Sudbury United Methodist Church

LETTER FROM PASTOR LEIGH
LEARN
CONCERNS AND CELEBRATIONS
ANNOUNCEMENTS
GIVE
FINDING SUDBURY UMC ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Letter From Pastor Leigh

“Mary Magdalene left and announced to the disciples, ‘I’ve seen the Lord.’
Then she told them what he had said to her.”

• John 24:12 (CEB)

Grace and Peace, Friends and Followers,
Last month, as I composed my letter to you for The Chronicle, we were just beginning the season of Lent. Today I write to you with most of the somberness and reflection of the Lenten fast behind me. I’m looking forward to what I’ve learned over the 40 days, and hoping that you are similarly engaged.
A lot has happened since my last letter. Illegal deportations have swept away at least one innocent immigrant without due process and against his protected legal status. Others languish in Texas and Louisiana prisons, denied their rights. USAID has been defunded, leaving millions of struggling people stranded globally. 280,000 people have been fired across 27 federal agencies. We have alienated our friends and created economic decline throughout the world. Medicaid funding will be significantly cut. It’s hard to contemplate all of the good that our nation is capable of offering both domestically and abroad, yet we choose to not help those in need.
During this dark time, as I light candles and pray in the dark, searching always for resurrection, I am inspired by the German theologian Dorothee Soelle. Her theology was shaped by the horrors of fascism and economic oppression. Soelle insisted in her 1975 Suffering that resurrection is not merely a past event or future hope. Rather resurrection is a present reality made visible in actual acts of resistance and solidarity. She believed that institutions participate in this resurrection reality when they become spaces of resistance to the powers and commit themselves to the flourishing of new life.
I believe Sudbury United Methodist Church can be a space of resistance and solidarity. We are a family, resurrected in new life through our faith in Jesus Christ and our love for God. We are a place of belonging for all people through a radical inclusivity that embraces everyone and believes in their inherent, sacred worth. We are a community that reaches out beyond our walls to the entire world, providing what help and assistance we can. We are a place of light, even when darkness is all around.
That is our resurrection story on Easter. We are Easter people, strongly bound by Christian love, radical inclusivity and global outreach. Jesus the Christ taught us how to find strength in our weakness, and courage in our timidity.
Easter people, family and friends, I hope to see you at the Easter place this Sunday, and all the Sundays after, as we celebrate our God, the risen Christ, Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, in spirit and truth.
He is risen!
He is risen, indeed!
Pastor Leigh
LEARN

Greetings from the SUMC Youth!

May 18: Dinner and Silent Auction Mission Fundraiser
The Summer Youth Mission Team will hold what has become a mission fundraising tradition: our annual dinner and silent auction event on Sunday, May 18 at 5:30 pm. Since we’re going to Connecticut, the menu will be Connecticut staples: burgers, snickerdoodles, and milkshakes (big emphasis on the desert menu this time around). The auction will be open all day until 6 pm.
For those who attend the dinner, we encourage a donation of $15/person or $25/family. For those who would like to support the mission team further, we would love to have church members offer items for the silent auction (e.g., game/concert tickets, special recipe, artistic talent, vacation rental, etc.).
Make a day of it! Before the dinner, there will be a connections concert at 4:00 pm in the sanctuary, so come to SUMC on May 18 for dinner and a show (in reverse order)!
This summer’s mission trip is hosted by U.M. ARMY (United in Mission: Action Reach-Out Ministry by Youth), Northeast Region. We will join youth from five other churches in the region to meet home repair and maintenance needs for low-income, elderly and disabled homeowners who are physically or financially unable to make needed repairs themselves. The range of projects includes but is not limited to painting, yard-work, installation of wheelchair ramps, and other minor construction projects.
If you would like to offer something for the silent auction or if you have any questions about anything pertaining to youth ministry at SUMC, contact Zack (zack@sudbury-umc.org).
Keep the Faith.

Magnific Moment

Easter Egg Olympics
The third annual Easter Egg Olympic Games are this Saturday afternoon, April 12 at 2:00 pm. Bring the family! Invite the neighbors! It’s gonna be a blast (see the inserted picture for an idea of all the fun that is in store).
Want to help? You can still volunteer on the day of the event. We would love to have a few volunteers to welcome people at the door and to help monitor our pre-k area and egg-decorating tables. Contact Zack or Caryl (emails below) if you want to help.
Kidbury UMC
This month’s theme is “New Life!” We are learning the Easter story, why Jesus’ resurrection means new life for the whole world, and how God wants us to respond to the good news!
We will have special guests coming to lead Kidbury activities before worship next month, so stay tuned to find out about all the fun!
For more information about any of our Christian Education/Formation programs (including the ones for adults and teens) or to volunteer at the Easter Egg Olympics, contact Caryl Walsh (CarylW@comcast.net) or Zack Moser (zack@sudbury-umc.org).

