Brian Neville 9/3/25 Brian Neville 9/3/25

Founders Day 2025

To the Congregation of Grace United Methodist Church,

Founder’s Day is September 7th and its one of the most important days of the year for Grace United Methodist Church! Every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day, the church celebrates the start of the new school year as Sunday School resumes and the members of the church who have been at Grace for twenty-five or more years and our members of fifty or more years! If that includes you, we’d love you to join us so we can take time to honor you! You can call the church office to tell us you plan to join us, or look for the congregational email and respond there. Don’t miss it!

Founder’s Day - September 7th 10am-1pm

In the past, Founder’s Day was celebrated on the date of the church’s founding, June 21, 1868. These days, we celebrate all of our members on Founder’s Day, recognizing that it takes all kinds of people to make our church great! We will also take time to read the names of our long-time members, who have given so much to bless and support Grace United Methodist Church and to have their picture taken in the chancel area after church. All of our members and friends are important to us. We are the Imago Dei, the image of God, working and serving in the world. That’s why we have a cookout and something fun for the children, so watch for other details on this event as we celebrate all the incredible work God is doing in and through us!

If you’d like to give a financial gift to Grace United Methodist Church, please use the giving envelopes included, or click ‘give’ at the top. I think of the children that have been part of our VBS Summer Camp for several years now. They continue to learn and grow and become more like Christ as they participate and see the older youth who lead by example. Seeing children grow into thoughtful, helpful, Christ-like youth is one of the greatest achievements of our church! Now is also the time to register your child for Sunday School at gumc.org/sunday-school and you can see all the other exciting events happening at Grace United Methodist Church this fall below. It’s quite a season we have ahead of us! God bless!

In Christ,

Pastor Brian Neville

Brian Neville 7/1/25 Brian Neville 7/1/25

Sabbath Rest

July 2025

To the Congregation of Grace United Methodist Church,

The summer is here and it’s time for a different kind of rhythm! Did you know that many parts of the Bible command rest? It might seem like a strange thing to demand of someone who follows God, but there are many beautiful reasons why this is required. One of them is that it is a way of reminding ourselves that we are free from slavery! We might feel like work or cleaning or taking care of the kids is required, and we can get stuck in a rut with seemingly no options. That’s exactly what sabbath is about. We rest, we renew our bodies and minds, so that we can be free from routines and rhythms and patterns that can become destructive. We are free! I think God celebrates when find ways of being in this world that bring us new life. I hope you’ll find opportunities to do that this summer.

As always, if you’d like to give a gift in support of Grace United Methodist Church, you can use the envelopes at church, go online at gumc.org/giving or mail a check to 555 Russell Avenue in Wyckoff, NJ 07481. Just like last year, we also want to invite those who may be traveling or spending time elsewhere to “pre-pay” this summer. If you have the financial ability to do so, why not give your gift to the church before you leave, so that you can spend that time resting and relaxing knowing that the church has its financial needs taken care of this summer. Every bit helps in these summer months! You can find the summer events happening at Grace using the link below. God bless!

In Christ, Pastor Brian Neville

73 or Older? Want to Save on Taxes and Help the Church?

If you are 73 or older and have a 401(k), 403(b) or traditional IRA retirement plan, you can take your required minimum distribution (RMD), which is required by law to be distributed, and give any amount of it you wish to your church or other charity tax-free! If the money is not given directly to a church or charity you will be taxed on it as additional income. Some people can give Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) as early as 70½, so check with your broker.

We hope you’ll consider giving this special tax-free gift to Grace United Methodist Church. You must have the distribution go directly to the church. It must never be deposited in your personal account, or it will be taxable. You can take advantage of this tax-free giving any time during 2025, but we hope you will help the church by doing this sometime during the summer. A broker can assist you with your distribution, but if you have any questions, you can contact Alma Mader, finance chair, or call the church office at 201-891-4595.

Learn more

Brian Neville 5/31/25 Brian Neville 5/31/25

Late Spring

May 2025

To the Congregation of Grace United Methodist Church,

Late spring is a unique season in the church. After Easter it can feel like we are just biding our time until summer hits, but we have plenty happening at Grace. May and June are different from the rest of the year because there is no overarching theme from one week to the next. We have Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Confirmation Sunday, Children’s Sunday and Father’s Day, just to name a few. Each Sunday we are gathered offers its own beautiful tribute to people in our congregation.

At Grace we are also especially excited about the new ministries happening in our church! Hiring a Family Ministries Director was an important step, not just to help our programs aimed at children and youth, but also in creating new communities. The journey of faith is not just about an individual making a personal commitment to following Jesus Christ. Its also about people joining together to encourage and support one another in pursuit of God. We are hopeful that our Family Ministries Director will connect new groups of people together that will be fundamental in the pursuit of deeper and richer faith.

That’s why the next couple of months in the church are so special. As we encourage mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, children and youth to connect with one another, we can cheer them on in the faith! Join us each week in May and June for a special service every Sunday, as we celebrate the people and communities of Grace United Methodist Church.

You can give a gift in support of our church and mark it ‘Family Ministries’ to ensure the finances are in place for ministries to children and youth in this next year. Use the giving envelopes at church or go online at gumc.org and click ‘give online.’ God bless and thank you for being a vital part of our church!

In Christ,

Pastor Brian Neville

Brian Neville 3/3/25 Brian Neville 3/3/25

Easter 2025

To the Congregation of Grace United Methodist Church,

Easter is always a special season in the church. The world thinks of Easter bunnies and chocolate, or maybe the change of the season as the sun comes up earlier and the beauty of spring surrounds us, but that’s not really the point of Easter, is it? Easter is more than sunshine and special treats. It’s about the transformation that takes place in every human heart when we put our trust in the power of God!

