go toward camp scholarships for the youth.

Brunch

If you have a Fred Meyers Rewards card

please remember to link it to Tracyton

United Methodist Church. For each pur-

chase you make a small donation will be

made to the church...every little bit

counts...

Friday the 2nd is the

first Friday of the month.

We will be taking a hot

meal over to the youth at

Coffee Oasis. We are hoping to make ham, mac and

cheese & green beens. If you would like to help defray the

cost by making a donation please mark it “Coffee Oa-

sis”. If you would like to help prepare the meal we meet

here around 3:00pm. We would love to have you join us!

Food Bank Sunday

We would like to bring back the focus

of our first Sunday of the month

being FOOD BANK SUNDAY. There

are so many people who are just not

able to make it thru the month on whatever their income

is and they need those foodbanks just to

survive. Can you help by bringing in a few

cans or boxes of nonperishable food to share

or mark a financial donation “Food Bank”.

Bremerton Backpack

Brigade

Bremerton Backpack Brigade is thankful for all the wonderful volunteers who come to help each week!!

They rotate, weekly teams of 8 to

12 volunteers to pack backpacks and deliver them to each

elementary school. They (BBB) deliver over 1,200 pounds

of food to the six elementary schools served every week

during the school year!

Tracyton United Methodist Church sends volunteers on

the 3rd Friday of the month (March 16th). Libby

Correll takes the lead for any of you who may wish to join

them. Her contact number is 360-698-9082.

This program would not be possible without the gift of

your time, talent or treasures. If you can’t help pack but

would still like to support BBB you can bring a nonper-

ishable food donation and put it in the designated basket

in the Narthex or please mark any financial donation

“Backpack Brigade”.

Three ways Tracyton UMC

helps climb the mountain of

local hunger

YTD Food Bank Totals - 52 pounds of food and $60

Begins at

8:45am

the closet is usually open Tuesday and Thursday

from 10-2pm

Worship Time

10:00am

Office hours Tuesday-Friday 11:00am-4:00pm

Phone number 360-373-6425

Pastor’s cell 253-677-0503

Our Website www.tracytonumc.org

Facebook page Tracyton United Methodist Church

Benefit for Zoe Project

Donations and volunteers always needed.

Begins at

9:00am

On Palm Sunday, March 25th

The children’s Sunday School is going to manage a Bake Sale to

support the children of the Zoe Project which assists orphans in

Zimbabwe and beyond. Visit their

website at https://

www.wearezoe.org/ this is truly a

pretty amazing thing they are doing.

The cycle of poverty is stopped as

you partner with a group of children

who are eager to realize their God-

given potential. Indigenous leaders

and vulnerable children are

empowered to develop sustainable

solutions rather than being the

recipients of handouts. Young

people are developed into leaders

and entire communities are

transformed in the process.

March

4th Roger Correll

11th Marsha Masters

18st Jim Klein

25th Galen Newling