Exploring Topics in Christianity Meets in Davison Chapel from 9:15-9:45 AM On Sundays

On April 6th, the Christian Education Commission will begin a series of group discussions focused on ideas presented in Amy-Jill Levine's book, The Difficult Words of Jesus - A Beginner's Guide to His Most Perplexing Teachings. Sessions are currently planned for April 6th and 27th, May 18th and 25th, and June 1st and 8th.
On May 4th and 11th, the Social Justice Commission will lead discussions regarding the recently adopted United Methodist Social Principles which became effective in January. We will talk about the role of the Social Principles in the United Methodist Church as well as discussing specific topics as a guide for putting our faith into action.
Please join us before worship for discussion and fellowship.
Note: No classes have been scheduled for April 13th and 20th, Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday
CONCERNS AND CELEBRATIONS

Do You Have A Prayer Request For “Concerns And Celebrations?”
How can we pray for you? Share prayer requests at: https://www.facebook.com/SudburyUMC/ and send us a message by clicking on the blue “Send Message” button. Or email (sumc@sudbury-umc.org).

"Where the World Meets to Pray"

Free copies of The Upper Room may be found in an outdoor Lucite rack next to the O'Reilly Room entrance and in the narthex. Daily readings can also be found online by clicking: https://www.upperroom.org/.
Five minutes, fifteen, or thirty reading Scripture and sitting quietly in God’s presence will set the tone for the whole day.
Announcements

Upcoming Events

• March 5, - April 20, Lent Blog is live! Lenten Devotional
• April 13, 10 am - Palm/Passion Sunday
• April 17, 7:00 pm Maundy Thursday Service
• April 18, 7:00 pm Good Friday Service
• April 20, 6 am and 10 am - Easter Worship

Memorial Service for George Hamilton

There will be a memorial service to celebrate the life of George Hamilton on Saturday, April 26 at 11 am in the sanctuary at Sudbury UMC. A collation will follow the service in Hawes Hall.

Magic Years on Thursday , May 15, at Noon

Magic Years welcomes Kelly Brotzman, Executive Director of Prison Book Program in Quincy https://prisonbookprogram.org/ on May 15. Her presentation is titled: "Access to Books in the Context of Mass Incarceration."
Sign up after worship starting April 27. Or email/ text/ call Kay: kjdorlando@comcast.net; 508-561-5382

Collecting Socks for Gifts of Hope

We are collecting new or nearly new adult and children's socks for Gifts of Hope, a local organization that assists individuals affected by relationship violence to gain access to resources for a safe and empowered future. Please deposit donations in the clear collection bin in the narthex. Outreach thanks you for supporting this collection drive.

Waltham House

Sudbury UMC will host a Prom on May 2, for Waltham House - the first residential group home in New England that provides a safe, supportive environment for LGBTQ+ youth ages 14–18.
For the past year, SUMC has connected with Waltham House through monthly dinners, building friendships over shared meals. This spring, we’re expanding our support by hosting a Prom on Friday, May 2, creating a joyful celebration for Waltham House and two other group homes.
You can help by donating to the Prom, joining the Decorations Committee (May 2, 3–5 pm), or volunteering for our monthly dinners. For more information, contact Kim Prendergast (kim.prendergast@gmail.com) or Rick Houpt (rickhoupt@hotmail.com).

Adult Mission Trip to Vermont this Summer

SUMC hopes to put together a mission trip to Vermont this summer to assist flood victims, and we need your help! The trip will be flexible, lasting a few days to a week, depending on volunteer availability. Volunteers will stay at Covenant Hills Camp and Retreat Center in Cabot, VT, and help with cleanup, rebuilding, and providing supplies to those affected by the flooding.
We need one person to complete the Volunteers in Mission training, which is required for each group. The training will be held virtually on Saturday mornings starting April 12 for a total of 4 sessions.
If you’re interested in joining us, or if you would like more information, please reach out to Karen Monteiro (Outreach) or Kim Prendergast (Social Justice) as soon as possible. We hope you’ll consider being part of this meaningful effort to help our neighbors in Vermont!

The Lent Blog Rides Again!

Have you enjoyed the Lenten devotional writing by our congregation so far this season? You can find it by visiting lentblogsumc2019.home.blog!
Has it inspired you? Have any of the posts made you think, "I've had thoughts like that!" or "I could write something like that!" ... or "I'd like to lower editor Rob Hammerton's blood pressure because I bet he desperately needs more contributions for the LentBlog!" ...? Then ... feel free to act on those thoughts. :) You can find the writing prompts and other details by visiting SUMC's homepage, sudbury-umc.org -- and looking for "Don’t Miss these Important Events”! Or contact Rob by email (rhammerton@charter.net)

Help Beautify Our Sanctuary – Join the Flower Committee!

