June 2016 Newsletter

June 2016
THE PEACE OFFERING
Church Staff
Rev. Pam McGrath
Pastor
Diana Cohen
Director of Music
Sheri Damon
Director of Children & Youth
Sam Spencer
Church Sexton
Mary Vallas
Office Administrator
Worship Service
June 5
10:00 am Communion
Service
Last Day of Sunday school
11:30 am Council Meeting
6:30 pm Youth Meeting
June 12
Beach Sunday
10:00 am Worship Service at
Humarock Beach, Scituate
Scholarships awarded
June 19
SUMMER HOURS BEGIN
8:00 am Youth leaving on
Mission Trip
9:30 am Worship Service
June 26
9:30 am Worship Service
The Pastor’s Note
Rev. Pam McGrath
Summertime, and the Praying’s Easy
Summertime! Sun, beach, gardening. But what about church?
We’ll still have church every Sunday this summer. To be sure, some of you
will be on vacation some or all of the time - but we’ll still be in prayer each
week. We’ll still be experiencing God each week. And we’ll still be there for
each other.
But even when you’re not in church with us, is there a way you can let God
be in your life?
If you’re at the beach, can you let the waves be your prayer partner? As
they go in and out, can you pretend they are the breath of God? Can their
sound be God inhaling and exhaling? As the waves go out, can you release
your pain, anger, and stress? As they come in, can you take in gratitude,
healing, and forgiveness?
If you’re working in your yard or garden, can you become present to God’s
creation? Can you notice it’s minute details? Can you find things small and
large to thank God for? How about noticing how important you are to the
things that grow in your yard - and just how small we all are, in comparison
to the enormity of creation? At the same time, can you celebrate being
part of that creation?
As you drive in your car, can you turn the radio off and have a little
gratitude conversation with God? Can you name what you’re grateful for,
happy to be alive for?
(continued)
72 Old Main Street | PO Box 2 Marshfield Hills, MA 02051
Tel: 781-837-3784 Web: northcommunitychurch.org
Email: [email protected]
Office Email: [email protected]
All are welcome!
The Peace Offering
June 2016
Page 1
(continued)
We who live so close to the ocean certainly have a lot to be grateful for. Some families
save for many years just to spend a few days near the beautiful sea, that we can visit any
day of the year. Even so, gratitude can be a little easier to come by in the summer, when
the sun is high, birds are singing, and we can wear flip-flops instead of snow boots. (Well,
it’s easier for me, at least!)
Gratitude is one emotion that can not only change your relationship with God but can also
change your relationship with the people you love and even with yourself. Choosing gratitude is, I believe, the first step to living a life filled with joy and peace.
So that’s what I’ll be doing this summer: being grateful for you, and praying that you
choose gratitude. It’s the best way I know to stay in relationship with God and to help our
congregation be vibrant. Will you join me in taking advantage of the joys of summer, as an
opportunity to focus on the joys of our lives?
In addition to our weekly services, we’ll have some potluck dinners this summer, too, as
part of our Churches Alive program. So you’ll have a chance to be close to your church
neighbors as you discuss what you’re grateful for about North Community Church—as well
as what you’re hungry for. As we share good food and good conversation, we’ll have the
chance to remember that we’re connected and that we’ve made a promise to each other
to remain connected as a church. (The dates and times for these dinners will be available
early in June.)
Don’t forget: church will start at 9:30 am, beginning June 19 and through Labor Day.
We’ll have worship on Humarock Beach on Sunday, June 12, and in the church garden the
first Sundays of July, August, and September.
I look forward to joining you at church, at the ocean, at the potluck dinners, and in all of
our prayers of gratitude!
Blessings,
Rev. Pam
The Peace Offering
June 2016
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Tending the New Creation
8 Week Sermon Series
“And if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”
- 2 Corinthians 5: 17
What does it mean to be a “new creation?” We all yearn for renewal, but are we willing to pursue it? How is our own personal renewal connected to “new creation”, in others, in our communities, and in the world itself? “Tending” means to lean in the direction of something. To “attend” to
something is to nurture it, grow it, build it, pay... “attention!” So this is what we will do on the 8
week journey (in bold below) toward the New Creation Christ intends for us!
