PRINCETON UMC SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN VINERY PROGRAM Princeton UMC has been accepted into a two-year cohort with the Vinery Organization, whose mission is "awakening faith and flourishing at the intersection of church and university" (Vinery website). Pastor Skitch, assisted by Sarah Betancourt and Donna Robinson, will co-lead the team. The Vinery initiative was launched by the Mere Christianity Forum (MCF), a collegiate ministry in Traveler's Rest SC. MCF is one of 92 organizations funded through the Lilly Endowment Inc.'s Thriving Congregations Initiative, a five-year grant supporting congregational thriving across the U.S. At the end of last summer, Pastor Jenny pointed Pastor Skitch toward the Vinery program, and he applied. Considering the organization's purpose, PUMC proved a perfect fit. The Vinery looks for churches "that are very close to a university, have funds set aside for campus ministry, and have a clearly outlined vision and mission that includes campus ministry," explained Skitch. "We're primed for this work, and the Vinery will help us all - the whole IN THIS ISSUE church - to see campus ministry as something everyone can participate in," he added. Notes from the Pastor 2 The cohort runs two full calendar years, starting January 2022 and ending in December 2023. As a team, Skitch, Sarah, and Donna will parChurch Calendar 3 ticipate in two retreats: one in January which will include everyone in the Laity Spotlight 4 program; and one that will be more localized between a few churches. Each of these "will allow for deeper bonding with members from the New Members 6 whole group," said Skitch. For the closer work between PUMC and Finding Community 7 Princeton University, Skitch and his team will be using tools from Harvard Online Campus 8 Professor Marshall Ganz, specifically the Public Narrative tools. "These tools guide us in listening, discerning, and dreaming with both church and 2022 Leadership 10 University people where God could be working in the future," explained Birthdays 12 Skitch. Continued on page three.
NOTES FROM THE PASTOR
Rev. Jenny Smith Walz
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” ~ Isaiah 6:8 Are there particular stories of call that resonate most with you in scripture? The Bible is full of stories of people being asked to go and do: travel to a new land to be God’s covenant people (Abraham and Sarah), lead people into freedom (Moses), lead God’s people (David), speak God’s truth (Isaiah), bear God to the world (Mary), follow Jesus (the disciples), feed God’s people (Stephen), search for someone who is lost (Ananias), expand the walls of the church (Peter), and soooo much more! In fact, for each of those actions I just mentioned, several more people, from scripture and beyond, can be named. The one that resonates most with me is Moses’s call story. Remember the burning bush? Remember all of the excuses that Moses came up
with? Remember how God took care of each one until there weren’t any excuses left? I have experienced all of those things, and for far smaller tasks than the one that Moses had. Sometimes we are called to things that are easy to say yes to, that we are ready for, perhaps that we’ve been waiting for. But there are times when we are called to things that seem far bigger than us, things that we’d rather say no to, things that awaken some fear within us. And there are also times that we struggle to hear the call clearly in the first place. As we continue to listen for what God is calling us to, for our powerful purpose(s), in the moment and in the months and years to come, one thing I know for sure is that we need others to help us to hear God clearly, to say, “yes” to God’s call, and to go where God calls us. Disciplined Discernment happens best within a community. We at PUMC are committed to cultivating the practice of listening to God’s direction for us individually and collectively. I need you, and we need each other to live into our powerful purpose(s)! I love the stories you’ll find in this newsletter: stories of people choosing a community, growing with the help of a community, working to further develop a community. They are stories of people following God’s call, saying yes, seeking others to journey with, preparing to invite others on the journey too. What stories of call and community do you have? What have you discerned as your powerful purpose(s)? We’d love to hear! Let us know over on our online campus or by writing or emailing us! May you have strength and peace and companionship for every powerful purpose God is calling you to! Peace and love, Jenny 2
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Both Sarah and Donna bring their own strengths to the team. Sarah, a 2020 Princeton graduate, is a member of PUMC's youth staff, a worship dancer, and a local teacher. While a student at Princeton, she was also part of the campus ministry which Skitch runs at the university. Through her depth of knowledge in both arenas, "she is able to bridge the University and PUMC, making her perfect for the role," said Skitch. Donna serves on PUMC's Church Council and has had training in spiritual direction. "She has a depth of discernment that will help us, as a church, to listen deeply to our own souls, while listening to where God is stirring inside of us," Skitch added. As the Wesley Foundation's Methodist Campus Minister at Princeton, Skitch has already fostered a relationship between PUMC and the university. What the Vinery grant will do is build on what has already been accomplished and provide " space to take us in a new direction," said Skitch, adding that "Good campus ministry is deeply connected to the local church. College students have something unique to offer the church, and church members have something unique to offer college students." While Skitch and his team have no idea where God is going to take them over the two-year Vinery journey, he is confident that "we'll see God at work in us, and through us, to lead us to further flourishing. I have no idea how, but I'm confident it will happen. There's some joy and some anxiety in that, but that seems to be at the nexus of where faithfulness resides."
