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.