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Sunday Morning Bible Study . . . Please join us for our weekly Sunday morning Bible Study held before worship, 9-9:50 AM in classroom #5. This Sunday . . . Oct. 12: Matthew22.1-14, Oct. 19: Matthew 22.15-22, Oct. 26: Matthew 22.34-46.

“I want to send my thanks to all of the congregations that purchase our coffee.
Thanks to you, we have a seed of hope in our lives.”
José Luis Castillo Vasquez, Las Colinas Co-operative, El Salvador

UMCOR’s 100-Ton Challenge
May 10, 2008 through World Fair Trade Day, May 9, 2009

Joining UMCOR’s 100-Ton Challenge helps small-scale farmers like José Luis Castillo Vasquez earn fair prices for their crops and improve their lives. As you enjoy fairly traded coffee, tea or chocolate you are part of a partnership that helps farmers in Latin America, Africa and Asia stay on their land, care for the environment, support their families and plan for the future. With every pound of product sold through the UMCOR Coffee Project, a portion goes to support small-scale farmers through UMCOR’s Sustainable Agricultural & Development Program, UMCOR Advance #982188. UMC PW participates in the UMCOR Coffee Project and the 100-Ton Challenge by serving organic, fairly traded coffee, tea and sugar at church gatherings. We also sell coffee, tea and chocolate every other Sunday at Hospitality Hour. Come visit our fair trade “store” in Fellowship Hall on October 12 & 26.

Food Pantry Needs Infant Formula . . . The LI Council of Churches reports that the food pantry in Freeport (450 North Main Street, 516-868-4989) welcomes all non-perishable food donations, but especially needs infant formula (particularly Enfamil with LIPIL).

What’s Happening In The Sunday School? . . .
On Sunday, October 19, the Sunday School will be going to the Town of North Hempstead Animal Shelter with Pastor Eldon, where he will bless the homeless dogs there. We will have a pizza lunch immediately following Hospitality Hour, then carpool up to the shelter on Marino Avenue. Children in all grades (and their parents) are invited!

Youth Group Corner . . . All youth in grades 6 through 12 are invited to attend the Blessing of the Animals at the Town of North Hempstead Animal Shelter on Sunday, October 19. Immediately following, we will go to the AMAZING MAIZE MAZE at the Queens County Farm Museum. BRING A FRIEND! The cost is $4 per person.

The UM Women are going to have a selection of pecans for sale as a fundraiser for WAM (Women’s Advocacy Ministry). WAM is a ministry of support for women who are incarcerated and their children. These children are usually in foster care or at home with a relative. The need is great for the funds to support this program. Anne Bovian is the director of WAM. The UMW will be selling fancy Georgia pecans for baking and also gift pecans, such as Chocolate Covered, Cinnamon Glazed, and Pecan Carmel Clusters. These items will make good holiday gifts! Order forms are available in the church office during the week and on Sunday mornings. Items must be ordered by November 10.

Take A Minute to look at the people around you on Sundays . . . Wouldn’t you welcome an opportunity to get to know them a little better? On Sunday, November 9, you can! We are planning a church-wide fellowship event where groups of 6-8 people meet at someone’s home for brunch from 12:30 – 2 PM. We will need volunteers to host these small groups and sign-up sheets will be available this Sunday. -- Karin Logrieco & Maureen Peraza

From The Finance Committee . . . It is time to formulate the 2009 Budget. If your group wishes to be included please submit a budget request to the Finance Committee ASAP.

Hospitality Hour---Hosts Needed For October 12 & 19
Set up is done for you ahead of time; hosts need only to bring a half-gallon of milk and juice, whatever goodies they’d like, and help clean up. If you are new to this, Violet Simpson will be glad to show you all you need to know. The goodies hosts bring need only be simple. Homemade is nice, but not necessary; store bought is fine!

Costa Rica . . .Three teams are currently being formed for a Volunteers In Mission (VIM) trip to Costa Rica on February 15 –22. Volunteers must be 15 years or older. They will be working to finish the construction of three classrooms in a very poor section of Siquirres. Applications and a deposit of $200 are due by October 15. The cost for the trip is $1,200 including airfare. Pray about whether God is calling you to this mission opportunity and speak with the pastor or Dave Peraza for more information.

Second Annual Shelter Dog Blessing . . .on Sunday, October 19, at 12:30 PM you are invited to join our pastor and the children of the Sunday School for a special blessing for the homeless dogs at the North Hempstead Animal Shelter. We are going to bring special gifts as part of our blessing, which you can bring into the church anytime you like. Doggie donations include small Milk Bone-type biscuits, TOYS (soft with squeakers!), and bath mats with latex backing. Car-pooling from the church is available.

UMW Morning Circle . . . On Monday, October 20, we will begin a study of the Book of James. We will be using a study guide to help us along this spiritual journey. The guide may be used as a personal aid for those who seek to use the Bible as a source of inspiration. See Deb Lefton or Karin Logrieco if you would like to purchase this guide at a cost of $7. Participation in this study is not limited to UM Women. All are welcome to join us as your schedule allows. Please note that our group will not be meeting on Monday, October 13.

