September 2015

Volume XX Issue 8

“In worship, fellowship and service we seek God’s peace as revealed in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.”

The Madison Methodist The Madison Methodist The Madison Methodist

MessageMessageMessage

The United Methodist Church in Madison

24 Madison Avenue Madison, NJ 07940

“at the corner of Drew University”

church@umcmadison.org www.umcmadison.org

Tel: 973.377.1231

A Message from the Pastor

On Thursday August 27th, Kate Silliman, Natalie Dines and I

had a chance to attend teacher training at Chancellor Avenue

School in Newark. Some of you may not know we have been

working with elementary students for over 20 years at Chancellor

in the SCEEP program (now called The Crossing).

It is a privilege to be invited as a guest into the ongoing life and

work of a different community. There are certainly differences

between the suburbs and the city, yet there are so many common

features we share and that is evident in our time with the staff.

I have never been a fan of ice breakers but there was such an ease with which we joined in, I felt like one of the group

right away. The dedication and strength of character of each of these teachers is evident as we shared different challenges

that face students, families and staff at Chancellor.

In our day and age there is all too often great friction between communities divided along ethnic, religious and racial lines

(not to mention economics and culture differences as well). Solutions are never easy but the key always has something to

do with relationships. Anything worthwhile starts there and is sustained there.

I am grateful for the relationships we have established with Chancellor and look forward to the future season.

If you or anyone you know is interested in being a tutor or helping in some way, let me know. Feel free to call the office

or email me at rwshoaf@verizon/net. Our first program meeting is Monday September 21st, 3:30 pm at the church.

Grace and Peace,

Finding the Key

Fall Schedule

Begins September 13

Early Morning Worship — 8:30 a.m.

Family Worship — 10:00 a.m.

Coffee & Fellowship — 11:15 a.m.

The Gathering Worship—5:00 p.m (pot luck dinner)

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Staff & Elected Officers Pastor

Rev. Robb W. Shoaf, Ph.D Student Assistant Pastor

Chelsea Jackson Director of Music & Organist

Susan McAdoo, D.M.A. Director of Christian Education

Kathleen Keane Office Administrator/Editor

Natalie Dines Sexton Marlice Borecki

David Green Chair, Church Council Jim Balfe Treasurer Mac Cobb Assistant to Treasurer Scot Guempel Financial Secretary Alan Voorhees Finance Chair Gordon Fleming Facility Management Vic Schumacher President, Trustees

Program Facilitators Nurture Ministries

Lisa Moro Outreach Ministries

Jeanne Eisele Witness/Igniting Ministry

Kris Pfeifer Worship Ministries

Lisa Carballo Education/Youth

Kathleen Keane & Chelsea Jackson

Trustees

Vic Schumacher Gordon Fleming Mike Kroeger Luke McKinnon Shin-Ok Ha Wade Merrick

Dan Engel Nori Tadano JoAnn Van Sciver

September 2015

Ushering in the Fall Season

JOIN THE USHER CORPS!

SERVE ONE SUNDAY A MONTH

GREET OUR CONGREGTION

HANDLE THE COLLECTION PLATE

LEARN NEW TECHNICAL SKILLS

MANAGE THE THERMOSTAT DURING HEATING SEASON

MANAGE THE CEILING FANS DURING THE SUMMER

IF YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES, CALL VIC SCHUMACHER @ 862-324-4275

OR

EMAIL VHSCHUMACHER@VERIZON.NET.

Chelsea, Parker and some happy kids enjoyed 4 weeks of VBS. The

sessions where held each Wednesday night from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. The

program covered many important life lessons together with some FUN

which included baking, diaper experiments (kids LOVED this one) and

Pastor Robb held a S’mores night. Thank you Chelsea and Parker for

all your hard work and giving the kids a great experience!

Vacation Bible Study 2015

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Other News ... Bits and briefs

September 2015

2015-2017 Capital Campaign

Greetings from the Capital Campaign,

Contributions to date are $105,576. ($90,026 for 2014 and $15,550 this year to date)

For those of you who have not been in the Church over the

past several weeks, a transformation has almost finished.

Our beautiful organ has received a much needed update and

is now digital and can move on its wheels. This gives us a

myriad of options of how we can deliver our music during

our services, special events, and even productions by our

youth! Also to note are that the pipes are being repaired

and the floor was redone. The work on that portion of the

Capital Campaign is nearing its end!

