Category: Community

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Sidebar Stories: real life truths from ‘ordinary experts’

 

sidebar stories heartAre you passionate about a cause — neighborhood safety, addiction recovery, affordable education, housing and healthcare, racial equality and relations, veteran issues, incarceration and re-entry, gender issues, economic opportunity, parenting, mental health, gun control, the environment — and you have first hand experience with it?

A new nonprofit, Sidebar Stories, invites anyone to a free workshop this Saturday at PUMC. If you sign up, you will be called an “ordinary expert.” You will learn how to own and tell your story in a way that makes sure it will be felt by those who need to know where you’ve been and what you’ve seen.

Founded by hospice chaplain Ron King, Sidebar Stories helps people connect real life experience, storytelling and visual art. “We offer a full day workshop for people we call ordinary experts to share a personal story related to a significant social issue that has impacted their life (living on minimum wage, urban violence, disability, race relations, veteran’s issues, affordable housing, etc).” says Ron.

At the end of the workshop, you will have made a 3 frame storyboard that can be published or posted to help advocates for your cause determine policies and provide services. Sign up here for the Sidebar Stories pARTy — it’s free, and lunch is included.

“Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas in the world today,” says Robert McKee.

And, says Maya Angelou: “There is no greater burden than carrying an untold story.”

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Midsummer Opportunity on July 21

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Often PUMC participates in the Princeton Regional Chamber’s annual Midsummer Marketing Showcase (shown above, from 2013, Jie Hayes and Iona Harding spinning the wheel made by Tim Ewer). This year it’s Tuesday, July 21, from 4 to 7 p.m., Though we don’t have a table, we can all just go and mingle, talk to old and new friends, sample food and freebies, and enjoy the festivities. And it’s free!

Four years ago at this event, I encountered a sign designer, Raul Gutierrez and his wife Claire. Raul volunteered his services, pro bono, to create a much needed plan for wayfinding (direction) signs for PUMC. His plan was the basis for the first set of paper signs that we had. Now he’s helping us with the designs for permanent ones.

So if you can go to this event, identify yourself as a chamber member from PUMC!  You may meet someone who needs to explore their faith. You may meet someone you can do do business with. You never know what can happen from a chance encounter!

signed — Barbara Fox

 

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Grieving for the Charleston Nine

NINE_VICTIMS.transNot in Our Town will convene a special public session on Monday, July 6, at 7 p.m. to give all those affected by the tragic shooting deaths in Charleston an opportunity to openly express our sorrow, pain, anger, and fear. PUMC supports NIOT  and PUMC members are especially invited. This session of Continuing Conversations on Race and White Privilege will take place on the third floor of the Princeton Public Library and will have this format.

The environment will support deep and serious listening, say the organizers. “We will begin in some centered, reflective silence. Then we will ask people to freely verbalize their feelings and sorrow about the deaths. We will maintain 30 seconds of silence after each person expresses his/her thoughts. No questions or comments are to be made in response. African-American attendees will be given the opportunity to speak first, followed by each of those gathered as time permits.”

PUMC supports NIOT and PUMC members are especially invited.

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Interfaith Vigil for Peace and Racial Justice

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In response to the massacre in Charleston, an Interfaith Vigil for Peace and Racial Justice will be held Wednesday, June 24. Sponsored by the Princeton Clergy Association and Mt. Pisgah AME Church and the Coalition for Peace Action, it begins with a march  at 7 p.m. at Mt. Pisgah AME Church, ending at Tiger Park at 7:30 p.m. in Palmer Square. As darkness falls, at 8:45 p.m. there will be a candlelight vigil.

This is one way to respond to Bishop John Schol’s call to prayer: For more information, click here

And here is a post from the United Methodist Church national communications, about a vigil in Charleston, pictured above.

Photo by Lekisa Coleman-Smalls, United Methodist News Service

 

 

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Bishop John Schol’s call to prayer

 Early this morning, in a letter and on the website, Bishop John Schol called for all Greater New Jersey United Methodists to join together to be witnesses to bring an end to violence and racism. “I further call us to prayer. Our actions must be steeped in prayer and let us pray for the nine victims and their families. Let us pray for the Emanuel AME Church and their ministry. Let us pray for the community of Charleston. And let us pray that our words and actions will heal and unite the Church and our communities.”

