 | | A Message from Pastor Kelly Our Nashua interfaith team encourages folks to get vaccinated and follow safety protocols to help us overcome this pandemic: Interfaith COVID link
These days, every week brings vaccinations to more and more people, soon to include some of our children and youth! We celebrate every single "fully vaccinated!" status, knowing it protects you and our larger Nashua community. And, we are still asking you to keep your masks on at public MSUMC gatherings.
Our conference guidance is to carefully consider our context, and we're still in the red "highly infectious" zone here in this county and orange in NH. For more info, check out covidactnow.org We've posted several articles on our homepage to help you think through the recent guidance from the CDC and how it affects our gatherings.
We love the CDC and evidence-based research! That guidance is perfect for when you are gathering with a discrete number of people, in your backyard or at a park party. For public congregational events, we are holding ourselves to a different standard: one that promotes full inclusivity, equity, and safety for all. Over the course of a church event or worship service, you might come into contact with dozens of different MSUMC-ers, of all ages, some vaccinated and some not. The sheer number of people, gathered during a set period of time in one place, already makes it a different context than your backyard with friends or a public park while you're out walking. Add to that the impossibility of checking whether people are vaccinated or not, and you may be able to see the motivation toward one policy for all--offering the equitable, inclusive approach of "masks for ages 2 and up!" This protects our youngest, not yet vaccinated members; those who cannot be vaccinated; and our community as a whole.
Vaccines are a HUGE help to the fight against COVID, but they are not a cure-all. Increasing vaccination rates have not had time to achieve their full effect on COVID containment in our region and variants continue to spread. Our diligence as a community is part of our commitment to public health and to the safety of all United Methodists and indeed all people.
We are hearing disturbing reports that people wearing masks in public, including children with masks, are being harassed by those who believe masks are no longer necessary. It is never appropriate to harass or belittle or demean others.
Thank you so much for your caring approach to others in public and to our efforts to re-gather indoors, even as we have continued to gather this last year, in various ways, outdoors. We appreciate your understanding of our need for extra thoughtfulness when we gather as the whole UMC community. It shows who MSUMC is: a congregation that honors every single member of our community, and works together to create a safe and inclusive environment for all. It's a way to see our values of "Welcome, Serve, Nurture, Disciple" in action.
-Pastor Kelly 
| | | Pentecost Practice Worship
| | | Pentecost Altar Visuals
At first glance, the altar may look very busy to you. It is full of flame colored cloth and doves. Even our dancers by the cross are busy. But the day of Pentecost was extremely busy! Three thousand people were baptized and multiple languages were spoken all at the same time. I did an internet search to see if I could find out just how many languages were spoken and just came up with more questions. A count of the cities and countries represented in Acts 2:9-11 was roughly 17, although they may not have all spoken different languages and many knew Hebrew. The sound of rushing wind filled the house where the disciples were. This was the Holy Spirit that we symbolize with a dove. "Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability." (Acts 2:3-4) All in all a very busy and exciting day!
Thanks to Mary-Putney Dube for helping fold our flock of origami doves and to Terri Kenny for helping set up the visuals and assemble the hanging ribbons.
- Pam Breniser
It will be exciting for everyone to see the sanctuary beautifully adorned with the colors and symbols of Pentecost. You DO NOT want to miss it! | |  | Join Pastor Kelly as we explore high conflict. High conflict, is what happens when discord distills into a good-versus-evil kind of feud, the kind with an us and a them. In this state, the normal rules of engagement no longer apply. The brain behaves differently. We feel increasingly certain of our own superiority and, at the same time, more and more mystified by the other side.
*Please note the date change to June 2nd.
Meeting ID
meet.google.com/wof-fvwk-rbv
Phone Numbers
(US)+1 617-675-4444
PIN: 785 151 035 7211#
For more information contact the church office at office @mainstreet-umc.org
*If you are interested in an in-person discussion, it is possible to accommodate that request. Contact the church office. | | | United Methodist Action Reach-out Mission 2021 Summer Mission Main Street UMC will participate in the U.M. ARMY 2021 Summer Mission Virtual Model. During the week of Aug 1-6, our church group will be making a difference in the lives of the less fortunate people in new construction, maintenance, and home repairs. The participants will be driving directly from home to the worksite Monday-Friday and working together on the same worksite in either Tyngsborough, Dracut, Chelmsford, or Lowell communities. Daily worship and activities will be offered virtually with other church participants. Please contact the Coordinator of Youth Ministries, Karrie Lam, by May 21 at karrie.lam@mainstreet-umc.org if you would like to be a part of it.
