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June 2014
Volume XX Issue 6
“In worship, fellowship and service we seek God’s peace as revealed in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.”
The Madison Methodist The Madison Methodist The Madison Methodist
MessageMessageMessage
The United Methodist Church in Madison
24 Madison Avenue Madison, NJ 07940
“at the corner of Drew University”
[email protected] www.umcmadison.org
Tel: 973.377.1231
A Message from the Pastor
This summer my sermons will focus on Paul’s
letter to the Romans. It is one of the greatest
documents to come out of the Christian Church. It
explores our relationships, with God, with Christ,
with one another … with our past and our future. Our
faith, above all else is something personal, not some-
thing to be hidden or ignored but explored and
shared.
Grace and Peace,
O n any given Sunday worship attendance is hard
to predict. Of course the high holy days of
Christmas and Easter, baptisms and confirmation are
not too difficult to predict. Nor are the Sundays after
Easter, Christmas or other holidays. It is easy to be
encouraged or discouraged by the rise and fall of
attendance, so I remember those words of wisdom
shared with me, which I share with others: Don’t
take it personally.
Of course those words are harder to swallow by a
football or baseball coach whose team is long on
injury and short on talent, who hears they no longer
have a job. They can’t just leave, they must be fired!
But on the way out the door are those familiar words,
Don’t take it personally.
And the man or woman cleaning out his or her
desk after years of hard work and faithfulness finds
the words “Sorry we are downsizing, it’s not your
fault, don’t take it personally,” bring little comfort.
The fact of the matter is our culture is moving
further and further away from the personal and more
toward the impersonal. We don’t even talk, we text.
Even texting may be too much, we tweet or send
photos. And yet there is an aching need for the
personal.
It’s Nothing Personal
Conversational English Class “graduation” on May 12.
Thanks to Vic, Jan and Rose Anne for all their work … and of
course the students and kids made it all worthwhile.
2
Staff & Elected Officers Pastor
Rev. Robb W. Shoaf, Ph.D Student Assistant Pastor
Chelsea Jackson Director of Music & Organist
Susan McAdoo, D.M.A. Director of Christian Education
Peggy Merrick Worship Arts Coordinator
Amanda Rohrs-Dodge Admin/Editor Linda Langstaff Sexton Marlice Borecki
David Green Chair, Church Council Jim Balfe Treasurer Mac Cobb Assistant to Treasurer Scot Guempel Financial Secretary Alan Voorhees Finance Chair Gordon Fleming Facility Management Vic Schumacher President, Trustees
Program Facilitators Nurture Ministries
Lisa Moro Outreach Ministries
Jeanne Eisele Witness/Igniting Ministry
Kris Pfeifer Worship Ministries
Lisa Carballo Education/Youth
Peggy Merrick & Chelsea Jackson
Trustees
Vic Schumacher Gordon Fleming Mike Kroeger Luke McKinnon Shin-Ok Ha Wade Merrick JoAnn Van Sciver Nori Tadano
Stephanie McCormick
New Fair Trade Items
T o start off our summer, we wanted to introduce you
to some of the great new items we have added to our
inventory. All our new items are certified organic, and are
a delicious way to support small farmers. Fairly traded
products ensure the farmers will be paid a fair market
value for the fruits of their labors.
By popular demand... we have tea in stock! The tea
from Equal Exchange is sourced from small farm coop-
eratives and collectives from around the globe. They
include the Mineral Springs Cooperative and Potong Tea
Garden in Darjeeling, India, the Small Farmer Tea Project
in Kerala, India, Tea Promoters India in Kolkatta, India,
Small Organic Farmers’ Association in Sri Lanka, and
Wupperthal Original Rooibos Co-operative in Cederberg
Region, South Africa.
Delicious organic varieties include Green Tea, English
Breakfast Tea, and caffeine-free Rooibos Tea. Each box
of 20 tea bags is just $3.50, or 2 boxes for $6, which is a
great price for organic tea! For a refreshing summer
drink, try Sparkling Raspberry Lime Iced Rooibos Tea
(recipe below).
