Category: Community

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Relocation Report: Karyn Colombo

Karyn Colombo moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, after 15 years at Princeton UMC.  She had been a reporter and then a copy editor at The Courier News, and from 2000 until she left in 2004, she was a copy editor at an online business-to-business publishing firm. 

Past:  My years at PUMC are filled with memories of so many people who welcomed me with love and helped me grow in faith, beginning with fellowship friend Barbara Fox, Billie Eicher, and Peggy Fullman. I was involved with Staff Parish Committee, Adult Fellowship, and United Methodist Women. I was a youth counselor, and participated in ASP for three years (with John Powell, Cindy and Ed Bennett, and Lynn Bradley Sloan, among others). Those trips, the Bread & Fellowship gatherings, Sunday School classes (children in my pre-school class now have kids – when did that happen?!), retreats from north Jersey to Ocean Grove, thrift sales, bake sales, Trenton Food Kitchen, Habitat for Humanity, and pot lucks – along with, especially, meaningful worship – continue to influence me.

Every Christmas, when I hang several ornaments from various Advent Nights, I remember my years at PUMC. I have loved visits, and had hoped to see everyone this year after my last trip in 2016. Obviously, plans changed … but I know I will visit again – PUMC will always have a place in my heart.

Present:  I moved to Florida to take a copy editing job at The Palm Beach Post and to be closer to my parents, who had moved here several years earlier. That job ended in 2009 amid the recession, and I decided to pursue a long-time interest in teaching. (It was an idea I had explored while still in New Jersey, and PUMC member Karen Longo-Baldwin encouraged my curiosity and helped connect me with a student who needed help with reading.) I completed a teaching certification program in 2011; I have taught Intensive Reading at Forest Hill High School in West Palm Beach for the last seven years.

How my church copes with Covid: I now attend United Methodist Church of the Palm Beaches. As other congregations, we are meeting online for Sunday services and Wednesday gatherings. We now also can gather again for drive-in worship on Sundays (motto: come as you are, stay in your car), and the service is broadcast on radio. We also are holding Sunday School via Zoom on Sunday mornings.

Fellowship Friends: Karyn Colombo (left) with Barbara Fox
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WORSHIP SERVICE MUSIC: SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2020

COME SING WITH US!

We Want to Worship With You

Click here to enjoy “Lord, I Want to Be a Christian”

Lord, I Want to Be a Christian is an African American spiritual. It was likely composed in 1750s Virginia by enslaved African-American persons exposed to the teaching of evangelist Samuel Davies.[1] The music and lyrics were first printed in the 1907 Folk Songs of the American Negro, edited by Frederick Work.[2][3] The song has been recorded by artists including Yolanda Adams, Chanticleer, Kirk Whalum, Hank Jones, Little Richard, Cassietta George, John Fahey, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Barbara Hendricks, James Cleveland and Blind Lemon Jefferson. [Wikipedia]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Written by Isabella;la Dougan

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2020: WORSHIP SERVICE MUSIC

COME SING WITH US!

We Want to Worship With You

Click here to enjoy ‘Sweet Hour of Prayer’ – YouTube

The text of  Sweet Hour of Prayer appears to come from William W. Walford (1772-1850), an obscure, blind lay preacher who served in the hamlet of Coleshill, Warwickshire, England, in the mid-19th century. But his hymn has touched hundreds of thousands of lives on both sides of the Atlantic, expressing the genuine joy he found in prayer.

This hymn goes to the heart of one of the most intrinsic Christian practices: prayer. For Walford, prayer was an intensely private affair where one seeks refuge from temptations and trials and pours out the depths of one’s soul before God who already knows our “wants and wishes.” [UMC]

Written by Isabella Dougan

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PASTOR JENNY APPRECIATING OUR SCHOOL LEADERS

Thank you, Teachers, School Administrators, Board of Education Members!

You have been the center of the latest major dilemma and debate in our country as school districts are working out what education will look like in the coming academic year. It feels like impossible work, with a vast number of needs, opinions, wants, pushes, and pulls. In a conversation with parents from Elliot’s school this week it was noted that “a fix for one family is a break for another.” How do those who have decision-making power and a stake in these decisions begin to weigh all of the factors and lead us forward?

I do not have a magic answer here, by any means. I do wonder if we might continue seeking the Kin-dom of God as we approach these matters, from whichever place we do so. Does anything become clearer when we continue to ground ourselves in the Kin-dom values, such as the Beatitudes and Parables, Jesus teaches and lives?

