Ministries at Nichols

The Board of Trustees is responsible for capital improvements, property maintenance, landscaping, endowment fund investments and insurance coverage. We meet monthly to review the status of our projects & finances. (Elected positions) Contact: Rick Perachio, diri53@aol.com

The Communications Team supports all our ministries by making our presence more visible in the community. They are responsible for developing and maintaining the church website, church email communications including weekly Nichols Notes and monthly Carillon, and managing the church's Facebook page and other social media sites Contact: Cindy Nigro, ccnigro@yahoo.com Kate LaPietra, kate.lapietra@gmail.com Jen Hrbek, jenhrbeklcsw@gmail.com Brett Sanford bcsanford@nicholsumc.org

Those Advent decorations, Lenten symbols, Easter flowers, pumpkins and fall leaves you see sometimes on the altars and around the sanctuary and chapel are put there by the Altar Guild! The Altar Guild helps to enhance our worship experience by beautifying the sanctuary and chapel altars with seasonally appropriate items, making sure that paraments and banners are changed in accordance with the liturgical calendar, and caring for candlesticks, baptismal brass and other sanctuary appointments. Contact: Susan Blanchard S2Blanchard@alum.mit.edu

For the 10:00 a.m. service, ushers ensure orderliness of the worship by handing out bulletins, collecting offerings, answering people’s questions and guiding the congregation forward in the sanctuary aisle during Holy Communion. Ushers serve about once a month with a flexible schedule Contact: Diane Perachio, diri53@aol.com

Flowers are delivered after worship each week to our homebound individuals who could use some cheer. If you like making people smile and bringing them joy, then consider delivering flowers! It’s a wonderful way to let those members who can’t join us on Sunday morning know they are loved and remembered. Contact: Nancy Busch, nancinator1952@gmail.com

The Memorial Garden team handles reservations of space, spruces up the garden each spring, and oversees its ongoing care and maintenance. When an interment is to take place, team members ensure that the garden is looking its best, direct preparation and closing of the interment site, and order the plaque which commemorates the person who has passed. Contact: Susan Blanchard, S2Blanchard@alum.mit.edu

The Handbell Choir plays at the 10 AM service on selected Sundays during the year. You do not need to read music to participate but do need to “count”. We use four octaves of Schulmerich handbells and three octaves of Malmark chimes. The group currently rehearses on Tuesday from 6:30 to 7:45 PM. New members are always welcome! You can even join on a “trial” basis to see what is involved in the group. Contact: Gregory Horton (gregorymhorton@comcast.net)

The Chancel Choir sings at the 10 AM service every Sunday from September through mid-June,as song leaders and choral music providers. We currently rehearse every Thursday from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. The health and social benefits of singing in a choir are well documented! We sing a wide range of music from traditional through contemporary. New members are always welcome! You can even join on a “trial” basis to see what is involved in the group. Contact: Gregory Horton (gregorymhorton@comcast.net)

The Prayer Angels is a network of people who pray for the needs, concerns, and joys of our NUMC family and friends. This ministry has been an incredible place of peace for literally hundreds of petitions that have come to us. Prayer is one of the most valuable gifts we can give to each other. Contact: Caryn Hammond, caryn3u2d@gmail.com

The Prayer Shawl Ministry (Knit One, Pray Two) creates shawls, lap robes, scarves, and baby blankets as a physical representation of our prayers and the prayers of the congregation. These are handmade by our members and blessed during a special Sunday worship service, then delivered by the pastor or other visitation members. A baby blanket is given to each baby that is baptized in the church. We also making scarves for those in need in Bridgeport. Contact: Linda Kojalowicz, lindakoja@att.net

The children begin worship with their families in the sanctuary and participate in the Children's sermon with the Pastor. They then come to Sunday School where they take part in a lesson! We encourage anyone that loves working with children to volunteer. Other activities that children participate in throughout the year include: Christmas Pageant Vacation Bible School Easter Egg Hunt Live Nativity Contact: Madison Mascola at madisonjmascola@gmail.com