Details are as follows: U.M. ARMY 2021 Summer Mission Virtual Model - Churches from various locations across regions or U.S. participate virtually.
- Day camp model .
- Each participating church is its own "host".
- U.M. ARMY provides Director, Program Coordinator, and Sites virtual support.
- Sites Coordinator available to consult with each church on potential work sites.
- Worksites include the Tyngsborough, Dracut, Chelmsford, and Lowell communities.
- Most of the worksites are within a 20-30 minute drive.
- Each church is responsible for expenses around projects, food, and supplemental program materials. Because of the pandemic, U.M. ARMY is not providing meals. Participants will eat breakfast and dinner at home and will bring a bag lunch for each workday. We are also asking each participant to bring a labeled water bottle to use throughout the week.
- U.M. ARMY t-shirts and giveaways provided.
- Work teams are created by each participating church and comprised of members (adults/youth) from each respective church.
- Virtual teams, for the purpose of spiritual or social interactions, may be utilized during the week for an opportunity for additional connection across churches.
- Access to U.M. ARMY registration system and website for mission week planning and support.
- Adults and youth who will finish 6th grade by the end of June 2021 are encouraged to participate. The youth who will finish 3rd & 4th grade are welcome to join with their parents.
- Cost $200/person (a grant will cover the entire cost for the first 10 people who commit to participate by May 21st).
- After May 21st, each family will pay $50 regardless of how many in the family.
Tentative Daily Schedule 7:30-8:15 Breakfast & Make Your Lunch 8:15-8:30 Virtual Morning Worship (15-20 minutes) 8:30-9:00 Travel to Worksite 9:00-12:00 Worksite 12:00-1:00 Lunch 1:00-3:00 Worksite 3:00-4:00 Go home/Take Shower/Relax 4:00-4:40 Virtual Activities (30-40 minutes) 4:40-5:00 Virtual Evening Worship (15-20 minutes) 5:00 The End of the day
(graphic used with permission) | |  | | Joyful Celebration Abigail Borroto graduated from St. Anslem College with BA in Secondary Education and Natural Sciences. She also received NH Licensure in Life Science Education (7-12).
Congratulations!! | | | Calling all Graduates!
If you or a family member is graduating from high school or college this spring, your church family would love to know that we can honor your accomplishments!
Please contact the office at (603 882-3361) or by email at:
office@mainstreet-umc.org.
Go Class of 2021!
| | | Blanket Update
Nora wants to thank her MSUMC family for supporting her Girl Scout Bronze Award project to collect homemade blankets.
She and her GS friend collected 101 blankets!
The blankets will be well received by the Project Linus organization! | |  | |
Golfers Wanted
$72.00 per golfer
Team and Individual Registration is available
We can use additional support with sponsors. Personal Hole Sponsors @ $50.00/sign; Corporate Hole Sponsors @ $75.00/sign. Each sign is 8-1/2 x 11, laminated and attached to a sign board.
| | Community Event  Gate City Bike Co-op will be hosting an upcoming event this Saturday: - May 22nd: 10 am - 4 pm, 325 Amherst St, Nashua NH
This is why we do what we do. When Gate City Bike Coop provides a bike to this client it means they can take the job and can improve their life. The bike we provided was not new. It had outlived its usefulness to its original owner. But with a couple of hours work we turned it into hope. What We Do - Collect unwanted bikes
- Repair bikes
- Give away bikes
- Teach people to maintain bikes
For more information go to: https://gatecitybikecoop.org/ | | | NEEDED
We need a person interested in attending the Annual Conference; online Jun 10-12 (most of the work is Thursday and Friday and Saturday morning).
You would be elected as a voting member (an equalization member) representing MSUMC.
If you are that person, please contact the office at office@mainstreet-umc.org
There will be training and information provided prior to the conference.
| | | Mailing Reminder
MSUMC has a P.O. Box to receive our mail. If you plan to send information/offering to the church please use the following mailing address:
Main Street United Methodist Church
P.O. Box 1517
Nashua, NH
03061-1517
Thank you! | | Join an online conversation with Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim, co-author of "Intersectional Theology." Dr. Kim is professor of theology at Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, Indiana, has written numerous books and articles on the social and religious experiences of Korean women in North America. The event, which takes place from 9:30 a.m. to noon on May 29, 2021, is hosted by the North Shore Regional Hub of the Commonwealth East District. It is sponsored by the Conference Commission on Religion and Race (CCORR) and the Provisional Leadership Academy.
Registration Link | | Pastor's Sabbath Days:
Pastor Kelly: Tuesday
Pastor Kristy: Friday
Days to Reach Pastors
Pastor Kelly: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
Pastor Kristy: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday | | | | | |
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