I’m not going to try to name all of our teachers, school administrators, and BOE members in our congregation, because I will miss way too many of you. But know that you are in my heart and my prayers. We celebrate you and encourage you in this very difficult time. And we likewise encourage our families with school-aged children who are also making difficult decisions, enduring extra anxiety and uncertainty, and continuing to be part of a teaching team with our kids’ professional teachers.

Be well, be safe, wear masks, and keep social distances.    

Pastor Jenny.

To watch what NJ schools will look like this Fall click here

Written by Isabella Dougan

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COMMUNITY SERVICE SPOTLIGHT

Thank you, Cornerstone Community Kitchen!

Cornerstone Community Kitchen (CCK) has been continuing its mission of addressing hunger needs in our community, but in a very different way than they did pre-COVID. They continue to gather food items from a variety of sources, including prepared meals from TASK, produce from farms, and non-perishables.

Our volunteers put these items together into take-out packages that are distributed to guests through the door that leads to the fellowship hall, where the guests are waiting outside to receive them. The clothing closet has also opened in a limited, but exciting way, with selected items available outside for people to choose from.  Kudos to the CCK team who has re-imagined their ministry in light of these challenging circumstances.

 

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Outreach Initiatives—an opportunity to make a difference

 

Since March, our nation has been impacted by a series of stunning events and traumas. In less than four months our world has been turned upside down. Who would have expected that over 110,000 Americans would have died from the coronavirus, a pandemic which has swept the world, with New Jersey and New York the worst-hit areas? Who would have expected 40,000,000 Americans would be out of work? On top of this, the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police proved to be the fuel to ignite an explosion of protests, demonstrations and calls for the end of racial discrimination sweeping our nation. 

So many lives have been shattered, broken almost beyond recognition. The need for healing and reconciliation is everywhere. 

The Outreach Committee welcomes ideas on a program you could begin! 

As we hope to move toward recovery in the months ahead, Princeton UMC has funds earmarked as seed money to start new programs to serve the community. From seeds, a mighty forest grows. We – you actually – are invited to help shape events, find a new normal, and build toward a better future. John Wesley’s rule rings truer than ever: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, as long as you can.” 

Countless issues face us on the way to healing and recovery. For instance, how do we: 

  • help our church, community, and nation heal the brokenness revealed by racial inequalities?
  • assist people whose jobs are no longer there?
  • assist students with new remote learning challenges?
  • strengthen our outreach to a shell-shocked community forced to hide and shelter?
  • address and cure deep-seated prejudices and racial and other inequalities?
  • help the healing process for a community that has gone through these savage crises?

Do you have ideas for sustainable solutions that will help?

We welcome your specific proposals in writing on how you might use funds to begin new initiatives for recovery. Please submit your ideas or refer any questions to:

Karen Longo-Baldwin (klongobaldwin@gmail.com)

or

Jeff Sayre (Jeffcsayre@verizon.net).

We invite your ideas and your personal involvement!
Your Outreach Committee

Posted by Isabella Dougan

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Virtual Celebration for Ginny Cetuk

Last year we were able to celebrate IN-PERSON with Norm and Ginny Cetuk. This year —  on Zoom!

On Sunday, June 28, following the worship service, PUMC will host a virtual celebration on Zoom for the retirement of Rev. Ginny Cetuk and her husband Norm. Pastor Ginny will preach that morning. 

  1. Plan on being with us for the virtual Zoom celebration.    The event will officially begin at 11:45.  Please plan on joining by 11:30 so that we can make sure everyone is connected and can see and hear before we begin the actual event at 11:45.  The Zoom link will be active by 11:15, so you can log in any time after that.  Here is the Zoom information:

If you are joining by video, click on this link to join the Virtual Celebration

If you are joining just by phone, dial the following phone number and enter the Meeting ID and Password when prompted:  1-929-436-2866, Meeting ID: 853 667 0465, Password: 7862.

If you have never used Zoom before, please click on these pointers for more information on how to use Zoom.

We will end our celebration with a virtual toast to Ginny and Norm, so make sure you have a drink of your choice handy for the toast.  We’ll unmute everyone at that point so that we can all speak our combined blessings together.

If you have any questions, please contact LaVerna Albury at Lalbury8@gmail.com, 609-658-3830 or Iona Harding at ifkharding@gmail.com, 973-479-2783.

