Change in Ministry at Peoples

Historical Roots of Peoples United Methodist Church

Part 73                      Epilogue 7

Change in ministry has brought Pastor Thomas Frey and his wife Kelly to Peoples. Due to the itinerant nature of the United Methodist Church, Jamie and Gwyneth Arrison have been moved to churches in Merrimacport and Amesbury, Massachusetts. With each change in a pastorate it is expected that changes will take place. That has been the case in the year and one half since Tom and Kelly have been with us.

With an interest in theater, Pastor Tom has often brought Biblical messages to the sanctuary with the assistance of his friends Harry and Humphrey. Children look forward to the messages of these two puppets during children’s sermons and that is certainly not to say that adults are often thoroughly interested in those messages which are meaningful to all.

During the summer of 2012 a series of sermons called, “GODTV” was carried out with a number of folks in addition to Pastor Tom giving the message. He began the series with a sermon based on the “You Bet Your Life” program starring Groucho Marx. This was followed by another given by Kelly Frey based on the theme, “So You Think You Can Dance”. Art Tordoff followed with a message based upon the relationship of the Lone Ranger and Tonto. Merrill Kaiser also presented a sermon using the MASH drama/comedy as the base.

One of the dramatic changes that have taken place at Peoples is the renovation of the Sanctuary. The carpets which had lined the aisles of the sanctuary were removed and replaced with a beautifully rich looking carpet. While this was being done the company replacing them also tiled over the old tiles with a matching red giving a modern look to the flooring. Additionally a number of the pews near the back were removed allowing for a wider entry way. Many folks have over the years gathered in that area blocking the traffic flow. With the wider aisle on some Sundays it looks like more people gather there than before. This is quite natural since we are not blessed with a meeting area beyond the sanctuary that would be convenient. With the work being completed in the sanctuary the project sponsored by the Trustees was still not complete. All of the dividers and the first two rows of pews in the Chancel and Choir Loft were removed as well as the carpet leading to the altar. The floors were sanded and refinished leaving a more open appearance to the chancel. Not only was the area opened up, but one can have a better view of the woodwork of the organ as well as providing a more open area for special events.

One of the means to raise a few extra dollars has been the use of Advent Boxes. Parishioners who have taken these home have been asked to do some of the following things: Deposit a penny every time you open the refrigerator on a given day or count your blessings but stop at 25 and deposit a quarter. One that was more financially strapping for older folks was to deposit a penny for your age!

Also during the past summer a small group of church members continued the practice of going on a short term mission trip. The previous two summers a group had ventured to the inner city of Wilmington, Delaware to work with Urban Promise. This year the available group didn’t have to go very far at all. This year the mission took folks to the Root Cellar in Portland. Those involved worked with the summer program for kids and also spent some time preparing meals for those folks that were involved. Our church has had a rather lengthy association with the Root Cellar serving a meal four times a year to both kids and adults that have an association with the Root Cellar. At Christmas time a number of the Peoples women have been involved in collecting toys at church on the Hanging of the Greens Sunday, taking them to the Root Cellar and with other gifts packaging and distributing them to families that live in the area of the Root Cellar. Several of us also had the opportunity to attend the annual meeting of the Root Cellar held this year at the Sable Oaks Marriot. A great feast of foreign foods was provided by the Marriot and we were all entertained by both an international choir of children as well as an African band that meet to practice under the sponsorship of the Root Cellar. This event was a major source of funding for the programs of the Root Cellar.

The Vacation Bible School hosted 30 plus children and the theme this year followed the Veggie Tales, “Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything.” Several adult members of the church including the pastor and his wife along with Kathy Brann and Carol Bruneau led the week long Bible oriented program for young folks.

There have also been some changes in the leadership of the Sunday school with Mary House becoming the new superintendent. The pattern of operation still follows that which had been established under the leadership of Andy and Theresa Foley. A group of teachers follows a theme for approximately 6 to 7 weeks and then another group will come forward to lead another term. This pattern continues for the whole Sunday school year relieving each other from the full year commitment that at one time was the practice. It is rather remarkable how many members of the parish have had teacher training and are willing to share that with others. For many years a Sunday school pageant has been help and this year was no exception. This year’s pageant, held during the church service, just before Christmas was again well received by a congregation that seems to be much larger than average, attracted by their children and grandchildren as they perform.

