THE CHURCHMOUSE
Transcription
THE CHURCHMOUSE
THE CHURCHMOUSE Newsletter of The First Congregational Church, Canton Center, CT September 2016 From the Pastor Rev. Brenda Pelc-Faszcza Making Our Way Forward Working for an inclusive community of love and justice doesn’t mean throwing all of us with our various beliefs into a big blender so that our believing and belonging become homogenized. It means being able to celebrate difference and argue for our point of view without wanting to imprison or kill those who differ from us. - Alan Jones You might be chuckling at this, if you are a dyed-in the-wool Congregationalist, born and bred in the church of I’ll-think-my-own-thoughts-thank-you. Or if the United Church of Christ, with its Congregational ancestry and continuingly congregational polity, is your adopted church rather than your original church. You might think the chances are practically non-existent that our varied beliefs and perspectives would ever be all homogenized into one flattened-out, smoothed-out sameness that would no longer reflect all our different points of view as individuals. We know how impossible that would really be. Still, that doesn’t mean the fear of the flattening doesn’t cross our minds, especially when important and potentially controversial subjects are in front of us to be wrestled with and figured out, as they inevitably will be for congregations. Sometimes I actually do hear people express an apprehension about that, a fear that in seeking communal affirmations in a church – things we can come to claim together as aspects of our common identity and purpose as church – we would need to silence or disparage those points of view that are somewhere on the spectrum other than where the collective position ends up. This fear, I have learned, leads some congregations to decide they won’t deal very openly with anything very controversial, which, of course, leaves them not dealing with anything very important. We have a new church program year before us. We are entering the next phase of what is now an extended transitional path for this church. The next pastoral search won’t be just yet… first we are going to take some more time to identify the things that we think are most important in the moving forward and to look at them together as honestly and openly as we can. As we continue to ask “Who are we?” and “What are we here for, as a church?” we can be sure there will be differently framed responses. When we ask what it means, in 2016, to practice love and justice, we might find that we don’t all give the same answer. Once we ask about anything important, we’ll surely find that in some things, we've got different ideas. And when we do, we won’t be trying to throw them all into one big blender. Rather, it will be our work to express our own points of view directly and honestly, to listen to those of others the same way we want them to listen to us, and to be the kind of community where each of us and all of us feel perfectly safe in saying how we see things. If we are honest, respectful and loving in all we do, we’ll have the kind of path forward that we want. And in a hyper-polarized culture, we will model an alternative way to be a community of human beings who can bring differing perspectives and experiences to bear on all important things… and still care deeply about the bonds of belonging that underlie all important things. Faithfully, Rev. Brenda The Churchmouse Page 2 Christian Education News Confirmation Class, 2016-17 September Bible Study Wednesday, September 28, 2016 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon Our Confirmation Class of 9th graders will be gathering in late September to begin their year together. It will be an opportunity to explore and reflect on the "what" and the "why" of Christian faith, to lift up the questions we have, the wonderings that surface, the affirmations that take hold.... We'll visit some other places of worship as we explore why human beings worship at all, and what the framework of religion has to do with whole and healthy lives. And we'll help each confirmand work toward the creating of a personal faith statement at the end of the program. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) Part I Rev. Brenda will be the main leader for Confirmation this year, and will be identifying an additional adult mentor in the church for each confirmand -- faith partners who will be part of the journey in significant ways as we go along. (This theme will be continued into October and November sessions.) Watch for a listing of our class participants and mentors, and updates about their experiences this year! Sometimes thought of as the centerpiece of Jesus' teachings, the Sermon on the Mount (which appears only in one gospel of the four) is a challenging, provocative and central body of Christian themes. It includes the Beatitudes, the Lord's Prayer, "Love your enemies," "Consider the lilies...,"the log and the speck, and many other teachings that