Do you have a love for flowers and a heart for service? The Flower Committee is looking for volunteers to help provide floral arrangements for our church altar on Sundays. Whether you enjoy arranging flowers yourself or prefer to purchase a ready-made bouquet, your contribution will add beauty and joy to our worship services. This is a simple but meaningful way to serve our church family!
Interested? Contact Kristen Straub at (csstraub@verizon.net) to learn more.

Musical Notes

• Easter String, Brass, Winds and Percussion Hymnody

Greetings SUMC players! It has been our custom to invite instrumentalists from the SUMC community to accompany the Sunday congregational hymns once a month. If you have an interest in playing with us, let us know by signing up here:
For Easter Sunday at 10 am:
sign up URL for strings: https://forms.gle/nVTUriEYwEP6AioG8
sign up URL for winds, brass, percussion: https://forms.gle/fuUBwmd3J7Yfobzx9
We enjoy working with players of all skill levels, so if you have a concern about whether or not you can “keep up”, let us know and we’ll work it out! Hope to see and hear you at Easter service.
(rhammerton@charter.net) or (kevin@sudbury-umc.org).

• Organ crawl

Sunday, April 27th, immediately after the postlude, Kevin will conduct an "organ crawl". What is a crawl, you say? "Organ crawl" is organists' slang for a tour of an instrument or instruments. The crawl indicates that sometimes visitors get to poke into hard-to-reach nooks and crannies, but we will not be doing that at SUMC - impossible to do so! But we will indeed have an introduction to how the SUMC Stuart tracker works and some of the things that I do from Sunday to Sunday to keep the organ music happening. Grab a cup of coffee in Hawes Hall and gather around the console; I'll answer as many questions as you have. It should be about 20 minutes. Everyone is welcome, especially children.

• Connexions Concerts sign up

Make a note in your calendars about the fourth and final Connexions Concert of our program year 2024-2025 on May 18th. We will start an hour later than usual, 4 pm, so as to back up to the Youth Group fundraiser silent auction and dinner in support of this year's mission trip. The program is filling up rapidly with diverse and interesting musical selections - don't miss it!

• Singing School

Did you know Singing School meets every Thursday from 7:15 till 7:45 pm?
ANYONE at SUMC or in nearby communities who wishes to learn or to improve their sight-singing may come weekly on Thursday at 7:15 pm. Interested residents from Sudbury and neighboring towns who want to improve their singing are welcome to take advantage of this free continuing education opportunity. We record "Singing School" so as to provide materials for those who are not able to attend sessions in person. The MP4s of our classes are available at (https://sites.google.com/view/sumc-music/singing-school).
There are no prerequisites for "Singing School". Just show up. Take a break from whatever it is that is claiming your time Thursday evenings and join us. We would love to have you in class! We meet in the SUMC choir room from 7:15 p.m. till 7:45 p.m. every Thursday. If you wish to sign up beforehand so we know you are coming, kindly do so at (https://forms.gle/rNy2QXBVVogYEivL6).
Questions or concerns? Our emails: (rhammerton@charter.net) or (kevin@sudbury-umc.org)

Ladies Outing to Rockport

Diane Hammond is organizing the annual trip to Rockport on Friday, June 13. Please let her know if you are interested in an all-day outing. All women, both new to the group, and those who have gone with the group before are welcome. Let her know and more information will come later. Email Diane at (hopefixa1@gmail.com).
Second Chance Cars
The Social Justice Commission has partnered with Second Chance Cars (SCC) to advance their mission of enabling low-income workforce members to attain living-wage jobs. Veterans, immigrants, returning citizens, and single mothers have been able to significantly increase their income because SCC offered them an affordable car to get to work.
Unlike most vehicle donation programs where the car is sold to generate cash, SCC takes donated vehicles, fixes them up, and offers them at an affordable price to qualified low-income people who need reliable transportation to get to work.. Most recipients see their income double in less than a year, which gets them up and over the poverty line, typically for good. It has a lasting impact on them, their families, and the community.

Coming to Church? Please Follow Safety Guidelines!

The windows in the sanctuary will remain open for the foreseeable future to improve air flow and enhance public safety. We’re trying to prevent the spread of viruses and COVID. Please be mindful of the outdoor temperature and dress accordingly. Mask wearing is optional; if you need a mask, the ushers have a supply on hand.
GIVE

Blood Drive on May 31st

The Outreach team at SUMC is hosting a blood drive sponsored by the American Red Cross.
Help serve our community by donating blood for hospital patients in need. Join SUMC to give blood on May 31, 2025 from 8 am to 4 pm in Hawes Hall. Your donation can help save more than one life! To make an appointment, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS.
If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to help our visiting donors, please email David Jacob at (David.jacob32801@gmail.com) or call him at 617-962-0430. Volunteers are needed to greet donors and have a discussion with them after donating while they recover for 20 minutes by eating snacks and drinking juice (all provided by the Red Cross).