The Youth Ministry is for students in grades 6 – 12. The first weekend of every month we have an outing and then every Sunday thereafter we meet from 4 - 6 PM. The schedule for Sundays consists of games, dinner, prayer, and a faith based lesson. We also have movie and game nights. We are always seeking opportunities to connect with other youth groups and participate in other faith based activities. We have 2 retreats every year. During the summer months we meet for pool parties. Check out the NEWS page for the Summer 2024 Schedule of Activities. Contact: Chrissy Ferrante, chrissy842001@comcast.net

NUMC ASP is a Christian ministry open to high school youth that fosters spiritual growth through completing home improvement projects in Central Appalachia. Our goal as volunteers is to give hope and help to impoverished families while making homes WARMER, SAFER and DRIER, and offering transformational experiences for volunteers and homeowners alike. Additionally, this youth ministry program empowers students to grow in faith and fellowship through their service. Contact: Sue Graham, sg1413@aol.com

For over thirty years, NUMC has been preparing sandwiches for the Merton House program. A group of people come together on the third Saturday of each month to make and bag over 300 sandwiches to deliver to the Thomas Merton House Soup Kitchen to be distributed to people homeless and individuals in need Contact: Dee Blewett, howdee50@sbcglobal.net

The community supper program began at Golden Hill UMC more than 35 years ago. Once a month, our volunteers go to Golden Hill UMC’s kitchen to prepare meals to be distributed to the homeless. GHUMC provides everything to prepare, cook and package meals for curb side pickup. Takes place on the fifth Wednesday of the month Contact: Roland Redin, rredin3063@aol.com, 203-375-1129

The NWIF advocates for issues involving women, children, and youth. All women in the church are welcomed and encouraged to become involved. We meet monthly on the 2nd Wednesday of the month for a luncheon and program. Past programs have included topics on music, health, history, religion, art, etc. We also have a book club which meets on Saturday morning monthly in the lounge. Contact: Dottie Mills, 475-299-2148 Judy Doyle, judyd700@gmail.com

Yes! Youth are always welcome (including crying babies!). If you have children 3yrs and under, you are welcome to sign them into our Nursery. The nursery has toys, arts and crafts and the most caring providers. They will even assist with bottles, diapers, and toileting if needed. At our 10:00am service we have a Children's Sermon about 10 minutes in and then most of our school age children depart with our education staff to participate in Sunday School. Parents can enjoy some peaceful time with God or if there child needs a little extra help they can join them at Sunday School

Our lot is located behind the church and can be entered into via Shelton Rd or Center Rd. If this lot is full, you may park across Huntington Tpke at the gravel NIA lot. Please use the lighted crosswalk when crossing Huntington Tpke.

As we say in our Invitation to the Table, "Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin, and seek to be at peace with one another." If you can say you do or have done these three things, you are welcome to receive. Additionally, all baptized Christians, of any age (including infants) and any Christian denomination are welcome to the Lord's table. It is Christ's table. He welcomes all who are baptized in his name, and so do we. Our church receives communion of bread and grape juice (gluten-free bread is also available). For more information on Methodist Communion practices, please read this helpful article

8:00am is a more traditional service with Holy Communion that takes place in the chapel. 9:00am service is for those that enjoy a more relaxed worship service with contemporary music in the sanctuary. 10:00am is our largest service and one which has a traditional structure. As well, our children's Sunday School takes place about 15 min after the start of this service. There is also nursery care available for children 3 and under. Many choose to attend the 10:00am service and subsequent fellowship coffee hour afterwards to catch up with other attendees.

Congregants can become a member of NUMC in 2 ways: being baptized into the church taking membership vows If you or a member of your family would like to be baptized or take your membership vows, please contact the Pastor. For more information on Methodist Membership read this article

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" - 1 Corinthians 10:31 Our church is active, multi-generational, generous and kind and we love to have a good time in glory to God. We engage in family-friendly game nights, speed friending events, potlucks, summer picnics and more. If you are looking for a place to feel a sense of belonging, Nichols is the perfect choice

Services and some ministries reduce their meeting frequency during the summer months. Sunday School for children continues in the summer, as well as Vacation Bible School which runs for 1 week. Please check our schedule via the church calendar, home page, or news page for more on summer worship times