challenge our ordinary way of seeing things. Come for small-group conversation with others around these texts and their meanings for us. Facilitated by Rev. Brenda. All welcome, no particular Bible study background is required. SUMMER YOUTH MISSION TRIP THANK-YOU DINNER: SEPTEMBER 25 The SYF'ers would like to express their thanks to the church for their mission trip experience this summer. We went to the Heifer Farm in Rutland, MA In August, and came back with many stories, new knowledge, and a much deeper understanding and appreciation of the gifts of food, shelter and good health. Please join us on Sunday evening, September 25th at 6:00 in the parish hall. The SYF'ers will provide a dinner which will include recipes from Peru and East Africa, and dessert! Also provided will be a video presentation of the trip, story telling, and a group activity. Don't miss it! The Churchmouse Page 3 Christian Education News Come for Gathering Sunday on September 11th! Registration for the upcoming church school year will begin at 9:30 a.m. on that day. Children will report to their classrooms to meet and greet their teachers. Registration and medical release forms were recently mailed out, but if for some reason you did not receive one, don’t worry – we’ll have plenty of extra forms available on Sept. 11th. Please bring completed registration forms to your child’s classroom or fill out a form that day. It is important that we have a form each year for each student ages birth to 18! All children will begin in worship with their families at 10 a.m., and then process to the classrooms at the designated time. After church, plan to stay for the All- Church Picnic. Please bring a side dish or salad (last name begins with letter A-M) or dessert (last name begins with N-Z) to share. The C.E. and Wider Church Fellowship Committees will provide hot dogs, hamburgers and drinks. Christian Education Volunteers are still needed for this year. Please consider helping out in one of the following areas: Nursery: we need helpers to watch and play with our little ones while parents are at worship. If you love to play with pre-schoolers, please consider offering your assistance in our Nursery! Junior Youth Fellowship Leaders: Pick a month to help plan and lead an activity or event for our 6 th8th graders. We like to have something planned after church once a month. It can be here at the church or off site. Some activities in the past have been movies, mini golf, games, or bowling. Senior Youth Fellowship Leaders: We will need volunteers to help plan and oversee activities for our high school students. In the past, this has often involved a Sunday evening supper with fun activities at someone’s home. It’s a wonderful opportunity to get to know these wonderful young people! We will especially be looking for SYF parents to step up and offer to host at least one activity this year – so please begin to think about how you can help! Don’t forget your summer rays of light project! At the beginning of summer, we handed out paper stars and diamonds for you to take home and jot down ways that you shined or you saw others shining. Bring your stars and diamonds back to church on Gathering Sunday, September 11, and we will create a collage depicting how bright we are! Good luck and God’s blessing to all our young people who are starting school either close to home or off at college. Our thoughts and prayers are with you! We are continuing to search for a “Director of Faith Formation for Children & Youth” – in the meantime, we need all of you to consider how you can help out in maintaining our programs for children and youth. Thank you in advance from your CE Committee members: Bob Oswald (chair) Katie Mankowski Andy Rees Cindy Webb Casey Levine Dennis Mitchell Linda Solomon Diane Mankowski Nancy Parshley Cliff Walker The Churchmouse Page 4 Trustees News Polly Rice, Chairperson What a busy summer it's been! The summer months allowed the Trustees to work on projects in and around the church. Projects completed are: carpets cleaned throughout the church, painting of the walls in the sanctuary below the chair rail, trees have been trimmed around the property, corner boards on the building will be replaced. Our church secretary left us in July - leaving a gaping hole in our staff needs. Brenda, Cora and I spent the last month creating the advertisement for the secretary, culling through the 30 resumes that were submitted, interviewing seven candidates and choosing our new secretary. Please welcome Kristen DiMattia we are very excited to have her join our church staff and have her get to know our church family. Look for the upcoming information about the Stewardship Campaign that will start in September. I had many conversations with Bill Borchert to help him move along the projects to refurbish the schoolhouse. Bill tirelessly worked to have our church receive a generous check which is funded by a direct contribution through the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. A