The Trumpet Call: Our Vision

East Stroudsburg
United Methodist Church
Our Vision:
To challenge and encourage everyone
in our congregation to know and follow Christ by:
Growing as disciples through Christs

teachings
Connecting with one another in
Christian community
Serving Christ by serving others
Praising God as we worship Christ
Sunday Services
8:30 a.m. Traditional
9:45 a.m. Contemporary

11:00 a.m. Traditional
East Stroudsburg United

Methodist Church
83 S. Courtland St.
East Stroudsburg, PA 18301
(570) 421-3280
[email protected]
www.esumc.net
June 21, 2015
The Trumpet Call

Pastors Corner
Karen and I will not be with you on Sunday in worship, but

we will certainly be with you in spirit! Once again, you will
be blessed to hear a great preacher, Scott Kuhnle, in my
absence.
Some of you have asked my perspective on the listening
sessions and the process of discernment we are using as
we re-think Sunday mornings. First let me say that since I sit
on the Vision Team, I support their efforts. I want you to
know how committed the team is to getting it right by hearing from every person
who has a thought to share or question to ask.
Here are the three most common questions Ive been hearing, and my brief
responses:
1. Why dont you just tell us what the plan is for Sunday morning, and
then well respond to it? Because there is no plan yet! That is why this
current discernment and prayer process is so important. We are trying to
receive direction from the Lord and from all of you, the congregation. There
are no foregone conclusions or secret plans in place, I assure you. To make
sure you have full freedom to share your thoughts, neither I nor any other
paid staff member are part of the listening sessions.
2. Why are we even thinking of this now? Why cant we just keep things
the way they are? We see ourselves as a Spirit-led congregation, and the
Holy Spirit always keeps Gods people moving in new directions. Part of
what it means in being Spirit-led is being led by our vision, and by living
out our vision of Growing, Connecting, Serving, and Praising, we can be
the people God wants us to be. We believe we can enjoy more opportunities
for growing as disciples, connecting with one another through fellowship and
study, and worshipping and praising God on Sunday morning. The Vision
Team has actually been talking about a new model for Sunday mornings
which better reflects our church vision for more than two years, or more than
a year before I came to serve you. When the Vision Team shared with me
what their concerns were and how these were tied to the overall vision, I got
excited about new possibilities for Sunday morning. I believe in the
importance of lay-led ministry, and since this was already being talked about
before I arrived, it is vital that the laity be empowered to lead, and so they are.
Still, it is important that you hear from me as your spiritual leader on this, and
I believe God is leading us to some changes on Sunday morning which will
enhance our overall mission and ministry.
3. Can you tell us definitively that we will still have at least one traditional
service and one contemporary service on Sundays? Yes! Even if we
decide to move from three services to two on Sunday morning, we will always
have two styles of worship offered to the congregation and community.
If you havent been able to take time to express your thoughts yet, I urge you to
do so. Please see the article on p. 3 from the Vision Team, or the middle of the
bulletin on Sunday morning, which explains the five ways you can share with the
Vision Team. Please know that neither I nor any staff member are part of any
listening session, but I am closely monitoring the questions and concerns coming
anonymously to me from those involved.
Please remember that this summer, we have tremendous opportunities to be in
ministry to and with our surrounding community. VBS is just around the corner
(June 29 to July 3), and Childrens Director, Pam, can use your help. The Block
Party occurs every Thurs. evening from 6:30-8:30 pm out in front of the building; I
hope to see you there!
Blessings, Pastor Jim
Outreach Opportunities
The lord is good, a refuge in
times of trouble. He cares for
those who trust in him. Nahum
1:7
Both men and women experience
times of grief and pain. When
Christians suffer, comfort is available through Christ and through
others who have found Christ;s
care and comfort in the midst of
their sufferings. Stephen Ministers offer this Christ-like
care to those in need. Would a Stephen Minister be
Gods gift to you in the midst of a trying time?
Summer Block Party Outreach Ministry
We are in need of the following donations:

Containers of Ketchup, Mustard,
BBQ Sauce & Relish
Paper Plates & NapkinsCases
of Water and/or Soda.
Or, sign up to bring a side dish
or dessert on a designated
Thursday- Contact Scott Kuhnle
(610) 368-1240. AND WE
NEED YOU! Show up and
enjoy the food and fellowship
every Thursday in June and July from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
For further information, contact Peggy Strack at the

church office, 570-421-3280, ext. 1023.
Janett Raughley continues to recover at home from
health concerns. Cards and notes may be sent to her:

1080 Courtright Lane, East Stroudsburg, Pa. 18302.
Our Second Block Party on June 11
Opportunities/News
June 13-14: A Weekend of Wellness, Generosity, Music, and Fun!
Thanks to all of our church volunteers who supported the
American Cancer Societys Relay for Life this weekend!
There were many signed up to walk and to help in many
different areas. Team Pocono Fight, ESUMCs relay team
which participated in the American Cancer Societys Relay for Life, surpassed
their goal of raising
$5,000.00 dollars for the
American
Cancer Society!
Bruce and Ann Osbun

captained the team of
walkers and runners

who lapped the
track at East
Stroudsburg University non-stop for 24
hours! The total
raised by all of the
community teams
for the American
Cancer Society was over $131,000.00! Way to go teams!
Many members of the Run For God team participated in

the Relay for Life and also ran the Josh Miller 5K in
Stroudsburg on Sunday! ESUMC medal winners for their
respective age groups: Tim Visser, Blake Hollister, Amy
Hollister, and Chris Perfetti. Congratulations to everyone!
Finally, there were many in attendance at the Organ
Series Variety Concert held in the Sanctuary on
Sunday afternoon, June 14. More than $500 was raised
for Family Promise. Many thanks for all who helped,
especially Pauline Fox for organizing the event.
Opportunities/News
Please Support our Pocono Mission
Connexion and its Member Churches!
Pastor Candy LaBar of Faith UMC in
Stroudsburg will hold a summer book
discussion every Monday in July and
August at Bovinos Pizzeria (next to
East Stroudsburg South HS) beginning
at 6:00 p.m. The book used is Peter
Enns new book entitled, The Bible Tells
Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has
Made us Unable to Read It. The book is
available in hardcover for $18 or as a download from Amazon
for $14. Participants are invited to have dinner and enjoy pizza
during the sessions. Please contact Pastor LaBar at [email protected] or 570-466-5866 by June 22 to reserve your
spot and (if needed) to order your book.
Dont Miss Your Chance to Attend a Listening

Session About Possible Changes to our Sunday
Morning Schedule
The Vision Team is conducting a series of listening sessions to hear your ideas and thoughts on worship at ESUMC.
This is your chance to voice an opinion on reshaping worship
and strengthening our relationship with God. Join one of the
Mid-Week group sessions or have a One on One session between services with one of our Vision team members.
Sign-up sheets are in Fellowship Hall or visit the Church
Facebook site and reserve your space. Mid-Week Sessions
are: June 23rd 10am or 7pm, June 26th 3pm. Cant make a
mid-week session? Grab a 15 minute slot on Sunday, June
21.
Your voice is important to us! We have convened a discernment team along with a subset of Vision team members
Sun & Sand: Sonday

Summer Seekers
Children in Preschool through 5th grade
are welcome to join us every Sunday during the summer for this childrens program.
Instruction will take place in a large group
setting while children seek to find Gods
Wonders in the summer season. Pastor Jim will dismiss the
children from the 9:45 a.m. service so they can meet their
teachers at the back of the church. Sonday Summer Seekers
is also looking for adults to instruct this large group. If you
can help out, please sign up on the sign-up sheets located
downstairs on the table below the television. If you have any
questions regarding Sonday Summer Seekers, please
email Pam OBrien at [email protected].
A Note from our Church Bookkeeper
At this time, ESUMC is having our financial accounts

reviewed by Riley & Co. If your group has an
account that uses the tax ID number of the church
your account must be included in this review. Please
begin gathering the following information - your
December 2013 proof, all deposit records, all receipts for all checks written in 2014 to present, your
2014 proof, and all statements from Dec 2013 to
present. Someone from the finance team will contact you to set up
a meeting for your review.
Thank You, Sue Mertz
and representatives from each of the services to review all the

