Sunday October 18th was an historic day in the life of Sugar River United Methodist Church.
Spawned as an interest group in May of 2003 by Rev Dave McRoberts at Asbury UMC, Sugar River UMC was about to become a self
sufficient church.
The day started with the regular 8:30 and 10:15 services. However, during these services, Pastor Gary led
the congregation in the vows of membership and gave those who wished, the opportunity to sign the "Charter" book to become Charter
Members of Sugar River UMC.
At 2:30 a celebration carnival was held for the children of Sugar River (but don't be fooled, the adults
had a good time too). Lisa Graham and company with the assistance of the High School youth group conducted games and activities for the
kids. Check the pictures below for some of the fun.
Then shortly after 4, the official portion of the day commenced. Under the direction of The Rev. Sam Royappa,
the District Superintendent, the Admission of Charter Members was conducted.
We heard a Recognition of the Core Generating Team, followed by words of praise and recognition from
Rev Dave McRoberts and Asbury Senior Pastor, The Rev Harold Zimmick.
Pastor Gary then completed this portion of the ceremony with the formal Admission of Charter Members.
The next order of business was the Constituting Conference. The primary purpose here was to establish
the voting membership and then to Elect from the Floor a Lay Leadership (Nominations) Team: Community Development Team.
This team was chaired by Pastor Gary, and led by Betsy Forester, the Director of Community Development. The other members
of the committee were; Jeff Roessler - Lay Leader, Pam Millmann, Lisa Graham, and Erin Wilson. The nomination and Election
of the Council on Ministry was completed and the Rev Royappa declared that Sugar River UMC was properly constituted.
The final official order of business was the First Charge Conference of Sugar River United Methodist Church.
It was at this point that the nomination and election of the other officers and team members was completed. Several other business
related motions were approved at this time.
With the business of the day completed, the group adjourned to Fellowship Hall to share in the joy
and fellowship with a very successful pot luck dinner.
Please enjoy some pictures of the activities below. And be sure to check back often for updates
and additions. If you have stories, testimonials, comments or pictures you would like to share here, please e-mail them
to source@tds.net.
|
