Circuit RiderAsbury United Methodist Church Newsletter – Published Monthly

SEPTEMBER – 2012 90 Church Avenue, Forestville, Connecticut 06010 Volume 19, Issue 9

The

Pastor Custodian The Rev. Laura L. Galbraith Bruce LauzierSecretary & Circuit Rider Editor Asbury Church Office: 860-584-0529 Melissa Gray Office FAX: 860-584-0520 (call first)Music Director Dial-A-Prayer: 860-584-0520 Michael Coderre Parsonage: 860-261-4131Organist Pastor e-mail: Jana Ros pastorlaura.g@sbcglobal.netNursery Coordinator Secretary email: Kate Bechert asburysecretary@sbcglobal.net Bell/Children’s Choir Director Asbury Web Page:

Kristen Russo-Houde www.asburyumcforestville.com

Dear Friends,

We celebrate New Years … on January 1st, well … for many, the party begins on December 31, and the celebrations come to a close sometime on the 1st of January. This celebration is based on the calendar that we share with those across the world. At this time of year there is hope for the year to come, possibilities abound, and a sense of renewal fills our hearts!

We celebrate New Years in the Church … on the first Sunday of Advent, the first of the four Sundays prior to Christmas. The Advent observance is the beginning of the seasonal Church calendar that we share with Christians across the world. The season of Advent is a season of preparation for the coming of Christ into our lives. At this time of year there is hope for the year to come, possibilities abound, and a sense of renewal fills our hearts!

We celebrate New Years at Asbury …on January 1st, on the first Sunday of Advent, and in September! We have now returned from summer vacations, family visits and camping adventures. Now, in the beautiful early autumn, we are able to focus again on our work full speed ahead, Asbury. Along with many other churches across denominations, we begin a new calendar year for Sunday School, Bible study, outreach and mission opportunities, social activities and traditional events such as the Yankee Peddlar Fair and Memorial Day parade celebration. At this time of year there is hope for the year to come, possibilities abound, and a sense of renewal fills our hearts!

Happy New Year! I look forward to where God will lead us in the months ahead and how we will grow together as God’s people. As you read through this newsletter, take note of the many opportunities that exist for you to participate in God’s good work in and through Asbury. No need to make a resolution, just come and join in … may a sense of renewal, brought about by the power of God’s Spirit, fill your heart!

Blessings,

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For SeptemberWorship Leaders

2nd…….............….Lenny Cannon 9th.…..….….....….Mark Hultman16th………...........…..Bonnie Rosa23rd.…….…….…Bonnie Maskery30th.………..……..…Carl Aspland

8:30 am service – Carl Aspland

Greeters 2nd……............................….TBA 9th.…..…….…….....….Education16th…………........…..Linda Henry23rd.…...…Wayne & JoAnn Bacon30th.…….……….…Joyce Cannon

Fellowship Hour 2nd……................….Kate Bechert 9th.…...………….....….Education16th………Wayne & JoAnn Bacon23rd.……………………….…TBA30th………….…….Stacey Rich & Harriet Donovan

UshersWayne Fuller, Bonnie Emery, Chad Lockhart, Dennis Floyd, Dick Peterson, Roy DiYulio

Communion StewardsTreaty & Wayne Fuller

September Altar GuildKelly Amadio

The deadline for the October Circuit Rider is

Sunday, September 16th. Please leave all articles in the mailbox in the church office

or e-mail them to: asburysecretary@sbcglobal.net.

SEPTEMBER 1 Carol Nye 2 Terry Plantamuro 3 Dale Wadowski 4 Jesse Trafton 5 Wilda Gibson 6 Melissa Wojcik

