Youth from Princeton and around the nation will talk about race on Saturday morning, April 23. Grace Penn, who attends PrincetonUMC, is the administrator for the Princeton Prize in Race Relations, which has its national conference here. Anyone may attend. Meanwhile students at Princeton High School discuss “See Me, Hear Me,” an open, honest dialogue with today’s youth. Reservations are needed. Details here.
John Kuhlthau: Faith and Works
The Honorable John S. Kuhlthau, a PUMC member, will speak at the breakfast sponsored by the United Methodist Men on Sunday, April 9, at 8 a.m. He will give a talk titled “Faith and Works — as Judge and Layman.“ All are welcome, a $5 donation is encouraged.
John is a Methodist through and through. A graduate of Princeton University (Class of 1958) he went to Wesley Foundation meetings at Princeton UMC, and later served as Trustee Chair. He and Carol Collier Kuhlthau were married here. He attended Drew Theological Seminary, earned his J.D. at Rutgers University Law School, and served as Public Defender and as Middlesex County Prosecutor. But he felt called to resign and devote full-time, on behalf of the Methodist Church, to the bipartisan ‘Casinos – No Dice’ campaign, working closely with Rev. Jack Johnson in church meetings and shopping malls with youth volunteers.”Casino gambling was defeated on its first referendum, but of course, it was re-designed and the voters approved,” says John.
Meanwhile his law firm helped shepherd the union of three UMC churches in New Brunswick. Returning to public service, he sat as a Judge for 22 years, most recently in Superior Court. He and Carol moved to Princeton and joined PrincetonUMC. when he retired. Among his current projects is the annual John Suydam Kuhlthau Bioethics Conference at New Brunswick Theological Seminary. His most recent honor is the Order of the Tower at The Pennington School.
On immigration policy
“Give me your tired, your poor,
your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, . . .
These words, written by poet Emma Lazarus and posted on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty have, for decades, welcomed the foreigner to the shores of our land. They are words that have described the position of our country, a place that has welcomed the immigrant into a land of hope where a pathway to a better life could be found.
The words “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses,” sound very similar to a message that the church has proclaimed for generations:
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.”
(Matthew 11:28)
The bishops of the Northeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church offer this statement on immigration policy — and it comes with a prayer. Link here to read this, provided by Bishop John Schol of the United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey..
Here is another link to a prayer, this one for the immigrant and refugee.
Refugee and Immigrant God, who came wanting to dwell among us.
Hear our prayers. Amen.
Pray Our Way Forward: January 29 – February 4
“Holy Spirit, renew and inspire us because the way forward is hard and the disciples’ journey is long.“
This sentence concludes the prayer we are asked to offer during the week of January 29. It is part of the Council of Bishops’ prayer initiative, slated for the week of January 29. Bishop John Schol invites all United Methodists to join in “Praying Our Way Forward,” focused prayer before the revision of Book of Discipline on the topic of human sexuality.
Thie UMC bishops call on us to “seek, in this kairos moment, a way forward for profound unity on human sexuality and other matters.” Each conference is assigned a week of prayer, now through Spring, 2018.
Click here to register your commitment to prayer. You can register as an individual or volunteer to coordinate our congregation’s prayer participation.
Here are the views of Bishop Schol. As part of his Graceful Controversies initative, anyone from the Greater Jersey Conference may participate in a conference on March 4.
Click here for the 75-word suggested prayer: May we find inspiration.
Bring the Family: January 16 Interfaith Service: Martin Luther King Jr.
Every year the Princeton Clergy Association holds an Interfaith Service in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. , and this year our church will host it. On Monday, January 16 at 7 p.m. people from all walks of life and from different faith communities will converge on our corner of Nassau Street. At this tumultuous moment in our nation’s history, this will be an opportunity to welcome our neighbors — to pray together and sing together.
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).
Hosting this special service gives a a chance to put our mission statement into action — to demonstrate that we are indeed a diverse community, that we joyfully reach out to serve all people.
Brown Bag It on November 20
Once again the children of our Sunday School will decorate shopping bags for the church family to fill, with gratitude, for those who are insecure in providing food for themselves and their families.
On November 20 our sanctuary will be filled with Brown Bags to care for the families and individuals served through Arm in Arm (formerly Crisis Ministry).
Through its three Client Choice Food Pantries, and delivery to the elderly and homebound, Arm in Arm has served more than 4,000 households with high-quality food, nutrition education, and health screening during the last year. More than 40% of its clients are below the age of 17, and 25% are 55 and above. These house-holds have intermittent food insecurity and can “slip between the cracks” of government supports.
Princeton UMC has been walking alongside Arm in Arm since it was formed more than 30 years ago. In addi-tion to providing healthy food to our neighbors in Mercer County, Arm in Arm has stabilized the housing of nearly 700 struggling families by helping with back rent or mortgage, rapid rehousing, security deposit help, utilities back payment, and case management. It also provides job skills and employment readiness
So, be part of the hope and join with your congregation in walking “Arm in Arm” with your community. Pack up your bag, fill it with love, gratitude and non-perishable food (especially heart-healthy, low-fat and sugar free varieties). Bring your Brown Bags of Gratitude to the Sanctuary on November 20 and celebrate the grace of God and the generosity of our church family.
Would your committee or small group like to sponsor its own “Brown Bag” meeting? Great idea! For more information and encouragement, contact LaVerna Albury at 609-658-3830.
