May 2016 The Echo Newsletter - First Congregational Church of Eliot

THE ECHO
SHARING THE GOOD NEWS
MAY 2016
THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF ELIOT, UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
Embracing Yesterday’s Traditions !
Today’s Mission !
Tomorrow’s Hope!
We gather to be a faithful witness to God’s!
love in worship, community service, and spiritual growth.!
With our hand and hearts extended we seek to know the Living Christ.!
THE ECHO
No Matter Who You Are…
Or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here! No matter if you
are married or divorced, widowed, single or partnered, you are welcome
here! No matter who you love, how you love, how you identify or express
yourself, you are welcome here.Your religious background, spiritual searches,
or intellectual ideas, you are welcome here. No matter how you walk or talk,
believe or doubt, you are welcome here and loved! The Senior Choir is
a fabulous
community of our
congregation and
you are invited to
join in!
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THE ECHO
SHARING THE GOOD NEWS
Pastor’s Ponderings
Every so often, a guy that I’ll call Frank, stops by my office for a
chat. Frank is homeless but he is not hopeless. He always has
great hope that God will carry him through to the next hurdle and
safely bring him to the next place to rest. And he uses his feet to
get there. And his shoes are worn and his socks are threadbare
and he often needs a bandaid or two as much as he needs a
conversation and some company. And sometimes, I have a pair of
socks I’ve been keeping for him in my desk, and sometimes, a box
of bandaids. It is privilege and a honor to help him fix his feet up
for whatever journey lies ahead. It is good to be able to DO
something active for him and thereby do something for myself as
well.
MAY 2016
Snapshots of our
very cool faith
community
But sometimes, Frank comes by and I don’t have a pair of socks,
or a box of bandaids, and the best I can offer is a retying of his
shoes and a prayer of blessing and healing over his feet.
The funny thing is Frank seems to find those prayers more
valuable than socks. He says he likes them best. Me, I want to try
and give him something, fix up something, offer up something,
but Frank likes when I offer up prayers. One time he told me they
sound expensive and that if we could turn them into money, we
could buy a whole pizza.
A whole pizza’s worth of prayer. Wow.
So sometimes, I have something to hand over and sometimes I
only have a prayer to hand up to God. Frank thinks that both help.
Recently, someone mentioned feeling bad when the offering plate
passes them on Sunday morning and they have nothing to place in
it. Nothing to hand over to God. They explained that they gave
their whole pledge once a month. but then felt awkward on those
other Sundays when they had nothing to give. The offering plate
went by them and it felt just wrong not to have something that
week.
Frank would say, pray over the plate, pray over the gifts and the
people who give them. You may not always have money, or socks,
or bandaids to offer but when the plate comes by and you are
called upon, you can pray. Pray that the gifts will serve God. Pray
that God will multiply them and strengthen the church with them.
Offer a whole pizza’s worth of prayer.
A whole kingdom’s worth of prayer. And then say, “WOW”.. IN THE MONTH OF MAY
WE WILL CELEBRATE THE
BAPTISM OF BRAYDEN
THOMAS FONTAINE
AND IN JUNE WE WILL
CELEBRATE THE
BAPTISM OF MIA NOELLE
GRAY.
BLESSINGS SPLASH !
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THE ECHO
SHARING THE GOOD NEWS
MAY 2016
SUNDAY SERVANTS
Fellowship Hosts for May
1 Laurie Troy and Loretta Downey
8 Carolyn Bogh and Loriane Boyer
15 Diane Burbank and Paula Caswell
22 Joanne Cultrera and Joan Donhauser
29 Marcia Goss and Sherry Goodnough
!
Liturgists
1 Lydia Hoffman
8 Linda Gove
15 Sierra Rodenhuis
22 Laurie Troy
29 Fred Gifford and Lisa Marshall
!
Ushers
1 Peggy Gray and Robin Wheeler
8 Brandon and Tabitha Grassi
15 Betty Grogan and Karl Whitney
22 Rob and Sonya Quinn
29 Al and Jeanne Morin
!
