November 2011 - South Congregational Church

Our Mission is to be an
inclusive community of
faith that preaches
the word of God,
teaches the love of Jesus
Christ and reaches out
to all through the
Holy Spirit.
An Open and Affirming
Congregation
Inside this issue:
Words from Rev. Whiston
Christian Education News
Did You Know
Thank You Note
Interim Financial
Committee News
Quo Vadis
Sunday Worship 10:30 am
(Nursery Care provided)
Sunday School
Classes
10:30 am
Hymn Sing Sundays
(last Sunday each month)
10:15 am
South Congregational Church United Church of Christ
November 2011
Words from our Minister
Stewardship Sunday, November 13
Stewardship is far more than finances; it is faith-based at
its very core. From the Old English word 'styward' stewards were entrusted to care for resources for the good
of the wider community. It is no coincidence that most
churches conduct their Stewardship Campaigns in the
fall, reflecting the spirit of the harvest and returning to
God a proportion of the bounty from the fields. We too
return a portion of our bounty and wealth to God, a
practice I have long preached and followed; proportional
giving to my church.
Many have asked, 'what shall I give...what shall I make
for a pledge to support South Church in the coming year?'
One healthy goal put forth by our United Church of
Christ is the 5% practice or one dollar/week for each one thousand dollars of income. While this may initially seem 'more than I can afford,' it is a goal that
many have found can be achieved in incremental steps. In this way, our budget
becomes more than a financial document but truly becomes a theological
statement on both the 'income' and 'expense' columns. This is who we are and is
a road map of our desire to extend the love of Christ to God's people. Charles
HANGING OF THE GREENS
Faith communities often gather to welcome the Advent Season,
joining hands and efforts to reflect the beginning of a new church
year as well as to strengthen the bonds of shared relationships.
This year South Church will celebrate the "Hanging of the Greens"
with a variety of activities on Saturday, November 26 from 10:00am to 12 noon.
(You will note that this is the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend as Advent begins
that Sunday.) Several activities for which we both welcome and need you will be
going in simultaneously.
Church Interior - Preparing the sanctuary for worship; hanging all the wreaths,
candles in the windows, artificial tree, hanging the Moravian star, mitten tree and
the like.
Church Exterior- Bringing out and putting in place the Nativity Scene outside the
church front door area.
Community House- Families will be making Advent wreaths to take home as well
as creating Christmas decorations-downstairs. Others will be assembling our South
Church Advent devotional booklet - upstairs
Then, we conclude with a potluck luncheon at 11:30. Bring your favorite left-over
turkey dish. Imagine the creativity! It is planned for all ages and abilities, indoors as
well as outdoors - good food and good company. All this brought to you by the
Worship Task Force.
A Message from Christian Education
by Kelly McLaughlin
Each week in Church, one of my favorite moments
As of this printing, our Community Middle
is right after the Children’s Message when one of
School group and our High School Youth
our beautiful children carries the candle down the aisle
will have gone to Pumpkin Valley Farm
toward the back of the sanctuary. No matter how many on the evening of Friday, October 28th to
times I see it, I am touched by the seriousness with
navigate our way through the corn maze.
which each child performs their duty and the pride in
We will bring our flashlights, patience
their faces as they lead the children off to Sunday
and laughter as we twist and turn in the
School. I think that many of us see this as the point in
LARGE maze shaped like a lobster. If you
the service when the business of worship begins for the know of ANY interested youth who would
adults. In reality, it represents the same thing for our
like to join us in our youth group outings,
children. Like their parents in worship, our children
please let me know.
join together in prayer and song. Like their parents in
worship, our children listen to Bible verses, albeit in
story form. Like their parents in worship, our children
gain understanding of God’s lessons, although their
Our children will have received their Bibles
sermon takes the form of varied and fun activities.
on Sunday, October 23rd during our church
Lastly, like their parents in worship, our children
service. This year, prior to this Sunday, I met
participate in an offering of gifts.
with our third and fourth grade children on
Friday, October 21st to look at their Bibles
We ask our children to participate in an offering
with them. We highlighted some favorite
because it teaches them the scriptural principal of
passages, made bookmarks to keep our
giving, and because our faith values outreach to
places, read some Bible stories together and
others. Each year, the Sunday School class donates
their offering to a special cause. Sometimes these
found where the Lord’s Prayer is located in
are local organizations with which the children are
the New Testament. We ate a simple supper
familiar, such as the Animal Welfare Society of
together and sat by the fire at my home while
Kennebunk. Sometimes they are organizations that
we had a chance to explore our new Bibles.
help children and their families in other parts of the
world like UNICEF and Heifer International. It is a
special experience to see a young child trying to
Church School Fun
decide between the gift of a chicken or a goat.
