QUOTES OF THE DAY

PUMC youth led our worship service, including prayers, music, hymns, and liturgy, on Youth Sunday, April 18, 2021.  Ana Francisco-Cabus and Delaney McCarty shared their youth testimonies. The Scripture was from “Matthew 25:34-40.”

You, too, can experience God’s love and transformation. Come worship with us at Princeton United Methodist Church, and be a part of this beloved community. Click here to watch the PUMC worship service and listen to their testimonies.

Written by Isabella Dougan

WORSHIP HYMNS | YOUTH SUNDAY

To celebrate Youth Sunday on April 18, we will have special musical performances of hymns we love featuring the Youth Choir. Other performing musicians will include Leanne Griffiths (piano), Gillian and Reanna Bartels Quansah (vocals), Delaney McCarty (flute), and Andre Penn (piano). There will also be classical music from Bach, Faure, and Mendelssohn.

Our hymns include “When The Poor Ones” and “No Hands But Yours,” written by Tom Shelton, PUMC Director of Children’s and Youth Choirs. Shelton has written many hymns and served as guest conductor at many music festivals for children and youth. We will start the service with one of my favorite hymns, “In Christ, There is No East or West.”

William A. Dunkerley wrote the hymn “In Christ, There Is No East Or West” in 1908 under the pseudonym John Oxenham, and is sung to the tune  ST. PETER (Reinagle). While it is appropriate for the Easter Season, some people criticized it for emphasizing masculine qualities.

 VIDEO   “In Christ, There Is No East Or West”

PUMC youth will lead our worship service, including prayers, music, and liturgy, with Ana Francisco-Cabus and Delaney McCarty sharing their youth testimonies. The Scripture is from “Matthew 25:34-40.”

Click here to join us in this worship service as we come before the Lord with joyful songs.

[Videos credit: YouTube] [Photo credit: PUMC Library]

Written by Isabella Dougan

The Lord’s Prayer: Ben Nalbone

Ben Nalbone, one of the confirmands this year, wrote his own version of the Lord’s Prayer. 

Our God who is above us all
You are praised by all beings
Thank you for everything you have created on earth, all of it is beautiful
May we always work with you to take care of the environment you have made for us
Thank you for providing what we need and continuing to help us
As well as forgiving us for our mistakes
You inspire the people on your earth to forgive others for their misdeeds
Help us accept our imperfections and lead us to be better people
Save us from the evils in this world
God, you are our source of love and unity.
May you help us care for each other always
Amen

The Lord’s Prayer: Elli Collins

Elli Collins, one of the confirmands this year, wrote her own version of the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who created this beautiful world, I praise your name.

You have created this beautiful kingdom,

where everyone is respected and differences don’t matter.

I am thankful for what I have. 

I am blessed with a family that loves me, and I have food on the table.

Forgive me God, for everything that I have done wrong. Sometimes I am selfish and unaware of others, but you always love me. I can forgive others because you have forgiven me.

Help me to not sin against you, and to always worship you.

For you have let us live in this wonderful world with you. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Confirmands to Serve as Worship Leaders

Pentecost Sunday in the United Methodist Church traditionally celebrates two important events: the beginning of the Christian church and Confirmation, where, after months of preparation, a group of young people publicly profess their faith before a welcoming congregation.  Because of the quarantine,  Princeton UMC’s five confirmands will not be commissioned on May 31; however, they will serve as worship leaders in what promises to be a very special Pentecost Sunday.

Ever since clergy and staff made the decision to postpone Confirmation until the church community can gather together again, the five confirmands – Anatalia Francisco Cabus, Ben Ashworth Nalbone, Camille Jones, Elli Collins, and Rosalind Hayes – have been been working closely with their teachers on designing the service. The students will be leading worship via phone and video like we have done in prior services. There will also be a special video which brings them all together to read the UMC Social Creed,” shared Sarah Betancourt, one of the teachers. They will also share original prayers. 

During the Confirmation ceremony, confirmands take control of their faith by professing it before family, friends, and the congregation.  Although in-person professing is not possible, “each confirmand will, over the next five weeks (except for June 7), share by video their own faith stories as well as their original versions of The Lord’s Prayer,” explained Hyelim Yoon, another of their teachers. So through the July 5 service , these five young people will be creating for themselves and the congregation unique faith experiences. 

To help the confirmands organize their faith stories, the teachers provided a list of thought-provoking questions, such as “When was a moment when your ‘eyes were opened’ and you understood something that you hadn’t before?   Who was a person who demonstrated to you what it means to live as a follower of Christ? Tell us about a time when you experienced God’s presence.”   

