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St. James United Methodist Church 646 Daniel Webster Highway Merrimack, NH 03054 Rev. Sharon Lovejoy, Pastor Phyllis Riviere, Office Admin. Contact Us: Office (603) 424-7459 Email: stjamesmrmk@gmail.com Website: www.stjames-umchurch.org

St. James United Methodist Church 646 Daniel Webster Highway

Merrimack, NH 03054 Rev. Lynne Mentzer, Pastor

Robin House, Office Administrator

Contact Us: Office phone: (603)424-7459

Email: stjamesmrmk@gmail.com Stjames-umchurch.org

Facebook: St. James UMC Prayer Request email: sjprayerchain@gmail.com

Website: www.stjames-umchurch.org

Building Christian Community Within and Beyond the Church

On the Inside Pastor’s Message Page 2

Diversity Discussions Page 3

Worship Page 4

Christian Education Page 4

Outreach Missions Page 5

Fellowship Page 6

Community Connections Page 6

Kids Page Page 9

Calendar ----------------------------- Page 10

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Dear Friends, Sometimes all you have to do is ask – and listen. A year and a half ago we asked God to help us discern two ministry priorities for St. James for the next 3-4 years. Then we listened. And then we “knew” that we were bring called to expand our food pantry and grow our ministries with children, youth and families. Six months ago we hosted an open house for the relocated and remodeled Merrimack Community Food Pantry. Now it’s time to ask God to guide us in meeting our second ministry priority – children, youth and families -- and we’re listening to a lot of wonderful ideas! We began last month by inviting parents and children to share their ideas and dreams for St. James. Here’s a sampling of what they suggested:

Plan an Easter Egg Hunt and advertise to the whole community. Who might be willing to stuff the

eggs with candy and hide them outside?

If the children are collecting donations to Heifer International during Lent, might we host a

traveling petting zoo here after Easter to help them see (and pat) the gifts they made possible for

families around the world?

Let’s have a float in this year’s 4th of July town parade! And a family time-out tent with a

changing table, rocking chairs, free water and treats for pets.

More family-oriented events and outings. How about a Fisher Cats Family Day in Manchester this

summer?

Plan a playground clean-up and fix-up day to make our church playground safe and fun. Include

lunch and ice cream!

Visit Messy Church at the First UMC in Manchester to experience an alternative worship service

complete with a meal, arts and crafts, music and Bible stories.

Invite a local music teacher to lead an interactive children’s concert or drumming circle. Why not

start or end with lunch?

Find new ways to connect Sunday School with Sunday morning worship. Invite the children and

teachers to share a song or project they worked on at the end of service. By the way, can we

expand VBS this year?

So much positive energy and so many great ideas – some of which are already in the works! Several of us visited Messy Church on January 17th … a traveling petting zoo is already scheduled for Sunday, April 19th … and plans for a 4th of July float and family time-out tent are underway. We’re listening – to God and to our families. Continued on p. 3.

Pastor’s Message

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Pastor’s Message, continued from p. 2 How can you help? If you’re a parent, help us form a parents’ advisory team to make these new ideas happen. If you have time and energy, volunteer to help build the float and clean up the playground. If you have financial resources, sponsor a family to watch the Fisher Cats play baseball or help pay for a music teacher to come on a regular basis or contribute to the cost of new VBS curriculum. Everyone can pray – and keep listening to our families. Interestingly, our worship series for Lent this year is called Listen! Starting on Sunday, March 1st we’ll listen for God’s still small voice … and to new words, sounds and prayers … we’ll listen to one another … and to our own deep needs for repentance, forgiveness and grace. So let’s keep listening -- for as our UCC friends remind us, God is still speaking. Pre-Lenten Blessings, Rev. Lynne Mentzer

& Grace Through Separation that was announced on January 3, 2020. This proposal is another step forward for the United Methodist Church (UMC) in its ongoing work to find churchwide resolution to the issue of inclusivity for LGBTQ persons who want to marry or serve as clergy in the UMC. There is an hour+ video interview with members of the collaborative team that worked on the proposal, available here: https://www.umnews.org/en/news/um-news-to-interview-protocol-developers We can celebrate and feel proud about the love, compassion, and spirit of reconciliation that is evident in the video’s comments from participants and in the proposal itself. It reminds us that we are a kind and “methodical” people who trust God to guide us. It reminds us that, with God’s help, we can always work together toward solutions that will be fair and equitable. There is more work to be done. Our New England Conference Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar has shared his reminder that this protocol is still just one option that will be considered at the May General Conference. He asks us to pray for all 862 delegates that will be considering the proposal. Click on the following link to see an outline of the plans that will be considered: https://cdnsc.umc.org/-/media/umc-media/2020/01/09/19/07/General-Conference-UMC-Plans-Chart-V6

February 2020 Diversity Discussions Submitted by Beverly Doolan

Sixteen United Methodist leaders from around the world, representing a range of centrist, progressive, and traditionalist perspectives , came together and worked with the guidance of a professional mediator to develop the Protocol of Reconciliation

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CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

Join us for worship on February 26 at 7:00 pm

Day and Time to be announced Cost: Free. There are no participant materials to purchase.

Six sessions cover these subjects: 1: How United Methodists Interpret Scripture 2: Old Testament Passages 3: The Influence of Culture on How We Read the Bible 4: New Testament Passages 5: The Jesus Ethic: What Did Christ Say? 6: Where Does the United Methodist Church Go From Here?

