Asbury United Methodist Church Newsletter Published Monthly

The

Circuit Rider

Asbury United Methodist Church Newsletter – Published Monthly

April – 2013 90 Church Avenue, Forestville, Connecticut 06010 Volume 20, Issue 4

Dear Friends,

April is here! Another winter is now past. The days are longer, the temp is creeping upward, daffodils and tulips will be blooming soon. Our gardener friends are planting in their basements and lining their windowsills with their seed pots: hope for warmer days. I’m sure I’m not alone in looking ahead to warmer days for sure. At one of our Lenten programs, we sang the words to the hymn, “The Promise”:

In the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree;

in cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free!

In the cold and snow of winter there’s a spring that waits to be,

unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

Look at the brown, dried out and dirty bulb: it’s hard to see the tulip that will burst forth. The brown, leafless apple tree betrays the beauty that lies ahead: apple blossoms and tasty fruit. The cocoon surely hides the lovely promise within: a butterfly will soon fly free from the shell! In the dark, cold, lonely days, it is easy to forget that there will be spring and there will be joy again.

As the hymn reminds us, “God alone can see,” what good is before us. “God alone can see,” the new life that awaits us. “God alone can see,” the joy after sorrow that is ours for the taking. As we enjoy these early days of spring, let us also celebrate God who saw before any of the disciples, resurrection from death. God alone is able to bring Easter to our lives, even before we realize what has happened. May the joy of Easter live on … in our hearts … in our lives … in our presence with one another.

Peace,

Asbury United Methodist Church

April – 2013 The Circuit Rider Page 2

Worship Leaders

For April

7th.….…...... ….Marilyn May

14th….....…..Karna Baumberger

21st...... …Pat Potts

28th…………....….Amy Majors

8:30 am service – Carl Aspland

Greeters

Greeters are needed

for the Month of April. Please sign up in Wesley Hall.

Fellowship Hour

7th.…...Wayne & Edith Devino

14th……...... …..Debbie Bechert

21st…Deb Johanns & Sally Petit

28th…………………....….TBA

Ushers

Wayne Fuller, Bonnie Emery, Dennis Floyd, Don Mazerolle, Chad Lockhart, Dick Peterson,

Roy DiYulio

Communion Stewards

Treaty & Wayne Fuller

April Altar Guild

Jennifer Burrows

April Birthday Caller

Audrey Kasakowski

The deadline for the May Circuit Rider is

Sunday, April 14th.

Please leave all articles in the mailbox in the church office or e-mail them to: .

APRIL

1LenCannon

Hailey RoseMcDonald

2ElizabethHrywniak

VanessaFloyd

MasonClevenger

3WilliamBradley

SaraColapietro

4ToddBaumberger

6AlanStockman

OwenFearn

7EmilyPeterson

8AdelineHazzard

9KathyMazerolle

10DonaldRackliffe

11CharlesColoske

BettyHussey

JoleneGrasso

KimberlyStark

12NathanCannon

JamesHasler

EricTye

13DeborahLauzier

JaredStaub

LindaGrey

14DonnaMurray

DavidScott

MichaelSpaulding

JenniferWeyrauch

15SophiaCole

16RobertStatchen

RuthZebuski

HeidiBorkowski

RebeccaSchaffrick

17JenniferMajors

18KyleFuller

TriciaLockhart

20MildredSurowiecki

JenniferPelletier

WilfredWilliams

21JayMullins

JeffreyClement

DaraHolcomb

22ArleneChabot

AllysaBarnaby

23MarkCannon

24MatthewBaumberger

C.J.Stankevich

KeithPond

25LeahDeprey

MatthewDeprey

26AntonClement

AlexSpaulding

27JonathanDenski

ErinJones

JohnKrom

KarlyMartin

ErnestSzydlo

GabrielSoucy

28MichaelMaskery

DavidVan Buren

StanleyKasakowski

GeorgeRichardson

PhilipBorkowski

29AliciaDeprey

ShirleyNelson

KarenSauer

VeraTherrien

30IvetteScanlan

MaureenMartel

CathleenWhillock

JenniferBuckley

Asbury UMC Fundraiser at Wendy’s of Bristol

1247 Farmington Ave, Bristol

Tuesday, April 2nd

from 5:00 – 7:00 pm

Remember: no shopping, cooking or clean-up. Just come in to Wendy’s and enjoy the fellowship. Ask to have your receipt put in the Asbury UMC basket, and help us pay down the mortgage!

