The Journey October 2021 Issue

Telephone: (570) 342-8263 Email: [email protected] Website: elmparkumchurch.org Rev. Mike Bealla Senior Pastor “Finding Our Way” Grace and Peace to you in satellite technology would All was going well until my the name of Jesus the guide me anywhere I need- GPS said, “In 500 feet turn Christ! ed to travel… at least I be- right.” Again, a bit further, lieved so! “Bear left and then take the A few years ago, when GPS hard left turn on to Logger technology was just new, I I was asked to visit our con- Road.” Faithfully I fol- jumped quickly into purchas- ference camp located deep lowed… the road was nar- ing my first unit. Ground Po- in central Pennsylvania. I row and soon the pavement sitioning Sensors were first typed in the address and turned to dirt and stone. I in the headlines during one began the hour-long plus continued as the road nar- of the Gulf Wars where vide- trip from my home to Wes- rowed even more and be- os of extremely accurate ley Forrest. gan to make a steep climb missiles were guided to their up a hill. I finally came to a target with pin-point accura- Bishop Middleton, our Bish- part cy. Fortunately, and unfortu- op at the time, suggested I nately, many of our new be careful because she had of the road that apparently technologies come from mili- gotten lost going there from was washed away in a re- tary applications which even- Mechanicsburg. I assured cent storm… all I could do tually trickle down to the con- her I had faith in my new de- was to back down the in- sumer market. vice and that the same cline until I was able to turn would not happen to me! around and go back. I was Traveling around our newly Out the office door I went lost. Had my GPS failed me, formed Annual Conference confident the time I allotted or had I failed to follow its to places I had never been to arrive there would be ad- commands properly? was a challenge to be sure. equate. Certainly, my new GPS using (Continued on page 2)

2 The Journey - October 2021 After abandoning the GPS for the advice of a local merchant, I arrived slightly later than ex- pected at the Camp. Embarrassed, I explained my tardiness and heard some chuckling around me. “You might go into the set up in your GPS and set it for only paved roads.” I did- n’t know there was such a setting. I trusted and believed that that GPS which had been serving me well around the cities I traveled to would do so everywhere. I was wrong! As we navigate our way through the second year of this pandemic much of the way we have caried out mission and ministry is no longer effective. What always served us well and taken for granted, now needs to be re-evaluated. We need to seek God’s help as we are be- ing led into a new reality. The question becomes, “How are we as the church now to carry out ministry in a new and changing environment? How do we faithfully raise up new disci- ples of Jesus Christ in order to fulfill our primary task?” I have been praying and thinking about this for quite a while now. I was hopeful that we would soon be returning to “normal” (what ever that is!) sooner than this, and that our GPS (our God Positioning Sensor) would take us there easily… unfortunately it now seems that simply backing up into the past will not necessarily get us where God wants us to go. Per- haps we will need to change the settings in order to get to the place God is leading us. Moving into October, I would normally just list all the things we normally do without even thinking about it. Some of the regular program will continue by the grace of God. However, the truth is, we may need to continue to tweak our directional settings to adapt to a chang- ing landscape while remembering why we exist as a church in the first place. One thing I know for sure… one that will not change… is that God is with us on the journey and wherever we find ourselves, God will lead us where God wants us to go. So, hold on tight to your faith, be fervent in prayer, and witness in all you do to the love of God which never ends! Until next time, Grace & Peace! Rev. Mike Bealla For the latest news and event information, visit the Elm Park UMC website at www.elmparkumchurch.org