Perhaps one of the difficulties faced with a change in pastoring this time is that under the Arrisons the workload of pastor was shared by Jamie and Gwyneth, giving them perhaps a bit more time to share in the overall programs of Peoples. It is perhaps more difficult for a single pastor to be expected to do all that two may have done previously. When previous pastors have been singular there was also a secretary that worked five days a week on tasks that also must be assumed by the pastor or other lay folks since we no longer employ one.

Some programs of long standing still call for members to serve or support the work of others or the church. Bean Suppers are still held the third Saturday of all months except July and August. A Yard Sale is still a function held in the summer and The Christmas Fair still takes place on the first Saturday of December. An Advent Devotional book is still produced with parishioners making their contributions and the largest of worship services during any given year is the Christmas Eve service. Doreen Gay has been responsible for the continuation of an auction. The United Methodist Women continue to meet monthly and the men gather on the second Saturday of a month for a breakfast together. A variety show still holds the spotlight once a year.

Sadly, however, the number of members of Peoples has diminished dramatically from bygone days and that also shows itself in those actively involved in the activities of the church. In 2014, as we move forward into the 176^th year of Peoples it will be important to look back as well as forward and not be satisfied with the status quo.

Land of Mechuana Retreat

Historical Roots of Peoples United Methodist Church

Epilogue 6                Part  72         The Land of Mechuwana

Day 1

Once upon a time in the land of Mechuwana the brethren of the Land of Peoples came to find Spiritual Communion with each other. Mechuwana was an oasis in a heavily forested region. It would provide 28 people with a place to stay for 24 hours, a place to find sustenance and a place to learn from the Bible and a place to learn from each other. Among the first to arrive were the “Old Ones”. Since they were retired they could leave their home grounds before those that were still out planting and sowing in many different fields. Soon they were joined by those responsible for setting up the camp. Registration, Name tags and journal supplies were soon in place in the Great Hall. Tom and Kelly and Irene along with Carol and Kathy, Kit and Randy were among the first in the Great Food Emporium.  It was a quiet and soothing place for those first to arrive.

Early arrivals at the great camp were first to find housing accommodations in the shelters on the edge of the forest where the floors, unlike the old days, were heated with radiant heat. Bunks with thick mattresses were soon spread with bedding brought from home. As soon as people found their accommodations over the course of the next few hours and had moved in all left and headed for the Great Eating Emporium for the evening meal.

A sumptuous buffet greeted all after grace was offered. The dinner hour provided an opportunity to socialize and to meet some folks that we may not have known well.

Once the meal was over it was time to begin activities. Kit was responsible for not only showing how to make journals, but also how to use them. Many different thoughts would be written in the journals before our “QUEST” was complete the next day.

Mystical satchels had been passed out in four different colors; Red, Blue, Green and Purple. No one was told at that time what the colors meant, but they would represent four teams that would travel one of four virtual trails from lakeshore to mountain top on the following day.

Kelly was responsible for the Devotional time that we would share later in the evening. Weather prevented the participants from having an outdoor campfire, but the Great Meeting Hall provided the opportunity for all present that evening to experience music and spiritual growth through the camp songs led by Irene and supported by Kelly. Kelly and Tom also led us in devotions with the use of two books; The Voice by R.W. Mellen and Messy Spirituality by Michael Yaconelli. Both provided a very powerful message for our Quest search for greater spirituality and community.

After several hours of socializing in the shelters all finally retired to their quarters. During the night one person’s bed folded up on her and later there was a great clang on the floor where the shower handle had fallen off someone’s shower.

In The Land Of Mechuwana

Day 2

As the day dawned somewhere in the land, the drizzle of yesterday continued at Mechuwana. Many folks were up and about by 6:30 AM. The early risers supped on fruit juices and coffee, socialized and developed more journals. Soon it was time for brief devotions and breakfast. Everyone that had been overnight was there and ready to hit the trail.

