Chestnut United Methodist Church

Parkside Block Party!

2010-05-29T10:40:00.001-04:00

Parkside Neighborhood Block Party
Saturday, June 5th -- 11:30am-2:00pm

on Sherman Street, near Sacred Heart -- St. Dominic Catholic Church

Friends from Chestnut and New Light will be teaming up with other local churches and organizations again this summer for 2 exciting block parties in the Parkside Neighborhood. Festivities are to include food, live music, games, children's activities, a summer clothing give-away, and a bounce house.

We need everyone's help to make this block party a huge success. Volunteer jobs are big and small, and include; set up, staffing the bounce house, helping with food, helping with an art project, face painting, taking pictures, and more. Contact Erica to sign up to volunteer.

Also, if you have summer clothes that are in decent shape that you are no longer using, please donate them to our neighbors who need them.

Rethink Church

2009-08-26T14:43:00.002-04:00

Chestnut United Methodist Church, formerly Chestnut Street Church, and a new community of faith called New Light, share a unique partnership as they together strive to revitalize United Methodist mission and ministry in Portland. These partner congregations are truly rethinking church!

In January 2006, the Chestnut Street congregation took a giant leap of faith, selling their enormous National Register of Historic Places facility and then worshiping in borrowed space in a nearby synagogue for three years while discerning a new future. Clergy couple Allen & Sara Ewing-Merrill were appointed in July 2007 to help revitalize Chestnut Church and to plant a new community of faith that would engage young adults and those who’d had either no experience or a bad experience with traditional church.

New Light was born in November 2007 with a vision to “see things in a new light” – to rethink what it means to follow Christ. Beginning with a small group meeting weekly in the Ewing-Merrills’ home for dinner, prayer, exploration of spiritual practices, and worship, soon they’d outgrown the dining room table, and so they multiplied to two groups… and then to three groups… and now there are four LIFE Groups meeting weekly in various members’ homes around the city. These small groups are not secondary to a worship service, not an “add-on”, and not an extra outreach ministry of a traditional church… These LIFE Groups are church in the truest sense – church meeting in homes, not unlike the early Christians shared for the first 300 years of the Christian faith.

Meanwhile, a missionally focused Site Team from Chestnut UMC undertook an 18-month process of discernment, praying for guidance while researching the needs and opportunities for ministry in the various neighborhoods of the Portland peninsula. That process resulted in a clear sense of calling to the Parkside neighborhood, the most densely populated square mile in Northern New England, a neighborhood with many urban issues like drug trafficking, prostitution, domestic violence, and cross-cultural clashes. After a lengthy search for property in the neighborhood, they finally purchased a 2800-square-foot commercial condominium on the ground floor of the Gateway parking garage on High Street, just down from the historic Eastland Hotel. Their new facility is a contemporary space with lots of clear windows overlooking the sidewalks of a heavily trafficked, high visibility street in downtown Portland.

In March 2009, Chestnut UMC and New Light began a new adventure at Hope.Gate.Way., their new center for mission and ministry on the Portland peninsula. With a new and inviting space and a strengthened presence in the city, worship participation is increasing, young adults are finding both Chestnut Church and the New Light community, and lives are being transformed with the Good News of God’s love. They’ve held focus groups to better understand the needs of their neighbors. They’ve gotten involved in the neighborhood food pantry. With the help of Thornton Heights UMC in South Portland, they held their first Vacation Bible Camp in years, welcoming 18 new children from the neighborhood, including nine children originally from Africa. They’ve begun a preschoolers play group to reach out to vulnerable families in the neighborhood. With assistance from a Peace with Justice grant from the General Board of Church & Society, they’ve built a collaboration with other neighborhood churches, the neighborhood center and community policing, Wayside Soup Kitchen, and SPIRAL Arts to offer a series of Block Parties in the various streets of the neighborhood, and hundreds of neighbors have participated, enjoying live music, good food, children’s activities, face painting, and a community arts project. Over the summer, the New Light community held a picnic and worship at Pine Point Beach in Scarborough and baptized two young adults new to the Christian faith, both 23 years old, in the ocean!

New plans for mission and ministry – all focused on reaching out with the love of Jesus Christ – are continually being developed. As Chestnut Church and New Light community rethink church, the future looks bright for the United Methodist movement in Portland.

Visioning Party

2009-03-16T22:31:00.000-04:00

Thursday March 19 9:30-12:00

Join with your church family for a morning of dreaming! God has answered our prayers, and we have achieved nearly all of the goals we set for ourselves 18 months ago. What's next? What are your deepest hopes and biggest dreams for our church? Let's share some food and conversation as we set goals for the year ahead. We'll meet at Hope.Gate.Way. If you'd like, bring some muffins, bread, fruit, juice, or snack food to share.

