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Centre UMC Newsletter, Vol. III, Issue 8
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CentreNews Rev. Mark Gorman, Pastor
Harford Family House
For over a year the church council has been discussing getting more involved with Harford Family House (http://harfordfamilyhouse.org/) (click the link there to find out more), a great ministry for homeless families with children in Aberdeen. Recently Nancy Martin helped a family get placed with Harford Family House. I asked her to write something about her experience, and you will find what she wrote below. Please read her story. Then pray about how you, and Centre, can support Harford Family House more in the coming year.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Mark
It was just before Mother’s Day when I met Amanda. A single mother of three, her family living in a motel room with 2 beds and a kitchenette – she was undone by her circumstances. She had little money and food and was tempted to return to an abusive situation. Amanda needed rent for the next night…… and the next. I knew in my heart something had to be done for her. I couldn’t just walk away.
That is when I decided to contact Harford Family House. They told me that in order for her to be eligible for assistance she needed to apply for homeless services through Harford County Community Action Agency (CAA). Plus, for her family to be considered homeless, someone else, like a church, must be paying her rent at the motel. So she applied that day and I paid the motel owner, Perez, $70 for one night. Amanda told CAA that someone had paid for her motel room in the name of Centre United Methodist Church in Forest Hill, MD. They gave her a motel voucher for a week and put her on the ‘waiting list’ at Harford Family House. She immediately was ranked #8 of 105 families on their list, a true miracle! She thanked me for my ‘wits’ in the situation; I told her that it was Jesus’ intervention on her behalf.
She waited… miracles were still needed. Jesus prayed for her through His Body at Centre and truly continued to be her Good Samaritan. She needed gas money. Pastor Mark authorized me to buy her a $50 gas card. She needed food and clothing. I recommended that she make an appointment at Tabitha’s House in Fallston; we made arrangements to meet there at 10 am. When I arrived she was nowhere to be found. Concerned that she wasn’t coming, I soon learned from the lady in charge that Amanda was already with the intake manager receiving her food and vouchers for clothing. She had not made an appointment! She arrived early and the 9:45 am client was a ‘no show’. Amanda’s ‘appointment’ turned out to be truly ‘Divine’.
While there were no shoes available at Tabitha’s for her family, there were 4 pairs of roller blades in just the right sizes given to her. They skated in the motel parking lot. What great fun and exercise for a cooped up family in the unusually cool evenings.
The biggest miracle of this journey finally came true. Five weeks from the day we met, Amanda was referred to Harford Family House by CAA on a Friday with a move-in day of the following Monday. That left just three more nights in a motel before she and her children would move into their new home. Her room was paid through Saturday, with $0 for Sunday night’s rent, so Pastor Mark gave his Blessing for me to pay Perez the $70 for Amanda’s last night in the motel – the last night before their new beginning!!
What a mighty God we serve! Let’s continue to pray for and be generous to this family!
In Brief…
*The September newsletter deadline is August 25.
*Youth group meets August 21 at Jarrettsville from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
*Praise and Picnic, our church picnic, will be on August 28. Worship followed by the picnic is at Friends Park, starting at 10:30 a.m.
*Pastor Mark is away August 8-11.
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Announcements
The youth group will meet on Sunday, August 21, at Jarrettsville, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. We are also hoping to take a day trip to Sugarloaf Mountain on August 13. Stay tuned for more details.
The Fellowship Lunch Workgroup this month is August 11 at 11:30 a.m.
On July 3 Centre will join six other United Methodist congregations at the Grove at William Watters UMC on Jarrettsville Road for a Community Worship Service. You don’t want to miss this service! Worship starts at 10:00 a.m. and is followed by a potluck picnic. Please bring a side dish or salad to share.
Our outdoor worship service and church picnic is August 28 at Friends Park. We are calling this our “Praise and Picnic.” Invite your neighbors—we want this to be a community outreach event that extends beyond our congregation!
Our annual Charge Conference is Saturday, September 17 at 2:00 p.m. Emory UMC in Street will once again host. Anyone from Centre can attend, and you are encouraged to come, but if you are on Church Council you must be there! Please speak with Pastor Mark if you have any questions.
Centre’s Finances
Changes in Reporting: This year we are only reporting undirected giving, rather than total giving. While Centre is grateful for and needs all offerings that come in, in most cases only undirected giving may be used for the day-to-day expenses of the congregation. Directed giving allows our church to pursue special projects or fund one-time expenses. Undirected giving pays the light bill and gets the bathrooms cleaned.
Also, the totals show receipts, the budget, and the amount ahead/behind up to the week when the newsletter is published. Through July 28, therefore, Centre’s giving is $3,739.77 less than what has been budgeted for the same time.
If you have questions about financial stewardship at Centre or about Centre’s budget, please speak to John Griffin, Finance Chair, or to Pastor Mark.
Total Collected Through July 28: $75,017.51
Total Needed Through July 28: $78,757.28
Ahead/(Behind): ($3,739.77)
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