From the Pastor - Harrisena Community Church

May 2015 From the Pastor “Praise God, from whom all blessings flow! Praise him, all creatures here below! Praise him above, ye heavenly host! Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!” ~ Thomas Ken, 1674 “Keep calm and carry on.” ~ Anonymous British civil servant, circa 1940 For me and my family, this has been a year of firsts, appearing swiftly on the wing. First house sale; first major packing endeavor; first move with two small children; first day of preschool for Maudie and first day at a new school for Ephraim; first Christmas at our home instead of traveling (peaceful!); first imposition of ashes on Maundy Thursday (which moved me to tears); first Easter (blustery sunrise service and all!); first reception of new members; first baptisms here at Harrisena (Lucas, Madeline, and Brooklyn). And it has been (and I believe will continue to be) a year full of blessings large and small. The landscape’s beauty still stuns me. Traffic is so calm here (relative to Boston, at least)! Kevin is able to motorcyle and has returned to his firefighter/EMT roots while also contributing to a worthy cause at Glens Falls Hospital by managing Amanda’s House. Cultural opportunities abound. We have made new friends who are fast becoming fixtures in our lives—you all are family to us already (I have memorized a remarkable quantity of congregational phone numbers, which gives me joy). We have embarked upon and completed some significant projects at the church, with more to come. We have all worshiped and enjoyed delicious food together many times, thanks to your generosity and your excellent culinary skills. I know many of your voices without sight and recognize many of your signature handshakes, gestures, and hugs now. I have sat with some of you during illness and at times of ending, and I have cried and laughed with you during those turning points. I enjoy the companionship of Rev. Monty and Dodi Robinson, as well as Rev. Clayton Burgess and other local clergy, as colleagues and friends. All of these new strands of experience have enriched my life immeasurably. “Praise God, from whom all blessings flow.” Yes! I believe I will. And with blessing comes busy-­‐ness. Even as the languid days of summer approach (uncertain though that approach might sometimes feel, given the wacky weather patterns of late!), our family of God is ramping up for a rich, productive, and beautiful month of May. On Sunday, May 3, at our usual worship time of 9:30 AM, I will have the honor of being installed as your pastor. This service marks a traditional event in church life, when a congregation covenants finally and fully with its chosen shepherd. We will have been together officially for nine calendar months—just about as long as it takes to craft a human being from scratch. Not a bad omen at all, as we look forward to what I pray will be many lovely years together of a life that, in God, is always renewed! On that day, I will be honored to welcome my father, Rev. Dr. Everett Carlton Goodwin; my mother, Mrs. Edith Jane Gray Goodwin; Rev. LaMont Robinson; and Mrs. Dodi Robinson to our service as guest participants.
1 On Saturday, May 9, we will enjoy the longstanding tradition of our ecumenical boat cruise. I’ll be wearing a hat and some serious sunscreen and will see you there! On Sunday, May 17, at 1 PM, our Youth Fellowship will offer a lunch and a screening of The Breakfast Club in honor of the movie’s thirtieth anniversary, followed by a conversation about teen experiences through the years. All are welcome—particularly parents of tweens and teens and their children. Intergenerational conversation is our aim. What was your adolescence like? What is it like to be a teen now? We hope this event will open communication doors for folks of all ages. On Sunday, May 24, we will honor those who have passed during this year from our mortal sight into the heavenly realms at our Memorial Sunday service. Please join us for a moving service of remembrance and celebration. Our Youth Retreat takes place June 5-­‐7; our theme, “What Shapes Us?” And on Sunday, June 7, we will honor our children during our annual Children’s Service. Look out for some wonderful video moments and great contributions from our youngest family members. See what I mean? A rich, productive, beautiful time! Hence the second quote at the top of my note—
