Category: Sunday School

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Summer Sunday Thespians Needed

Summer Sunday: Princeton UMC Thespians act out the story of Miriam, written by Richard Gordon, directed by Rachel Callendar.

Summer Sunday children’s plays have begun! These are the wonderful plays about Biblical stories written by Richard Gordon.

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Directing this year is seminary student Rachel Callender, who is also an actress with a BFA in theatre performance from Kean University

Everyone had great fun at the first week’s play about Miriam. 

In July, children have three chances to be in a play — or to watch a play.  On July 2, kids will act out the story of Ruth. On July 16, it’s all about David and Abigail. Every girl’s favorite — the story of Esther — is July 30.

Students going into 3rd grade and above will meet at 9:30 a.m. in Room 204 to begin rehearsing. Younger children can be dropped off closer to 10 a.m. at rooms 102-103 and will be brought upstairs halfway through service to watch the play. 

No one — whatever age — wants to miss seeing and hearing the ASP team report on Sunday, July 9, so there will be no play that day.

And this month we will have our first monthly Alternative Worship, so families will worship together on July 23.

We need volunteers — two adult assistants to the Play Director, two adults to supervise younger children before the play starts, plus Thespians — children who wish to be actors in the play. Please sign up online here! 

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Sermon: Passing on a Legacy of Faith

“Passing on a Legacy of Faith,” sermon by Phoebe Lorraine Quaynor, Princeton United Methodist Church on Sunday, June 11, 2017 (Recognition Sunday) based on Exodus 3:1-6, and 9-10.

Today as a church family we celebrate all things education! We celebrate the passing down of truth from one generation to the other. We celebrate the custodians of this truth in our community. Whether science, theology or philosophy or math…it is TRUTH and graduation means somebody passed a body of knowledge  down to another. I stand here as one who has received much TRUTH and GRACE from this church family.

To continue, link here

 

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Mission Project for Sunday School

Sunday School students will work on a mission project to support people in the local Princeton area. We will prepare Hygiene Kits that will be distributed to people who visit Cornerstone Community Kitchen.

The Cornerstone Community Kitchen (CCK) offers a free and nutritious meal every week, even on holidays. Volunteers from the community serve the meal from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.  In partnership with the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK), this ministry of PUMC now serves more than 100 people each week. Some come for the food, some for the fellowship and friendly atmosphere. All are welcome, no questions asked.

Teachers will introduce the Mission Project on Palm Sunday, April 9. On the next  two Sundays after Easter (April 23 and 30) children will bring in the supplies. They will make cards on April 23 and assemble the kits (always exciting) on April 30. The kits will be blessed, tentatively, on May 7 during the Children’s Sermon. Everyone is welcome to contribute any item (you don’t have to bring all the items). There will be a basket in the Sanford Davis Lobby.

  • bar of soap
  • a wash cloth (new)
  • a small hand towel (new)
  • shampoo (regular size, not travel and not extra large)
  • conditioner(regular size, not travel and not extra large)
  • toothbrush
  • toothpaste (regular size, not travel and not extra large)

This is a great way for our children to learn about helping others in a very hands-on way. Questions?Contact Tracey Feick-Lee or Rachel@PrincetonUMC.org

 

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Fourth Grade Bibles

Photo by Robin Birkel

Director of Christian Education Machaela Irving — along with teachers Barbara Sageser, Janis McCarty, and Lorie Roth — presented each fourth grader with a NRSV Bible on February 12. They were curious and delighted!

Photo by Anna Looney
Back in the classroom they began to explore their new Bibles. Photo by Lorie Roth
Photo by Lorie Roth

 

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Sunday School: Not Just for Kids

In addition to Bible studies that meet during the week, two adult classes welcome newcomers on Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

The Contemporary Issues Class is starting a new study based on The Unwinding by George Packer. Through a series of glimmering short essays, Packer has put together a story of how wealth has concentrated itself in the United States in the second half of the twentieth century, and the first decade of the 21st. “We meet every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the Library. We welcome new class members,” says Charles Phillips.

The Heart of Faith class meets in Fellowship Hall on Sundays at 9:30. Led by Rev. Don Brash, it will study the differences between the Word as Jesus of Nazareth, the word as the preaching of the preacher, and the Word as the messages of the Scriptures. “We will explore the possible ways of understanding God’s relationship to the words of the Bible and the words of the preacher,” says Don. He is associate professor of historical theology at Palmer Theological Seminary. Everyone is welcome.

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Brown Bag It on November 20

2016-november-cropped-brown-bagOnce 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.

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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.

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Safety Sunday: October 23

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Machaela Irving, director of Christian Education, offers this information about our Safe Sanctuary policy. 

Safe Sanctuaries is an overt expression in making congregations safe places where children, youth, and elders may experience the abiding love of God and fellowship within the community of faith.

