All Are Welcome
For a more complete explanation of this part of “Our Christian Roots,” click here.
It is based on the based on the United Methodist Member’s Handbook.
The preacher, Minister William D. Carter , is also a singer-songwriter (here is a clip from his concert at the Princeton Shopping Center) and the former minister of music at First Baptist Church of Princeton. Currently he is a third-year student at the Princeton Theological Seminary. He has served in South Africa and directs an organization that plans interfaith events at the United Nations. He is also scheduled to entertain at One Table Cafe, the ‘pay what you can’ dinner program at Trinity Episcopal Church, on Friday, January 20.
Bring the family! “Attendees are encouraged to bring their children, as the service will conclude by 8:30 pm to enable them to go to bed in a timely way on a school night,” says Rev. Robert Moore, treasurer of the Princeton Clergy Association and executive director of the Coalition for Peace Action which co-sponsors the service.
A freewill offering will be split equally between the United Negro College Fund and the Coalition for Peace Action (www.peacecoalition.org or 609-924-5022).
The youth program at PUMC includes multiple “Youth Staff” volunteers who dedicate their time to mentoring our teens. Most of these “Staff,” however, are new to PUMC. So, for the next few months we will showcase a short interview with each youth staff, allowing us to know a bit more about them and their passion for our youth. Hopefully this short piece will give you the courage to talk with them the next time you see them!
Blessings,
Pastor Skitch Matson
Q. Tell us a bit about where you’re from.
I was born and raised in Largo, FL right by the beach (near Tampa). After High School I joined the Coast Guard and spent a few years moving around from Virginia to North Carolina, and then eventually back to Jacksonville, FL.
Q. Do you have any past experiences working with youth?
For the past six years I have been working on and off with youth. I have volunteered at my home church when I was around, went on trips with my old youth group as an adult leader (but still a kid at heart), spent 2 weeks working at the Duke Youth Academy a few summers ago, and most recently spent just over a year as a small group leader at a youth group in Jacksonville with my wife, Rachel.
Q. How long have you been in Princeton?
We have now been in Princeton for almost 4 months. We moved here so I could finish my degree in Religion at TCNJ, and my wife, Rachel, could attend Princeton Theological Seminary.
Q.Why are you a Youth Staff?
I am a youth staff because youth matter so much to our church as well as our communities, which is often forgotten. They have great insight, valued praises, and real concerns; their voices need to be heard within our communities and congregations. It is a blessing to work with and walk through life with these students during this formative time in their lives.
Q. What does Youth Staff mean to you?
It’s a group of adults who come together with the hope that God will use us to show each student the endless love God has for each of them.
Q. I hear you like good books, what’s one that you would recommend? “Reaching Out: Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life” by Henri J.M. Nouwen.
Written by Isabella Dougan
Turkey and ham with all the trimmings — once again we feasted at an Advent Night dinner with Chef Ian Macdonald presiding. Thank you, Ian and Annie Wilcox, and all the helpers!
Now Ian offers to volunteer his expertise to help us make better use of the new kitchen that we all admire — from afar. Those who work with Cornerstone Community Kitchen know, but most of us don’t know how to use the equipment.
To be fully operational as a professional kitchen it needs certain items.
If you would like to help optimize the efficiency of our kitchen, and learn how to use it efficiently, the person to contact about volunteering is Jamie Gerber. The first meeting is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, January 15 at noon.
Bishop John Schol gives the Greater New Jersey conference a report card here Among his recommendations are to reach out like a new church (hint: sponsor an Easter Egg hunt NOT on church grounds) and to “take the church to the community”Here is the link to “Back to Basics” training for church council members, available in various locations on January 28, 29, or 31. Also February 21 or 23. Those who have attended say the conference training is excellent!
The conference’s United Methodist Women have a winter retreat on Monday, February 20 at the Pinelands (former Mt. Misery!) and the registration deadline is supposed to be January 15.
Leading Congregations Effectively in a Global World, webinar Tuesday, January 17, 7 pm
Church Council: What’s My Role? webinar Tuesday, January 27, 7 pm
What Every Child Should Experience – downloadable guide for teachers and leaders
Older Adult Ministry – how can adults help form children’s faith – webinar to listen to
Baby Boomer spirituality webinars starting Tuesday, January 24, 7 p.m.
How to talk politics in your church without being unChristian, webinar Monday, January 23, 2 p.m.
Healthy Family series: setting financial goals, webinar Tuesday, February 7, 2 p.m.
From Numbers to Narratives – using a narrative budget
How to Have a Courageous Conversation
Writing as a Calling, Ministry, & Work
It offers many of the resources that we can find at UMC national headquarters, and the webinars require membership, but some are worth looking at. The booklets seem to be free.
Samples: the Three R’s of Volunteer Management, How to Run a Productive Meeting, Tools and Techniques to Build an engaged and Motivated Team.