Melissa Buonafede 7 Jared Linn

Vickie Jose 9 Caroline Ranucci

Wayne FullerCarl Aspland

10 Norma West11 Carolyn Michaud

Faith Lockhart12 Donald Mazerolle

Arthur Rindfleisch13 Jeffery Deprey14 Jamie Garcia

Julio Gomez15 Connor Sivers16 Marilyn May

Wayne NyeAvery Ranucci

17 Roger VoseBrianna Denski

19 Donna Frank20 Joe Lowrey

Cameron Gray21 Heather Boucher

Dale AveryAnna Clevenger

23 Tyler Holcomb24 Jennifer Spirito

Alyssa MayBradley GrayNathan Johnson

25 Brandon Labadia26 Joan Wheeler

Dylan Whillock27 Gregory Johanns

29 Laura McBaineTyler BajjoTyler Cannon

30 Brian Hagan

ASBURY’S ANNUAL FALL TAG SALE

SEPTEMBER 22ND8:30 am – 2:00 pm

It’s that time again for fun and fantastic bargains! Ann Morin is the coordinator for this event and needs your help. Clean out your basement and bring unwanted items to the tag sale – buy treasures to fill that empty basement! Call early if you have trouble bringing items in, and we will try to arrange a pick-up for you. (Call Ann at 860-584-8576.) Please wait until after the worship service on September 16th to begin bringing in items for the sale – but before noon on Friday the 21st so we can place and price everything. (No computers, tires, TV’s, or large appliances please, as these items do not sell and are hard to dispose of). AND, for a successful tag sale, we need lots of helpers beginning Wednesday morning to place and price items. Let Ann know when you are available. And don’t forget the Early Bird Special being held on Friday, September 21st from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. There is a $2.00 Door Charge to attend the Early Bird Special Night.

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FAMILY PAGEPlease keep these people

in your prayers……The Fraas Family, Arlene Chabot, Elsie Lyons, Edward Coloske, Bob Pullen, and others who have needs of which we may not be aware.

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

BAPTISMSOn Sunday, June 10th we welcomed Levi Michael Martinez to the family of Asbury through the Sacrament of Baptism. He is the son of Hector and Stacey Martinez. Vayda Martinez is his big sister.

DEATHS James Joseph, Sr., brother of Harriet Donovan passed away on Thursday, May 17, 2012. A memorial service was held in New Britain on May 24th.

Vina Dudek, mother of Sharon Parsons passed away Wednesday, July 5th. A memorial service was held in Jewett City on Friday, August 3rd.

Long time member, Barbara Brooks passed away on Thursday, August 2nd. A funeral service was held in Hackettstown, NJ on Monday, August 6th.

Dear Asbury Friends, Thank you to the Senior group for all their cards and remembering me. Thank you to Mernie, Phyllis and Lorraine for the visits – I enjoy them so much. Thank you to Pastor Laura for her recent visit and bringing my good friend Lorraine with her. It all means so much to me!

Barbara Emanuelson

To My Asbury Church Family, Thank you so very much for the visits, cards and prayers I received after my fall. Also, I thank you for the support letter. I’ve written messages on other support letters, but not until I received one did I realize how much it meant to get one. I thank God every day for my Asbury Family. I am so very blessed.

Love,Lorraine (Larry) Clark

To The Board of Trustees Scholarship Committee and Asbury Members, I would like to thank the Asbury Community for awarding me with this scholarship. I plan to use the money toward the purchase of my Fall semester books. I appreciate being selected and recognized for my hard work at Roger Williams University.

Sincerely,Mitchell Buonafede

To the Trustees and members of Asbury, Thank you so much for the scholarship award. I am planning to put it toward the tools I need for my automotive program this Fall.

Sincerely,

Cameron GrayTo My Asbury Church Family, I want to thank you for all the prayers, meals and visits that were done for Tom during his recent illness. God has blessed Asbury with many loving and giving people.

Pat Sallstrom I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the Asbury member who gave a donation to the Trustees that allowed them to purchase a new computer for the office. The old one was on its last leg, and your donation enabled us to purchase a computer that helps the office run more efficiently. I would also like to thank Joyce and Lenny Cannon who took turns covering the office while I was away on vacation. I very much appreciated it.

Melissa Gray

We received a postcard from Don & Joan Tilley. It is on the bulletin board in Wesley Hall for you to read.

Patricia Jo Cook (and her family) were members of Asbury for over a decade. In the 1980’s, Patricia was the church choir director. Patricia was born in 1941. Patricia currently has 4th stage pancreatic cancer and her days are very numbered. She is mentally alert and her family is sure she would love a phone call or card from her Asbury friends. Her phone number is (419) 429-0683, and her address is 15871 Forest Lake Dr., Findlay, OH 45840.