Participants from the eight different churches were paired up for discernment and listening.
FEBRUARY EVENTS Feb 6
Contemporary Issues Class Worship & Children’s Ministry Love Lives On Newcomers Group Handbell Choir Divorce Support Group Youth Group & Youth Choir
Feb 7
Monday Morning Bible Study Church Council
Feb 8
Campus Ministry Godfulness Meditation Small Group Worship Ministry Team
Feb 9
Love Lives On Children’s Choir Cornerstone Community Meal Children and Youth Formation Team Chancel Choir (online)
Feb 13
Contemporary Issues Class Worship & Children’s Ministry Newcomers Group Outreach Team Handbell Choir France in February Concert Youth Group & Youth Choir
Feb 15
Communications Ministry Team Campus Ministry Godfulness Meditation Small Group
Feb 16
Love Lives On Children’s Choir Cornerstone Community Meal Chancel Choir (Online)
Feb 20
Contemporary Issues Class Worship & Children’s Ministry Newcomers Group Love Lives On Divorce Support Group Youth Group & Youth Choir
Feb 21
OFFICE CLOSED - President’s Day Monday Morning Bible Study Stewardship & Finance Ministry Team Circle of Care
Feb 22
Love Lives On Children’s Choir Cornerstone Community Meal Chancel Choir (Online)
Feb 24
Staff Parish Ministry Team
Feb 27
Contemporary Issues Class Worship & Children’s Ministry Handbell Choir Adult Formation Ministry Team Youth Group & Youth Choir
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WHY DID YOU FIRST WALK Larry Apperson, ever the raconteur, tells wonderful stories about the camaraderie enjoyed by PUMC friends. It goes with his assertion that people join churches either because of the minister or because of the people. It was both, for him, in 1977. Larry, Louise, and eight-year-old Sharon moved to Montgomery when Larry’s IBM job moved to Dayton. “Louise was sniffing out churches before I was even thinking about it,” he says. They came to PUMC and soon Jack Johnson succeeded Ron Dyson as pastor. “Jack knew how to make you feel good, and he was very down to earth, the first minister I ever saw do the benediction with his eyes open. Jack would look around and make eye contact with you, and smile.” As for the people, “the first people we met were George and Evie Lee. It was the way George and Evie treated us - got us connected and involved with so many other people.” Those he names - the Bleachers, the Becks, the Beggs, the Vaccaros - are no longer living, but they were among the group that would take turns leading the Adult Fellowship, meeting monthly on Saturday nights. One of Larry’s stories involves the late Peter Hodge, a PUMC member who owned the funeral home on Vandeventer Avenue. “In 1979 Jack Johnson decided he wanted to go out for dinner in Trenton in a hearse! We all met at the parsonage. Peter Hodge drove over to the parsonage in the hearse, all set up for us to sit instead of lying down in a coffin. Four couples proceeded to a Chambersburg restaurant, with the cortege following.” Like many newcomers, Larry’s first church job was as an usher, and later he presided over the Heart of Faith adult Bible class. Over the last decade his major legacy, Cornerstone Community Kitchen, has grown from serving free meals in a hospitable setting to addressing the root causes of poverty in other ways. Larry’s beloved Louise, who passed away in 2019, was for many years the stalwart organizer of the United Methodist Women and served with Larry as an usher. Sharon grew up in the church and married John DiStase; they moved to Rocky Hill with five-year-old Sydney and began teaching Sunday School at PUMC. Their twins Alex and Izzy are growing up in the church, and Sharon teaches Compassion Camp. After they made an addition to the family home, Larry and the DiStases now live together. Larry drives his truck to pick up fresh groceries and deliver them to CCK on Wednesdays. Larry has seen pastors come and go. “You go for the people. You might get turned on by the sermon, but then you go on a ‘bad sermon’ day, hmm… If you like the people, you keep going. What Jenny talked about last Sunday (he refers to Baptism Sunday on January 9) was a Sledge Hammer question, WHO DOES GOD THINK I AM. That is a profound question in my mind. I think about who I am and I try to be better.” Larry Apperson with his wife, Louise 5
