Well, we are still going on a retreat August 8-10, but it will not be at Villa Maria. It's a really nice place, though, and I think it would be a good place for a future event. But, they have a big event the weekend we wanted to be there, and it turns out they won't have space for us, after all. Sooooo. . . I am working on an alternate site. Don't worry-- we will have a place for our retreat! Watch this space.
Pray for a great location for our retreat, and for my sanity as I work out the details.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor D.
Call the office at (330) 652-1439, or e-mail me at: davidmacdonald@mtsoalum.org if you have any questions.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Field Trip Update and Retreat Details
Hi Everyone!
It seems like a long time since we visited Congregation Rodef Sholom together!
I hope you are all progressing in your sessions together. Remember, you need to have all five sessions done before Confirmation Sunday, on September 14th!
Our next field trip will be to visit Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church on July 20th--this is a Sunday, but the service at Mount Carmel starts at 11:30, which means that we will have just enough time for me to get out of our service and get over there. Meet at our church at 11:00 (immediately following worship), and we will go over together. We will also be having a meal together following--details to come later.
Retreat is fast approaching! We are scheduled (tentatively) with the Sisters of Humility at their Conference Center in Villa Maria, PA. I am taking a trip to the Center this afternoon to look over the facilities. After that, I will post details up on this blog page. Look in your confirmation books (appendix 7) for information on what to bring, and for your permission forms. We already have one form in-- way to go, Josephine! Get yours in by Monday August 4, or you will not be able to go.
Plan on leaving the church on August 8 in the early evening (5 or 6 p.m.), and arriving home on Sunday August 10 at 1:30 or 2 p.m. As part of our retreat, we will be attending a worship service at Centenary United Methodist Church in Youngstown. Please plan on bringing a nice outfit to wear to church.
Keep on meeting, and as always, Call the office at (330) 652-1439, or e-mail me at: davidmacdonald@mtsoalum.org if you have any questions.
In Christ,
Pastor D.
It seems like a long time since we visited Congregation Rodef Sholom together!
I hope you are all progressing in your sessions together. Remember, you need to have all five sessions done before Confirmation Sunday, on September 14th!
Our next field trip will be to visit Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church on July 20th--this is a Sunday, but the service at Mount Carmel starts at 11:30, which means that we will have just enough time for me to get out of our service and get over there. Meet at our church at 11:00 (immediately following worship), and we will go over together. We will also be having a meal together following--details to come later.
Retreat is fast approaching! We are scheduled (tentatively) with the Sisters of Humility at their Conference Center in Villa Maria, PA. I am taking a trip to the Center this afternoon to look over the facilities. After that, I will post details up on this blog page. Look in your confirmation books (appendix 7) for information on what to bring, and for your permission forms. We already have one form in-- way to go, Josephine! Get yours in by Monday August 4, or you will not be able to go.
Plan on leaving the church on August 8 in the early evening (5 or 6 p.m.), and arriving home on Sunday August 10 at 1:30 or 2 p.m. As part of our retreat, we will be attending a worship service at Centenary United Methodist Church in Youngstown. Please plan on bringing a nice outfit to wear to church.
Keep on meeting, and as always, Call the office at (330) 652-1439, or e-mail me at: davidmacdonald@mtsoalum.org if you have any questions.
In Christ,
Pastor D.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Synagogue Wrap-Up
I hope everyone enjoyed the trip to the synagogue! If you have any questions that come up about it in your meetings in the next several weeks, let me know (through the blog if possible, so we can all look at them together!)
One person asked me about the story of the man who went into the Red Sea up to his nose, causing the sea to part. Didn't Moses part the sea? this person asked. Well, according to the Bible, yes (although it was really God who did the thing anyway!) The story the Rabbi told was from a collection of ancient writings called the "Mishnah." Mishnah tells stories about what isn't in the Bible. Like, with the story of the Red Sea, the Bible tells us that the waters parted, but now how they parted. The story in the Mishnah is that no one had faith enough to trust that God would part the waters and let them walk through on dry ground. It wasn't until one man walked into the sea up to his nose--trusting that God would protect him--that God knew the people had enough faith to trust him. It may or may not have happened that way (most scholars agree probably not), but it makes for a good story about faith! The Jewish people have a different approach to the Bible than we Christians do--for them, the Bible is a starting point for great stories about faith. Sometimes we Christians take the Bible too much at its word, and we're afraid to imagine "What if?" What if we were standing at the Red Sea, and God told us to walk into the water? What would you do?
Discuss.
--Pastor D.
p.s.--Keep your eyes on this space for details about our next field trip!
Call the office at (330) 652-1439, or e-mail me at: davidmacdonald@mtsoalum.org if you have any questions.
One person asked me about the story of the man who went into the Red Sea up to his nose, causing the sea to part. Didn't Moses part the sea? this person asked. Well, according to the Bible, yes (although it was really God who did the thing anyway!) The story the Rabbi told was from a collection of ancient writings called the "Mishnah." Mishnah tells stories about what isn't in the Bible. Like, with the story of the Red Sea, the Bible tells us that the waters parted, but now how they parted. The story in the Mishnah is that no one had faith enough to trust that God would part the waters and let them walk through on dry ground. It wasn't until one man walked into the sea up to his nose--trusting that God would protect him--that God knew the people had enough faith to trust him. It may or may not have happened that way (most scholars agree probably not), but it makes for a good story about faith! The Jewish people have a different approach to the Bible than we Christians do--for them, the Bible is a starting point for great stories about faith. Sometimes we Christians take the Bible too much at its word, and we're afraid to imagine "What if?" What if we were standing at the Red Sea, and God told us to walk into the water? What would you do?