The office will be closed,

Monday, September 3rd in observance of Labor DayAsbury United Methodist Church

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Dear Friends, Thank you so much for hosting the Field of Flags. Your generous donation, and the donation of your Senior Fellowship Group will help us to buy more flags and supplies so we are able to continue this ministry.

JoAnn & AnneDear Members of WIF, The staff at Countryside Manor would like to thank you for the donation of Teddy Bears that were passed out to our patients. Our residents really appreciated them, and we hope you will continue this wonderful ministry.Dear Friend, Thank you for the beautiful sweaters you have made to help us warm the body and souls of needy children in our country and around the world. Your volunteerism through this gift has helped us make a difference in the lives of over half a million children. See your impact! View the smiles online at 222.knitforkids.org.

Sincerely,Guideposts Knit for Kids

Dear Asbury, Thank you for volunteering with Hartford Habitat. Your hard work helps us build more houses, stronger communities, and successful families!

Sincerely,Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity

REGULARSUNDAY WORSHIPHOURS BEGIN ONSEPTEMBER 9TH

AT 8:30 AM

AND 10:00 AMThe Trustees would like to thank Thomas Angels of Colonial Tree Service on Judd St. in Bristol for cutting and pruning trees that were a safety hazard.

The Thursday morning Bible Study will be starting up again on September 13th at 9:00 a.m. Please speak to Mernie Whitcomb for more information.

The Sunday morning Bible Study will begin on September 16th at 9:00 a.m. The study will be on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Please speak to Rev. Don Rackliffe for more information.

“If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples.”

John 8:31 

What is Disciple? It is a bible study developed in 1986 with the underlying assumption that people are hungry for the word of God. Disciple 1 was developed to lead people through the entire Bible over a course of 34 weeks giving equal attention to scripture in both the Old Testament and the New. It is a study where a group of people will commit to meet each week for 2 ½ hours to study the Bible, discuss what the scripture is saying to us today, get a better understanding of our relationship with God, and spend time in prayer together. It is a study that focuses on transformation not information. You don’t have to know anything about the Bible to take Disciple. All you need is a commitment to meet

once a week for the class, about ½ hour of reading each day, and an openness to let God work within you through his word. We hope to have a new class starting up in the fall on Thursday evenings. Please speak to Jim Bechert if you are interested.

September 9, 201210:00 a.m.

Register early!AND

Immediately following the 10:00 am Worship Servicestay and share in an all church

Pot Luck Picnic!Bring a dish or dessert to share

and your own lawn chairs.

Safe Sanctuaries Our children are the future of our church. It is our job as adults and parents to “train them up” right. We have a policy in the Methodist Church that every adult working with youth and children must be informed (trained on our policy and procedures). Our policy was recently updated and everyone needs to be informed of our policy updates. Heidi Foster Borkowski is our Safe Sanctuaries Coordinator. She is holding regular sessions to update everyone. If you are teaching in our Sunday School or otherwise working with children, you need to

attend one of these sessions. Please see Heidi to be updated.

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Adults and ChildrenOn Sunday, September 9th, please bring a friend to church with you. You may bring them to the 8:30 am or 10:00 am service, but please make sure to invite them to our picnic immediately following the 10:00 am service.

Asbury UMC Fundraiser at Wendy’s of Bristol

1247 Farmington Ave, BristolTuesday, September 4th

from 5:00 – 7:00 pm Remember: no shopping, cooking or clean-up. Just come to Wendy’s and use the drive through or COME IN 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! The June Wendy’s fundraiser made $78.92, the July fundraiser made $112.33 and the August fundraiser made $111.95.

Crochet classes will resume on Tuesday, September 18th at 9:00

a.m. For more information, please call Pat Sallstrom at 860-261-4148.

WIF will begin meeting again on Thursday, September 27th at 7:00 p.m. Heidi Borkowski will host at 45 Primrose Lane in Bristol. Please bring something small to share (i.e. appetizer, dessert, etc…) WIF is also planning a trip to Yankee Candle either on October 20th or October 27th leaving AUMC at 9:30 a.m. Please let Stacey Rich know which date works best for you. Below is a fascinating piece written by Donna Lee Carlson as part of the May meeting. Hope to see you in September!

