Dear Members and Friends of the Methodist Church Family,

 

Unconsciously, we trust in so many things.  We step outside and trust that gravity will hold us to the planet.  We trust that the Summer will follow after Spring, that harvest will follow after seed time, and that just as rain falls from the skies, the harvest will be sufficient for our needs.  As modern people, we also trust the electricity that comes into our homes, the power of microwaves, microchips, and modems.

But do we really trust God with our whole hearts, and are we able to entrust ourselves to God along  with those whom we love?  There are moments and days when we may do so completely and convincingly.  Then there are times, moments, experiences when we think we really need to rely on ourselves: our own wisdom, our own strength, our own resources because we think that we obviously know better than God.

Have you ever done a trust walk?  With a partner, one person is led, while the other person closes his eyes and places his trust in his partner.  In college, we also did the trust fall, where the blindfolded student simply fell backward into the waiting arms of three or four classmates.  I was fine with the trust walk.  But when the three scrawniest kids in the class were assigned to catch me as I fell backward into their weakling little arms, all I could think was that this was a concussion waiting to happen – Mine!  It’s not that I didn’t like them; I simply didn’t trust them to catch me before my plus size hit the ground.

 With the professor urging us on to fall, I found myself trying to figure out how to pretend to fall without actually letting go, without actually losing control, without actually having to rely on anyone else to support me or bear me up.  By not trusting my classmates, I ended up with two pulled muscles from straining forward instead of leaning back.

It’s like when we neglect to place our trust in God and begin to think that we can do anything without God.  It’s a long hard fall from the Eagle’s Wings that long to bear us up in each new moment of each new day.

 As we gather to give thanks, let us remember that we can do nothing without the One who Made Us and Makes Us Whole.  And let us remember too, those who will be far from home this year, who need the blessing of strength and God’s ongoing grace.  Come, ye thankful people, come.  Join us and rejoice and place our trust in God as we celebrate Thanksgiving Sunday, November 20th!

 

Ever with Thanks and Trusting in the Lord, 

 

  Diane

 

 

 

            Methodist Churches of Long Beach Island, NJ

Some notes about worship and our activities: 

The season of autumn  holds some special delights on Long Beach Island, and we at the two Methodist Churches look forward to our on-going activities.

 

¨ United Methodist Women meet monthly, the first Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. (except July and August).

¨ Bible study— on Tuesday mornings at 10:30 a.m., at the Terrace Church;

¨ The Fellowship Group meets for covered dish supper and program usually on the first Friday night of each month, 6:00 p.m. at the Terrace.  Next meting is Friday, October 14th— Program: Fire Fighting with retired Captain of Camden, NJ’s Fire Department. 

¨ United Methodist Men meet for breakfast at 8:00 a.m. at Fred’s Beach Haven Diner on the third Wednesday.  Women meet for breakfast at 9:00 a.m. on the third Saturday at Fred’s.

¨ Choir at Kynett meets following the church service on Sunday mornings. Choir at the Terrace meets prior to the church service on Sunday mornings.

¨ Children’s Sunday School meets concurrently with the 9:00 a.m. church service at the Terrace.

¨ Adult Sunday School Class meets at 10:15 a.m. on Sunday mornings.

 

If currently you do not have a church family, we invite you to join us anytime for any of our activities.  If you are a visitor to the Island, stop in when you can.   Our foundation is the Lord Jesus Christ,  and our strength is the faithfulness of the disciples he has called to journey with us.   For more information, look further on this website, or call either church.

 

Come find us!

 

“In as much as you have done it to the least of them, my brethren,

you have done it unto me.”

                     Pastor’s Page

More information?—

CONTACT: Web Master Gladys A. Gale— gegzie@comcast.net

OR Use the Terrace Church’s email address:   terracechurch@verizon.net.

OR use Kynett’s email address: kynettumc@verizon.net