East Stroudsburg

United Methodist Church

Our Vision:
To challenge and encourage everyone
in our congregation to know and follow Christ by:

Growing as disciples through Christs

teachings
Connecting with one another in
Christian community
Serving Christ by serving others
Praising God as we worship Christ

Sunday Services
8:30 a.m. Traditional
10:45 a.m. Contemporary

East Stroudsburg United

Methodist Church
83 S. Courtland St.
East Stroudsburg, PA 18301
(570) 421-3280
church@esumc.net
www.esumc.net

September 13, 2015

The Trumpet Call

Pastors Corner

As I write this, it is the eve of 9/11, when we remember the

worst terrorist attack ever on our countrys soil fourteen
years ago. All of us who are old enough will remember
where we were on that fateful Tuesday morning and how
we saw horror displayed on our TV screens taking place in
New York City, Washington, DC, and Shanksville, PA. I
was sitting in a Conference meeting in the sanctuary of
First UMC of Schuylkill Haven, PA at the time. There were
no TV sets in the church, so we could only listen to the
news reports coming to us over the radio (this was also before the existence of
smart phones). There was comfort in being with other Christian believers in a
church sanctuary, where we could take time to pray for our country and for our
loved ones together.
My wife and oldest daughter, Lauren, were, ironically, on their way to
Washington, DC for the day to take a group of exchange students from Spain to
see the Nations Capital. It was only when the high school principal needed to
stop at a rest area in Maryland did anyone on the bus realize what was going on,
and they immediately turned around to come back to Pennsylvania.
I remember thinking all day about the prayer service I was hastily organizing for
that Tuesday night, wondering what I could possibly say to bring about any sort
of comfort. God reminded me that I didnt need to say anything but simply to lead
people in prayer, which is what happened that night.
For many of us, we were praying for and thinking about people we didnt know.
We were nonetheless overcome with emotions as we thought about the sheer
loss of life, the depths of evil which could overcome certain human beings, and
the future of our country now that nothing would ever be quite the same again.
For others, though, including current members of our congregation, the losses
were all too personal. Close family members were lost in the collapsing twin
towers of the World Trade Center, in the Pentagon, and on the four airline flights,
including Flight 93 which crashed in western PA.
Sometimes we use the trite phrase, Time heals all wounds, but this is simply
not true when it comes to 9/11. Talk to someone who lost a family member or a
close personal friend that day, and you will be reminded of how real and personal
that loss still is and how the grief continues. I invite all of us to set aside time on
this September 11 to pray for our country and its leaders, especially as they
make decisions about what to do concerning modern day terrorism in our world,
and to pray for those families still very much mourning the loss of their loved
ones on that day and in the wars that followed in Afghanistan and Iraq.
I look forward to being with you this Sunday, September 13, as we welcome our
new Sunday morning schedule. It will take all of us time to adjust to our new
schedule, so I am praying for patience, understanding, and above all, unity! This
is why our unity breakfast at 9:45 a.m. is so important on Sunday, and I pray we
all make it a high priority. The breakfast is hosted by our Vision Team and
prepared and served by our youth. On Sunday, I will continue with the theme of
Kingdom Journey, but with a twist. Sometimes in our journey, we need to take a
day of rest. Our amazing God, who truly does think of everything good for His
creation and we His creatures, built into His creative power and our lives this
thing called Sabbath. Well explore what that word means for us this Sunday. Ill
see you in church!
Pastor Jim Todd (jtodd@esumc.net)

Outreach/Opportunities
Stephen Ministry

Let us be concerned for one another, to

help one another to show love and to do
good. Hebrews 10:24
Trust and Confidentiality
Trust is essential to a caring relationship,
and Stephen Ministers are people you
can trust. Confidentiality is one of the
most important principles of Stephen Ministry. What a
care receiver tells his or her Stephen Minister is kept in
strictest confidence; even the identity of the care receiver
is kept confidential from other Stephen Ministers, or anyone else.

The basic rule of Stephen Ministry confidentiality is that

all communications between caregivers and care receivers, all observations or impressions caregivers gather
about their care receivers and all records about care receivers must remain confidential.
For more information please contact Peggy Strack at the
church, 421-3280 ext. 1023.
Members of ESUMC who are no longer able to attend
church, always enjoy hearing from you! Cards and notes
of encouragement may be sent to:
Don & Thelma Predmore
156 Joel Street
East Stroudsburg, Pa. 18301

