John Wesley
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OPEN HEARTS, OPEN MINDS, AND OPEN DOORS John Wesley |
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If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me as the Scripture has said. 'out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.' John 7:37-38. |
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Friends in Deed - First Sunday of Each Month
Did you know that over a twelve month period, our "First Sunday Mission of Sharing" donations for the Friends in Deed emergency food shelves have totaled the equivalent of over 66 grocery bags of food. This is great! And it could be even better if we all would mark our calendars for the First Sunday and remember to bring our "one item - once a month - on the first Sunday." HOLLISTON CHURCH HAS NAMED THE FIRST SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH "FRIENDS IN DEED"COLLECTION DAY |
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Altar Flowers
We have all been blessed by the floral skills of Shirley Kim and her offering each week. However, there is still a place for us to participate in the floral offerings each week. Just call Shirley at the church office on Tuesday or Thursday, tell her you want to be the sponsor (or partial sponsor) for your chosen Sunday. She will be the best one to tell you whether or not the day is available, and if so, then how you can share in the bouquet. Since she purchases the flowers and arranges them herself, if is likely that you will help with the cost of the flowers and she will make the arrangement. Just call her. |
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The Caring Quilters
he Caring Quilters meets every third Tuesday, from 10:00 to 2:00 p.m. in the Heritage room, upstairs above Willing Workers. There are many adorable quilts that we are working on. All you need to do is be able to push a needle and yam through 3 layers of fabric. We laugh a lot, and have a grand time getting caught up on the news of the day. Remember the old time quilting bees we read about? Well, we have a modem-day quilting bee each month. The results are given away to children who need love in a scary world. |
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CAMPBELL'S SOUP: NOT JUST WHAT'S IN THE CAN!
The advertisements say "M-mm Good!" But it's not only the contents. The labels on the cans of soup and other related products can be used to help others. Just save the front portion of the labels, deposit them in the decorated gift bag in Warmer Lounge. The United Methodist Women will see that they get to the David & Margaret Home where they will be used to buy athletic equipment. The David & Margaret Home is one of our Conference Mission projects and its work is focused on troubled teenagers. |
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HOLLISTON FOUNDATION PRESENTS NURSING SCHOLARSHIP TO PASADENA CITY COLLEGE STUDENT At a recent awards ceremony held at the Health Sciences building at Pasadena City College The Holliston Foundation presented its 2007 nursing scholarship. Jim and Carolyn Chenoweth made the presentation on behalf of the Foundation. In the past four years The Holliston Foundation has given scholarship aid to five students in the PCC nursing program. These scholarships are funded by individual donations and income from the Holliston Memorial Fund in the Foundation. The fund was established in 1984 in memory of Alice and Betty Hallstrom, Holliston members and nurses who represented to all who knew them the skills, dedication and compassion of the nursing profession at its best. Donations may be made at any time to this and other funds in the Foundation, which is a 501c3 organization. All gifts to the Foundation are tax deductible. For further information on making a memorial, honorary, or other gift to the Foundation, please contact Cindi Pool, Jim Chenoweth, or any member of the Foundation Board. |
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SERMON TAPES
The cost of Sunday Sermon Tapes has been increased to $3.00. |
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WORSHIP TIME
Sunday morning worship for the 'historic' Holliston congregation will be changing in August. Beginning August 7,2006 worship will begin at 9:30 am. This will allow us to get in the right habit before two other Sunday morning worship services are added to the schedule. We anticipate that there will be Korean language services at 8 am and at 11 am in the Sanctuary each Sunday, as well as English language contemporary services in Scott Hall. There will be many opportunities to praise God! |
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OUR PRAYER CONNECTION
"When did we see thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger or naked, or sick, or in prison..." At this time we can do all of the above for our brothers and sisters in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Pray for them, and give them hope and help to sustain them through this time. Not all of us can do what our brother Willie Triplett has done. He owns a home in Mississippi that was vacant, and he is using it to help 8 people until they can get on their feet and get back their lives. But let us do what we are able to. We can always pray for those who suffer deprivation and suffering. And we can always pray for God to open our minds, our hearts, and our hands to do his work. Please keep these persons and their families in your prayers. |