Thank you so much for participating in this celebration.  Ginny and Norm will be missed!

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END RACISM RESOURCES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In its response to white supremacy, racism — and the police brutality that has resulted in nationwide protests — the United Methodist Church has this to say:

“The denomination’s Council of Bishops called for every United Methodist “to name the egregious sin of racism and white supremacy and join together to take a stand against the oppression and injustice that is killing persons of color.” It added: “The United Methodist Church has created an advertising campaign, #EndRacism, in an effort to actively engage in the ministry of dismantling racism and promoting racial justice. Logo courtesy of resourceumc.org.”

It also issued a statement saying, “The United Methodist Church has mounted a denomination-wide campaign, “United Against Racism,” that urges its members not only to pray, but to educate themselves and have conversations about the subject, and to work actively for civil and human rights.”

We at PUMC have compiled “End Racism” resources to help us better understand the Black Lives Matter Movement, systemic racism in the criminal justice system, social repercussions of slavery, and inequality in America.

At this moment in history, white people have become allies of black people fighting for racial justice. These resources addressing racism and anti-racism include lists for all ages as well as for both white and black families.

This extensive collection of books, articles, podcasts, films, videos, songs, poems is curated to include resources sourced from other lists. It will hopefully help us learn and have conversations about racism as it affects every aspect of our society. We invite you to navigate through the resources you like and select what to read or watch and be informed.

If you find something to add, please email it to communications@PrincetonUMC.org and tag it with #praywithusPUMC on your social media page.

—- Isabella Dougan

Continue reading “END RACISM RESOURCES”

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#praywithusPUMC to End Racism Prayer Guide 5

 

DAILY PRAYER TO END RACISM

DAY FIVE

DAY OF MATURITY – HANDS & FEET                                             

  • God’s Word for Today 

John 4:15 

Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman

15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

  • Reflection

At the end of the healing process, if we don’t want to get ill again, we need to make the change that we want to see in our life. In this scripture passage, we can see that it is important to ask for what we need. The Samaritan woman is asking Jesus to give her the living water and only once she is asking Him, He can give it to her. In this day of Prayer Vigil, we are focusing on our needs, to understand exactly what we are requesting in our lives and for the world. God is hearing us. God will embrace all our needs and requests. By understanding what we really need in order to end racism and to create the real community of all living creatures together, we will be able to receive the right guidance for our Hands and Feet to make it happen. 

Recall that Jews and Samaritans were two ethnic-cultural groups who did not mingle with one another. And yet here, they come together through service. Jesus asks, “will you give me a drink?” And African-Americans are asking, “will you let me breathe?” It is through compassionate service for each other that the two communities can become family.

Let’s take this day to put the light on what is going on in our country as much as what is going on in ourselves from the action perspective. 

  • Prayer and contemplation

What do you really need and how can you ask for it to benefit all involved?

What do you/we need to do in order to end racism, racial tensions, and racial inequalities?

What new direction can you/we decide to follow and how can we make it happen?

How can you/we make sure to commit to the new resolutions taken?

How do you hold yourself accountable in the long run?

We invite you to light a candle, take a cross or a bible, and go simply in a calm space and start breathing for a few seconds.

Shine the light on the things that you need, on the things that you want to change or to be changed. Shine the light on the action you want to take and sustain.

Ask God to support you in your pain and towards happiness.

Ask the Holy Spirit to heal you and everyone.

Ask the Son, Christ, to be with us and in us so we can not only believe, not only follow but abide.

Together we pray.

We believe there is a way to put the human first and not his/her appearance. There is a way to see love, God, and Jesus in each of us and all around us. We pray for not falling into the trap of division, of nurturing separation amongst humans, of playing the game of destruction that darkness wants us to play by forcing us to choose one side of the battlefield whereas Jesus taught us that there is a way out of the battlefield, a third way, a universal solution, which is the one of reconciliation with God and with one another, the one of the Living Church that is the one human family, where the Holy Spirit is always dwelling, nurturing and bringing us out of the division, towards reconciliation and unity, above and beyond all forms. We believe that today is a day when all of humanity will come together, be reconciled, and love each other in one universal community of humans and of all living creatures, under the banner of unconditional love and altruism.

Let’s end racism, once and for all.                                        

One human family, in God.                                      

Click here for the Prayer Guide Introduction

 

 

 

Posted by Isabella Dougan