In This IssueFROM PASTOR JOEL

PRAYER CONCERNS & CELEBRATIONS

DATES TO KEEP IN MIND

Renovations

Worship

LEARN

SERVE

OUTREACH

SPRC

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

SCAFFOLDING IN THE SANCTUARYSUNDAY WORSHIP AT TEMPLE BETH EL

FROM PASTOR JOELAugust 4, 2016

Dear Friends in Christ,

It's time!  It is definitely time to pack our bags and move out of our church home ‐ for awhile!

Like many of you, I'm guessing, Wendy and I followed the demolition of familiar roomsand spaces at Sudbury UMC while we were on vacation.  Social media makes it so easy. Facebook is almost like being there.  "Look at this!" Wendy announced one evening in theCamden, Maine, bed and breakfast where we were staying.  And then she showed me thepictures: The floor in Hawes Hall exposed to its original boards, the kitchen dismantled,the staff offices abandoned, the classroom dividers under the church lying likematchsticks on the grey tiled floor. 

Yikes!  This is getting serious!  When I came back to my study at the church last Mondaymorning, the sanctuary was next.  Pews were being stacked and stored in the O'ReillyRoom.  Staging was soon to be installed in the sanctuary.  Corridors next to and behindour beloved worship space were all but dark with the new fire suppression system's pipesjust barely visible above the suspended ceiling's metal grid.

So what's next?  Obviously, we won't be able to worship in our own home this comingSunday ‐ or any other Sunday from now through Labor Day.  Fortunately, our friends atCongregation Beth El have graciously unrolled the welcome mat.  Like members of ourchurch did for them fifty years ago, they have opened their worship space to us and

urged us to make ourselves at home ‐ no strings attached.  The synagogue's doors will beunlocked each Sunday at 8:30 a.m.  And the room will be ready for us ‐ thanks to ourhosts.

But what shall we bring to 105 Hudson Road to make ourselves as "at home" as we canpossibly be?  The answer, of course, is "just the basics."  Rabbi David Thomas, Beth El'sleader, was so wise as I reflected with him on the "e"sentials" of Christian worship.  Afterall, he reminded me, Jews have had to pack and go during too many pogroms to count. The Torah scrolls and a quorum of ten adult men was enough for Sabbath worship. 

Jesus lowered the quorum.  "Where two or three are gathered in my name," he promises,"I am there among them" (Matthew 18:20).  But let's not test the Lord's promise thissummer.  While we are away from home, we will need each other more than ever to be aspiritual temple constructed of living stones. 

As you know, we conducted a poll in July to reveal Sudbury UMC's Top 15 hymns.  Comeand celebrate the winners as we sing them ‐ three per service ‐ on the five Sundays wewill worship at Beth El.

Also essential, according to The United Methodist Book of Worship, is a service thatincludes both Word and Table.  That's why breaking the bread and sharing the cup will bepart of every Sunday service at Beth El.  For Rabbi Thomas, it was especially importantthat we celebrate the Lord's Supper in our home away from home to insure that no onewould confuse the worship of Christians with the worship of Jews.  In other words, ourgoal is not, in a well‐intended effort to be polite or sensitive to our hosts' sensibilities, toneutralize the hymns we sing, the scriptures we read, the words we pray, or the ritualswe celebrate.  Our goal is to be who we are, as essentially and as genuinely as possible,so that our differences as Jews and Christians will delineate one community from theother while remaining treasured friends.

Finally, the Revised Common Lectionary shared by most Christians gives us a "mini‐series" of passages from the New Testament letter to the Hebrews during August thatfollows the same narrative arch as the Apostles' Creed.  Talk about the "basics"!  Assummer concludes, we will revisit and reflect on the Church's oldest "pledge ofallegiance." 

See you in church ‐ at Temple Beth El!

Pastor Joel

Prayer Concerns & Celebrations

THANK YOU!