At Grace, we want to be a people who devote ourselves to change in our own hearts as well as change in others around us. When we commit ourselves to the way of Christ, we take spiritual discipline seriously. That’s why throughout Lent, starting with Ash Wednesday, March 5th, we will be exploring The Last Supper on the Moon, a series that is for those who have, “...places in your heart and corners of your mind that feel just as deep and dark and inaccessible as outer space.” I suspect as we explore the vastness and wonders of space, we will find ways to conquer the inner space of our hearts.

Easter will be special for another reason for us, too! We will cheer on Palm Sunday as we celebrate the start of Holy Week. On Holy Thursday we will have a Living Last Supper that reminds us of Jesus’ service and sacrifice for all of us. Then on Easter Sunday the resurrection of Jesus Christ will be front and center as we sing and dance with joy! Our choir will be performing another cantata on Easter Sunday, just as they did on Christmas Eve. We also have our annual Easter Egg Hunt on April 19th, which is always a delight for the little ones. Then the Sunday after Easter we have the Reverend Wayne Plumstead preaching for us! Be sure to join us for our Holy Week services and all the other great events at Grace as we explore the vastness of the universe that we might find peace and a resurrection in our very own hearts. Find everything happening at Grace at www.gumc.org or download our new ‘Ministry Keeper’ app on your phone through Apple or Google.

As always, if you’d like to give a gift in support, you can use the enclosed envelopes and bring it to church. You can also go online to gumc.org/giving or mail a check to the address below. Thank you for being a part of our community and may this Easter truly transform our hearts.

In Christ,
Pastor Brian Neville

Brian Neville 12/31/24 Brian Neville 12/31/24

January 2025 Congregational Letter

To the Congregation of Grace United Methodist Church,

We have now been using our mailed envelope system for a full year, and, by and large, it has been a great success! We’ve increased the total amount of money given by the congregation in 2024, reduced the total time needed by our volunteers and staff to track your gifts, and, perhaps best of all, we have increased our communication with the congregation. Of all the benefits to mailing our offering envelopes, this is the part about which I am most excited. You receive a calendar of upcoming events, you hear about ways you can support the church and I get to write you and share some of the amazing things happening here!

Despite the many challenges facing the church each year, there are so many good things to celebrate! We saw a dramatic rise in Sunday School attendance and youth ministry, the Christmas Fair was more successful than ever since relaunching it and people are growing in their relationship with God. When I have people come to my office and ask about how they can read the Bible in a way that it makes sense, or a confirmand asks a question about why Jesus did something that seems controversial, I know that they are wrestling with important questions that will help their faith grow. That’s what a financial gift to Grace United Methodist Church is – a commitment to helping people grow in faith, from children to adults, from birth to the last breath they take on earth. I hope you’ll join in on this important work and make a commitment to continue or increase your financial giving to the church.

We’ve made one large change in our financial process for 2025. Pushpay was the company we used for several years to process online gifts. That is no longer the case. Instead, we are using Servant Keeper, which is the same company we use for our membership program. This will further streamline our giving and our membership process all while reducing the associated cost. To give online you can still go to www.gumc.org/giving, but you’ll need to register a new account the first time you give. After that, it’s just as easy as before, except now you’ll be saving the church money.

As always, if you would like to be removed from these mailings for any reason, please contact the church office so we can update our records and reduce the associated cost of these mailings at 201-891-4595 (ext. 1) or email Hilda at info@gumc.org. You’ll still be able to find our mailed letters on our website at www.gumc.org/blog. Our church seeks to be an inclusive community passionately following Jesus Christ. Thank you for your contribution toward this important goal and may you experience God’s blessing in your life as you support Grace United Methodist Church.

In Christ,

Pastor Brian Neville

Give Online

Brian Neville 12/1/24 Brian Neville 12/1/24

A Christmas and New Year Celebration!

To the Congregation of Grace United Methodist Church,

In Christ,
Pastor Brian Neville

Brian Neville 8/28/24 Brian Neville 8/28/24

Founder’s Day

To the Congregation of Grace United Methodist Church,

As Founder’s Day approaches, the church is preparing a celebration! Every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day, the church highlights the members of the church who have been at Grace for twenty-five or more years and our members of fifty or more years! If that includes you, we’d love you to join us so we can take time to honor you! You can call the church office to tell us you plan to join us, or look for the congregational email and respond there. Don’t miss it!

Founder’s Day

September 8th

In the past, Founder’s Day was celebrated on the date of the church’s founding, June 21, 1868. After 27 ministers and a relocation from Paterson to Wyckoff, Founder’s Day became a celebration of the twenty-five- and fifty-year members of the church. These days, we celebrate all of our members on Founder’s Day, recognizing that it takes all of kinds of people to make a church healthy and vital. We still take time to read the names of our long-time members, who have given so much to bless and support Grace United Methodist Church and to have their picture taken in the chancel area after church, but we know everyone at the church is important to God. This is what it means to be created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and to love as God loves us (1 John 3:16-22).

Usually we have a cook-out and something fun for the children, so watch for other details on this event, but we hope all of our long-time members will join us, as well as family and friends that may have been away during the summer on vacation. Your presence with us means a lot, too! See gumc.org/calendar for all the other exciting events happening at Grace United Methodist Church this fall. God bless!

In Christ,
Pastor Brian Neville