By Beth Gachowski
Please consider helping your child bring a weekly
Our Father who does art in heaven,
offering to Sunday School this year. The amount
Harold be thy name. What?! We have
of a child’s offering is not important (pennies are
been
working
in Sunday school to make the
welcome), but rather that they have the opportunity to
Lord’s
Prayer
part of the children’s lives in a
participate in the joy of giving. In Deuteronomy 16:17,
meaningful way. Our goal is not only for the
we read that “Every man shall give as he is able,
children to learn the prayer so that they can
according to the blessing of the Lord your God.”
participate in our church services more fully
I think that applies to each child as well.
but also that they understand the message of
the prayer. To that end we have repeatedly
read the story of how the Disciples were
!
taught the Lord’s Prayer . We have done
er
nni f
e
J
played games that involved the words to the
ou
nk y
Tha
prayer. We have played charades and
pretended to call God on the phone. We have
done cooking projects involving “our daily
bread”. In all of these activities the children
had a lot of fun, supported each other and
The beautiful bulletin board about prayer in the downstairs learned what it means to pray. Hopefully you
will be hearing more young voices join the
hallway of the church was completed by Jennifer Merry, a
member of the Board of Christian Education. If you haven’t congregation when we say the Lord’s prayer.
had a moment to take a look, there are many prayers that
you can take home with you.
A Thank you Note
Dear South Church Friends,
Norman and I are very grateful for your loving support these past few months. Your cards,
notes, and thoughtfully planned dinners truly nourished us—body and soul— during the
difficult days of my father’s death, and some serious complications with Norm’s illness.
With each act of kindness we were reminded of the goodness of God, our connection to one
another, and the presence of the Holy Spirit with us. What a blessing it is to be part of the
South Church Community!
Many Thanks,
Judy and Norm Merrow
A special invitation to our children.... Stuffed Animal Sunday on November 20 !
Bring your favorite to be part of the Children's Message that morning.
Spaghetti/BINGO night coming up!
Come and join us for all you can eat spaghetti, garlic bread and salad on Friday, November
4th from 5:00pm to 6:00pm at the Community House. At 6:00, we will play BINGO and
give away prizes that our high school youth have collected from area businesses. Dinner is
$5.00 per person, $20.00 per family and each BINGO game is $1.00. We will play about
10 games of BINGO. All proceeds from this evening will help our high school youth get to
Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, MS for our mission trip in January. Thank you to Scott Baker
for his generous donation of spaghetti, sauce and sausage.
As we go to print, details are being finalized for an ecumenical Community
Thanksgiving Service. Stay tuned through weekly announcements in the Sunday
bulletin or give the office a call, 967-2793.
A mission trip to the Gulf Coast is in the works for January 14-21, 2012. In the past
several years, we have participated in the Katrina Recovery effort in New Orleans. This year,
our efforts shift eighty miles to the east; to BackBay Mission in Biloxi, MS - an outreach
program of our United Church of Christ since 1921. We have spaces for up to 18 participants
and already a number of adults and our high school youth are preparing to go. Please let Rev.
Charles know by November 20 if you wish to participate. A brief information session takes
place after worship on that date.
You will see enclosed is a year-to-date interim financial statement. You will
note that our pledges are significantly lagging. Remember, that we voted a deficit
budget at our annual meeting based upon a pledge goal of $251,000 and $219,000
received at that time.
Central Board has voted to gratefully receive the gift of a memorial bench to be located
on our rivergreen from the family of Linda Broughton. A long time member of South
Church, she was active in many groups including the Deacons, Women's Association and
Fellowship. Linda joined the church in 1990.
Christmas Poinsettias -While it might seem early in the season, forms will be out in a
couple weeks by the office door for those wishing to provide a poinsettia plant for
worship or for one of our homebound members. Sarah has more information in the
office.
Circle of Giving Shop ~ Coming Again this Advent
The Outreach Board is busy organizing the Circle of Giving Shop’s second season.
Given the enthusiastic response from last year’s grateful shoppers we are anticipating
another exciting season! The shop, open during the fellowship hour each Sunday of the
Advent Season, will offer both meaningful giving and convenience through gift donations
to carefully selected charitable organizations. These organizations address a variety of
issues including hunger, poverty and education. Gift cards are available which have a
brief description of the organization and inform the recipient that a donation has been
given in their name. Last year, 60 gift donations were purchased for family, friends,
colleagues, business associates, teachers and others. These gifts totaled nearly $3,000.00,
going to eight organizations working both locally and globally.
