Volume 4, Issue 1 March 2015

The Friendly Flyer Ac k e r m a n v i l l e U n i t e d M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h

INSIDE:

VBS 2

B.L.A.S.T. 2

Community Org. 2

Anniversaries 3

Birthdays 3

SB Medical Center 3

Ushers 3

Calendar 4

B.L.A.S.T. 5

Prayer Chain 6

Easter Cantata 7

Acolyte 8

Junior Church 8

Liturgists 8

Upper Rooms 8

From the Pastor’s Desk ~

I find myself amazed that Ash Wednesday is just eight days away. I doesn’t seem that

Christmas was all that long ago. I still have decorations about my house. That’s mostly because I

haven’t wanted to trudge through the snow to get the boxes out of the storage room. I guess all of

this snow has caused me to want to burrow in and not pay attention to the passage of time.

The coming of Ash Wednesday means that the season of Lent is upon us. The season of

Lent has its origins in the very early church. Since many new converts to Christianity were

baptized on the eve of Easter or Easter Sunday it was thought that a formal period of preparation

was needed. (The period of Lent is modeled after Jesus’ 40 days in the desert after his baptism in

the Jordan.) It was during this time that new converts were instructed in the faith and traditions of

the church. It was also a time when believers that had been separated from the community

because of sin(s) went through a period of penance so to be enabled to rejoin the community on

Easter. All of this has led to the season we know as Lent.

So how do we spend Lent? Do we give up chocolate for forty days so we can over indulge

on chocolate Easter bunnies later? Do we fast from TV, Facebook or electronic games? The

answer to this question is as individual as we each are. But if Lent is a season for preparation and

penance maybe it would be a good idea to decide what sort of preparation or penance was most

needed in our own lives. Is there some place that God has been trying to get our attention? Have

we been called to a particular task? Maybe this would be a good time to look at whatever God has

been doing in our lives that we have so diligently been ignoring.

In other words instead of giving up something for Lent, how about if we take up something

instead? Might it be that God is calling us to begin or strengthen a devotional time in your life?

Maybe God wants us to volunteer somewhere in the community? There are countless people we

meet every day that need a kind word or gesture. What if we spent the next 40 days being

deliberately kind and caring to everyone we meet in a day? How about

saying, “God bless you.” to the grocery story checker or the sales clerk in the

store? Maybe a full bag of groceries for the food bank every time you come

to church is a way to strengthen you on your journey. How about letting the

person behind you get in front of you in the grocery store checkout line -

every time you go.

Lent is not so much about giving up as giving in – giving in to the will

and direction of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It’s about learning to let our faith

be first in our life not last. It’s putting our trust in God who loved us enough to

send His son to die for us that we would have eternal life. It’s about living into

the hope and the promise that gift gives to us. Lent is not about deprivation

it’s about inspiration and hope and blessings. May Lent be holy.

In Christ’s love,

Pastor Alice Ann

Page 2 The Friendly Flyer

Bowls, Plates, and Containers, Oh My!

If you brought in any cookies,

desserts, or food to the church in the past year, we thank you; but there's a good chance your bowl,

plate, tray, or cake or cookie container are still in the church kitchen.

Please have a look around and claim what's yours.

Thanks!

Volunteers Needed for VBS Planning Committee

A planning meeting was scheduled for March 1, for

Vacation Bible School. We are planning to do the

“Group’s EVEREST VBS”, which is from a different

publisher than we’ve been using for the past several

years. We are very excited to try something new!

Please consider helping with 2015 VBS.

Please watch for more information in future bulletins

or newsletters.

“Community Organizations”

Slater Family Network The Slater Family Network Foundation is a non-profit

family center. Our service is free and confidential for all

residents of the Bangor Area School District. We provide

resources, referrals, advocacy, and programs. Slater Family

Network is grant, community, and school district funded.

Resources for food - on site Emergency Food pantry;

Clothing - on site Clothes Closet Assistance; housing

Assistance, employment assistance, health insurance, free

dental care for adults and children, Free Mental Health

Counseling for adults and children, Free Vision Care for

children, School supplies, Holiday Meals and Gifts and much

more. Call our office at 610-599-7019. The office is located in a

modular building behind DeFranco Elementary School. Park

in the small lot between Five Points and DeFranco. Access

to Slater Family Network is direct from the parking lot. Our

hours are Monday-Friday from 8 am-2 p.m. Summer hours

vary, Please call.

