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ChurchChat May 2009
AN ABUNDANCE OF BLESSING
The April 13 Newsweek had an article entitled ‘The End of Christian America.'
That
conclusion was reached because of results from a survey. The author Jon Meacham observed that the
percentage of self-identified Christians has fallen since 1990; the number
willing to identify themselves as agnostic or atheist has risen, and the
influence of religious conservatives on politics and culture has declined. While Christian values clearly influenced the
formation of our government, our nation's government has always been built upon
the virtue of separation of church and state and a commitment to freedom rather
than a specific faith. The part of the
article I most appreciated and agreed with was this: The
Jesus of the Gospels resolutely refuses to use the means of this world---either
the clash of arms or the passions of politics-to further his ends.
As I sat watching the incredible
production of Godspell, the content of that article suddenly popped in
my mind, and I had to think to myself---Christianity and Christians in America are
alive and well! The talent, commitment
and hard work that went into that production is a powerful witness of
faith. The directors and producers, the
crew and performers and the entire church have much of which to be proud. I felt so abundantly blessed to even remotely
be a part of it all.
In fact, this ministry opportunity for
me at the Cicero UMC has been an abundance of blessings. I know that you miss Everett and Sharon. I
hope they have a wonderful experience of renewal and growth so that they can
return and serve here for many more years as you all desire. As for me, I am so very thankful that God
has given me this chance to see Christ at work, alive and well, Christ's Church healthy and vibrant, Christian people active and involved. It fills my heart with gladness.
I do feel a little guilty about
enjoying the harvest of blessings which others have planted and watered and
tilled. But then I remember, that is the very nature of the Gospel, of service
in Christ, of doing the work of our Lord.
Perhaps there are others who are reaping a harvest from planting I may
have done. In fact, I know there are.
For such is the nature of Christ's desire for us all---an abundance of blessing
that God has provided, planted, watered, nurtured.
Thank God Christ's ministry in this
place! I rejoice and am so glad to have
had any part in it!
Joy
in Christ,
Nancy
Women's
News
MAY 14th IS THE DATE OF THE FIRST
2009 UMW GENERAL MEETING. This is to be a
bring-a-dish-to-pass meal to start at 6:15. Following supper we
will participate in a Native American Mission
Study: The Potluck: Listen and Learn Around the Table. We
expect to have a Native American guest to share with us. More information
about this meeting will be on the UMW Bulletin Board in the hall opposite
Fellowship Hall doors and in the bulletin. Please plan to join us.
SARAH
CIRCLE (THE DAY CIRCLE) met April 9th
for the first time this year since many members have been away for the
winter. They plan to meet at noon on the 14th of May. New
members and visitors are welcome. For information or to
answer any questions call Marion Congdon, chairperson @699-5945.
SUSANNA
CIRCLE (THE EVENING CIRCLE) will
meet next on
June 11 - a picnic at the home of Elaine
Mount. More details will be in the June Newsletter. Call Dee
McCreadie, chairperson, @699-4558 if you have any questions. We would be
pleased to add new members.
THE RUMMAGE SALE was a big success.
Thank you to all who contributed items and / or helped us in any way. We
were pleased to earn $1200 to be used toward our Mission
goals and responsibilities. The sale requires much work, and we were all
tired by the time everything was back in order, but the project is always an
adventure and working together with friends is a special bonus.
CROSSROADS DISTRICT SPRING MEETING
will be held on May 16th at 9:15 at the Jordan UMC.
Sunday School News
Upcoming
Sunday School Happenings
April
26th- Golden Christian Luncheon- following 10:30 service
May 17-
Confirmation Sunday 10:30 Service
May 24
Memorial weekend-no Sunday School
May 31-
Last day of Sunday School/June 7th-CHILRENS'S DAY-1O:30 SERVICE-Advancements
& Memory work awards given, followed by church picnic. JOIN US TO CELEBRATE
OUR CHILDREN
GOLDEN CHRISTIAN LUNCHEON
The
Sunday School has been busy making preparations for our Golden Christian
Luncheon on Sunday, April 26th immediately following the 10:30 service. Sunday
school children will be the host and hostesses. Our Pre-k to second graders
will be the entertainment. We encouraged all Sunday School children and their
families to be part of this exciting, intergenerational luncheon to honor our
Golden Christians who continue to inspire All of us to follow Jesus and seek
God's way!
UPCOMING CONFIRMATION EVENTS
Invitation
to all Administrative Council Members-Meet with Confmnands, families and
mentors to discuss church leadership-cover dish supper. Bring a dish to pass,
table serving. Beverages will be provided. Sunday, May 3rd - 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
Don't
forget to save the dates July 27-31,2009 / 9:00a.m.-12:00 / 3-12 yrs.old
Join us
for Kingdom of the Son, a safari adventure through the Lord's Prayer. The cost
of $10.00 includes T-shirt, crafts, and snacks. Help is still needed. See Sue
Bonspille or Libby Montecalvo for more info. Next V.B.S. planning and play date
is Monday May 4th at 6:30.
