THE TRUMPET CALL

East Stroudsburg United Methodist Church

March 13, 2016

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 and Studies

Traditional 8:30 am
Contemporary 10:45 am
Sunday School 9:45 am

Now calling for Readers and Actors for short dramas!

Contact Paul Grimes at Paul.W.Grimes@Sherwin.com
Rehearsal options for singers:
Thursday March 17 at 6:30-7:00 in Choir Room
Tuesday and Thursday March 29 and 31, all at 6:30-8:00
Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday April 4, 6, and 7, all at
6:30-8:00
Questions? Contact Pauline Fox at foxes@esumc.net or
570-223-9889.

Pastors Corner
One of the spiritual disciplines of the Christian life easily forgotten or neglected is the
discipline of fasting. In my own life and ministry, I have gone through phases where
fasting has been both embraced and ignored, yet when it has been an intentional
discipline for me, it has been of great benefit to my spiritual life. Whether or not we've
ignored it until now, there is never a bad time to start fasting to deepen our devotion to
God!
The first thing that John Wesley, founder of Methodism, did to prepare to receive the
Lords Supper on Sunday was to fast for the purpose of focusing his attention on God. Wesley also refused
to ordain people to the Methodist ministry who did not regularly fast every Wednesday and Friday. Yet he
did not believe fasting was a spiritual discipline reserved for only ministers or the most devout Methodists.
When Wesley drafted The General Rules of the Methodist Church, he noted that It is expected of all who
desire to continue in these societies that they should continue to evidence their desire of salvation, by
attending upon all the ordinances of God, such are: the public worship of God; the ministry of the Word,
either read or expounded; the Supper of the Lord; family and private prayer; searching the Scriptures; and
fasting or abstinence.
Of course, in the 18th Century, there were not many other things to fast from but food. In our day, we have
a whole variety of entertainment and social media that often consume all of our free time (and perhaps,
some work time, too?). If the purpose of fasting is to focus our attention on God, then maybe it's a great
idea to look at those things which distract our attention from God, and make a conscious decision to fast
from those.
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If I can be so bold as to call for a fast for all of us on Good Friday, then let
me put it out there: since we have nothing happening in our church on
Good Friday this year, perhaps we could all take a personal fast that day
to think and pray and meditate on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
There is something "near and dear" to us that we can fast from on that
special day of remembrance. It may be food, it may be Facebook or
Twitter, it may be the television or newspaper. It might be all of the
above! Whatever we can put aside that day to focus on Jesus and his
sacrifice for us will help to deepen our faith in him. It would be wonderful
if all of us could fast together on Good Friday, and then go on to make
fasting a regular part of our spiritual disciplines. Please let me know how
it goes for you if you decide to do this. Even now, declares the Lord,
return to Me with all your heart, with fasting..." Joel 2:12
Pastor Jim

Read the Bible in a Year

I believe we face many crossroads in life; points in time where we dont
always know how to move forward or choose a different path. Reliance upon the
Old and New Testaments of the Bible steers the direction of our journeys
through the rich illustrations found throughout the pages of our guidebook on
faith.
This week we consider the readings from Numbers and the Gospels of Luke
and Mark. We begin with Moses sending out 12 spies to scope out the Promised
Land. They return to warn him not to move forward because the land is full of
giants. I believe one of the greatest tragedies in our church today is we see
giants as well that prevent us from moving forward to fulfill our potential
as Christians to make a difference in a broken world.
But our reading moves us into the New Testament where we learn that
Jesus is the complete revelation of God. What Jesus does uniquely for us is to
reveal who God is and how much God loves us. Our fears, the giants that
threaten, are countered and conquered by the promise of Easter in the
reality of the risen Christ.
One of my favorite praise songs is titled Who Am I. Reflect upon
these words and be blessed by the unfathomable love and constant presence of
God:
Who am I that the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name, would care to feel my hurt?
Who am I that the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way for my ever wandering heart?
Not because of who I am, but because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done, but because of who you are.
Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin,
Would look on me with love and watch me rise again?
Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain and calm the storm in me?
Not because of who I am, but because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done, but because of who you are.
I am a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow,
a wave tossed in the ocean, a vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling
and you told me who I am:
I am Yours - I am Yours