Lenten Bible Study Faithful and Inclusive allows you to gain an understanding of how United Methodists can be both obedient to God’s Word and fully welcoming to LGBTQ persons in the church. Rev. Rob Fuquay creates a safe space to navigate through this thorny issue, relying on the biblical-interpretation approach of Methodism’s founder, John Wesley. Each video session also features the faith journeys of members of the LGBTQ community and their families.

Would your child(ren) like to ring the church bell before Sunday service? There is a sign-up in the family play room next to the narthex (front entrance to sanctuary). When it is your child’s turn to ring the bell, please be at church by 9:20 am and check in with an usher.

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OUTREACH MISSIONS

Hannaford Helps Reusable Bag Program Merrimack Community Food Pantry at St. James will receive a $1 donation for every $2.50 Fight Hunger Bag sold at the Hannaford store located at 4 Jenkins Road in Bedford NH during the month of February.

Compassionate Care Hospice Volunteer Opportunity We received a letter from Andrew Bobo, Volunteer Coordinator for Compassionate Care Hospice in Londonderry, NH. In his letter, he states, “With our state’s aging population, there is an ever-growing need for hospice volunteers, and members of your congregation could bless the lives of a great many people in the final months and moments of their lives. Additionally, faith in an existence after this life is a great tool to overcome the fear and grief, especially involving death. That faith would help your flock to be strong for others in their times of darkness. For these reasons, I am offering an opportunity for your parishioners to help members of your community during these critical times of need. More specifically, I am asking for help. John 21:17 means a lot to me, and I can think of no more valuable place to feed souls in need than among those preparing for their final journey and their families. Hospice patients are a critically underserved population, especially when it comes to their social needs. Most are of advanced age and many have outlived their family and friends. A significant portion of them are veterans. It is a terrible thing to be alone, and the simple gift of an hour per week might be the most important thing they can receive. If anyone in your organization is willing to meet with me to discuss these opportunities for service, I would be grateful for the chance. Please contact me via telephone or email if anyone has interest in serving as a volunteer.” Andrew Bobo Volunteer Coordinator, Compassionate Care Hospice 18 Orchard View Drive, Unit 4 Londonderry, NH 03053 Tel: (603)421-9887 Cell: (801)734-0288 Email: Andrew.bobo@amedisys.com

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FELLOWSHIP

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Warming Up Winter with Friendship and Tea Saturday February 15 from 2-4 pm.

Please sign up to make sweets or fillings for tea sandwiches or to volunteer. We need help setting up tables the evening before and making the sandwiches and savory items in the morning. Tickets cost $8.00. Call the church office at 424-7459 to make reservations. See Brenda DuLong if you have questions.

Calling All Men! The St. James United Methodist Men (UMM) would love to have you join them for breakfast on the first Saturday of every month. Date: Saturday, February 1 Time: 8:00 am Place: Joey’s Diner, 1 Craftsman Lane, Amherst

Faith Episcopal Church Invites You to

Dixieland Sunday Sunday, February 23 at 4:00 pm

Wheeler Memorial Chapel, 590 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack An evening of singing “n” praying “n” marching “n” partying – beads ‘n’ masks, live music ‘n’ refreshments brought to you both in connection with the Mardi Gras traditions of New Orleans and with the light of hope and strength as we prepare for the Lenten journey to resurrection. No tickets to purchase. An offering will be taken. Parking is very limited. Please carpool or consider parking at Shaw’s

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Campfire Connections The next Campfire Connections program will be February 9, 2020 from 5-7 pm at St. John's UMC, 28 Cataract Ave, Dover NH 03820.

Please join Wanakee leadership for an evening of camp-style fellowship and worship. The evening begins with pizza at 5 pm, followed by worship based in conversation. Sing your favorite fireside songs, discuss relevant topics of faith and spirituality, and share in communion. All are welcome!

Senior High Retreat

All youth in grades 9-12 are invited to join us for our Senior High Retreat, February 14-16th. Experience camp in the winter - walk across the frozen lake to Monkey Island, showshoe to lookout, or stay cozy around the Log Cabin's woodstove. Registration ($95) cover 4 meals, snacks, activities, and 2 nights lodging. Register at www.wanakee.org

Host an International Exchange Student Linda Coffey, local coordinator for high school exchange students Program of Academic Exchange 'Pax” is currently seeking families to host for the 2020-2021 school year. Students come with good English skills, their own spending money and medical insurance. Families would provide a safe and welcoming home for the student, a bed for the student to sleep in - can share a room with the same gender, place to study, share meals together, occasional rides to and from after school activities. Once the student makes friends carpooling is wonderful. All families are welcome to host. Profiles of the students are on the on the bulletin board in the church office hallway. This is a wonderful opportunity for the whole family. To learn more about the students, contact ljcoff@yahoo.com

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To help this workshop run more smoothly, please take a moment to answer 3 quick questions in the Google form below: https://forms.gle/Kq9HdJj3Eu1jmYSh6

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SMALL BLESSINGS

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RC – Flying Eagle Remote Club FIN – Finance Committee CH Council – Church Council UMM – United Methodist Men ECOH – Eagle Court of Honor (Scouts)

GS – Girl Scouts BS – Boy Scouts CS – Cub Scouts

GG – Good Grief FIT – Get Fit & Strong Fitness Class YG – Youth Group

FH – Fellowship Hall CR – Conference Room S – Sanctuary P - Parlor UC – Undercroft CL - Classrooms W – Wesley Room

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