Dear East Longmeadow UMC,

I want to begin by saying how grateful my family and I are for your incredible welcome. We have been

overwhelmed by your generosity. The delicious meals, lovely notes and the sweet little surprises have truly kept us centered in gratitude in the midst of this stressful time. I also want to express my gratitude to the ELUMC Trustees. You have taken such beautiful care of the parsonage. We feel very privileged to live here. Lastly thank you so much to John Dunlop and the rest of ELUMC leadership who have met with me over the past weeks as I transitioned here. In spite of the extra-ordinary situation we all find ourselves in due to Covid 19 our meetings have gone a long way towards helping me feel connected and prepared to enter into ministry with you all

Let’s be honest. This is not a normal pastoral transition. Due to the virus we are facing unique challenges which make it challenging for us to begin our journey of growing in relationship with each other. Changing pastors is hard enough, especially when you have been served by such a brilliant pastor as my dear friend Kelly Turney. And the reality is there is no template for how to do this. There is no right way to do this. Your lay leadership and I are doing our best to figure out how to proceed. From how we do worship to when and how we re-enter the sanctuary, there is work to do and decisions to be made that we never have had to deal with before. I have no doubt we will get some things right and we will occasionally mess up. And in reality, we will never be able to make everyone happy. So I ask for some grace as we proceed.

But there are a couple of things I know for sure. First, it has quickly become evident to me how much your lay leadership

loves you. They are constantly trying to figure out how best to be of service to you and how to be a source of God’s grace for you. Every decision they are making comes from a place of deep love as your siblings in Christ. Secondly, I have faith in God who, for me, is the Creative Loving Force of the Universe. Whenever we make a choice, if we make it from a place of love and life-giving creativity,

we will be partnering with God for the good of all of creation. We won’t be perfect. But we will make every decision, whether in this time of the Corona Virus or far into our future together, from a place of love for God and each other. If we do that we will grow as disciples of Christ and we will work towards a world in which all of creation has what it needs to live fully and love abundantly.

I am so excited to see what God does with us!

Be Blessed, Be a Blessing,

Pastor Katherine

B e g i n n i n g O u r J o u r n e y

photo by Fred Gagnon

ANNOUNCING WISDOM WEDNESDAYS As we were going to press, Pastor Katherine said that she would like to start a study group for folks who are inter-ested in more than just on-line Sunday worship.

On Wednesdays August 19th & 26th at 1:00pm and at 6:30pm she will host small group discussions on Anne LaMott’s book Help Thanks Wow: The Three Essential Prayers. If you are interested, let the office or PK know which times you can attend. Meet outside on the church lawn socially distanced and weather permitting. Bring a lawn chair and wear a mask/facial covering.

The Methodist Messenger

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Prayer requests: Lesley Hampton, Hank & Bev Kalloch, Little Ford, Jessie & Colleen Grabowski, Louise

House, Barbara Nero, Gail McGrath & Olivia Ryan.

From the Music Director:

Hi everyone,

I hope you have been able to “tune in” to the Sunday morning Worship services. We have been working very hard to make it appear seamless. Even though we are not professionals, we have

learned a lot about what works and what does not.

There is still a lot of uncertainty, but one thing is sure – my devotion to providing inspirational music to enhance the worship experience. Music will look and feel a lot different in the fall, but there will be music!

Hang in there!

Grace & Peace, Rick

Dot Buzzelle - Redstone

Joan Kearns -Wells Country Village, Vernon CT

Paul Willer - Reeds Landing

Joyce D’Angelo-10 Riverside Dr. Hampden, MA 01036

Louise House-750 Granville Rd. Westfield, MA 01085-3909

Loaves & Fishes

Our Loaves and Fishes crew finishes in record time to feed persons downtown--

the need and the numbers are up and the number of churches willing to help is down. Because the need is so great the ELUMC Loaves & Fishes crew are now meeting twice a month on the third Wednesday and the fourth Thursday of each month.

WE NEED YOU to help to continue this important ministry

Let Denise Forgue know of your interest and she’ll get you started. Contact Denise at (413-733-5644) or mems5luvs@gmail.com)

If you don’t have time on one Wednesday or Thursday morning a month, how about buying pasta for the meal? Name brand "tube" pasta is preferred rather than generic brands that don’t hold up to baking. Pasta donations can be placed in the labeled bin by the mailboxes or on the counter in the kitchen upstairs. You can also call Brian Kingsley at 860-794-0847 or Vance Gagnon at 413-209-4522 and they will arrange to pick-up of your pasta donation.

If you are able to donate toward the cost of the meal, please write a check to ELUMC with “Loaves & Fishes” on the memo line. Thank you!

Sunday Evening Check-Ins in August

As many of us are missing each other without our traditional in-person worship ser-

vices, let’s get together on Sunday evenings in August at the church for a distant visit with one another. It will be fun to catch up with each other, to see each other (from a distance of course) and to hear how everyone is spending their time during this very unusual year.