THANKS
To all
who attended the Silent Reflections on Saturday, April 4th. $189 was raised to support Ahereza Emmanuel,
our sponsored child from Uganda
through Compassion, International.
Sunday
school is the place to be! If there is a friend that you noticed has not been
in Sunday school give them a call and let them know we miss them. There is
always room for you to come and play and pray with us in Sunday school .See or
call Sue Bonspille 699-8485
Pancake Breakfast
The Appalachia Service Project (ASP)
Volunteers will host a pancake breakfast after each service on Sunday, May
24. The cost will be $7 for individuals,
and $20 for families.
Please
Continue Your Support of Our Local Food Pantries
Don't
forget to bring in your non-perishable food donations for Anna's
Pantry & St. Paul's/Westside Food Pantry. Your help does
make a REAL DIFFERENCE in
peoples' lives! Please place donations in the food cart located
in the Narthex.
Many
thanks!
~the
Missions Team
From Missions:
A very special thank you to all the
committees and individuals that "built" the greatest and most unusual Easter
Baskets ever. Another huge thanks to all
that bid and won the baskets - you were very generous! We raised over $1000 for the Mission trips.
Thanks for helping the missions trips
with your donations and prayers.
- the Mission
Team
THE NEED IS URGENT!
Do you have an extra set of pots of pans, dishes or
flatware; a useable sofa or extra set of chairs; linens etc.? "Spring
cleaning" is an excellent time to donate items you no longer use to the Refugee
Resettlement Program.
The InterFaith Works Refugee Resettlement Program provides
each refugee family with basic household furnishings. Most of these items
are donated by the Central New York community.
Refugees are coming to Syracuse from all over
the world: Burma , Bhutan , Iraq,
Afghanistan , Vietnam , Sudan
, Somalia , Rwanda and the Congo . They arrive with a single
suitcase.
In January InterFaith Works settled 39 people in
10 households. In February we anticipated settling at least 44 refugees in 12
apartments. We expect the rest of 2009 to stay this busy. Part of
the increase is more refugees from Iraq
and Afghanistan
that served with US troops.
Please call our Refugee Resettlement Office (474-1261 x
208) if you or someone you know has some of the items listed below.
Items currently needed by the Refugee Resettlement
Program:
Twin
Beds
Full
Beds Dressers
Sofas (no sofa beds) Coffee
Tables End
Tables
Lamps
Living Room
Chairs
Television
Pots and
Pans
Kitchen
Table
Kitchen Chairs
Vacuum Cleaners Cribs and
Pack-n-Plays
Dishes
Silverware
Kitchen Knives & Utensils
Microwave
Items should be clean and in good repair. Small
items can be dropped off at the Resettlement Office; large items can be picked
up (call the number above for directions or for
pick-up). Donations are tax deductible. Thanks for your
kindness and generosity. -The Refugee Resettlement Office and CUMC Mission Committee
STEPHEN
MINISTRY MOMENT
Have you
recently relocated? Are you contemplating relocating for work? Are
you being pulled in many directions by the decisions you face? Our well trained
Stephen Ministers can help carry your burdens in this time of transition.
THANK YOU
To
Everyone,
I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone for your
phone calls of support, cards of encouragement and the many prayers through
church and the extended prayer chain during my recent surgery and recuperation.
I appreciate your on-going support and
your thoughtfulness was sincerely appreciated.
Once again, Thank you for the prayers
and loving support.
Sincerely,
Linda
Martineau
We would like to thank the
CUMC Care Committee for the many prayers and cards, and the Men's club for a
surprise delicious ham loaf dinner.
Church friends mean so much to us and it is appreciated.
Chuck and Peg Bachman
Pet Diaries
(I am sent
this on internet email periodically because EVERYBODY knows how much I love my
dog and cats. Now I will share with you...
-Kim)
EXCERPTS FROM
THE DOG'S DAILY DIARY. . .
8:00 a.m. Oh, boy! Dog food!
My favorite!
9:30 a.m. Oh, boy! A car ride! My favorite!
9:40 a.m. Oh, boy! A walk! My favorite!
10:30 a.m. Oh, boy! Getting rubbed and petted! My favorite!
11:30 a.m. Oh, boy! Dog food! My favorite!
Noon- Oh, boy! The kids! My favorite!
1:00 p.m. Oh, boy! The yard! My favorite!
4:00 p.m. Oh, boy! To the park! My favorite!
5:00 p.m. Oh, boy! Dog food! My favorite!
5:30 p.m. Oh, boy! Pretty Flowers! My favorite!
6:00 p.m. Oh, boy! Playing ball! My favorite!
6:30 p.m. Oh, boy! Watching TV with my master! My favorite!
8:30 p.m. Oh, boy! Sleeping in master's bed! My favorite!