June 19
Re-Creating the Sabbath
June 26
Steve Aucella preaches
July 3
Expanding Kinship
July 10
Planting with Care
July 17
Worshipping at Trinity Church
July 24
Living Out Loud
July 31
Healing Old Wounds
Aug 7
Sharing the New Creation
Aug 14
Rev. Philomena Hare preaches
Aug 21
God's Economy
Aug 28
Breaking Down the Walls - Trinity Church worships here at NCC
The Peace Offering
June 2016
Page 3
Message From The Moderator
Michael Sullivan
Help Us Grow
I have some summer reading for you. For starters, everyone in the congregation should
read the recent in-depth reporting by the Boston Globe “In Search of Sanctuary”
(for those who missed it, here is the online version): https://apps.bostonglobe.com/
graphics/2016/05/sanctuary/ or alternatively https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/
bigpicture/2016/05/20/search-sanctuary/nRkgDAuegHuexrAREusOXL/story.html )
It is the story of a UCC church in Medford Massachusetts coming to the realization that their
once-successful church had to adapt to changing times and changing demographics. A sober
read.
On a more inspirational level, “The Turnaround Church” shows how a small, struggling UCC
congregation of two dozen (here in Quincy MA) made the changes that resulted in
a vibrant, Spirit-filled faith community congregation of 100+. (http://www.amazon.com/
Turnaround-Church-Inspiration-Life-Sustaining-Change/dp/1566993938).
This is an uplifting example of positive change in action.
Another good read that applies to our congregation would be:
"The Myth of the 200 Barrier: How to Lead through Transitional Growth”
(http://www.amazon.com/Myth-200-Barrier-through-Transitional/dp/0687343240).
While the conventional wisdom suggests that it is easier for bigger churches to grow, this
author debunks this as myth. Some interesting ideas here for us to consider.
There are many other books out there as to how to optimize church growth. Why am I
giving you a reading list for the summer? Well, precisely because our “Churches Alive” team
will need input from the entire congregation over the next year. And the more ideas you
have as to what our congregation should look like in 5, 10, and 20 years the better and
more effective our upcoming conversations will be. So please read away this summer!
Next year is going to be a great year for our church community and even more so with your
input and guidance.
Peace,
Michael Sullivan
The Peace Offering
June 2016
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Youth & Sunday School News for Summer 2016
Sheri Damon, Director Youth & Children
“We know what we are, but know not what we may be.”
- William Shakespeare
Sunday School
June 5th is the final day of Sunday school. We will be having an end of the year party and need youth
and adult helpers.
Youth Mission Trip
Our mission trip departs for Bar Harbor Maine, on June 19, 2016 , at 8:00 am
Beach Service
June 12 at 10:00 am, at Humarock Beach. Nursery staff will be there to help with small children and
will have some buckets, shovels, etc. Youth are to arrive at 9:45 to help hand-out passes in the parking lot. All high school youth mission trippers are asked to attend. Scholarships will be handed out at
this service as well!
Vacation Bible Camp.
Mon 8/22-Thur 8/25. Registration will began June 1. Please share this news! The VBC will be great fun
and we will “travel” to Norway. Volunteers are needed.
Confirmation Class will be held again next year for all youth who will be in grades 7 and 8 in
September or entering grade 9 if they have not already attended Confirmation Class.
It will be a wonderful year of spiritual growth and exploration. Please let Rev. Pam know if your
family is interested.
Back to Church Sunday
Back to church Sunday will be Sunday, Sept. 11. Part-time Sunday school teacher needed.
Please contact Pam or Sheri to get details.
Thank You,
Sheri Damon
The Peace Offering
June 2016
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Calendar of Events for June 2016
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
1
11am Bible Study
Fri
Sat
2
3
4
9
10
11
16
17
18
5:00 pm
Community Dinner
5
10:00 am
Communion
Service
of Worship
Last Week Of
Sunday School
6
7
7:00 am
Men’s Bible
Study in
Gilmore Hall
8
11am Bible Study
12:30 Community
League Luncheon
11:30 am Council
Meeting
6:30 pm Youth
Meeting
12
10:00 am
Beach Service at
Humarock
13
14
7:00 am
Men’s Bible
Study in
Gilmore Hall
Scholarships
awarded
15
11am Bible Study
Last day of Bible Study
until Sept. 7
19
20
21
22
23
24
7:00
am
Summer Hours
Men’s Bible
Begin
Study in
8:00 am Youth
depart for Mission Gilmore Hall
trip
9:30 am Service of
Rev. Pam away until June 29. Rev. Philomena Hare is covering Pastoral duties
Worship
26
9:30 am Service
of Worship
Steve Aucella
Preaching
The Peace Offering
27
7:00 am
Men’s Bible
Study in
Gilmore Hall
28
29
June 2016
30
25
1
Summer
Office Hours
begin.
