Check out what's going on this week at the UMC of Red Bank!
Connections
Thursday, March 31, 2022
Worship Sneak Peek
April 3, 2022 at 10:00 am
Join us for worship this Sunday in person or online at 10:00 am as we continue our Lenten sermon series entitled "Drink from the Fountain of Grace". On this fifth Sunday of Lent,  we’ll be reflecting on how God’s grace is put into action in our lives as we compassionately care for those in need around us. Hope to see you either in person or online!
Reminder: We have resumed in-person worship and continue to live-stream the service on our website and YouTube channel.

At our March Church Council meeting, we approved a change in our masking policy, effective immediately, which states that in the church building, masks are now ENCOURAGED and OPTIONAL for ALL - including for Sunday morning activities, as well as children and youth ministry gatherings.
 
Our nursery is now open, so children 2 and under are invited to play in the nursery under the care of Alyce Zabawa, our nursery attendant, while parents worship in the Sanctuary. 

For worship, there are still a few exceptions to the pre-COVID "normal" in an attempt to provide care and a fully inclusive space for all. These exceptions are as follows:
  • The socially distanced section in the rear of the Sanctuary (under the balcony) will remain in effect, and will be maintained as a "masks required" section.
  • Offering plates will be passed in the masking optional section, and an offering drop plate will be available at the rear door of the socially distanced section.
  • Masks are HIGHLY ENCOURAGED while singing. When we sing, there is an increased risk for COVID transmission because of the increased expulsion of respiratory droplets. Our choir will be masking while they sing, and we highly encourage all congregants to do the same.
  • For now, Holy Communion will still be served by partaking in the individually wrapped communion kits. Pastor Jess is working with the worship committee to transition us back to partaking in the shared loaf, so this change will be forthcoming.
  • Exiting will be staggered to allow for social distancing where desired.
We are looking for volunteers to coordinate and host drinks and snacks during our post-worship Fellowship Time. If you are interested in serving in this way, please contact Amanda in the church office.
 
As we shift into this new "encouraged and optional" masking policy, it is important for us to remember that masking is a personal choice based on comfort level and individual health concerns. Whether people choose to mask or not is up to each individual and it is extremely important that we respect the choices of one another. If you are in a vulnerable population, we encourage you to take advantage of the better quality masks that are now readily available to the public and we recommend all stay up to date with vaccinations and boosters.
Put on your gardening shoes and join us 4/2 at 9:00 am in the church yard!
Spring is here and it's time to prepare our church grounds for Easter with our spring clean up! We'll mostly be focused on picking up limbs and basic clean out of beds in preparation for our landscaping crew to spread mulch. The men’s group will be meeting the same day and preparing the soil for our pollinator garden. Please bring water, gloves and any gardening tools. Many hands make light work, so we hope to see you there! If you have any questions, please contact Bobbie or John at propertymanager@umcredbank.org
GreenFaith Meeting-Sunday, 4/3
Join us for a GreenFaith general meeting in the Library Lounge at 11:15. We will be discussing upcoming projects, including the return of our pollinator garden. There will be a special guest speaker, as well! Contact Janie Schildge at jschildge@optonline.net for more information and how to help.
Yoga is Back In Person on Wednesdays!
Yoga class has resumed in person on Wednesdays from 9:45-11:00 am in room 114. All are welcome to attend. Contact Tiffany McCann at ttmccann09@gmail.com for more information and to sign up.
If you missed this week's Lenten Musical Reflections, click here to watch
UMW Chocolate Sale Starts 4/3
Don’t miss the chance to purchase delicious chocolates, handmade by our own UWM members. Chocolates will be on sale in the Fellowship Hall on 3 Sundays in April - 4/3, 4/10 and 4/17. Proceeds from this Spring fundraiser go to support the UMW mission fund.  
Support Humanitarian Aid in Ukraine through UMCOR
Contribute to the UMCOR International Disaster Response and Recovery fund to provide humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian people in the wake of the Russian invasion of their country through Advance #982450. This fund will provide direct assistance to those in Ukraine as well as assistance to Ukrainians fleeing to neighboring countries. Gifts to support the people of Ukraine can be made online at https://umcmission.org/advance-project/982450 or by check made out to our church with "UMCOR Ukraine" in the memo line.
Book Club Meeting-
Thursday, 4/28

Book Club meeting will be Thursday, April 28 at 1 p.m. in the Lounge. 
This month’s book selection will be “Black Cake” by Charmaine Wilkerson.
All are welcome to attend. Contact Helen Vetter for more information.
Easter Flower Orders Now through 4/10

Help beautify the Sanctuary and bring spring to our Easter Service. Orders can be placed by paper order form to the office or on our church website. Pots of these bright and beautiful flowers are $20 each. They make great gifts for family and friends, too!
Scholastic Assistance Applications Available 4/1
Scholastic Assistance applications for the 2022—23 school year will be available April 1st. They will be automatically sent by email to last year’s college junior, sophomore, and freshman recipients (if your email has changed let me know) and to high school seniors in the youth group. To be eligible for an under graduate college/university scholarship you must have an affiliation with our church. If you wish to apply, are eligible, and do not receive an application by email, you may request one by emailing Barbara Guenther at bjguenther@verizon.net. 
Solar Panel Carbon Reduction of One Million Pounds of CO2 Emissions!
Our solar power project, owned by partners in the congregation, has been in operation since 2011! Hudson Solar, as of March 13th, 2022, has avoided carbon emissions of over 1 million pounds since start up. 1,001,871 pounds is about 454 metric tonnes of carbon that our project has not put into our environment. CONGRATULATIONS on this achievement, and let’s really get behind solar and wind power and continue our GREEN JOURNEY! 
Thank you Hudson Solar Partners and our free energy from the sun.
UMW General Meeting- Saturday, 5/7

Calling all ladies! Mark your calendar for the next United Methodist Women General Meeting on Saturday, May 7th at 10:00 AM in Room 114. Contact Gerri Poranski at gporanski713@yahoo.com for more information.
Backpack Crew Pantry
Donations Welcome

The Backpack Crew has continued to serve the increasing number of people who are impacted by food insecurity in the midst of this health crisis. Food donations are greatly appreciated on the back porch of the church, Monday though Friday from 9 am to 3 pm.
The current donation request is PASTA SAUCE. Thank you for your continued support. Email us at backpackcrewnj@gmail.com with any questions.
Invasive Plant Pruning-
1st Saturday of Each Month
Join in helping to remove invasive plant species from our parks and forests. Contact Janie Schildge for more information or sign up on the GreenFaith bulletin board.
Adult Education In person or Online
Having just completed Crossan’s book on the Parables of Jesus, we are embarking on a new study by Joan Chittister on the Beatitudes. We will be working from a collection of articles/columns she published in NCR roughly monthly since September 2021. It brings her keen sense of living one’s faith and some very recent examples and issues. We will start this series on Wednesday March 30 (7:00 pm on Zoom) and Sunday April 3 (8:45 am in person in the Lounge)  We anticipate one beatitude per week. If you are a regular, or looking to re-engage, this is an opportune time to do so! Contact Mark Hackler for more information.
Pastoral Care
If someone is hospitalized or in need of pastoral care,
please contact Rev. Jessica Naulty at 908-400-2343 or jbnaulty@umcredbank.org.