Rest in Your church

Thankful Tree  What can you give away every single day, but by the time you're done, you have more of it than when you started? It’s gratitude!                                      Food Pantry                       Nursing home ministry    Yesterday, we showed our gratitude to our Women’s Ministry and all the leaders in our lives who show servant leadership. Thank you, Sara, for sharing a beautiful testimony! We praised the Lord who cared for us in many ways this past week—through the food pantry (receiving over $3,500 in donations), our nursing home ministry, children’s ministry, and the Thanksgiving baskets for Penny and Ross. Thank you also for showing your gratitude through special offerings this month. God is good all the time! I hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving! Here is the sermon: Gratitude in Servant L...

The United Women in Faith... Almost 50 years ago, we came to Patten. The first person I met was Irene Bradford . It was because of Irene that I started coming to this church—not every Sunday, but whenever I could. I was pregnant and was busy running a sporting camp. As time moved on, we became more involved in the church. I didn't officially belong to the UMW (United Methodist Women, now UWF) then, but I did try to bring my little ones to church. It was a time of peace for me, as the kids went downstairs to the nursery. I'm telling you this for the mothers out there who think their kids' behavior is bad. I'm sure you could ask many of us about our own kids! I remember my son was sitting on the front row with the young children. I was two rows behind him because I didn't know how he would behave. Well, he picked up a red hymnal from under the pew, found me, and threw it at me! I know God was watching, and I managed to catch it. Later in the service, when I w...

“How can every moment look like a picture?” I call my parents in Korea once a week. Yesterday I sent them a photo I took in the snow, and they were delighted. They said Maine is beautiful in all four seasons. God has turned another page on the calendar of our lives, and now we have moved from autumn scenes into winter scenes. I felt sad that we couldn’t worship together yesterday because of the snow, but in a way, we ended up having a united online service. It was a sweet gift to see the whole Han family worship together. Because of the snowfall, everything paused for a moment. I slowed my breathing, looked back at the path I had walked, and listened for the Lord’s voice about the path I must walk again. This Week’s Sermon:  Gratitude Beyond Bars Houlton Church Worship Video:  11/16/25  Next week, we will have the UWF Celebration service (11/23/25) that we planned for last week. I hope this will be a time to encourage and bless our UWF members, who have been the hands and...

     Finance Committee members in the past and current “Now you can have broth!” As soon as the nurse said that, Ross’s eyes filled with tears. It made my eyes tear up, too. For a few minutes, we just held our hearts full of emotion. I knew Ross wasn’t crying only because he could finally eat something after two days without food or water, except for small sips from a sponge. The good news of “broth” meant healing had begun. He had passed through the storm of his second surgery in a week. Even in that moment of relief, as we laughed over his first sip of coffee, we also prayed for others who were still suffering. When I visited Barbara and Dick, they, too, were thinking about others. Truly, we are the body of Christ. Whatever happens, we show our love through prayers, messages, offerings, meals, visits, and many kinds of support. If you’d like to help Ross, please pray for him, Penny, and the whole Gowen family. You can also encourage them through their  GoFundMe pag...

  🕰️ Our Journey and History As many of you know, Sara and I moved up here in 1976 . Sara was pregnant with our first child, Julie, who was due at the end of October—right at the beginning of deer season! Our first challenge was moving in and learning to operate the Mt. Chase Lodge , a well-known sporting camp that catered to hunters and fishermen, as well as other outdoor enthusiasts. It was the beginning of a forty-year journey, which I should have written a book about. (I still may!) We had our hands full and did not really have time for church, as running the lodge was a twenty-four-seven job . Most of our guests checked in on Sundays for weekly stays, and most of our hunters stayed for the week during deer seasons. Over the next few years, we did manage to get our kids baptized at our church and started to go when we could, mostly in the winter months when there was no business to be had until Memorial Day. The Anchor of Our Church Irene Bradford , a potato farmer who inheri...

                     Photo by Jenny MacArthur-Purdy     🔔 Stetson Memorial UMC Weekly Newsletter Prayer Retreat  Last Wednesday, we held our first Prayer Retreat ! If you pray for our church, we truly consider you the anchor of the church ! We had a blessed time learning about and practicing different styles of prayer, including Centering Prayer, Labyrinth Prayer, Pop-up Prayer, and Intercessory Prayer. We prayed deeply for each other and for our community. Next Prayer Meeting: Tuesday, November 19th, from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM. Our daily prayer by Pastor Joyce Kang  Invitation: Everyone who needs our prayers and anyone interested in praying for others is welcome to join us.  “This kind can come out only by prayer.” (Mark 9:29) All Saints Sunday Remembrance Yesterday, we celebrated All Saints Sunday , the day we remember the faithful departed. This day honors  all Christian people, past and present, f...