major step has taken place - the outside of the schoolhouse has been painted. Take a look at the schoolhouse next time you are in Canton Center! Special Thanks for Summer Help in the Church Office While we were without a church secretary for more than a month this summer, there were many tasks that had to be done by others, both for regular ongoing office functions and for the process of finding and hiring a new secretary. Thank you to all the church members who offered assistance in various ways. And special thanks to Polly Rice (Trustees), Cora Mutch (President) and Rina Pane (Assistant Treasurer), who gave enormous amounts of time and energy to cover all that needed to be done. Welcome to Our New Church Secretary! We are pleased to share the news that Kristen DiMattia began as our new secretary on August 29. She comes to us with ten years' experience as the secretary for St. John's Episcopal church in Bristol, so is well acquainted with the workings of a church office. As she becomes acclimated to our particular church, please be sure to stop and introduce yourself if you are in the building. Kristen has lived in Bristol all her life, and is the mother of four: Lauren, 23, Josh, 18, Julia, 16, and Alex, 15. Her free-time interests include painting and traveling. Her hours in our church office will be 9 to 4, Monday through Friday, and she can be reached by email at [email protected]. Music Notes Mary Lou Keefe, Director of Music START UP DATES FOR CHOIRS Senior Choir: Sept 12th Handbell Choir: Sept 8th On September 12th, Marilyn Larose will be hosting a pot luck dinner for the members of the Senior Choir. As well as dinner, there will be a short rehearsal. Time to be announced. The first meeting of the bell choir on September 8th will take place in the music room with a listening session. Regular rehearsals will start up on September 15th. The Churchmouse Page 5 Deacons’ Bench Kathleen J. Byko, Deacon Sermons & Songs on Our Website We hope to see our congregation’s members and friends in person at Sunday services, to share fellowship and build a spirit of Christian community. One of the key tenets as followers of Jesus Christ is that we are not intended to stand alone in our faith, but rather to join with others in building up His kingdom here “on earth as it is in Heaven” thru worship, works and mutual growth – a community of believers sharing the journey. Yet there are times when life’s demands keep us away on Sunday. Work, travel, health issues, kids’ schedules impinge on weekend personal time. Sometimes it’s plain old fatigue, physical or mental, wanting a break from that Sunday morning commitment. Thanks to the efforts and skills of some dedicated individuals in our congregation, we are blessed with a beautiful, engaging website that brings Rev. Brenda’s weekly sermons and some of our special music to anyone with an internet connection! Our website address is www.cantoncenterchurch.org – not hard to remember, right?! The home page features six rotating pictures which offer a glimpse of the breadth of FCCCC’s scope, a visual invitation to our Church community. Which is your favorite?? Notice how thoughtfully they’ve been assembled, with a flow to invite you in, enrich and inspire, and carry you back out into the world. Just below those picture-images are good-sized “icons” – simple graphic symbols, along with a descriptive word or two – which will take you to that topic with one click. For instance, you’ll recognize our familiar Churchmouse in choir robe to take you to the monthly newsletter! “Sermons & Music” are represented by a traditional ‘play’ button icon, the right-pointing triangle within a circle. Click or tap the icon to pull up a page of “Sermons & Other Highlights: Selected Recordings from our Services” and scroll down to choose a sermon by title/date or a piece of music presented during worship. When/Why Listen? Listen to a sermon or music while driving in the car, gardening in your yard, cleaning house, waiting in the doctor’s office, recuperating in bed. Mobile devices bring it anywhere you want! Take a tablet, iPad, or smartphone along when visiting a shut-in and play the music/sermon for that person to hear. Offer spiritual nourishment as well as the opportunity to be connected to the Sunday experience of our church, hearing what we hear and using it as a springboard for meaningful discussion if appropriate. Revisit particular parts of a favorite sermon: you can bookmark or note the time of the clip to return to a specific part that you want to listen to and think about more. If brave enough – or foolish enough – to discuss religion with family/friends, I can refer them to Rev Brenda’s actual sermon rather than rely solely on my paraphrasing, which is never as eloquent or thorough in building up the logical and spiritual train of thought to carry the conversation adequately. Her words and manner of presenting say it best. Members and friends who haven’t been around FCCCC for a while can