The Church HeraldStony Brook Community Church (United Methodist), Stony Brook, New York

STONY BROOKCOMMUNITY CHURCH

216 Christian AvenueStony Brook, NY 11790

Chuck Van Houten, Pastor

Church Office Tel: (631) 751-0574

Church E-mail:stonybrookcommunitychurch@gmail.com

Pastor’s Study Tel: (631) 751-0659

Church Website:www.stonybrookcommunitychurch.org

NYAC VISION STATEMENTThe New York Annual Conference, through the grace of God, embodies a beloved

community of hope, building up a healthy Body of Christ, with heartwarmedUnited Methodists in mission for the transformation of the world.

April 2014 1

Newsletter Table of Contents

1 Pastor’s Letter2 Lectionary3 MYF News4 Spring Musicale Information5 Holy Week Schedule6 Call for Annual Conference Rep6 Progressive Dinner Information7 Public Forum on Human Sexuality7 New Sermon study series

Please send updates and information to Newsletter Editor, Bob Retnauer, at

bobretnauer@optimum.net

Resurrection!

Blessings to you in the name of our Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.

Yes. That’s right. Risen! That’s right. Resur-rection! It’s what we all have been waiting for, and for more than just a winter.

As the weather begins to finally turn warmerand spring begins to come into view, we naturally begin to turn our hearts and minds toward Easter and the coming resurrection celebration. It’s a natural rhythm that our world seems to offer. After the long cold winter that we have all had to endure, isn’t it time to shake off the grave clothes of winter and step out into the light and life? Most of us have already started to do that, at least physically, and even emotionally.

Yet, there is one more week that we must make sure to live into before experiencing the true joy of Easter. As Holy week is upon us it will be important for us to recount the last days of Jesus’ life. It will be important for you to be a part of that journey in your faith life. For without the last supper (which we will celebrate on Maundy Thursday), and the events of Good Friday, Easter would never have happened. In fact, for us to truly experience the promise of resurrection, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday must be deeply experienced as well.

This is more than a yearly rite of passage for us as followers of Jesus. It is a time of connecting with the profound love, the promise, and the passion that God had for the world and for you and me. Remember, God so loved the world that he gave his only Son for you and for me. That is a love that we simply cannot understand with our minds only. It is something that must fill our hearts. It is a love that we cannot take for granted. And yet, it is that same love that sets us free to live in new and joy-filled ways through Easter Resurrection. Yes, Easter is the promise of Resurrection! That divine moment when we throw off the grave clothes that have been binding us for so long. Yet we cannot remove the grave clothes if we refuse to recognize them in our life. So, let me ask you one question: What are the grave clothes that have been binding you in your life? Thank about that for a moment...

...Continued on next page

April 2014 2

As we go through this holy week with Christ, may we be willing to look deep within at the tombs we have been choosing to remain within. Let us be willing to experience Jesus’ last meal with him. Let us be willing to go to dark Gethsemane with the Christ and pray “Thy will be done.” Let us walk to the cross with him and witness the love of God incarnate. And let us tune our lives to Christ, as the surprise of Easter ― an empty tomb and discarded grave clothes ― becomes the great good news for the world and for you again this Easter, this resurrection Sunday. As I said in the sermon on Sunday, God has a res-urrection in store for you! Come and claim it. Come and receive it. Come, and experience it for yourself this Easter Sunday morning. That is the great good news of all our lives.

That is why I look so forward to seeing you on Easter Sunday. This moment, as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and savior and the resurrection that God has in store for you the whole world is changed for each of us from within. I pray you will be there to be a part of this unique moment that is the defining moment of our faith, as followers of a Risen Lord! And I pray you will have a blessed, meaningful, and joyous Easter.

In the mean time, may God bless you and keep you in God’s presence, care, and resurrecting love.

See you on Easter!

In God’s love, joy and hopePastor Chuck

May 4, 2014 Third Sunday of Easter Acts 2:14a, 36–41Psalm 116:1–4, 12–19 1 Peter 1:17–23Luke 24:13–35

May 11, 2014 Fourth Sunday of EasterActs 2:42-47Psalm 23 1 Peter 2:19–25John 10:1–10

June 1, 2014 Ascension SundayActs 1:1-11Psalm 47 Ephesians 1:15–23Luke 24:44–53

June 8, 2014 Day of PentecostActs 2:1-21Psalm 104:24-34, 35b 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13John 7:37–39

Lectionary

April 20, 2014 Easter SundayActs 10:34-43Psalm 118:1–2, 14–24 Colossians 3:1–4John 20:1–18or Matthew 28:1–10

April 27, 2014 Second Sunday of EasterActs 2:14a, 22–32Psalm 16 1 Peter 1:3–9John 20:19–31

May 18, 2014Fifth Sunday of EasterActs 7:55-60Psalm 31:1–5, 15–16 1 Peter 2:2–10John 14:1–14

May 25, 2014 Sixth Sunday of EasterActs 17:22-31Psalm 66:8–20 1 Peter 3:13–22John 14:15–21

April 2014 3

It has been an exciting and successful few months for the youth group. The youth put themselves in the shoes of hungry children by living out a 30-hour period of starvation. During this period, they learned

about everyday life in developing countries. TRIBE games tested the youth’s wit and physical strength. In teams, they problem-solved for solutions, planned for success, and experienced joy after completing the challenge. In between these TRIBE events, the youth participated in a community project. They started preparations for what will become a youth group room. Laughter and the splash of paint could be heard as the walls were covered in sunny yellow.

After 10 hours of fasting, the group traveled to Island Rock to climb 30 foot walls. It was great to see such a strong bond develop within the youth fellowship. Once climbing was over, they returned to the church to apply what they had learned to create the church service they participated in on March 2nd. The atmosphere was energetic as the youth welcomed the community upon entrance.