“Keep Calm and Carry On.” New life—all life, actually—is inevitably messy and a little chaotic at times, but we are managing magnificently here on Ridge Road. Thank you all for your grace and truth. You bless me, as well as my family, every day. Rev. Leah Grace Goodwin From the Choral Director Over the last several months, I have had the blessing and privilege to meet many of you in the Harrisena family. From the first day, on which members welcomed me with open arms; to the Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, and Easter services; and during many coffee fellowship opportunities to share together, I have been immeasurably moved by the love, trust, and support that all of you have given me as I embark on this new chapter with you and our pastor, Reverend Leah. My deep love and passion for music have found a home here, and my relationship with the Spirit of God has been rekindled at Harrisena. I’d like to share with you the spiritual confirmation of my calling here to your church as choir director. During the Rally Day service on September 7—my first service—my knees were shaking from nerves. And then the sun inexplicably grew brighter and brighter through the chancel window, offering its warmth, as we shared the beloved tune “Here I Am, Lord” with you all. I can’t tell you how moving it was for me to watch this moment happen as the choir sang to you. If this isn’t a confirmation and gesture of God’s marvels at work at Harrisena, I don’t know what else could be. I have grown to love each and every one of you whom I’ve met, in both the congregation and the choir. Each of you has a special gift, and I know that in the future we will continue to share the spiritual uniqueness of our church family, both here in the Harrisena Church and in the community at large. I am beyond ecstatic and excited by the progress the choir has made and how our relationship has deepened in the past months, and I am truly proud of their hard work. Please know that my door is always open to you all, and that any concerns, ideas, and thoughts are always welcome. And we are always seeking new singers of any age and skill level! Rehearsals are on Wednesdays, 7:30-­‐9 PM, from September till June. My email is [email protected]. I close with a quote that crystallizes my perspective of music as a whole in our lives, and that I hope will serve as inspiration for the future of the choir and of music in general here at Harrisena: “Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything." – Plato Dan Donovan 2 A Note on Membership and the Walk with Christ Special Dates in May Are you considering membership or baptism? Would you like to explore the next step in your spiritual journey and discipleship with Jesus Christ? Do you have questions that you’d like to “bounce off” of someone? Rev. Goodwin is always honored to walk with you as you discern God’s unique call in your life. Contact her at [email protected] or 792-­‐1902. In addition, if you have returned to the church after an absence and would like to re-­‐affirm your membership in the congregation, we are delighted to welcome you home! Rev. Goodwin would be pleased to speak with you about formally renewing your active membership status and/or observing that renewal during worship. Sun., May 3, 9:30 AM: Installation of Rev. Goodwin as pastor; Rev. Dr. Everett Goodwin preaching Sat., May 9, 4:30 PM: Ecumenical Boat Trip on Lac du Saint Sacrament, Lake George Sun., May 10: Mother’s Day Tues., May 12, 7:30 PM: Council Meeting Sun., May 17: Ascension Sunday Sun., May 17: Showing of The Breakfast Club and parent-­‐teen forum, 1 PM, Robinson Hall Tues., May 19, 10 AM: PEO Meeting/Lunch Sun., May 24: Pentecost & Memorial Sunday Mon., May 25: Memorial Day Holiday Fri., May 29: All Scholarship Applications are due at 5 PM Sun., May 31: Trinity Sunday; Private Party in Robinson Hall Fellowship Committee We served approximately 45 people at the Maundy Thursday meal before the service. The simple but delicious meal was well received as a return to the true spiritual meaning of this important Christian remembrance. We offered a choice of donated chili or soup, with a side of cornbread. Our thanks to all who helped and donated food! The committee also served approximately 35 people for the Easter Breakfast after the sunrise service; this meal was served family style. (The committee did not meet at the April Council time due to all