No one was told what trail they would be on, but were sent to their Trail Hut 1 where they were instructed to go off on their own, read the Bible verses they were given and to think and write on the message of their favorites. They needed to know how the message related to their own spiritual growth and that of Peoples church.

A sample of those Bible verses follows:

 Proverbs 15: 8 God can’t stand pious poses, but he delights in genuine prayer.

Psalm 95:6 So come, let us worship, bow before him, on your knees before God, who made us! Oh yes, he’s our God, and we’re the people in his pastures, the flock he feeds.

 Matthew 6:24   No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the             other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Proverbs 20:11 Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right.

If you are so inclined look at these verses and see how they lead you to some thoughts on your own developing Spirituality and how that reflects on your relationships with family, friends and Peoples Church.

As the Quest of the day began by being alone, Trail Hut 2 provided each team time to discuss what Bible verses they had concentrated on and what the experience alone in communion with the Lord had meant to them. Most of the folks had discovered what trail they were on once they had been shown direction by the verses. The green trail was following the Trail of Prayer while the Blue was the trail of Worship. Red was the Trail of Service and Purple was the Trail of Stewardship.

After nearly an hour of sharing members of each group were asked by their group leader to develop some visual means of sharing what they had learned about themselves and each other relative to the Biblical verses they had worked with. This visual would be used later to show the other teams what they had learned on their respective trails. Each team would work at their Third Trail Hut on their Activity to Share with the other teams.

Before working on the activity an hour of free movement was allowed with folks sharing snacks and drinks and then taking a hike around the camp led by Pastor Tom and Kelly. We visited the waterfront to see the peaceful Lower Lake Narrows, the old Lodge that because of its condition is used for little today, the Asbury Center where the summer theater camp holds sway and the old cabins near the lake shore. Fortunately the weather was beginning to clear and the walk in the woods was refreshing. Many of the people had never been to the Land of Mechuana before but some like myself, could reminisce about times long past and see the changes that had taken place.

It was now time to put those ideas that had been developed over the previous 18 to 20 hours to work. Each group went to their Trail Hut 3, which for most was the same place as the meeting location for each of the two previous Huts. Ideas flowed and within the next 50 minutes all groups had developed a means of showing what they had thought about and shared within their own teams.

The dinner bell rang and everyone was off to The Great Dining Hall where Carol, the weekend cook had prepared yet another sumptuous selection of quality food items for us to indulge in.

Socializing during lunch across team lines was begun with brief devotions and then for a short time people went back to their rooms, packed their belongings and took them to their means of transport.

At about 1 PM all gathered in the Great Hall and in turn teams shared their trail adventure. This provided our mountain top experience at Trail Hut 4. All of the trails led to this location and as each presentation was made we could all see how the four trails; prayer, worship, stewardship and service intersect. Oral and visual presentations helped us all see how our Spirituality and Community had developed and grown beyond where we were when we arrived in the Land of Mechuwana.

When our Trail Hut 4 experience was concluded it was time to return to the Lake Shore Base Camp and talk about where our experiences should lead us. Those who served as leaders and preparers of Quest will get together to evaluate what was right and what could be improved. How the Quest experience may continue remains to be determined and will wait upon the results of paper evaluations and time and person availability.

The concluding worship experience was very meaningful and Spirit-filled. Perhaps the most inspiring element of the closing was through the means that Communion used. Pastor Tom began by serving one person then that person would select someone else to serve until the last person served Pastor Tom. Extremely meaningful and spiritual and personal were among the immediate comments made by those who were about to depart for their homes in the land of the Peoples clan.

We had come to the Land of Mechuwana, in some cases, only aware of who the “others” were. I feel that we left with a new understanding of who we as a community are. It is perhaps what we experienced at Quest that we need to feel, see and nurture more fully in the Land of Peoples. We did find that we were a diverse group by age, by sex, by need and that we can all grow spiritually learning through prayer and worship to be good stewards in service to others, at home and away.