Volunteers needed for local mission work

This Saturday, May 19, is Change the World Day for United Methodist congregations around the world. And we need your help!

Our church will be joining seven other United Methodist churches in the Casco Bay cluster to perform mission work from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. with a variety of community projects.

Because of previous commitments, a number of people from our congregation will not be available to help with the Change the World projects. Please consider joining in, even if you have not previously participated in this type of work. Also consider asking friends to join us.

We will gather at the Thornton Heights UMC at 8:30 on Saturday to organize teams from all the churches that will go out into different communities for eight projects. Thornton Heights is located at 100 Westbrook Street in South Portland (between Route 1 and Broadway).

The mission projects will include:

• Visiting the South Portland Nursing Home, which will include  Mark and Margaret Braun’s dog Piper joining us.
• Folding and putting clothes on shelves at the Elm Street Swap Shop.
• Baking and delivering cookies to surrounding neighborhoods in Portland.
• Planning a community garden at First Church in South Portland.
• Mowing and trimming grass at Brown’s Hill Cemetery.
• Planning community gardens at various locations.
• Making fleece blankets for a hospital or family shelter.

Teams for each of these projects will have participants from each of the Casco Bay UM churches. We will work side by side with our neighbor churches for the good of many people across Greater Portland.

At 12:15, everyone will gather back at Thornton Heights for a lunch and open discussion about all of that work that had been done. Some additional work may be done after lunch, if people are available.

Change the World is a worldwide United Methodist initiative that challenges local churches to select mission projects in their communities as a means of “living out Christ’s ideals in today’s world.”

Change the World Day began in 2010 and is based on the book of the same name written by Rev. Mike Slaughter. The project also is intended to provide financial support to fighting malaria globally.

In its first year, Cange the World Day included more than 100,000 people from more than 1,000 churches in 13 countries and every state in the United States.

According to Rev. Larry Hollen, chief executive of United Methodist Communication, “The people of the United Methodist Church were on a mission to change the world in a hands-on kind of way — and we made an impact.”

Please help to make that impact once again! Join us on Saturday for Change the World 2012 and make a difference!!

Rev. Ruth Morrison gets up close and personal with a month-old ewe lamb.

Lessons from lambs

“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”

John:10

On this Good Shepherd’s Sunday, about 18 members of the congregation and their friends enjoyed a hands-on experience of entering a sheep pen — with the permission of the gatekeeper.

We couldn’t say with confidence that we were the immediate friends of the ewes and lambs that filled the pen, but by the end of an hour there was a certain bond that had been established, much to the delight of everyone who particpated.

The experience began after the 10 a.m. service when everyone was invited to travel to Journey’s End Farm on Two Lights Road to see, touch and even pick up the very subject of Good Shepherd Sunday.

Louise Sullivan of Journey's End Farm talks about her ewes and lambs.

 There, on the farm owned by Richard and Louise Sullivan, were 12 precious lambs and their protective mothers. Everyone had to step in a Clorox solution before entering the pen to rid their boots of any bacteria, but then it was up close and personal for both adults and their children. Everyone took full advantage of the opportunity.

Ellie Gagne holds one of the 12 lambs.

 Louise explained that the lambs had been born in late March and early April and all but one of them were white ewe or female lambs. The only ram or male lamb was solid brown. Louise said it was very unusual to have so many ewes and only one ram in the spring birthing.

Of the 13 lambs that were born in March and April, only this brown one was a ram lamb.

 When the lambs and their mothers first encountered our inquisitive group, most of them headed for the safe haven of the nearby barn. But it didn’t take long for the animals and humans to warm up to each other and eventually the lambs were being held by some of the congregation’s children. Could there have been a more appropriate Good Shepherd Sunday?

Jasper Fontana visits some of the lambs and their mothers in the Journey's End barn.

Natalie Charles offers a comforting touch to one of the ewes.

Click here to see more images of the Journey’s End Farm experience: Continue reading »

Evening of Culture and Fellowship

The church’s Adult Social Activity Group gathered in downtown Portland on Friday, April 27, for an evening of viewing art and sculpture at the Portland Art Museum, followed by a group dinner at nearby Margaritas.