We also wanted to report that the Capital Campaign will be

meeting on Sunday September 13th after the Church

Service. We will be going over updates, as well as discuss-

ing a disbursement of funds for the Service part of our

Capital Campaign. A recent trip by several of our Church

members to serve meals to workers at the Sandy Relief site

in The Highlands on August 20th revealed that the site had

to release some of their staff. They, like other nonprofits

with regard to Hurricane Sandy Relief, are seeing funding

begin to dry up.

As always, continue to give what you can to support our

Church for future generations. If you have questions, need

to update or make a pledge to the campaign, feel free to

contact Stewart Robinette at stewartsrobinette@gmail.com

or simply stop by the Church Office! Stewart Robinette

Picture on

right— AFWH,

volunteers

visited

Highlands host-

ing center

August 2015

Annual Church Conference Saturday, October 24 at 9:30

Everyone is invited to attend as we celebrate the past year

of ministry and look forward to the future.

Venue: Livingston UMC

Chancel Choir Rehearsals Begin

C hancel Choir rehearsals begin on Thursday, Sept. 10

at 8 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. Our first official

Sunday will be September 13, with a rehearsal at

9:30 a.m. before the 10 a.m. service.

If you are interested in joining the choir, please contact

Susan McAdoo at music@umcmadison.org.

Whew…

ALMOST

DONE

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September 2015

October Newsletter Deadline: September 22

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 7:30 pm Trustees Meeting 8 pm AA

2

3

Fall Office Hours resume

8:30—2:30

4

5

6

9:30 Family Service 10:30 Coffee hour on the lawn

7 LABOR DAY

OFFICE CLOSED

8 8 pm AA

9

6:30 am Men’s Breakfast

17 8 pm Chancel Choir

11

12

13 8:30 am Early Service 10 am Woship/Ch. School 5:00 pm The Gathering

14 8 pm AA

15 7:30 pm Church Council 8 pm AA

16

6:30 am Men’s Breakfast

17 8 pm Chancel Choir

18

19

20 8:30 am Early Service 10 am Woship/Ch. School 5:00 pm The Gathering

21 Newsletter Deadline 3 pm The Crossing

7:30 Church Council 8 pm AA

22

8 pm AA

23 6:30 am Men’s Breakfast

24 8 pm Chancel Choir

25

26

27 8:30 am Early Service 10 am Woship/Ch. School 5:00 pm The Gathering

28 8 pm AA

29

8 pm AA

30 OCT 3

BOTTLE HILL DAY

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September 2015

From the

Student Assistant Pastor United Methodist Women

Hello Everyone!

I hope you all have had a wonderful summer! It never

seems quite long enough, does it! Still, even as the warm

air still sits upon us, we know all seasons must come to

an end.

It is my hope that as we settle back into school and rou-

tines we take time to reflect on what was hopefully an

adventurous and rejuvenating summer. As we appreciate

what this past season has brought I also look forward to

the Fall with great anticipation!

Staff has already been working hard to plan and coordi-

nate events for the Fall. One program I am excited about

is a new Sunday afternoon worship service. Scott and

Christiana Ostlund, Parker, Robb and I have been

working hard to coordinate this worship service. Though

the service will differ slightly from the morning services,

it is our goal to provide yet another space of worship,

reflection and community at UMC Madison. We will

kick off this new service on Sunday September 13th, with

worship at 5 pm and a potluck at 6 pm. Everyone is

invited to attend!

I will also be hosting a Youth Council Meeting on Sun-

day September 20th right after church in the sanctuary.

All are invited, and youth and parents are encouraged to

attend. We will use this time to look toward the Fall and

decide upon the programs we will be involved in.

Lastly, please keep your eyes out for a youth book study I

am hosting. Though I do not have specifics quite yet, I

will be hosting a Fall book study for youth ages 7th grade

and up. If you think your student will be interested

please let me know! I will let you know as I have more

details!

Again, I hope you all had a wonderful summer, I am very

excited about this Fall and the adventures it will bring! I

look forward to moving forward and growing with you

all throughout this next season!

In Peace,

Chelsea

The Naomi Circle of United Methodist Women has several

activities planned for September and beyond:

1. On Wednesday, September 23rd we will join in an eco-

logical boat tour on the Hackensack River (for more info go

to www.hackensackriverkeeper.org), which we are opening

to the whole Church. The cost would be $23 and the tour

takes about 2 hours. We would car-pool from Church; time

to be determined. Please contact me by telephone or email if

you are interested and I will make sure to send the date de-

cided on and final details.

