AUMC Blog «

Hattie’s Gift

Posted on Apr 21, 2020 in Church Member Articles | 1

By: Marcy Barthelette

Hattie’s Gift I recently read about a little girl named Hattie May Wiatt in one of my daily devotionals. You may have heard her story or maybe not, but I feel it is worth the telling because it draws a close parallel to our own aspirations here at Aldersgate.

Hattie lived in the late 19th century and she was said to have gone to a church building in her Pennsylvania hometown to attend Sunday School class. As it happened this church was crowded every Sunday, so much so that tickets were issued and little Hattie was having a hard time trying to work her way through the crowd. She was approached by the pastor who took her into the building and found a seat for her in the back of the room. As they conversed, he told her of his dream to create a much larger space to house worshippers and those seeking to learn more about God in Sunday School. She shared her hope that he would follow that dream because she really wanted to be there but was afraid of the huge crowds and couldn’t always find a seat.

Not long after that visit, Hattie became very ill and the pastor was called to her home. Upon her death, Hattie’s mother gave the pastor a paper bag that held 57 cents, all the money she had saved to build a larger Sunday School building. That gift sparked an idea that has brought forth enormous fruit since Hattie’s death.

The pastor changed the 57 cents into all pennies and sold them for the sum of $250.00. Along with the $250.00, 54 of the original pennies were returned and mounted in a plaque as a reminder of the gift. The Wiatt Mite Society was organized to continue collecting funds and secure plans for new facilities. And the dream kept growing and snowballing into what we know today as Temple Baptist Church in Philadelphia, PA, with seating for over 3000 people. The dream didn’t end there, Temple University found its early beginnings in one of the first buildings acquired by the Wiatt Mite Society and Samaritan Hospital, now Temple University Hospital, began as a 20-bed facility in 1892. Today the hospital houses 722 beds and the Temple University campus provides education for around 30,000 students.

Experts disagree on the validity of this story but we do know that Pastor Russell Conwell did tell the story, birth records do show the birth of Hattie May Wiatt and events do bear out the growth and development of the church, university, and hospital. Whether or not Pastor Conwell was a good motivational speaker or Hattie really did start this whole ball rolling, the effect has its parallel to what has happened here at Aldersgate. We are not looking to build a university or hospital but over a decade ago a dream began when our new Worship Center was built and, more recently, when our beautiful Learning Center became a reality. We wanted to reach many more children to teach them that God loves them and watches over them. We wanted to leave a legacy for all who come after us.

The building is there and right now it sits empty, but this won’t last forever. We will be back at church worshipping and fellowshipping together. But there is more we need to do. We need to remember that the bills still need to be paid even though we are not physically there. As you are able, giving may continue online or by mail. We also need to take this time and pray about what each of us can do to continue to make the dream a reality once our doors are open again. That may look something like volunteering to teach children or lead a youth group or help with VBS. It may mean mentoring in one of the school programs we sponsor. It may mean helping at Abundant Blessings or Least of These. It may mean inviting a neighbor child for milk and cookies until Mom gets home from work.

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14

Our work in the community takes on many faces and it never ends. Not because of lack of money or stormy weather or even COVID 19. We are still here and our doors are “figuratively” open.

(Note: Information used here about Hattie May Wiatt is taken from the article on file at the Temple University Library Archives and copy from the original text of Rev. Russell Conwell’s sermon may be found online in its entirety. Many articles have been written about the story and are easily found online by entering the name Hattie May Wiatt or simply “57 Cents”. Current numbers involving Temple University and Temple University Hospital appeared on their websites.)

Apr '20

Stand Up

Posted on Apr 21, 2020 in Church Member Articles | 0

Apr '20

By: Ed Vigneaux

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

I heard a sermon by Dr. David Jeremiah recently and the theme of the sermon was from the book of Daniel and in this book, God told Daniel to do 4 things.

Do not stand down. In other words, do not ignore or disregard God’s message.
Do not stand aside. Do not compromise your beliefs.
Do not stand against. Daniel didn’t go around talking against the Babylonians, he lived among them. He lived his life according to the teachings of God. We too should live our life according to the teachings of God and His son Jesus. Don’t go around accusing others of their sin. Remember what Jesus said about removing the splinter from your neighbor’s eye while not removing the plank from your own eye.
Do Stand up. Live your life according to God’s teachings and do not worry about tomorrow. Daniel wanted to know everything that was going to happen, but God told him not to concern himself with everything that was going to happen, just live your life. And He did.Let us love one another. Let us Be Love. We are blessed to be a blessing.

Apr '20

Happy Tax Day to everyone!

Posted on Apr 15, 2020 in Phil's Philosophies | Tags: Changes, COVID-19, Pastor Phil2

Apr '20

By: Pastor Phil

No, wait a minute, that date has been changed. So much has been changed with this COVID-19
virus. It is amazing to me just how we as a people have reacted, some good and some not so
good. I am excited by the outreach opportunities to which so many of our congregation have
recognized and responded. From phone calls to delivering meals to going to the grocery store,
many of you have taken on the role of caregiver.

I wonder if we have been changed during this time of social distancing, stay at home, wash your
hands (this one makes me laugh as we must be taught and or reminded), PPE’s or lack thereof,
and fear. Yes, fear… (Fear not, for Christ will never leave us or forsake us)

I pray we have all been as healthy as we can be physically, but I also pray that we have been
healthy spiritually. During this time of being in our homes, we could have cleaned every closet of
the clothes and items we needed to discard (re-sale shops will be really crowded and full of
good stuff once we can get out…}. Maybe we got caught up with our reading, or even caught up
on our soap operas. I have been able to watch some new shows and have found National
Geographic television has some very good programs.