If you could go back in time and change one historical event, which one would it be and why? This was the topic for discussion at the May WIF meeting. In considering a response to this question, which was posed a few weeks before the actual meeting, I chose the prevention of World War I as the alteration that I would make to history. World War I was a horrific war that not only sent shock waves through the generation that fought it, but also through succeeding generations well into the 20th century. In researching a plausible means of preventing the war, I found that Professor James Chace, a noted historian, had hypothesized that if France had had more effective military leadership ,and had won the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, that certain events that had contributed to the outbreak of World War I would have been avoided. And, without the world war, there would not have been a Treaty of

Versailles, no World War II, no Bolshevik Revolution, and no Cold War. Of course, this was speculation, but given the interconnection of historical events, a reversal of the outcome of the war fought in the 1870s could have had a profound impact on the history of the last century.

Donna Lee Carlson

“HALF THE SKY” UPDATE Two summers ago, a number of Asbury folk read a powerful book titled, “Half the Sky” by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. A group of us gathered for a number of weeks to talk about the powerful discussion of women’s lives across the world that the book presented. On October 1st and 2nd, on the show “Independent Lens,” CPTV will broadcast a documentary based on this book. Stars such as Meg Ryan and Olivia Wilde traveled to different places across the world to hear womens’ stories firsthand and then document them for the film. The result is a moving film that is not always easy to watch, but one that we all should pay attention to. Unfortunately, the programming schedule for October for CPTV is not posted online yet, so the actual time on these days for the show is yet unknown. Look for the programming schedule at CPBN.org in September, or check the October Circuit Rider for the times, but put aside these dates now to watch this important documentary, whether or not you read the book!

Crafters Wanted - Prospect UMC, Bristol is looking for crafters for their annual Country Cupboard Fair, to be held on

Saturday, October 20 from 10 am to 3 pm. You must have a state

tax number. Please contact Jan Moore at 860-597-5813 or

janmoore060@yahoo.com for more information.

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What a difference your loose coins can make! The Senior Fellowship’s Loose Change Jar has paid off bills, contributed to shortages and helped in many ways wherever there was a need. Their jar sits in the Narthex every Sunday morning, and they are hoping you will place your loose change in it and help them help Asbury.

Submitted by Bea Trafton If you wake up in the morning full of bright and happy thoughts And begin to count the blessings in your cup, Then glance into your mirror and you will quickly see It’s all because the corners of your mouth turn up. Then take this little rhyme, remember all the time: There’s joy aplenty in this world to fill life’s silver cup If you’ll only keep the corners of your mouth turned up.

Zion Soup Kitchen Celebrates 30 Years

As part of the Soup Kitchen’s celebration they asked participants who make and serve meals, what is has meant to them. Responses were included in a booklet, and Asbury was included along with a picture of one of our many soup kitchen teams. It is posted on the bulletin board in Wesley Hall if you’d like to see it.

It’s Time For Confirmation Class!Calling all 8th, 9th graders and older! If you are interested in taking the next step in faith by confirming what you believe and how you will live in relationship to God, this meeting is for you! We will begin Confirmation Class with a meeting for parents and youth on Sunday, September 30th at 6:00 pm. We will discuss plans for the class, expectations, projects and other details. Participation in this class will involve a commitment of time and participation in the class and other scheduled events that will culminate in our celebration of Confirmation at the 10:00 am worship service on Pentecost Sunday, May 19th. Please call Pastor Laura if you would like further information prior to this meeting.

The Memorials Committee is in the process of replacing the window and stage curtains for Wesley Hall. We need rod pocket top curtains (tie backs) with linings. We are also looking for a few people willing to sew these. We will provide fabrics and pattern. If you are able and interested, please contact Heidi Foster Borkowski --  hfostbork@aol.com or 860-280-7441.

Lay Ministry“Many hands make

light work” At Asbury, we need many hands to keep all of our programs and ministries working as well as trying new ones. The amount of outreach we can provide is limited by the number of members who are willing and able to devote time to our programs. An hour or two a week of your time would be invaluable to continuing and expanding our programs and the amount of assistance we can provide to others. Your investment may be small, but the rewards will return many times to you. If you are able to teach, assist, dust the altar, go to the post office once a month, are good at working with others in the areas of human resources, finance, stewardship, outreach, we need you. If you have a smile in your voice and would rather make phone calls from home, we need you. We are looking for people to lead and serve on committees. Are you a good listener? Maybe Stephen Ministries is for you. Please pray about where your talents would best fit in our church family and let Heidi Foster Borkowski know as she is looking forward to placing you where you will help us as we continue our fellowship reaching out to each other and to our community.