get acquainted with the philosophy and approach of our new-ish minister, Rev. Brenda Pelc-Faszcza, by listening to her sermons online. Rev. Brenda has been leading our flock for a whole year now and is our “designated” minister, not a short-term interim position. Those of us in attendance are very pleased to share the uplifting, thought-provoking messages she offers us each week. We want you to get a hint of what you’re missing, and come back to see us in person! Refer a friend or neighbor to our website for them to get a feel for our church and our minister. Alleviate some potential hesitance about showing up and feeling awkward or pressured in a new environment. We think they’ll like what they see and hear! Our dual goals for recorded sermons and music are OUTREACH and INVITATION: reach out to those unable to attend on Sunday morning with spiritual enrichment, and, invite those who can to join us in person for the holistic experience of Christian community. There is SO much more to our website: it was crafted with thoughtful intention in every detail. Perhaps we can do a scavenger hunt sometime to find all the history and symbolism tucked within! The Diaconate is so very appreciative of the incredible time and talent invested by our master web creator Dennis Mitchell, aided and abetted by Bob Oswald and Jerry Alonzy. Please enjoy this treasure and tool for the journey. Listen and hear the messages that God is still speaking! The Churchmouse Page 6 Missions and Outreach Kristin Oswald, Co-Chair The Missions & Outreach Committee worked throughout the summer to help out those in need which, unfortunately tends to be year-round. Our garden tending skills were rewarded with 10 deliveries of vegetables, including summer squash, zucchini, broccoli, cucumbers and lots of tomatoes, to the Canton Food Bank every Tuesday morning. Many thanks to Art Mauger, leader of the garden box mission project, Carol and Dave Heyer, Kathy Pickrell, David Polyestewa, Steve Byko and Bob and Kristin Oswald for handling all the chores associated with cultivating these garden boxes through to delivery of delicious, healthy food for Canton families who greatly appreciate fresh produce in their diets. (picture of veggies will be included) Kristin Oswald helped a Canton youth sentenced with Community Service duty to complete her 20-hour assignment by supervising weeding and harvesting of the garden boxes, cleaning nursery toys and sweeping and mopping some of the Church School classrooms on two Saturday mornings in July. Gail Macbeth collected, collated and delivered 12 school backpacks filled with church member-donated school supplies. Kristin Oswald brought another four late drop-offs to our Wellmore representative, Jennifer Dion, who reported that our church’s donations fulfilled their requests and that she is very grateful for our Church’s generosity. On Saturday, August 20th, our church was one of several who participated in a town-wide Interfaith Blood Drive which was held at the Church of Latter Day Saints. Kathy Pickrell and Kristin Oswald volunteered at the Registration table and Canteen for the first part of the 9am-1pm event where 39 donors came in and were able to provide 34 pints of lifesaving blood. Each of those donations could save up to three lives! Thank you to Kim Treadwell, Carole Fisher and Kristin Oswald for making fruit salad to serve at the post-donation rest stop. September Mission Box collection will be snack items for the weekend backpack program, to be given to Gifts of Love. Respectfully submitted, Kristin Oswald Co-Chair, Missions & Outreach Committee Becoming a "Green" Church Through the Church Assessment Tool (CAT) that we completed in January, 2016, more than two-thirds of our congregation expressed the view that we should become a "green church," meaning that we become more knowledgeable and intentional about our use of resources and develop practices to help us be good stewards of the earth and of our church's own resources. The United Church of Christ has a "Green Church" program that involves several levels of "greenness," with clear steps and goals for each. There are lots of materials and resources available, we just need to have a coordinating team to help us become more focused on this as a whole church. If this is of interest to you -- adult or youth -- please speak up, we need you! Please contact: Rev. Brenda at [email protected], or at the church office, 860-693-4581. Page 7 The Churchmouse Connecticut Conference, U.C.C. Report from the 149th Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ (CUCCC), June 10-11, 2016, at University of Hartford By Kim Treadwell and Jim Magennis The 149th Annual Meeting was primarily comprised of three components: prayer/worship, business meeting, and discussion sessions. The business meeting focused on 4 resolutions that were brought to a vote. Increase the per capita contribution rate to the CCUCC in 2017 from $8 to $10. Resolution approved. Implement gender neutral restrooms