Pentecost is this Sunday!

May 17, 2013 Worship, Youth Comments Off
Pentecost Sunday Flame and Dove

Pentecost Sunday

Pentecost Sunday!

Dear companions in Christ:
It is almost here!!! This coming Sunday we are going to confirm five of our youth; AbbieMoss, Nicole Kudrikow, Natalie Martinez, Taylor Partlor, and Justin Vitale. Come and support our youth who have been working since October 2012 on their confirmation process. Come and celebrate with them. If you are able please write a congratulation note to them. We need to encourage and accompany are young ones in their faith journey. They have been wonderful! even doing community work!
Love, Pastor Aida

Town Approves Community Preservation Committee Funding!

Dear companions in Christ:
Monday we witnessed once more the power of team work, presence, prayer and vote!!!! We had an excellent representation at our town meeting. I think we could have celebrated the approval of our grant by singing, but we behaved, and kept the “separation of church and state” respectfully after we heard “passed by majority vote!!!!!” We sang quietly with our hearts. Thank you so much for all your prayers and support for Hope. The Preservation Committee did a great presentation on our behalf. Steve offered a wonderful speech. Thanks to Duane and Steve and to Cathy for writing the proposal and keeping the church informed of the whole process!
Now we can move with lots of hope into the future.
Grace, peace and lots of smiles!
Pastor Aida

Hope’s Place

 

Hope’s Place meal for May will be Baked Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, corn and green beans. Also, we are preparing vegetarian lasagna, a bright green salad and assorted cookies for desert. If possible, please Volunteer to help with serving, help in the kitchen, setting of tables, and also to clean up. Other donations are always appreciated to give towards the meal. With your donation, please always give a receipt (or if it is a homemade item please attach a dollar value). We need receipts for the financial reporting required by the Loaves and Fishes grant. Please call Kathy Gibson at 413-230-9089 for any questions you may have and to sign up on her special clipboard. Please come join us at 6:00PM and have some fun.
Guest Speaker is: Edward Bock, Belchertown Fire Dept. Chief

 

SPRING IS (FINALLY) HERE! Our Annual Plant and Crafters’ Sale and Imagine No Malaria Lemonade Stand and Bake Sale

April 27, 2013 Activtiy Comments Off

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SPRING IS (FINALLY) HERE!
Our Annual Plant and Crafters’ Sale AND
Imagine No Malaria Lemonade Stand and Bake Sale
will be Sat., May 11, 9am-3pm
(Mothers’ Day Weekend)
The annual plant sale is in the works–we’ll have both annual (flowers and veggies) and perennial plants. We also hope to have some shrubs/trees this year! (We’ll publish a list later but plants and crafts make excellent Mothers’ Day gifts!) Do you have extra plants in your garden that can be separated? Pot them and bring them (labeled) into Fellowship Hall during the week before Mother’s Day. Need pots or labels? Call Joanna Page 323-4401 or 413-218-2932.
We welcome crafters—space is $25. for a 6’ table and $35. for an 8’ table. Crafters will be indoors, rain or shine. Please call one of the #’s above or the church office to reserve space.
Please plan to help with the plant sale. This is always lots of fun—you get to chat with your friends who stop by (and you may find things you’d like for yourself!). We will need set-up help at 7:30 Sat. morning, sales help, and clean-up help after 3 pm. Sign-up sheets are available in the front entry and Fellowship Hall. New this year—some attractive used planters at unbeatable prices.

Imagine-No-Malaria-Logo-300x181

Our Sunday School will once again be holding a Lemonade Stand and Bake Sale to benefit their Mission Project, Imagine No Malaria. This will be held in conjunction with the Plant Sale. Please look for us that day to purchase some goodies and a refreshing cup of lemonade! We would also welcome donations of baked goods to sell from any of our fabulous bakers! If you would like to drop off baked goods, the church will be open on Friday the 10th during office hours, 9:30 to 12:30 and during Girl Scouts, 2:30 to 5:00 or they can be dropped off on Saturday morning. Please leave all baked goods for the sale on the center table in the kitchen. Thank you for your help

