June 2026 Newsletter
- Cristina Glover
- 3 days ago
- 10 min read
Hamburg United Methodist Church 116 Union St Hamburg, New York, 14075 (716) 649-8080 Sundays at 10 am
Also Streamed Via Facebook Live & Youtube
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Easter has passed, Pentecost has come and gone, and we have entered into Ordinary Time. Starting the first Sunday of June until All Saints Sunday in November, the paraments are green, and we are marking time. “Ordinary” is a funny word–we often use it to mean common, predictable, average, or expected. Not extraordinary, not special, and also not particularly awful–just mundane. Perhaps it’s a poor name for this period of the Church year between the cycles of Christmas and Easter, this border time when we count the Sundays, “First after Pentecost, Second after Pentecost… Twentieth after Pentecost.”
Ordinary actually comes from the same root as Ordinal–to order things. When we count we use cardinal numbers: one, two, three, four, five. When we order life we use ordinal numbers: first, second, third, fourth, fifth. Ordinary time may indeed be mundane and predictable, but not necessarily. What it is is orderly, and that may be good for us!
Lent calls us to repentance, and Easter calls us to celebration of new life, but the long days of Summer, and the Sundays counting along how far we have come from Pentecost is like a microcosm of human history and the history of the Church for all of us. Each Sunday is another week from Pentecost in this Church year, but also another week from the day of Pentecost, that Sunday when the Holy Spirit sent the apostles into the street to proclaim Jesus as Lord, offering everyone from every nation new life in His name! Each week, counting farther away, is another opportunity to assess how we are living in the Spirit, how we are letting God shape our lives, and how we are inviting those around us to share in the grace of God.
During the Annual Conference this year, I attended the Ordination service, the service of Ordering (the liturgy for the service is contained in the Ordinal), where we set apart clergy to order and support the life of the Church. Bishops lay hands on ordinands and the Church prays that the Holy Spirit will act within Deacons and Elders so that all God’s people might be empowered to live Ordinary (Ordered?) lives shaped by God’s grace. It’s not magic, but I think something meaningful occurs when we wade in the waters of baptism, when we share the bread and the cup at Christ’s table, and even when we lay hands on each other for healing or praying that God will empower someone to work among us and lead. God orders our lives, sometimes in extraordinary ways.
As Summer comes, may Almighty God grant that your gardens produce in abundance, your grass remain green, your days be filled with warmth both from the sun and from the Son, and your lives overflow with the Holy Spirit, and in all things may your lives reflect the guidance and ordering of a walk with Christ.
Serving Christ, with you,
Pastor David Nicol
Important Announcements from the Church Office
The Church office will be late opening on June 3rd and June 4th but will be open until 3pm both days.
The Church Office will be closed on Friday June 5th and will reopen on Monday June 7th
Additionally the Church office will be open until Noon on June 19th (Juneteenth)
Content for the gathering space slide show is accepted weekly
and due on Wednesday Morning to the church office.
**Please note for repeating slides, the last Sunday it should be run.
Office hours
Monday- Thursday: 9am-2pm
Friday: 9 am-Noon
Email us!!
Pastor David: PastorDavid@hamburgumc.org
Jeannine Vanwey: Music@hamburgumc.org
Emily Slocum: Treasurer@hamburgumc.org
Patrick Fitzgerald: AV@hamburgumc.org
Cristina Glover: Office@hamburgumc.org
Thank You for Your Generosity
Our May 3 Baby Shower in support of Harvest House in Buffalo's Baby and Children's Ministry was a big success - thanks to all of you! Strollers, diapers, baby and children's clothing, stuffed animals (stuffies) and many other wonderful items were donated. It was a joy to see the area in front of the large window outside the sanctuary filled.
Brandy Loveland, Harvest House president and CEO, during the worship service shared interesting information about what these gifts will mean to families in our communities, as well as about the other helpful programs Harvest House operates. She was so impressed and grateful for the many items. She took the diapers and some of the clothing with her that Sunday, and Sharon and Anthony Tiballi and Rose Caldwell delivered the rest of the gifts to Harvest House on Tuesday.
Special worship music focusing on children was initiated by Pat Adema and planned by Jeannine Van Wey. The baby shower cake served for coffee hour was coordinated by Barbara Meader and decorated with the words "Jesus loves the little children." These touches helped to carry out the theme of the day.
The United Women in Faith group as host of the effort thanks you again for being loving your neighbor through your generous response to the shower! The total value of all that was given was so much more than our group could have given in a monetary gift, and so our impact as a congregation was that much greater on our neighbors in need.
Sandwich Ministry is an Outreach Program that represents HUMC people in action. Our church helping others in our community.
These families suffer from food insecurities, housing instability, lack of transportation and anxieties. We serve sandwiches and fruit to the people living in hotels within the Hamburg Area. Come Join Us!
