Anger: Healthily Spiritual?

How can anger be spiritually healthy? On Sunday, January 10 at 9:30 and 11, with Ephesians 4: 26-31 as her text, Rev. Jana Purkis-Brash continues the sermon series “A Healthy Spirituality: Inside Out,” referencing the Pixar movie. Her texts will be Ephesians 4: 26-31 and Mark 3:1-5. The Youth Choir, directed by Tom Shelton, will sing “Sanctuary” and “Gift of Love” at the 9:30 service, and Hyosang Park will direct the Chancel Choir in “Inscription” by Z.R. Stroope. Catherine Williams will speak to the children at Children’s Time. All are welcome! Join us for coffee and finger food after each service.

 

 

Carol Singing: Breakfast December 13

Celebrate the season with song at the breakfast sponsored by the United Methodist Men on December 13 in Fellowship Hall. A hot breakfast is served at 8 am, and the program starts at 8:30. Everyone is invited; a $5 donation is requested. It is such a pleasure to again welcome Dr. Karen Zumbrunn to share fascinating stories behind some of our favorite carols. The week before, on Advent Night, she is scheduled to lead the singing – a PUMC tradition for more than 20 years.

For the UMM breakfast Karen will share the fascinating stories behind such favorites as Joy to the World, The First Noel, and On Christmas Night (known as the Sussex Carol). The program will feature medieval carols as well as folk carols from Canada and Czechoslovakia (the latter was written for bagpipes!) Typically, carols are written in a language that can be shared by all. They invite communal singing. The season for singing carols is all too brief — so come and enjoy the music!

Advent Night: ‘Joy to the World’

Be sure to join us for our annual Advent Night celebration on Sunday, December 6th from 4 to 7 p.m. It will be a joy filled evening as we begin our preparation
for the arrival of the Christ Child. We will begin with our Christmas Pageant at 4:00 PM, titled Joy to the World, where we will hear and see the Christmas Story as told by our Sunday School and Children’s Choir. Tom Shelton has been hard at work rehearsing with our elementary school choirs and Sunday School children. It will be a wonderful way to kick off the Advent Season.

Following the pageant, join us for a time of dinner and crafts. From 5:15 – 6:25 there will be 5 craft stations set up for crafters of all ages. Kids, make a secret craft for your parents with help from our confirmation class. Everyone is welcome to decorate a gingerbread
cookie as well! Need a break from crafting? Come on downstairs to the Fellowship Hall for a good old fashioned potluck dinner. Don’t forget to bring something to share!

Be sure you are finished with your craft by 6:30 because we will conclude the evening with carol singing and dessert led by Karen Zumbrunn. Bring your favorite dessert to share.

We hope you will join us for this joy-filled evening. See you on the 6th!

 

Circle of Friends meets November 10

Hymns and Christian songs enrich our lives and faith — here’s a chance to learn more about them, when Dr. Karen Fanta Zumbrunn shares stories and tunes at the Circle of Friends2015 11 circle of friends meeting on Tuesday, November 10, at 10:30 a.m. at PUMC’s Fellowship Hall.

All PUMC women are invited to attend — and bring your friends! Please note that the meeting is NOT at the usual venue.  Bring your own lunch. Dessert will be provided.

Known for her swinging foot-tapping style, Karen’s nickname is “Dr. Jazz.”  With degrees from Ohio State, Harvard, and a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley, Karen has always been a working jazz musician. She performed at the Blue Note in Paris with well-known European and American musicians and has recorded two CDs.

As a Christian and a  longtime member of PUMC, she has been a Sunday School teacher and is a regular volunteer reading tutor in Trenton at TASK. She shares her enthusiastic music with our church, at Vacation Bible School and for Advent family celebrations, and she for two years she was director of music at Kingston UMC.

So — join us in song!  Requests will be taken. There will be no wrong notes in this program!

Choristers at Kemp Festival

Eight children and youth participated in the Kemp Church Music Symposium at Westminster Choir College, reports Tom Shelton, director children’s and youth choirs at PUMC. He attended along with music director Hyosang Park, and he gave one of the workshops. The singers  Rollo Youth 3 Rollo Youth 2 included Leanne and Robin from the children’s choir, and from the youth choir — Andi, Rachel, Delaney, Yannick, Ava, and Blaine.  Choristers from Nassau Presbyterian Church also participated. They were directed by Dr. Rollo Dilworth, a professor at Temple University.

Chansons pour le Congo: Karrin Allyson

KarinAllyson2015_Ingrid_Hertfelder_6Now is the perfect time, says jazz artist Karrin Allyson, to revisit the Rodgers & Hammerstein songbook. Two days after the release of her latest album,  Allyson will give a benefit concert “Chansons pour le Congo III” at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). The concert, which benefits two Congo-based charities, will be Sunday, September 20, at 3 p.m. at the Mildred & Ernest E. Mayo Concert Hall, 2000 Pennington Road, Ewing.

“These songs are innocent yet wise, hopeful yet nobody’s fool, calling us ever forward to be decent human beings,” says Allyson, who features Kenny Barron and John Patitucci on “Many a New Day” on the Motema label. “Sadly, the song ‘You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught,’  from ‘South Pacific’  (a musical that was written with the intention to fight racism) still resonates all too well today.”

The event is presented by the College of New Jersey, Women and Gender Studies Program, Women in Learning and Leadership and Office of the Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences.  Allyson will be accompanied by bass guitarist Ed Howard. A reception to meet the artists will follow the performance.

Tickets (available online here) are $70 for adults, $50 for seniors, and $30 for students, with a discount for TCNJ students.  Sponsorships range from Patron  at $240, including three tickets. to Karrin’s Circle for $1,000 with six tickets. For information  call 609-688-9979.

This will be the third concert that Allyson, a four-time Grammy nominee, has given to benefit the two charities. Founded  by an ecumenical group of Congolese women, Woman, Cradle of Abundance (FEBA) supports a sewing school for girls, medical care for women and children living with HIV/AIDS, counseling for survivors of rape and forced prostitution, and school fees for orphans .

UFAR, founded by PUMC member Dr. Daniel Shungu, is an African-inspired, Lawrenceville-based nonprofit charitable organization that aims, in partnership with other organizations, to eradicate onchocerciasis, a major public health problem in the Kasongo region of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“Women of the Congo have amazing strength,” says Allyson, “and I only want to help with their goals of a safe and healthy society, freed from diseases like AIDS and riverblindness, and to help the world see that they are FIRST class citizens.”

Hyosang Park, solo handbells on 6/7

Hyosang 1

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