One reason United Methodists are able to accomplish great things is the church’s emphasis on “connectionalism.” It is common to hear United Methodist leaders speak of the denomination as “the connection.” This concept has been central to Methodism from its beginning.
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17821 Elgin Road, P.O. Box 358, Poolesville, MD 20837 (301) 349-2010, pmumcmail@aol.com
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2011 Work Camp involved many tasks—
and great sense of accomplishment
Pastor Pat impressed parishioners with her energy, enthusiasm and graciousness
Reverend Patricia Dols had a very successful introduction to Memorial during her first Sunday, July 1, 2011, succeeding Reverend Ken Fells. She has served various-sized churches, from very small to very large, since 1996 in the Baltimore-Washington Conference. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Behavioral and Social Sciences from the University of Maryland University College and a Master of Divinity Degree from Wesley Theological Seminary. She is a compassionate, encouraging, empowering pastor who enjoys helping people discover their gifts and equipping them to use those gifts as they serve God and God's people. Prior to her appointment to Memorial, Reverend Dols was the pastor at Greenmount UMC in Hampstead, MD.
Pastor Pat was born in Washington, D.C., grew up in Bethesda, and graduated from Walter Johnson High School in 1967. She and her husband, Tom, have six children and eight grandchildren, and two beagles named Faith and Hope. Pat and Tom live in the parsonage at Memorial.
One reason United Methodists are able to accomplish great things is the church’s emphasis on “connectionalism.” It is common to hear United Methodist leaders speak of the denomination as “the connection.” This concept has been central to Methodism from its beginning.
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It has become a tradition at Memorial—the “summer mission trip.” Over the past few years groups of church adults and youth have devoted a week to a project that would benefit people less fortunate than we, all in the name of Christ. For example, groups trekked to Piketon, Ohio and Paw Paw, West Virginia to renovate houses owned by low-income individuals or families to provide repairs and renovations of almost every conceivable sort—replacing roofs, installing new windows, repairing floors, correcting structural deficiencies, painting, etc. For those involved the days were long, many of the tasks daunting, hours of toil under a broiling sun or in a stuffy house. But most of those who participated in these projects would not trade their experience for anything else. They remember the gratitude of those whose lives they improved, the sense of accomplishment they felt, the camaraderie and fellowship of working with other parishioners. It is fair to say that most would say they were humbled that they were able to help other human beings to the glory of God.
The 2011 mission trip was a change of pace. It involved an outreach not to a group of worthy homeowners but to one of the several retreat and camping facilities owned by the Baltimore Washington United Methodist Conference—Manidokan on the banks of the Potomac on the Maryland side of the Potomac across from Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia.
In February the Outreach Committee at Memorial became aware of important deficiencies at Manidokan that, if not remedied, would detract from the many important activities offered at the 300-acre camp—a beautiful setting for summer camp programs, retreats and special events that offer the opportunity for rest and renewal, bonding with Nature, fun and recreation and opportunities to connect with God and each other.
These “deficiencies” included cabins with deteriorating roofs, a fellowship hall that needed repairs and general “sprucing up,” sixteen bathrooms in sleeping facilities that needed cleaning and recaulking, fallen trees that needed to be felled and cut up and trails that were in need of repair.
These then were the tasks that a group of over twenty Memorial adults and young people enthusiastically addressed over a full week (they were joined by two members from Messiah United Methodist Church in Taneytown), from Monday through Friday, August 8th to 12th.
While this was certainly a different kind of experience than that for those who made the Ohio and West Virginia trips it provided a real, if different, satisfaction. By their work they knew they were helping to improve the experience of the 400 or so campers who use Manidokan in a typical year.
Shown below are just a few of the tasks in which the church work group was involved. Most of the Memorial trekkers are shown in the first picture, just before embarking from the church Sunday night. Others portray work associated with the replacement of roofs on the cabins and interior work on the fellowship hall.
