Attention Bookworms!
Have you been in the new Library? It is wonderful! We had a great weekend of festivities to celebrate its opening. It was great to have Rev. Lightner with us all weekend. I know that Charlie was very appreciative of all that was done to create and open our new Lightner Library. I want to thank all of the folks who worked so hard to make this happen. Now, you need to come in, browse and check out a book!

It is easy in the midst of all that we have done for the Hurricane relief, to dig in, once again, to help those devastated by the earthquakes in and around Pakistan. UMCOR is already working with other Christian relief agencies in the region. Please bring your gift on Sunday and mark it for Earthquake Relief. You have given over $40,000 for Hurricane Relief. Thank you!

Don't forget that VIM is working on sending teams to the region. Please consider whether you can go. Please contact Tony Vinciguerra at tlvincig@clearviewcatv.net

This week we will welcome Rev. Charlie Parker. One of the joys I have had, being on the Board of Ordained Ministry, has been getting to know Charlie. He is now the Director of the Stewardship Foundation of the Baltimore Washington Conference. I know that you will find his message engaging and challenging this Sunday. I look forward to hearing what he has to say. As we begin our Fall Stewardship Campaign, I want all of us to be in prayer about how we can use our giving to make an even greater impact in our community and world for Jesus Christ.

In Jesus, Barry

Dear All,

Last Sunday afternoon was a great time of worship and celebration of music, with Doug's recital. It was a great way to give thanks to those who have served our church behind the organ and the piano. If you missed it, we plan to put the recital on the website in the near future! Just a reminder - most of our 9:20 anthems and sermons are at www.baumc.com Thanks to Doug Pratt for videoing them and for Tina and Doug McCorkle for putting them on our website.

We are getting very close to the opening of our Charles Lightner Library next weekend. The library committee is working hard to get the Library up and running. You have been very generous with book purchases and we are adding many new books to the thousands already there. Sunday is the deadline for purchasing tickets for the Celebration Dinner. Please bring your check on Sunday and you can place it in the offering plate or drop it off at the welcome desk. We have a few more spots for the golf tournament too!

Peggy will be coming home to Bel Air this weekend and I am glad that she is! I have missed her leadership and support over these last three months and we all value her as a key part of our team. I know she will come back refreshed, motivated and ready to give me about 100 new ideas of what we can do to care for our people and reach out in new ways!

You have been very generous in support of our offerings for Katrina and Rita…keep up the good work. You will hear on Sunday the latest report on what we have been giving and how you can join our VIM team in mid winter and this summer to make a difference in the affected areas. Relief efforts continue in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. To date, United Methodists in the Baltimore-Washington Conference have contributed more than $280,000 to relief efforts, and United Methodists around the country have contributed more than $7 million.

It looks like cold weather is coming and we hope that the boiler installation will be completed by the first cold Sunday. We are trying to complete our project and you noticed that we put Trustee Special Appeal envelopes in your offering pack for October 2 and 9. Please help us get the last boiler payment in place before they complete the installation.

Thanks for touching lives in the name of Jesus!

Barry Hidey