We are also very pleased to re-introduce you to a
former favorite: Tamari Roasted Almonds sourced from
Hilltop Ranch in California. The almonds are roasted,
then sprinkled with gluten-free Tamari soy sauce—they
make a tasty snack! The almond farmers at Hilltop Ranch
are committed to organic farming and protecting the
earth, even though conventional almond farming practices
would yield a higher profit. Our half-pound bags of
almonds are just $6.50.
Look out for other new items throughout the summer,
including two new flavors of organic chocolate bars! Our
next sale is June 8, at the annual church picnic.
Kellie Krondon
Sparkling Raspberry Lime Iced Rooibos Tea Steep 2 Organic Rooibos Tea bags in 1 cup hot water for 3
minutes: remove the bags and let the tea cool. Crush 3–5 rasp-
berries and add to the tea with some ice, 1–2 tablespoons of
simple syrup, and 1 cup chilled seltzer (plain or raspberry-
flavored). Squeeze 2 lime wedges over tea and mix well.
On May 8 a dinner
was held in honor of
our own Dr. Vivian
Bull, honoring her
service over the last
two years as President
of Drew University. A
portrait of Vivian was
presented at the dinner
and will be placed in
Mead Hall. Pictured (l
-r) are son Carlson,
Vivian, granddaugh-
ters Mila, Anna and
son Camper.
July 2014
3
I ’m 150 years old, my bones are creaking and I need
some fixin’ up. That pretty much paints a picture of
our sanctuary.
During the period from June and extending into
August a good deal of significant “fixin’ up” is scheduled.
On the list are stabilizing the out-of-plumb east and west
sanctuary walls, replacing the Yankee gutters on the same
walls, replacing the failing parking lot lights, replacing
the also out-of-plumb chimney on the Drew drive side of
the building and a few additional items.
Be prepared to see scaffolding in the sanctuary, lifts in
driveways, cuts in the surface of the entry drive and park-
ing lot, etc. Bids for the work should go out soon since
the drawings for the interior and exterior sanctuary walls/
gutters have been approved. More details will follow. If
you would like to see the actual drawings, they are avail-
able in the office.
Vic Schumacher
D o you remember the last time you went to the
movies? I love all the publicity before a movie
comes out, especially the previews! The anticipation that
builds with each “sneak peak” or trailer that comes out.
Speaking with friends and family about what may happen
in the movie. Even hearing the stars speak about their
experience and what the audience can expect is exciting.
So what does this have to do with our church? This
article represents the beginning of some different
“previews” of our upcoming Capital Campaign. One
thing that unites all of us is our love of Christ and our
support of the church. Our church’s last Capital Cam-
paign occurred over 10 years ago. Planning has already
started, and over the summer months more bits and pieces
will be released about the Capital Campaign.
There are going to be three main parts to our Capital
Campaign: The Sanctuary, Organ, and Mission. Our
campaign will feature different ways to become involved,
from serving in the planning, giving to the campaign, or
helping out with events. But this is only a preview, so be
on the lookout for more “teasers” over the coming
months.
As the campaign takes shape, I hope you enjoy reflect-
ing about how our Capital Campaign will have lasting
effects on our church. In fact, I think there is already a
sneak peak, about the needs of our sanctuary in this
newsletter!
Stewart Robinette,
Capital Campaign Chair
Trustees Report
June 2014
Coming Soon…
Our Capital Campaign! “O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer’s praise.”
T his 1739 Charles Wesley hymn is my favorite.
When we sang it on May 18, Heritage Sunday, our
organ helped us “to proclaim, to spread through all the
earth abroad, the honors of Thy name.” How often do we
take for granted the music which enhances our weekly
congregational worship? The organ prelude prepares us
for worship together followed by the opening or proces-
sional hymn. The hymns, anthems and postlude are not
random selections, but are chosen to complement the
weekly lectionary or message. Our music ministry is a
vital part of our worship together and church life. Our
choir uses their talents and time to the glory of God and
our ministry in the community. Our pipe organ is a treas-
ured asset which would be difficult to replace today.