IN THE PUMC DOORS “It was primarily the music program that first brought us to PUMC,” says Jenni Collins. “We weren’t even considering transferring membership, but our children outgrew the opportunities that Cranbury UMC had to offer.” Jenni and her husband Scott, both musicians, wanted their daughters to have the experience of an excellent music program. In January 2019, when she enrolled Elli, Margaret, and Juli in the choirs, Jenni looked The Collins Family. From left: Maggie, Scott, Jenni, Elli, and Juli. forward to Wednesday rehearsals, hanging out in the church library with another choir mother, Lorie Roth. The Collins family had had all kinds of different worship experiences. Scott had been raised in the Congregational tradition, and Jenni had been brought up as Presbyterian. “My alma mater, Westminster Choir College, was Presbyterian, but I had church jobs in all different denominations,” she says. They started out worshiping at their local Presbyterian church but switched to Cranbury UMC. “Methodists are geared for going out into the world and preaching the Gospel,” says Jenni. “That’s what we wanted our children to experience.” At Cranbury UMC they were “Methodized,” as Scott puts it. They liked the practical down-to-earth sermons of Rev. Ron Sager, and that he preached outside the pulpit, “on the floor of the sanctuary, down at your level,” says Jenni. “We enjoyed it there, but when the children outgrew the programming, we wanted to make a change. As adults, our faith is strong and deep, so it wasn’t as high a priority for us as much as it was getting our children on the right footing with their faith journey. It wasn’t until the following fall of 2019 that we became seriously involved, all of us, as a family. The Collins family lives in Cranbury, so a move to Princeton UMC made a difference in their travel time, an adjustment that they now enjoy. When Scott and Jenni started to attend the Newcomers classes, they prayerfully considered whether to transfer their membership. They consulted with their former pastor, with whom they still remain socially connected. Scott continues to play percussion in his cover band “After Hours,” which began from playing with members of the Cranbury UMC Worship Band on Sunday mornings. Now Jenni is often part of the skeleton crew that leads the service. After serving by leading hymns, she teaches Compassion Camp for PreK and Kindergarten this winter. Scott, a middle school music teacher with the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, contributes clarinet selections to worship services. He will gather with his colleagues to present a French-themed concert to benefit PUMC’s outreach missions on Sunday, February 13. Jenni no longer brings a child to choir on Wednesdays, but now, whenever Youth Choir and Youth Group are in person, she chauffeurs all three daughters - Elli, Maggie (also a current confirmand), and Juli - and they do so enjoy these PUMC programs and ministries.
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Welcome New Members Last November, three people chose to make Princeton UMC their church home by joining into membership. While they originally come from as close as New Brunswick and as far away as Ghana, they each agree that Princeton UMC is just the right place for them now! Please extend a warm welcome to each of them when you see them next! Edris Anderson, who was born and raised in Jamaica, moved to the U.S. in 2001 to be closer to her two children. She is drawn to PUMC because of the faith and the people. She hopes to remain a part of the congregation for a long time and looks forward to finding ways to contribute and help out. Why did you walk in the doors of PUMC? “I was searching to find a church. I came one Sunday and felt very welcome and liked how I was treated here,” says Edris. Kweku Ampong, who was born and raised in Ghana, moved with his mother to New Brunswick when he was ten years old. He was confirmed at New Brunswick UMC, went to school in Boston, and then moved to the Princeton area to work as a pharmacist. He loves being active and spending time with his fiance, Adeola, who also just joined PUMC. Why did you walk in the doors of PUMC? “I have always enjoyed being part of the Methodist denomination. When I moved to Mercer County and found Princeton UMC I loved its diversity and how welcoming everyone was to me,” shares Kweku.
