July 2022 E newsletter

The Moscow United Methodist Church 126 Church Street Phone: (570)842-7251 Moscow, PA 18444 Email: [email protected] Website: www.moscowumc.com July 2022 e-Newsletter Table of Contents: Pastor Letter (2) Financial Report (5) Vacation Bible School (6) Grants Received (7) Serving (7) Graduation/Scholarship Sunday (8) Christian Connections (8) Learning Tree Preschool (9) Eagle Scout Project (10) Trustees (10) Moscow Street Fair (11) Foundations in Faith (12) Ministries and Outreach (13) Thank You from Pastor Lori (15) Mission Central (15) Vacation Bible School Flyer (17) 1

Pastor’s Letter Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Philippians 3:17-21 As we enter the month of July, we commemorate the most American holiday there is, Independence Day. American citizens will join from coast to coast to celebrate their freedom. Freedom that began as a vast vision, took much time and effort to plan and organize how a lasting union would be established, including the creation of provisional documents written collectively with those of various valued viewpoints, and extensive sacrifices made, to assure unity in the land of the free and the home of the brave. That vision from oppression became a reality. To keep the sacred foundational concepts made, each blessed generation of this great country encountered unfolding changes in society and some made necessary amendments to the original Constitution to keep equality and justice for all American citizens, while remaining true to that dream of the founding fathers. Independence Day should be a grand celebration for all the historical purpose and meaning it represents and the sacrifices that continue to be made for America to be one nation under God. Through the eras and expansion of America, living hasn’t always been easy. Nothing worth having or being a part of ever is 2

comfortable. There will be challenges. We have witnessed many historical events during the last several decades. Currently as a society, citizens are facing struggles with a pandemic, an unsettled economy, crime and addiction, an astounding level of violence, grief, mental illness, questions and uncertainties around specific personal values and rights, the list goes on of difficult challenges we are moving through. There are protests as persons and groups voice their opinions. One of the benefits of residing in this country is each person is permitted to do so. We do need to pray earnestly that all persons communicate peacefully, listen with open minds and respond with respect. We need to strive with steadfast holiness to remember that in what can seem like a highly negative period, God is with us and that God is good. In every circumstance, we have to discover God’s presence and be the positive, hopeful spirit that is essential. This country is still the wealthiest nation on earth in reference to daily liberties and opportunities, abundance of resources and charitable help for those in need, and more. We are blessed! We witness other countries deeply suffering due to the still oppressive government systems in place that rule over them with unjust, harsh power. As we go about our daily tasks and routines, the true American spirit is overly obvious. One can easily recognize the diversity in America. We are a melting pot of God’s people, created in the image of God. On Independence Day, people will enjoy activities and events to rejoice in what it means to be a citizen of this country. There will be parades and picnics, fireworks and folks engaging in special traditions, pledging allegiance to the 3

flag, our county’s symbol of liberated identity. I pray people will pause to lift thanksgiving to God in unity for American living. Whatever you will do to celebrate Independence Day, do make time to be in devotion to God, engaging in biblical inspiration recognizing your primary identity before all else. As in the timeless verses above, Paul writes to the Philippians making sure they have proper focus for liberated living with eternal promise in Christian believing. Our blessed citizenship, first as God’s people, then as Americans, beckons us to ponder the proclamation of our allegiance. Others will know we are Americans. Will they know we are Christians when the holiday is past for 2022 and we return to those routines we have? Will persons around us know we are Christians by the love we share and extend with compassion to others? God’s love is what all the world needs now. We are the bearers of that transforming, enduring love, called to keep it moving, that harmonious peace will be felt and cause healing to happen leading all to a glorious future led by the Author of Liberty. Stand firm and stand out in the Christian Spirit. Let your priceless primary identity be known by the guiding goodness that is sown and grown through your words and deeds. Praise be to God from whom all the blessings we have flow! 4