During the winter I had the opportunity to visit many
United Methodist congregations and share in their Sunday
worship. I was struck by the number of congregations that
only used a piano for hymns and choir accompaniment.
Many hymns were also accompanied by drums to provide
the bass, which our organ supports. Some of the newer
church buildings had electronic organs due to the expense
and requirements of installing a traditional pipe organ and
they didn’t compare.
Did I miss our music ministry! I missed being able to
sing with our organ accompaniment. I missed the exper-
tise of our choir under the direction of our organist and
director of music, Dr. Susan McAdoo. I missed all the
capabilities of our pipe organ to enhance our worship.
We’ve learned that our 1924 Austin pipe organ still
has the original console and electric switches to activate
different sections of the organ. We have maintained the
pipes, replaced the blower motor, and enhanced parts of
the organ during the past 50 years, but some parts do not
work anymore. Dr. McAdoo has been creative in working
around those which do not work. How many things in our
homes that were original in 1924 are still working?
The good news is that we don’t have to replace the
most expensive parts of the organ to restore our pipe
organ to optimum capability. Already discussions are
occurring with organ builders/renovators as to the most
cost-effective way to preserve and enhance our organ.
We’ve made two field trips to hear rebuilt and enhanced
organs at different churches, which have started discus-
sion with an organ builder/renovator to preserve and
enhance our organ.
As we address different needs of this congregation and
our physical building, we have the opportunity to include
the preservation and enhancement of our 1924 Austin
organ as one of the priorities in our stewardship.
David R. Green
A Thousand Tongues… and Pipes
4
June 2014
July-August Newsletter Deadline: June 23
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 8:30 am Early Service 10 am Worship & Children’s Program 11:15 am Coffee Hour
2 8 pm AA
3 7:30 pm Trustees 8 pm AA
4 6:30 am Men’s Breakfast 8 pm AA
5
6
7
8 Pentecost
8:30 am Early Service 10 am Worship Confirmation Child Program 11:15 am Church Picnic
9 Begin Summer Office Hours: 9 am-1 pm 8 pm AA
10 8 pm AA
11
6:30 am Men’s Breakfast 7 pm Covenant Bible Study 8 pm AA
12
13
14
15 9:30 am Combined Family Worship 10:45 am Coffee Hour
16 8 pm AA
17 7:30 pm Capital Campaign & Church Council 8 pm AA
18 6:30 am Men’s Breakfast 7 pm Covenant Bible Study 8 pm AA
19
20
21
22
9:30 am Combined Family Worship 10:45 am Coffee Hour
23 Newsletter Deadline 8 pm AA
24
8 pm AA
25 6:30 am Men’s Breakfast 7 pm Covenant Bible Study 8 pm AA
26
27
28
29 9:30 am Combined Family Worship 10:45 am Coffee Hour
30 8 pm AA
Father’s
Day
5
G reetings All! As we enter into the summer there is
much to report. First, on June 8 we will not only be
celebrating Pentecost, but also recognizing and officially
confirming our confirmation students! These students
have worked very hard and learned a lot this year, so
please come out and support them in their celebration!
Also, after the service we will have our Annual Church
Picnic. I hope to see you there as we as a church celebrate
our blessings and the projects we’ve completed this year.
Also, this June I will be taking a group of youth and
other congregants to volunteer at the Out of the Darkness
Overnight Walk. This walk is designed to raise money
and awareness for suicide prevention and mental illness
research. Sadly, a person takes their own life about every
13.7 minutes in the United States and over 38,000 people
in the U.S die by suicide each year. The walk is meant to
educate society about these facts, and provide funding for
research and prevention strategies.
Overnight Walkers walk 16–18 miles overnight
through a city chosen by the Out of the Darkness organi-
zation. I was able to participate in this walk last year, and
found it to be a rewarding, emotional and memorable
experience. And while we are not walking the event, we
as a church group may volunteer. I am communicating
with Margret Sheehe, the Walk’s volunteer coordinator.
