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Mid Maine District E-News 

November 13, 2019

But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating;
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight.

I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people;
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress.
                                                            -Isaiah 65: 18-19
 
Last Sunday I had the opportunity to preach. (Thank you, Rev. Elizabeth Bachelder Smith for the invitation into your pulpit). It felt so good! It was where I needed to be, doing what I need to do.  I hope that if you are a preacher, you love preaching (almost) every Sunday. I hope that if you extend the hand of Christ in a food, or clothing, or teaching, or singing, or wood chopping, or photocopying, or praying with, or any other kind of ministry, you truly love what you are doing.
 
I’m not taking about a superficial happy face that grins and bears it.  I’m talking about a deep connection with the purpose God has given you as your special gift. Lisbon UMC’s leaders reminded me of this as they described finding their fire delightfully reignited.  Their Discovering the Possibilities team is intentionally opening their hearts in spiritual formation and their doors in deeper community engagement.  Opening the doors doesn’t only mean inviting people in. It also means inviting church members to venture out in purposeful ways. Have you ever looked at a painting of Jesus knocking at the door and wondered whether he was asking to be let in or whether he was asking us to come out?
 
False humility can mask the delight we find in the work to which Christ invites us. “Ah, I’m just doing what I otta,” is hardly a delight-full response to someone noticing that we are doing good work.  What difference might it make if, when someone notices what we’re up to, we said something like, “it just makes me so happy that God gave me this work.”
 
The thing about doing God’s work is that the harder it gets, the more the light can shine through us. And to people wondering whether God will ever get them through what they’re going through, the prophet says that God designs us for work that is ultimately full of delight, the hallmark of kin-dom living.
 
They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat;
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity;
for they shall be offspring blessed by the LORD-- and their descendants as well.
Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox;
but the serpent--its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the LORD.
                                                                                                         -Isaiah 65:21-25
 
PS  Want to know the secret of the Lisbon team’s energizing experience?  Each meeting opens with shared prayer, moves into the bible for open listening, shares the wisdom of an author, then asks what does God have for us to do and how shall we go about doing it?
So simple, so transforming, so Wesleyan!  Be ye transformed……..

In God's grace,

Karen


 

 

The EarthKeepers Corner
with Michael Leonard, District Lay Leader
 
Reducing Food Waste at Thanksgiving

Have you started shopping for Thanksgiving? A lot of us have, and in many homes that means cleaning out the refrigerator and pantry to make room for all that new food. You know what I mean, the cold cuts that smell a little funny, that unused package of stuffing from last year, and those bottles of condiments that exceeded the “use by” date last summer!
Now that your counter is covered with all this old food, what are you going to do with it? Most of us toss it in the trash and it’s off to the landfill where it rapidly decomposes and generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
AND… all this once good, nourishing food, costs money to buy. A lot of money! Approximately $165 billion! The EPA estimates that in 2012, 35 million tons of food waste was generated. And about 96% of that food waste was thrown away in landfills and incinerators. That’s a very disturbing amount, when you consider that according to USDA, more than 41 million Americans face hunger, including nearly 13 million children.
What’s a person to do? How do we stop wasting all this food? Try these 4 tips to reduce your environmental impact this Thanksgiving and every day.

Have a plan. That sounds simple, but most of us overestimate how much food we will need. Plan your meals, make a shopping list, and stick to it. Not sure how much to buy? Find out. You can reduce food waste by cooking only as much as you’ll need. There are lots of tools online to help. Check out Love Food Hate Waste.
 Eat your leftovers. Make a delicious snack or meal instead of throwing away that excess food. Another fun idea is to invite family and friends over for a “leftover” party. Watch a movie, a football game, or play Monopoly, and enjoy that great food.
 Compost your food waste. Whether or not you have outside space, composting is easy, and the benefits are so worthwhile. Learn more at EPA – Composting at Home.
 Give back. Do you have a few cans of green beans, mushroom soup, or cranberry sauce left over? Donate them to your local food pantry. Now! Before they are past their expiration date. Any amount is appreciated and needed. It might even help make a neighbor’s Christmas more joyful.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving and remember to thank God for the bounty of creation!
Michael

 


 

New Lay Servant Courses Offered

2 new lay servant courses are being offered in January 2020. Please follow this link for information and registration.