The week before Christmas, and all through the town, PUMC Bell Ringers were busy at their stands. The kettles were hung under their Salvation Army sign, and the greetings of ‘Merry Christmas’ greeted each one at hand.
Tuesday through Saturday more than 80 volunteers rang their bells and filled the kettles, collecting over $5,800. The church staff prepared absolutely fabulous food for the volunteers to enjoy as they completed their shift, and much hearty conversation took place over steaming bowls of chicken vegetable, lentil, and beef barley soup.
During the last 11 years, PUMC has raised more than $80,000 for the Salvation Army. Well done all that volunteered and know that “as you have done to the least of my 
family, you have done unto me…”
We will celebrate the Chinese New Year at a luncheon with our church family on Sunday, January 22, even though China, Korea, Japan, the Philippines and other countries observe New Year’s Day on January 1 of the Lunar Calendar.
As you all aware there are twelve animals symbolizing the 12 year cycle. The year of 2017 is ‘Rooster’ – a tenth symbol comes after Monkey.
Here would be a good place to tell a story that every child in Korea is told about regarding these twelve animals. God gathered all twelve 
animals – Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. He told them there will be a race to decide which animal is superior. So they started the race. All animals started to run as fast as they could.
To make the story short I cannot tell you what happened during the entire race. But who do you think won the race? Tiger? Dog? Maybe Horse? It was the Rat. He rode on the top of Ox’s head. And he jumped in front of him a moment before the Ox was about to pass the finishing line. Rat took the first place and Ox came in the second place. The story tells that how cunning a rat is. How an ox is a hard working animal.
By the way, the pig came in the last. Well, so a pig perceives as a slow and lazy animal in our culture.
Getting back to our Luncheon– there will be Chinese, Philippines and Korean food. The menu is a top secret. You will find out when you come to celebrate with your church family. But here is a piece of the secret. You will get a chance to make your own dumplings and take it home to cook for those who want to try. Mark your calendar — it is on January 22 after the 11 am service. Hope to see you all there. —
Hyosang Park, Music Director
Everybody’s invited to hear Skitch Matson speak at the breakfast on Sunday, January 8, 8 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. Skitch will talk about the role of sharing faith stories as a way to deepen Christian community.
“From looking at the Gospel of John, to hearing contemporary examples, we will explore how sharing faith stories deepens the relationship between Us and God, Us and Others, and Us and Ourselves,” he says.
Skitch is our Youth Pastor and also directs the Wesley Foundation at Princeton University. Originally from California, Skitch attended Princeton Theological Seminary and graduated with an M.Div in 2016. He works mainly with youth and young adults, but loves hearing the faith stories from all people, firmly believing that we can learn more about God through each person’s experience. Skitch is a Locally-Licensed UMC Pastor seeking ordination as an Elder in the Methodist Church.
The tasty hot breakfast — sausages, eggs, fruit, yogurt, coffee cake — is prepared by the United Methodist Men, but everyone — families, youth — is invited. A $5 donation is suggested.
On December 4, the second Sunday in Advent at the early service, Bob Meola read the scripture (from Isaiah and Philippians)
Laverna Albury explained the theme to the kids at Children’s Time in a clear and understandable way.
And Rev. Catherine Williams put the words of Isaiah and Paul into the context of their times. How does it make sense that Isaiah calls for peace in the time of war and Paul exudes joy when he is in prison?
It’s paradoxes and existential tensions like these why non-Christians have accused us of having an opiate religion. Because it doesn’t make sense that a small nation would not ask a bigger nation for help in a pending war, but choose rather to trust in God’s deliverance. It doesn’t make sense that a Messiah called the Prince of Peace would be born in a barn, grow up to be ridiculed and eventually killed within a bloody, political system of militarized occupation. It doesn’t make sense that three days after they killed this Prince of Peace he rose from the dead, seen by at least five hundred witnesses. And it doesn’t make sense that a highly educated Jewish scholar like Paul would risk his life, and suffer repeated imprisonment in order to preach and teach about this crucified Prince of Peace – a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. It all makes no sense unless…you are a person of bi-focal vision.
Those with uni-focal vision see life in a singular dimension. But as the people of God, born again by the Spirit of God, we have the capacity to see both as humans see, and as God sees. It’s not absurd to rejoice while you’re in a prison cell if you’ve encountered a God who has been known to use earthquakes to open prison doors and loose chains. It’s not absurd to sing songs of freedom as a slave if you’ve encountered a God who has given you freedom of mind and spirit that no bondage of body can take away. It’s not absurd to live a life of energized service to others while your body is fighting a terminal disease. It’s not absurd at all if you have the divine capacity to see both earthly and heavenly realities at the same time.
Here is the link to her complete message.
Rejoice in the Lord!