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
church@esumc.net
www.esumc.net

June 28, 2015

The Trumpet Call

Pastors Corner

I want to thank Scott Kuhnle for what I know was a

great sermon this past Sunday in my absence. It also
served as an introduction to our next sermon series,
Modern Family. That is also the title of the current TV
series, now in its sixth season, which makes me laugh
harder than any other sitcom on TV.
Some people decry the garbage on TV. There is
certainly a great deal I refuse to watch because of its crude content, but I
also understand that TV is a reflection of our society. Shows stay on TV
because people watch them and support the advertisers which spend lots
of money to produce commercials.
As we look back over the years at how families and family life have been
portrayed on TV, whether on dramas or sitcoms, we see quite a few
changes, which generally reflect the changing nature of families in our
society. Well look at those changes in the first of our series this coming
Sunday. It is important that we understand these changes, as it affects the
way we do ministry in the church and community. If we tried to do family
ministry with the 1950s Leave it to Beaver in mind, we would be
completely ineffective.
Though the structures of families and family dynamics have changed
greatly over time, and how we minister to those families must also necessarily change, the underlying biblical principles of family life have not
changed and are as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago
when they were first uttered in Scripture. In this series, we will explore how
we effectively apply these biblical principles to a fast moving, quickly
changing modern family.
If there are important biblical principles which have helped to guide your
family over the years, Id love for you to share them with me. If there are
things youd like for me to address from the pulpit in this series, I invite you
to share those with me as well. In fact, I welcome anything related to
families you feel you want to share which can help shape this series. I
have put my email address with my name below just to be sure you know
you can email me at any time.
I know that all of us are in prayer for our youth and adult leaders at
Creation which is going on right now in Western PA. We had many youth
and adults in a huge circle in our parking lot on Wednesday morning at
6:15 am as they prepared to leave, and I was honored to be there and to
pray with them. I know the Lord will touch many hearts in profound ways
this week at Creation!
Finally, if youre reading this before Sunday, please come to the car wash
at our church this Saturday from 9:00 am to Noon. This is being

Outreach Opportunities
Consider the words of a former
Stephen Ministry Care receiver:
I really just hoped for someone
to listen and not judge me, to be
impartial, to share some godly
wisdom with me.
He was a good listener, nonjudgmental and provided guidance based on Biblical teachings.
We had a meaningful personal connection, it was a
renewal of my relationship with God...I found our visits
to be very rewarding and also wish I had asked for a
Stephen Minister sooner.
If these words speak to you, dont wait! Contact Peggy
Strack at the church office, 570-421-3280, ext. 1023.

Members of ESUMC who are homebound or in

care facilities always enjoy hearing from you.
Cards and notes may be sent to Forrest Fritz,
Grace Park, 1170 W. Main St., Stroudsburg, PA.
18360.

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

Our Second Block Party on June 11

Opportunities/News
The next meeting of the OKs
will be July 8th at 10:30 a.m.
This months program will be
Assistance for Senior Years
and will provide information on
service options in your home. It will also cover Nursing
Homes and Assisted Living Programs. This is open to all
folks who are interested.
Assistance for Senior Years
Schedule of Events
10:30 amCoffee
10:45 amPersonal Emergency Buttons
11:00 amGentiva Home Care Services
11:30 amBright Star Home Care
NoonLUNCH
1:00 pmTranquil Gardens Assisted Living Programs
1:30 pmHospice: What it is and what is does
2:00 pmBrookmont Nursing Home
You can come for the whole program or just to hear the
speakers that interest you, however, if you plan to stay
for lunch, please register so adequate food will be available. Please bring a food item to supplement lunch, i.e.,
desert, chips, etc. RSVP to Erma Powell 570-421-1422
by July 6th.

Large Print Bulletins

If you attend traditional worship
and have difficulty reading the wall
screens, large print bulletins are
now available in the narthex.
These bulletins will include the call
to worship and the prayer of confession. Pick up one today and
share the news with others!

SAVE THE DATES!!!

Ice Cream Social & Movie Night
Saturday, July 25th
ESUMC Carnival
Saturday, September 19th
2nd Annual Chili Cook-Off
Saturday, November 14th
Please mark your calendrers so you can be sure to
join us for these fun-filled events!! More details will
follow from the Fun & Fellowship Committee.