A total of 15 adults took part, one of the group’s largest gatherings yet.

The next event for the Adult Social Activity Group is a Progressive Supper on Friday, June 8. Stay tuned for more details and plan now to join us!

Colorful focus on Recycling

On the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day, our Sunday School turned its focus to recycling on April 22 with the artistic guidance of Carol Hubbard and Gary Beckwith.

Carol came up with the idea to use this week’s Sunday School lesson as a means of  celebrating this country’s environmental movement. The result was uniquely painted recycling bins that will be distributed throughout the church.

Gary Beckwith checks the art work on some of the Earth Day recycling creations.

More than a dozen children and adults spent almost an hour using the vibrant colors of  acrylic paint to transform white, gray and blue trash containers into works of art.

Gary, a former arts teacher in the Cape Elizabeth school system, provided a quick lesson on how to use and mix the paints while Carol added a Biblical lesson on how and why we need to better protect God’s earth. From there it was hands-on painting  with an emphasis on uniqueness.

Carol Hubbard adds some of her own artistic inspiration to one of the church's recyling bins.

One of the most unique creations came from Shirley Maxwell, who transformed the lid to one of the containers into a wide-mouthed, big teeth “recycling monster” just waiting to gobble up reams of past church bulletins and drafts of old sermons.

Shirley Maxwell puts some finishing touches on her "recycling monster."

Earth Day began in 1970, the creation of  Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. senator from Wisconsin. According to the Earth Day Network web site, Sen. Nelson announced the idea of a national teach-in on the environment to the national media. The result, on April 22, 1970, was 20 million Americans taking to streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive rallies across the country.

Sen. Nelson took on the cause after witnessing the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, California.

The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United State Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.

 Click here for more images of Earth Day 2012 at our church: Continue reading »

Choral Program Director Leia Bennett directs the combined choirs on Sunday, April 15 at the Cape Elizabeth United Methodist Church.

Spirited youth, heavenly voices

Dr. Stephen Holmes has been bringing Maryland choirs to Maine throughout the past decade, each time creating a memorable visit to our church.

Past performances by the Maryland State Boychoir, the Notre Dame of Maryland Women’s Choir and the Singing Men of Maryland provided lessons of how fine-tuned and breathtakingly beautiful groups of young men and women can be.

It would be unfair to take anything away from the brilliance of the past performances, but Sunday’s performance by the Annapolis Area Christian School Upper Choir might have been Dr. Holmes’ best yet.

Dr. Stephen Holmes directs one of the Annapolis choruses.

Sunday’s performance during the 10 a.m. service included 80 high school students. At times they sang together but they also performed as a 40-voice Men’s Chorus, a 17-voice Madrigal Ensemble, and a 25-voice Women’s Chorus. Leia Bennett, choral program director at the Annapolis Christian School, conducted along with Dr. Holmes.

 The voices filled the sanctuary with traditional hymns, two of which Rev. Ruth Morrison said were her favorites, a range of special spiritual music, and one African folk song that had the entire congregation rocking to the beat.

The Annapolis Choir was in Maine as part of a spring tour of New England. While in Maine, they performed at the Littlefield Memorial Baptist Church in Rockland and at the Brackett Memorial UMC on Peaks Island. While not performing, they visited Portland, Freeport, Len Libby in Scarborough (can’t miss that chocolate moose) and the DeLorme Map Company in Yarmouth.

Thank you to Dr. Holmes for continuing to bring his choirs to our community and to our own Faith York for her friendship with Dr. Holmes that has made this magical connection possible.

Click here for more images of the Annapolis Choir: Continue reading »

Outpouring of many emotions

From the reverent observance of the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday to the solemn reflections on Good Friday and finally the joy of Easter Sunday morning, Easter Week at the Cape Elizabeth United Methodist Church carried deep meaning for both members of our church and the congregation from the Church of the Nazarene.