From Bev ParoMany thanks from Bev Paro for all the cards, phone calls and visits received duringrecovery from surgery.  Also thank you for the sewing supplies which have beendistributed to homeless families through Household Goods of Acton.

A note from the outgoing SPRC Chair, Glen WilsonOn behalf of the SPRC and the kids and families of this church, we would like to thankChristy Wright for doing God's work with our children this past year.  She has broughther energy, her spirit, her love, and some life back into our youth program!  We will allmiss you very much and hope your experience at SUMC is just the start of a wonderful,faith filled journey.

ONE MORE WEEK OF MATCHING GIFTS FOR "RAISE THE ROOF"

Your dollars will be matched for one more week!  Every $1.00 you give will be matchedby two generous donors for up to a total of $5,000.  Triple your gift before August10th.  You can easily make a donation at the website, selecting the Dominica Raise theRoof option, or by writing a check and noting "Raise the Roof" in the memo line.  Helpus reach our goal of $15,000.  We are almost there!  And, we are so very grateful tothose of you have given!  Thank you, 

Rick Houpt

Dates to Keep in Mind 

Look for the next newsletter on August 18

August 7 thru September 4:  Sunday Worship at Temple Beth El @ 9:30 a.m.August 10:  Harry Potter/Pool Party/Youth Group Bids Farewell to Christy

August 16:  Chronicle DeadlineAugust 17:  Cancer Support GroupSeptember 3:  SUMC & Greenwood Memorial to Pine Street Inn

What is Happening This Summer?

Renovations Are in Full Swing

On July 7, a Building Permit was secured from the Town of Sudbury!  Since then wallshave been taken down, asbestos tiles have been removed, sprinkler and new electricalsystems are being installed, and the old kitchen has been demolished.  This week,work began in the Sanctuary; did you see the picture of the scaffolding?  Soon, theparking lot will be deconstructed.  Already, the front steps have been taken away.  There will be a new parking lot entrance, northwest of the current entrance, andramps will be added to the Sanctuary entrance.  

We'll be sharing pictures at the website and on Facebook to document the progress.

Please stay safe by staying out of the hardhat area.  

   

Worship at Temple Beth El for Five Sundays

Five worship services on Sundays in August and on Labor Day weekend will take placeat Temple Beth El, 105 Hudson Road, in Sudbury.  The synagogue is located about ahalf‐mile north of Sudbury UMC's facilities.  Turn left out of our parking lot and headstraight toward Hudson.  Each service will begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude by 11:00. Vacating our usual worship space will make it possible for carpenters and painters torenovate our sanctuary in time to re‐open on Homecoming Sunday, September 11. Beth El's hospitality in 2016 mirrors the welcome its members received fifty years agowhen their Sabbath services were held in our sanctuary!

Fellowship!

Newcomers Barbecue at the Parsonage August 7

The Church Growth Commission will co‐host a second summer barbecue fornewcomers to Sudbury UMC at the Drum Lane parsonage on Sunday, August 7.   Lunchwill be served from 11:30 a.m. till 2:30 p.m.  Guests are invited to bring a side dish ora dessert to share with hamburgers, veggie‐burgers and hot dogs served hot from thegrill.  This get‐together will be a great way to get to know church leaders, staff, andother newcomers.  We look forward to seeing you!

Music

We look forward to sharing Sudbury UMC's favorite hymns these next five weeks whilewe worship at Temple Beth El.

This coming Sunday the SUMC Brass Choir will gather to play the three hymns of theday. As this will be our first Sunday at Temple Beth El, things certainly will be differentthan usual, and we are looking forward to giving it a try.

LEARN

Sunday School in July at "Home"

We have had a wonderful time in our multi‐age one room Sunday School class this summer!Learning about Fruit of the Spirit, in recent weeks we have focused on love, patience, andkindness. Creating heart maps, a patience mural, kindness wreath and tissue paperflowers are only a few of the projects we have been working on together. Withconstruction going on, one of the best lessons we have uncovered this month, is that ourfaith can be explored anywhere. Throughout August, we will continue to learn about howthe Holy Spirit helps us act in good ways. Come and join in as we unpack what it means to"do good." 