the time spent during Easter.) Respectfully Submitted, Fellowship Committee The Fellowship Committee: Nancy Wilder, Lynda Scurlock, Shelley Durkee, Judy Sullivan, and Hal Payne Scholarship Committee The Scholarship Committee announces the availability of scholarships for the 2015 academic year. Students graduating from high school, as well as those presently enrolled in college, are invited to apply. Scholarships are reserved for Harrisena Church members and their children (you may re-­‐apply even if you have received a scholarship in the past.) Completed applications must be received by Friday, May 29, at 5 PM. Applications can be found on our website, www.harrisena.org; or a hard copy can be requested from the church office (792-­‐1902). 3 Christian Education Children’s Sunday is June 7th. Please mark your calendars! In preparation for this important event, we are creating a video featuring the children to present on that day. Peter Pepe will be videotaping the children during Sunday classes on April 26 and May 3. Our theme is “Making a Difference.” We will be highlighting how our children make a difference among family, friends, the community and the church. With parental permission, the videotape will be shown to the congregation at the service. Excerpts from the tape may also appear on our Harrisena website and on Facebook. We would like all of the children to participate. Please try to bring your child to church on at least one of these Sundays. The children require no prep for this taping. They are perfect just as they are! The Red Book Shelf program continues. You may recall that the goal of the program is to circulate children’s books into the community, where they will be made available to families for free. The program is designed to increase book ownership in families, in hopes of fostering a lifelong passion in children for reading. Picture books are the most popular for young families. Look for the red box in Robinson Hall to donate any gently used books you might have to this very worthy cause. This summer, Robinson Hall will be transformed into a mountainous winter wonderland for the outstanding Vacation Bible School program Everest: Conquering Challenges with God’s Mighty Power. Vacation Bible School (VBS) will be offered to all children in the community with at least one year of preschool experience and older. We are also looking for preteen and teenage volunteers to act as crew leaders, as well as adults for supervision. Everest is a free program chock full of music, crafts, games, Bible lessons (many led by our pastor, Rev. Leah), and great things to eat! It all happens July 6-­‐10 from 9AM to noon. We hope your child will join us and bring a friend. Registration will begin soon. Watch the bulletin for more details. Are you interested in joining our Christian Education staff for next year? No experience is necessary—we train. If you would like to learn more about what we do, please talk to any teacher on the team. You will be glad that you did! Thank you to Joy Bundrick and Betty Valastro for helping us make butterflies with the children on Easter Sunday! The Veggie Tales Easter video provided by Kevin Baxter was enjoyed by all! If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Gigi Barrett or Reverend Leah Goodwin through the Church Office. Thank you for sharing your children with us. It is a joy to see them walk through the door each week! Gigi Barrett and your Christian Ed Staff Missions Committee In April, in addition to our regular monthly contributions to Family Services and our PLAN Children, Missions made contributions to a fund to help support Kory Kosinski and his family as they seek treatment for his orthopedic condition that will require several surgeries. Kory and his family live in Queensbury. We also contributed to Action Against Hunger, an international hunger relief charity, and we provided a meal to Christ Church for one of their Saturday dinners (this meal served more than 100 people!). We also brought several bags of groceries to Family Services to help keep their shelves stocked in this time of increasing hunger in our area. Thanks to your generous donations, we continue to reach out to help those in need. There are so many needs, so many good causes. We try to address local, regional, and international needs. We are one community, whatever our size. As always, we welcome your ideas and input. Phyllis