at churches and at annual meeting sites – resolution approved. Ask CUCCC state lobbyist to support state mandated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and increase renewable energy resources in CT. Resolution passed Ask CUCCC state lobbyist to oppose further legalization of marijuana in CT to approve it for recreational purposes. Resolution opposed. Implement enactment of minimum wage of $15 per hour by CT legislature and support that minimum wage in the congregations of the CUCCC. Resolution on hold due to lack of time. Discussion Sessions In September 2015 the Boards of RI, MA and CT UCC Conferences voted to adopt a resolution to use the 2015-2016 program year as a season of discernment regarding federating or merging the three conferences in the 2016-2017 calendar years. Multiple focus groups to discuss the potential merger of CT, Mass, and R.I. UCC conferences were conducted, results funneled to CUCCC staff. Groups discussed the following structured questions: What are the resources, programs and services that your Conference currently provides for your local church? How has your church been elivened through interdependence and collaboration with other congregations? How might your church’s witness be strengthened through a new partnership with the other two Conferences? How would you imagine your church in 5 or 10 years from now? Mow might your local church be different if RI, MA and CT were to become partners? What are you concerns and wonders about the possibility of an emerging partnership? YOU CAN WEIGH IN An online survey is available to all members https://www.research.net/r/RIMACT More information about CUCCC can be found at http://www.ctucc.org Page 8 The Churchmouse First Congregational Church, Canton Center A Leadership Orientation Event Sunday, September 18, 2016 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. For all elected lay leaders of the church (Church Council members, officers, delegates, all members of all committees) and staff President, Vice-President, Council Member-at-Large, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Clerk, Deacons, Trustees, Christian Education Committee, Music Committee, Missions & Outreach Committee, Nominating Committee, Delegates to the UCC Farmington Valley Association and UCC Connecticut Conference, Wider Church Fellowship Committee, Publicity Chairperson, Strawberry Festival, Harvest Fair & Chicken Pie Supper Chairs, Staff Facilitated by our pastor, this will be an opportunity for all those serving in church leadership to review together our leadership structure as a system of interdependent parts and the communication, coordination and support efforts that can help us all work best together. Moving Forward: Exploring "Open and Affirming" (ONA) Through the Church Assessment Tool (CAT) that we completed in January, 2016, more than half our congregation expressed the view that we should explore the possibility of officially becoming and Open and Affirming (ONA) congregation. In response, we are looking to embark on that process in this upcoming church year. ONA congregations are those who intentionally adopt and make public a statement of inclusiveness, indicating that all are welcome to participate fully in the life of that congregation, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, mental or physical ability, or economic status. Statements of inclusiveness can be variously worded, as they are created by each local church, but they all reflect the same basic commitment to full inclusiveness as an embodiment of love and justice in a faith community. Using tools provided by the United Church of Christ, we would engage in a process of conversation, education, discernment and decision-making as a church, over a period of months. The Church Council is seeking a small number of church members to be a coordinating team who will work with Rev. Brenda to develop our process. If you have an interest in this issue and/or are willing to work on moving the process forward, please contact Brenda at [email protected] or at the church office phone number: 860-693-4581. The Churchmouse Page 9 THE SCHOOLHOUSE PROJECT Update on the Refurbishment of the 1848 Canton Center Schoolhouse If you have recently been by the church, you may have noticed that our historic little one-room schoolhouse across the road has been painted -- the paint job entirely funded by a direct contribution through the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. We are excited that our plans to refurbish this 1848 "jewel of a building with historic significance" (as on architect has called it) are moving forward! The hope is to be able to complete additional needed work (such as a new roof and various miscellaneous repairs) so that this building -- once South Center District School, later Cherry Brook Library, now belonging to the church -- can be offered in an outreach to the wider community as a venue for such possible uses as art exhibits, small performances, children's