A Clean Slate (cleanslatebangor.org) A Clean Slate’s mission is to provide recovery resources

and referrals to the Slate Belt community The center

welcomes all men, women, and teenagers who in anyway

have been affected by the disease of addiction.

The staff at the Clean Slate are knowledgeable about recovery and can assist people in finding treatment programs

and/or services appropriate to their needs. A Clean Slate

does not offer any counseling services and is not a treatment

program. The Center has a variety of

recovery and self-help material for

individuals seeking help, family

members seeking help or those that are

in a recovery process to help sustain

their own recovery.

A Clean Slate will also be providing a

computer lab and business resources for

the recovering community to help with resume building, job searching, letter

writing, attending an online 12-step

meeting, completing medical assistance

applications and other recovery-related

services.

Summer Camp

You know summer

camp is a special place for

children and youth to

connect with God's creation and deepen their

relationship with Jesus

Christ. We now have summer camp brochures

for all those who are

interested. Brochures will

be in the narthex. Please help yourself!

Please, Keep up your weekly giving The winter weather has not been

kind to our worship schedule. And even

though we haven’t been gathering

together, the need for your gifts continues. Please endeavor to keep

your weekly giving up to date. Thank

you so much for your faithfulness to

AUMC. It is greatly appreciated.

The Friendly Flyer Page 3

Postage Stamps

Birthday cards to be sent out

1 Walter Hopstetter 2 Carter Davis 3 Christopher Hopstetter 4 Cheryl Grubb 9 Kara-Mia Kurtz 10 Zaden Lutz Justin Bauder 12 Peter Nell Ruth Hahn 13 Justin Ott 15 Kermit LaBar 17 Wade Traviss Jean Ackerman

19 Bruce Ott 20 Pastor Alice Ann Victoria Castle 21 Linda Pasko 22 Bernice Bettini 23 David Stockman 26 Greg Martin 28 Evan Johnson

March Birthdays

22 Viola & Jack Davies

24 Donna & Bill Bright

E-Mail Change: holly.sussick@foxroach.com

Phone: 610-588-8235

Publicity If you have an event that

you would like publicized,

please contact Holly

Sussick.

March Anniversaries

Keep Them Coming Ink Cartridges

Weis Receipts

Campbells Soup Labels

Box Tops for Education

Old Prescription Glasses

Greeters & Ushers March 1 Bill & Matt Bright

March 8 Kay Young & Maci Herman

March 15 Bonnie & Jim Commins

March 22 Dora Greenleaf & Bernice Bettini

March 28 Janet Crafa & Shelly Lees

Forbidden fruits create many jams.

"Let's Start Sponsoring Flowers and Bulletins Again"

2015 Flower and Bulletin sponsorship charts are now in the narthex. Sponsoring altar flowers is a simple way to glorify

God and beautify the altar. They can be placed in honor of

someone, in memory of someone, in celebration of a

birthday, anniversary, or other milestone, or just to give

thanks for God's blessings. Your sponsorship and dedication

will be printed in the bulletin for that Sunday. The same

goes for sponsoring bulletins.

The cost for sponsoring altar flowers is $40 (quoted

recently by Albanese Florist) and the cost for sponsoring

bulletins is $10. Please consider signing up. First, write

your name and dedication on the chart. Second, if

sponsoring flowers, call Albanese Florist (610-588-0441) or J.C. Bloom Designs (610-588-3855) and place an order with

them under the Ackermanville UMC account. Third, place

the cost of flowers (or bulletins) in the offering plate on

Sunday in a separate envelope, designating that it is for the

cost of the flowers or bulletins. Thank you.

March Counters

March 1 Barry Young & Terri Brescancine

March 8 Barry Young & Bonnie Commins

March 15 Barry Young & Bonnie Commins

March 22 Barry Young & Bonnie Commins

March 29 Barry Young & Bonnie Commins

Slate Belt Medical Center

First Sunday of Each Month at 2:15 PM

Come Join Us If You Can!!!

