Welcome as we worship online and in person. Share a warm welcome to others. Coffee hour is held in the Connections Café following the service. Coloring sheets, offering envelopes, and mission baskets are located near both entrances to the church. We ask that you maintain social distancing to keep everyone safe.
Office Closed This Week
This week the office will be closed due to the vacation of our office manager, Sue Cramer. We’ll be back in the office on August 9th. You may leave a message on the answering machine and someone will get back to you.
Church Building Restoration Fund
The restoration project on the church building is complete and the bill is coming soon. Please consider donating to help defray the costs of these repairs. We still need about $9,000. You can give online by clicking here (use the pull down menu to give to the Restoration Fund) OR give with cash or check through the weekly offering, or mail your contribution to the church at 101 Milton Ave. Please clearly identify that the money is to be used for the Church Building Restoration Fund. Thank you for your support.
Our Food Pantry Needs Your Help
Due to higher food costs, stocking our Food Pantry has become more difficult. Monthly donations that were received in the past are no longer available. With about 15 families each week using our services, this is a serious issue. If you are able to help, donations may be brought to the Food Pantry during office hours or placed in the box in the back of the sanctuary on Sunday morning. Some suggestions of needed items are peanut butter, cereal, ketchup, macaroni and cheese, vegetable oil, salad dressing, juice, crackers, spaghetti sauce, and elbow macaroni. Monetary donations are always accepted and may be sent to the church with “Food Pantry” on the subject line of the check. Your help is greatly appreciated.
New Church Directory
Over 60 pictures have been taken so far for our new church directory. Addresses, phone numbers and emails will be updated to reflect accurate contact information. That information is helpful if you serve on a ministry team, or just want to send someone a card.
Pictures will be used for the directory only and are not for sale. Having your picture taken will indicate your permission for the picture to be used in the church directory. To make an appointment call 518-885-1636 (Dolores & George Wilson) and leave your name and phone number for a return call. The directory won’t be complete without you!
Music Ministries
John Wesley encouraged the early Methodists to "sing lustily and with good courage", an instruction that became a characteristic of Methodism. If you would like to help enhance and expand our music ministries, here are some ways you can participate:
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Prayer Shawls are available in the Sanctuary for anyone who wishes to share prayers from our congregation to anyone in need. Recently several Prayer Shawls were added to the racks in the sanctuary by Ilah Sisson Walser and Donna Lockwood. Thanks go out to Pat Bosen for donation of yarn for Prayer Shawls.
Active Missions
We are collecting empty prescription bottles for reuse. The labels need to be removed, the bottles washed out and dried, and packed into large zip lock bags. We are also collecting the pull-tabs from cans for the Ronald McDonald House Charities. There’s a collection container in the Connections Café for each of these. Thank you for the great response!
Summer Lunch Program
During the months of July and August the First Baptist Church will sponsor a Summer Lunch Program for children living in and around the village of Ballston Spa. Nutritious lunches will be made fresh daily and distributed in seven locations. Volunteers are needed to assemble and distribute the lunches. Anyone who is interested in volunteering in some way may contact the church at 518-885-8361 or can access the online volunteer sign-up page. We have over 120 children signed up already. These children need you!!
- Karen Jones, FBC Summer Lunch Program Committee
Fair Trade
We still have Breakfast Blend and Hazelnut Coffee, Decaf Coffee, tea and hot cocoa for sale. If interested, please contact Stan Lockwood (518.885.1552 0r stosh964@gmail.com) . The dark chocolate bars are gone but will return in the fall. Thank you to those who support this ministry at BSUMC.
Did You Know?
Our services are posted to Facebook and on our website. If you Like it on Facebook and share it, it will reach many more people than if it is just on our Facebook page. You can also direct anyone to the This Week's Service page of this site (https://www.ballstonspaumchurch.org/this-weeks-service.html), which is where the service is posted weekly. This would be spreading the Word of God, as we are told to do in the Bible.
Virtual Coffee Hour
We are pausing our virtual Coffee Hour during the summer months.
Thrift Shop and Food Pantry
The Thrift Shop is open Tuesdays from 9:30 till noon; the Food Pantry is open on Wednesdays, also from 9:30 till noon.
Thank you to the people who donate their time and effort to make all of these offerings possible. There are many clients and they appreciate your help.
School is Out and It’s Time for Skye Farm Summer Camp
Register now for Summer Camp - fun activities for kids ages 3 - 18 are awaiting! Traditional activities like water fun, arts & crafts, games, and hiking as well as ice cream for breakfast, star gazing, and slime! Check out all the possibilities at skyefarmcamp.org. There is a 40% sibling discount, plus BSUMC camperships are available for our members. You do not have to attend a Methodist church in order to go to camp, so tell your friends. Questions? Contact Linda Sheeran at 518-885-1729 or lsheeran6@gmail.com.
