Roots of Peoples United Methodist Church
Part 67 Epilog 1
The Story Continues: Worship opportunities Expand
Ushering in a new era in the life of Peoples, a group of the less than mid-life members of Peoples, began an experiment with a Sunday Night Contemporary Service. Chris Bowker and Mike Gray took the lead in initiating a relaxed atmosphere service with a lot of singing of modern Christian songs and praying for each other and others. Little in the way of a sermon was heard, but testimony of those present was encouraged. It was a difficult program to continue and while it served the needs of a few folks, the lack of numbers and the busyness of those who attended eventually led to the idea of a Sunday evening service being placed on hold.
A few years later under the original leadership of Pastors Gwyneth and/or Jamie Arrison a Taize Meditation service would take the place of the above mentioned service. Candles representing the life of Christ and those present would give focus to those in attendance. Clara Lee Street and Betty Lane became leaders and advocates for this type of service.
Likewise, a midweek service usually either held on Wednesday or Thursday nights had been led for a number of years by Kathy Brann and or Earle Harvey. Janice Malcom, Wealthy Harvey and Kit Pike were some other faithful attendees. Most of their evenings were spent in prayer for folks who had requested prayer through prayer cards submitted in the regular Sunday morning church services as well as through direct request to members of that group.
Prayer calls or messages have been passed from member to member either through a phone calling system originally developed by the Neighborhood Ministries founded by Hillie Cass or through an Internet prayer line that has been led by several individuals most recently by Susan Angell. Susan Angell had also taken charge of sending birthday and anniversary cards to folks related to the church. This activity had been faithfully carried on at first by Christine Darling and then continued through the faithful work of her sister, Carolyn Teeter.
In addition to the worship opportunities that are discussed above, small group studies such as Nicky Gumbal’s Alpha, and Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life, Church and Community involved large number of church members in Biblical study. All ages of folks got together in homes to learn about Jesus and how he would have us act with each other and others. Bill Beddie led a special study on Angels in his last year with us. This study was held in the home of the Tordoffs’ and was attended by nearly a dozen folks. Likewise Art Tordoff led a group on Sunday mornings through a Biblical study using the stained glass windows of the church center the study. Each member of the class chose a particular window to present to the rest of the class. It was particularly meaningful when Eric Greer, a young high schooler, chose the window of Jesus as a boy in the temple. Eric was to us that young person teaching we elders the meaning of that moment in the life of Christ.
Peoples Church has often been the center of community life as one can discern from many of the episodes that we have already included in this history of Peoples Church. Ushering in the Twenty-first century we find that the facility is still used by many community groups that include Alcoholics Anonymous, Meals on Wheels, Boy Scouts, Aerobic Fitness Programs, a Day Care and until recently a Square Dance Organization. While in the past there have been members of the church engaged in many of these organizations that is not necessarily so. We will say that many of the organizations, however, do employ the volunteer services of church members.
Many members of Peoples have entered the ministry through the portals of this church. In most recent times the following have chosen to serve the Lord in pulpits or as lay speakers. Annie Britton and Mike Gray have both served churches as pastors while continuing theological studies. Chris Ward, Merrill Kaiser, Linda and Doug Greer and Art Tordoff have all taken courses and./or served as lay speakers in recent years. In another location in the book you will find a list of all the folks who have entered ministry or have had further theological study having found their foundation here at Peoples.
One of the most unique ministries that any member of the church had engaged in was the work of Kevin Malcom through his international contact ministry called Circle of Friends. 2004 was the 10th anniversary of this program that during that year continued to reach out to Christians in as far-flung locations as Kazackstan, Afghanistan, Scotland, South Africa, Israel and Algeria. Churches in these areas joined churches and Christian groups in messaging via the Internet love and compassion for folks in this worldwide net of Christian friends. One of the peak moments in the life of this organization took place on the evening of August 22, 2004. Kevin and members of the Circle of Friends celebrated Just One Day at a designated time together in prayer. Those in attendance can recall meeting on the steps of Peoples, with candles and being led in prayer by Pastor Gwyneth at the same time others were doing the same thing elsewhere in the world. Those present could feel that they were not alone and that there is promise and hope for everyone in this world.
Circle of Friends was a unique connection to the rest of the world and it was sad, to say the least, that when the Lord called Kevin home that the mission that he had been so fervent in supporting came to a close. The organization, loosely constructed, was a testament to the will of a man, Kevin Malcom, and his love of the Lord and this world.
Peoples has continued to serve in Mission in other ways. Members periodically show their desire to support mission needs in Maine. Both the Salem Economic Ministry, located in the Carabasset Valley and the Downeast Migrant Blanket Program have been supported from time to time. A continuing relationship with the Methodist Red Bird Mission in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky has long been the supported organization at Christmas time. New toys are brought to the Hanging of the Greens and Candle lighting ceremony and placed under the tree. Later they are gathered up and shipped to Kentucky through the efforts of the United Methodist Women. We did a few years ago sponsor a visit of the Red Bird Traveling Craft Show. This gave members at the time an opportunity to see some of the folks that actually run the mission in Kentucky. Peoples support of world needs has led us to support many needy folks through the efforts of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Sometimes it has been through the collection of items like health and school kits while at other times we have collected and sent flood kits, layette kits among other items that have given members a sense of being part of a world community of need.
Service to the local area has long played a role in the life of Peoples, as has already been mentioned. Over the last 20 years or so the Sunday School has led the collection of food for the Food Pantry that is housed at the First Congregational Church. Periodically they have also been responsible for collections of paper goods for the same purpose. Peoples has also had a crew of varying sizes that have served meals at the Wayside Soup Kitchen in Portland whenever there was a fifth Wednesday in a month. Three or four times a year other members of the church have brought a meal to the Root Cellar located on Washington Avenue in Portland. Each of these meals at the Cellar has been followed by a worship service led by one of our pastors. As many as 15 members of all ages have been engaged in these local missions.
Perhaps the one aspect of mission that no one at this point has engaged in from Peoples is a short term or long-term mission trip to elsewhere in the United States or to a foreign location. Some individuals have talked about the possibility for quite some time, but beyond investigation nothing has come of it. This would be a worthy goal to achieve, but in the meantime the means by which Peoples has been involved in mission activities have been inspired by the Lord, sometimes through the work of one person and other times by many.