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

1 Sunday School 9:00

Worship 10:00 Cantata Practice 11:15 SB Nursing 2:15

2 Office Hours

9 am-Noon

3 4 Office Hours 9 am-noon

Scouts 6:30-7:30

Choir 7:30

5 Office Hours 9am-Noon

Disciple Bible Study

7:30-8:45

6 7 Tools For Ministry

Asbury Church

8 Time Change SPRING UP Sunday School 9:00 Worship 10:00 Cantata Practice 11:15

9 Office Hours

9 am-Noon

10

11 Office Hours 9 am-noon

Scouts 6:30-7:30

Choir 7:30

12 Office Hours

9am-noon

Crafty Crew 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Disciple Bible Study

7:30-8:45

13

14 Men’s Breakfast at

TK’s 7:00 am

15Sunday School 9:00

Worship 10:00 Cantata Practice 11:15 Community Meal 4 pm BLAST

16 Office Hours

9 am-Noon

Newsletter Articles Due

17

18 Office Hours 9am-Noon

19 Office Hours 9:00 am-Noon

Disciple Bible Study

7:30-8:45

20

21

22 Sunday School 9:00

Worship 10:00

Cantata Practice 11:15

23 Office Hours

9 am-Noon

24

25 Office Hours 9am-Noon

Scouts 6:30-7:30

Choir 7:30

26 Office Hours 9am-Noon

Disciple Bible Study

7:30-8:45

27

28

29 Sunday School 9:00

Worship 10:00

Cantata Practice 11:15

30 Office Hours

9 am-Noon

31

Page 4 The Friendly Flyer

March 2015

Office Hours - Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings 9am – noon unless I am taken out of the office by meetings or emergencies.

Please note that Friday is Pastor Alice Ann’s Sabbath day. She will return all non-urgent contacts on the next business day.

For an emergency on Friday, please call the parsonage phone number 610-452-2699 and she will get back to you as soon as possible.

Deadline for “Friendly Flyer” is March 16, 2015 Please submit all articles and news to Joan at

mutton1@rcn.com or by handwriting them and placing them in the office mail bin.

Bulletin Information

Weekly announcements for the worship bulletin

can be sent to Lauranette at Lauranette@gmail.com.

Thank You!!!!

Ackermanville United Methodist Church

Mission Statement

Growing in Faith by Sharing God’s Love.

LIKE US on Facebook!

Crafty Crew News The Crafty Crew will now meet the second Thursday of

each month in Young Hall from 2 pm to 4 pm beginning

March 12, 2015.

We are extending an invitation to any one who would

like to join us. Bring your favorite project to work on and

join the fun!

The Friendly Flyer Page 5

Thirteen Different Soups!!!

Thank you to everyone who supported our very successful "Soup Bowl Saturday". Due to your generosity

in donating soups, items and services for auction, and bidding, BLAST was able to make sizable contributions

to the Congo Mission, and to the Portland Food Pantry (PUMP). BLAST would especially like to say "Thank

You!" to the following businesses for their generous donations:

Subway of Wind Gap Subway of Pen Argyl

Bono Pizza of Pen Argyl Three Brother's Pizza and Restaurant

Albanese Flowers and Plants Capitol Ace Hardware

Mr. Pastie Bakery Pies to Die For Cafe

Tolino's Fuel Johnnie's Restaurant and Pizza

Lane's Auto Repair Old Mill Family Restaurant

East Coast Touring Co. Detzi's Tavern

J-Nails Reagle Dodge Passion Nails

Giant Food Store of Wind Gap Pen Argyl Pizza

Thanks again to everyone for making this

another successful mission fundraiser.

B.L.A.S.T.

Page 6 The Friendly Flyer

Prayer Chain We are blessed here at AUMC with a prayer chain. You can submit prayer requests through Pastor Alice Ann and receive prayer requests through email or phone. If you are not a part of the prayer chain and would like

to be, please contact Pastor Alice Ann for the email portion and Janice Roberts for the phone portion.

Prayer List Please help us keep the prayer list, printed in the

bulletin, up to date. If you would like someone to go on the prayer list, or

removed from it, please use a prayer request card found in the pews or email the church at www.ackermanvilleumc@gmail.com.