The Buzz

2009-03-13T10:35:00.001-04:00

Maybe you've begun to hear it, too: There's a little buzz around the streets of Portland. It's not a loud cry, but it's growing in intensity, and it sounds something like this:

"What's that new place over on High Street?"

"I hear your church has relocated to Parkside neighborhood."

"I walked by the windows of your new place, and it looks like you have a great space there!"

Everywhere we go, people are asking questions. Our friends from Immanuel Baptist Church and Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church have been welcoming us warmly. People walking by our space stop and read the signs and peek in the windows. We've gotten a couple of phone calls and e-mails from people who are interested in learning more.

Yes, there's a little buzz around the streets of Portland.

As the renovations near completion and the space is fully ours... as we begin to develop programs of mission and ministry... as we move through this time of transitions and new beginnings... as we build relationships with our new neighbors... as we deepen our expressions of invitation and hospitality... how might we build on that buzz and do our part to help it grow more and more intense, until it's clear that the buzz is actually the song of God's love... until it's clear the buzz is the light of Christ shining brightly... until it's clear the buzz is the voice of the Holy Spirit?

God places the future before us, and it's full of hope! Let's sing and shine and listen and hope and dream and trust and walk boldly along the path where Christ leads!

In Christ's love,

Allen & Sara

Lenten Worship Series - First Things First

2009-03-05T22:34:00.000-05:00

This will be the third Sunday in the Season of Lent -- a season of 40 days (plus six Sundays) that lead us on a journey with Christ, to the darkness of the cross and the hope of resurrection. During this season, we are exploring several stories from Mark's Gospel that challenge us to examine our priorities: to keep first things first. This week we'll focus on the theme of servanthood.

Lent invites us to a journey of intentional self-reflection and a recommitment to spiritual practices, as preparation for Holy Week and Easter. What kinds of commitments have you made to deepen your walk with Christ during this season?

Progress! Progress! Progress!

2009-02-16T22:03:00.000-05:00

We celebrate that renovations are well underway in our new space – Hope.Gate.Way. – at 185 High Street! Things are looking great! If all goes as planned, we should be worshipping and serving in our new home as of Sunday, March 1st. Please continue to pray for a smooth process as we anticipate this exciting new beginning!

Book Study: A Generous Orthodoxy

2009-02-15T21:54:00.000-05:00

Meeting Thursdays at 9:30 am

We’ve just begun a new Thursday morning study based on the book A Generous Orthodoxy, by author and pastor Brian McLaren, one of the leading thinkers in the effort to steer the church in new directions to meet a changing culture. Brian McLaren will be speaking at Immanuel Baptist Church on Sunday, May 3, and we’re invited to participate. This week’s book study group will meet at Pat Oliver’s. All are invited!

Souper Bowl of Caring

2009-01-30T21:48:00.000-05:00

Souper Bowl of Caring this Sunday
When you come for worship on Sunday, please bring non-perishable food and/or gifts of money to help feed hungry people in Portland.

On this Super Bowl Sunday, we'll participate in a nation-wide effort, called "Souper Bowl of Caring," to help feed hungry people. The idea is simple: all around the country, churches, schools, and community organizations are collecting non-perishable food and financial gifts to support soup kitchens, food pantries, and hunger relief organizations in their local areas. This is a grass-roots, local movement: All of the money collected is donated to a charity selected by the participating organizations - none of the money is sent to Souper Bowl headquarters.

The non-perishable food we collect on Sunday will be given to the Sacred Heart Food Pantry, where Chestnut UMC members volunteer each Tuesday. That ministry is growing by leaps and bounds as the need increases and newly identified food sources provide for fuller shelves. Last month alone, the food pantry was able to assist 146 households representing 453 people. We are feeding hungry people.

Suggested food items include canned soups, canned vegetables, boxed meals like Hamburger Helper, applesauce, canned fruits, peanut butter & jelly, pasta, spaghetti sauce, cooking oil, sugar, macaroni & cheese packages, cereal, tuna fish, fruit juices, salad dressing, salsa, ketchup, mayonnaise, coffee, tea, cocoa -- as well as things like dish detergent, toilet paper, toothpaste, and hand soap.

On Sunday we will also receive financial gifts in a soup kettle, which will be given to Wayside Soup Kitchen on Oxford Street, where we volunteer on the second Monday of each month. Maine's largest soup kitchen, Wayside began in church kitchens and fellowship halls in 1986 and has been providing nutritious meals to the homeless and poor for 23 years.