The Journey - October 2021 3 A Note From Our Associate Pastor Church Family, Since the fall season is now upon us, we will soon see God’s marvelous paintbrush at work all around us. The fall season is my favorite season even though winter soon follows. I was born in Pennsylvania and do not see myself living anywhere else. I continue to pray for our church, community, and nation and am en- couraged to see the number of COVID-19 positive cases, hospitalizations, and deaths slowly declining. I look forward to the day when the current pandemic is a distant memory and COVID-19 becomes a man- ageable virus. I ask that you continue to contact me with any prayer concerns you may have at [email protected] or by contacting the church office. God Bless and be safe, Pastor Andy INCARNATION: Rediscovering The Significance Of Christmas Beginning Tuesday Evening, November 30 Would you like to enrich your Christmas experience this year? The pandemic over the last two years has challenged our spirits and our faith. However, Advent will soon be here giving us a chance to deepen our spiritual lives and find the true meaning behind Christ’s coming to Earth as the Christ Child. Please consider joining Rev. Mike for a very special Advent Bible Study authored by Rev. Adam Hamilton, Senior Pastor of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. Here’s a little bit about the study from its rear cover… “His parents gave him the name of Jesus. But the prophets, the shepherds, the wise men and angels ad dressed him by other names. They called him Lord, Messiah, Savior, Emmanuel, Light of the World, and the Word Made Flesh. In the study Incarnation, we will explore the meaning of these titles and what they tell us about the child born at Christmas.” Please register early as we have to be sure to have materials for everyone. We will be meeting on Tues- day evenings at 7:00 pm for the four weeks of Advent beginning on November 30th. You can participate either in person, or if you have a good internet connection, online...either way prepare for a blessing! Please call the office to register or email Rev. Mike at [email protected] . Don’t miss this opportunity to have your most meaningful Christmas ever! Our Mission: Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World

4 The Journey - October 2021 For those of you who may not know, our online giving service Vanco has come out with a brand-new app to replace “GivePlus” known as “Vanco Mobile”. All you need to do to switch over to the new app is delete Give Plus, and go to your app store and download “Vanco Mobile”. Once it’s download- ed you can search for Elm Park UMC and sign in with the same email and password you had for “GivePlus”. The interface is easier and faster, and it also serves as an brand-new app for Elm Park with event information, chat and announce- ments, a directory and more options for giving. Make sure to make the switch before Janu- ary or your giving account will not merge over to the new app. - Wesley Bealla Director of Communications & I.T. Latest Episodes You are always invited to watch our bi-weekly Web-Series entitled \"The Elm Park Journey.\" Each episode features our Lay Leader, Diana Howe, as she interviews guests from our church about events, programs, ministries, groups, and leaders from our church. In the most recent episode, Diana interviewed Rev. Mike about reopening and about this sum- mer’s activities. If you have any ideas for future episodes for “The Elm Park Journey” contact Diana Howe, Rev. Mike Bealla, Wesley Bealla or email me- [email protected]. For the latest news and event information, visit the Elm Park UMC website at www.elmparkumchurch.org

The Journey - October 2021 5 Our Mission: Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World

6 The Journey - October 2021 Coming Sunday, November 21st Consecration Sunday After Covid cancelled our annual Stewardship emphasis in 2020, we are looking forward to this year’s opportunity to re-commit our lives to Christ and examine our stewardship. Our theme for 2021 is “A Matter of the Heart.” As in the past, we will be focusing on how God’s gift of generosity helps us transform the world and our lives at the same time. Watch for more information as we close in on the date… Giving really is Our African Worship Service Continues to Grow We are glad to welcome back Rev. Jean (John) Takasongo after his month long trip back home to the Congo. Rev, Takasongo continues his theological school studies at Drew after recently receiving his Master of Divinity degree. He began leading that part of our congregation as an intern and now continues to faithfully serve Christ in this way. Each Sunday around 12 noon, our African brothers and sisters arrive to worship in the Woodling Room. Songs of praise and thanks ring out throughout the building and members of the congregation assist in leading worship and preaching. We are most blessed to have this part of our church growing. Recently, while Rev. Takasongo was away, a whole slate of officers was installed by Rev. Bealla to lead that part of our congregation. Truly, they are not a separate group worshipping in our building as some might think. They are an extension of our regular ongoing mission and ministry giving us a unique offering of worship in Swahili. Although none of us might speak Swahili, there is no mistake about they joy in their hearts as they worship each week!! You will be amazingly welcomed as you drop by and share in our African Worship Service!! Please do… For the latest news and event information, visit the Elm Park UMC website at www.elmparkumchurch.org

The Journey - October 2021 7 Our Mission: Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World

8 The Journey - October 2021 For the latest news and event information, visit the Elm Park UMC website at www.elmparkumchurch.org