She hopes to place our group at a cheering station or food
area so we can help keep the walkers’ spirits and energy
up. Unfortunately, suicide and mental illness are some-
thing that affects almost all of us, especially our youth,
whether directly or indirectly, and this walk is a way to
learn and talk about the reality and how to change it. If
you would like to volunteer for this event please let me
know as soon as possible.
Save the Date: VBS is July 14–18! Over the summer I will be hosting Vacation Bible
School, July 14–18. More information and details about
VBS will be coming soon. If you are interested in helping
with Vacation Bible School please let me know!
Lastly, as the weather becomes nicer and we usher in a
new season of graduations and vacations, let us remember
to be genuine with ourselves, one another and God.
In Peace,
Chelsea
Sunday School
News One Room Schoolhouses—June 1 and 8
For Appleseeds and Sunflower Seeds (3 Years – 2nd Grade)
Our younger children will be dismissed after the
Children’s Sermon to Fellowship Hall for a special
program in place of regular Sunday school on the first
two Sundays in June. Older children who would like to
help out are also welcome. The children will be learning
about the Lord’s Prayer and the 23rd Psalm.
June 8 Is Confirmation! On Sunday, June 8, our Confirmands will be renewing
their Baptismal vows that were said for them when they
were babies. This is a very important rite of passage in
their Christian journeys and I hope you, as a congrega-
tion, will make every effort to share in their special
service. Also, these students have been practicing teach-
ing in the Sunday school and will have an opportunity to
be part of a teaching team in the fall.
It Has Been a Great Privilege! As most of you know, at the end of this month I will
be retiring as Director of the Sunday school. It has been a
wonderful journey to have worked with the youth of this
congregation and to have witnessed the personal growth
of each child in the program.
Although it has been difficult to make this decision, I
feel very pleased to leave the program in the hands of our
new director, Kathleen Keane. I know that the teachers
and students will continue to support her and the program.
I, too, hope from time to time to add some part to the
program. Finally, thank you so much for your support and
association for the nine years that I have led the program.
May I wish you a very happy and healthy summer.
Peggy Merrick
From the
Student Assistant Pastor
June 2014
United Methodist Women
O n May 21, the Naomi Circle enjoyed lunch at the
home of Yasuko and Paul Grosjean in Chatham.
We were blessed with good weather as Paul manned the
grill on their deck and we enjoyed talking about Yasuko’s
early life and experiences in Japan and her time at Semi-
nary in Ohio, where she met Paul, leading to courtship
and marriage. We also learned about Laurie Hagerich’s
recent trip to Japan and enjoyed her photo book. It was a
lovely end to the Circle’s year and beginning of the
summer season. We thank Paul and Yasuko for their
hospitality and generosity in hosting this meeting.
We have collected $320 for The Neighborhood Center
of Camden with the plastic medicine vials. We now feel it
is time to remove the containers, but we will be glad to
forward any future cash or check donations to the
Neighborhood Center, which is sponsored by the Board of
Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church. If
there are any questions, please contact Laurie Hagerich
(973–377–9407) or Nancy Luts (973–822–3140).
6
A Future with Hope (AFWH) will host more than
300 volunteers each week during the next few
months of rebuilding. There are 14 Host Centers along the
shore where the work teams are housed and fed. Just the
coordination of accommodations and food planning is a
huge effort.
The Outreach Ministry team is planning to arrange
several work days for our church volunteers over the
summer, but there is another way to help — we can
provide household supplies for the hosting centers.
Imagine if 30 to 40 people dropped in on you for five or
six days. How many rolls of paper towels or toilet paper
would be needed? Each hosting center is a church or
church-related facility with a congregation committed to
making each stay pleasant and comfortable.
The following household supplies continue to be
essential for the volunteers who come from across the
country to help restore and rebuild homes. When you
shop for home, consider getting an extra item and donate
it at church. (A collection bin is in the church library.)