Nominating Committee will begin its work to seek individuals to fill our boards and
committees in the new year. Would you like to assist in this process? Do you have
special skills and interest that might serve the church well and strengthen the casue
of Christ? Do let Rev. Charles, Cindy Brockway (chair of Central Board) or
Kathleen Chapin (vice-chair of Central Board) know of your interest. Thank you.
Recent additions to the library F/SHA Shaffer,Mary Ann The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
F/STO Stockett,Kathryn The Help
220.8/SWE Swenson, Allan Foods Jesus Ate and How to Grow Them
252/KIN King,Martin Luther Strength to Love
615.8/DEV DeVaul,Gary et al Champions...Plus:the spiritual journey of
organist Mark Thallander
974.7/STE Stewart,James B. Heart of a Soldier
976.3/ROS Rose,Chris 1 Dead in Attic:after Katrina
The library committee members encourage you to borrow books , but please also
return them in a timely manner so that others may enjoy them.
The Fellowship Committee is in need of more members. This committee oversees the
weekly Sunday coffee hours, and plans social gatherings throughout the year. Members
take turns greeting and setting out food and coffee service (the more members, the less
often it’s your turn!) and attend monthly planning meetings. It’s a low-pressure, fun way
to serve your church. If you would be interested in joining us, please speak to one of us:
Lois Dennett, Jo Dillon, Sue MacCachran, Trish Mason, Ted or Liz Baker or
Rev. Charles.
From the Trustees:
As part of the Strategic Plan that was approved at last year's Annual Meeting,
the Trustees were charged with the task of "developing additional financial support
through more intensive use of our facilities." We have been focusing our attention in
this regard on the Community House. We have continued to see increased costs for
maintaining this property at the same time that we are seeing decreased usage, both by
the church and outside groups. The Community House has always been an asset to the
community with space being available to groups for a small or nominal fee. In addition
to serving as an asset for Community Outreach, the Trustees feel that this building could
also be used as a means to provide revenue for the church. We have been developing
plans that would allow and encourage rental of the facility for private functions.
Many of you attended one of the two recent informational meetings that were
held concerning changes in the Alcohol Policy for the Community House that
this new rental effort would require. While we felt that those in attendance were
generally in favor of allowing for these changes regarding alcohol use, we felt that
the questions that were raised required us to bring forth a more complete proposal to
the congregation. We are in the process of putting together a presentation that
we feel will address the whole scope of the proposed rental plan, including some
Community House renovations to the main room and to the entry.
You are encouraged to attend one or both of the following Informational Meetings to
learn more about our plans. Both sessions will be held in the Community House.
Sunday - Nov. 6 following the morning service
Tuesday - Nov. 8 at 7:00 PM
Seafarer’s Friend “Ditty Bag” Mission
Seafarer’s Friend is “an interdenominational faith-based ministry to the maritime community in
New England,” primarily serving seafarers of foreign vessels. Ditty Bags, part of a longstanding
tradition of the Seafarer’s Friend, are small fabric sacks containing items for the seafarers to use
while aboard ship. Each year hundreds of ditty bags are given out to sailors at Christmas time,
“conveying love, concern and compassion of the church to the men and women at sea.”
The Christian Education committee is once again making Ditty Bags a hands-on mission project for
the Sunday school children to participate in this year. Our goal is to fill 25 bags, about enough to
supply the sailors of one ship. Below is a list of common items needed for the bags. We welcome
your contribution of whatever items you wish, in whatever quantities you wish. If you are unable to
shop but would like to contribute to this mission, we would be happy to receive your monetary
donation and shop for you! All donations need to be received by Sunday, November 13th so bags
can be assembled by the children for delivery to the Seafarer’s Friend by early December.
Knit hat Packs of Gum Bandana/Handkerchief Deodorant Chapstick Comb/Brush
Heavy weight socks
Nail clippers
Deck of cards
Hard candy (Individually wrapped)
Bar soap (Individually wrapped/large bar)
Heavy-duty shoe/boot laces
Toothpaste
Toothbrush (Individually packaged)
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT !
SOUTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, UCC
Interim Financial Summary
January 1, 2011 - September 30, 2011
Actual
Budget
Difference
INCOME
Pledges - Member
Non-Pledged
Offertory
Endowment
Adams Fund Maintenance
Miscellaneous Gifts
Other Income (Rentals,
Weddings, etc.)