I have also found time to listen for God’s word speaking to me. I have some new devotional
material that I enjoy and I am so grateful for the opportunity to hear the Word being shared by
Pastor Dennis every Sunday morning at 10 am and on Wednesday evenings at 6 pm. I have
also been able to hear former classmates from St. Paul seminary as they share the word. This
may not sound like much, but it is a change for me. Had it not been for the time spent at home, I
would have gone on doing the same thing I always did.

Are you ready for a change or perhaps you too have made some changes? If so, keep going,
and if not, why not make a change. If you would like to comment, please do so below. Yes, the
church building has been closed, but the church has been busy reaching out and helping to
change attitudes, opinions, and lives.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love…
and they shall renew the face of the earth…

Shalom,
Pastor Phil

Where is Happiness Found?

Posted on Apr 15, 2020 in Church Member Articles | 0

By: Ed Vigneaux

I read an article recently titled “Seven Steps to Happiness,” written by Wallace G. Smith and want to pass on those steps to those who aren’t happy in their life and also to all who want to know how they can be happier or maintain the happiness they have.

Life today can be extremely stressful. We seem to search for refuge, rest, and relief and never completely find it. When we look at the world around us, we can see that something is wrong or missing. Most people are not happy.

In fact, the American Psychological Association notes that the national suicide rate has increased 33% from 1999 through 2017 and has increased sharply since 2006. It’s not about money. America is proof that happiness is not found in collecting an abundance of physical things.

That is actually good news. It means that happiness is found within us. The following are seven steps that can possibly bring us the happiness we search for.

1. Head for the park. We have become a society that spends most of our time indoors. We should spend more time enjoying nature, this beautiful world that God created for us.

2. Minimize your social media time. How many are addicted to social media; Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc.? If you don’t think you are, try spending a week without them. In fact, studies indicate that people who spent less time on social media experience decreases in both depression and loneliness.

3. Treat your body well. Eat well, exercise, and get plenty of sleep. Irregular sleep harms our health and happiness. Poor health is a significant source of stress and unhappiness.

4. Be relentlessly thankful. Practice active gratitude at all times. The Apostle Paul encouraged the Christians in Thessalonica to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (I Thessalonians 5: 16-18).

5. Let God know. We all go through difficult times. And we can all find reasons to worry or feel anxious. Pray about your worries. Philippians 4: 6-7 reads, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

6. Believe the promises of Scripture. If we are going to pray to God for everything and be grateful, we must have faith to believe that He will do what he says He will do. The Scriptures tell us the promises God made to His people then, and He still keeps His promises today.

7. Embrace a purpose greater than yourself. In other words, serve others. Jesus calls us to serve the least of these. We can do this in many ways, and it’s not always physical. We are called to spread the good news of the gospel to all whom we come in contact with. Jesus is the good news. We should pray for our community of faith, our country, and the world. Pray that they would come to know the joy and happiness we find in knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Let us love one another. Let us Be Love.
We are blessed to be a blessing.

Tiny Source, Big Lessons

Posted on Apr 15, 2020 in Church Member Articles | 0

By: Marcy Barthelette

Easter has come and gone! We have once again followed Jesus on his journey to the cross and we have experienced His resurrection. Amidst all our current chaos, He rose! He always has and always will be there.

So I’ve been thinking, what comes next? The season of Lent offers lots of subject matter for us to ponder, but it’s over now. So what’s next?

I think God gave me a very unusual answer. Ants descended on our home this past weekend. Happy Easter! The tiny demons found our candy stash in the kitchen and have been beating a path to our drawers for several days. Is there anything more determined than an ant when it locates a food source? But the ant doesn’t depend upon itself. It calls on all its buddies and leads them to the treasure. In a matter of minutes, it becomes an onslaught and without mitigation, your home is a landscape of devastation.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we took a lesson from these tiny little creatures? One of them can carry very little but have you seen an army of ants working together in perfect harmony? What could we do if we came together in one accord and tackled the injustices of this world? What if we created teams to tackle hunger? What if we stood up to the abuse of others? What if we carried the message of Jesus to people who haven’t heard?

Wherever we go and whatever we do, we are telling the world what Jesus means to us by the way we treat those around us and right now carrying a message requires a little more creative thinking. Pastor Phil told us in the Easter service, “The word of God is to be spoken and heard”. That really resonated with me right now because of our nemesis, COVID 19. Our special gift is to do the speaking to those who need to hear.

I’ve seen all kinds of things being done online; church services, education, and activities for kids, business meetings on Zoom, the list goes on and on. What I’m writing now is my small part in the scheme of things but I realized I can do so much more. So, I keep my phone handy to text a friend who might be lonely or get together a group of friends who can’t physically be together at this time. Of course, we have Facetime and shared family photo albums to keep us in touch with our special people.

Those of us who are healthy and not at high risk can volunteer to hand out food and the rest of us can make monetary donations to organizations that provide food assistance. One day, we will all be back on the frontlines helping others. When we are, I hope that we don’t forget the lessons learned from COVID 19 and I hope that I don’t forget the lesson from my ant friends. I know they are God’s creatures too and they need to eat, but not in my house and especially not when chocolate is involved. They’ll keep waging their offensive and we’ll keep fighting back. But remember, we will ultimately win the battle over evil and we want to take a lot of people to heaven with us! As we make ourselves less important, we make Jesus’ army exponentially larger. Start speaking up so others can hear!

Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! John 14:14

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Matt 7:7