Acolytes
1 Liam Quinn
8 Dylan Grassi
15Jacob Theriault
22 Jake Bailey
29 Ushers
!
Nursery
1Rob and Sonya Quinn
8 Jennifer Swanson
15 TBA
22 Nancy Hoyt
29 Jennifer Swanson
!
Deacon of the Month:
Diane Burbank
!
Sanctuary Steward
Linda Gove
!
CELEBRATIONS
1 - Sue Beattie
2 - Tom Beattie
3 - David Caswell
5 - Linda Gove
10 - Tina Dodge
13 - Alaina Goodnough
19 - Joshua Gray
22 - Sherry Goodnough
23 - David Gray
25 - Jennifer Caswell
30 - Pat Cress ,
Kaylee Masury
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THE ECHO
SHARING THE GOOD NEWS
Financial Update
The financial picture for 2016 continues to be
positive. General Fund Income is holding about
$2000 ahead of General Fund Expenses. Let’s
all do our part to keep the good news coming!
The Sunday School children collected a lot of
pennies again this month. They have not been
counted yet, but the thought is that we are
getting close to the ‘Chocolate Grasshopper’
moment. You won’t want to miss church that
morning!! Let’s not forget that the kids are
donating their pennies for repairs to our Parish
Hall.
I would like to repeat a paragraph from the
Financial Update from December….“In the late
1960’s, the members of our church had a vision
of a new Parish Hall. They decided to sell some
of their land, the land that is now Libbey Lane,
and use the proceeds to help fund their dream
and 1970 saw the Parish Hall become a reality.
We have been very poor stewards of that
building in recent years and it now is in a state
of disrepair needing many thousands of dollars
of improvements. We cannot continue to say,
“We don’t have the money so we can’t repair it.”
We need instead to say, “We must repair it, so
how can we fund these repairs.”
Proposals have been made in the past and
rejected. Now is the time to revisit this issue.
Next year during Stewardship season, will we be
able to look proudly at our newly renovated
building knowing that we have accomplished
what we once thought impossible? Are we up to
the challenge?” .....is it time to be putting
together a plan? This Church and it’s wonderful
people can accomplish this seemingly
impossible task, and it is our responsibility to
do so, but we must have a plan. Who would like
to step forward with a new proposal? Don’t be
silent; let us hear from you. Let’s get a new
proposal before the Church people for
MAY 2016
consideration. We must start before we can
finish.
Our Financial Secretary, Richard Donhauser,
has created a Quarterly Report of Contributions
which will show all monies that have been
posted to each individual’s account during the
quarter. It is available to anyone who wishes to
receive it. If you would like this service, just
speak to Richard, call him at 603-502-1280, or
email him at richard@rdcpa.net.
Jan McMullen
Church Treasurer
Property Board
Shawn Troy is working on getting a new
lawnmower from his place of employment
(Lowe's) as requested by Peg and Dave Gray.
John discussed this with Shawn and he has
identified a mower that he may be able to
acquire. Update: Shawn has provided a
lawnmower; John M is storing and checking out
the mower's operation.
"New" (used) buffer and fellowship hall floor
maintenance Walter and Al did a trial run on the new buffer
and were very pleased with the unit. As a group
we discussed the waxing of the fellowship hall
floor. Our goal is to add more coats of wax after
cleaning the floor and avoid having to strip the
floor. Al and Walter will look into a timeframe
to do a thorough washing of the floor and add
layers of Wax to help protect the investment.
Building and Parsonage project
Richard will acquire a set of plans for the
duplex that he can provide to Al and Brad who
will get estimates on the cost of materials for
the house.
Al and Richard will jointly be the point persons
on this effort to keep forward momentum and
continue to collect all the information needed to
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THE ECHO
SHARING THE GOOD NEWS
And more from Property
provide costs for the project. Since Al just
completed his house project he has substantial
knowledge about general contracting. This next
step of acquiring estimates is a key part that is
needed for the presentation of the project to the
congregation. Action still open.