How to Donate Sunday Morning Altar Flowers

The Flower Team welcomes altar flower donations in honor or memory of a loved one. Please choose a date; perhaps an anniversary, birthday, or just a date you’d like to honor someone special, by visiting a user-friendly website: Flower Sign-Up Genius. Please use the comment section to note if your gift is intended to be in honor or in memory of someone special. And if you have specific flowers in mind, please share that information also in the comment section. The cost is $50.00. Enhance our worship by giving this gift to God. Thanks.

Going Shopping? Pick-up Something for the Food Cart!

Donations to our church’s shopping cart may be left at the O’Reilly Room entrance Monday through Friday. The best canned items to donate include solid white tuna, fruits, and vegetables. Raisins in boxes, dried beans, condensed milk, rice pilaf, pancake mix, syrup, pasta and pasta sauce in jars, macaroni and cheese, instant coffee, laundry detergent, shampoo, soap, feminine care products, and wipes are also appreciated. Whenever you shop – or have groceries delivered to your home – please remember the food cart!
Sunny Hill’s Diaper Drive
LET’S KEEP BABIES CLEAN, DRY, AND HEALTHY!
Sunny Hill Preschool is proud to support The Diaper Project at A Place To Turn in Natick by hosting a diaper drive April 1st – 17th. You can help by donating diapers or making a financial contribution to support local families in need.
How You Can Help:
💙 Donate Diapers - Between April 1st and April 17th, bring your diaper donations to Sunny Hill. Sizes 4, 5, and 6 are in highest demand. Opened packages are welcome! Please place your donations in the bin in our school’s front lobby area.
💙 Make a Financial Contribution - Visit the A Place To Turn website at www.aplacetoturn-natick.org to make a tax-deductible donation. Every dollar helps provide diapers to families in need.
Why It Matters:
Since 2015, The Diaper Project at A Place To Turn has provided diapers and other basic necessities that children need to thrive. In 2024 alone, an average of 242 families per month received diapers—totaling 193,103 diapers distributed.
Babies and toddlers need around 49 diaper changes per week for the first three years of life. For low-wage families, purchasing enough diapers can take up a significant portion of their income, making it difficult to afford an adequate supply. Without enough diapers, babies are at greater risk for infections and other health issues. Additionally, parents may struggle to attend work or school if they don’t have the necessary diapers to send their child to daycare.
According to the National Diaper Bank Network, 1 in 3 U.S. families struggles to provide enough diapers for their children. Sunny Hill is excited to support our local diaper bank and be part of a national movement working toward diaper sufficiency for all families.
Join Us!
Your contribution—big or small—makes a real difference. Help us keep babies clean, dry, and healthy by participating in our diaper drive.
For questions, please contact Amy Murray at amurraysunnyhill@gmail.com
Thank you for your support! 💙

Finding Sudbury UMC on SOCial media

Live-Streamed Sunday Services Available on YouTube and Facebook Live

Sunday morning services at Sudbury UMC can now be viewed on SUMC’s own YouTube channel and Facebook page live each Sunday morning. Missed a service and want to watch it later? You can find them using the same links! We hope these social media platforms will help us reach a larger audience. Please help us grow by using these services. You can also connect with SUMC through InstagramSUMC and TwitterSUMC.

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Sudbury United Methodist Church, 251 Old Sudbury Road, Sudbury, MA 01776
Phones: (978) 443-4351 or (978) 443-6785
Church Office: sumc@sudbury-umc.org Website: http://www. sudbury-umc.org
Church Staff
Pastor: The Rev. Leigh E. Goodrichpastorleigh@sudbury-umc.org
(Pastor Leigh observes Sabbath on Friday)
Youth & Children’s Ministries Director: Zachary Moser zack@sudbury-umc.org
(Zack observes Sabbath on Wednesday)
Organist/Music Director: Kevin Murphy, AAGOkevin@sudbury-umc.org
Sanctuary Choir Director: Rob Hammertonrob@sudbury-umc.org
Business Manager: Michael Grebmichael@sudbury-umc.org
Sunny Hill Director: Kathy Palmerdirector@sunnyhillpreschool.org
Office Manager: Shetal Kaye sumc@sudbury-umc.org
Sexton: Joe Picorellijoe@sudbury-umc.org

We are a Reconciling and Welcoming Congregation

Please use the QR code below if you would like to make a contribution to Sudbury United Methodist Church.