Discipleship Opportunities for Youth and Adults

Here is a great lineup for the first part of the Fall; seven
opportunities for you to deepen your faith:
The Stine class is using a study on the Book of Acts,
which includes these themes: Seeds of New Growth, Giving Bold Testimony, Spreading the Gospel.
The Brown/Rosenberger class which has been meeting in
the youth room is continuing a study on prayer.
Arlene Staples will lead a study for women based on the
book, Discovering God's Will for Your Life, from Women of
Faith (Study Guide Series).
Tim Malefyt will lead a series on Christians and finances,
utilizing video from our RightNow Media library called, Life,
Money, Legacy by Dave Ramsey.
Cathy Saunders will lead a video study called, Believe as
Jesus Believed; the Transformed Mind taught by Rev. Bill
Hull, which will help people to understand Scripture and
live it out as did Jesus.
Sharon Hachtman will lead, "Face to Face," about discovering the true richness of God's intention for persons in
romantic relationships. How does the Bible guide us to the
Creation ideal of identity, not based on gender, but in our
relationship with our redemptive God?
Retired pastor Bob Hachtman will lead a study for leaders
of CATCH, an evangelism program designed to attract
and connect visitors to our church. Persons signing up for
this must be willing and able to lead a small group in the
principles of CATCH.
Sign-up sheets will be in various places in the building on
Sept. 13 and 20 to register for these classes.

Thomas Aquinas
was quoted as saying; If the highest
aim of a captain was
to preserve his ship,
he would keep it in
port forever. I
believe captains are
indeed responsible
for the safety of their
crew and ship, but
not at the total expense of completing their mission. So is
the case with invitational evangelism, which begs this
question of the church and believers in Jesus Christ:
What is our mission?
The demographics of our community indicate that
probably 50 percent or more people do not have a church
family. They may consider themselves to be spiritual, but
not religious, raising another question: What does God
expect our church to do in order to reach out to them?
We may question how successful our quest could be. I
believe the answer to all these questions is found in scripture. The mission of our church is to continue the mission
of Jesus Christ. We are meant to find the lost sheep, we
are meant to continue to fish for people. This means our
ship must leave port and our focus must become a new
adventure of bringing people to Christ. In order to set sail
East Stroudsburg United Methodist Church will seek
guidance from a program called CATCH, developed by
Pastor Adam Hamilton from the Church of the Resurrection. Hamilton assures us that as a church we already
know how to plan, program, schedule meetings and keep
the church going for people who already attend. He directs
us toward a new focus; that of responding to Jesus call to
reach people outside the walls of our church.
Beginning on September 20th (during the Discipleship
time between the two services) we will be offering a fiveweek Sunday training session on invitational evangelism.
We will learn how to rig our ship and sail it in open waters.
The CATCH program will help us learn how to cast our
nets out wide. We will be looking to answer three important questions:
Why do people need Jesus Christ?
Why do people need the church?
Why do people need to come to our church?
In conjunction with the Catch program Pastor Jim
Todd will be offering a three week Sunday sermon series
on evangelism. Following this a four-week small group
video study will be offered as additional training in how to
attract people and be a welcoming church as we invite
them to grow, along with us, in faith. As we prepare for action let us realize that this is not just another church growth
program. Our goal is not to be the biggest, coolest church
in the community. Our goal is simply to reach out to the
least and the lost and take every step necessary to share
the depth of love God has for each one of them. Please
join us as we set sail on this new voyage with a renewed
vision.
Shalom, Pastor Bob Hachtman

Opportunities/News
Childrens
Ministry News
Sonday Summer Seekers
will not meet on
September 13th.
Childrens Workshop
Rotation starts September
20th
JESUS IS SWEET
Psalms 104:34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I
will be glad in the Lord.
We look forward to our new Sunday School year for all
children from preschool age thru 5th grade.
Please note that classes start in the large group
Sunday School area at 10 a.m. and ends at 10:45.
Children need to be picked up by a parent/guardian at
10:45. Registration for Workshop Rotation will be sent
to you via email. Please fill out the registration form
promptly so we can plan accordingly.
The theme of this years workshop rotation is Healing,
Miracles, Compassion and Power
Here are the stories/topics that will be learned:

Four Friends (Luke 5: 17-26)

The Widows Mite (Mark 12: 38-44)
Advent and Christmas (Matthew 1:18-25; 2: 1-12)
The Call of Moses - The Burning Bush (Exodus 3:
1-15)
Moses, Plagues and Passover (Exodus 7: 1412:32)
Easter- Trial and Crucifixion (Luke 19: 28-40; 22:14
-23:56; 24: 1-12)
The Resurrection (Matthew 21: 1-11, 27:32-66, and
28: 1-10)