Opportunities/News
FAITH PROMISE UPDATE
Since the beginning of the year, the Faith
Promise team has been meeting almost
monthly. Under discussion have been some
new ideas for increasing awareness of how Faith Promise is involved with the Mission Outreach of ESUMC:
some team members are checking out ESUMCs Inventory for Family Promise; others are
working on plans for a Mission Fair on a Sunday in the
fall with information from our Partners; plans for another
Saturday, weekend or a longer Mission work team; and
writing to our Partners about our 2015 pledge of support.
A change was also made in one of our Partners. Instead
of support for UMCOR in the Philippines, support will be
in Haiti. Five years after the devastating earthquake in
2010, great steps have been made to coordinate the rebuilding and community development in various areas.

sion (UMVIM). The plan allowed the Haitian Church to

define priorities, matching grants from UMCOR & UMVIM
to funds raised by volunteer teams and requirement of 2
hired Haitian workers to every one foreign volunteer. Rev.
Tom Vencuss was the first coordinator of the Plan.
Between 2010 and 2013 UMVIM Haiti equipped more
than 4,000 volunteers to work in Haiti. The Haiti
Response Plan has now transitioned to local leadership,
led today by Corine Odilus, the Haitian Church VIM
coordinator.
Faith Promise prayer and financial support does not
eliminate devastation, but it surely contributes, with many
other Christian Missions, to share Gods loving compassion and hope where people are often overwhelmed by
their circumstances. Donations may be placed in the
envelope in the Bulletin today or given anytime with a

One of the couples that began the work in Haiti was Tom
and Wendy Vencuss. Their journey with the Haitian
people began in 2002, when they founded Mountains of
Hope - a ministry of the New York Annual Conference.
They tirelessly worked in a resource-poor rural community and focused on sustainable community development.

note designating it for

Faith Promise or Missions.

Shortly after the quake, the Haiti Response Plan was

formed as a Partnership with the Methodist Church of
Haiti, UMCOR and United Methodist Volunteers in Mis-

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 pobri-

Below and to the right:

The recently rebuilt

Vacation Bible School

June 29thJuly 3rd
Still Time to Sign up for Vacation Bible School online at
http://www.groupvbspro.com/
vbs/ez/EverestESUMC or in
person as it begins on Monday, June 29th.
Please check the VBS bulletin
board located in Oberholtzer Hall if you are interested in donating to VBS. Please contact Pam OBrien, Childrens Ministry
Director at pobrien@esumc.net for what is still needed and if

Blood Drive
A Blood Drive sponsored by the American Red Cross is scheduled for Tuesday,
July 14th from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall.
Please visit www.redcrossblood.org or call 1-800 RED-CROSS to schedule an ap
pointment. We also need volunteers to help unload and load the truck for the Red
Cross.

We are seeking 2 helpers at 12 noon and 2 helpers at 6pm on July 14th. Please
contact the church office if you can help.

From our
Vision Team

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

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

Prayers for our Church from Hopewell UMC!

ESUMC received a postcard in the mail from our brothers and sisters at
Hopewell UMC in Chester County, letting us know that the church prayed for our
church on the weekend of June 14 and 15. The message says, Our staff is committed and honored to pray for your ministry, leadership, and vision. May God
bless you as you seek to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of
the world. To God be the glory! To which we respond, Thanks be to God from
whom all blessings flow! We give thanks for this encouragement from a sister
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

jtodd@esumc.net
mragonese@esumc.net
pstrack@esumc.net
awaddell@esumc.net
skuhnle@esumc.net
pobrien@esumc.net
mcorey@esumc.net
smertz@esumc.net
cfaunce@esumc.net

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foundations@esumc.net

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foxes@esumc.net

As a child, I had the awesome privilege of spending

weekends with my grandmother, a very devout
Christian woman who helped to shape the person I
am today. I have many fond memories of those
days, but if I had to narrow my experiences down to
the ones that meant the most, it would be the
countless times I found her at the foot of her bed on
her knees in prayer. Once I asked her why she
prayed so much, and she simply said it was the
most important part of her relationship with God. I
never forgot those words, and even though I never
really knew the content of her prayers, I am certain
my sister and I were a significant part of them, specifically that we too would develop a desire for
close intimacy with our Heavenly Father. Her words
spoke volumes to me, but her actions spoke even
louder. I am positive that her prayers have directed
my path and helped me to grow in my faith. In fact,
I don't know where I would be without them. The
Bible says, "the prayer of a righteous person is
powerful and
effective," (James 5:16b). With this in mind, I would
personally like to encourage the entire congregation, on behalf of the Vision Team, to sign up for the
Prayer Vigil on Sunday, July 12, from 8 a.m. till
8 p.m., in the Eaton Chapel. Sign up for a 20
minute slot or more if you would like. If you are
unable to attend, sign up to pray wherever you are,
either individually or as a family.
I also ask that you continue to pray during the week
focusing on these words from scripture:
"This is the confidence we have in approaching
God: if we ask anything according to his will, he will
hear us," (1 John 5:14).
If the prayers of my grandmother, one simple woman who loved the Lord, could help change and direct the heart of one small child through her Godly
example, imagine what an entire congregation on
its knees can do to inspire and direct the church.
Therefore, I urge you, on behalf of the Vision Team,
as well as for the heart of worship for our church, to
please sign up and prayer. Your prayers will make
all the difference.

Final Day!!!
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 28. All proceeds help to