(Written by Mark Hall, 2004. Performed by Casting Crowns)

Listen to it at https://youtu.be/hMPCNrWNCg8
So my friends Read on! Pastor Bob Hachtman
2

Stephen Ministry

Compassionate Care

Heal me. O Lord, and I will be

healed, save me and I will be saved,
for you are the one I praise.
Jeremiah 17:14
Many people face tough times
every day of their lives. Whether they
are caring for a sick family member,
going through a long period of
unemployment, or experiencing
incurable pain, they may benefit from
the support and care of a Stephen
Minister. Our congregation is
committed to providing care to those
who need it. For more information
about Stephen Ministry, contact
Peggy Strack at 570-421-3280, ext.
1023.
Members of ESUMC who are unable
to attend church, always enjoy
hearing from you! Cards and notes of
encouragement may be sent to:
Betty Quick
Room 105B Pleasant Valley Manor
4227 Manor Drive
Stroudsburg, PA 18360
Hearing Assistance
Devices are Here!

ESUMC now owns several hearing

assistance devices which can be worn to
improve your ability to hear our worship
services. Please contact an usher to pick
up your hearing assistance device and
return to an usher after use.
Healthcare Equipment available:
Canes, crutches, walkers, adult potty
chairs, shower stools, Depends and more!
Contact Peggy, 570-421-3280, ext. 1023.

Maundy Thursday
Ushers & Greeters Needed

Not able to serve on a regular basis, then

volunteer for Thursday, March 24th as part
of our Welcome Team.
Please contact Kathy Hinkey at
570.236.8183
or k_hinkey@hotmail.com

Lyric Sheets Available for

Contemporary Service
Lyric Sheets are available for the 10:45 a.m.
Contemporary Service for anyone who may
have trouble seeing the screens. If you need
a packet, please ask the ushers and they
would be happy to provide you with a copy.

Read The Bible In A Year

73Numbers 1, Numbers 2:1-9,
Luke 1:26-38, Psalm 33:12-22
74Numbers 2:10-34, Numbers 3,
Luke 1:39-56,Psalm 34:1-10
75Numbers 4, Numbers 5:1-10,
Luke 1:57-80, Psalm 34:11-22
76Numbers 5:11-31, Numbers 6:1-27,
Luke 2:1-20, Proverbs 7:6-20
77Numbers 7:1-65, Luke 2:21-40,
Psalm 35:1-10
78Numbers 7:66-89, Numbers 8,
Numbers 9:1-14, Luke 2:41-52,
Psalm 35:11-18
79Numbers 9:15-23, Numbers 10,
Numbers 11:1-3, Luke 3:1-22,
Psalm 35:19-28
80Numbers 11:4-35, Numbers 12,
Numbers 13:1-25, Luke 3:23-38, Luke 4:1-13,
Proverbs 7:21-27
81Numbers 13:26-33, Numbers 14,
Luke 4:14-37, Psalm 36:1-12
82Numbers 15, Numbers 16:1-35,
Luke 4:38-44, Luke 5:1-16,
Psalm 37:1-9
83Numbers 16:36-50, Numbers 17,
Numbers 18, Luke 5:17-32, Psalm 37:10-20
84Numbers 19, Numbers 20,
Numbers 21:1-3, Luke 5:33-39, Luke 6:1-11,
Proverbs 8:1-11

New Church Directory During the weeks of May 16-21 and

May 23-28, a photographer from Re: Member Church Directories
will be at ESUMC to photograph our church family for a new
directory. All who are photographed will receive a FREE 8X10
portrait and a FREE directory! Sign-ups for photo sessions begin
mid-April.

Holy Thursday Soup Supper

Volunteers are needed to make soup for the

soup supper on Holy Thursday, March 24. If you
are willing to bring a crock pot full of your
favorite soup please contact Ray Moeller at
570-369-3131.

