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For over 150 years, we have been a church who loves the Lord Jesus Christ,

and we look forward to sharing the good news with you.

"Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him."

Psalm 34:8

Holy Communion joins us in Christian unity. This sacrament invites us to focus on the holiness of communion with God and one another. On World Communion Sunday, United Methodists---in conjunction with other denominations and believers worldwide---participate in communion to recognize our unity in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

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> The families who were later to become the first Methodist congregation in Forty Fort worshiped in the old Meeting House now standing in the Forty Fort cemetery. This old church was completed in 1808 and served both the Methodists and the Presbyterians for many years. Francis Asbury, who was the first bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, visited Wyoming Valley and preached at the Old Meeting House.

> Forty Fort had been for a time part of the Kingston charge but became a separate charge, with Luzerne, in 1871, and on November 20, 1872, it was incorporated as the Methodist Episcopal Church of Forty Fort. Moving from the Mill Hollow Church at Luzerne in 1878, the members used the John B. Smith Church on Slocum Street. Withdrawing from Luzerne, Forty Fort became a single charge in 1883.

> In 1886 three lots were puchased on the east side of Wyoming Avenue for the sum of $1500, and the following year, a new church and parsonage were dedicated. Until 1915, this building met the needs of the congregation whose numbers now exceeded 350, but it was fast becoming inadequate for the growing community and church. In that year, a building fund was established, and in 1919 the recommendation for the construction of a larger church was approved. The members begain to raise funds for the $210,000 stone structure. Ground was broken on May 6, 1923, for the present building on the west side of Wyoming Avenue. It was dedicated on April 2, 1925. Not until 1956 was a new parsonage built on Yeager Avenue on a lot adjacent to the church property.

> The 75th anniversary of the church was celebrated in October and November of 1947, ending with the Diamond Jubilee Pageant, and the following year the congregation rejoiced in the fact that the church was debt free. During the ensuing years, the growing congregation demonstrated continuing dedication to the ministry of the church by refurbishing the building as needed for its many activities. Music, always an important part of the church program, was enhanced by the installation of a Moller Pipe Organ when the new church was built and further continued its importance with the Schlicker Pipe Organ, dedicated on March 2, 1969.

> Through war, peace, the Depression, prosperity, and the flood of 1972, the Forty Fort United Methodist Church persevered and grew to a membership of 1000 at one point. It attained a place of prominence, spiritual enlightenment, and inspiration in the Wyoming Conference and in the community. The church will continue to dedicate itself, with love and concern for all, to advancing God's kingdom on earth.

Click on the picture to view our new website! If you have any questions about or suggestions for our church and its ministries, you may use the contact form found on the site.

Click on the picture to view the calendar. Calendars are on our website and in the Congregational Care Corner.

• Tuesday, October 31 from 4 to 8 p.m.
• We would like to greet the children of our community with love, fun, and, of course, candy!
• We are requesting candy donations. Please contact the church office if you can help in any way.

• Saturday
• October 30, 2023
• 9:00 a.m.
• Friendly's, Kidder Street, Wilkes-Barre

• October 25, 2023
• 6:30 p.m.

If any members of the congregation have macular degeneration, please speak to Pastor Rich because the Congregational Care Team has obtained some page magnifiers for you.

> Let me begin by saying that I think we may be the only church in Luzerne County, if not northeastern Pennsylvania, to have two licensed pilots who just happen to be married --- to each other! What an accomplishment (being pilots, that is 😊) for our long-time church members: Mae Smith and her husband Dr. Terry Smith, a retired orthodontist!

> Mae, who has a twin sister, has attended this church since she was eight years old in 1945. She and her husband were married here by Rev. Edgar Singer on June 24, 1960. Dr. Smith spent three years in the Army, and later, the couple also lived in Teaneck, New Jersey. They returned to Forty Fort and attended the Presbyterian church where Dr. Smith's parents were members, returning to the Methodist church in 1981.

> Terry's hobbies were woodworking, golfing, flying, and at one time, he built his own small airplane in his garage! Playing golf keeps Mae busy now as it's one of her passions. The Smiths have taken many wonderful trips, with golfing at Hilton Head being a favorite. In addition, they both treasure the times when they can get together with their four daughters and nine grandchildren.

> Mae and Terry enjoy the friends that they have made here over the years and being part of the FFUMC church family.

➡️ The Shavertown United Methodist Church will host a "Grief & Loss Support Group" on Thursdays from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. from September 7 to December 7.