Sanctuary Projector
Al constructed a screen mock-up that he and
Mark used to determine the exact angle and
placement of the projector. We now are on hold
waiting funding for this project. When we are
able to purchase the projector, we will rent pipe
staging to clean the ceiling fan, remove the old
speaker, and install the new projector at the
same time.
Al will time the rental of pipe staging such that
it can be used to install the screen, remove the
old speaker, and clean the sanctuary fan.
Walkways and parking lot repair
We need to get the cracks in the walkways and
parking lot estimated for repair. This is
important to prevent further damage and get
more longevity from the paved areas. Al will ask
his paving contractor to take a look at our
situation this summer when he gets his
driveway paved.
MAY 2016
Sanctuary clock
The old Seth Thomas sanctuary clock has been
restored. It is actually a very valuable clock.
Richard is storing at his house for the time
being. The overall opinion of the Property
Board is that this clock belongs in the
sanctuary, is appropriate given the age and
condition of the clock and the age of the church,
and probably was given at one time as a gift for
the sanctuary. Action: We need to determine
the best location and install. We need to install
the clock in a location that allows us to easily
keep it wound and showing accurate time.
Wireless "hearing sets" for the hard of hearing
We have a benefactor who is willing to pay for
four units. We contacted Powersound (sound
system installers) and they gave us an estimate
of just under $2000. This is very expensive so
Richard is going to ask our benefactor about the
cost limit.
Coat hooks in sanctuary
Thanks to Walter for installing coat hooks to
replace the metal coat rack that was in the back
corner of the room. The coat hooks seem to get
plenty of use and are a great addition.
Men's room floor tile
Action: John will talk to Dick McKenney about
the completion of floor tiling in the men's room.
Richard offered to remove the toilet when the
job resumes. Additionally, Mark is installing
unisex bathroom signs at all bathroom
entrances.
Spring Cleanup
We are setting 30 April as spring cleanup day.
Beth will announce this date at the next two
services
Out of the Shadows: Shining a light on
the heroin epidemic
A ministry that has grown out of the
work of the church .
Meets every fourth Tuesday at 7PM
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THE ECHO
SHARING THE GOOD NEWS
MAY 2016
Thursday Evening Book Group
We meet at Dunkin’ Donuts at 7-8 PM on Thursdays and
we enjoy each other’s company and unpack a new book.
Everyone is welcome to come as they are able. The month
of May our book will be “ The Shack” by William P.
Young.
In a world where religion seems to grow
increasingly irrelevant The Shack wrestles with the
timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with
unspeakable pain?" The answers the protagonist gets will
astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did
him.. We will meet starting on May 5th.
All Church Retreat May 27-29
If you have never been to Pilgrim Lodge, United Church
of Christ but have always wanted to try it out, then this All
Church Retreat if for you. We share fellowship and camp
events with the people of Second Christian Church in
Kittery. The cost is very reasonable and the experience is excellent. Pastor Beth will be leading this
retreat opportunity and her family is truly hoping that you will come along. Please see the pastor for a
registration form and to request a cabin assignment. The lake is exquisite and there will be a life
guard to watch over our swimming. We bring food to share and build community, while also having
a great deal of personal reflection and family fun time. No matter who you are, you should definitely
come on this great camp adventure. COST:-adults is $60.50; for age 12 - 17 it’s $44.50, and age 5 to
11 it’s $42.50. If there are youth who wish to go without parents, Pastor Beth will chaperone. !6
THE ECHO
SHARING THE GOOD NEWS
MAY 2016
It is a race to the finish line as I come down to the final two
weeks of classes with fifteen assignments (some of them rather
long papers) yet to complete. Sometimes I wonder whether I
will actually complete everything and finish the semester.
However, then I look back at the last three years and remember God’s faithfulness and stop and pray.