FINANCIAL REPORT General Fund June Congregational Giving 2022: Offering Income $6,260. Expenses $11,880. (-$5,620.) Year-to-Date: Offering Income $48,081. Expenses $71,775. (-$23,694.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Extra June Income: **Spring Fair $1,289. and Preschool $1,420.** June Total Income: Offering $6,260. + Extra Income $2,709. = $8,969. June Expenses: $11,880. June Total Expenses Exceed Total Income: (-$2,911.) June 30th Account Balance: $2,543. 5 months Ministry Shares are paid. Monthly: $1,396.75. YTD $6,983.75 It is a hard time financially for people personally and for us as a church community. The report above reflects a continuing downward trend in congregational giving of tithes and offerings. As God’s people, called to biblical giving to God before all else, we need to prioritize and trust that God will faithfully and abundantly provide for our needs, allowing us to be loyal in Christian giving to help those who are less fortunate and in a state of poverty of finances, resources, and spiritual direction. We need to be examples of Christian living and giving, not allowing the 5

temporary troubles of the world to cause us to drift from faith in our Lord. We pray that you will prayerfully discern your giving and remaining current with your stewardship pledges. Also, in these summer months of many people being able to take vacations, please remember to send in your offerings or donations can be made on our website. EFT is another option that makes giving consistent and convenient. A big THANK YOU to those who helped make the Spring Sale a success and for the funds coming in from the Learning Tree Preschool. These extra sources of income made a big difference for us this month. It is apparent that we will have to have a few special fundraisers this year. If anyone has any fruitful ideas or can help with fundraising events, please let the Finance Committee know. Any and all help is greatly appreciated. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL This year our theme is Christmas in July, we will be teaching our children the true meaning and message of the Christmas holiday. This is a great opportunity for children to learn about the birth of Jesus and what that means for us without the added distractions and excitement of impending holiday celebrations. This event will take place at our church July 18, 19, and 20, from 6-8:15 pm. Registration forms can be found on our website, and printed copies can be found in the Narthex. We will also be having a Live Nativity event on Sunday, July 24 to celebrate what the children have learned during VBS. 6

GRANTS RECEIVED We have now received 2 grants for a total of $2500 to open a mobile computer lab. Our first grant, through Equipping Vital Congregations, was received in May, the second was received in June through the United Methodist Foundation. These organizations both aim to support congregations that are actively working to spread the love and word of Jesus Christ. We plan on purchasing 8 new laptops as well as a portable printer and other equipment to allow us to help those with limited computer access. In this age of technology computers and internet are a vital part of most daily routines, but there are people surrounding our church building that do not have access to computers and printers. We are hopeful this project will not only bring people to our church building, but allow us to connect with those who have limited mobility and access to transportation. Thank you to all who continue to support our missions and outreach, and we look forward to having more people involved in this particular outreach. SERVING With our increasing ministry and mission efforts, we are in need of volunteers for various teams, committees, and events. If you would like to share your spiritual gifts in our effort to spread the love of Jesus, please contact Pastor Lori for our available positions. We also ask that you continue sharing our social media posts, as well as inviting your friends and family to follow our social media pages, this increases our reach tremendously. 7

GRADUATION/SCHOLARSHIP SUNDAY On June 19 and 26, we recognized three of our members who have graduated from North Pocono High School. Each graduate received a small gift from our congregation, and they shared their future plans with us. David Chapman applied for, and received the Melba and August Fleckenstein Memorial Scholarship, he will be studying to become a Medical Researcher. Kylie Willsch will be studying to become a Registered Nurse. Aaron Witherite has joined the Armed Forces to serve our country. We wish all our graduates the best of luck in the future endeavors, and we will continue to pray for their safety as they embark on this new journey. CHRISTIAN CONNECTIONS The Christian Connections virtual Bible study continues to meet most Tuesday evenings 6:15-7:30. The discussion group is designed for anyone to join anytime. There is no set curriculum and no “homework”. It is straight biblical conversations to strengthen our walk as Christians in the midst of an ever changing, challenging society. The more we learn and grow together bonded in the Spirit of God’s Word, the easier it is to navigate our daily faith journey as One in Christ. We will meet on the following dates in July – 5th, 12th, and Wednesday, July 27th. 8