Adeola Fagbewesa, a born and bred New Jerseyan, is a Practice Management Supervisor. She grew up in the Baptist church and intermittently attended an Evangelical church for 20 years. Since her fiancé, Kweku, is a lifelong Methodist, they visited PUMC and quickly decided to make it their church home. Adeola is excited to dive into some small group Bible studies. What excites you about PUMC? “I love the sense of fellowship and community, which I have not experienced before,” offers Adeola. 4
FINDING COMMUNITY ONLINE I grew up going to church every Sunday. It was always a big part of my life and the life of my family. We didn’t just go on Sunday mornings either. I attended choir practice during the week and, when I got older, youth group on Sunday nights. My family was about as immersed in the life of the church as someone can be. When I was a small child, it wasn’t hard to believe in God. It was all I knew. I had no reason to doubt what I was taught in Sunday school every week and for the most part, everyone in my small sphere of influence was Christian. There was no conflict between the image of God I’d been taught and what I knew to be true of the world. The God I knew was kind and benevolent. There were no “insiders” and “outsiders” as far as I knew. I had no reason to question what I was told to believe. The thing about getting older is it often creates space for doubt. The first time I remember questioning God’s goodness was in middle school when I was told that my good friend, who happened to be an atheist, wasn’t going to heaven. Suddenly, there was a line between who was in and who was out. Suddenly, I wasn’t so sure if this was the kind of belief I wanted to subscribe to. As I became a teenager and began seeing the hurt Christians brought to communities like LGBT+ folks, I started to distance myself further from the label of “Christian.” I still believed in God but I no longer knew what that looked like for me. During my freshman year of college, I read the book Pastrix by Nadia Bolz-Weber. She introduced me to a God who was big enough for all of my questions. Through her, I discovered a whole online community of believers who were open about their doubts. Writers like Sarah Bessey and Rachel Held Evans became my pastors. As much as I loved the college ministries I was a part of at the time, they sometimes felt too polished and performative. In contrast, communities on Twitter left space for me to be my whole self. As an introvert, the internet is often where I find solace and community so it is no surprise that the internet helped save and strengthen my faith. It connected me with people all over the world
Mikaela Langdon
who found the religion of their childhood wanting and were searching for something more. It didn’t erase my doubts but it made me feel less alone in them. The pandemic has made online spaces more important and more sacred than ever. Over the past two years, we’ve found numerous ways to connect with others across hundreds, even thousands, of miles. While in-person connection is irreplaceable, there is something special about instantly connecting with people all across the globe. In this time, people have found online church communities through a simple Google search. It’s brought a whole new meaning to the phrase “the Church is not a building, the Church is the people.” Sometimes, the Church is on a Facebook Livestream. Sometimes, it’s in a conversation on Twitter. Sometimes, it’s in an online blog post that puts into words what’s in your heart. Today, I cherish both my local church community and my virtual one. While I’m an active member of PUMC, I still find ways to worship God and engage in community online. Social media has many negatives but one of the biggest positives is that it can make us feel less alone. In my case, it was a vessel for God to speak to me and connect me to others who brought comfort and clarity to a confusing time in my life. While it might not be for everyone, I do believe that the internet can be light for people who are having trouble seeing God at work in their lives. After all, if God can meet us 9 anywhere, why not online?
WHY ONLINE CAMPUS? The way we do Church is evolving, but our mission to participate in God’s gracious, restorative, and healing church remains the same. In the last two years, Princeton UMC has been forced to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. It hasn’t been easy, and at times I have wondered where God is in all of this. Doesn’t God want us to be together? Little did I know God’s presence and the community of our church can be felt from my living room. What is the Online Campus? The Online Campus is a virtual space that allows worshippers to participate in the life of our church, from home. Though many of us have returned to in-person church when it is made available, others of us remain hybrid or full virtual. God’s mission did not stop just because the Church changed. PUMC recognizes that the Christian church is changing rapidly, and we embrace this change by adapting to people’s needs by ministering to and with God’s children online. During the pandemic and beyond, the internet is a useful tool to minister, learn, and connect with others. We believe Mighty Networks is an easy to learn platform and a helpful tool in our spiritual growth. In the winter of 2020 we soft-launched the Online Campus, and within the next year we were able to grow this space into over 25 ‘communities’ and 115 active members. In this space, we seek to
Tayler Necoechea facilitates a virtual coffee hour in the online campus last month.