Surely, if God could get me this far, (S)He can get me through two more weeks! I have really enjoyed
my classes this semester in that two of them are much more practical rather than theoretical. I am
taking preaching and music in worship, both of which I have thoroughly loved and will be sad to see
end. In preaching I have learned a great deal about who I am as a preacher, where my skills lie and
areas where I need to look to improve. I’ve also learned many things to think about when one is
preaching.
Mostly, I’ve
learned how
important a
preacher’s job
is; what a
preacher says
from
the
pulpit could
draw someone
to the church
or turn them
away.
In
music
in
worship I have
broadened my
repertoire for
the types of
music that can
be used in a
w o r s h i p
service, and
how and when
they can be used. Many of what I learned would not be difficult or strange to add to a typical UCC
service (at least not in my opinion). For example, in some churches the communion liturgy is sung,
rather than spoken. Or another example, for the Call to Worship, we could have a sung refrain that is
taught to the congregation and repeated after the leader repeats one or two verses of reading. These
are just a couple of examples. I did have one class that was very theoretical and actually very
challenging in its depth. I took an ethics course, in which we considered issues such as abortion, just
war, assisted suicide, and racism. We read what several key authors such as Augustine, Aquinas and
Luther thought about the issue, then wrote about whether we agreed with them or not. This class
was an on-line class and had a great deal of reading, and I found it hard to keep up. It was also
difficult because the topics themselves were challenging. I found that I couldn’t simply sit for three
hours and read about assisted suicide without needing a break. I have learned a great deal from this
class, but I must admit I will be glad when this class is over.
Seminarian Says
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THE ECHO
SHARING THE GOOD NEWS
( Seminarian Says con’t) The final thing I would
love to share with you is about a class I actually
took during the winter term. As many of you
know, in January I had the amazing
opportunity to go to Israel. This was for a
required class at Andover Newton.
They
require all students to take at least one class in a
location that is unfamiliar to them, preferably
oversees. There were so many ways that my
getting into the trip to Israel were led by God.
At first there were no spots and then one
opened up at the last minute. I had no passport
but my passport arrived just in time on the last
day required to have the numbers sent in to the
person arranging our travel. I had no money
for the trip but as a member in Discernment,
the committee that sponsors me agreed to
provide some money to sponsor me. The school
also gave me a scholarship, and between the
two, that was a great blessing to help defray
some of the expense.I had a wonderful time on
this trip. I saw many of the places where it is
assumed that Jesus lived, walked and taught.
Everywhere I went felt very holy. I saw sights
where they are excavating and one can see
where people lived many years ago. I saw
beautiful cathedrals, current and former. The
purpose of this particular Border Crossing was
to study education abroad, so we visited schools
from Elementary all the way up to College. The
kids were friendly to us and eager to learn. One
of my favorite memories is meeting with a class
at their college, where the kids grilled us for an
hour about everything from politics to home life
to college to why don’t we enter the military
(each teenager in Israel is required to serve two
years in the military as soon as the complete
high school).
They were so energetic and
wanted to learn from us.Many have asked me
since I have returned from Israel whether I
would ever go back, and my very quick answer
is “Yes!” I loved Israel. I loved the Shwarmas
we ate on the street. I loved the hospitality of
the people. I loved the lushness of the land.
Yes, I would go back!
MAY 2016
Thank you for your continued support and
prayers for me as I breakneck to the end of the
semester. Prayers for peace and endurance
would be especially welcome!
Prayerfully studying,
Sandy Norris
Mission Board
At our meeting on April 3 we discussed Bake
Sale logistics for Saturday, April 16 grand
opening for the Thrift Shop. We decided to have
a tent and tables set up near the door to the
Thrift Shop for easy access for customers.
Approximately 17 people signed up in church to
bake for the bake sale! Thank you church! The
bake sale yielded $191.75 this year. Again, thank
you to everyone who donated baked goods to
support Missions. Most of the money will fund
items needed to complete kits and subsidize
funds needed to process the kits for Church
World Service.
