Dear SUMC members and friends,
Greetings in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ!
Many people in our church seem to be on Facebook. When I see the faces of our congregation on Facebook, I am so glad to see them that I often request that I be friends with them. Then I realized that not everyone would feel comfortable “friending” a virtual stranger. I often feel the same way when I am requested to be a Facebook friend, and I know nothing about the person.
With that realization, I stopped sending friend requests to my church members and friends. However, if you should be interested in being my Facebook friend, please send me a friend request. I will be happy to be your Facebook friend.
The Bible tells us in Ephesians 1:20,21 that church is the body of Christ. As we take care of our body by exercise, nourishment, and proper care, we need to take care of our church by worship attendance, prayers for one another, financial support (if you can), and sharing of gifts and talents. As the Groundbreaking Ceremony is done now, let us all be a unified force to press on to achieve our common goal of building our new sanctuary. Better yet, let us build a community of Christian love.
Sincerely, Your servant in Christ,
​Pastor Jerry

Dear Suamico UMC members and friends,
Greetings in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ!
By the time you read this letter, I will have moved to the church parsonage. My wife, Cindy, and I can’t thank enough the Trustees and volunteers who have worked hard to make the parsonage greatly improved. I thank people who donated their time, skills, work, and money for the upkeep of the parsonage. I was touched by your Christian love and hospitality and I thank you.
Our church’s SPRC (Staff Parish Relations Committee) is like the Human Resources Department in a company. SPRC has done a great job filling all church staff positions. We have a new music director, Haley Steele, a new pianist, Eva Finke, a new custodian, Don Treml, and a new pastor, me. If you are happy with our service to the congregation, please let SPRC members know (Marcia Ellis, Dale Waugh, Julie Scheel, Dominic Petit, Mike Karnowski, David Longsine). In case you feel that our church staff needs improvement in certain areas, please let us know in a kindly manner. We would appreciate your feedback and we will do our best to improve the situation. If you would prefer to talk to SPRC members, please focus on the issue, not the person, as Henry Ford once said, “Don’t find fault, find a remedy.”
As far as our church’s building project is concerned, I would say to you, “To begin is half done.” Our Building Committee and Church Council have done a superb job to get the ball rolling. I can almost see the ground being broken and smell the cement being poured. As you know, every worthwhile endeavor requires prayers, human effort, and monetary support. As your pastor, I would say to you, “Please help your church with what you can.”
Antoine de St-Exupery said, “A pile of rocks ceases to be a rock when somebody contemplates it with the idea of a cathedral in mind.” Building a new sanctuary is an exciting and joyous undertaking. May God bless us having fun building our new sanctuary!
Finally, let me remind you of Jesus’s saying in Matthew 28:19, “Go and make disciples of all the nations.” Our church members should reach out to all kinds of people and invite them all to be a part of God’s great big family. Let people know that our church welcomes people from all walks of life.
What does God want from us? “Do Justice; Love Kindness; and Walk Humbly with God!” - Micah 6:8
Grace and peace to you all!
Pastor Jerry