Adult Mission Trip

We will be doing Hurricane Sandy home repairs

in Brooklyn. All skill levels are welcome.
Scholarship help is available.
We are offering two exciting choices Two day trip from Thursday night, April 7
through Saturday, April 9 or...
Week long trip from Sunday, April 3 through Saturday, April 9
For information or to register contact Pat Braun 570-269-5043.

Cookie Deliverers Needed! Plates of Easter cookies and a

craft have been prepared for our nursing home and homebound
members. If you would be willing to help deliver them during the
week of March 13th, please contact Peggy Strack, 570-421-3280.

Save the date for VBS

Coming June 20-24 from 9-12
To register go to link below:
http://www.esumc.net/
vacation-bible-school-2/

Events

Contact Us

SWAT Meeting:

Church Office
(570) 421-3280
church@esumc.net
Hours: 9 am to 3 pm
Mon thru Fri
Pastor
Jim Todd
jtodd@esumc.net
Ext. 1014

Safe Sanctuary Training

Secretary
Maria Ragonese
mragonese@esumc.net
Ext. 1010

HIKING.

The next hike will be on Sunday, March 20. Please meet at

12:15 in the parking lot. We leave at 12:30 SHARP. (note new
times). Februarys hike was at Tumbling Waters Trail, Vistas, Waterfalls, 60
degrees, what a beautiful day. Please pencil in above date and commit to
this very worthwhile activity.
Any questions, call Bob at 570 223-7076.
We always try to schedule SWAT on the fourth
Monday of the month, as we do this month, March 28, at 9:00 a.m. thanks to
all that committed to this worthwhile work around our Church. See you on the
28th at 9:00 a.m. in the conference room.
There will be a safe sanctuary training on
March 19 from 10am-11:00am in the large Sunday School meeting area
downstairs. If you are interested in working with the children or youth, this is a
mandatory annual training. For further information or to sign up, please
contact Erica Dorsch: edorsch@esumc.net

Family Promise Thank You

Another great week of hosting Family

Promise Guests at East Stroudsburg United Methodist Church! The
generosity and hospitality of all volunteers, whether providing delicious meals,
overnight supervision, or compassionate care, is greatly appreciated by the
families and the staff of Family Promise. You served 84 meals and contributed
more than 135 hours of service to our 12 family members last week. Thank
you, all!

Everyone Needs a Home

Church-Wide Clothing Drive for Family Promise

ESUMC is holding a church-wide used clothing drive for Family Promise.
Drop-off dates for clothing are:
Saturday, April 16th and Saturday, April 23rd from 1011:30 a.m. at the church.
When bagging up Clothes for delivery, please use plastic bags no larger than
a tall kitchen garbage bags. Larger ones are too heavy to carry.
For further information and details, please contact
Sharon Gerberich at 570-313-1162. Thank you for your help and support.

Mission and Disaster Response Training

The Northeast Jurisdiction mission and disaster response training academy will be held Apr 10-13. Follow link for more information.
http://umvimnej.org/
Recovery Meetings Available in The Community Room of Office
Building Basement
NA: Monday through Saturday 12:00 P.M. to 1:30 P.M.

Just for Today

Wednesday 6:00 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. New Beginnings (Womens Group)

AA: Thursday & Saturday 8:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M.

Keep It Simple

Scan QR to ESUMC Website

East Stroudsburg United Methodist Church

83 S. Courtland St.
East Stroudsburg, PA 18301
www.esumc.net

Congregational Care
Peggy Strack
pstrack@esumc.net
Ext. 1023
Youth Ministries
Scott Kuhnle
skuhnle@esumc.net
Ext. 1013
Childrens Ministries
Erica Dorsch
edorsch@esumc.net
Ext. 1017
Finances
Sue Mertz
smertz@esumc.net
Ext. 1015
Financial Secretary
Cyndie Faunce
cfaunce@esumc.net
Ext. 1025
Maintenance
William Mack
wmack@esumc.net
Ext. 1018
Organist/Traditional Music
Pauline Fox
foxes@esumc.net
Contemporary Music
Doug Malefyt
dmalefyt@esumc.net
Audio/Visual
Joe Dorsch
josephdorsch@gmail.com
Technology Support
Michael Corey
mcorey@esumc.net
Ext. 1012