Let’s plan to meet in the church parking lot for an hour or so starting at 5:00 pm each Sunday evening in August (weather permitting). Bring a chair, a mask and a story to share with the rest of the group. We’d love to see everyone, especially those who aren’t able to join the Friday night check-ins or the online Sunday services.

It is with sadness that we bring the news of the

passing of Dave Ritchie. Dave passed away peacefully on July 22, 2020.

He is survived by his son Scott Ritchie and his wife Paula Johnson of Conway, SC, daughter Sara Cronk and her husband James Cronk of Granby, step children Alison J. Krause and Brandon S. Krause, both of Springfield, brother Wendell Ritchie and his wife Michelle of Springfield, four grandchildren Steven and Luke Ritchie, Marley Johnson and Chet Hartman and niece Sharon Ritchie and nephew Paul Ritchie.

Dave mowed the church lawns for 43 years and showed great dedication to the maintenance of the grounds. Dave loved being outside with Mother Nature, and often remarked how much he enjoyed his encounters with the “critters.”

Dave also served several times on the board of Trustees.

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Re-Entry Team Update

(submitted by Andrew Samuelson)

The Re-Entry Team is regularly meeting to work through the state

requirements of holding in-person worship during the pandemic. As we have started to understand how we might be able to safely return to the church, we are developing protocols and preparing the church. Once these are in place, we will be reaching out again to share these plans so you may decide how you would like to participate in worship.

Where are we now: 1. There's lots of uncertainty at this time, so let's create a plan using caution and slow phasing using our own time-line.

2. We will prioritize the needs of those who need support with technology.

Where we are going: 1. A survey will be sent to church members, so that we may work from an understanding of the thoughts and concerns of everyone.

2. Additionally, we will have a "reach out" campaign to check in on our church family members.

3. Safety supplies (hand sanitizer and masks) have been ordered and will be available once we are ready to gather together again.

Looking forward: 1. Pastor Katherine will start a Bible study group on Wednesdays at the church to start having in-person small group gatherings.

2. As of July 21, the worship service will remain on-line until we are ready to move forward. However that could change! Please expect to receive separate updates, as the committee works through this process.

Many thanks to the folks who are providing their time and energy for this important work. We realize the desire to come together in Christ is strong. However, we must be certain that we can do so safely.

New Church Roof Completed

Thanks to the hard work and determination of our friends at Jordan Roofing the church roof and the parsonage roof have been completed. Now, both our Church and our Pastor are covered safely.

Even though the church building is closed for now due to the coronavirus, we are all set, as far as the roof goes, to start our services when the time is right, secure from the wrath of mother nature.

Peace be with you all and hope to see you, IN PERSON, soon.

Photo by Brian Kingsley

Meet & Greet Sessions Practicing social dis-tancing, church members brought their lawn chairs and

donned their masks to attend the “meet & greet” sessions to welcome ELUMC’s new Pastor the Rev. Katherine Mitchell.

These sessions allowed Pastor Katherine to tell us a little bit about herself, and gave those who attended a chance to introduce themselves.

Photos by Kelly Greene Don’t miss out on any important

church e-mails. Please notify the church office if you change your

e-mail address.

SAFE SANCTUARIES

This church is committed to providing a safe place for our children.

Address Service Requested

East Longmeadow United Methodist Church 215 Somers Road, STE 2

East Longmeadow, MA 01028-2998

413-525-7416 • a reconciling congregation www.elumc.org

THE SUNDAY EXPERIENCE in August

10:00 a.m. – Livestream Worship THE SUNDAY EXPERIENCE in September

10:00 a.m. – Livestream Worship

The Methodist Messenger is a journal of the ministry of The East Longmeadow United Methodist Church. Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.

The annual worship retreat has been scheduled for October 23rd through October 25th at Prindle Pond Conference Center in Charlton, MA. This center is considered Nature’s Classroom and their motto is to Think Outside the Books. The cost is $125 per person and includes a two night stay and three meals.

Please contact Kelly Greene for additional details.

Save the Date

For the on-line church calendar follow this link:

http://57650311.view-events.com/

,We're bringing Leadership Institute to YOU for an all-new ONLINE experience.

So whether you're in your home office, on your couch or gathered with a group from your church, we invite you to:

Invest in your growth. Invest in the growth of your team.

Whether you are clergy, church staff, or a lay leader in your church, join us ONLINE for 2 days of inspiration, practical ministry tools and proven strategies to strengthen

your church and your own leadership.

The online format is packed with relevant and actionable leadership development content through a live-streamed event, plus on-demand bonus material

for every member of your ministry team.

Individual tickets are just $49.

With the low ticket price and no travel expenses, you can include and engage more of your team leaders in every ministry area across the church.

We'd love for you to join us for this opportunity to learn and connect - so gather your team and register today for Leadership Institute 2020!

For more information and to register please contact the church office

at 413-525-7416 or info@elumc.org

If financial aid is needed please contact Rev. Katherine Mitchell at pastorkatherinem@gmail.com