UMW News . . . On October 20 at 6 PM, the Evening Circle will meet for dinner at the home of Doris Markham, 21 Jackson Street, Port Washington. If you would like to attend, please call Doris 767-1682 or Barbara Woodring 627-7613 so we will know to expect you. Thanks.

The Sacrament Of Baptism will be celebrated on Sunday, October 26. “The congregation is invited to join our family at the baptism of Patrick Thomas Pfister on Sunday, Oct. 26.” -The Pfister Family

Names Of The Honored Dead . . . On Sunday, November 2, All Saints Sunday, we will remember all those who have entered the church triumphant. If you wish to have a loved one who has died within the past two years remembered by name on this day during Worship, please submit the name in writing to the Pastor. The color for All Saints is white; wear something white that Sunday if you have it, as we celebrate the memory of those gone before us.

Calling All Blankets & Caps! . . . If you’ve been working on knitted or crocheted items for Project Linus or Caps for Kids, please bring them in to church by November. Your donations will be dedicated during worship one Sunday in November before they are sent on their way to comfort, warm and delight the children who need them. There is a labeled box for your donations in the hallway outside the music office.

Confirmation 2009 . . . It is time to register your intention to be part of the Confirmation Process for 2009. Youth currently in eighth grade and older are eligible. If you have any questions, please speak to Pastor Simpson. Confirmation is a time for an individual to consider their faith and to publicly profess their faith in Jesus Christ. May 31, 2009 is Pentecost Sunday, the day on which we traditionally celebrate Confirmation Sunday, so mark your calendars and call the church office by November 2.

Good News From The Green Team . . .
After replacing regular light bulbs in the church building with energy efficient CFL’s and making some other lighting improvements, we saved about one month’s worth of kilowatt hours this year than in the same time period last year. What a great start!

Looking For A Way To Serve God And The Church?
Here are four opportunities to use your time and talent:

The New York Annual Conference through the grace of God
embodies a beloved community of hope,
building up a healthy Body of Christ,
with heart-warmed United Methodists in mission
for the transformation of the world.

Please Help Us Find And Return Tiny Totes, the play bags for small children to use while in the Sanctuary. We began with twelve and we’re down to two. If you find any at your home or in the church building, please return them to the Narthex. Thank you!

Please Pray for . . .Peter Bheddah,Edna Dalton, Lee Fertitta, The Fishel Family (Lee Fertitta’s family), Joe Franz, Mitsu Fujihira, Linda Newby, Frank & Cindy Pfister, Margaret Salerno, Barbara Woodring and our troops in harm’s way.

The Altar Guildappreciates that members of the congregation have remembered and honored loved ones with a gift of flowers to beautify our altar. We are also grateful to Falconer Florist for the handsome floral arrangements and their accommodating the donor’s special requests. Now we ask that those who receive flowers in a glass vase to please return the vase to the church or to the florist if they have no further use for it at home. Many thanks to one and all! We, too, are going green!

Health Screenings . . . Our church will host health screenings that could save your life! Life Line Screening Radiology, a leading provider of preventive health screenings, will be having their affordable, non-invasive, painless health screenings in Fellowship Hall on Thursday, October 23. Five screenings will be offered that scan for potential health problems related to: blocked arteries, which is a leading cause of stroke; abdominal aortic aneurysms, which can lead to a ruptured aorta; hardening of the arteries in the legs, which is a strong predictor of heart disease; atrial fibrillation or irregular heart beat, which is closely tied to stroke risk; and a bone density screening, for men and women, used to assess the risk of osteoporosis. The cost is $50 per test, 3 for $119, 4 for $149 and all 5 for $159. Please call 1-800-636-0418 for more information or to pre-register.

Remember the UMCPW in Your Will . . .
One of the easiest ways to give a gift to the church is through your will or as a beneficiary of an existing life insurance policy. Many meaningful gifts to our church have been made through a member's will or trust. It is a wonderful way to be remembered and to contribute to the future of Christ’s church for generations to come! Few churches of our size can afford to pay for increased building maintenance costs from current monies raised, without crippling the current ministry of the church. An endowment fund is essential . . . please remember the UMCPW in your estate planning.

Newsletter Deadline for the next edition of the Steeple to People: Monday, Oct. 20, 4 PM.

Church Office Hours . . . Monday – Thursday, 9 AM - 4 PM, Friday, 9 AM – Noon.

Every Week at the United MethodistChurch of Port Washington:
Sunday Morning Bible Study, Sundays, 9 AM - 9:50 AM
Sunday School and Toddler Care, Sundays at 10 AM
Worship, Sundays at 10 AM, Hospitality Hour for all ages following.

Special Dates . . .
Wednesday, October 8         Port Jewish Center Services, Sanctuary
Thursday, October 9            Port Jewish Center Services, Sanctuary
Monday, October 13            Church Office Closed – Columbus Day
Monday, October 20            UMW Morning Circle, 10 AM
Tuesday, October 21           Finance Committee, 7:30 PM
Thursday, October23           Life-Line-Screening, Fellowship Hall, 8-5:30 PM

Shelter Dog Blessing, October 19
12:30 PM at the Town of North Hempstead Animal Shelter, Marino Avenue
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All Saints Sunday . . . November 2
Wear Something White to Honor All of God’s Saints!