We meet every Friday at 2:00 pm in the church kitchen. At 3:00pm we deliver to the families. At that time we offer hope and shine a little of God's love. This is God's grace to all.
We would like to thank our congregation for their prayers and support. We have the faith to continue. Sandwich Ministry operates on the generosity of individuals of our church who providing the supplies for the ministry.
Questions ask Ginger & Leo.
NEW H.U.M.C ‘s Book Exchange
Effective immediately any member may On your honor Take one book leave/one book from our book case located on the mezzanine 2nd floor by the elevator.
(This experiment has no connection with the Church Library
located off the Gathering Space)
These will be books you personally own and trade
for one available in the bookcase. If you have other current in good condition books you wish to donate they would be appreciated to maintain this experiment.
Thanks for helping. Any question ask Pam Walters or Jerry Schneggenburger
Due to continued technical issues with Facebook Live, We will be streaming solely to Youtube for the foreseeable future.
Please make sure to "Like" and "Subscribe"
Little Lamb Preschool has had a very busy spring and a wonderful year. It has been filled with learning, fun and building new friendships.
Multi age Classroom with Teachers Mrs. Link and Mrs. Herman
In our multi age group we celebrated Easter with beautiful art, egg hunts and stories. We explored different types of weather with science experiments and by the end of our theme, the children could give a daily weather report using sign language. We learned about Earth Day and how to be “Planet Heroes “ by doing things like recycling and turning off the lights. Our dramatic play area turned into a flower shop and then a camp site complete with campfire and then back to a kitchen to close the year. We celebrated Mother’s Day with our teas and the children were so excited to share that special time with their Moms.
We enjoyed guest readers during the year. They included parents and Rollin Shoemaker and Pat Adema from HUMC.
Two-Year-Old Classroom Teachers, Mrs. Koch and Mrs. Paskie
Our two-year-old class has been enjoying class this Spring as the school year comes to a close. We have learned about the weather and identifying shapes. The children enjoyed making a handprint keepsake for Mother’s Day and they were excited to wrap them up and give them to their Moms. The class has been enjoying the playground often between the raindrops and having dance parties in our room on rainy days. Their favorite song to dance to is, “Party Freeze Song” and marching to “The Ants Go Marching.” We will celebrate our last day on May 19 with an ice cream party!
The Multi age class visited the Respite program at the church monthly and sang songs. Their visits were very much appreciated.
We want to thank our teachers and families for another wonderful year. Have a safe and fun summer everyone!
Pat Adema, Little Lamb Preschool
Board Chair
Sent from my iPhone
Ongoing Fundraiser Little Lamb Fundraiser:
Please consider donating your empty bottles and cans to the Bottle & Can Redemption Center at 4255 Clark Street in Hamburg. Thank you!
upport Seneca Street United Methodist Church
Hamburg UMC is invited to support the ongoing ministries of Seneca Street United Methodist Church, located at 1218 Seneca Street in Buffalo. Seneca Street UMC is the last church presence in the Seneca-Babcock neighborhood and serves the community through worship, meals, food support, children’s programming, seasonal outreach, and community care. All donations go directly to support Seneca Street’s ministries.
Seneca Street offers Sunday worship at 1:30 p.m., a giveaway at 2:30 p.m., and a community meal at 3:00 p.m. They also host a Wednesday Soup and Sandwich meal with Bible chat from 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Current Needs
Vacation Bible School Support
Seneca Street will host Vacation Bible School Thursday, June 25 through Monday, June 29, from 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., with a Sunday picnic on June 28 at 3:00 p.m. Mission teams from three United Methodist churches in North Georgia will bring more than 100 youth and adults to help with VBS and home repair projects. Pastor Dee needs to know how people can help by June 1, and donations should be arranged before Pastor Dee’s last Sunday at Seneca Street on June 7.
Needed items include paper cereal bowls, spoons, paper plates, 8 oz. paper cups, napkins, healthy snacks for 125 children, soft granola bars, vegetables, Goldfish crackers, juice boxes, lemonade mix, fresh fruit, kids’ cereal, milk, breakfast bars, chips, popcorn, cookies, and lunch items. Seneca Street is also seeking meal sponsorships: taco meal sponsorship — $250, hot dog meal sponsorship — $250, and sandwich material sponsorship — $250. For Monday’s field trip, they need pizza for 200 people, totaling $576, and two buses, totaling $850.
Sunday Meal Ministry
Groups, families, or individuals may sign up to provide a Sunday community meal throughout the year. Meals serve approximately 80–100 people at 3:00 p.m. on Sundays. Food may be prepared and brought, volunteers may help serve, or a full meal may be sponsored for $400.
Food Shelf Needs
The food shelf is always in need of canned goods, pasta, sauce, tuna fish, peanut butter, jelly, juice, milk, butter, cereal, laundry detergent, dish detergent, and hygiene products.