In 2008, 14,500 groups participated in the Souper Bowl of Caring, generating over $10 million. Since the Souper Bowl of Caring began 20 years ago as the idea of one local church youth group, more than $50 million has been raised to help people in need. Let's do our part for the people of Portland this Sunday!

Hope.Gate.Way

2009-01-16T21:50:00.000-05:00

our new home at 185 High St.

Thanks to all who participated in three brainstorming sessions over the past couple of months. After hours of conversation and extensive sharing of ideas, we've settled on a new name for our space: Hope.Gate.Way. We will probably use the tagline "a community of grace." Next we will seek some help in designing a logo and employing some marketing strategies to begin promoting our new location and the ministry we'll be developing in this new space.

And the good news is, after months of work by our architect and contractor, as of TODAY, we have the permit from the City of Portland to begin the renovations! Please pray for a smooth process as we complete the renovations, and continue to pray for our ministry and mission in this new facility!

It's not about the facility

2008-10-24T21:17:00.001-04:00

Greetings!
This week, Chestnut United Methodist Church and New Light are making news! A reporter from The United Methodist Reporter, a newspaper with nation-wide circulation, recently interviewed several people from Chestnut and New Light and wrote an article highlighting our ministry. You can read the article online by clicking here. We look forward to seeing the print version, which is due to come out on October 31.

It has been an exciting time of dreaming, imagining, praying, hoping, and planning, and new visions for ministry in Portland are taking shape! We have architectural drawings for renovations to our new space, and we've begun to talk with a contractor about completing the work. Obtaining the required permits from the city will take more time than we had hoped, so it may be January before the space is ready, but we know it will be worth the wait! We're moving forward, and things are going well, by the grace of God.

Ultimately, though, we know that it's not about a facility. It's about ministry that offers hope, healing, peace, justice, love, and compassion. It's about sharing the Good News of God's love made known in Jesus Christ. It's about participating in the work of the Holy Spirit, which changes lives.

And so our vision includes so much more than a new facility...

Check out this description of Churches with Vision:
A church with vision that is consistently affirmed and lifted up will always be an exciting, dynamic, energizing center of hope. Such congregations are not only effective as channels for the healing grace of God, but their ministry also helps prevent all sorts of human and social problems by their faithfulness to the Gospel.
Visionary congregations tend to be responsive to human need, not only within the membership, but within the larger community. Congregations inspired by dreams and visions are usually involved in one or more major mission projects. These congregations tend to be Great Commission-centered, rather than self-centered. Their attitude tends to be, "We cannot do it all, but we can do something. What we can do, we will do, by the grace of God."
Visionary congregations experience the life of faith as an inspiring journey, rather than as a depressing obligation. There is a joyful contagion about these congregations. This posture of forward-leaning receptivity positions people to receive new visions that call forth new approaches to previously unseen needs.
-- from Vision 2000: Planning for Ministry into the Next Century

What do you think? Do we qualify as a Church with Vision, according to this definition? How might this description guide our thinking and planning as we lean into the future God places before us?We are so excited to be part of all that God is doing here in Portland, and we look forward to sharing this journey with you all through the months and years ahead!

In Christ's love,
Allen & Sara

Popcorn at the Parkside Block Party

2008-10-22T21:18:00.000-04:00

Let's join the fun as the Parkside Neighborhood Association sponsors a Block Party for the neighborhood, this Saturday afternoon, from 2:00-5:00 pm, in the PROP parking lot (510 Cumberland Ave). In case of rain, the event will be held inside at Parkside Neighborhood Center (85 Grant St). We plan to hand out free popcorn and spread a little joy. Set-up will begin around 1:00 pm. Can you join us for an hour or two? The work won't be too strenuous, and fun is guaranteed!

Upcoming Events

2008-10-20T21:22:00.000-04:00

Saturday, Oct. 25 - 2-5 pm - Parkside neighborhood Block Party in the PROP parking lot, 510 Cumberland Ave. (set-up at 1 pm)

Thursday, Oct. 30 - 10:30 am - Book study, The Irresistible Revolution, concludes - meeting at Geraldine Guitard's house

Sunday, Nov. 2 - 12:00 noon - Gathering with the Social Justice Commission from Sacred Heart Church and the Outreach Committee from Immanuel Baptist Church, to talk about possibilities for collaborating; meeting at Immanuel Baptist Church

Thurs-Sat, Nov. 6-8 - New England School of Congregational Development, in Bloomfield, CT. Paul Nixon, keynote speaker. More information here. Talk to Allen if you're interested in attending.

Monday, Nov. 10 - Chestnut UMC's turn to volunteer at Wayside Soup Kitchen (252 Oxford Street). Arrive at the volunteer entrance between 4:30 and 5:00 pm.