MME Lay Servant Courses


Bishop Day on the Mid Maine District UMC

 

December 7th, 2019 at 1:00 

Pleasant Street UMC, Waterville ME

The District Committee on Superintendency is making plans for the Bishop’s Day on the District to be held on Saturday, December 7 at Pleasant Street UMC in Waterville beginning at 1:00 pm with worship. We plan to share some of the gifts of our district with him and following worship, Bishop Devadhar will be sharing a full two hours for teaching and engagement with clergy and laity.

REQUEST: if you have pictures of the Bishop in the MME District, please forward them to Lori, AA in Mid Maine for a presentation we are preparing. 

Please encourage your folks to send notes of appreciation for the Bishop’s ministry among us since 2012.  Note paper will also be available at the gathering.


 

 

 

 

 

FINE-TUNE YOUR 2020 PHILANTHROPIC VISION

  A New Look for Your IRA

WEBINAR

November 19, 2019 / 7-8:00pm EST

MORE INFO / SIGN UP


 

 Mid Maine District Events Calendar

 

Clergy and Lay Supply MME Ministry Days at Camp Mechuwana 8:30 bible study, 9:00-12:00. Worship and Program

  • November 14 Program:  Zoom. Isn't that a children's TV show?  Webex. Probably a new cereal? Skype. Ah, I know that one! It's when you want to skip and fly a kite at the same time, right?  Skype, Webex, Zoom, are all methods of speaking face-to-face with others via electronic devices (computers, tablets, and smartphones).  For the past three years, I've participated in a continuing education program which used a mix of ways to stay in touch, including retreats at Mechuwana, but also, monthly webinars that connected participants from Maine to Wyoming.  I am preparing to teach a District Lay Servant Ministry Basic Course via Webex.  And, I'm excited for you all to come to the Ministry Day November 14th to learn how to use electronic face-to-face technology to bring new possibilities to your ministry region. See you in November! ~Elizabeth Bailey-Mitchell
  • December 12 
  • January 9
  • February 13
  • March 12 (Anne Robertson- program MA Bible Society)
  • April 9
  • May 14

December 7 1:00-4:00 Bishop Day at MidMaine District

February 1, 2020 Giving Jesus Generosity- Mid Maine Resource Day 9:00-2:00 at Brunswick UMC   Register HERE!

February 14, 2020 NEAC Statistics Due 

This and That

FREE Choir Robes:  The Wayne UMC has 12 choir robes that are no longer needed. We were hoping that you could put a notice in the next district newsletter asking if there is another church that might like to have them.  
The robes are dark red (burgundy?) and made by a company called Lyric.  There are four different sizes: small - 1; medium - 6; large - 3; and extra large - 1.  If anyone is interested, they can get in touch with Connie by email or phone, 207-446-3681.


Please pray for the following... 

          

 Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar

Rev. Dr. Karen Munson, DS

November 17 People's UMC, South Thomaston, Pleasant St UMC, Randolph UMC, Readfield UMC, Round Pond UMC

November 24 Rumford Center UMC, Rumford UMC, Salem Community Church, Searsmont UMC, Searsport UMC, Sheepscott Community Church

December 1 Southport UMC, Strong UMC, Thomaston Federated Church, Trinity UMC, Union Church of Belgrade Lakes


District Office Hours

AA Office Hours: M-TH 7:00-2:00 (or by appointment)

2019 Holiday dates office is closed: November 28, November 29, December 24, December 25

AA Vacation Scheduled:  November 25-29  and December 23 -January 1

NEW information, events, and ministry opportunities below .
Please check the
MME Facebook page or the MME website for current updates 


To have a notice included in an Update, email mmedist@neumc.org.


Previous District Updates are available on the website.

 

The New England Conference

Our District Contact Info

District Superintendent
Karen Munson
 
Administrative Assistant

Lori C. Umberhind

Address

PO Box 89

East Winthrop, ME 04343

Office Phone

(207) 395-4080

Office Fax

(207) 377-4388

Email

kmunson@neumc.org

Transformed by the Holy Spirit, united in trust,
we will boldly proclaim Christ to the world.