Discuss.
--Pastor D.
p.s.--Keep your eyes on this space for details about our next field trip!
Call the office at (330) 652-1439, or e-mail me at: davidmacdonald@mtsoalum.org if you have any questions.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Don't Forget!
I am eagerly anticipating our first field trip!
If you have not already met with your confirmand/mentor, please plan to do so before this trip.
Remember, we will be meeting at the church on May 17th at 9:45 a.m., leaving at 10:00 a.m., and plan on having lunch following the service at Congregation Rodef Sholom.
It's good to be home after General Conference!
--Pastor D
Call the office at (330) 652-1439, or e-mail me at: davidmacdonald@mtsoalum.org if you have any questions.
If you have not already met with your confirmand/mentor, please plan to do so before this trip.
Remember, we will be meeting at the church on May 17th at 9:45 a.m., leaving at 10:00 a.m., and plan on having lunch following the service at Congregation Rodef Sholom.
It's good to be home after General Conference!
--Pastor D
Call the office at (330) 652-1439, or e-mail me at: davidmacdonald@mtsoalum.org if you have any questions.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Updates
Definite date for the field trip to Congregation Rodef Sholom: May 17th. Meet at the church at 9:45. The service starts at 10:30 a.m. Bring a little money with you for lunch afterwards. It is important that all confirmands attend this field trip! Mentors are also strongly encouraged to attend--you will get something out of this, too.
Also, if you know of someone who is supposed to be in confirmation, but who wasn't at the kick-off on Saturday, please let them know that they need to see me, ASAP! The process of joining the church is part of your journey into adulthood, so everyone needs to take responsibility to be a part of this process. A significant amount of missed events or meetings will result in no confirmation for that individual in September.
I'm looking forward to working with all of you in the next several months. Let me know if you have any questions--make sure you meet with your confirmand/mentor before the first field trip, if at all possible.
Confirmand/Mentor Matchups so far:
Jessica: Kelly MacDonald
Sam: Pastor David
Amber: Colleen Aliberti
Shawn: Becky and Richard Hanks
Josephine: Lolly Symcheck
Stephanie: Rhonda Harris
God Bless,
Pastor David
Call the office at (330) 652-1439, or e-mail me at: davidmacdonald@mtsoalum.org if you have any questions.
Also, if you know of someone who is supposed to be in confirmation, but who wasn't at the kick-off on Saturday, please let them know that they need to see me, ASAP! The process of joining the church is part of your journey into adulthood, so everyone needs to take responsibility to be a part of this process. A significant amount of missed events or meetings will result in no confirmation for that individual in September.
I'm looking forward to working with all of you in the next several months. Let me know if you have any questions--make sure you meet with your confirmand/mentor before the first field trip, if at all possible.
Confirmand/Mentor Matchups so far:
Jessica: Kelly MacDonald
Sam: Pastor David
Amber: Colleen Aliberti
Shawn: Becky and Richard Hanks
Josephine: Lolly Symcheck
Stephanie: Rhonda Harris
God Bless,
Pastor David
Call the office at (330) 652-1439, or e-mail me at: davidmacdonald@mtsoalum.org if you have any questions.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Correction-- Field Trip
The original date for our first field trip (to the Jewish Synagogue) did not work out well for Rabbi Muller, so we are going to have to move that field trip to May, probably the 17th at 10:30 a.m. We will meet at the church at 9:45, leave for the synagogue at 10:00, and then go out for lunch afterwards. Please make plans to attend this event!
Looking forward to seeing you all at our kick-off dinner on April 5th!
Call the office at (330) 652-1439, or e-mail me at: davidmacdonald@mtsoalum.org if you have any questions.
Looking forward to seeing you all at our kick-off dinner on April 5th!
Call the office at (330) 652-1439, or e-mail me at: davidmacdonald@mtsoalum.org if you have any questions.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Kick Off Dinner and First Field Trip
April 5th will be our kick-off dinner for confirmation 2008! Parents, Mentors and Confirmands will all join together for a night of fellowship, information sharing, and worship. Mentors are invited to bring enough food to share for themselves, their confirmands, and parents. After dinner, we will attend Contemporary Worship at 6 p.m. in the Chapel.
Our first field trip is tentatively scheduled for April 11. We will travel to Congregation Rodef Sholom in Youngstown to observe a Jewish Shabbat (Sabbath) service. The service starts at 8 p.m., but we will meet at the church at 5:30, so we can go to dinner beforehand. At that time, we will discuss the Jewish heritage of the Christian faith.
I look forward to working with all of you this spring and summer! God bless you as you prepare for the important step of becoming members of this congregation and The United Methodist Church!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor David
Call the office at (330) 652-1439, or e-mail me at: davidmacdonald@mtsoalum.org if you have any questions.
P.S.-- When I get back from vacation, we should have the mentor/confirmand lists finalized, so I will be publishing who is mentoring who in my next post!
Our first field trip is tentatively scheduled for April 11. We will travel to Congregation Rodef Sholom in Youngstown to observe a Jewish Shabbat (Sabbath) service. The service starts at 8 p.m., but we will meet at the church at 5:30, so we can go to dinner beforehand. At that time, we will discuss the Jewish heritage of the Christian faith.
I look forward to working with all of you this spring and summer! God bless you as you prepare for the important step of becoming members of this congregation and The United Methodist Church!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor David
Call the office at (330) 652-1439, or e-mail me at: davidmacdonald@mtsoalum.org if you have any questions.
P.S.-- When I get back from vacation, we should have the mentor/confirmand lists finalized, so I will be publishing who is mentoring who in my next post!
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