Thank You

"If it Snows!!" 1. Check your email

and/or phone/voice mail to

see if Sunday School and

Worship or your event is

cancelled or postponed.

2. While you're

s h o v e l i n g s n o w a t

home, remember, the church

needs volunteers also, to

shovel the walks and

steps. If you are able, please come down to the

church to shovel. Thank you.

If you have any concerns about coming to

worship, then please stay home. Coming to worship is

not worth a dented fender or a broken bone.

“If it Snows!!

NEW INFORMATION!!!

(effective approximately February 2)

Now, if you suspect that worship, a meeting, or a church event may be postponed or cancelled, you can go to: www.wfmz.com and then click on "Storm Center Delays and Closings." If we have a closing it will appear here on their website. It may or may not also appear on TV, on Channel 69, so it's best to check the website instead.

Writer’s Wanted!! The newsletter is always looking for article

contributions. Please consider writing an article or articles

about anything church-related. Perhaps there's someone you

think should be thanked. Perhaps you'd like to write

something about an event we just had or an event coming up

in the near future. Have you read a good Christian book or

seen a good Christian movie lately? Write a summary or a

review. Maybe you have fond memories of your church

when you were growing up, especially if they are of

Ackermanville Church. Write them down and submit

them! Perhaps you have a vision for the future of our

church. Write an article about it. Perhaps many people have

asked you for a certain recipe? If there's anything else you'd like to share, go ahead and write it down and submit it. We

can all be contributors and editors of the

newsletter!! Submissions may be handed to Pastor Alice

Ann or Lauranette Grubb; or you can email them to:

aabonham@gmail.com

lauranette@gmail.com

ackermanvilleumc@gmail.com

**All articles/submissions are subject to pastoral approval**

Thank You!

Northeast District

Tools for Ministry

Asbury Church - A United Methodist Community

1533 Springhouse Road, Allentown, PA 18104 www.asburylv.org

March 7, 2015

Snow Date: APRIL 25

“Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ

has welcomed you, for the glory of God”

Romans 15:7

Standard Registration: $10 before Feb. 22 Registration Feb. 22-Feb. 28 $12

Late Registration after Feb. 28: $15

Registration 8:30-8:55 - Worship 9:00-9:30 Morning Workshops 9:40-11:40 - Lunch 11:50-12:50

Afternoon Workshops 1:00-3:00 Morning Workshops: Recognizing Addiction in the Faith Family and Community The Church As God’s Sacred Garden for Children From Friendly to Radically Hospitable: What that Means for your Church Calling All Youth (youth in 6-12 grades)

Afternoon Workshops: Providing Ministry for All Older Adults

“in”tentional Accessibility Safe Sanctuaries: The Impact of the New PA Law for Your Church

Faith in Action for Youth (youth in 6-12 grades)

Register at: https://epaumc.smarteventscom/public/events/ne-district-tools-for-ministry

For questions / Information

contact Sheila Milz at nesuper@rcn.com or call 610.395.6661

The Friendly Flyer Page 7

Thanks to

Our volunteer snow shovelers and removers: Dan & Suzanne Hawes, Jeff Sandercock, and Dave Jones.

Sandy Collins for her generous donation of copy paper to the church office.

Bonnie Commins for filling in as secretary during Lauranette's recuperation.

All our soup makers, merchandise donators, and helpers for Soup Bowl Saturday.

Thanks to all our congregation. Every thing you do makes a difference!

Lenten Lunches The Lenten Lunches, sponsored by the Slate

Belt United Methodist Cluster and will be held at, the Trinity Lutheran Church, 404 Broadway, Bangor, PA: February 24 - East Bangor UMC March 3 - First UMC March 10 - TBD March 17 - Richmond UMC March 24 - Ackermanville UMC

The meal starts at 12:00 Noon followed by a

devotion. All will be finished by 1:00 pm.

Cantata Singers Wanted!