Toilet paper
Boxed tissues
Paper towels
Large cans of Lysol® spray
Kitchen trash bags
Bathroom trash bags
Large trash bags
Cases of bottled water
A Future with Hope Progress Report:
44 homes complete
63 homes under construction
30 homes in queue
6,134 volunteers
14 host sites
358 hosting capacity
257 families working with case managers
2014 Easter Offering: Stop Hunger Now Thank you for your generosity in giving to our Lent/
Easter offering. Total contributions were $4,010. WOW!
This covered our commitment for the Stop Hunger Now
event on April 5 and allowed us to make an additional gift
through the UMCOR Advance #982795 for the Stop
Hunger Now program. The program was founded in
North Carolina in 1998 by Ray Buchanan, an ordained
Methodist minister, following an 18-year career with the
Society of St. Andrew, a Virginia-based domestic food
relief organization. His compassion and vision for ending
June 2014
Restoring the Shore and Outreach Updates
OUTREACH MINISTRY TEAM Honoring God’s gift of Jesus by sharing with others
hunger around the world has fueled the growth and
success of SHN. Considering the very positive response
to this effort, we hope to plan another in the future. Learn
more at www.stophungernow.org
Peace with Justice Sunday – June 15, 2014 This is one of the six special Sundays celebrated by
UMC. United Methodists relate to this special Sunday by
seeking peaceful solutions, creating and supporting peace-
related ministries in their conferences and learning about
peaceful and just efforts around the world.
Thank you for your contributions to other Special
Sundays: Human Relations Sunday (January) $165, One
Great Hour of Sharing (March) $376, Native American
Sunday (May) $272.
Chancellor Avenue School Tutoring Keep in Touch, led by Rev. Shoaf, brought volunteers
from the church, Drew University and Madison High
School together to tutor students from Chancellor Avenue
School in Newark. Rev. Shoaf successfully negotiated an
arrangement with Madison Area YMCA for use of their
school buses and drivers to transport the students from
Newark and back for Monday tutoring. The students and
tutors enjoyed a picnic at the parsonage to conclude this
year’s sessions. Considering its success, the program will
start up again in October. Many thanks to Rev. Shoaf for
his dedication to this crucial ministry.
Walk for All Ages Mark your calendars for the annual WALK for all
AGES at noon on Sunday, Sept. 7, in Ocean Grove, NJ.
The event is sponsored by the United Methodist Homes of
NJ Foundation. Proceeds from the event will benefit the
Fellowship Fund. The mission statement of the Fund
states “No resident will ever be asked to leave due to
inability to pay the total cost of care.” Watch for a
reminder and invitation to join a group from UMC Madi-
son over the summer.
In Christ’s service,
Jeanne Eisele, Outreach Ministry
Annual AAUW Book Sale Drew University—Ehinger Center (Student Center)
Please donate gently used books: June 16–17, 9 a.m.– 7 p.m.,
and June 18, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. (help will be available).
BOOK SALE June 18: Preview 6–8 p.m. ($5 admission)
Thursday, June 19 & Friday, June 20: 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Saturday, June 21: Bag Sale! – 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Sunday, June 22: Bag Sale! – 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
7
June 2014
Known Birthdays in June
Births
Elizabeth Anderson
Jake Antmann
Katie Antmann
David Beland
Bryan Buchanan
Danielle Ciccodicola
Garrett Koep
Courtney McCormick
Amelia McIntosh
Kristina Mearns Mihail
Jack Mellina
Caroline Miller
Luca Shoaf
Cara Smith
Nina Tadano
Paul Thompson
Rachel Van Sciver
News from
Family Promise
T he Family Promise of Morris County families will
be staying at St. Vincent’s Roman Catholic Church
June 22–29. Volunteers are needed on Friday, June 27, to
prepare and serve dinner, provide companionship during
the evening and stay overnight. On Saturday, June 28,
volunteers are needed from 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m. to help
with lunch and provide companionship. We are also
scheduled to help out at St. Vincent’s on August 8 and 9.