Moment of Silence for Boston

April 22, 2013 Uncategorized Comments Off
Hello Everyone,
We have an opportunity to offer in full community whether far away or near in a moment of silence, which for myself will be in prayer for the duration.  Let us all take a moment and silently lift all that is on our hearts and place it is the loving hands of our God today at 2:50 P.M.  This is the time that our Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has asked people to observe.  If you are able to ring a bell, there will be bells ringing across Massachusetts also following that moment in memory of the Boston Marathon Tragedy.
Please pray for the families of those who were lost, the victims, those suffering from survivor guilt, all that is in the hearts, minds and souls of those near and far.  Yes, please include the persons who are accused of this horrific act that God will work within that situation also.  Let us not be led into the temptation of vengeance, hatred or fear, but a spirit of peace to reign and move us forward.
Blessings,
Reeny Genholt

Cancellation

April 17, 2013 Committees, Worship Comments Off

Children’s Time with Pastor Aida and Family Worship Service on April 20th and 21st have been cancelled for this month due to many families being away with the school vacation this week.  We look forward to resuming these activities in May!

Some updates for the month ahead – April

March 26, 2013 Committees, Worship No comments

Education Opportunity – Basic Lay Servant Ministry Course

A new Basic Lay Servant Ministry Course will be held here at HUMC on Saturday, April 13 and April 27 from 9:00-3:00. Last year nine of our members participated in this study. It provides laity with a learning opportunity to help them through thoughtful reflection in the areas of leading, caring, communicating and spreading the
love of Christ into the world. The course leaders are Pastor Aida and George. You can pick up a registration form from George or from the Connectional Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall. Our church will pay the registration fee. So sign up NOW.

Our Annual Plant and Crafters’ Sale will be Sat., May 11, 9am-3pm (Mothers’ Day Weekend)

The annual plant sale is in the works–we’ll have both annual (flowers and veggies) and perennial plants. We also hope to have some shrubs/trees this year! (We’ll publish a list later but plants and crafts make excellent Mothers’ Day gifts!)

Prayer Quilting Bee

There will be an old fashion Quilting Bee on Monday, April 22, 9:30AM to 2:00PM. Looking for volunteers to help make some prayer quilts…Please contact Debby Whidden at the church office to sign up.

Missionary Dr. Belinda Forbes is coming to Hope

This month we will be honored to welcome Belinda Forbes, the GBGM missionary we
support through the Advance. Belinda is a dentist originally from Western MA, now serving in
Managua Nicaragua. Belinda is currently in the states visiting her supporting churches. Please
mark your calendar to come to the church on April 24, 2013 for a pot luck supper at 6:00 PM
and hear the latest news from Belinda’s ministry. Check out more info on Dr. Forbes here.

 Update on the Community Preservation Grant

The Belchertown Community Preservation Committee (CPC) liked the presentation made by Steve Lanphear and Duane Stinchfield. Consistent with the modified plan agreed to by Hope members last Sunday, the CPC voted to recommend a $75,000 grant to fund a new ADA elevator to replace the existing elevette and also to construct a unisex accessible bathroom. Now, we will need your voice of support by an affirmative vote at the Town Meeting on May 13th. Please plan to be there and bring a friend or two.

2014 Spiritual Pigramage to the Holy Land

March 22, 2013 Travel, Worship No comments

 

Pastor Aida

Pastor Aida

Pat McClure

Pat McClure

Come, join Hope UMC in a Spiritual Pilgrimage to the Holy Land in February 2014.

Pastor Aida and Pat McClure are your host for this wonderful journey. We will have the opportunity to experience the land that we have been studying in our bible studies, Sunday school and worship. Come, change your life with this spiritual journey to the birth place of our Savior Jesus and renew your baptism at the Jordan River. We will have the unique opportunity to celebrate Ash Wednesday in the Holy Land in preparation for our Lent. From the Holy Land I will like also to extend the invitation to travel with me to the Red Sea and Egypt. On April 14, Pat and I will offer an orientation about the trip with pictures and a brief video from Educational Opportunities for those who are praying and considering this spiritual journey. You are welcome to visit www.EO.travel for more detailed information. I hope to have a posted brochure and a link to EO in our website late in April.

The Easter Garden

March 16, 2013 Worship No comments

We had a wonderful children’s program this morning, The Easter Garden.  The children heard the stories of Holy Week, sang some songs, created some great crafts and ate delicious food.

Making jeweled crosses for our shut ins.

Making jeweled crosses for our shut ins.

Listening to the stories.

Listening to the stories.