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UPDATE ON VONS/PAVILI0NS ESCRIP
Everyone who signed the enrollment form for this program is now officially enrolled and all purchases using the Club Card are automatically earning a percentage of each purchase for Holliston Church. Some of you may have received additional information from the eScrip company which might be confusing. Holliston Church is a part of the program involving supermarket purchases only. There is another part of the program which involves a variety of other kinds of stores and services and the use of a credit card. We are not a part of this section of eScrip. Remember, both Ralphs and Vons programs are automatic when you use your Club Card. Using your phone number does not make the connection with the donation programs on their computers. If you have not already joined this no-hassle way to assist our church programs, you may enroll by phone. With your Club card in hand, call Jim or Carolyn Chenoweth and they will process your enrollment. Every little bit helps! one up. |
| LIFE deadlines
AS EVERYBODY SAYS, THAT'S LIFE; LIFE deadline will be the second Sunday of the Month for information on the following month. This is a fixed deadline. All information for the following month needs to be in by noon of that day. If you have information and can send it by email, that will be the most efficient method. Send it to phred9@msn.com. Remember: Second Sunday. Holliston LIFE is currently a primary way in which the church is accessible to everyone. It is also a means of reaching out to make welcome those who come through the doors of our church. In order to edit and print each issue in a timely fashion, deadlines need to be honored. If you are in a group that is planning a class, a mission, a dinner, a party, or whatever: think ahead. What will be going on that you want people to participate in? When will it happen? (if near the first of a month, it should be on the LIFE calendar in the month previous to its happening.) How can you make people feel most welcome and not simply pass on information. Whether you want to write it yourself or have it written for you, be sure that all the information of the What, where, when, who, and why are included, even to the point of superfluity. Please email LIFE info to phred9@msn.com ' LIFE Email: phred9@msn.com |
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Memorial Gifts A Reminder
Memorial gifts to The Holliston Foundation may be made at anytime. Checks should be made payable to "The Holliston Foundation" with the notation "Memorial in the name of____". All memorial donations support the Educational Aid fund of the Foundation, unless otherwise designated and they are tax deductible. Donations in honor of birthdays and other special occasions also support The Foundation in its efforts to provide help where it is needed. |
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The Holliston Prayer Chain is active.
JUST "RATTLE OUR CHAIN" The Prayer Chain "Links" wait to serve you. When you are up against the wall and your own decision making is held at bay, can you expect a miracle? A test of faith, a ray of hope? Being fortified with the awareness that there are Christians praying for your welfare and peace of mind in a critical situation can open you to being more receptive to God's presence and help and provide you with a healing spirit in which the Creator's process can emerge. The "links" of the Holliston Prayer Chain rejoice in being a part of God's process of health and healing, They also celebrate God's work in your life. Earlier this year they prayed Perhaps sometime you would like the Chain to intercede for you in your concerns. To initiate a request, call the Chain coordinator, Shirlee Embree at 626-798-6281 or the church office. One of the most important things we can do for each other is to pray. Among us are those whose needs we see as well as those unsaid or unacknowledged. As followers of Christ we ask prayer for Emily Newton who is in Huntington Hospital, for Eve Bunting, Carolyn Chenoweth, for Becky Bryan, Annie Sullivan (Shirley McConnell's daughter), the Rodia family (friends of Genevieve Gantney). Pray for others whose needs you know Then extend your prayers to include those who mourn, who hurt, who are hungry, who are homeless, who need help just to stay alive. Contact Shirlee Embree, 798-6281, to have names added or removed from this list. Let us share each other's challenges and blessings in prayer. |
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IT OCCURS T0 ME...
hat these words of
Carolyn Chenoweth, "Much is done individually and
privately, but, as a congregation, -we are called to find
ways of meeting needs as we become aware of them,
doing what we can do and maybe even stretching a
bit. " are particularly apt as we face Lent. "Stretching
a bit" means we reach just a little higher and a little
further than we have before. At Christmas, my
son in law, Scott, gave me a book on "stretching".
