Herald - Church of the Pilgrimage

The Pilgrimage
Herald
www.8townsquare.org
office@8townsquare.org
Church Office
Phone: 508-746-3026
FAX 508-746-4362
The Church of the Pilgrimage
Congregational-UCC
8 Town Square
Plymouth, Massachusetts 02360
The Rev Dr. Helen Nablo, Pastor
helennablo@8townsquare.org
Rev. Gary L. Marks
Pastor Emeritus
Volume LXXXIV No. 5 Office Hours: Monday –Friday 10am-­‐4pm May 2015 From Our Pastor It was just days before April vacation began when we finally figured out what we were doing. We were going to Philadelphia for two days to see the new baby in the family, then head back this way to check out schools in New England for what was left of the week. Amy would have time to study for her upcoming college tests and we would not exhaust ourselves with a lot more driving. Only the morning of our departure, Amy thought differently. “I want to see the schools down near DC first” she said. We had a quick trip revision. You know that saying, “If you want to hear God laugh, tell God your plans?” I think I heard God giggling in our direction! Of course the trip further south on 95 gave us lots of time to wonder, mostly to ourselves. Would these schools be of interest? If she got into them, would she want to go to school that far away? And yikes, would there be a decent financial package to make it even possible? An even bigger question looms: Will we be able to stay calm and do a good job of supporting Amy, trusting things will unfold? It will be a change for all of us in this little family of three when Amy eventually goes to school. Then there’s that husband of mine who is retiring. Personally I am finding this a time to draw upon faith in a God who walks with us in all the changes of our lives. I realize I am not alone in this. We all need this assurance, for there are many transitions in a lifetime. Several months ago, Trace Sears, Jenny and I started talking about a Sunday to recognize the graduation of our seniors. We landed on one Sunday mid-­‐May, put it on the calendar, then had to move it to another. Now “Senior Recognition Sunday” is scheduled for May 31st, the Sunday after the Memorial Day weekend and the weekend before seniors graduate. On that day, Trace will be worship leader. Both Trace’s daughter Gabi and Ben Dion plan to speak, and as plans firm up, others may join them. We hope all our graduating seniors will take part in some way in worship that day. Alas, though I personally love the life transition theme of this service, I will not be in attendance. I will be traveling to Canada for a graveside service for my mother, whose ashes will be buried in the cemetery across from the family farm. It will be another part of the life journey, and if a sadder part, one that will also remind us of how precious life is. Because the seniors who speak will have important things to say, I am asking those (Trace included) who speak to make copies of their words to pass along. Perhaps we can also get this service recorded. Know that I’ll be with you in spirit on the 31st, and sending a prayer and a blessing across the border that day! Baptism Class Scheduled for May 3rd From time to time we gather the parents of those interested in having their children baptized so they can meet one another and learn more about the meaning of the sacrament. Our next class will be after worship on May 3rd, from 11:30 to 12:15 in the Marks conference room. If you need childcare to attend this class, please let the church office know and we will arrange it. Adult Education Church Retreat: Embracing Wholeness and A Spirit of Abundance We are created in God's image. That makes us very special! How are we doing in achieving and maintaining the spiritual, emotional and physical " Wholeness" that God wants for us ? What is the link between Wholeness and Holiness? As we strive for personal Wholeness, how do we use it to be a Light in the World for others? Finally, how do we sustain a Spirit of Abundance to shield us from negative feelings such as lack and disappointment? These are the questions we will explore in our Church Retreat on Saturday, June 6th from 9:00 am to 4:30pm at the Miramar Retreat Center in Duxbury. Our retreat will once again be facilitated
by the " dynamic duo" of Rev. Rosemary MacKay and Val Baumann. The cost is $25,
which includes lunch and all program materials. Some scholarship money is available if
needed.