This Easter (April 5th)

our Cantata Choir will present

"Come, Touch the Robe" by Pepper Choplin. We did this

cantata 5 years ago, and were

so moved that we couldn't

wait any longer to present it again. This work uses the simple garment Jesus wore as a thematic device to

recount the interaction of several people who were with

Jesus during His last days on earth. This cantata allows us to experience the healing, the glory, and the power

of Christ, and rejoice in the stirring celebration of the

resurrection of the Lamb of God. Rehearsals began on February 22nd, cantata

rehearsals will be held every Sunday after worship, and

every Wednesday evening at 7:45 pm. Everyone is

invited to join the choir; for the whole year, or just for the cantata. There are plenty of cantata

books! Rehearsal CD's are also available for practicing

at home. Please join us!

Dear Friends, My "thank you" seems so small

compared to all you've done for me,

but it comes from the heart. Thank you for all the

prayers, concerns, cards, and visits--all deeply

appreciated.

Kay Nell

To my Ackermanville

UM Church family,

Thank you so much for your cards, and your

continuing help, thoughts, and prayers during my

recovery from my accident. I am so thankful for

my church family and your kindness and

generosity. God bless all of you.

Lauranette Grubb

Thank You

On Sunday,

February 1st,

we honored

Jack Davies

(as he retires

from choir)

for his many,

many years

of service to

the church,

especially as Sunday School Orchestra leader, Church

Choir director, and choir member. His musical gifts

added a great deal to the quality and enjoyment of

worship in this church. “Thank you Jack for your

dedication, and hard work. "

In Honor of Jack Davies

Praise the Lord for the Disciples of AUMC! We have now had many months of successful ministry thru our Free Community Care Meals! We are slowly building our client base and are seeing familiar faces each month.

Thank you to all who have prepared side dishes, salads and baked desserts. We couldn’t do it without you!!!

The Community Care Committee

Join us on the web at: www.ackermanvilleumc.org

Ackermanville United Methodist Church 1410 Ackermanville Road Bangor PA 18013

The Rev. Alice Ann Bonham

Church Phone: 610-588-7818

Parsonage Phone: 610-452-2699

aabonham@gmail.com

www.ackermanvilleumc.org

Page 8 The Friendly Flyer

Acolytes Junior Church Liturgists

March 1 Porter Sussick Angela Colino / Maci Donna Bright

March 8 Maci Herman Tonia Overfield / Aubrey Lauranette Grubb

March 15 Mia Herman Suzanne Hawes / Sarah Pete Nell

March 22 Aubrey Tarr Amy White / Hailey Sharon Herman

March 29 Khloe Overfield Holly Sussick / Grace Jeff Sandercock

Please let Pastor Alice Ann know if you

or a loved one is in the hospital. She

would love to support you and your family

with a visit. She depends on you to share

the information of which hospital the loved

one is in. Please also let Pastor Alice Ann know of any

other pastoral needs. She is available in the Church

Office on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 9am-

noon. The church phone number is 610-588-7818.

You can reach her by email: aabonham@gmail.com.

The parsonage number is 610-452-2699 for pastoral

emergencies. If you do not reach her, please leave a

message. Thank you!

Please don’t forget those in need

of our prayers.

We will have an updated list in

the bulletins each Sunday.

Remember our members in Nursing Homes or

Assisted Living Facilities

Ernest Bartholomew, Rm 135, 4100 Freemansburg Ave., Easton, PA 18045

Bernice Bettini

Walden III, Unit 122, 325 N. Broadway, Wind Gap, PA 18091

Elsie Houck

c/o Chandler Estates, Apartment 3A 1569 Teels Rd., Pen Argyl, PA 18072

Evelyn Jennings Apt. 414B

175 W. North Street, Nazareth, PA 18064 Marilyn Osborne

c/o Whitehall Manor 1177 N. 6th Street, Whitehall, PA 18052

Clara Schweitzer

Gracedale 2 Gracedale Avenue, Nazareth, PA 18064

Slate Belt Nursing and Rehabilitation On the first Sunday of the month, we offer worship at

Slate Belt Nursing and Rehabilitation at 2:15pm. We

have been blessed by getting to know folks and develop

relationships with them. Consider joining us to share

the love of Christ with the folks at Slate Belt.

During worship, we have BLAST bags available

for children in the sanctuary. These bags are

changed regularly and coordinate with the

sermon series. Please help your children see the

connections!

“The March/April Upper Rooms are now

available in the narthex. There are also large print

Upper Rooms available.”