Dear Friends,

We are back in the swing of the fall season with our various ministries starting up in our congregations. I pray that we will have a wonderful fall season as we work together through our cluster to serve the people in the name of Jesus Christ. Our Mission Statement gives us the focus and the direction we need to move towards.

The healing service we held on August 29 at Melvin UMC was an example of us working together as a cluster. We had good attendance and Gene Street really shared God's word from his heart. I still remember his words: "I want you to remember three things about God's answer to our prayers: yes, no, and not yet." God did touch many people at that healing service as the Holy Spirit poured out the love of Christ into our midst.

At our cluster meeting in September we are looking have someone come and speak to us about how our cluster can be involved in the Volunteer-in-Mission teams. We also granted scholarships to anyone who needed funds to attend an older adult retreat in New Windsor, Md on October 13th. Persons interested should contact the Rev, Robert Cook now. We are also investigating the possibility of sponsoring a youth event at the YMCA or the WISP or elsewhere.

We welcome our newest pastor to our cluster, Rev. Pat Dols, and her husband Tom. Pastor Dols is pastor of the Ridgeley Charge consisting of Calvary and Holy Cross U.M.Churches. We look forward to working with them in our cluster.

Let us keep our cluster, our cluster pastors, and our cluster churches in our prayers. We pastors truly do covet your prayers each day. And I know the laity in our churches desire the prayers of their pastors.

Thanks to all of you who came on September 19 to welcome Bishop Schol and his wife Beverly to the Western Region of our conference. The event was an important reminder to all that our region is an integral part of the entire Baltimore-Washington Conference. The event was symbolic of our connectional system at work at its best. Let's keep the spirit of this connection alive and growing in our Gateway Cluster in these exciting weeks and months ahead. God bless all of you. May we so lift up Jesus Christ that He will draw all people to Himself through the work of the Holy Spirit in our midst.

P.O. Box 603, Mt. Savage, MD 21545-0603. Make checks payable to "Mt. Savage UMC" and mark "Flood Relief." You can call Rev. Broome at 301-264-3535 for more information.

CROP Walk

The annual Cumberland Area CROP Walk is scheduled for Sunday, October 10, 2004.

     1:30 p.m. Registration at Canal Place

     2:00 p.m. Five mile round trip walk along C&O Canal. You can get walker and sponsor forms from Centre Street UM Church. Help us to fight hunger around the world and in our local area. Of the total amount raised 25% stays in our local area to help with the work of the Interfaith Community Pantry, the LaVale U.M. Church Pantry, and the Western Maryland Food Bank. For information please call 301-722-5370 or Rev. William Bice at 301-724-5726.

Gateway Cluster Monthly Meetings

Monday, October 18- Holy Cross UMC, 7 p.m.

Monday, November 15- Zion UMC, 7 p.m.

Monday, December 20- Centre Street UMC, 7 p.m

Christmas Caroling at area nursing home.

Our cluster will sponsor a Healing Service on Sunday, November 21, 2004 at 6:00 p.m. at Calvary UMC, Ridgeley, WV. Rev. Pat Dols, pastor of Calvary & Holy Cross UMC, will be preaching. Please mark your calendars now.

Sunday, October 31 these Charge Conferences are scheduled at Calvary UMC (Ridgeley) with presiding clergy in ()'s:

3:00 p.m. Central-Mapleside (L. McCanna)

3:00 p.m. New Covenant (P. Dols)

4:00 p.m. Worship

5:00 p.m. Centre Street (C. Riggleman)

5:00 p.m. Ridgeley Charge (R. Jewell)

The Autumn of Our Lives: One-day Retreat for Senior Adults and Retirees October 13t^h, 2004 from 10:00a.m. – 4:00p.m, $26.00 per person. "A Visit from Strawbridge", Planting Methodism in Maryland, Robert Strawbridge

The day begins at 10:00a.m. in Windsor Auditorium lead by the Baltimore-Washington Conference on older Adult Ministry. After lunch, which is included, we will enjoy an afternoon of small group enrichment opportunities. Options include:  Strawbridge Shrine Tour; Surprises from Cuba; Liturgical Dance; A Christian Presence in God's World. The day will conclude at 4:00p.m, after a brief closing worship.

October 5 - Rummage Sale 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

October 9 - Kick-Off 40 Day Purpose-Driven Life Campaign

October 22 - Mission Trip to New Windsor Service Center

October 24 - Fall Festival Harvest Party, 6-8 p.m.

November 1- Youth Homeless Sleep out

November 5- Holiday Bazaar, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

November 25- Thanksgiving Day- Buffet Breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Worship
                  at 9:30 p.m.

Nov 24 – Thanksgiving Eve Service at 7pm. All are welcome to attend

Dec. 24 – Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 7:pm. All are welcome to
                   attend

Oct. 2 and Nov. 6 – First Saturday of the Month Pancake Breakfast. All you can eat for $4.00. Doors open from 7:30 – 10:30

Oct. 24 – "Pumpkin Party" beginning at 5:30. It will be a time of soup and sandwich, fun and games for all!
  

Nov. 24 – Centenary UMC will be hosting the Zion-Centenary Charge Thanksgiving Eve Service that is open to everyone. It will begin at 7 pm

Rev. Patricia C. ("Pat") Dols and her husband, Tom, arrived in our area the end of June. Pat is serving as Pastor of the newly formed Ridgeley Charge which consists of Calvary and Holy Cross United Methodist Churches. Pat has been a Pastor over the past 10 years, and served most recently as the Associate Pastor of Faith UMC in Rockville, Maryland. She is a native of Bethesda, Maryland, and this is the first time she has ever lived outside of that state. But she says she is quickly learning to love living in the mountains of West Virginia!

Tom was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He moved to Maryland in 1962 and worked as an Analytical Chemist in the Food and Drug Administration for 37 years. He now enjoys retirement, which he spends serving the Lord in whatever capacity he is called as a layperson and supporting Pat's ministry. Tom especially enjoys working with programs to assist poor and homeless persons. He is also a Certified Lay Speaker.

Pat and Tom have six children and seven grandchildren. They currently share their home with their two pet Beagles, Faith and Hope.

Published by the Churches of the Gateway Cluster

 Editor: Dan Taylor

Mail address: PO Box 688, Fort Ashby, WV 26719
Email — tdtdgt@citlink.net