OCTOBER 2011 COMMACK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Th e Mes s eng e r Open Hearts

Open Minds

Open Doors

A Wo rd Fro m O u r Pa s to r

What’s Inside 

Birthdays

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Community

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Upcoming Events

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Boy Scouts

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Calendar

Rev. Lynda Bates-Stepe Pastor

Donna Etergineoso Editor

How can church, and more specifically our 1. What do I refrain from doing that might hurt United Methodist expression of faith, help us others? deal with life – with all its various decisions, chalThink about things like not sharing gossip, lenges, and choices. How can our United Methnot being critical or nasty to others, not odist roots help us to live the full and abundant spending money on worthless things that life Jesus promised? you don‟t really need, making healthy choices for yourself and for this world that Last month I wrote about the Wesleyan Quadriwe live in, using God‟s name respectfully. lateral. John Wesley believed that the Bible is 2. What do I do to help others? our primary source to understand God and live Consider what you give of your possessions as disciples of Jesus Christ in the world. But we and your money to bring about good for analso have reason, tradition and experience. other person, what kind of volunteer work Reason helps us to use our intellect and knowlyou do, who you pray for, who you encourage edge to understand the Bible better, the tradiand how you do that, how you share your tions of Christians who have gone before us infaith in God with others. form and guide us and through the Holy Spirit, 3. And how do I stay in love with or connected to we interpret our experiences in light of God’s God? desire for us. That includes what kind of priority you give Here’s another tool for you to adopt and use. to attending worship, how engaged and inJohn Wesley was regularly sought out for counsel volved are you during worship, how regularly and guidance. But soon there were too many you read the Bible, what resources you use people for him to meet with individually. So he to understand it, what spiritual disciples organized them in groups, which became known such as prayer, meditation, journaling, as Methodist Societies. And he offered three prayerful yoga, devotional reading are you rules which became the General Rules of Methodoing, and how often you participate in Holy dism. I have also heard them described as a Communion. compass that keeps us focused and heading in I invite you to use these rules to help develop the right direction. your own life of faith and relationship to God. In an abbreviated form the three General Rules You might read them during breakfast to keep are: them always before you, reflect on them at the 1. Do no harm by avoiding evil of every kind, es- end of the day, keep a journal on how you keep pecially that which is most generally practiced. the rules, find a friend with whom you can meet 2. Do good by helping others whenever you can, regularly (weekly, if you can) and talk about how however you can and to whomever you can. you are doing. 3. Keep the ordinances of God such as attending worship, reading and studying scripture, pray- The General Rules are John Wesley’s gift to us to make our life better and prepare us for the life to ing and other spiritual disciplines. come. Use them with joy! Ruben Job, a United Methodist Bishop, summed PS for more information about the General Rules them up this way: go to http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp? Do no harm, Do good and Stay in love with God mid=1658 or to www.umc.org and search As you reflect on these General Rules you might “general rules.” This is a great website to learn ask yourself these three questions: more about the denomination. Peace, Rev. Lynda Bates-Stepe 486 Town Line Road · Commack NY 11725 (631) 499-7310 Office: [email protected] Pastor: [email protected] www.commack-umc.org

OCTOBER 2011

Meditation... “Sometimes I pray the news, rather than just watch it, holding in my heart people who need healing, comfort, courage. Praying in the response to news stories allows me to enter into the world of another, to offer them to God, and it prompts me to do what I can in my circles to make this world more peaceful” ~Rev. Vikki Matson

bir thdays

OCTOBER bir thdays

May this day and all your days be filled with the wonder of God’s special love for you.

Happy Birthday!

8th Mary Kopf 23rd Kasandra Manjares 29th Carlos Manjares Chris Litrel Erlinda Mendoza José Mendoza Dorothy Shattuck

***Please note: If you wish to have your birth date noted, please send an email to the Church office

Judy Sullivan

and Donna will forward to me. Thank you, Kathy

CHANGE OF ADDRESS For those who would like to contact Edna Beck: C/O Mr. & Mrs. Haller 607 Beaten Path Road Mooresville, NC 28117 Page 2

CLOTHING DRIVE FOR VETERANS We will be collecting gently used and new clothes for Veterans and their families from

October 23rd through November 13th. You can bring all types of clothes for men or women and even for children, since many veterans are returning home to their families with very little resources. The clothes will be given to United Veteran Beacon House to distribute to their families. The organization is very active on Long Island providing clothing, housing, food pantries and crisis support to veterans. To learn more, check out www.uvbh.com. There will be boxes in the back of the sanctuary beginning October 23rd. If anyone can help bag the clothes after church, please see Rev. Lynda.