input and make a decision in July. Your prayers and support
will be needed in the weeks leading up to that decision and in
the time of implementation afterwards. Feel free to reach out
to the members of the Vision team at any time. They are:
Richard Mayers, Cathy Saunders, Sandy Olberholtzer, Peggy
Strack, Homer Lee, Lynn Pappalardo, Jeff Durney, Dave
Thompson, Linda Drake, Dana Malefyt, Blanche Jackson, Kurt
Visser, Brianna Ragonese, and Mike Ragonese.
Serving on the Vision Team is a privilege that presents the
opportunity to examine how the church can best serve God
and carry out the Mission for which God has called us. It requires that each of us maintains an attitude of humility, a continued commitment, and a fervent desire to serve God in our
community. Most importantly, we need and covet your prayers.
On Sunday, July 12th, there will be a 12 hour prayer vigil
from 8 am till 8 pm. The team asks that you will support us by
signing up for a 20 minute slot to come to Eaton Chapel and
pray to pray for the Vision Team as we compile all of your input from the listening sessions. You may sign up for more
than one time slot if you so desire, and if you are unable to
come to the chapel, you may sign up and pray at home. We
also encourage everyone to attend the Wednesday night prayer group that meets from 7 till 8:30 in Eaton Chapel. Prayer is
our immediate access into God's presence. As you pray this
week focus on the these powerful facts about God's word
found in Hebrews:
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any
double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and
spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and intentions
of the heart." Heb 4:12
Pray that the entire body here at ESUMC will direct their
hearts and minds toward God, and that we will seek ways to
serve and grow closer to Him.
To God be all the glory. . . The Vision Team
Everest
VBS
June 29 July 3
9:00 a.m. to Noon
Sign up to be a
participant or volunteer by going to http://
www.groupvbspro.com/vbs/ez/EverestESUMC. Donations for
snacks, decorations, curriculum and other odds and ends
always make our Vacation Bible School much more fantastic.
Please check the VBS bulletin board located in Oberholtzer
Hall if you are interested in donating to Vacation Bible School.
Many of the materials needed for VBS needed to be bought
through the Publisher because of their uniqueness. You cant
buy a befuddler in your local store! If you would like to make
a monetary donation to cover the cost of these materials,
please drop your monetary donation off in the church office in
an envelope labeled VBS Monetary Donation or you can
place it in the offering plate. Bring your other donations to
either the church office or drop them off in the bins under the
VBS bulletin board. Please label the items VBS. Email
Childrens Ministry Director Pam OBrien at
[email protected] if you have any questions.
June Dollar Challenger for Pregnancy Resources

We are looking for lotion, shampoo, bibs, baby wipes, teething
rings, etc. Most items can be
found at Dollar Tree in the baby
aisle. Please help us support
this wonderful organization.
The next meeting will be held July 8th.
Information of things you can do to
prolong not going into a nursing home will
be presented. Also, differences between
various types of nursing homes. While
you may never need this information, you may be able to help
your friends or relatives. Watch the Trumpet Call for a complete
schedule of the program.
Many thanks to Joe, Doug, and Andy, plus our
guests, the Back Family, for a very entertaining
musical program last Sunday afternoon, to UMW
for the lovely reception, and to the audience for
generously donating over $500 to Family Promise.
Staff Contact Information Main Office: 570-421-3280
Pastor: Jim Todd
Church Secretary: Maria Ragonese
Congregational Care: Peggy Strack
Music & Worship: Andy Waddell
Youth Ministry: Scott Kuhnle
Childrens Ministry: Pam OBrien
Technology Support: Michael Corey
Finances: Sue Mertz
Financial Secretary: Cyndie Faunce
Maintenance:
Foundations Preschool
Fellowship Hall Kitchen
Church (Inside Breezeway)
Organist: Pauline Fox
Audio-visuals: Joe Dorsch
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
1014
1010
1023
1011
1013
1017
1012
1015
1025
[email protected]
1019
1030
1031
------
[email protected]
[email protected]
Pregnancy Resource Center

Baby Bottle Boomerang
You can return your baby bottles
to Jill Malefyt or Jenni Poole at
the table in Fellowship Hall on
June 21 or 28. All proceeds help
to support the Pregnancy
Resource Center of the Poconos.

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East Stroudsburg

United Methodist Church

Growing as disciples through Christs

9:45 a.m. Contemporary

East Stroudsburg United

June 21, 2015

The Trumpet Call

Karen and I will not be with you on Sunday in worship, but

Summer Block Party Outreach Ministry

We are in need of the following donations:

For further information, contact Peggy Strack at the

Janett Raughley continues to recover at home from

health concerns. Cards and notes may be sent to her:

Bruce and Ann Osbun

walkers and runners

Many members of the Run For God team participated in

Dont Miss Your Chance to Attend a Listening

Sun & Sand: Sonday

A Note from our Church Bookkeeper

At this time, ESUMC is having our financial accounts

and representatives from each of the services to review all the

June Dollar Challenger for Pregnancy Resources

Pregnancy Resource Center

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