Afterschool Program Needs
The afterschool program needs healthy snacks, soft granola bars, Goldfish crackers, lemonade mix, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, cereal, popcorn, applesauce, juice boxes, non-sugary beverages, and school supplies.
Thanksgiving Outreach
For the Thanksgiving meal and food giveaway on November 24, Seneca Street will need more than 130 turkeys and 25 rotisserie chickens, along with pies, rolls, fresh potatoes, vegetables, bread, milk, eggs, peanut butter and jelly, and other pantry and household items.
Christmas Outreach
Seneca Street will also be sponsoring children and families for Christmas. They hope to help approximately 150 children. Sponsors are needed by October 20, and gifts will be gathered by December 19. Toy drive donations, clothing items for all ages, and gift cards to Tops, Aldi, Walmart, and Tim Hortons are also needed for teens and families.
Ongoing Supply and Building Needs
General supply needs include paper cups, cereal bowls, paper towels, paper plates, plastic silverware, coffee cups, coffee, creamer, 55-gallon drum garbage can liners, body soap, washcloths, and shower towels. Seneca Street is also seeking support for building projects, including masonry work, cement repairs, stained glass repair, and help designing a new website.
For more information or to coordinate donations, contact Seneca Street UMC at (716) 368-8914 or Pastor Dee at (585) 330-2710. Donations and questions may also be directed to givetosenecaumc@gmail.com or Pastordeefinch@gmail.com
Supporting Pastor Dee Finch in her Move
Deacon Dee Finch, who has served as Pastor of Seneca Street United Methodist Church for a number of years, has been called to Pastor of Nuture Ministries at Asbury First UMC in Rochester as of July 1. Our church has had a longtime and special connection with our friend and dedicated servant, Dee. Her service at Seneca Street is the most recent, but she also grew up here at HUMC and served in a clergy role here many years ago.
Moving can be challenging and expensive, and we would like to help ease Dee’s burden by gathering financial gifts to be given as a “purse,” a collective gift from our congregation. If you would like to contribute, please see Rose Caldwell or Caroline Schneggenburger. Cash or checks to Deanna Finch would be appreciated. June 14 will be the final Sunday for accepting donations. We will also have a card for donors to sign. Thank you for your support for our friend, Dee!
RETIRED MEN’S FELLOWSHIP
The Retired Men’s Fellowship of Hamburg UMC will gather for their monthly lunch on Tuesday, June 16 at 12 Noon at ZJ’s Restaurant in the Hamburg Village Plaza. Come and share your joys and concerns. All retired men are invited. Come and bring a friend for good fellowship and good food. Any questions? See Dick Caldwell.
Dick Caldwell, facilitator
Tai Chi is back to in-person practice in the Fellowship Hall
2026 Coffee Hour Schedule
JUNE: FINANCE
JULY : TRUSTEES
AUGUST:PRAYER CARE SHARE
SEPTEMBER: COLUMBARIUM
OCTOBER: MEN’S GROUP
NOVEMBER: FINANCE
DECEMBER: SPRC
Groups are to provide goodies/ snacks
each Sunday of the month they are scheduled.
CALLING FOR COFFEE HOUR VOLUNTEERS
Did you know HUMC has committees whose members volunteer to host coffee hour once or twice a month? Most of these volunteers are on several committees where they are repeatedly hosting to provide goodies each Sunday.
We are opening this ministry up to Individuals or families who would be willing to occasionally be hosts or hostesses.
It’s simply making coffee, lemonade, bringing homemade or store bought items, and cleaning up afterwards.
A sign-up sheet is located on the counter in the gathering space, outside the front office
Where you can pick a Sunday of your choosing.
Would you consider joining in this time of fellowship?
Please get in touch with Sue Gagne with any questions.
Medical Equipment Lending Closet
Hamburg UMC has a medical equipment lending closet. It is located in Room 18 in the basement. Please check the closet before purchasing wheelchairs, walkers, commodes, crutches, canes, etc. The equipment available constantly changes. If you have medical equipment you are no longer using, you may donate them. We cannot take soft items such as gauze pads, diabetic supplies, incontinence, bandages, etc. For questions, please call Caroline Schneggenburger at 716-289-0541.
Join us for a virtual fellowship! This group is a place to share prayer requests, devotions, concerns, joys, and even some humor with your church family. Join the Hamburg UMC Fellowship group on Facebook.
PRAYER CONCERNS?
If you would like someone added to our church prayer list, call or text Barb Meader at 716-548-4139 or email her at bmeader712017@gmail.com, or contact anyone who is a Prayer, Care, and Share member, or Cristina in the church office. Our ministry is to pray daily for the concerns that have been shared with us.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phillipians 4:4-7)