And don’t forget to purchase your Wendy’s Scrip Card from Christian Outreach during Fellowship Hour and support the many Mission projects at Asbury!

New Policy: You must eat in Wendy’s dining room for your receipt to be eligible for the fundraiser.

Asbury United Methodist Church

April – 2013 The Circuit Rider Page 3

FAMILY PAGE

Please keep these people in your prayers……

Gladys Carron, Betty Topalian, Pauline Foote, Dave Albert, Tom Szydlo, Lyn Garthwaite Beaulieau, Howard Bradley, Dan Fasci, Bea Trafton, John Fraas, Arlene Chabot, Elsie Lyons, Edward Coloske, Bob Pullen and others who have needs of which we may not be aware.

PRAYER CHAIN

If you wish to relate prayer needs to the chain, please call Phyllis Petit at 860-589-6059 or Mernie Whitcomb at 860-583-5373, or e-mail Pastor Laura. Please keep your call brief, and be aware of the privacy rights of the person(s) for whom you are requesting prayers.

Long time Asbury member and Head of Trustees, Mark Hultman passed away on March 5, 2013 at home. A celebration of life for Mark was held Monday, March 11, 2013 at Asbury.

We just received word that Linda Henry’s daughter, Janelle Sanchez, has been invited to join the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Janelle attends Northwest Community College. Congratulations!

Dear Asbury,

Many thanks for cards, blankets, flowers and visits from all of the wonderful people at Asbury. Your support and prayers for my father and family has been much appreciated.

Good news. Dad no longer needs the care of Hospice. Once again his health has turned around and he is doing well. He never ceases to amaze us. However, we appreciate the good thoughts and prayers of our faith community so keep them coming.

Love,

Howard Bradley

Karen & Lee Cranford & Family

Dear Asbury Friends,

Words can’t express the love and support that you showed Dan and me through this trying time. The check was appreciated and helped pay for the hotel bill. Thank you, thank you.

Pastor Laura’s trips to the Cape were a wonderful surprise. Her prayers were a comfort. Dan is doing fine, but it will be a long recovery. Asbury Family – You are the best!!

Love,

Lovey & Dan Fasci

Dear Asbury,

Thanks to all of you for your prayers, cards and visits during my hip replacement surgery and recovery. I am sure that the rapid progress I have made is due in part to your help. I feel blessed by your care.

Thanks again,

Mike Motyl

Dear Asbury Members & Friends,

The warmth extended to us and our family has been very touching and greatly appreciated. We have come to admire the pillar of strength and compassion of Pastor Laura. Asbury is truly blessed to have her as its Pastor. She has been there for us when Mal lost his nephew and mother in August, and when we lost our son, Brian, in January.

Because of the many extended hands of fellowship, we feel we have found a home at Asbury.

Thanks to everyone at Asbury,

Mal & Jean Cummings

Thank you to everyone who peeled, cooked, set-up, served, cleaned up, and came and enjoyed the corned beef dinner. We served 100 dinners with the help of many Asbury hands, including our confirmation class and Girl Scout Troop 66432.

A special thanks to Scott & Donna Pehmoeller, who cooked the dinner, and baked the Irish soda bread, and sang after dinner.

We made a profit of approximately $811.00 to go to current expense.

Heidi Borkowski

Asbury United Methodist Church

April – 2013 The Circuit Rider Page 4

To Asbury UMC,

Thank you so much for the donation of Sock Monkeys. They take a big role in helping vulnerable families develop loving relationships. We really are so thankful for such donations.

Sincerely,

Ms. Bongiwe Nzama

To Asbury UMC,

Now that the books for 2012 are officially closed, I wanted you to know how grateful I am that your church was able to pay 100% of your 2012 apportionments.

My heartfelt appreciation stems from the fact that I remember from my parish years the deep sacrifice and prioritization that goes into reaching such a lofty threshold. With so many pressing needs right in your own community, I can understand how tempting it might be to keep those dollars close to home. But thanks to your faith in the ministry of the larger church, you recognized the need for our denomination to be present in places and ways in which your local church could not.