Straut, Lynn Gauger, Marian Philo, Deanna Payne, Linda Hudon 4 Worship Committee: Installation and Lay Participation Update Spiritual Spring: On October 30, 1944, Aaron Copland’s music and Martha Graham’s choreography brought new meaning and insight to the life-­‐giving flow of an Appalachian Spring. On May 3, 2015, the music of our Chancel Choir, with Dodi Robinson as a guest singer and under the direction of Mr. Daniel Donovan (who has written a new choral anthem for the occasion), as well as the words of Rev. LaMont Robinson, Rev. Dr. Everett C. Goodwin, and our pastor Rev. Leah G. Goodwin, will join together to bring new meaning and insight to the spiritual spring we are experiencing at Harrisena. Please plan to share the experience at our Installation Service for Rev. Leah Grace Goodwin at 9:30 AM that morning. Later this month, on Memorial Sunday (May 24), we plan to continue our tradition of recent years, honoring those who have died during the past year. Music, prayers, candles, and reflective meditation will help us pay tribute to loved ones who have passed beyond our mortal vision. Food for Thought: Worship Committee has been discussing the possibility of developing a more active lay ministry, involving all ages. Rev. Goodwin has suggested that lay leaders might offer their reading gifts during some of our responsorial and scriptural readings. If this is something that might interest you, please let the Worship Committee or Rev. Goodwin know. We would love to hear from you while things are still in the planning stages! As always, we welcome and encourage your feedback with regard to every aspect of the worship experience at Harrisena Community Church. Chuck Ogden, Phil Nadig, Carol Webster, Marilyn Somerville, Jane Badger, & Melissa Ferrie-­‐Healy Harrisena Youth Fellowship Harrisena Youth Fellowship will be hosting a showing of the classic movie The Breakfast Club on Sunday, May 17, at 1 PM. Lunch will be provided, and a discussion led by Rev. Goodwin, Heather Van Dyke, and Chris Bolio will follow. Parents, tweens, and teens are encouraged to attend this event together! The event is in honor of the thirtieth anniversary of the movie’s creation – and we aim also to talk about what it’s like to be a tween and teen while comparing notes about parents’ experiences and kids’ experiences. Our youth retreat will take place on June 5-­‐7 at Crystal Spring House in Big Indian, NY. As always, in HYF we believe in protecting our kids’ confidentiality while ensuring their safety and creating transparency with parents and guardians. We are always happy to discuss the topics we cover with parents and other church members! We welcome anyone age 13 to graduation to join us on Sundays at 6 PM. Heather "H" Van Dyke, Chris Bolio, Rev. Leah Goodwin, and Kevin Baxter 5 Minnie Bidwell’s Historical Harrisena Notes In the spring of 1953, Rev. Phileus McDowell, a retired Baptist minister living in Glens Falls, became our pastor. He was the leader of Harrisena until October 1954, when ill health caused him to stop preaching. One of the supply preachers was Elsie Ehrman, a layman, who stayed with us and helped to find a regular pastor. Early in the spring of 1955, a couple of delegates met with Rev. A. King Wise of the First Baptist church and learned that he would like an assistant but that their budget could not meet another full salary. The result—it was decided to hire someone who would preach each Sunday and give one day each week to parish work, and then work at First Baptist at least four days. They would pay 2/3 of the salary—we would pay 1/3. On June 5, 1955, a joint committee voted to call Rev. Lester B. Vier, who had just obtained his BD degree. Lester and Clair Vier and their daughter arrived the last of June. Under Mr. Vier’s leadership, a Church Council was organized to manage the affairs of the church. The next two years saw a well drilled, running water brought into the church, and modern restrooms installed. Previous to this there had been an “outhouse” situated north of the kitchen in back of the bell tower. A Men’s Club had been active for a couple of years—putting on suppers and mowing cemeteries to earn money. The Ladies’ Aid also had been doing much cleaning and sewing to support the church. We also ventured to hire the Mohegan Grange Hall and put on a “tea.” This proved very successful. When it was decided to have a well