EXCERPTS FROM
THE CAT'S DAILY DIARY. . .
Day 283 Of My Captivity.
My captors continue to taunt me
with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I
am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of
escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of
furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another houseplant.
Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their
feet while they were walking almost succeeded; must try this at the top of the
stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once
again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair; must try this on their
bed.
Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, in
attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear
into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little
cat I was. Hmmm, not working according to plan.
There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I
was placed in solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise
and smell the food. More importantly I overheard that my confinement was due to
MY power of "allergies." Must learn what this is and how to use it to
my advantage. I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe
snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He
is obviously a half-wit. The bird on the other hand has got to be an informant,
and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to
his current placement in the metal room, his safety is assured.
But I can wait. . . it is only a matter of
time...
 Treasurer's Report
February March 16 - April 15
Our Financial Picture
As of this report, we are current on all
payments, except Shared Ministries where we are about $5,900 behind. Everyone's help is needed to keep our
financial picture healthy.
Cost Control
One way we can help to control costs is to use volunteer workers instead
of hiring work to be done. One example
is that volunteers fill in for the Administrative Assistant when she is on
vacation. Another is people that do
volunteer landscaping around the church.
Volunteers saved many thousands of dollars in the creation of the Welcome Center.
Is there some way you could help save some expense?
Current Expense Income
and Payments, (March 16 - April 15)
  Beginning Balance
  Income
  Payments
 Ending Balance
 Restricted Fund Bal.
 Overdue Obligations
Thousands
Detailed financial reports are available under
Administration/Finance on http://ciceroumc.com/cms/. These reports are usually updated around the
15th of each month.
Financial Highlights
Benevolences for
the past month included $300 by the UMM for Westside Camperships, $27 for
Refugee Resettlement, $120 for the 7&8 Grade Boys Sunday School Class,
$1,800 for the Appalachian Service Project, $15 for UMCOR, $225 for One Great
Hour of Sharing and $1,000 for the Zimbabwe Mission Trip.
MAY BIRTHDAYS
5/1 Shirley Jacobson
5/2 Emily Atherton
5/2 Gene Bowman
5/2 Kathy Mort
5/2 Janet Stayer
5/3 Alison Hagadorn
5/3 Breanna Ransom
5/3 Eunice Shedd
5/4 Dick Parker
5/5 Jennifer McAllister
5/5 Jim Meyer
5/5 Dottie Rushworth
5/5 Samantha Russo
5/5 Kristen Tryon
5/7 Joe Henderson
5/7 Rob Smith
5/8 Ann Gregory
5/8 J.J. Riese
5/8 Mary Rohrbacher
5/9 Thomas Kenyon
5/10 Jack Doren
5/10 Shirley Emm
5/10 Sarah Tompkins
5/11 Garrett Abbey
5/11 Carlton Clark
5/11 Jenna Mills
5/11 Pat Rusaw
5/11 Deb Seal
5/12 Clarissa Cumber
5/12 Mark Keating
5/12 Parker Lane
5/12 John Ruckdeschel
5/13 Ryan DelFavero
5/13 Robert Herrick
5/13 Elizabeth Ingerson
5/13 Rita Zebrowski
5/14 Corey Cartier, Jr.
5/14 Don Case
5/14 Nicole Drake
5/14 Valerie Fenner
5/14 Joe Montecalvo
5/14 John Pitonzo
5/15 Mark Alford
5/15 Brook Burton
5/15 Amanda King
5/15 Austin Lotts
5/15 Leslie Eastwood
5/15 Rhondda
Heil
5/15 Jacob Howe
5/18 Troy
Westphal
5/18 Mike White
5/19 Mikayla George
5/19 Dawn Slocum
5/19 Roger Jillson
5/19 June Chamberlin
5/19 Ruth Koch
5/20 Scott Gring
5/20 Michael King
5/22 Barb Carns
5/22 Lauren Graham
5/22 Sofia Gurgol
5/22 Robert Maloof III
5/22 Nicole Manzi
5/22 Kyle Tudman
5/22 Patricia O'Connor
5/23 Elise Witz
5/23 Sally Bakker
5/23 Mackenzie Smith
5/24 Christopher Dietter
5/24 Sue Werner
5/25 Kathy Barbagallo
5/25 Kaley Bristow
5/25 Daniel Burkey
5/25 Dale Winchell
5/25 Tim Stalloch
5/26 Daniel Livesay
5/26 Fran Smith
5/26 Bryan Smith
5/27 Amelia Hinman-Hall
5/27 Sharon Bassett
5/27 Charles Owens
5/27 Laurie Witz
5/28 Don Jacobson
5/28 Katie Barbagallo
5/28 Nancy Morgan
5/28 Ricky Paterniti
5/28 Logan
Persse
5/28 Ralph Rushworth
5/28 Andrew Gauthier
5/30 Amanda Indick
5/31 Mindi Brown
5/31 Christa Tolbert
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