Sunday School in Beth El in August  The Synagogue has kindly set up a room for us to hold our multi‐age Sunday School in whilewe worship there for each Sunday in August! Children will start in the worship space withtheir families, staying for the first portion of the service. There will be a Children'sMoment during each Sunday's worship service, after which children 3 years old and up willhead to one room Sunday School together. We will return to worship for Holy Communion.There will be signs and SUMC staff members to help us get to the right spaces!

Nursery Little ones under the age of 3 are welcome, as always, in the worship space. There willalso be a room open right across from the worship space with toys, if those with littleones wish to use it at any point during the service. A Cori'd volunteer will be available forany wishing to drop off their infant(s) and/or toddler(s) during the service. 

YOUTH NEWS

Thank you from Christy Wright

To this beautiful congregation, I express my greatest gratitude for welcoming me into thefold this past year. You have been an incredible source of inspiration and support, fromour very first meeting to the very last Sunday service on 8/14. Though you'll be seeing lessof me, know that you will stay present within my heart and mind as I pray for Christ's loveto continue to envelop us all. I wish I could stay longer, but the call toward ordainedministry continues to pull at my heart. I'll be up at Boston University completing myMasters of Divinity, so if you find yourself in the neighborhood, drop me a line and we cangrab coffee sometime!

So much Love to you and yours, 

Christy

The Mission Trip

Blessing the Youth Group for their Mission Trip

Food Insecurity 2016What an incredible trip! From our picnic lunch hosted by Union United Methodist Churchon Sunday the 17th to our very last meal of the trip, we had a fantastic time. Werelocated Union UMC's food pantry in record time; discovered artwork at the MFA made bylocal teens on the topic of "home;" dived into a bag‐packing adventure where we loadedweekly food for over 3,000 families (!); explored Boston on the Duck Boat; gave awayextra picnic sandwiches to those we encountered on the streets of Boston; and serveddinner to about 80 women and children at Rosie's Place. We didn't shy away from toughconversations about poverty and why it exists. We didn't hold back our thoughts orfeelings; we were real with each other. And the result was a beautiful community of youthseeking to serve the world in love. It is our hope to continue our relationships with theorganizations we worked with this past week, and we hope to continue serving, sharingand transforming the world with love.

Bubble Soccer was a Hit! 

We had a blast on Saturday with Bubble Soccer; keep your eyes peeled for a repeat event,especially in cooler weather!

Upcoming Event

Harry Potter and the InvisibilityCloak; POOL PARTY EDITION

Wednesday, August 10 from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM

Let's say... "Good‐bye and farewell" to Christyat our last youth group meeting of thesummer! Youth are invited to dinner and apool party at the Gero's house, 265 WestActon Road, Stow. Note the time shift ‐ 5:30PM to 8 PM. Bring a suit and towel. We'll alsohave an ice cream sundae bar after dinner ‐please bring a topping to share for oursundaes! 

Adult Education

Fall 2016 Adult Bible Study  Pre‐Register and save the dates! Wednesday evenings this fall, Jim Empfield and JohnMcKinney will be leading an 8 week DICIPLE Bible Study: Intro to Romans. The first sessionis scheduled for Wednesday, September 21, at 7:30 p.m. in the O'Reilly Room. Be on thelookout for more updates and information regarding this wonderful adult educationopportunity! Official sign‐ups will be circulated soon, both electronically and in hard copy.In the meantime, if you're interested in taking this course, please speak to Jackie Rodervia email, phone, or in person. Jackie@sudbury‐umc.org 978‐443‐4351 (ex.208). 

CONNECT 

Coffee & Bible Study

Grab a cup of coffee and explore the Scriptures for the coming Sundays on Thursdays from10:00 a.m. ‐ 12:00 p.m. at Panera in Wayland.