LEARNING TREE PRESCHOOL The Moscow United Methodist Church would like to extend a very special THANK YOU to Amy Pope and Melissa Pelligrino for such a wonderful school year. The graduation ceremony the put together was full of laughs and proud tears from all who attended. The children who graduated from this program are more than ready to go off to kindergarten in the fall. Not only have they gained knowledge of letters and numbers, but they have been given a solid foundation to be kind and show respect to themselves and those around them. The PreK class is filling up, and the younger preschool class is already completely full. That just shows how much dedication our teachers and board members have shown towards building this program to be the best it can be. We look forward to another great school year led by our wonderful Miss Pope. Our Preschool Board is in need of a financial representative. If you or someone you know would like to use their financial spiritual gifts to help this wonderful program, please contact Pastor Lori. 9

EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT Billy Havenstrite continues to work on his Eagle Scout Project, which involves replacing the tiered garden in the lower parking lot with a prayer garden. He is in need of some volunteers to help with this rather large undertaking. He and his crew have been working diligently to remove the plants, wood, dirt, and other items that make up this garden. We will announce the next work day if anyone is able to come help. TRUSTEES The Trustees were given 4 more water sensors at Annual Conference, they will be placed in areas which have seen some water issues. Billy Havenstrite, as his Eagle Scout project, continues his deconstruction of the terraced garden outside the preschool. It is much a bigger project than was originally thought, and volunteers are always welcome to lend a hand. We plan for a prayer garden to be occupying that space in the near future. 10

We are working on reinstalling the light for the upper parking lot that was taken down when the trees around the parsonage garage were taken down. The education building needs a new roof. It was not installed correctly and now, after 30 years, there are leaks affecting the building interior. As stewards of the church property, the trustees are working to secure bids and move forward. An anonymous donor has offered to replace the sign which is in front of the main entrance to the narthex. Keep an eye out for the new sign! As always, if you see something that needs attention, please speak to the one of the trustees or Pastor Lori. MOSCOW STREET FAIR The Moscow Street Fair is being help August 4-6 this year. We will be hosting the Art Show in the social hall, and the Quilt Show in the sanctuary. We had some absolutely stunning pieces last year and look forward to sharing our church building with those groups again this year. We will be selling Welsh Cookies during the fair (first come, first serve, so be sure to get there early!). If anyone would like to help make and pack the cookies, please join us on July 22 and July 29, the more the merrier! The Learning Tree Preschool will again host some activities and be handing out the remaining bicycle helmets. 11

FOUNDATIONS IN FAITH HYMN More Love to Thee Text by: Elizabeth Prentiss (1818-1878) Music by William Doane (1832-1915) Loss and sorrow often give birth to hymns. Such is the case of \"More Love to Thee\" by Elizabeth Payton Prentiss. A native of Maine, Prentiss was described as a \"bright-eyed, little woman, with a keen sense of humor, who cared more to shine in her own happy household than in a wide circle of society.\" During the 19th century, middleclass women lived very separate lives from men, even their husbands. Prentiss' husband, Dr. George L. Prentiss, was a Presbyterian minister who later served as professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York. His wife, having demonstrated a gift for both prose and poetry from a young age, wrote books, one of which - Stepping Heavenward - sold over 200,000 copies in the U.S. alone. \"More Love to Thee\" emerged out of a time of personal tragedy. During the 1850s, the Prentisses lost a child and shortly thereafter a second. Through her grief she confided in her diary, \"Empty hands, a worn-out, exhausted body, and unutterable longings to flee from a world that has so many sharp experiences.\" Inspired by Sarah Adams' hymn, \"Nearer, My God, to Thee,\" Prentiss began to write her own hymn in an almost identical metrical pattern. Prentiss completed the four stanzas of her hymn in a single evening, but never showed it to anyone for 13 years. Finally, in 1869 the poem appeared in leaflet form and in 1870 was 12