The CEUMC meal on Maundy Thursday. (Photo by Mark Braun)

Our church hosted members of the Church of the Nazarene for a Maundy Thursday gathering in the Narthex. Everyone shared a meal, prayers and communion while reflecting on the night of Jesus’ Last Supper. The Church of the Nazarene then hosted a service for mourning and reflecting on the events of Good Friday.

Everyone was invited to an Easter Egg Hunt at our church on the following morning, which included a surprise visit from a six-foot Easter Bunny. There of course was the challenging hunt for eggs in and around the church grounds, but also time for games, the painting of a mural supervised by Shirley Maxwell, the potting of plants, the dyeing of eggs and the breaking of an Easter pinata.

A large Easter Bunny was part of the festivities at the Easter Egg Hunt on the morning before Easter. (Photo by Mark Braun)

 The Easter Sunrise Service at Two Lights was warmer than past years, but unfortunately, the sunrise wasn’t visible over the ocean. Instead, choruses of birds accompanied the sermon by Jon Twitchell of the Church of the Nazaraene and a reading by Bishop Cliff Ives.

After the Sunrise Service, the Church of the Nazarene once again hosted a breakfast for everyone who had attended the outdoor service.

The 10 a.m. Easter service at our church was blooming with the signs of new life, from the many plants and flowers donated by members of the congregation to the colorful butterflies that wafted down from the ceiling of the sanctuary, replacing the stars that had adorned the Christmas services.

Laurel Underwood, Gail Parker’s sister, was invited to give the Easter benediction after our church presented her with a stole. Laurel is beginning a new Presbyterian ministry this week in Silver Springs, Maryland.

The Easter morning theme was love and life —  and it was very much apparent, including in this heart-shaped stigma of this Easter lily.

 Click here for more images from Mark Braun of Easter Week at the Cape Elizabeth United Methodist Church:

Continue reading »

Rev. Tom Frey of Peoples UMC in South Portland is directing a Youth Drama Club every other Sunday.

Youthful Drama

The Casco Bay cluster of United Methodist churches has formed a Youth Drama Club, led by Rev. Tom Frey of the Peoples UMC in South Portland.

The group meets every other Sunday afternoon at Peoples and currently is working on a production of Story Theatre: Adapted for stage by Paul Sills from stories in the Grimm Brothers’ collection and Aesop’s Fables. The production will be performed for the public on May 20 at 4 p.m. at the Peoples UMC.

The current production includes performers from our church and the West Scarborough UMC. The performers from our church include Jake Wilson, Megan Connelly, Katie Connelly, Dana Dufresne Bonoff  and Mariah Parker.

Jake Wilson and Megan Connelly rehearse a scene.

Katie Connelly rehearses her lines in "Henny Penny."

The Rev. Tom Frey of Peoples UMC, who has a background as a professional actor, is working with the Youth Drama Group.

A troupe of Brundian dancers perform during Sunday's cultural event at the Cape Elizabeth UMC.

Voices of concern and celebration

Elizabeth Beane of the Hope Gate Way United Methodist Church in Portland made it clear that the cultural event hosted by our church on Sunday would carry two very distinct messages about life in Burundi.  

“There are horrible things going on in Burundi,” she told a gathering of more than 200 people who filled our sanctuary to near capacity, “but the people of this country have also brought wonderful gifts to America with their music, singing and dancing.”

For more than two hours, we listened, absorbed, and experienced a striking contrast between sorrow and joy that was almost unfathomable. There were the personal stories of killings, violence, abuse, discrimination and torture. But just when it seemed as if the depths of human suffering were the only stories we would hear from the people of Burundi, we were introduced to another side of their lives; one that was uplifting and full of celebration.

Norbert Kanteyineza talks about the history and culture of Burundi.

Interspersed with their stories of tragedy and despair in a country torn by political strife, members of the Burundi community also brought to Sunday’s cultural event vibrant music and dance. On four occasions a troupe of young women danced in front of and down the aisles of the sanctuary, bringing spontaneous clapping from people in the pews, some of whom were their country men and women while others were members of our congregation and its surrounding communities.

There also were interludes of singing and guitar-playing, all as a means of reflecting a positive side of the Burundian people who have immigrated to the Greater Portland area during the past year while seeking political asylum.