I would like to recognize Carrie Thompson, one of our
most dependable and dedicated volunteers, who recently
moved to New Hampshire. Carrie was there to cook and
serve dinner almost every time we were assisting at St.
Vincent’s and never held back in sharing her love and
friendship with the families. Thank you, Carrie, for the
devoted service, the many hours you spent with the
families and the love you showed.
I received an urgent call for help from Lori Wilson,
Family Promise’s Director of Community Relations.
Homeless families and single women in their Emergency
Shelter & Community Support Programs are participating
in a training program called “Building Your New
Future!” Based on a successful program at Market Street
Mission, classes have been customized for our families,
and focus on career selection, job searches, resume writ-
ing, interviewing, networking, strategies for increasing
success in the workplace and other readiness topics.
There are three ways volunteers can help:
1. Two volunteers per class (teens welcome) to super-
vise/entertain our guests’ children, while their
parents attend the training sessions at the Family
Promise of Morris County Day Center/offices.
2. Volunteers to deliver dinner to the Day Center/
offices before each class begins. Meal volunteers
can either deliver food and leave or they are
welcome to stay and eat with the families.
3. Volunteers who have teaching, human resources,
career counseling, or training experience are needed
to observe classes and provide feedback. Ulti-
mately, these volunteers will be asked to facilitate
future training sessions as needed.
All classes are held on Wednesdays and volunteers are
needed from 5–8 p.m. on any of the following dates: June
11, 18, 25, July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 and August 6. Classes are
at the Family Promise of Morris County Day Center/
offices (directions will be provided to their confidential
location for those who volunteer). Please contact Lori
Wilson ([email protected] or 973–998–
0820) ASAP if you can help with this vital program.
Laurie Hagerich (973–377–9407)
Coordinator
T he Interfaith Food Pantry needs your donations! The
number of clients continues to grow. Between Janu-
ary and March this year, 201,984 pounds of food were
distributed. On average 1,123 Morris County households
were served each month.
Items especially needed now include: tuna fish, Mac &
Cheese, side dishes, instant potatoes, stuffing, Rice-a-
Roni, baby food (stage 1 fruits and vegetables), baby
wipes, spaghetti, tomato sauce, canned fruit, soups
(regular, hearty and low sodium), dry milk (1 quart pack-
ages), Parmalat (shelf stable 32 oz. size).
During the gardening season, local farms, community
gardens, and individual gardeners donate produce to the
Pantry for our clients. It is a welcome addition to the
mostly non-perishable items they receive. If you have a
garden and would like to donate produce, contact Katy
Galton (973–765–9061). All donations are appreciated!
Interfaith Food Pantry
Amelia May and Auden Marie born May 14, 2014
daughters of Amanda & Evan Rohrs-Dodge
Joaquin born May 14, 2014
son of Rebecca and Paul Shoaf Kozak
Covenant Bible Study Begins June 11 Join us on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. through July 30 for
a new small-group Bible study focusing on God’s ongoing
covenant with his people throughout Scripture. Contact Robb
([email protected]) if you would like to participate.
8
Worship Schedule
Early Morning Worship 8:30 a.m.
Family Worship & Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Childcare is available for infants and toddlers.
Coffee and Fellowship 11:15 a.m.
Summer Worship Schedule Begins June 15
Combined Family Worship at 9:30 a.m.
followed by refreshments outdoors, weather permitting
Coming Up:
June 8 Pentecost, Confirmation Sunday, Church Picnic
June 11 Covenant Bible Study Begins, 7 p.m.
June 15 Summer Worship Schedule Begins
July 14-18 Vacation Bible School, 9:30 a.m.–12 p.m.
Check our website for more information: www.umcmadison.org
Join us for the Church Picnic, Sunday, June 8
Delicious Ice Cream Sundae Bar
with toppings for every taste!
Hotdogs & Hamburgers
Grilled to Perfection!
Good Food & Good Fellowship!
Bring a salad or dessert to share.
Trust us—you won’t want to miss it!
Following
10 AM worship