Here is the complete message from Bishop Schol

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June 14 Celebration Potluck Luncheon

Since my childhood, one thing I have always associated with being a Methodist is food, particularly potlucks. When Methodists celebrate, there is always a potluck.

On June 14, we have a LOT to celebrate. On that Sunday in worship, we will be recognizing our high school graduates, the acolytes, the Discipleship Bible Study members, our Sunday School teachers, the PUMC scholarship recipients, and our youth volunteers.

AND we will be recognizing and celebrating the Gillette family as Pastor Anna, Trey, Eric, Jeff and Peter leave us as Anna becomes Senior Pastor of Marlton United Methodist Church. We have been so blessed to have Anna, Trey and their family with us.

Let’s do what we do best – celebrate with food and fellowship. We will gather for a potluck lunch in the Fellowship Hall following the 11 o’clock service.

So pull out and dust off that favorite family recipe. If you like, bring a few copies to share! Stay tuned for how to sign up.

Let’s celebrate the Methodist way – with food and fellowship!

– Iona Harding

 

 

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Help give homeless children the best summer ever!

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For homeless and vulnerable children in our community, summer often means facing dangerous streets, not having enough food to eat, suffering significant learning loss and missing out on lots of fun. Hard economic times have increased the number of families coming to HomeFront, for help….and they are turning to us.

Can you sponsor a homeless child for HomeFront’s camp program this summer?  One child, one week: $135. We will be gathering a special collection through June 1 to spread God’s love among the most vulnerable members of our immediate community.
Please make your check payable to Princeton UMC and enter: HomeFront Summer Camps in the memo line. Your gift will be collected and blessed with our regular offering.  Thank you for your generosity.

Other opportunities to serve the homeless families of Mercer County through HomeFront:
-volunteers age 17-25 are needed to staff summer camp
–volunteers of any age are needed for administrative help
-volunteers for HomeFront’s GED program: especially in math
-matching gift donations to renovate a large new housing facility
–donations: new linens, housewares, furniture, to equip transitional homes
-large freezer for donated food

To help, visit HomeFrontNJ.org or call 609-989-9417, x 107.

 

 

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Hyosang Park, solo handbells on 6/7

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One person, two bells is the usual method for playing handbells. In fact, fewer than a dozen solo handbell artists using four octave handbells concertize in the Eastern United States.

This rare kind of concert will be held on Sunday, June 7, at 4 p.m., when PUMC’s music director, Hyosang Park performs. Hyosang and pianist Akiko Hosaki comprise Duo Grazioso, and they attract wide renown.

Duo Grazioso will also make a special appearance on Saturday, May 9 at 4 p.m. when the ringers from Westminster Choir College will perform. Tickets are $20, $15 for seniors.

Hyosang directs the PUMC handbell choir, which plays for worship on second Sundays. Four ringers from that choir == Anna Gillette, Alex Farkas, Robert Scheffler, and Bill Gardner — will contribute to the June 7th program.

So come and bring your friends and those who love handbells! This concert is free, and the freewill offering will benefit the Ministry Fund.

P

 

 

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Welcome to the Oasis!

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WELCOME TO THE OASIS! This Sunday, for Communiversity, Princeton United Methodist Church will show radical hospitality — opening its doors to foot-weary Princeton visitors. We will offer rest rooms, table seating, sunscreen, and a toddler area. This “Oasis” will even feature a sandbox for toddler play.

The teens will sell baked goods for the Appalachia Service Project and the handbell choir will play.

It’s all in PUMC’s mission statement —

To be a place where ALL are welcome. We embrace and celebrate the vast diversity of the people in our communities, our country and our world.

More than 40,000 people are expected to attend.

 

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To be a place where all are welcome

sar posterHave you noticed the Stand Against Racism poster in the downstairs hall and in storefronts around town? Merchants who support the Stand Against Racism campaign, by putting the signs in the window, are featured in a two-page color spread in Town Topics this week. The ad was sponsored by an anonymous donor to Not in Our Town, an interfaith, interracial group to which our church belongs. Special thanks to Joy Chen — a member of PUMC who is also vice president of the Princeton Merchants Association and proprietor of JoyCards — for designing the poster.

Princeton United Methodist Church and its members are committed to this cause. Our  vision statement says that we aim to be a place where ALL are welcome. “We embrace and celebrate the vast diversity of the people in our communities, our country, and our world.”

Consider following the Not in Our Town Princeton blog, a curated selection of media coverage and a calendar of pertinent events.