Prayer Group
Please consider joining our prayer group. This is an on-line way of praying for each other’s needs and praising God for what is happening in each other’s lives. If you would be interested in being involved, please either call or email the office and you can be set up.
This week's prayer concerns:
Please reach out to people who are alone during this time. A card or phone call will let them know they are not alone or forgotten.
Supporting the humanitarian response in Ukraine
The General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church is deeply troubled by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the ominous implications it has for escalating tensions between Russia and Western nations. They join many Christian leaders and organizations worldwide in deploring the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, and they ardently pray for a redirection of military action toward diplomatic measures to resolve grievances.
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), the humanitarian relief arm of Global Ministries, is in communication with partners in the region and actively exploring the coordination of humanitarian response in Ukraine. You can support UMCOR’s international disaster response efforts by writing a check with either Advance#982450/Ukraine or UMCOR/Ukraine written in the memo line, or by visiting UMCOR's disaster response webpage.
Other giving opportunities in response to the war in Ukraine
Individuals can give directly to the Ukrainian people through local church offerings by writing a check with Advance #14053A in the memo line of the checks. These checks can be placed in an offering plate. The Ukraine UMC has created a crisis committee that will oversee all the global support that is coming in through UMCOR’s Advance #14053A “Eurasia In Mission Together - Ukraine and Moldova.” The money channeled through this Advance fund will go to the Ukraine UMC church account and decisions on how this will be used will be considered by the crisis committee, which includes pastors as well as lay leaders.
UMCOR also offers other opportunities for more specific giving to Ukrainian refugees in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. You can designate giving by stating it is for "Ukrainian Refugee support" to the following Advance numbers.
Purchase Hoffman Car Wash Tickets to Help Ukraine
The Helping Hands/Hoffman car wash site is active if you would like to purchase car wash tickets! BSUMC + Hoffman Car Wash + UMCOR Ukraine. Buy car wash tickets and our church receives 50% of the sale!! 100% of the money BSUMC receives will go to UMCOR Ukraine. WIN - WIN!!! Clean Car and money to help the people of Ukraine. These car wash tickets never expire!! Purchase for teachers, babysitters, newspaper deliverers, gifts, etc.
Click here to purchase on-line and print out your car wash coupons immediately. Make sure the UPC code is showing BEFORE printing.
Upcoming Events
August 2-4 - Office closed for vacation
August 7 - Holy Communion
August 9 - Church Council via Zoom, 7 pm
August 17 - Trustee meeting, 6:30 pm
August 19-25 - Pastor Kelly on vacation
Celebrations!
If you have a birthday, anniversary, or graduation to celebrate, please send it to the office. We love to celebrate!
We're celebrating these birthdays over the next two weeks:
Happy anniversary to these couples:
Next week in worship:
Sound Riley Schmidt
Projection AJ Schmidt
Liturgist Ruth Persons
Ushers Mary Drake & Conrad Dorau
Music Cathy King
Coffee Hour Kelly Schmidt
If you would like to volunteer to help with Sunday services or Coffee Hour, please contact Ruth Persons after church.
Community Bulletin Board
Takeout dinner
The First Presbyterian Church at 22 West High Street will be holding a Brooks barbecue on August 16 from 4-7 pm. It will be a half chicken, coleslaw, roll, baked potato and dessert for $14. And your dinner decision just got easy!
Have a blessed week
Office Closed This Week
This week the office will be closed due to the vacation of our office manager, Sue Cramer. We’ll be back in the office on August 9th. You may leave a message on the answering machine and someone will get back to you.
Church Building Restoration Fund
The restoration project on the church building is complete and the bill is coming soon. Please consider donating to help defray the costs of these repairs. We still need about $9,000. You can give online by clicking here (use the pull down menu to give to the Restoration Fund) OR give with cash or check through the weekly offering, or mail your contribution to the church at 101 Milton Ave. Please clearly identify that the money is to be used for the Church Building Restoration Fund. Thank you for your support.
Our Food Pantry Needs Your Help
Due to higher food costs, stocking our Food Pantry has become more difficult. Monthly donations that were received in the past are no longer available. With about 15 families each week using our services, this is a serious issue. If you are able to help, donations may be brought to the Food Pantry during office hours or placed in the box in the back of the sanctuary on Sunday morning. Some suggestions of needed items are peanut butter, cereal, ketchup, macaroni and cheese, vegetable oil, salad dressing, juice, crackers, spaghetti sauce, and elbow macaroni. Monetary donations are always accepted and may be sent to the church with “Food Pantry” on the subject line of the check. Your help is greatly appreciated.