From Our Vision Team

One of the benefits of teaching is that those who do
have the opportunity to learn more. As I searched for a
study to teach this fall, I wanted to select something that
focused on discipleship. When I saw the title, Believe as
Jesus Believed, by Bill Hull, I immediately began to view
its contents. After watching the first episode, I
determined it would be interesting, but until I viewed the
remaining sessions, I did not realize how challenging it
would be as well. I found myself examining where I
needed to grow more as a disciple, as well as whether
or not I am being obedient to God's leading in my life.
As with all the studies offered this fall, there are
opportunities to grow in Christ and to learn how to be
more genuine in our walk with Him. By now you may
have already decided which class you will join; the thing
to remember is that whichever class you attend, your
ultimate goal is to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
This week, the Vision Team asks that your focus on the
following passages of scripture as we enter into this new
season of study: "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If
anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and
take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to
save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me
will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the
whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man
give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is
going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and
then he will reward each person according to what he
has done' "(Matthew 16:24-27). It is obvious from these
passages of scripture that Jesus's definition of
discipleship requires more than just an hour on Sunday.
Therefore, as followers of Jesus, I pray that we will all
consider the cost of following his leading in every area
of our lives. Thank you for your prayers and for the
opportunity to participate in growing as a disciple of
Jesus Christ here at ESUMC.
Cathy Saunders/Vision Team Member

Teachers and Shepherds (aides) are needed to

join the Workshop Rotation Team. No
experience is necessary, we will provide you with
training. All you need to have is a love for children.
Email Pam OBrien at pobrien@esumc.net to join this
team!

Childrens Church for Children in Grades K-3

starts on this Sunday
We need 2 volunteers each week. It will begin at
about 11 a.m. when the children in grades K-3 are
dismissed from the Contemporary Service and
concludes at the end of the service. Material will
be provided to conduct Childrens Church. Please
pray and think about volunteering for this important
ministry. Email Pam OBrien pobrien@esumc.net

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"

made his light shine in our hearts.
2 Corinthians 4:6
We are calling all artists to share their fine art pieces
in our annual art exhibition on Sunday, October 18, 2015.
Share the beauty and light of your creations in Fellowship Hall
from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p,m.
In conjunction with the Organ Concert Series, our fine
art exhibition will allow our church family, as well as general
public, the opportunity to appreciate your talent. If you would
like to exhibit a painting, drawing, sculpture, needlework,
photography or other fine art piece, please contact Liz Green
at hulswitgreen@aol.com or Pauline Fox at foxes@esumc.net

On Saturday, October 3, 2015 the Pregnancy

Resource Center of the Poconos will be holding
its annual Walk for Lifea fundraiser for the center
that helps many facing crisis pregnancies. It is a
wonderful opportunity to take a stand for life with
other churches in the area and support the ministry.
Anyone can participate! You may call Lori at 908362-1688 for more information.

UMW NEWS:

September Dollar
Challenge:
Snacks for children
and youth outreach
(JAM). Chips, pretzels, crackers, cookies (all available at the
Dollar Tree)
UMW Organizational Meeting:
Sunday, September 20th, 9:30-10:00 a.m. in
the Bridal Lounge. All women invited.

Stand Down Day

September 13, 2015
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Pavilion in Dansbury
Park, E.S.

SAVE THE DATE:

OCTOBER 18TH, 3:00 P.M.
ORGAN CONCERT AND
FINE ART EXHIBIT

FREE FOOD, CLOTHES,

HEALTH CHECKS &
HOUSING REFERRALS FOR THE

SMALL SHOE BOXES NEEDED!!

We need donations of small shoe
boxes for a special project. Please
drop off to Maria at the church office. Many Thanks!
Staff Contact Information Main Office: 570-421-3280
Pastor: Jim Todd
Secretary: Maria Ragonese
Congregational Care: Peggy Strack
Music & Worship:
Youth Ministry: Scott Kuhnle
Childrens Ministry: Pam OBrien
Technology Support: Michael Corey
Finances: Sue Mertz
Financial Secretary: Cyndie Faunce
Maintenance: William Mack
Fellowship Hall Kitchen
Church (Inside Breezeway)
Organist: Pauline Fox
Audio-visuals: Joe Dorsch

jtodd@esumc.net
mragonese@esumc.net
pstrack@esumc.net

1014
1010
1023

skuhnle@esumc.net
pobrien@esumc.net
mcorey@esumc.net
smertz@esumc.net
cfaunce@esumc.net
wmack@esumc.net

1013
1017
1012
1015
1025
1018
1030
1031
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foxes@esumc.net
josephdorsch@gmail.com

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ESUMC Musicians
to perform in
Bethlehem
Three of our ESUMC
musicians will perform
in the American Guild
of Organists Lehigh
Valley Chapter opening
program of the 20152016 season. Pauline Fox will play a
variety of 5 duets with Joe Dorsch on
baritone sax and Kaitlyn OBrien as duoorganist. This free public event is
Saturday Sept. 19 at 10 a.m., in Cathedral
of the Nativity, 321 Wyandotte St., at the
south end of the Rt. 378 bridge in
Bethlehem. Feel welcome!