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“Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9.
Please join us Friday, April 19 for a special pilgrimage – “Way of the Cross”. We will worship in four local congregations as we consider the last hours of Jesus. We gather at NOON, at First Congregational Church, 28 Green Street. Then we walk/ride to Chestnut Street UMC, 161 Chestnut. Then on to St. Paul’s Episcopal, 79 Cross Street. Our final stop is Chair City Church, 112 Central Street.
At each stop — song, prayer, scripture, and silence aid us to reflect on what are traditionally called the Stations of the Cross. Total time will be about 2 hours. There will be an opportunity to help carry a wooden cross. We hope to have a bus for those who cannot walk. Many congregations will be participating.
For questions, please contact Rev. Jim Hinds, 978-632-8643 or pastor@fbcgardner.org.
Our church will be participating in this bowling event to help raise funds for the Gardner Emergency Housing Mission. We have a team that will be participating on Sunday April 25th from 11:30am to 1:30pm.
See the image below for info on how to register.
Come join us or just show up to support this worthy cause that helps families in our community.
The UMC General Conference was held last week in St. Louis. Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar will be hosting “Courageous Conversations” sessions throughout our New England Districts to help people understand what took place at the general conference. All clergy and laity in the New England Conference are invited to attend these sessions.
At these “Courageous Conversations” sessions we will have an opportunity to unpack the events of General Conference 2019 and to process our feelings and experiences together. You are welcome to attend any event that is convenient for you.
The session dates and locations are listed below. Check the calendar at www.neumc.org/events to find details and exact locations of each event.
March 7 – Rhode Island/Eastern MA District – 6-8 p.m. Lincoln, RI
March 9 – Connecticut/Western MA 10 a.m. to noon Springfield, MA
March 9 – Northern Maine District 1-3 p.m. Brewer, ME
March 10 – Metro Boston Hope District 4-6 p.m. Milton, MA
March 16 – Combined event for New Hampshire and Vermont Districts 1-3 p.m. Lebanon, NH
March 18 – Tri-Sate District 7-9 p.m. Nashua, NH
March 19 – Tri-Sate District 7-9 p.m. South Portland, ME
March 21 – Central MA District 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Marlborough, MA
March 24 – Mid-Maine District 2-4 p.m. Brunswick, ME
We will be hosting an American Red Cross blood drive at the church on Saturday, September 7, 2019, The event will be held from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. Donating blood helps save lives in our community. Each pint of blood we collect can help save up to three lives and will touch the lives of so many more. It’s a great way to pay it forward and make an impact on people in our community and across the country.
Please consider rolling up your sleeves and being part of our event.
Please contact Cheryl D at the Thrift Store or email us at: gardnerumc@gmail with any questions.
Our church is putting forth a team to participate in this years Relay for Life. The event is being held on Friday June 7, 2019 at the Mount Wachusett Community College campus in Gardner, MA. Relay For Life is the signature fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.
Our church team at the 2018 Relay for Life
The Relay is a team fundraising event where team members take turns walking around a track or designated path. The event is 6-24 hours in length and each team is asked to have a member on the track at all times to signify that cancer never sleeps. Cancer patients don’t stop because they’re tired, and for one night, neither do we.
Each team sets up a themed campsite at the event and continues their fundraising efforts by collecting donations for food, goods, games, and activities. This money will count towards their overall team fundraising goal.
The Theme for this years events is called “Let’s Kick Cancer off the Board”. Our team name is Walkers of Faith. Sign up is available on line at this link: RelayForLife.org/GtrGardnerMa/ Below are are instructions how to do this on line. There is a $10 registration fee which applies to your fundraising goal. If you raise $100, then you qualify for a t-shirt.
So, mark you calendar and please join our team to be part of this fun and very positive community event.
If you have questions, please contact Denise or email us at gardnerumc@gmail.com.
We are offering a Midnight Christmas Service that is open to the public. The Chestnut Street UMC offers this service to anyone who does not have a place to celebrate Christmas or to worship with other believers and seekers. We invite you to join us for a night of Christmas Hymns, prayer, reflection, scripture readings and a message of faith and hope. Refreshments will be served.
Bring a friend or friends to this Service. We will celebrate this Midnight Christmas Worship followed by Holy Communion.
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King,
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and nature sing. (UMH #246: Issac Watts)
Thanksgiving is a day for us to give thanks to God for all that he has bestowed upon us.
A Community Thanksgiving Service will be held on Monday, November 19, 2018 at 7:00 pm at the First Congregational Church in Gardner. All are invited to attend this service. Please see the flyer below for details.
The holiday we know as Thanksgiving started as a harvest celebration in 1621. In 1789, George Washington issued a proclamation creating the first national Thanksgiving Day. Washington’s proclamation stated that is was to be a day of thanksgiving and prayer. It was also a day to be grateful and give thanks to Almighty God for all his benefits. Abraham Lincoln issued a similar proclamation in 1863 setting the national Thanksgiving Day as the last Thursday in November.
It’s time to mark your calendar for our annual Holiday Fair! We’ll be set up in our Faith Hall. There will be several tables with crafts and baked goods for sale. We’ll also have Chinese auction items. Refreshments will be served from our kitchen.
This is always a fun event and it’s a great chance to do some holiday shopping.
Please contact Denise at gardnerumc@gmail.com with any questions.
For some, Christmas and the Holiday Season can be a sad and lonely time. We are hosting a special worship service at our Chestnut Street church for those who may be having a hard time. This service for anyone who is feeling out of sorts, down, depressed, disconnected, isolated or sad during the holidays. We are opening doors and hearts for you.
Please join us at this gathering to worship, share conversations with others, or just to pray and listen to the breath of stillness and the spirit of peace, love, and hope.
When we come together and share each other’s burdens, concerns and joys we are collectively empowered by the Holy Spirit to do more for Humanity.
Please come as you are! All are welcome.
“You matter! “You are not alone! “We are here for you!”