New Church Directory
Over 60 pictures have been taken so far for our new church directory. Addresses, phone numbers and emails will be updated to reflect accurate contact information. That information is helpful if you serve on a ministry team, or just want to send someone a card.
Pictures will be used for the directory only and are not for sale. Having your picture taken will indicate your permission for the picture to be used in the church directory. To make an appointment call 518-885-1636 (Dolores & George Wilson) and leave your name and phone number for a return call. The directory won’t be complete without you!
Music Ministries
John Wesley encouraged the early Methodists to "sing lustily and with good courage", an instruction that became a characteristic of Methodism. If you would like to help enhance and expand our music ministries, here are some ways you can participate:
- help lead the congregation in singing hymns - we rehearse the hymns at 9:30 am before church, and there is no need to lead every week
- sing a solo or duet
- play a musical instrument, either as a solo or to accompany hymns or other music
- be part of a handbell quartet
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Prayer Shawls are available in the Sanctuary for anyone who wishes to share prayers from our congregation to anyone in need. Recently several Prayer Shawls were added to the racks in the sanctuary by Ilah Sisson Walser and Donna Lockwood. Thanks go out to Pat Bosen for donation of yarn for Prayer Shawls.
Active Missions
We are collecting empty prescription bottles for reuse. The labels need to be removed, the bottles washed out and dried, and packed into large zip lock bags. We are also collecting the pull-tabs from cans for the Ronald McDonald House Charities. There’s a collection container in the Connections Café for each of these. Thank you for the great response!
Summer Lunch Program
During the months of July and August the First Baptist Church will sponsor a Summer Lunch Program for children living in and around the village of Ballston Spa. Nutritious lunches will be made fresh daily and distributed in seven locations. Volunteers are needed to assemble and distribute the lunches. Anyone who is interested in volunteering in some way may contact the church at 518-885-8361 or can access the online volunteer sign-up page. We have over 120 children signed up already. These children need you!!
- Karen Jones, FBC Summer Lunch Program Committee
Fair Trade
We still have Breakfast Blend and Hazelnut Coffee, Decaf Coffee, tea and hot cocoa for sale. If interested, please contact Stan Lockwood (518.885.1552 0r stosh964@gmail.com) . The dark chocolate bars are gone but will return in the fall. Thank you to those who support this ministry at BSUMC.
Did You Know?
Our services are posted to Facebook and on our website. If you Like it on Facebook and share it, it will reach many more people than if it is just on our Facebook page. You can also direct anyone to the This Week's Service page of this site (https://www.ballstonspaumchurch.org/this-weeks-service.html), which is where the service is posted weekly. This would be spreading the Word of God, as we are told to do in the Bible.
Virtual Coffee Hour
We are pausing our virtual Coffee Hour during the summer months.
Thrift Shop and Food Pantry
The Thrift Shop is open Tuesdays from 9:30 till noon; the Food Pantry is open on Wednesdays, also from 9:30 till noon.
Thank you to the people who donate their time and effort to make all of these offerings possible. There are many clients and they appreciate your help.
School is Out and It’s Time for Skye Farm Summer Camp
Register now for Summer Camp - fun activities for kids ages 3 - 18 are awaiting! Traditional activities like water fun, arts & crafts, games, and hiking as well as ice cream for breakfast, star gazing, and slime! Check out all the possibilities at skyefarmcamp.org. There is a 40% sibling discount, plus BSUMC camperships are available for our members. You do not have to attend a Methodist church in order to go to camp, so tell your friends. Questions? Contact Linda Sheeran at 518-885-1729 or lsheeran6@gmail.com.
Prayer Group
Please consider joining our prayer group. This is an on-line way of praying for each other’s needs and praising God for what is happening in each other’s lives. If you would be interested in being involved, please either call or email the office and you can be set up.
This week's prayer concerns:
- Melody Babcock asks for prayers for her brother’s wife and family. He passed following his accident.
- Pat Brewster asks for prayers for her family in the loss of her daughter Sherrie, who died on Sunday.
- Mary Drake has prayers of thanksgiving for the opportunity to have her grandson Lucas visit her for 9 days, as well as celebrating his birthday.
- Prayers for safe travels for Pam Hannan and her husband returning from a trip to Scotland, Norway and the Arctic Circle.
- Ann Marie Williams wants to thank God for all the prayers and prayer groups, here and elsewhere.
- Diane Solotruck is asking for prayers for safe travel for herself, Ron, and their granddaughter as they head to North Carolina for a visit with family.
- Prayers of joy for the Sheerans’ newest granddaughter, Penelope Rose. Parents are Jim and Kim.
- Ann Marie Williams thanks God for leading her to this church and everyone being so sweet to her. She also asks for continued prayers of healing for her daughter.
