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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

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Click on the text below the headings to read the articles.

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

• September 2 at 5:00 p.m.
• Betty Mascelli Park - Shook Place, Forty Fort
• Sponsored by the Wyoming Avenue Christian Church & the Forty Fort UMC

1. Online at https://umcmission.org/advance-project/901670. (You can designate your gift specifically for Hawaii.)
2. By toll-free telephone call: 1-888-252-6174
3. By check made out to Global Ministries/UMCOR with “Advance #901670-Hawaii” written on the memo line and mailed to Global Ministries/UMCOR, GPO, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY, 10087-9068
4. By check made out to Global Ministries/UMCOR with “Advance #901670-Hawaii” written on the memo line and given to any United Methodist church.
5. Questions about donating? Please email donationhelp@umcmission.org

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

Thank you, Chef Mary Ermel! We had fun learning about cooking and dining etiquette!

• Wednesday Evening
• September 27, 2023
• 6:30 p.m.

🍂

Saturday

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September 23, 2023

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9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Due to the historical significance of FFUMC, The Susquehanna Historical Society is planning to hold their annual meeting here on September 28. We need volunteers to prepare coffee, donuts, and sandwiches for lunch, and to give tours and welcome our guests.

• The 150th Anniversary Celebration of Forty Fort UMC will take place on October 15.
• There will be a special service, dinner, and guest speakers.
• Watch for more news!

> The Motykas are our featured church couple for September! Stanley and Virginia ("Ginny") Motyka are proud to be members for over 50 years---faithfully serving on many committees and in many roles, including the church choir and, in the past, as youth advisors to the former Methodist Youth Fellowship.

> Stan and Ginny are longtime west-side residents. Stan graduated from Kingston High School, class of 1957, and the Vocational Technical school, where he studied radio and television electronics. He joined the Navy Reserves while still in high school and served his country for seven years. He is currently semi-retired, but for more than 35 years, Stan, his brother, Ray, and their parents owned and operated their family business, S.R. Motyka, Inc., a snack food distributor for Tom Sturgis Pretzels in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties. For the past 19 years, he has been working part-time for Wilkes University in public safety. He likes his job and "maybe" will retire some day.

> After graduating from Forty Fort High School, class of 1958, Ginny attended the former Bloomsburg State Teachers College for one year. She decided that she wanted to join the workforce, so she began employment at the former Sterling Products in Kingston, a subsidiary of Sordoni Enterprises. During that time, she met Stan and later became engaged, then married at the Forty Fort United Methodist Church on Feb 24, 1962, by the Rev. F. Porter Adams.

They lived in Connecticut for several years, where Ginny worked for The Blue Print Co. They returned to Pennsylvania and eventually became a family of five, including Tracy Lynn; Susan Lee, deceased 2010; and Stanley William. Each of their children were baptized at FFUMC, attended Sunday School, sang in the church choir, and attended MYF.

> Their favorite vacationing places are the Outer Banks, North Carolina, with family and Panama City Beach, Florida, with Pat and Rich Jones, and Liz and Bill Davis. Six grandchildren keep them busy as do their hobbies: bowling for Stan, and sewing and estate sales for Ginny.

> Fortunately for the rest of us, the Motykas love their church family and have served it well. Ginny especially enjoys being part of the choir; "Mary is a true blessing," she said. Ginny also said that she tells people to come to our church "because they're going to love it!"

➡️ 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 the Food Pantry Newsletter --- emailed to church members on July 24 with everything you need to know about our latest outreach effort. Printed copies of this newsletter are available in the Congregational Care Corner.
• The Food Pantry officially opened its doors on August 9 and served thirteen families. NOTE: The Pantry will serve the community again on September 13.
• 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" and spiritual formation group 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 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. Any purchase made for the church must be accompanied by a voucher. Blank vouchers are available in the chandelier room near the mailboxes.
2. 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 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.

• New - Coloring book version of the Lord's Prayer
• New - Food Pantry information sheet

• New - Information on "Shared Ride" transportation in Luzerne County
• New - bookmarks
• New - information on https://www.neighborlypa.com/ ---

😊a terrific site that helps you find free or reduced-cost services in your community. Search for local resources to access food and housing assistance, childcare, transportation, utility assistance, healthcare, financial assistance, and other needs. Just enter your zip code!

• 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