During the traditional Confirmation service, confirmands pledge to take more of a leadership role in the church.  By the time Anatalia, Ben, Camille, Elli, and Rosalind make their Confirmation, they will be seasoned youth leaders, well prepared “to go into the world and spread the Gospel,” said Hyelim.   Pastor Erik ‘Skitch’ Matson concluded that “While most people can remember the day they were confirmed, not many people will be able to say they were confirmed during a pandemic. I’m excited to see how this particular context will shape their understanding of living out their vows, and their understanding of what “Church” means.”

Summer Sundays with Legos: Fun and Learning

Building with Lego Robots to learn about God — it’s what people of all ages are doing at Princeton UMC for Summer Sundays 2019. After Children’s Time in today’s worship service, the younger children began to build elements of God’s Creation, and the older children will populate the scene by building robots — all under the super-organized direction of Steve Wong and Lorie Roth and their adult and teen helpers,including  Robin,  William, Phoebe, Mae, and Leanne.

The learning and fun continue through the summer and all children are welcome. You don’t need to be enrolled to attend. On Sunday, July 14, everyone will be in church to welcome home our Appalachia Service Project Team!

Meanwhile, downstairs, the younger children are learning about God through play in the well equipped nursery/kindergarten space. Thanks, Marie, Malisa, Abrefi, and Iona — other volunteers are welcome!

Princeton UMC’s Confirmation Class 2019

On Sunday June 9, 2019 Princeton UMC celebrated the confirmation of Kasey Angello, Leanne Griffiths, Rachel Hoffman, Andre Penn, Robin Roth, William Wong, and Davita Wrone. All seven confirmands stood before the congregation with their parents and mentors and professed their intention to live as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. The pastors and others put their hands on each of them while Pastor Jenny said a blessing. We congratulate them on this important step in their faith journey.

Seven young people were confirmed into membership of Princeton United Methodist Church on Pentecost, June 9, 2019. From left, they are  Leanne Taylor Griffiths, Robin Mary Roth, Kasey Elizabeth Angello, Davita Elizabeth Wrone, Rachel Lynn Hoffman, Andrea Mutayoba Penn,  and William KunHee Wong.
Phoebe Quaynor, Director of Christian Education, far left, and Paige Allen, far right, taught the class.
Each confirmand had a mentor. On the left, Christine Shungu and Ulanda Frisbee. On the right, Theresa Cann, Susan Victor, and Helen Curtis. Not pictured, Karin and Bernhard Brouwer.
Rev. Ginny Cetuk and Rev. Skitch Matson (left) and Rev. Jenny Smith Walz (far right) congratulated the seven confirmands.
Confirmands and their parents. Photos by Norman Cetuk

Sermon “Revealing Resurrection: An Amazing Detour”.

On Sunday, May 12, 2019, Pastor Jenny Smith Walz and  Youth Choir Director Tom Shelton presented a worship service with the theme “Revealing Resurrection: An Amazing Detour.” Selections from Broadway musicals by Stephen Schwartz illustrated the sermon. 

To illustrate the scripture from Acts 16:9-15, the Youth Choir sang “God Help the Outcasts.” Here is the song, not from the youth choir, but the movie “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

As part of her message, Pastor Jenny tells us that, “God has given me a vision and has brought resurrection in me. I have experienced renewal and healing and a new opening to God’s spirit. I have been able to see, and I hope that together, we can learn to see even more how God is giving us a vision.  We can  see how God is helping us to perceive a new reality, not only to see the outcasts among us, but also to see how we too are outcasts in need of God’s grace, how God is blessing us over and over.” 

She hopes, “God is giving each of us a vision that helps to move us from places of fear to places of trust.”

Listen to Pastor Jenny as she encourages us to be open to the miracles and the visions that are right here before us. 

Here is a link to the podcast of Pastor Jenny’s sermon

For the complete video of the May 12 service, found on Princeton United Methodist Church Facebook page,  click here.  

Help Send Teens to Appalachia

For four decades Princeton United Methodist Church sent teen and adult volunteers to work for the Appalachia Service Project (ASP) to help make homes warmer, safer, and drier.  A dinner auction and a handbell concert will benefit this summer’s mission trip.  The ASP dinner and auction is Friday, May 3 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 ($30 per family). To receive information about the dinner or the youth program, email Skitch@PrincetonUMC.org. 

A freewill offering will be taken at the handbell concert on Saturday June 1, at 2 p.m. The concert features Quarants, a nationally known quartet.

ASP is a Christian ministry, but it is open to those of any faith. It aims to inspire hope and service — instilling compassion for other people and a fresh appreciation for one’s place and purpose in the world.