- Diane Solotruck asks for prayers for the Mullin family following the loss of Joan. She would also like prayers for her North Carolina family.
- Jonathan Warner asks for prayers for the husband of one of his staff who has Covid.
- Mary Drake celebrates the good time she had with family in Indiana and her safe travels. She would also like prayers for her Aunt Ann who has dementia as well as her family.
- Please continue to keep Bob Elbertson, Bill Haege, Marilynn Peterson, and Pat Jones in your prayers.
Please reach out to people who are alone during this time. A card or phone call will let them know they are not alone or forgotten.
Supporting the humanitarian response in Ukraine
The General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church is deeply troubled by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the ominous implications it has for escalating tensions between Russia and Western nations. They join many Christian leaders and organizations worldwide in deploring the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, and they ardently pray for a redirection of military action toward diplomatic measures to resolve grievances.
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), the humanitarian relief arm of Global Ministries, is in communication with partners in the region and actively exploring the coordination of humanitarian response in Ukraine. You can support UMCOR’s international disaster response efforts by writing a check with either Advance#982450/Ukraine or UMCOR/Ukraine written in the memo line, or by visiting UMCOR's disaster response webpage.
Other giving opportunities in response to the war in Ukraine
Individuals can give directly to the Ukrainian people through local church offerings by writing a check with Advance #14053A in the memo line of the checks. These checks can be placed in an offering plate. The Ukraine UMC has created a crisis committee that will oversee all the global support that is coming in through UMCOR’s Advance #14053A “Eurasia In Mission Together - Ukraine and Moldova.” The money channeled through this Advance fund will go to the Ukraine UMC church account and decisions on how this will be used will be considered by the crisis committee, which includes pastors as well as lay leaders.
UMCOR also offers other opportunities for more specific giving to Ukrainian refugees in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. You can designate giving by stating it is for "Ukrainian Refugee support" to the following Advance numbers.
- Hungary In Mission Together (Advance # 00175A)
- Poland In Mission Together (Advance # 00408A)
- Romania In Mission Together (Advance #00211A)
- Slovakia In Mission Together (Advance # 00236A)
Purchase Hoffman Car Wash Tickets to Help Ukraine
The Helping Hands/Hoffman car wash site is active if you would like to purchase car wash tickets! BSUMC + Hoffman Car Wash + UMCOR Ukraine. Buy car wash tickets and our church receives 50% of the sale!! 100% of the money BSUMC receives will go to UMCOR Ukraine. WIN - WIN!!! Clean Car and money to help the people of Ukraine. These car wash tickets never expire!! Purchase for teachers, babysitters, newspaper deliverers, gifts, etc.
Click here to purchase on-line and print out your car wash coupons immediately. Make sure the UPC code is showing BEFORE printing.
- Exterior only: $13 - Your vehicle enters a modern car wash bay where it receives a soft-cloth wash followed by touch-free air drying.
- Full Service Car wash: $43 - Your vehicle first receives an Exterior Car Wash. Car care attendants then vacuum the carpets, seats and ashtrays and wipe the interior windows, dashboard and doorjambs. Finally, they add an air freshener of your choice, and the exterior of your vehicle is hand dried.
- 1672 Route 9, Clifton Park
- 1757 Central Avenue, Colonie
- 753 New Loudon Road, Latham
Upcoming Events
August 2-4 - Office closed for vacation
August 7 - Holy Communion
August 9 - Church Council via Zoom, 7 pm
August 17 - Trustee meeting, 6:30 pm
August 19-25 - Pastor Kelly on vacation
Celebrations!
If you have a birthday, anniversary, or graduation to celebrate, please send it to the office. We love to celebrate!
We're celebrating these birthdays over the next two weeks:
- Joshua Simmons (8/2)
- Albert Schmidt (8/6)
- Heather Thomas (8/10)
Happy anniversary to these couples:
- John & Karen Staulters (7/31)
- Pastor Kelly & Mark Warner (8/8)
- Ed & Joan Glossner (8/8)
- Dave & Marcia Edwards (8/12)
Next week in worship:
Sound Riley Schmidt
Projection AJ Schmidt
Liturgist Ruth Persons
Ushers Mary Drake & Conrad Dorau
Music Cathy King
Coffee Hour Kelly Schmidt
If you would like to volunteer to help with Sunday services or Coffee Hour, please contact Ruth Persons after church.
Community Bulletin Board
Takeout dinner
The First Presbyterian Church at 22 West High Street will be holding a Brooks barbecue on August 16 from 4-7 pm. It will be a half chicken, coleslaw, roll, baked potato and dessert for $14. And your dinner decision just got easy!
Have a blessed week