drilled, the Aid was able to pay $400 and the Men’s Club $400 of the $900 it would cost to drill the well. The restroom installation was partly donated work, the balance paid by the church. In the spring of 1958, hot water was installed in the kitchen and new cupboards built. The Aid bought a refrigerator, with the other costs divided between the two organizations. The Youth Group, under the leadership of Willa (Mrs. Wm) Henderson, painted the dining room. In June 1958, Mr. Vier resigned to become pastor of the Granville Baptist church. Once again, Elsie Ehrman came to our rescue as lay preacher. At a congregational meeting called in July, it was voted to hire a full time minister. A pulpit committee was formed, with Arthur Freelove as chairman. Some of the other members were Jessie Stewart, Jane Crannell, and Dorance Branch. They wrote to the Union Seminary in New York and to the Eastern Baptist Seminary, requesting the names of recent graduates who might be interested in a rural community church. A reply received from Gilbert Hellwig impressed the committee the most; he became a candidate in July. After hearing him preach, we asked him to become our minister. After a short consideration, he accepted. He began his ministry in September of 1958. Housing was a question, and there were only a few options: a small cottage in Cleverdale and the apartment over the Pilot Knob Boat Shop. Gil and his wife, Joan, chose the one at Pilot Knob, where they lived for the entire time they were with us. One of the things that Mr. Hellwig did was to organize a pledge system. Arthur Freelove was appointed chairman, and volunteers were asked to meet at the church on a Sunday afternoon. Each one was given a list to call upon and envelopes containing a pledge card. We were to hand the envelopes to each person—ask them to sign and seal it. Then the volunteers gave the envelopes to Mr. Freelove. The announcement of the total was very gratifying. I shall never forget seeing about dozen cars driving away from the church at one time. (More next month!) Mary Alice Clickner, Church Historian 6 Thanks, Waldo and Ruth Ross! Those whose lives go back a ways in this community will remember Waldo and Ruth Ross, long-­‐time residents of Pilot Knob and for twenty years owners and operators of the “Ross Store” on Route 9L – predecessor to the Cleverdale Store. They were selfless volunteers in the North Queensbury Rescue Squad the North Queensbury Fire Department, the Hyde Museum, and many other community-­‐directed organization in our area. Unassuming folks and easy to talk to, the Rosses were perhaps the last couple you’d think capable of perpetuating the help they gave our community during their lifetimes through endowment of a perpetual trust Waldo’s life was celebrated at Harrisena Church in 1994. Ruth died at age 93 in 2009. A year later, Harrisena Church learned it was specifically named as one of the beneficiaries of the Waldo T. Ross & Ruth S. Ross Charitable Trust. Annual grants we’ve received from that trust, adding up to over $100,000 over the past four years, have allowed us to restore both the exterior and interior of our sanctuary, displace a bat population, replace doors and aging furnaces, and restore and upgrade the rectory. They have supported our summer vacation bible school and back pack program, as well as making possible the distinguished lecture series which we plan to continue this coming fall. Their help in funding the extra operating cost burden associated with last year’s transition in ministers was also critical to us. So let’s remain appreciative of what the Waldo and Ruth Ross’s, so generous and community-­‐
focused during their lives, gave of their resources to perpetuate their service to all of us. 7 May Birthdays 1 – Alexandria Cartier; 2 – Christine Burke, Carla Burt, Mike Siano, Jayme Harvey; 4 – Morgan Jenkins, Debbie Shahay; 5 – Wm Peter Brown, Steve Jabaut, Sara Kobel, Jean Moon, Duncan Murphy, Liv A. Robinson, Susan Benva; 6 – Kyle Frank, Denis Hudon, Kathleen Jones, William Irving, Kayla Monroe; 7 – E. Clayton Burgess, Pamela Bonin; 10 – Hannah Hewlett, John (Sam) Einzig; 11 – Pamela Arnold, Justin Dutcher; 12 – Dustin Bruhns, Mary Alice Clickner; 14 – Sherrie Morehouse, George Muller, Sarah Kline, John Wilder; 15 – Amy Webster-­‐Mangum, Peggy McArthur, Jamie Mattison; 16 – Allen Dreon, Robert Straut, Sr.; 17 – Angela Gray, Frank Munoff, Lucas