Wednesday, September 5th

At 7:30 p.m.The Chancel choir would love to have you join them. For more information, please speak to Michael Coderre or any member of the choir.

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September 2012BIBLE READING GUIDE

Come Together in Faith andGrow in God’s Wisdom

1 2 Samuel 7.1-29 2 2 Samuel 11.1-27 3 2 Samuel 12.1-25 4 1 Kings 1.1-14 5 1 Kings 1.15-53 6 1 Kings 2.1-12 7 1 Kings 2.13-46 8 1 Kings 3.1-15 9 1 Kings 3.16-2810 1 Kings 4.20-3411 1 Kings 8.1-2112 Ecclesiastes 3.1-1513 1 Corinthians 1.1-1714 1 Corinthians 1.18-3115 1 Corinthians 2.1-1616 Proverbs 1.1-3317 Proverbs 2.1-2218 Proverbs 3.1-3519 Proverbs 4.1-2720 Proverbs 8.1-3621 Proverbs 10.1-3222 Proverbs 12.1-2823 Proverbs 13.1-2824 Proverbs 14.1-3525 Proverbs 15.1-3326 Proverbs 16.1-3527 Proverbs 22.1-2928 Proverbs 23.1-3529 Proverbs 24.1-3430 Proverbs 25.1-28

The New York Annual Conference has a new Bishop as of

September 1!At the Northeast Jurisdiction Conference of the United Methodist Church that met July 18 – 20, Rev. Martin McLee, District Superintendent of the Boston Area of the United Methodist Church, was elected Bishop and subsequently appointed to serve the next four years in the New York Annual Conference.

(UMC 101 lesson: United Methodist Bishops are appointed for four year terms, and are able to serve two consecutive terms in the same area prior to being appointed to another Conference area.)

You will surely hear much more about our new Bishop in the coming months but here are a few facts: Bishop McLee, 56, was one of three new bishops elected by the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference in Charleston, W.Va. Our new Bishop is not a stranger to our Conference area, having been raised in the NYC area.

Below is a letter from Bishop Park announcing his appointment to the Susquehanna Conference in the Pittsburgh area of the Northeast Jurisdiction.

Let us keep both Bishops Park and McLee and all our United Methodist Bishops who are moving to new appointments this month, in our prayers.

July 24, 2012

Dear United Methodists of the New York Annual Conference:

I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Prince of peace, Healer of our brokenness, Hope of the world!

Many of you know by now that the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference of The United Methodist Church has assigned me to the Harrisburg Episcopal Area, Susquehanna Annual Conference, effective September 1, 2012. I have all the trust that God is waiting for me there. While I am looking forward to serving our sisters and brothers in Christ in Pennsylvania, I cannot leave the New York Area

without telling you how much it has meant to me to minister together with you for these past eight years. The partnership in the gospel we shared together was truly awesome and has been an inspiration to me. Although I am leaving, I will never stop loving New York and Connecticut!

Because I love you, and because I trust God, I can leave with confidence, excited by the Jurisdictional Conference's assignment of Bishop Martin McLee to the episcopal leadership of this conference. Prior to his consecration, Bishop McLee was serving as the District Superintendent of the Metro Boston Hope District of the New England Annual Conference. The gifts and graces of Bishop McLee as a spiritual leader are exceptional. His ministry and witness as an episcopal leader will be an incredible blessing to the whole church and beyond, as well as to the New York Annual Conference. With all my heart, I believe you will continue to be a special conference to our Lord, and that you will be in good hands with Bishop McLee.

Lisa and I want you to know how very much we have appreciated our eight years with you. The New York Annual Conference, and the churches and people within it, have made an indelible mark on our hearts. Thanks be to God for you! We have been blessed beyond imagination through you. Once again, we would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the fantastic journey that we were privileged to have with you.

May God continue to richly bless and honor and use each and every one of you, all to the glory of God!

In Christ,Jeremiah J. Park