We look forward to a very interesting and interactive day. Come join us! Sign up
begins at coffee hour on Sunday, May 17 . If you have any questions, contact Val or
Rosemary. th
Stewardship’s Outlook on the Capital Campaign This year's stewardship committee is so excited about the Capital Campaign. We are all looking forward to doing our part in making this campaign a success. A few of our members have signed up to be "Caring Callers" on "Decision Sunday." Another member has spoken to the congregation about her hopes for better handicap access to our Church building. Still another has joined the "Lead Gifts Committee." In my thirty plus years at this Church I have never seen a brighter future. We have so many old and new members and friends who are not only excited about our future together, but ready to make the necessary commitments to bring our hopes and dreams to fruition. Like Christ who rose from the dead, we all seem to have come out of the dreadful winter doldrums with a new and exciting outlook for our beloved Church of the Pilgrimage. As we sing of the Risen Christ, I can't help but think of us rising to the occasion to do our part to assure the existence of this Church and it's congregation long after the 400th anniversary of the Landing of our Pilgrim ancestors. We are truly a blessed community, and as such, we are capable of more than we could ever imagine. Wishing you joy, love and peace on our communal pilgrimage, Nancy E Reed Stewardship Chair 2 The Capital Campaign Corner Our capital campaign, entitled The Pilgrimage Continues, is off to a rousing start. As you know, the purpose of the capital campaign is to make desperately needed repairs to our church and, as a stretch goal, to make our church handicap accessible by adding an elevator and by adding air conditioning to the church. The campaign will have many important and exciting activities during the month of May. On May 3 the members of the various sub-­‐committees will be commissioned by Pastor Helen during worship. Also on May 3 we will be distributing the official campaign button which we will ask the members to wear during worship each Sunday until we complete the campaign on June 21. During the month of May the lead gifts committee co-­‐chairs Bob Taylor and Val Baumann along with the other members of the committee will be visiting many of you who may be in a position to consider making a substantial sacrificial gift to the campaign. Throughout the month of May the Pre-­‐Decision Committee will be holding a series of Pre-­‐
Decision parties. Under the leadership of Diana Budge, the committee will arrange for hosted small group informal parties in members’ homes, where the campaign video will be shown, presentations about the campaign will be given, question answered, and positive discussions encouraged. Finally, the Capital Campaign Players will make at least one and perhaps two additional presentations during worship. By using humor the Players hope to show to the congregation we are all in this campaign together. From Our Moderator, Bob Taylor Church Council has been considering acquiring a defibrillator for the Sanctuary. Many churches have these available, but we do not. Thanks to Nancy Reed’s work, we now have an estimate for installing a defibrillator and will be seeking ways to fund this acquisition. Once available, you will hear more about training courses and treatment of Do Not Resuscitate requests. It is also the sense of the Council that we could become better known if we spent more effort on publicity. We have many events at our church that attract visitors, but Council feels that a publicity committee could spread the word even more than at present. If you would be interested in helping in this effort, please contact the church office or the Moderator. It is likely that Council will charter an ad-­‐hoc publicity committee initially, but if the efforts prove effective, we will likely make this a standing committee. Deacon’s Notes The Deacons would like to thank those of you who stepped forward during our “Saints in Service” Sundays and signed up to help with the mini-­‐ministries of Meals and Visitation. If you are interested but were away or unable to volunteer during our brief sign-­‐up Sundays, please let one of the Deacons or the church office know. Every board and committee is now trying to focus some of its time and energy towards supporting and completing a successful Capital Campaign. Our beautiful church building and sanctuary need some long overdue renovations, upgrades and sprucing up. Please prayerfully consider what you can pledge over the next three year period to ensure that “The Pilgrimage Continues.” 3 Guild News The Guild met on April 10th when Donna Curtin spoke to us about how historians and architects are helping to restore the 1820 Courthouse to become the new town hall complex. Donna displayed many slides, including the demolition of the old police station and the County Commissioners' buildings behind the 1820 Courthouse, and emphasized that architects have found a way to use salvaged materials such as the old marble floors and, also doors, in the new addition. Donna enthusiastically told us how this project will preserve and tell Plymouth's history, and also tell the history of the building. Donna's passion for Plymouth history is contagious, and she always delights The Guild with her ongoing and interesting stories. Please join us in Allerton Hall on Friday, May 8, 2015 at 1:00pm for another interesting program entitled "Elephant Sanctuary Update," which will be given by Liisa Budge-­‐Johnson. It is one of The Guild's missions to support the Elephant Sanctuary, and Liisa will update us on the elephants that she told us about two years ago. All are welcome to enjoy one of Liisa's favorite charities for this lively program. The