recitals, and other kinds of cultural events, while keeping it a part of the historic charm of Canton Center for years to come. More information will be forthcoming as the needed funds for the ongoing work are sought from individual and community donations. We are grateful to Bill Borchert for his continued stewardship of this effort if you have any questions about the project, or interest in supporting it, please contact Bill directly at [email protected] or at [email protected]. SCRIP IS BACK! September is here! Services at Canton Center are back and so is Scrip! The “Scrip Store” will be open in the parish hall every week, at 9:45am and again during coffee hour. During these periods, you can purchase gift cards, which will be available for pick up the following week, and pick up cards you ordered the week before. You can pay by cash or a check made out to the church – be sure to note “Scrip” in the memo line. In another month or so, we should be able to have an inventory of popular cards for immediate purchase. However, since we need to buy those in advance, we need to make enough money first! Remember, Scrip is an easy way you can help raise money for the church by buying gift cards for everyday expenses like groceries, gas, clothing, restaurants and gifts. The best part about Scrip is that you pay for exactly what you get and the church makes money by purchasing the gift cards at less than face value. The key to a successful program is to make Scrip part of your weekly routine! You’ll be amazed at how quickly the funds raised add up and how YOU are making a difference. See Casey Levine or Karen Needham for more information, and visit www.shopwithscrip.com to see the full list of retailers. The Churchmouse Page 10 Church Family News PRIME TIMERS LUNCH SEPTEMBER 14th at 11:15 a.m. Congratulations to... The Prime Timers group will meet at the church at 11:15 a.m. on Wed., September 14, and carpool to Lost Acres in Granby, for lunch. We'll sit on the porch and have a yummy buffet! It was a great time last year, so be sure to put this on your calendar. Karen Needham, on the birth of grandson Clay Alden Rosenthal on July 22, 2016. Parents are Jenn (Karen's daughter) and Keene Rosenthal. Jim and Gina Magennis, on the marriage of their daughter Megan to Nick Milo, July 30, 2016, in Fayetteville, West Virginia. Anyone is welcome. Contact person: Gail Macbeth, 860-677-5050. MEMBER-TO-MEMBER CARING MINISTRY “We cannot seek health or well-being or justice or kindness or compassion ‘in general.’ Action is always specific, concrete, Individualized, unique.” One of the most profoundly important ministries of a church is the embodied expression of care among its members for each other – concrete, individualized acts of support, compassion and presence…a visit, a call, a card, a ride, a meal. We have a group of dedicated church members who are intentional about offering care to other members, as needs become known. The group meets periodically with the pastor to review needs. We encourage our congregation as a whole to keep this ministry in mind, and to let needs to be known -- sometimes what we think is widely known within the church is not, and situations come and go where we would like to have offered some form of care, had we been aware. It's a good idea to start by contacting the pastor if you have a thought about a need, your own or someone else's. Where appropriate, the pastor can engage other church members from there. The Churchmouse Page 11 September 2016 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 AA 11:00 p.m. 4 5 Labor Day Worship 10:00 with Communion 12 Worship 10:00 Gathering Sunday 7 AA 7:00 pm 13 Sr. Choir Pot Luck Trustee’s Meeting 7 pm AA 7:00 pm Boy Scouts 7pm 18 Worship 10:00 Committee Leadership Workshop 11:30 a.m. 25 19 20 9 10 Handbell Choir AA 11:00 p.m. Al Anon 11 am 14 15 Prime Timers Lunch 11:15 am 16 Council Meeting 7 pm AA 11:00 p.m. Al Anon 11 am 21 17 22 23 24 AA 11:00 p.m. Boy Scouts 7pm 26 AA 7:00 pm 27 Worship 10:00 Mission Trip “Thank You” Dinner 6:00 pm 8 Deacons Meeting 6:30 pm (Office Closed) Boy Scouts 7pm 11 6 Al Anon 11 am 28 Bible Study 10:30-12 noon Boy Scouts 7pm AA 7:00 pm Al Anon 11 am 29 30 The Churchmouse The First Congregational Church (United Church of Christ) 184 Cherry Brook Road P O Box 133 Canton Center, CT 06020-0133 Rev. Brenda Pelc-Faszcza Interim Pastor The First Congregational Church 184 Cherry Brook Road PO Box 133 Canton Center, CT 06020-0133 Office Phone: (860)693-4581 Kristen DiMattia, Secretary E-mail: [email protected] M-F 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Pastor Phone: (860)693-4207 Rev. Dr. Brenda Pelc-Faszcza [email protected] Director of Christian Education & Youth: Phone: (860)693-4182 [email protected] Organist/Director of Music: Mary Lou Keefe [email protected] We’re on the Web! Visit us at: www.cantoncenterchurch.org NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE PAID AVON CT PERMIT NO 426 **Change Service Requested**