published for the first time in a hymnal, Songs of Devotion for Christian Associations. William Doane (1832-1915), composer of over 2,000 gospel songs including many for Fanny Crosby, provided the music associated with this text. Other tunes by Doane include: To God Be the Glory; Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross; Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior; I Am Thine O Lord; Precious Name and Rescue the Perishing. MINISTRIES AND OUTREACH Donation Station: We continue our monthly Donation Stations in the narthex of the church building. Each month we collect for a different charity. For the month of June we will be collecting items for our upcoming Vacation Bible School. We will be putting together an amazon wish list of items that can be purchased and dropped off or shipped directly to the church. Some of the items we are in need of include blank puzzle pieces that can be decorated, Nativity Activity Packs, Nativity stickers, small Christmas cookie/candy cutters (we are sticking with the Nativity theme, so crosses, animals, angels, stars, bells, hearts, etc). 13

Plastic Bags: We are currently collecting plastic grocery bags, as well as other types of plastic, such as plastic mailing envelopes, produce bags, newspaper bags, and plastic overwrap. Our goal is to collect 1500 pounds of plastic to get three benches made of the recycled materials in return. By donating your plastic bags to the church you will be helping with our goal, and keeping those items out of landfills. So far we have collected enough plastic to receive one bench. The plastic will be collected over the next year. Crochet/knit hats: We continue collecting handmade hats for babies born at Geisinger CMC in Scranton. Any pattern that makes a newborn or preemie sized hat works, but we do ask that you use softer yarn, as a baby’s skin is delicate. If you need a pattern, please contact the church office. So far we have donated almost 200 hats. Soda Tabs: We continue to collect soda tabs for the Ronald McDonald House. Thank to everyone who has and continued to collect tabs for this wonderful organization! CPR/AED Classes: We continue to offer CPR/AED classes to our members. Our very own Mark Chmielewski teaches the classes and is certified through the American Heart Association. The classes are $20 each and include a 4 hour class, a work book, and a digital certification card. If you would like to be added to the list for future classes, please contact the church office. 14

THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS God blessed our lives in the greatest way on April 28th with the birth of Cooper Christopher Carney, my first grandchild and my daughter’s and son-in-law’s first child. He is healthy and precious, rather handsome little guy! Can’t wait for you to meet him. Hopefully that will happen soon! Time is flying. It is hard to believe he is two months old already. Our lives are overflowing with the loving kindness and generosity, well wishes and prayers from you, our church family. The gifts we received are each unique and so special. The help we received when we had to begin using formula and couldn’t find the specific kind Cooper needed, was an incredible gift with persons going out and scanning stores to find the formula until we now can feel comfortable and confident that Cooper has enough formula for a while. Thank you all so very much for everything! We are blessed that our next generation came to be while we are here at MUMC. Praise be to God! Pastor Lori Chris and Shannon Carney MISSION CENTRAL CELEBRATES 20TH BIRTHDAY Finding the Building: Mission Central Celebrates 20 Years! Revisiting the story of how Mission Central all began...Mission Central was started by the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church. Bishop Irons had the idea for Mission Central, and the idea was to build a new missional facility right near the 15

conference office on Mulberry Drive in Mechanicsburg. The Conference approved the idea and site in 2001. After plans were drawn up, the 30,000 square foot facility was going to cost $3.5 million dollars. At the 2001 Annual Conference, Mission Central was voted on and approved. But... God had another plan. While driving to the Conference office one day, Bishop Irons had to take a detour as the bridge on Mulberry Drive was out. On this detour, he saw 5 Pleasant View. The building was for a printing facility that was for lease. Calls were made to the owners, but they mentioned they were really committed to leasing, not selling the building; however, when the plan for Mission Central was explained to them, they were willing to sell. Not only did they sell the building, but they were also willing to give a 10% tithe back as well. This building was 1/2 mile from the Conference Office, 48,000 square feet and cost $2.5 million dollars. It was perfect! Mission Central first opened its doors on June 27, 2002 with the mission of \"connecting God's resources with human need.\" Collectively, we have spent the past 20 years working toward that mission through mission outreach, mission education and disaster relief. Last year, Mission Central connected 5.4 million people with $17.9 million in resources, locally, nationally, globally. It was a record-breaking year. 16

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