OCTOBER 2011

The Messenger

Community OUR FIRST EVER…

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION Saturday, November 19th

We would like to have other people in our church contribute photographs that you believe are something special! All the photographs must be matted with your own personal preference of color. You may bring one to ten photos.

At 7:30pm in the Fellowship Hall We are going to celebrate some of the artistic talents that our church family has!

Lydia Circle

Our show will have contributions from award winning Jeff Zoltowsky and Pat Ross, who are our two seasoned veterans who have had work displayed in Northport.

Call Ginny Eichenauer for more information or to reserve a spot (631) 499-7394. Set up will be Friday evening. If this is not doable, I will be there in the afternoon for you to hang a few on Saturday at 1:30pm. There will be cake and coffee/tea/soda and musical background.

Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 5th. The Lydia

Circle is open to all women, join us for friendly and informal discussion and a cup of coffee. We meet the first Wednesday of every month at 10:30 am in the parlor.

MEMORIAL COMMITTEE Our church’s plantings are overgrown and there is no space available for additional trees and bushes. Therefore, the committee, in consultation with the Trustees, would like to advise that, at present, landscaping possibilities will not be available for memorial donations. Opportunities for memorial donations are:  Building Fund  Pastor’s Discretionary Fund  Chapel Fund  Choir & Special Music  Social Concerns Any undesignated donations are used for special and appropriate needs. Families are notified of memorial donors and donors receive acknowledgements. These memorials are recorded and dedicated on the Day of All Saints in November. Committee members: Kathy Muller, chair; Martha Lockhart; Lille Cummings; Norma Adam Page 3

O C T O B E R 2O0C1T 1O B E R 2 0 1 1

Community

THRIFT SHOPPE

Volunteers and workers of the Thrift Shoppe were honored on August 9, 2011 where approximately 26 members of our church enjoyed a delicious dinner at Nocello’s Ristorante in Northport. Having opened on May 27, 1978, we celebrated over 33 years of being in business, bringing in about $313,000, with most of this money going to the church’s Current Expense account. The TS is to be commended for paying the mortgage on the parsonage and many other projects beautifying our church property. Many thanks to Joan Svoboda, our Treasurer, for keeping track of our finances these many years.

month. Please see Pat Spory or Harriet Neuberth Many thanks to our Volunteers and the Staff that if you can volunteer. The Thrift Shoppe is closed during the month of July and August and reopens run the Thrift Shoppe. We could not operate without them. Marge Wright was a special Hon- in September. oree at this dinner, for her work in opening The Shoppe is fully stocked with clothing for the the Shoppe and scheduling the volunteers. entire family, kitchen needs, linens, toys, items Help is always needed. The shifts are Tues & Fri- for the home and much more. Come in and browse/shop. We have something for everyone! days (morning) 10am - 1pm and (afternoon) 1pm - 4pm. We are also open one Saturday a ~Pat, Harriet, Joan, Anne, Marge

HARVEST FAIR

Come to the Fair!

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From L to R: Anne Tammaro, Harriet Neuberth, Marge Wright, Pat Spory & Joan Svoboda

Bring your Friends and Neighbors! Saturday, October 22, 2011 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Fellowship Hall

NEW THIS YEAR: Our outdoor Pumpkin Patch where you can pick your own pumpkin from our bountiful display!

Enjoy a homemade Breakfast and/ or Lunch at our Country Kitchen!!

Donations for the White Elephant Table should be brought to Fellowship Hall between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 20th, or during the same time period on Friday, October 21st.

Shop at our Boutique of hand-crafted items, our Parcel Post Booth of surprise items from around the world and our White Elephant Table of nearly-new items!

If you haven’t given your Parcel Post Booth item to Sobana ahead of time, you may bring it to Fellowship Hall on one of those evenings. All of your donations are appreciated!

Our Bake Table is the perfect place to purchase a home-baked cake, pie, bread, brownies or cookies!

There’s something for everyone, so…c’mon down to the Fair!

Don’t forget to enjoy something special at the Korean Food Table! Thank you to all! Connie Jarvis, Fair Chairperson

The Messenger

COMMUNITY Our October meeting will be held on Thursday, October 13 at 7:30 in the parlor. Anne Tammaro will present a program on Battered Women’s Shelters. Joan Nehlsen will be our hostess for the evening.

UMW

We have been notified that as of June 2011, Deaconess Judy Matheny, Ph.D. had retired. She has served General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church for forty-one years. Seventeen and half of those years has been in Southern West Virginia. Judy has been our liaison with the Booker family in Appalachia, whom we have supported for many years. The family is no longer in need of our support. To replace this mission, we are prayerfully endeavoring to research a Long Island family in need. Our November meeting will be held on Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 7:30 in the parlor. Margie Zoltowsky will present the budget and hold the Pledge Service. This will be followed by nominations for UMW officers as presented by the nominating committee and elections for the year 2012, and Dot Megna will be our hostess for the evening. We invite all women to our meetings, if transportation is needed, please speak to any UMW member.