Gilles, Madeline Gilles; 20 – JoAnne Pierce; Jabaut, April Beasley-­‐Irving, Amy Sander; 22 – Shawn Gwinup, Linda Havens; 23 – Joe Blair, Jr., Lori Stiles; 24 – Jay McAdam; 25 – Callie Hewlett, Judy Howe, Julie McGilpin, Richard Mahoney, Russell Smith; 26 – Chuck Ogden, Colleen Harney-­‐Patterson; 27 – Esther Frederick, Mercedi Loonan, Adrienne Muller-­‐Goldstein, Alexander Aust; 28 – Donald Pierce, Philip Silva, Kim Wilson; 29 – Carol Webster; 30 – Benjamin Lee; 31 – Ryan A. Healy Harrisena Baptism On Sunday, April 12, Brooklyn Georgia Kuwitzky was brought forward by her parents, Kaitlin Reid Kuwitzky and Kyle Kuwitzky, with godparents Erica Francis Schommer and Jonathan Reid Gealt. Proud grandparents are Debby and Gregg Hoag, John and Dawn Reid, and TJ and Sue Kuwitzky. 8 May 2015 MONDAY !" 3 9 :30 Communion Worship & Installa'on of Rev. Goodwin !" orship 10 W
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14 !" !" 15 !" 16 6:30-­‐ 7:30-­‐ AA 12-­‐ T ime Commi%ees -­‐ Sr. Choir Reh. Out/Women 7:30-­‐ COUNCIL !" Worship !" !" !" !" !! !" Day Sunday @ 9:30 HYF-­‐ 6 PM ___________ Day Holiday @":$% “Breakfast Club,” ! PM 24 Memorial 25 Memorial 26 _______ _______ !:#$ – AA -­‐ Sr. Choir Reh. 27 28 7:30-­‐ AA -­‐ Sr. Choir Reh. 29 30 __________ _______ _______ _______ 31-­‐ Trinity Sunday 9 FRIDAY Long-­‐Term Prayer Requests, May 2015 Please remember the following members and friends who need our prayers of love and encouragement. In Facilities Marjorie Bardin – The Home of the Good Shepherd, Wilton Grace Clough – Seacoast Nursing Center, MA Claire Fraser – Fort Hudson Nursing Facility Esther Frederick – The Stanton Ann Healy – Fort Hudson Nursing Facility Ed Hooker – The Terrace, Queensbury Jane Lis – Eastern Star Campus, Oriskany Maddison McCane – Rehabilitation at Albany Medical Center Dave Thrun – Veterans Home John Walker – Fort Hudson Nursing Facility At Home Celine & Bob Boulé – Daughter/Son-­‐in-­‐law of Brandy & Wally Madon Christine Burke – Member of Harrisena Paul Butler – Friend of Jeanette Hunt Lee Ann Clark – Daughter of Murial Clark Diane DeMass-­‐ Friend of Suzanne Cartier Kathleen Dumont – Niece of Brandy Madon Ingrid Engelhard – Friend of Debbie Shahay Adam Frontera – Friend of Diane Matthews Douglas Hughes – Friend of Cathers family Fabiola Jabaut – Mother of Steve Jabaut Howard Krantz – Friend of Diane Matthews Carmen LeFebvre – Friend of Peg McArthur Joshua Louk – Nephew of Diane Matthews Nicole MacDermid – Member of Harrisena Rachael & Tim McCane – Grandchildren of Bob & Phyllis Straut Larry Norton – Friend of Kathy Allen Oscar Olson – Great-­‐nephew of Kathy Allen Michael Scheidegger – Friend of Eric Goe Sharon Sturdevant – Daughter of Marilyn Somerville Betsy Sweeney – Friend of Phil & Cindy Farbaniec Deaths in the Harrisena Family: Our condolences go out to the families & friends of Maureen Van Buren and Elizabeth Moore, both of whom died this past month. Maureen was a friend of the Gusek family; Elizabeth was the grandmother of Melissa Frank. 10 Members and Friends in the Military Please also remember the veterans from previous wars who continue to suffer from PTSD and other injuries of mind and body. Ryan Barrett (Pilot), nephew of Gigi Barrett—Afghanistan Alexis Best (Army), stateside Andrew Bigelow (Army), son of Karen Bigelow—serving stateside Aaron Clark (Army/Spcl Forces)—serving in Afghanistan Chelsea Craig—serving in Iraq & Afghanistan Derek Dumas—stateside Gary Hogan (USAF) Walter Howard (USMC) – serving stateside Joseph Hubbard (Army) – stateside Christopher Maille (AFRES), son of Peter Christian-­‐ serving in Spain Maxwell Marshall (Army) -­‐ serving in Afghanistan. Wes McQueen, nephew of Dodi/Rev. Robinson-­‐ serving stateside Tony Mitchell (USAF) -­‐ serving in Afghanistan. Chris Moore (USN), friend of Beck family-­‐ serving stateside James Pearson (USAF) Phillip Riccio (Army), son of Phyllis Riccio, stateside Steven Shepski, relative of Sue/Peter Cartier—serving in the Middle East Dominick Simione II (Army), friend of Russ Smith-­‐ serving in Afghanistan Russell Smith (USNG) Kelly Thompson (US Health Svc) Daniel Urband (USAF), grandson of Alice Urband—serving stateside Mark Wilson (Army Spcl Forces/Reserves), husband of Andrea—serving stateside James Zito (USNG), friend of Beck family—serving stateside Please update the status of anyone you know on this list as soon as information is available. 11