We met on Friday, April 22 at 9am and
assembled 57 School Kits and finish adding
finger nail clippers to over 60 Hygiene Kits
(thank you to those who donated finger nail
clippers). We are also in the process of
completing 2 Emergency Cleanup Buckets. All
kits will be weighed and delivered to Portland
depot collection location on May 5 by the
Swanson Family. AND DON’T FORGET TO
BRING IN AMIGOS BUCKET MONEY!!
!8
THE ECHO
SHARING THE GOOD NEWS
Christian Education
MAY 2016
Spring is a busy time for Christian Ed! We will be
planning and practicing for Children’s Sunday on June
12th. Please come and support us as the children lead us
in worship.
We are now accepting scholarship applications from high school seniors who will be pursuing further
education. If you are a high school senior and need help paying for school contact Joan Donhauser or
the church office for an application.
“When you are
making plans for
the summer
please mark your
When you are making plans for the summer, please mark your calendars. VBS
calendars – Vacation Bible School will be held July 11-15 with VBS
will be July
Sunday on July 17. This year’s theme is CaveQuest: following
Jesus, the light of the world. We need helpers – adults, teens and 11-15”
Christian Education will continue right through the summer
months. Children should dress casual, wear safe shoes and prepare
to have fun indoors or outside. A variety of teachers will work to
create a fun environment for all ages.
older youth. Let the church office or Sheryl Goodnough know if youhave questions, need a
registration form or would like to volunteer.
The Million Pennies Project
!
Thank you so much for your donations! With
your help, we raised over $120 in April which
brings our total to $1415.00. (That means 141,500
pennies!).I know we can reach our goal to collect one
million pennies to go towards repairs &
improvements to our Parish Hall. Maybe this month
we can reach 150,000 pennies and watch Pastor Beth
eat a chocolate covered bug!
The weather’s getting nice. Take a walk in the park or
a stroll along the beach and look for lost change. We
will be collecting spare change in church on May 8th.
VBS! The Brightest Week of the
Summer!
* New Friends *Amazing
experiments
*Spelunker sports *Lip-smacking snacks
*Surprising adventures *Incredible music
Vacation Bible School
July 11-15 9am to Noon
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THE ECHO
SHARING THE GOOD NEWS
MAY 2016
In April your deacons gathered together for a retreat. They
problem solved, strategized and studied sacraments. Here
they can be seen lowering a hula hoop “full of helium” to
the ground as a group. Of course they did it, after a while.
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THE ECHO
SHARING THE GOOD NEWS
MAY 2016
First Congregational Church of
6
Eliot, UCC
1
0
www.eliotucc.org 207-439-1105
2
Sun
1
Mon
2
3
9
C.E. Penny
Collection
15
Worship
10am
Graduation
Sunday
Finance 11:30
22
Worship
10am
Footprints
collection
C.E. 11:30
29
4
12:30pm
1-7pm Banjo
Lessons
7pm Craft
Group
Holy
Communion
Worship
10am
Wed
Ladies Circle
Worship
10am
8
Tue
16
23
6
Thrift Shop
3-6pm
Sat
7
Thrift Shop
9am-Noon
11
12
13
14
7-3 Garden
8am Exercise 8am Exercise
Club
12-2 Garden
6pm Deacons
1-7pm Banjo
Club
5:30 Prop Bd
6:30pm Choir 4-7 Bluegrass
17
ECHO ITEMS
DUE
7pm Craft
Group
5
Fri
6:30pm Choir 4-7 Bluegrass
10
7pm Craft
Group
Thu
6pm Council
18
19
1-7pm Banjo
Lessons
8am Exercise 8am Exercise
6:30pm Choir
20
Thrift Shop
3-6pm
21
Thrift Shop
9am-Noon
4-7 Bluegrass
24
25
26
27
28
7pm Craft
Group
7pm Out of 1-7pm Banjo 8am Exercise 8am Exercise
the
Lessons
4-7 Bluegrass Pilgrim Lodge Pilgrim Lodge
Shadows
Hall reserved
6:30pm Choir
Weekend
Weekend
Community
6-9pm
Conversation
30
31
Worship
10am
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