➡️ The Catholic Choral Society will begin its 75th year on Tuesday, September 5, 2023. They'll have rehearsals on Tuesday evenings from 6:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the IHM Center at Marywood University. New members are welcome to and no auditions are required. The organization is non-denominational and has members from six counties in our region.

• Please click on Food Pantry Newsletter for details. Printed copies of this newsletter are available in the Congregational Care Corner.
• Chairman Marilyn Feldman wants to thank the congregation for their generous donations to the Food Pantry Fund.
• Emergency boxes of food are available; contact Marilyn or Jaka through the church office.

Our choir sings beautiful music to praise God and to edify the congregation. Led by Mary Scheib (organist and director), they practice every Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. New members are always welcome!

Free at lunchtime? We'd love to see you every Wednesday at noon in the lounge for our Bible Study led by Pastor Bradshaw & Rev. Santos. PLEASE NOTE: There is no Bible Study if there's a vesper service (evening prayers) during that week.

Please call the office if you want to be a member of the prayer chain or added to the list of people for whom they pray.

Church bulletins are available each week on our website: look for the tabs at the top (computer), OR click on the three-bar menu on the top right corner (cell phone).

• Printed church newsletters and calendars are available in the Congregational Care Corner. They can also be found on our website and Facebook page. We have been sending them to those with email addresses.
• Monthly calendars will no longer be attached to the newsletters; they can be found separately next to the newsletters in the Care Corner.
• 💡TIP: When you receive the newsletter by email & there's a sentence at the top that says to "OPEN THIS EMAIL IN A BROWSER," please do so --- it's easier to read the newsletter in a browser.
  

The "Knit Wits" is a group that meets every Tuesday from 1-3 p.m. to make prayer shawls for those in need of comfort in our church and in our community; they also make winter hats and scarves. Call the office if you'd like to help.

This group meets every Wednesday morning at 10:00 a.m. to recycle plastic grocery bags and re-purpose them into waterproof mats for the homeless. Call the office if you'd like to help.

1. We will be ordering pledge envelopes soon. If you do not want to receive a pack of envelopes, please notify Joe Simon or Jaka in the church office.

2. A purchase made for the church must be accompanied by a voucher. Blank vouchers are available in the chandelier room near the mailboxes.

3. When you leave a room, please don't forget to turn off the lights, close the water faucets, and lower the thermostats.
   

To show love, encouragement, & support to parishioners during a critical time in their lives, the Congregational Care Team will help with the following: visitations; Meals That Heal; rides to an appointment, when possible; and special projects at the direction of the pastor. Call the office or Pastor Rich for assistance OR to join the Care Team!

Stop by the Care Team's table to check the many resources we have created for our church members and visitors. (This table is reserved for the Care Team. Thanks!) Church newsletters and church calendars can be found here as well.

• CEO - The Commission on Economic Opportunity: Any member or visitor of our church who has daily living needs (rent, food, heating oil, etc.) should contact the CEO, a great local organization that responds to basic, material needs of children, adults, and seniors in poverty. Click HERE.
  

• Dial 211: PA 211: Get Connected. From help with a utilities bill, to housing assistance, after-school programs for kids, and more, you can dial 211 or text your zip code to 898-211 to talk with a resource specialist for free. Click HERE.

• Dial 988: If you or a loved one are experiencing a mental health crisis, a new phone number was recently implemented to connect you with mental health and behavioral services. People who call, text, or chat with 988 will be directly connected to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Callers will receive phone-based support and connections to local resources based on their specific needs. For more information, go to dhs.pa.gov and search for 988.

• Family & Caregiver Support Group - Alzheimer's Association (Greater Pennsylvania Chapter)
• Offers peer or professionally led groups for caregivers and others dealing with Alzheimer's
• All support groups are facilitated by trained individuals.
• Meetings are held once per month on the first Thursday of the month at 10:00 a.m.
• 4 East Center Hill, Dallas, PA 18612 (The Meadows) - (570)675-8600

• Veterans - The Care Team has created a Veterans Support Services booklet for its parishioners and their families. It contains vital information that is not specifically medically related. Veterans and their families may not be aware of these services if they haven't had any direct association with the VA Hospital, or if they don't have online access to any of their resources. Paper copies can be found in the Congregational Care Corner.

Click on and then complete the short form below. If you have already completed one during a Sunday service, thank you!

Pastor: Richard Bradshaw

Email: FortyFortUmc@gmail.com
Website: https://www.fortyfortchurch.org/
Location: Forty Fort United Methodist, 26 Yeager Avenue, Kingston, PA, USA
Phone: 570-287-3840
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Forty-Fort-United-Methodist-Church-138113291741