A similar cultural event was held at the Hope Gate Way UMC in February and it was decided to hold Sunday’s event at our church as a way of spreading the stories of these immigrants to a wider audience. Elizabeth from Hope Gate Way has organized her church’s Friends and Families of Burundi program and coordinated Sunday’s event at our church.

Gerard Nicunzimana sings a "Wedding Song" in his native language as part of the cultural education of Sunday's Burundian event at the CEUMC.

At Sunday’s event, background information about Burundian history and culture  was delivered by Norbert Kanteyineza. Then, four individuals — three men and one woman — offered poignant personal stories about the struggles of living in their country, including killings, torture, imprisonment, and violence against women.

The emotional stories were made even more heartwrenching because three of the four were translated to the audience by Norbert. While the individual telling the story would pause for each segment to be translated, he often was visibly shaken by what he had just revealed and it was apparent from their reactions, the audience could feel the pain.

Photos were not taken nor identifications revealed of the individuals who shared their experiences because members of their families are still in Burundi and there is great concern for their safety.

The audience for Sunday's cultural event included Burundian families, members of the Cape Elizabeth and Hope Gate Way congregations, and people from Greater Portland communities.

After the final presentation of singing and dancing, some members of the gathering were asked to stand up and join the dancers in the front of the sanctuary for a melding of cultures. It was a joyous celebration.

Members of the Burundian community and the congregations from CEUMC and Hope Gate Way gathered together at the end of the cultural event for a celebration of their cultures.

At the end of the stories and cultural entertainment, Judith Hill from the Cape Elizabeth UMC addressed the gathering about her own personal connection with the Burundian community.

During a Martin Luther King Jr. event at our church in January, Judith sat with a gentleman from Burundi who offered Judith a handmade bracelet from his country. Judith was so impressed by the gesture that she organized a group of women from our church to create homemade quilts over two weekends — and much work at home in between — to be given to the Burundian community during Sunday’s event as gifts from our church. Click here for more information on the quilting project: Quilting

Led by Judith Hill, women from the Cape Elizabeth UMC present quilts from the church to representatives of the Burundian community.

Following the gift-giving, everyone moved from the sanctuary to the Narthex for a sumptuous meal prepared and presented by a Burundian chef and two of his assistants. They had worked on the meal and its presentation for eight hours.

Burundian chef Leopold Habonimana describes some of the dishes he prepared for Sunday's cultural event.

There was a large crowd waiting to be served the buffet-style Burundian meal -- but it was worth the wait.

Sunday’s event was free and open to the public, but there was a generous response to an offering taken to help the Burundian community with security deposits for apartments in Portland and for the hiring of asylum lawyers.

Elizabeth from Hope Gate Way explained that while the City of Portland will provide housing for people in need, they still require the payment of security deposits.

Click here for more images of Sunday’s Burundian cultural event: Continue reading »

Learn about and help people from Burundi

Our church is hosting a cultural event on Sunday, March 11 at 3 p.m., featuring recent immigrants from Burundi.

The event is free and open to the public, but donations will be gratefully accepted.

There will be music, dancing,  history, background on culture and politics, and food prepared by a chef from Burundi.

Most poitnantly, there will be personal stories told about why and how people from Burundi have come to this country seeking political asylum because of persecution, or fear of persecution, based on their race, religion, nationality, political opinions, or membership in social groups.

Most of the recent immigrants from Burundi are living in Portland and attend the Hope Gate Way United Methodist Church, which hosted a similar cultural event in February.

During the event, our church will present homemade quilts to members of the Burundi community that were created, stitch by stitch, during the past two Saturdays in our church by seven women.

Burundi is in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa, bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west.

Join us for a movie and lunch

The Adult Social Activity Group has organized an outing for Saturday, March 17 to gather for lunch and then go to see a movie matinee.

We will meet at the church at 11:30 a.m. and then car-pool to a local restaurant and make a decision about what movie to see.

As with all Adult Social Activity Group events, we invite all adults to join us. If you have any questions about this or future events, see the Hills, Linds, Lefebvres or Haiders.

Click here for a listing of future events: ASAG