Peace,

Rev. Kenneth Kieffer

District Superintendent

Asbury’s policy requires anyone working with children must be trained on beforehand. If you are thinking of working with our youth, and haven’t received our training, please see Heidi Borkowski.

Al Goodwin &

Tom Zagryn

An Evening Of 50’s & 60’s Music

Saturday, April 13, 2013 at 7:00 pm

Asbury United Methodist Church

90 Church Ave., Forestville, CT

Ticket Price: $10.00

Refreshments will be served following the performance

Asbury United Methodist Church

April – 2013 The Circuit Rider Page 5

April 2013

Holiday Food Collection

Thank you to all who donated food items for the Asbury UMC Easter Food Basket collection. Our families in need were especially appreciative. And thank you to the volunteers who help to package and deliver the food boxes each season.

Soup Kitchen

Thank you to the Education Committee who served the meal at the Zion Lutheran Soup Kitchen on March 12th. The Men’s Club and Confirmation Class will be serving the meal on April 9th. If you would like to volunteer in this very rewarding outreach, please see Amy Majors. Again, thank you to everyone who assists in this extremely worthwhile community outreach service.

Just What Are Scrip Cards?

Scrip Cards are Gift Cards purchased at a discount. You get the full value of the gift card you purchased, and Asbury gets the difference in the discounted price. In other words, if you order a $25.00 gift card for the “99 Restaurant” to pay for your next dinner out, you get $25.00 credit on the gift card while Asbury gets $3.25! That is correct, you get $25.00 and Asbury gets $3.25. It’s literally free money for the church.

100% of the Scrip Card proceeds go towards Missions (including apportionments) here at Asbury UMC. If every family in the congregation were to use these cards even to just do their weekly groceries, Asbury would have over $15,000 next year, for Free!

So please, stop by the Scrip table on Sundays to do your everyday shopping. It’s very easy to participate: Simply drop off your Scrip Order Form with your payment and then stop by the following Sunday to pick up your Cards. You get what you pay for, and the church gets even more for free!

Thank you to all who have begun and continue to use this program in support of the Mission work here at Asbury UMC.

Cosmetic Bags for Prudence Crandall Women’s Shelter

If you are traveling in this upcoming season and have no use for the small soaps, shampoos and toiletries offered by hotels and motels, please save them for Christian Outreach. We put together bags of various items and donate them to Prudence Crandall Women’s Shelter. Please see Linda Henry or Amy Majors with your donations.

Food Bank at both the Salvation Army and Zion Soup Kitchen

We are continuing to accept donations for the two Food Banks in Bristol. There is a box on the stage in Wesley Hall for these items. Thank you to all who donate food items for this very worthy and needy cause.

Paper Goods for the Women’s Shelter at St. Vincent De Paul

Thank you for the continuous generous donations of paper goods for the folks at St. Vincent De Paul. They are so appreciative! This is an ongoing Christian Outreach project for donations of all paper goods: paper towels, toilet paper, paper plates, napkins, etc. The donation box is located on the stage in Wesley Hall.

The next Christian Outreach Meeting is scheduled for April 7th in the Library right after coffee hour. All are welcome to join us.

The Back Pack Program now serves 60 families, with the addition of West Bristol School, on a weekly basis. Financial resources are being stretched but there is some good news. The program has recently received a $700 grant from Shop Rite of Bristol. This is an increase in financial support from them.

As always, food or monetary donations are greatly appreciated as well as recycle shopping bags. Some foods that are always needed and hard to get from Foodshare are granola bars and fruit juice boxes. Regarding food donations, please remember the program can only accept non-perishable food items. Also, please check all expiration dates on the packages to make sure food is not outdated. We cannot distribute outdated food to the families. This also applies to anything donated to the Salvation Army food bin on the stage.

One helpful way you can participate in this worthwhile ministry is by coming downstairs after church and helping to pack bags. Another very much appreciated action would be to take some of the recyclable cardboard from the hallway outside the back pack room. With the additional back packs, there is a lot of cardboard each week.

Thank you all for your continued support of this ministry,

Jan King

Asbury United Methodist Church

April – 2013 The Circuit Rider Page 6

Women's Retreat

Date: Saturday, May 4, 2013

Time: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Location: Asbury UMC

90 Church Ave., Forestville

Ticket Price: $10.00