Sunday, October 23 is “Safety Sunday,” so everyone should bring their jacket or sweater to class. At 10:18 a.m. all classes will evacuate the building and gather along the western wall of CVS. A monitor will block traffic from entering that section of the parking lot during our drill. We will return to our classrooms for ‘pickup’ after the worship service.

Also on Sunday, October 23, teachers will have a Background Check Breakfast immediately following Sunday School in the church office. For those who can’t attend, here is the link https://www.smart-trak.com/GNJUMC.aspx?code=GNJUM,aspcx,

All of these things have divine purpose, so thanks to teahcers and staff for taking the time to be an obedient servant of the Lord!

Machaela Irving

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Bagpipes and Colorful Dress: World Communion

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Chip Swartz, bagpiper and PUMC member, with Rev. Jana Purkis Brash, celebrating World Communion Sunday.

PUMC truly is a diverse community, and this is never more evident than on World Communion Sunday.  As has become tradition, members are invited to to attend these services wearing the native dress of their countries of origin, transforming our Sanctuary into a colorful quilt of textures, designs and styles.  For several years our Communion table dismissals have been given by church members in a variety of languages, Korean, Spanish and Swahili, among others. This year, members were also invited to come to the altar area during the singing of hymns, and place a sticker on their country of origin on a large world map.  What a blessing it is to be part of such a diverse church family!....by Lori Pantaleo

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All ages sang rousingly, directed here by Hyosang Park. See the PrincetonUMC Facebook page for videos!

 

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Jana Purkis-Brash celebrating World Communion Sunday with, among others, Theresa Cann, Ina Early, Isabella Dougan, Catherine Williams, Christine Shungu

 

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Susan and Vasanth Victor celebrating World Communion Sunday.
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Reggie and Theresa Cann: Reggie did the projection

 

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Scot with tartan tie: John Macdonald supervised the AV system
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Scot with tartan scarf: Iona Harding, who, along with Lula Crawford, offered international food for coffee hour.
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Everyone, including each child, could put a sticker ‘heart’ on their native country or the country ‘close to their heart’
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Meanwhile, in Sunday School, everyone was learning about Abraham and Sarah, here the smallest children glimpsed the story told by Marie Griffiths and Mae Potts
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Kindergartners learned that story, and Christine Wong and Christine Shungu taught the delightful song -“God is so good — to you and me.” Just right for World Communion Sunday!
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Nora and Daddy
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One day at @PrincetonUMC: #SocialMediaSunday

In many churches around the world September 25, 2016, is “Social Media Sunday,”  the day set aside to use digital devices intentionally to share their life of faith with the world. In that spirit, here are some of today’s videos and pictures taken at Princeton United Methodist Church.

In worship, the Ensemble (Charles Hayes, Harran Williams, Michael Andrew Cabus, Eileen Francisco-Cabus) sang Charles Hayes’ God’s Hands.

Cindy Gordon, in the Children’s Time, illustrated how Jeremiah challenged God’s people to take risks. Machaela Irving read the scripture, and  Rev. Jana Purkis-Brash preached on the Jeremiah selection of this week’s lectionary (Jeremiah 32:1-3a; 6-15) in a sermon entitled “Step Out in Faith.”

The Chancel Choir, directed by Hyosang Park, sang Michael Burkhardt’s The Lord is Beautiful 

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Andrew Hayes doubled as Ensemble musician and  SS teacher, with Anita Tong, for middle schoolers

Meanwhile, in Sunday School, The toddlers experience Christ’s love with delight-filled play, and they also practice the habit of simple prayer, with Mae Potts and Marie Griffiths.

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4th and 5th graders met with Barbara Sageser, Janis McCarty, and Lorie Roth

First to third graders, led by Yvonne Macdonald and Sharon Distase, helped praise God with a cheerleading chant. 

Skitch Matson, in the Youth Room, had teens working in small groups on the concept of Sabbath, as in Exodus 16. 

One of the two adult classes, Contemporary Issues, met in the library to discuss Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers by Kwame Anthony Appiah.

The Heart of Our Faith class met in Fellowship Hall, where Rev. Don Brash led a discussion on Persevering Hope. 

After church, the Handbell Choir practiced. From noon to 1:30, church doors were open, and the Tiffany Task Force gave a half dozen families (from Iceland to Venezuela) the stained glass window tour.

That evening, the youth choir practiced for their anthem next week, followed by dinner and fellowship.

PUMC didn’t call attention to Social Media Sunday this year, but we are trying to use every media possible to welcome visitors and help each other grow as Christ’s disciples. We  believe that with more than 1 million new social mobile users added each day, we need to use new tools to be where people are. If you would like to help — taking videos and photos, using media like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and more, email the Comm Team, communications@PrincetonUMC.org. Smart phones at the ready!