Sunday, Nov. 23 - 9:30 am - Stewardship Commitment Sunday

Thursday, Dec. 11 - 7:00 pm - Charge Conference, a combined annual meeting with New Light; Rev. Mike Davis, our district superintendent, will lead.

Faithful Living, Faithful Giving

2008-10-17T21:19:00.000-04:00

New Worship Series continues this Sunday
This week we'll continue a new six-week worship series entitled "Faithful Living, Faithful Giving." We're spending these weeks exploring the many facets of stewardship:
Sunday, October 19 Prayers
Sunday, October 26 Presence
Sunday, November 2 Gifts
Sunday, November 9 Service
Sunday, November 16 Witness
Sunday, November 23 Stewardship Commitment Sunday

Please join us for worship this Sunday at 9:30 am. We'll explore what it means to make the commitment to serve God through your presence -- and you have to be present to get the scoop!

Our New Home!

2008-10-10T08:13:00.000-04:00

It looks like all business in the pictures above as Sue Rudalevige and Shirley Martell sign the legal papers on behalf of the Board of Trustees, but be assured that a cheer of joy went up about 10:30 this morning as we left the office of the title company with keys in hand!

And now a new journey begins. We have not reached the promised land. We have not arrived at a final resting place. We are not moving backward to life the way it used to be. No, now a new journey begins -- and what an exciting journey it is! Here we are, members of the Site Team (minus a few who couldn't be with us this morning), after signing papers, standing outside our new space at 185 High Street, Unit 6.

Let this new facility be called...
a launching pad for mission and ministry
a house of hospitality and hope and healing
a neighborhood center
a place where children are always welcome
a testament to the prayer and discernment of a faithful remnant
a sanctuary for encountering God
a symbol of resurrection and new life
a classroom for out-of-the-box thinking
a safe place for exploring the way of Jesus
a home for open hearts, open minds, and open doors
a breeding ground for peace and justice
a shelter for the dispossessed
a living room for building community
a witness to the power of the Holy Spirit
Let it never be called a fortress, a club for insiders, an island disconnected from its neighbors, a museum celebrating the past, or a place where people go through the motions. The prophet Jeremiah conveys God's words of assurance to God's people: "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope" (Jer. 29:11). This purchase marks the beginning of a new chapter of ministry, and the future is filled with hope! In Christ's love, Allen & Sara

International Day of Prayer

2008-09-20T08:16:00.000-04:00

Sunday, September 21 is the International Day of Prayer for Peace, and we'll join with sisters and brothers from United Methodist Churches and other congregations and religious groups in praying for world peace. The day coincides with the U.N. International Day of Peace, established by the United Nations in 1981, and is an initiative of the World Council of Churches' Decade to Overcome Violence. An ever-expanding number of people worldwide, representing a wide variety of religious and spiritual traditions, have committed to the task of working with other like-minded individuals and groups for an International Day of Peace Vigil with the following objective: "to encourage worldwide, 24-hour spiritual observations for peace and nonviolence on the International Day of Peace, 21 September, in every house of worship and place of spiritual practice, by all religious and spiritually based groups and individuals, and by all men, women and children who seek peace in the world."
Will you spend some time on Sunday, wherever you are, praying for peace? To learn more about the International Day of Peace, visit www.idpvigil.com.

Moving Forward

2008-09-19T08:15:00.000-04:00

We are moving forward, and everything would suggest that we are on track for a closing date of October 3! We expect that soon, by God's grace, we'll have a new home for worship and ministry at 185 High Street!

Let's remember, though, that this not about getting
settled in a new building. God doesn't call us to be settled. God calls us to mission and ministry where there are hurting people, and where there are people who do not know the love of God made known in Jesus Christ. As you know, we have been very intentional and prayerful about where we locate so that our ministry is incarnational -- literally moving into the neighborhood and providing this space as a gift to the neighborhood. We've also been proactive about establishing partnerships with two other churches in the neighborhood, so that we've already begun to collaborate (and to imagine future opportunities for collaboration) on ministry among the poor and marginalized in Parkside neighborhood before we even arrive, and with the Parkside Neighborhood Center - all of whom are thrilled that we're coming and excited about possibilities for serving together.

But we must be just as careful and prayerful as we prepare to move into this new facility, because if we're not intentional about a new vision for ministry and mission, we could easily settle back into old patterns, and this could actually take us backward and inward rather than forward and outward. Instead, let's move forward thinking about this new home as a stopping point and a launching pad for ministry, not a final resting place.

Just a few things to think about as excitement builds...

In Christ's love,
Allen & Sara