Are you new to Commack UMC? Have you been attending but you’re not a member? Do you feel like you’re the only one who is new and doesn’t know everyone yet? Then you want to come to a Newcomers Gathering on Sunday, November 1, 2011. It will be at the Parsonage on 18 Retta Lane from 11:30-1:30 with lunch provided. Families are welcome and there will be time for fellowship and conversation about the church. Information about what it means to become a member will be available. Please RSVP to Rev. Lynda by phone (499-7310) or email ([email protected]). Hope to see you there!

BACKYARD BREAKFAST

HARVEST DINNER NOVEMBER 12TH

Thank you Deb & Mike for hosting a great Backyard Breakfast at your home on Sunday, August 21st. The weather held up and many CUMC parishioners enjoyed all kinds of breakfast foods and beverages. Some even went swimming! A great time was had by all. Photos are hanging in the hallway outside of the parlor. Kudos from the bunch of us! Page 5

OCTOBER 2011

33rd Anniversary Vision Concert Invitation Greetings in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We cordially invite you to join us for the celebration of the

33rd Anniversary Service and

Vision Concert of the Long Island Korean United Methodist Church. * * * * *

Time: 5 p.m. Sunday, October 23rd, 2011 Place: Long Island Korean United Methodist Church Tel: 631)499-1260(o), 631)292-2529(h) e-mail: [email protected] Web: www.likumc.org

* Special Guest Musicians : Dr. In-Hong Cha (Associate Professor of Music at Wright State University) Shepherd Choir Team (Conductor:Joseph Park) After the worship service, all are invited to the reception held in the fellowship hall hosted by LIKUMC UMW

Dr. In-Hong Cha, Associate Professor of Music at Wright State University, teaches applied violin, serves as the director of orchestral studies, and is the coordinator of strings. The KBS and SBS TV of Korea produced a documentary drama on his life called „Human Victory‟ and it was nationally broadcasted throughout the country. His autobiography, „Beautiful Man and Beautiful Success‟, was published in Korea and it became a best seller. Dr. Cha is not only an active musician but has been an active wheelchair basketball player and currently holds the Ohio record of wheelchair Slalom. He is also a gold medalist in the Slalom from the Asian Games and in the Wheelchair Marathon in Korea. He plays a Joseph Gagliano violin made in Naples, Italy in 1769.

Confirmation Class, Anyone? Rev. Lynda had such a good time with last year’s Confirmation Class that she’d like to do another one. Please contact Rev. Lynda if you are interested. Young people in 7th grade or older who have not been confirmed are encouraged to join us. We will also consider those in 6th grade who feel ready to take part in such a fun but also challenging adventure. Please contact me by phone (499-7310) or email ([email protected]) by October 9th. Page 6

The Messenger

BOY SCOUT TROOP 125

BOY SCOUT TROOP 125 CLEANS UP AT CUMC Moving sand, trimming bushes and large branches… it was all in a days’ work for the scouts of Troop 125. As Hurricane Irene approached on Saturday, August 27, scouts and adult leaders diligently worked to move the mountain of sand from the parking lot to the playground to get it ready for the little tykes who attend Pumpkin Patch Nursery School. There were also many large branches that needed to be trimmed and cut into smaller pieces and removed as some were hanging so low they were touching parked cars as well as not to cause a hazard with the impending high winds. BOY SCOUTS JOINS PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY GANG IN AUGUST Boy Scouts gathered on Saturday, August 6th in the Fellowship Hall to participate in the monthly Peanut Butter and Jelly Gang. Scouts are present to help out year round but make an extra effort to come in full force in August as attendance is always an issue during the summer months.

BOY SCOUT TROOP 125 PARTICIPATES IN “A NIGHT OF REMEMBRANCE” The scouting community came together for the 10th Anniversary of September 11 during the “A Night of Remembrance” Candlelight Ceremony held at the Commack High School. The night was about honoring all the heroes of 9-11 and remembering all those that were lost. Scouts from Boy Scout Troop 125 arrived early to assist in the set-up and participate in the opening flag ceremony. It was a very moving ceremony that moved everyone – regardless of age.

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OCTOBER 2011

9/11/11 New Cross Dedication & Peace Pole Rev. Lynda, Rev. Chang, and the choir led the congregation outside for the second half of the worship service on 9/11/11 to dedicate the new cross which was recently installed.

Congregation following the service.

The glorious new cross on the Commack United Methodist Church. L to R: Soon Kwon, Eun K Chang, Rev. Chang, Rev. Lynda, YoungKyun Kong, Hae-Sun Jung, Gil-Sun Cho, and Attis Stepe Page 8