Dear Friends,
 
     March 15th is the deadline for yearend reports.  Please make sure to check your work.  Next year’s shared ministry fund will be based on numbers you submit.  Some of the information that has come in has been questionable.  One of our district churches submitted a report listing 60 million dollars in UM Giving.  Pastors are to be reminded that they are responsible for the accuracy of the information on the year end reports.
 
    Please come join us at San Pablo-Centenario UMC, 739 Mt. Prospect Ave., Newark, NJ, 07104 on March 14, 2010 for the Gateway North District One Great Hour of Sharing Rally. It will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.  All are Welcome!
 
Bishop Devadhar will be participating in this celebration.   Bishop Felton May will be our guest speaker.  The One Great Hour of Sharing offering provides administrative funding for UMCOR.  Right now UMCOR is focusing on our outreach in Haiti.  We’ll share a time of memorial reflection regarding Haiti and we’ll have a brief presentation about the UMCOR work taking place there and the other areas hit by recent earthquakes.

This gathering is part of the initial process of developing a Gateway Urban Ministry Project.  Our initial efforts will focus on Newark and the 16 churches in the urban area around Newark.   We’ve held meetings with the leadership of the Newark churches.  We’ve met with pastors in the area.  We are in the process of attending local churches in Newark to ask congregants to share their dreams for future ministry.   We want to celebrate the good ministry that is happening, expand those efforts with the infusion of assistance and create new outreach.  Bishop May is providing leadership for this new venture in ministry.
 
We will expand this project across the district, in order to strengthen local churches and assist them in their outreach to the community.  We hope to garner resources from across our district, across our conference, throughout our denomination, ecumenically and within the community.  We want to do those things God is calling us to do, especially those things we can do together, which no local church could do on its own.  Every church can contribute the ministry of its people to working together in the name of Jesus Christ.
 
On March 14th, we will be celebrating the ways in which we are sharing Christ with those around us, dreaming and planning for the future those things that we can do together, which we would not be able to do separately, and having a collection for UMCOR.  Come prepared to share what your church is doing and what you hope to do.

My prayer is that we'll have a commitment from those individuals and churches present to continue to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, with Bishop Felton May as God's chosen leader, as we plan for an exciting future.  Please join me in that prayer.
 
 
     Please pray for the family of  Mrs. Bettilou Holland, who passed onto her eternal reward Friday morning.  She was the wife of E.T. Holland, former D.S. of the Northern New Jersey Conference mother of Dr. Tom Holland and mother in law of Rev. Clarissa South Holland, pastor of UMC in Green Village.  The memorial service will be held on April 10, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at Newton UMC.

     Please pray for Mrs. Rebecca Carvajal, mother of Rev. Ricardo Ramos, pastor of El Redentor and Linden UMC.  Mrs. Carvajal has been in poor health and is undergoing testing.
 
       Please pray for SookHee Yoo, wife of Rev. Daniel Yoo, pastor of Korean Union UMC, Rahway, while she continues to fight her battle with leukemia.
 
       Please pray for the new granddaughter of Pastor Sonia Cancel, pastor of Calvary UMC, Kearny.  Baby Natalia was born yesterday at 11:15 a.m. weighing 4 lbs. 15 oz and she is 18 inches long.  She was born prematurly and both she, her mother Christina and her extended family need our prayers.
 
       Please pray for Mrs. Alice Rogers, mother of Pastor Innica Humphrey, pastor of Hilton UMC.  Mrs. Rogers was admitted to the hospital yesterday and is undergoing testing.
 
       Please pray for our clergy families across the district, particularly those pastors in transition. 
 
       Please pray for Bishop Devadhar and the entire Cabinet as we continue to work on appointments.
 
       Please pray for Bishop May and the Gateway Urban Project.
 
       Finally, please pray for all the churches and all the people on our district.
 
 GATEWAY NORTH RESOURCE DAY
On April 15, 2010, both the Clergy Session (8:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.) and Everyone Welcome Session (7:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m.) will be held at Verona UMC.  Our Speaker will be Bishop Michael Coyner.  The topic will be Connecting Newcomers to Christ in the New Century based on his book “A Race to Reach Out”.  
 
GATEWAY NORTH RESOURCE DAY
On May 6, 2010, both the Clergy Session (8:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.) and Everyone Welcome Session (7:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m.)will be held at Community UMC in Kenilworth.  Our Speaker will be Kelly Sisney.  The topic will be Humor in Ministry.    You can visit her website, www.kellysisneycomedy.com  for more information. 
 
GATEWAY NORTH DISTRICT CONFERENCE
The District Conference will take place on Sunday, May 16, 2010 at Livingston UMC, from 3:00-5:00 p.m.
 
GATEWAY NORTH TRANSITION WORKSHOP
The Transition Workshop will be held on May 24th, 2010 at Summit UMC
 
 
CHURCH AUDITS DUE
All Church Audits are due June 1st, 2010.  Any Church that needs help, please contact the Gateway North office immediately.
 
GATEWAY NORTH RESOURCE DAY
On November 2nd & 3rd, 2010, the Clergy Session (8:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.) and Everyone Welcome Session (7:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m.) for both days will be held at Vincent UMC, Nutley and our speaker will be Stephanie Hixon from JUSTPEACE. 
LOCAL CHURCH NEWS
If you have any church events that you would like to promote events on the district website, please email them to Rev. Brenda Ehlers at gatewaynorthnews(at)morowmem.org.  They need to be to Rev. Ehlers by the 20th of the MONTH BEFORE you would like them announced. 
 
     Thank you for making a difference!
 
 Bob Costello
Rev. Dr. Robert E. Costello
District Superintendent
Gateway North District
26 Montrose Ave.
Verona, NJ  07044
Phone : 973-571-0313  Fax: 973-571-0315