The author challenges most current thinking on the
subject, saying that we will achieve better results,
more effectively, and with less injury, if we do our
stretching gently. Scott says it is working for him.
Now it occurs to me that what is true of our bodies is
true of ourselves spiritually and in growing new ways
of doing. We all know the failures of "the great New
Year's resolutions," quite possibly because we want
our change NOW! whether it's to curb our appetite,
our temper, or a 'bad' habit So why not try that same
approach with Lent. It also helps to have a positive
goat in mind. Our aim is to grow as Christians.
The prophet Isaiah has something to say to each of
us as to how we approach what we covenant or
promise to do, and by the way this is God speaking.
"Do you think this is my idea of fasting? Time to
humble yourself, and bow down your head like a
bulrush and lie in sackcloth and ashes?
This is the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds
of injustice, undo the bonds of those yoked, let
the oppressed go free, and to break all the shackles. It is to share your bread with the hungry,
bring the homeless poor into your house, and
when you see them naked to clothe them, and
not to hide yourself from your family." He
continues in this vein to the end of the passage,
promising: "then your light shall break forth like
the dawn, and your healing shall spring up
quickly." (from Isaiah 58, in my words.)
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ALTAR DESIGN 101
by Marcia Hartsock UPart of Holliston's rich heritage is evident every Sunday morning in the wonderful paramagnets visible in the Sanctuary. (Paramagnets are the cloths that are used on the altar and pulpits and the banners.) These are changed periodically, according to the season. Purple is a color of both penitence and royalty used in the preparatory seasons of Advent and Lent. White and gold are joyous and festive colors used during the Christmas and Easter seasons. Red, a color of fire, symbolizes the Holy Spirit and is used on the Day of Pentecost and at other times when the work of the Holy Spirit is emphasized. Green, the color of growth, is used in Epiphany and Kingdomtide, emphasizing the growth of the Christian and of God's kingdom. In some churches they are called "ordinary time." Although the use of these colors is based on tradition, other colors have been and are being used in churches. The UMC Book of Worship encourages creativity with colors and Other signs for days and seasons. We have come to know that not everyone learns in the same way. Some are able to absorb information by hearing. Others learn best by reading or seeing, and still others use other senses. Most people become so accustomed to having the same sensory experience repeated so often that it fades from our consciousness and loses meaning. Worship planners are trying to engage sight and sound in new ways, so that a harmonious setting and rhythm is developed to bring greater understanding to a theme or a season. During the period of Epiphany between Christmas and Lent, Epiphany, the student pastors of Holliston brought in different designs for the altar in an attempt to emphasize the joyous time before Lent. A slightly different order of worship was used for the same purpose. Now, during the solemn period of Lent, we have returned to a simple altar design, using the regular paraments. However, you can expect to see unique altar treatments in the future, especially on Palm/Passion Sunday, Easter, Pentecost, and other times when there is a desire to complement the message of the sermon or the scripture. Take a cue from what you see when you first enter the Sanctuary and prepare for a rich experience. Feel free to ask Melissa or Marcia if you have any questions. |
| Holliston Library Holliston really has two libraries. The first is the rack just outside the church office. These booklets and pamphlets are not simply for visitors. You may take, read, and pass them on. Use them to help make Holliston more accessible and welcoming. The second library is also self-service. The books on the shelves of the Willing Workers room are for you to take read and then return. Then perhaps take another book and continue the process. There are some old standbys in religious literature. A number of these books are “reference” books. You might wish to study just what a certain passage in the Bible is about, or where “Ashdod’ is. Or if you are teaching, get some background material. On Sunday morning you might well ask Nick Morrone for some guidance as to what you are looking for. Soon we will have inventoried a limited accumulation of music CD’s and VCR tapes. Suggestions for new books, as well as gift books are welcome. You may contact Ruth Langford with your suggestions or contributions. Take time to look the library over. . |