TOTAL INCOME
$ 136,002
4,854
17,843
26,250
19,400
8,123
$ 212,472
$ 170,804
3,000
13,125
26,250
12,750
2,250
7,138
$ 235,317
$ (34,802)
1,854
4,718
(12,750)
17,150
985
$ (22,845)
EXPENSES
Salaries & Wages
Benefits
Building Maintenance
Buildings
Central Board
Christian Education
Diaconate
Fellowship
Insurance
Library
Music
Newsletter
Office
Outreach
Professional Fees
Utilities
$ 109,938
48,356
16,214
8,625
267
3,011
5,922
358
13,836
191
3,134
918
4,163
17,067
16,803
$ 108,503
50,270
22,500
7,847
325
2,800
5,631
420
13,550
300
5,288
833
4,947
22,500
1,125
17,200
$ 1,435
(1,914)
(6,286)
778
(58)
211
291
(62)
286
(109)
(2,154)
85
(784)
(5,433)
(1,125)
(397)
TOTAL EXPENSES
$ 248,803
$ 264,039
$ (15,236)
INCOME MINUS EXPENSES
$ (36,331)
$ (28,722)
$ (7,609)
Excerpts from Committee Reports for September Central Board Meeting
Fellowship Committee
“Dine With Nine" will happen October 21, with about 30 people participating.
Women’s’ Association
Craft Fair arrangements are well in hand. All spaces are taken and there is a waiting list.
Set up will be on Thursday morning, December 1 at 9.am and we would love to have help, especially muscle power. Clean up will be on Saturday, December 3 after 4pm when the fair
closes to the public. We would especially welcome some stalwart help then. Please volunteer
your services to Ellen Howes, Morven Troost or any other Women's Association Committee
member.
The Christmas Tea will take place on Tuesday, December 13 at 1pm. Senior Moments,
always popular, will provide entertainment. Invitations will be sent, as always , to other area
churches. If you would like to bake, or help in other ways, Sue MacCachran will be happy to
hear from you.
The bulb and pecan sale is ongoing. October 23 will be the final Sunday to place orders.
Distribution will happen on Sunday, November 13.
Trustees (Bonnie Tahan)
The Trustees voted to recommend the 2012 Budget as submitted from the various boards and
committees. The total amount is $347,819. This figure reflects an increase over last year of
approximately 3.4% which is mostly attributable to higher fuel and insurance costs. We were
pleased to see that this budget included a 3% raise in salaries, an option that had been cut from
the 2011 budget.
A new chandelier has been hung in the vestibule and the two fixtures in the lower level are
being rewired and are expected to be back in place at the end of the month. New upholstery
on the furniture on the upper level will complete the vestibule renovations. We have made
arrangements with the Maine State Prison for this work to be done in its upholstery workroom.
We have been told that this may take several months to complete and are working on providing
some temporary seating arrangements in the meantime.
A Word from the Chair of Central Board
In the next month, we are going to be called to do our part. Stewardship letters are going out
in early November. The nominating committee is just forming. Those of you who serve on a
committee – I applaud you. For those of you who serve as chair of a committee, I give you a
standing ovation. WE are the church. WE are the church within the community. Each time
we respond to a request for help, in whatever form, we are living out the true meaning of
serving God. As you meet and greet other members of our church, please encourage them to
take part. We are all busy, over-stressed, over-worked and under paid. We all are trying to
work through this economy. But if we each do a little, the return is greater than the gift. One
dollar, one meeting, one host, all makes a difference, and spreads the load for all of us to
carry. Thank you for all that you do. Let’s encourage others to do their little part, not as a
chore or a burden, but thankful for the gift of being part of something greater than themselves.
South Congregational Church
United Church of Christ
PO Box 414
Kennebunkport, ME 04046
Phone: 207/967-2793
In the fall of the year,
we pause to admire
Nature’s incredible
beauty as the leaves
of red, gold and orange
travel gently to the
ground around us.
This majesty of autumn
beckons us to observe,
appreciate and seek the
Almighty in our daily
lives.
We are on the web
www.southchurchucc.org
The deadline for submitting
newsletter articles is the 15th of
each month by emailing to:
[email protected].
Created by Martha Larkin, our beautiful
“Quo Vadis” mural in the church library
holds biblical and historical references.
“Wither thou goest.” Where are you going
in your relationship with God?
Art is what we make of it, how it moves us. It isn’t
meant to be perfect., but it can be timeless.