August 7: Hebrews 11:1‐3, 8‐16August 14: Hebrews 11:29‐12:2August 21: Hebrews 12:18‐29August 28: Hebrews 13:1‐8, 15‐16

Talk to a Stephen Minister 

Stephen Ministers can provide a listening, supportive and confidential presence.  If youwould like to have a Stephen Minister "walk" with you on a regular weekly, every otherweek, or monthly basis, please contact Pastor Joel.  No concern is too small to share witha Stephen Minister.  

OUTREACH

SUMC Bridge Group Has Fun Helping Out

SUMC has a bridge group that meets in each other's' homes one Saturday evening amonth from October to June.  We decided to include an outreach aspect to our group. Inaddition to the wonderful fellowship and enjoyment of this card game, we collect dues.At the conclusion of our year, the couple with the highest average score for the yearchooses one or more charities to contribute to.

This year we chose two projects to divide the money between. One project is the Ridefor Food, which helps hunger relief partners in the Greater Boston Area. We aresponsoring the Open Table Team and our own Patty Helsingius as she raises money andparticipates in the ride. The other project, we are contributing to is our church's "Raisethe Roof" campaign for the Ebenezer Methodist Church and Community Center in Wesley,Dominica.

We welcome new bridge players and substitutes to our group. You can join either as acouple or an individual, and if you don't have a partner, we can find one for you.  If you'dlike to learn more about the bridge group or to participate, please speak with George orAnn Hamilton at 508‐358‐4839  or ghhamilton@comcast.net.

SPRC

Wanted: Youth Ministries Director

The Staff‐Parish Relations Committee has opened a search for a director of youthministries.  Since Christy Wright has announced her plans to resign on August 15, thissearch is a summer priority for the SPRC.  Currently, the position is configured as a half‐time role, leading middle school and high school programming, but full‐time will beconsidered if a qualified candidate applies.  Interviews will be conducted by members ofthe SPRC and Christian Education Com‐mission, parents, and teens.  

The position is posted at youthspecialties.com, youthpastor.com, churchjobfinder.com,youthcartel.com, and craigslist, as well as on Sudbury UMC's website ‐ http://sudbury‐umc.org/sumc‐seeks‐youth‐ministries‐director/.  Please share these postings withpotential candidates, hold our search in prayer, and stay tuned as the process unfolds.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Open Table  

Open Table seeking high school (or college) kids who would like to volunteer on Mondayevenings at the Open Table Super‐Pantry (small store). It is a really fun workenvironment and a great way for the kids to get community service hours for HighSchool.

Open Table Pantry in Maynard, 12 Bancroft Street, Monday evenings:

3:30‐5:00 OR 4:30‐7:00, serving in the pantry, helping guests select theirgroceries.5:30‐7:00 pm, helping our guests to their cars with their groceries. Great job forkids who want to be outside!6:45‐7:45 pm, helping to close and clean up the pantry. Easy and fun job!

Please let Patty Helsingius know if your kids (or any kids you know) are interested.

Anyone interested can contact Patty or go to opentable.org and register as a volunteer. 

Thanks all!Patty Helsingius, Open Table Volunteer Coordinator, 508‐344‐6565

Partner with Greenwood Memorial at the Pine Street Inn 

Labor Day Offers Another Opportunity for  Mega Food Prep at the Pine Street InnIf you missed Pine Street Inn's culinary opportunities last year, you still have a chance ofmastering "mega food preparation" during this year's SUMC/GMUMC get‐together onSaturday ‐ September 3rd.  You may be asking "Why in the world would we want tovolunteer on a holiday weekend?"  Well, that is the exact reason for Greenwood andSUMC signing up for these dates when Pine Street really needs a hand or two.

Plan ahead and consider joining us for what is always a good and most rewardingexperience.  Do give John Iberg a call or text at (978) 201‐1664 if you can make it.  

Save the Date for Habitat for Humanity

  

     

  

Sudbury United Methodist Church | alexandra@sudbury­umc.org | www.sudbury­umc.org