One last opportunity to raise funds for the 30-Hour Famine was the Spaghetti Dinner. It was a night of entertainment, energy, and service. The candlelight and white overhead lights gave a soft glow of familiar and new faces on a day of friendship and fellowship. A special thank you to the MYF, Sue Murphy, Carla Retnauer, Mark Cadicamo, Jen Alexander, the people whom donated supplies, and the many people that came out to eat! Without you, the

Spaghetti Dinner could not have been a success.

Learning with the Young and Sunday School have been full of taste-testing, science experiments, mummy-wrapping, and more all while engaging in enriching and meaningful discussions. Our goal is for the children to leave church wondering, Come and join us each Sunday as we answer that question! The more children, the more enriching the discussions and activities can

be.

April 2014 4

Annual Spring Musicale

SUNDAY, April 27, 2014, 4:00 PM STONY BROOK COMMUNITY CHURCH

216 Christian Avenue

Wayne Martin, Guitar Phuc Phan,

Cello

Please join us for a lovely afternoon of Music and Fellowship

Tickets - $15.00 Seniors- $12, Students $5

For sponsorships, tickets and other information,

call 631 751 0574 or email stonybrookcommunitychurch.gmail.com

Valerie Grehan, Soprano

Reception to meet the artists following the Concert

April 2014 5

Spring Musicale 2014 Sponsor Form

Yes, I will help make this concert a successful fund raiser. I will be a:

______ Sponsor ($200+) ______ Benefactor ($100-199) ______ Patron ($50-99) ______ Donor ($25-49)

Enclosed is my donation. Please list my/our name(s) as indicated:

Please print legibly

All supporters should return this form to the church no later than April 22 to be included in the concert program. You may mail or bring it to the church office or give it to an usher at Sunday morning service.

Spring Musicale 2014 Sponsor Form

Yes, I will help make this concert a successful fund raiser. I will be a:

______ Sponsor ($200+) ______ Benefactor ($100-199) ______ Patron ($50-99) ______ Donor ($25-49)

Enclosed is my donation. Please list my/our name(s) as indicated:

Please print legibly

All supporters should return this form to the church no later than April 22 to be included in the concert program. You may mail or bring it to the church office or give it to an usher at Sunday morning service.

Please join with us to observe Holy Week:

Palm Sunday Worship (April 13) @ 10:00 a.m.Maundy Thursday (April 17) Tenebrae Communion Service @ 8:00 p.m.Three Villages Good Friday Interchurch Service (April 18 at the Caroline Church) from 12:00 - 3:00 p.m.Children’s Easter Party (Saturday, April 19 at the church) @ 10:00 a.m.Easter Sunrise Service (on the Stony Brook Green) @ 6:30 a.m.Easter Sunday Worship @ 10:00 a.m.

April 2014 6

This is Your Chance…

to participate in the leadership of our

United Methodist Church

Stony Brook Community Church is looking for a second representative to attend our Annual Conference at Hofstra University June 4th through June 7th. Please speak to Pastor Chuck if you are interested in being a part of our church’s delegation.

Our annual Progressive Dinner is being held on Saturday, May 3rd at 6 pm. We will all have appetizers together at one house, then separate into small groups for the dinner course and all meet up together again for dessert.

Hosts for the dinner course are needed. If you can accommodate as few as 6 people, please consider hosting a dinner course. If hosting isn't for you, please sign up to contribute an appetizer or dessert.

This is a wonderful evening and a great chance for us to get to know each other better. If you have never attended or have not attended recently, please consider joining us this year.

The sign up sheet is in the community room or you can reach out to Beth Lunde (Elizabeth.lunde@gmail.com) to answer any ques-tions or to sign up.

Hope to see you there!

Come celebrate spring at the Progressive Dinner: Everyone's Invited!!

April 2014 7

Coming the End of April – A New Sermon-Study Series

Starting April 27 with the sermon and April 30/31 for the study series, Pastor Chuck will be offering a new series that is as warm and enjoyable as it is inspiring. Jim Mooreʹs warm, conversational style leads readers to transform negative, pessimistic attitudes into positive, optimistic attitudes centered on the love and hope of Jesus Christ.   Topics include:  1 ‐ The Attitude of Gratittude  2 ‐ The Attitude of Compassion  3 ‐ The Attitude of Confidence  4 ‐ The Attitude of Determination  5 ‐ The Attitude of Humility  6 ‐ The Attitude of Perseverance  7 ‐ The Attitude of Open‐mindedness  8 ‐ The Attitude of Joy  9 ‐ The Attitude of Faith  10 ‐ The Attitude of Trust  11 ‐ The Attitude of Commitment  12 ‐ The Attitude of Ownership  13 ‐ The Attitude of Hope  

Dear New York Annual Conference Family:

I am writing to provide information and to extend an invitation concerning the public forum on The True Nature of the Covenant That Binds Us Together and Matters of Human Sexuality. Please note this is not a debate, rather it will be a helpful and hopeful conversation.

This is part of an opportunity to provide healing and an opportunity for open and honest dialogue. The public forum will take place on May 10 with breakfast at 9:00 a.m. followed by the conversation from 10:00 a.m. to noon at the Tarrytown Marriott, 670 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY. The event is free and open to the first 200 registrants.

For more information and to register use the following link:

http://www.nyac.com/eventdetail/96782?month=5&year=2014&day=1&display=m

Continue to pray for our efforts at becoming “The Beloved Community” that the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. talked about. All my prayers,

Bishop Martin D. McLee New York Annual Conference - 20 Soundview Ave - White Plains, NY 10606

Phone: 914.997.1570 - Toll free: 888.696.6922

Open hearts. Open minds. Open doo