And their work was deeply appreciated by the Camp’s director, Chris Schlieckert, who wrote this note of thanks:
“On behalf of Manidokan Camp & Retreat Center I would like to express my appreciation to thePoolesville Memorial UMC for the volunteer work they performed at Manidokan the week of August 8-12, 2011. During the week the group completed numerous projects that would be have been difficult, if not impossible, for us to accomplish without the hard work, skill, and time the group committed…I was very impressed with the entire team that came to Manidokan and hope we are able to work together in the future to further our shared mission of creating disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.“
Walking Tacos gets “thumbs up”
from Poolesville Day crowd
As always there was plenty of good food available from which to choose at the Town of Poolesville’s 21st festival. But with all the other choices available the Poolesville Day crowd (Saturday, September 17) was no different than attendees at earlier civic events in the town, such as Relay For Life and Lord’s Acre. Almost as soon as the Memorial Methodist Church crew opened up for business the lines started forming to snap up a “walking taco”—and they kept coming. In fact by 1 pm in the afternoon the Memorial servers ran out of product to the disappointment of many..
Photos courtesy of Shannon Rhoderick, click to enlarge
"Fix-up" day at WUMCO
Memorial furnished six of the 14 people under the auspices of Helping Hands-Poolesville who participated in HH-P’s latest project, on Saturday, October 15th. The interdenominational group of hard-working individuals spent several hours staining, repairing and “sprucing up” WUMCO-Help headquarters near Beallsville. Tasks accomplished included gutter repairs, staining of the external walls of the "food pantry" facility, removal of brush, trees and undergrowth from a side yard, minor carpentry inside and outside the building and grass seeding and landscape work. Executive Director Jane Stearns was ecstatic about accomplishments of the "Second Annual WUMCO Workday." She thanked the group "for your generous contribution that improves the appearance of our facilities and environs."
All five Poolesville-located churches are members of Helping Hands-Poolesville: Memorial Methodist, Our Lady of Presentation, Poolesville Baptist, Poolesville Presbyterian and St. Peter's Episcopal. Memorial’s involvement is under the auspices of the Outreach Committee.
Viewers will recognize most of the faces below. Memorial members shown in these four pictures are: Ralph Hitchens, Andrew, Lori and Brandon Kocur, Ray Hoewing and Link Hoewing.
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Missionary Porter:
Exacting assignment in Liberia continues
Many members of Memorial may be unaware that we have a representative at work on the mission field. Actually we do—at least if you qualify that by noting that many other churches assist in the funding of her work. Now into her 11th year (and second posting) as a missionary Suzanne Porter has spent the last five years working with a medical college in Liberia.
Liberia, once an up-and-coming West African nation, experienced a devastating 20-year civil war that almost destroyed the economy, resulted in a significant loss of life and damaged or destroyed thousands of homes and buildings. In fact, the medical institution in which Ms. Porter serves was itself severely damaged in the war with many buildings on the campus still not rebuilt or repaired.
Porter, who earned both a bachelor’s and doctor’s degree from the University of Maryland in Baltimore and answered “the call” in mid-life, held several different nursing positions before deciding to enter the mission field. Considering the situation in Liberia her administrative and classroom work in training nurses could hardly be more relevant: For example, Infant mortality rates in that country are the second worst in the entire world!
The question might occur to some: “Yes, that work is certainly valuable but how does it relate to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ that one usually associates with missionary work?” In a recent letter to the outreach committee at Memorial she answered that question this way:
As a nursing instructor in Liberia, I have been blessed to have the opportunity to develop relationships with both students and faculty that allow for conversations about many different aspects of their lives. And I have also been blessed by the opportunity to influence a person' growth in knowledge and maturity…I hear stories of the lives they have suffered through the 14 year civil war and the loss of many of their family members. They tell me about the struggles to get their education. This gives me a chance to pray with them – whether they are Christian or Muslim.
In class, we talk about how important health education is and how to talk to patients who still believe in ‘traditional healing’ or that a person’s illness is caused by a curse. (‘Being witched’). It is amazing how strong those beliefs are even among Christians/church goers. This is a person with ‘one foot in the church and one foot in the bush.’
The health profession has Biblical basis - Jesus healed people physically. And here in a country that has some of the worst health statistics in the world but still believes in ‘traditional healing’, it is important to try to dispel those beliefs and help them realize that Christ, Our Living Savior, is stronger than any curse or witchcraft; that He is the final Conqueror over evil. I think that physical healing here in a Christian institution has even more importance. Even if patients or families have bad outcomes, people see the caring and support given by providers and the hospital chaplain.
Recently, one instructor asked me why I’m here and why people in the US want to help the Liberians. I told him it goes back in history even in the book of Acts when Paul is taking up a collection to help the people in Jerusalem. Needs come in many different ways – spiritual, physical or mental health, and financial needs – and it is Christian to respond in any way we can to share God's abundance.