2. Annual Meeting of Gateway North District of UMW is

scheduled for Saturday, September 26, from 9 to 2 pm at Ir-

vington UMC. Dr. Stephanie Bush-Baskette will speak about

Mass Incarceration: Impact on Families, Children & the

Community. Lunch will follow the business meeting and

program. Our circle has attended and benefited from these

meetings in the past and and hopes to attend this year. Please

let me know if you can join us.

3. There is a new exhibit at the United Methodist Archives at

Drew University, where rare copies of the Book of Common

Prayer will be displayed. I would like to make arrangements

to tour this exhibit in October. Look for more information in

the October Message.

The Naomi Circle is continuing to collect for The Neighbor-

hood Center of Camden, New Jersey, which is supported by

United Methodist Women and the Board of Global Ministries

of the United Methodist Church. The Neighborhood Center

helps with the needs of young adults, senior citizens, children

and teenagers in Camden, an area of extreme poverty. The

donations continue to come in, and so far we have sent over

$500 to the Neighborhood Center. Donations can be made by

collection of quarters in plastic medicine vials (please use

your own vial) or by placing a check payable to “United

Methodist Women” in the offering plate. Please note

“Neighborhood Center” in the memo portion of your check.

Please notify me by phone at 973-377-9407 or email at

hager1@optonline.net if you have a collection of quarters you

would like to turn over. The donations are deposited into the

United Methodist Woman bank account and a check is then

issued to The Neighborhood Center.

With thanks

Laurie Hagerich

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September 2015

OUTREACH MINISTRY TEAM Honoring God’s gift of Jesus by sharing with others

The United Methodist Homes of New Jersey (http://

www.umh-nj.org/) provide affordable and comfortable

living for seniors. The Homes are supported by the

churches in the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference

(GNJAC). Ten residences, split between full service com-

munities and affordable housing, are home to 1,300 resi-

dents. The UM Homes Foundation Fellowship Fund

was established to help fulfill the promise that “No resi-

dent will ever be asked to leave due to inability to pay the

total cost of care.” The Fellowship Fund meets its com-

mitment to the communities by covering expenses not

covered by health insurance and other sources. These in-

clude rent, meals, housekeeping, laundry service, medical

supplies, prescriptions, and doctors’

visits.

Do something GRAND for Grandpar-

ents Day on Sunday, September 13,

join the Walk for all Ages which will

be held in Ocean Grove starting at noon. This is the major

annual fundraiser for the Fellowship Fund. You can par-

ticipate by walking, supporting a participant or making a

donation to continue the work of the Fellowship Fund.

Your gift is welcome any time. Note UM Homes of NJ in

the memo of your check to UMC in Madison or send di-

rectly to the UM Homes of NJ Foundation, 3311 State

Route 33, Neptune, NJ 07753, and Note UMC in Madison

on the check memo. Thank you for your continuing sup-

port of the Fellowship Fund and the

United Methodist Homes of NJ.

Thank you from the Sandy

Recovery Volunteers

Thank you for the wonderful support that brought a

delicious meal to the volunteers with A Future with

Hope at the Highlands Hosting Center on August

20th. While the number of volunteers was lower than

planned for, they were so appreciative of the excel-

lent food that was ready and waiting for them when

they returned from their work sites. Most of the left-

over food was bagged either for the volunteers to eat

on their return trip home or to share with the four

families whose homes were completed during their

service project week. The volunteers were mostly

from Emmanuel UMC (aka Church of the Bells) Ca-

millus, NY (near Syracuse). Those of our team who

drove down to serve food truly enjoyed meeting them

and hearing about their many years of service to-

gether. In addition, all the household supplies donated

over the summer for the Hosting Center were deliv-

ered and gratefully received as well.

172Homes Complete, 28 Homes Under Construction, 13 Homes in Queue,

10,195 Volunteers, 15 Host Sites, 383 Hosting Capacity, 400 Families Working with Case Managers

Interfaith Food Pantry Backpack Project

THANK YOU all for your support of the BackPack School

Supply project for the clients of the Interfaith Food Pantry.

Supplies are already were distributed to the student family

members of the Pantry clients in August as they prepared for

school. Supplies weighing ~100 pounds were delivered August

18th. Additional supplies will always find a grateful home.

Backpack, notebook, crayons, markers, paper, folders, rulers,

pencils, erasers, pencil cases, etc.

Family Promise opens OUR PROMISE in Morristown

In July, the Our Promise Drop-in Center, finally opened in

Morristown to provide support services for approximately 20-

25 chronically homeless individuals. The Center is open daily,

when clients can meet with staff for case management, referral

to benefit and other social services. Also provides clients a

mailing address and other amenities such as computers, docu-

ment storage, and access to phones and restrooms for personal

hygiene. Our Promise received a Jones Fund grant to help

with their start up and Center preparation costs.