Tues - Thurs
10 - 2
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NORTH COMMUNITY CHURCH
June 2016 Bulletin Board
COMMUNITY DINNER
June 1
The church hosts Community Dinners on the first
Wednesday of the month from 5-6pm in the Parish House. All are welcome to join us for a free,
home-cooked meal and good company.
For more information or to help out, contact:
Dawn Opstad ([email protected])
COMMUNITY LEAGUE LUNCHEON June 8
The Community League will host its annual Spring Tea
at 12:30 pm, on Wednesday, June 8th, in the Parish
House of the North Community Church, on 83 Old Main
St., in Marshfield Hills. Bill Hayes and Skip Twomey will
entertain us with their songs and guitars. All are
welcome to join us for a buffet lunch and fellowship The
cost of the luncheon is $5.00 for members and $7.00
for non-members.
Rev. Pam will be away
from June 20
returning June 29
Rev. Philomena Hare will be covering pastoral duties
You may contact Philomena as follows:
(c) 781-724-9835
[email protected]
Church Office Hours
Tuesday - Friday 10:00 am to 2:00pm
(Tuesday - Thursday from July 1 to Sept. 2)
Email: [email protected]
The Peace Offering
June 2016
"Detox Your Life Naturally"
-by Dr. Linda Sparks, N.D
June 29 at 6:00 pm
Dr. Linda Sparks is a Naturopathic Doctor who
focuses on treating the cause of disease and ill
health. We live in a very toxic world and dependable information on how to help ourselves can
be hard to find. Dr. Sparks will explain what to
watch out for and simple ways to lead a cleaner
lifestyle. She will also give tips on how to detoxify
naturally everyday. Come share some organic
herbal tea, healthy snacks and time tested health
boosting habits!
Please RSVP to:
www.blueridgenaturalhealth.com
SOWING SEEDS
If you are looking for a volunteer spot to help
our Marshfield neighbors in need, why not join
the nearly 150 volunteers at Sowing Seeds?
Right now, drivers are needed to transport people to medical appointments locally or in Boston. There is a lot of flexibility; when a ride is
needed, you respond only if you are available at
that time.
To take advantage of this volunteer opportunity, please call Sowing Seeds at 781-8373337. Thank you!
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Serving You on Sunday Mornings, Volunteer Opportunities
Want to find a closer connection?
Want to do something with meaning?
Have one afternoon or time every month?
Here is a list of things we need your help with at
NCC:
Welcoming—meeting new people, inviting new
folks to sit with you, coffee conversations with new
friends, sharing what you love….
Beautifying—painting, decorating, gardening,
flower planting, sweeping, plastering….
Tending—making meals, telephoning, visiting,
sending cards…..
Deacons
Assist the minister in worship and as needs arise.
Contact Steve Shipman at
[email protected].
Liturgists Needed!
If you can read and speak, you can be a
liturgist! Nervous by all the friendly faces looking at
you? Don't be, because if you're reading, you won't
even see them! Give it a try, you'll be glad you're a
part of the worship service! I am ESPECIALLY looking
to get the youth of the church to be a liturgist.
Contact Kari Powell at 781-837-7920, or email her at
[email protected]
We need you and you need us—call or text
Rev. Pam at: 781-424-3103
Children’s Sermons
Assist the Minister in providing a
Children’s Sermon before Sunday School. Contact
Rev. Pam at 781-424-3103.
More opportunities to help...
Sunday School
Sunday School helpers wanted.
Contact Sheri Damon at:
[email protected]
Ushers
Have you ever attended Sunday service and wondered, “Wow! Those people handing out bulletins
and participating in the service seem really great; I
wish I could do that!”
Well, here’s your opportunity. If you’re
interested in serving as an usher, contact Steve
Shipman at [email protected].
The Peace Offering
Flowers
All year long, volunteers are needed to arrange or
donate flowers on a Sunday morning. Please call
Lainie Grable at: 781-834-7200 for more information.
Coffee Servers Needed!
Urgent Need for Coffee Servers.
Sign up at the Parish House or call Eva
Gilarde at 781-834-6967. Thank you!
June 2016
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