When people hurt, United Methodists help
When people hurt, United Methodists help.
Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
We know what it feels like – fear, disorientation, grief. Because of Sandy we know what those who were in the path of Hurricane Matthew in the United States are going through.
We can only imagine the pain and fear the people of Haiti are facing after experiencing the brunt of the storm. The immense loss and mass devastation needs the full commitment of all our efforts to reach the hurting, the hungry, the frightened and the hopeless.
We also know what the United Methodist family is like. We are family, there for one another during our greatest challenges. It is God’s love in action.
I have been in communication with our bishops in the affected areas and this past Sunday I worshiped with our Haitian congregation, First United Methodist Church of Asbury Park. All are grateful to know that the United Methodists of GNJ are praying for them and will be sharing gifts of volunteers and money to assist with recovery from Hurricane Matthew.
I call all of our congregations to pray and to receive offerings for Hurricane Matthew relief and recovery over the next two weeks. You may send your gifts marked Hurricane Matthew made out to the United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey to the Mission and Resource Center 205 Jumping Brook Road, Neptune, New Jersey 07753.
We will send the money to the impacted areas through UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief), and your church will be credited with the donation. Through UMCOR 100% of your gift will be sent to the impacted areas. None will be kept for administrative purposes.
United Methodists from across our connection have assisted us in our recovery from Sandy. In fact, they have sent more than 11,000 volunteers and millions of dollars that helped us to rebuild 247 homes and assist 450 families in their recovery. When people hurt, United Methodists help. I hope your congregation will be a part of helping our sisters and brothers in their relief and recovery so that all of us can have a future with hope.
Keep the faith!
John Schol, Bishop
The United Methodist Church
of Greater New Jersey
For Women in the Congo: October 1 and 9
In this disturbing time of unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo, woman leaders who empower women in the Congo are visiting Princeton. Princeton United Methodist Church traditionally supports two charities based in the Congo, the United Front Against Riverblindness, founded by our own Daniel Shungu, and Woman, Cradle of Abundance. a non-profit organization that empowers women in the Congo, founded by Professor Elsie McKee of Witherspoon Presbyterian Church and Princeton Theological Seminary.
So we are especially glad to welcome two leaders of Woman, Cradle of Abundance on their visit to the United States this fall. Their visit begins with “Pour Femme,” an all-French concert performed by local singers and pianists on Saturday, October 1, 2 p.m. in Miller Chapel at Princeton Theological Seminary. Tickets at the door or online are $35 for adults and $15 for students. Free offstreet parking is available across Mercer Street (in the library lot) and an anonymous donor will match each donation up to $2,500.
At Princeton United Methodist Church, we have a special welcome for Maman Monique, who will speak at a PUMC breakfast on Sunday, October 9, at 8 a.m. She will be accompanied by Maman Antoinette.
The United Methodist Men serve up a hearty meal, and everyone is welcome. A $5 donation is requested.
Other speaking dates: Sunday, October 2, at 10 a.m. at Witherspoon Presbyterian Church, followed by conversation with church members after worship. Wednesday, Oct. 5, 7 p.m. at Haddonfield Friends’ Meeting, Haddonfield, NJFriday, October 7, noon, Princeton Theological Seminary, Main Lounge of Mackay Campus Center, sponsored by the Center for Theology, Women and Gender.Sunday, Oct. 16, noon, Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton
Vive les femmes!
District Wide Leadership Training for Missions :
Two leadership training opportunities — one on race and social justice, one on leading mission projects — are offered by the United Methodist Church.
Rev. Tom Lank offers Volunteers in Mission Leadership Training for the Northeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist church United Methodist Volunteers In Mission promotes, encourages, and enables Christians to exemplify “Christian Love In Action” through short-term mission service in the United States and abroad. Tom was an assistant pastor at PUMC and led our United Front Against Riverblindness mission trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The training is Saturday, November 5, in Neptune, N.J. Details here
Katey Zeh 
offers a Drew Theological School webinar, Confronting White Privilege in Our Mission for Justice on four Wednesdays , 3 to 4:30 p.m. starting September 21.
“In this four-part series we will discuss what the missional engagement of the church looks like in a highly racialized context on both a national and a local level. In addition to personal reflection and group discussion, participants will gain new tools and resources for addressing white privilege in their own communities and ministries and ideas for building ministries that are relationally authentic and socially impactful.”
Katey joins Bill Mefford to teach this course, which costs $60. Scholarships for PUMC members are available.
BOOM! Speaking truth to power
“Boom!” was the topic for Rev. Jana Purkis Brash on August 21, 2016. “Boom!” as in the sound made by the mike when a speaker — invigorated by the success of the speech — drops the mike and walks away.
In healing a crippled woman on the Sabbath, Luke 10:13-17, not only did Jesus perform a miracle, but he triumphed over the religious leaders who objected to healing on the Sabbath. Jesus “dropped the mike.” He spoke truth to power.
As Christians we are called to help the oppressed, those who are so burdened by life that they cannot stand straight. And we too can “drop the mike” to fight social injustice. We can speak truth to power.
BOOM!
In a gentler vein, Jana welcomed six little girls to Children’s Time. Some came from as far away as New York, Canada, and even Mexico! She emphasized that — even though some don’t get to visit very often — they are all part of our church family.