Other Outreach News –

Some highlights of The United Methodist Committee on

Relief

UMCOR distributed wildfire-related emergency grants to both the

Pacific Northwest and California-Nevada conferences as wild fires

burned throughout the Pacific Northwest during August. The fires

were sparked by lightning and swept by high winds to bring devasta-

tion to many communities in the drought plagued region. Volunteers

from throughout the denomination’s Pacific Northwest Conference,

which encompasses Washington and 10 counties in the northern pan-

handle of Idaho, have been assisting in disaster response. This same

region experienced severe fires in 2014 and many homeowners are

not able to get homeowners fire insurance. The UMCOR grants and

assistance from Volunteers In Mission is crucial to their recovery and

ability to return home.

Ten years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Or-

leans, Hartzell UMC is still recovering. Through the devotion of con-

gregation members who have been able to remain in the 9th Ward, the

sanctuary was restored and reopened in 2007, but most of the mem-

bers have not been able to return to homes in the area. But the faith-

ful continue to worship together in Hartzell UMC and look forward

to the future when they can reopen the neighborhood support center

that was a meeting place for the whole community.

In Christ’s service,

Jeanne Eisele

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Wade Merrick George Alvey

Connor O’Neill Nancy Guempel

Jean White Dick Tisch

The Simpson Family

Abby Shoaf

Our Church Family People we remembered in prayer

September 2015

Known Birthdays in September

Natalie Dines

Ryan Cobb

Noah Countermine

Stephen De Pasque

Karen Fleming Speice

Kelyn Wicke Howard

Andrew Manz

Cameron McIsaac

Tyler McKinnon

Maddie Merrick

Arthur Skeen Robinette

Erica Van Sciver

News from

Family Promise

Bottle Hill Day—October 3

W e need volunteers to staff our booth for one or two

hour shifts. If you’d like to be involved in this

outreach, contact Chelsea Jackson (cjackson3@drew.edu)

or the church office (church@umcmadison.org).

Fair Trade Coffee Sale — Sept. 6

During coffee hour in the church library.

***JOIN US***

UMC Madison has now completed its commitment to

assist with the Family Promise families at St. Vincent’s

Martyr Church for 3 weeks during 2015. Our last time to

help was during the week of August 1, when there was

again a full house of 9 adults and 5 children, ranging in

age from 15 years to two infants, 8 and 9 months old.

Karen Jeisi headed up the meal preparation and serving,

with the help of Katy Galton. Kris Pfeiffer and Leah At-

terbury helped in the evening, and Hans Morsink stayed

overnight. Many thanks to all who helped over the sum-

mer. Our next chance to volunteer with the families at St.

Vincent’s will be in February, 2016.

There is a training session scheduled for Sunday,

September 27, from 1 to 3 pm for anyone considering

becoming a volunteer or for experienced volunteers who

would like a refresher:

The sessions are a good opportunity to find out how the

program works and how to most effectively interact with

guests. To register for the training session, please call

Family Promise at 973-998-0820 for further instructions

and directions to the Day Center in Morris Plains.

Family Promises latest newsletter had some very encour-

aging news about three families who have recently

moved into permanent housing and three car donations

that were received for clients within one month. There

was also news of a successful Connections Retreat held

in June, with the assistance of many adult and teen volun-

teers who delivered food, provided child care and led

children’s activities.

The full newsletter can be accessed at Family Promise’s

website, www.familypromisemorris.org.

Please call or see me in Church if you are able to help

with any of the above needs or have any questions about

Family Promise..

Laurie Hagerich

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Early Morning Worship 8:30 a.m.

Family Worship & Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Childcare is available for infants and toddlers.

Coffee and Fellowship 11:15 a.m

The Gathering Worship 5:00 p.m.

(Please note: Our final 9:30 a.m. worship service is September 6)

Coming Up:

September 1 Trustee’s Meeting 7:30 PM

September 7 LABOR DAY—OFFICE CLOSED

September 10 Choir Rehearsals Being 8:00 PM

September 13 Fall Worship Schedule Begins,

Sunday School Kickoff

September 13 The Gathering Worship 5:00 PM (pot luck dinner)

September 21 Church Council Meeting 7:30 PM

October 3 Bottle Hill Day

Check our website for more information: www.umcmadison.org

FALL SCHEDULE

STARTS SEPT. 13

VBS 2015 July 15, 22, 29 and

Aug 5