Deaconess Connie Glover gave us a presentation telling us of some of the programs that she has created in the Penn Yan area, including the PY Community Cafe. Article by Joyce L. Wiedrich 04/02/2026 Our Bible study this week centered around the scripture from John 11: 1-45. Pastor Jeannine first ask the children if they ever cried when they fell down or when they were sad, or even because someone else cried. It was mentioned in the Bible three times that Jesus cried, including when his best friend Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha died. When Jesus arrived after being summoned when Lazarus was taken ill, he had died and already was in the tomb. Jesus was able to raise Lazarus from the dead and then rejoiced. This was another one of Jesus‘s miracles. We were fortunate to have a wonderful presentation from Deaconess Connie Glover in church this week. Connie started the Penn Yan community Café out of the PENN United Methodist Church 17 years ago. The community café has dinners twice monthly with takeout in addition to a sitdown dinner. She also had started community Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve dinners. Through Keuka advocacy services, Connie helps people in need with utility, housing and enrollment in programs, including finding and obtaining birth certificates and identification when needed. People need these items to sign up for many services. She also has started a weekend, food pantry, and a senior meal program with seven meals a week at Saint Marks in Dundee. Miss Connie‘s house is in progress which is going to be a woman’s shelter. There also is a warming and cooling center in progress. Connie needs not only financial support but volunteers to help with these many programs. One of her main goals is in helping people find jobs and financial independence. Thank you, Connie in enlightening us in ways that we also can help. On this coming Sunday we are passing the bucket for the community café. We’re invited to join the Tenebrae service on Monday Thursday, April 2 at 6 PM at Dresden UMC. There are many services and opportunities during Lent in our community. Our sincere condolences to the family of Meredith Nielsen who passed away recently. Her memorial service will be later this spring. Meredith was a lifelong member of Bluff Point United Methodist Church. She was able to come to church with us as recently as this January. Meredith remained active in church throughout her lifetime. She participated in many church activities and events including Bible study, church committees and road cleanup. Meredith was loved by all and will be missed. Our Easter service will be at 9 AM Sunday, April 5. Please come and join us as well as all of our other Sunday services.

We have a vibrant prayer shawl ministry. Pastor Jeannine has the children put their hands and pray on a prayer shawl for one of our congregation members who is facing surgery. Article by Joyce L. Wiedrich 03/26/2026 Pastor Jeannine asked the children how many of them liked music. Music is such an important part of our church. She looked at the hymn of Amazing Grace- always a favorite. She also looked at the hymns of To God be the Glory, and Blessed Assurance. Those two hymns were written by Fanny Crosby. Fanny got an eye infection when she was an infant as a result of this diagnosis and misdiagnosis she became blind. She looked at the blessings she had, and not the vision that she had lost. In her lifetime she wrote thousands of hymns and poems to glorify God. She could’ve been bitter, but instead, she was thankful for her life and what God had given her. God loves us! In our lessons today, we saw how Jesus used mud to plaster on a blind man’s face and restore his vision. Before this he had been a beggar. Jesus saw this man in the crowd who had been blind since birth. Jesus had the man wash the mud off his face, and his vision was restored. He felt the man was the light of the world. Pastor Jeannine asked us do we come to the light and believe in God? When the light of the world is in our midst, we need that shut our eyes and not be blinded by the light. Don’t forget that Palm Sunday is also music Sunday. Bring a friend or relative to church on Music Sunday on March 29th. Music Sunday is a beautiful celebration with our choir and children participating.