provide tools, community, and guidance for one’s own discipleship journey, just as we would normally have access to through in-person church. Who are we doing this for? We are committed to those who do not yet (or ever will) feel comfortable worshipping in person due to the COVID -19 virus, or other health issues, or those who are returning to in-person worship but want to remain connected to the entire congregation. We also want to be accessible for worshippers who do not have transportation access to our physical building, or those who do not live in the area but wish to worship with us. We feel strongly about providing an opportunity for all people with disabilities or mental illnesses that inhibit them from attending church consistently in person. Additionally, we are devoted to those who have not yet found a safe church home and those who just find worshipping from their own living rooms more comfortable for their spiritual life. We hope that current PUMC worshippers, no matter if they are returning to in person worship or remaining virtual, will feel equipped to partner with us in this vision by participating in the online campus. If we already have Livestream on Facebook, why Mighty Networks? We would be remiss to be satisfied with virtual Sunday morning worship as the only form of online church. As members of PUMC know well, church happens Monday through Saturday, too. We participate in small groups, we sit in on committee meetings, we do justice in our communities, and we strive to follow Jesus together. All of this and more can be possible through virtual church. What does this mean for PUMC? In PUMC’s welcome statement, we affirm that “ALL people” are welcome into full participation in our church as we strive to love God and love others. By investing into our online campus, we are ... Continues on page nine
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reaffirming these beliefs by increasing the accessibility of our church. We believe that without an online campus, we are missing the opportunity to minister to and with those who are not already a part of a church community, but who use the internet daily. Our goal is to reflect the life of PUMC on the Online Campus as best we can. Of course, an online community isn’t the same as holding a small group in the PUMC library. There are things about the online space that will not perfectly mimic the church life we had before– and that’s a good thing. Through the Online Campus, we are able to explore new and effective ways of engaging in community and responding to God’s love. We now have self-paced discipleship studies for people to grow in their faith on their own time. Many small groups have utilized the Online Campus to make tools and resources accessible to our members. Our communications team has actively posted on our Online Campus, making sure that everyone stays up to date on the happenings in our church life. And, we have learned and grown together in our faith through seasonal groups such as God’s Refrigerator Door and our current group Powerful Purpose: Rule of Life. My hope for our church is that no matter how equipped – or unequipped– each of us feel in using technology, that you might somehow participate in the life of our Online Campus and learn to view this tool as an extension of God’s work in our church. My invitation to you is to give our Online Campus a chance. Perhaps it will not be the right fit for you, and that is okay. Though I wholeheartedly believe that others will benefit from your presence, and you just might be surprised with this virtual community. Together, may we participate in creating and sustaining a gracious, restorative, and healing church that adapts to the needs of today’s world. With love, Tayler Necoechea To learn more about our Online Campus and our current “Powerful Purpose: Rule of Life” series, email tayler@princetonumc.org.
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Our New Members pose with their membership sponsors. From left to right: Teresa Cann, Kweku Ampong, Adeola Fagbewesa, Reggie Cann, Edris Anderson, and Susan Davelman.
Are you interested in taking a deeper dive into all things Princeton UMC? Are you wondering how you might get more connected to others in the congregation? There is still time to join our winter Newcomers Group! Email Pastor Jenny at jenny@princetonumc.org to learn more!
It is February! You know what that means… time to contribute to support the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) in their annual SOUPER Bowl of Caring drive. TASK prepares more than 10,000 meals each week, with food service at their main location in Trenton, as well as community meals throughout the area (including PUMC’s very own Cornerstone Community Kitchen). To contribute to this special Outreach Team Communion Sunday offering in support of TASK, please give online and designate TASK in the comment field. Checks can also be made out to Princeton UMC and mailed to the church at 7 Vandeventer Ave. Princeton, NJ 08542. 9
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2022 MINISTRY TEAMS
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FEBRUARY 2022 Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1 Amissah Hagan
2 Michele Pache Linnie Stuart
3 Ciara Graham
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5 Karen Zumbrunn
8 Sophia Penn
9 Alice Hutton-Brady Lorie Roth
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11 12 Vaughan Burton Jr. Ivania Da Silva Izzy DiStase Alex DiStase
6 Pearl Quick
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14 Christine Shungu
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16 Lori Burton Rachel Davis Daniel Martin
17 Judy Algor
18 Mark Pache
19 Lauren Green Eric Mortensen
20 Jennifer Armento
21 Vasanth Victor
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24 Julia Ciccone John Heacock James Smith
25 Tod Hamilton
26 Pamela Williams
27 Andrew Bowman Janis Davis
28 Lena Hamilton
Hope Hillegas Debbie Meola Joan Nuse
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7 Vandeventer Avenue Princeton, NJ 08542 609-924-2613 princetonumc.mn.co
Princeton United Methodist Church is a Stephen Ministry Congregation
Rev. Jenny Smith Walz, Lead Pastor Rev. Skitch Matson, Kingston Campus Pastor Ashley Gonzalez, Pastor of Adult Formation Jae Hong, Pastor of Pastoral Care Hyosang Park, Director of Music Tom Shelton, Director of Youth Choirs Julia Hanna, Accompanist Tyler Mathiasen, Office Manager Evangeline Burgers, Dir. of Comm. & Kid’s Ministry Gilmar Enamorado, Custodial Ministry Lawanda Coney, Custodial Ministry Santos Gonzales, Custodial Ministry Mikaela Langdon, Nursery Care Lead Tayler Necoechea, Intern Hyelim Yoon, Intern Alex Hoshino, Intern Emma Worrall, Intern
THANK YOU TO OUR FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTORS Rev. Jenny Smith Walz Kate Lasko Barbara Fox
Tayler Necoechea Mikaela Langdon Evangeline Burgers, Editor
Do you have something you’d like to see in the newsletter? Ministry Team news, or something to feed our congregation on our discipleship journey? Email news@princetonumc.org The deadline for the next issue is March 15th.
