Life Together Community (Oct 1, 2023)

 

Just because.  

From time to time I see some crafts or drawings left on my desk. It is my three-year-old Hannah's artwork. 

If I ask her why she gave it to me, she would say, "그냥" (geu-nyang), which roughly means "Just because" in Korean. No particular reason. She gives her artwork just because she loves her dad. 

That was my "aha" moment. I realized that my paise to God should be that way - giving thanks to God just because I love him. It reminded me of the hymn, "I Just Want to Praise You": 

I just want to praise You,
Lift my hands and say: “I love You.”,
You are everything to me,
And I exalt Your holy name on high.
And I exalt Your holy name,
I exalt Your holy name,
I exalt Your holy name on high.

Do you love God? Let us come and celebrate together this Sunday. Our Hodgdon and Mars Hill church families meet at 9 a.m., and Houlton church at 11 a.m. If you are not able to come in person, you can worship with us online via the following links:

• Hodgdon UMC
• Houlton UMC: Youtube, Facebook
• Mars Hill UMC

Hope you have a restful and joyful weekend. 

In Christ,
Pastor Victor

New Membership Invitation

 

*Photo: New membership celebration at Houlton UMC (Oct 30, 3022)

Greetings in the precious name of Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Pray that you had a blessed week. 

It's a beautiful season of harvest. May God richly bless you to bear much fruit in your life. 

For Christians, the beginning is the end, and the end is the beginning. According to the Christian calendar (liturgical calendar), we will soon celebrate "Christ the King" Sunday in November, then a new church year begins with Advent and Christmas season. 

I believe it's a perfect time we welcome and celebrate new members to our church during the Advent season. Some of us may wonder how membership makes a difference since we can participate in all church missions and ministries without membership. 

I would say church membership is like a marriage vow. It's a joyful covenant. One of the questions to be asked to new members is like this: 

As members of this congregation,
will you faithfully participate in its ministries
by your prayers, your presence,
your gifts, your service,
and your witness?
I will.

What a privilege! What a responsibility! Like marriage, we vow that we will be faithful to the church "from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part." 

Are you ready and willing to love Christ by joining the church - his body? A new membership class will be offered during Advent (December 2023), then we will officially welcome our new members. If you are interested, or if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at 207-538-0778. Or simply reply to this email. 

Thank you for being among us. Have a joyful weekend. 

In Christ,
Pastor Victor

Acolytes

 Peace to you. 

Hope you are doing well. 

During our monthly Administrative Council yesterday, there was a consensus that it would be safe for greeters to serve as acolytes due to safety concerns. Please light the candle on the altar as the congregation sings the "opening hymn," and snuff it out while singing the "closing hymn." 

• 1st Sunday: Donald & Jennifer Metzger
• 2nd Sunday: Duane & Bonnie Quint
• 3rd Sunday: Carolyn Benn & Sandra Malone
• 4th Sunday: Collin Lilley & Jacob Lilley

If you have any questions or concerns about acolytes, please let me know at any time. Thank you, and stay well. 

In Christ, 

Pastor Victor 

Backpack for Kids Ministry Updates

 

Greetings in the previous name of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Our BACKPACK FOR KIDS ministry is going strong this new school year. Currently, we deliver between 40 and 50 backpacks to five schools weekly (Houlton High, Houlton Southside, Houlton Elementary, Hodgdon, and ACAP). It's almost double compared to last year. 

• Tuesday at 3 pm. Under the leadership of Chet and Linda, Our youth group helps bring the food downstairs, then set it up for packing. 
• Wednesday at 9 am. We pack the food and deliver it to the schools. 
  

Do you know any youth who might be interested in helping pack and enjoying fellowship with other youth? Invite them to come to church on Tuesday at 3 pm. Any questions? Please contact Heather Henderson (538-7355) or Pastor Joyce (538-0780).

Or would you be willing and able to help pack and deliver on Wednesday morning? Then please let Linda Maraya know (227-3497).

I want to thank you for your continued support and partnership for this lifegiving ministry. We are making a difference together in Jesus' name. 

Have a blessed week ahead. 

 

In Christ,
Pastor Victor

Life Together Community (Sep 24, 2023)

 

Family... 

It is one of God's greatest blessings. 

While I was in Korea this summer, the highlight of the trip was sharing the meals with the family. We shared rice (instead of breaking the bread!) so many times - day and night, at home and at restaurants. The more we ate together as a family, the closer we felt to each other. I didn't have a chance to really get to know my parents-in-law as I had to come to the US almost right after the wedding. But the meal table brought us together.   

My favorite meal experience was having a picnic in my parents-in-law's backyard. My father-in-law is a good cook. His love language is to feed people. In the same way, our Heavenly Father is a great cook. He invites all of us to his large table. No one is excluded. Around this table, everyone becomes friends and family. 

Once again, this Sunday we are invited to God's round table. There we sing, we listen, we talk, and we eat. The more often we come to this table, the stronger our bond becomes as God's family. So come, and worship with us! 

Our Hodgdon and Mars Hill church families meet at 9 a.m., and the Houlton family at 11 a.m. The Houlton church celebrates Family Worship this Sunday - all generations come and worship together. Do you love to sing praises? You are invited to join us for our pickup choir. We will sing "Wonderful Words of Life" (UMH #600) and have rehearsal in the choir room at 10:30 a.m. this Sunday. There will be also a Love Feast potluck fellowship after the service. Please share your favorite dishes with us, or just come and enjoy the fellowship. There is always enough food and laughter. If you would like to help set up or clean up the table this Sunday, please let me know. 

If you are not able to join us in person, you can worship with us online via the following links: 

• Hodgdon UMC
• Houlton UMC: Youtube and Facebook
• Mars Hill UMC

Thank you for being with us. Have a blessed weekend, and see you Sunday! 

In Christ,
Pastor Victor

 

Peace to you. 

Pray that your week is going well in the Lord. 

I just wanted to keep you informed of our Fall Bible Study groups. 

Our WOW (Women of Witness) had their first gathering this week. They had a blast as you can see in the picture above. It's a 13-week study on "Celebration of Discipline" (Richard Foster). Hodgdon church just finished this study, and several of them said it was one of the best studies they had. WOW meets at the church every Tuesday at 10 a.m. If you have any questions, please contact Joyce at 207-538-0780 or joyfuledro@gmail.com.

Another great Fall Bible Study begins this Thursday (Sep 21) at 6 p.m. "The Unbinding the Gospel: Real Life Evangelism" This book does not presume that everyone wants to do evangelism and tells us how to do it. We need to know WHY to share our faith. This book helps us address first the Why (motivation) then the How (faith sharing and invitation). I am very much looking forward to learning and growing together with you. 

Most of all, our Bible study is about "fellowship" - knowing one another and watching over one another in love.  

You are invited. 

In Christ,

Pastor Victor