The Journey - October 2021 9 OCTOBER ALTAR FLOWERS October 3rd - Randy Wagner October 10th - In honor of Betsy Miller for their 26th wedding anniversary from Bill Miller October 17th - Kim Lee October 24th - Available October 31st - Kim Lee AVAILABLE DATES FOR ALTAR FLOWERS: October 10, 17, & 24. Please call Marie Priblo at 570-342 -8263 Ext. 10 if you are interested in any of these available dates. Thank you. Our Mission: Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World

10 The Journey - October 2021 01 Michael Cunningham 13 Gary Bradbury 01 Adeline Rocco 13 *Kylie Seidita 02 Martha Butler 14 Dorothy Rosencrance 02 *Barbara Ferrario 14 *Lindsey Tsakonis 02 Kristen Rock 15 Christine Armstrong 03 *Carolyn Burke 15 Wayne Martin III 03 Maureen Jones 15 *Joann Volinsky 03 *Olivia Mansour 16 Jason Calianno 03 Steven Mansour 16 Jennifer Keene 03 Isabelle Rubinstein 16 Floyd Vandermark 04 *Tyler Curry 18 *Lauren Stevens 04 Merlin Phillips 20 William Thompson Jr 04 Jenny Snyder 23 Richard Jones 05 Raymond Ferrario 23 Judy Lieber 05 Justin Wilford 23 Sarah Loughney 05 Bruce Zumbach 24 *Lily Anderson 06 Christine Kohanski 24 *Audrey Dempsey 06 Jason Miller 25 Cherie Edwards-Mullen 07 Christian Bomersbach 25 *Joshua Radford 07 Lisa Jones 26 *Jacob Armstrong 08 Andrew Baum 26 Cynthia Gervasi 08 Amanda Reese 26 *Rachael Muir 08 Norma Wagner 27 *Kevin Kearney 09 *Joan Bowling 28 Mitchell Dempsey 09 Jessica Draper 28 Diana Howe 09 *Kevin Long 28 James Noyes 09 A Leigh Redmon 28 Carol Olson 10 Pamela Bomersbach 28 Elizabeth Radford 10 Emanuel Troiani 29 Linda Ladd 12 Timothy Daniels 29 Kathy Ritchie 12 Ninarose Daubenhauser 29 Jill Zayac 12 *Domenico Price 30 Lesley Culkin 12 Linda Smith 30 *Joseph Norvilas 30 Florence Theobald 31 Mary Susan Ehrgood 31 Kaitlin Luczak 31 Michael D Perry For the latest news and event information, visit the Elm Park UMC website at www.elmparkumchurch.org

The Journey - October 2021 11 This is a snapshot of Events & Activities scheduled for the month of October. A full schedule is available on our website. Should you like to schedule an activity or have questions, please contact Marie Priblo at 570-342-8263 ext. 10. Weekly Events for October Rev. Mike Bealla - Senior Pastor Phone: (570) 342-8263 Ext. 1 Monday 10:00 AM Staff Meeting (L) Email: [email protected] Tuesday 10:00 AM Lectionary Meeting (L) [email protected] Wednesday 10:00 AM Bread Basket (MPR 1) Rev. Andrew Weidner Associate Pastor/Visitation Pastor Sunday 10:00 AM Sanctuary Service (Sanct./Online) Phone: (570) 342-8263 Ext. 2 11:30 AM African Prayer & Praise Service Email: [email protected] Signs we will never use! Marie Priblo Sponsored by Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper Betsy Miller Phone: (570) 342-8263 Ext. 10 Email: [email protected] [email protected] Mike Heffron Director of Maintenance Phone: (570) 342-8263 Ext. 5 Email: [email protected] [email protected] Wesley Bealla Director of Communications and I.T. Phone: (570) 342-8263 Ext. 3 Email: [email protected] [email protected] George Simmons - Director of Music Phone: (570) 342-8263 Ext. 4 Email: [email protected] Our Mission: Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World

Elm Park UMC 712 Linden St. Scranton PA, 18510 Address Service Requested In This Issue Worship Times 8:30 AM Chapel Service A Message from our Senior Pastor 9:00 AM—10:00 AM Fellowship time A Note from our 10:00 AM Sanctuary Service Associate Pastor 11:30 AM Prayer and Praise Service Truck or Treat 2021 Advent Bible Study November Winter Coat Drive A Matter of the Heart Stewardship Campaign