Guild will hold it's semi-­‐annual bake sale fundraiser on Mother's Day, May 10th, and our cookbook will also be for sale. Please keep us in mind for goodies and gifts on this very important day. See you then! Jane Dolan, Guild President Membership & Evangelism News Palm Sunday was extra special because our two newest members joined the church that day. We are very pleased to welcome to our congregation Chris Bates and Scott Troy. Please introduce yourself if you have not yet met them. We’d like to follow up with both recent and long-­‐time members who have not attended church for awhile. M&E is designing a “We’ve Missed You” post card with room to write a brief note to folks. Please help us identify people you have not seen recently in worship who might enjoy hearing from us. Additional cards will be available in the Narthex if you’d like to personally send one to a church member you know. The Membership and Evangelism Committee will host a New Member Breakfast in Allerton Hall before church on May 31st. If you have joined the church since last June, we hope you will attend. We are interested in hearing about your experience in our church since joining and your ideas and suggestions. Your input will greatly help us in planning for the future. Please save the date! Ellie Reinhardt, Chair Membership and Evangelism Committee News from our Director of Christian Ed, Jenny Healy May! Oh sweet May! I only hope that by the time you get this we will have been able to pack away our winter coats after a long season of heavy use. Let's see, what's happening in CE? Oh, yes! the Easter Pageant! Hands down the best ever, not to mention the funniest. Nothing like breathing a little life into a well worn script. On top of that I think we had our biggest Easter Pageant crowd as well. The front of the church filled to overflowing when the children were called forward at the end to sit at Jesus' feet. I hope this gave them a taste of who we are and that they felt welcomed and comfortable enough to come back another time. Earth Day also went very well. We had a great group of kids and some very helpful teachers who 4 all chipped in to clean the hillside by the church house and cover it with flower seeds meant to be especially attractive and friendly to bees and butterflies. We also put in some donated plants-­‐
hosts, daffodils, a rhododendron, and some other unnamed little purple flowers that we used to ring the tree at the top of the stairs. I can hardly wait until summer for the explosion of color! On the youth group front, it was a busy month for these young people. At the beginning of the month we spent an afternoon making goody bags for our Monday Meal guests-­‐two sweet and two savory treats in each bag. Then six of them offered an entire day (7 AM until almost 10 PM) of their vacations to work at Boston Rescue Mission for the Day. The group was hard working, the people we met shared compelling stories and the reflection time we had at Old South (because I got the Jazz Worship Service time wrong-­‐oops!) was powerful. An extraordinary day all around. Looking forward we have some fun things planned for Heifer Month in conjunction with the Missions Committee. Also tucked into May is a recognition of our high school seniors and with it an opportunity to pass on the gift of our faith and wisdom to these young people (more to come on that). Important dates: May 3: Be sure not to miss the goats in Town Square and an hour of fun and learning with Rachel Brown from Heifer, the same woman who joined us last year. Coffee & Conversation after church 11:30 to 12:30 in the youth room. Discussion and planning for next year. May 31: Honoring High School Seniors. June 14: Children's Sunday June 21: Sunday School Bible Olympics! Don't miss it! Meet Scott Troy We are pleased to welcome Scott Troy who joined the church on Palm Sunday. He moved to Plymouth from Grand Junction, Colorado where he had lived for 15 years. A widower, Scott’s partner of 13 years died in 2013. Born in Pittsburgh, PA and raised in Knoxville, TN, Scott feels extremely fortunate to have spent several years in Germany and studied in Shanghai, China and Tokyo, Japan. Scott worked with Lockheed-­‐Martin as an information analyst for a number of years before moving to a not-­‐for-­‐profit business where his job included accounting, strategic planning and fundraising. Scott first visited the Church of the Pilgrimage last year with his friend, Gary Sturgis, and was struck by the friendliness of the congregation, the music, and Pastor Helen. Scott’s previous church experiences have been in the Lutheran and Episcopal church where he was active in the music department, church council, communications, and lay ministry. Scott enjoys cooking, gardening, dogs, writing and volunteering with Hospice. He would like to reach out to home-­‐bound individuals and share his writing skills with the church. His hope for the future of our church is “To build a more diverse, intergenerational, engaged ‘family’ of caring and supportive souls during our journey here on Earth.” 5 Meet Gary Sturgis Gary hails from Somerville where he spent his winters but enjoyed his summers in Manomet with his parents. Gary works with disabled adults at REACH in Plymouth. He also volunteers at Cranberry Hospice and Hope Floats in Kingston which assists people who are dealing with the loss of loved ones. Gary belonged to the Weymouth Congregational Church until his husband passed away about a year ago. He moved to Plymouth and was introduced to our church by Rosemary MacKay and joined our church in 2014. Gary states that he loves the choir, Helen, and all the people in our congregation. He may consider joining a committee sometime in the future but he is still going through a healing process. Gary’s hope for the church is to see it grow and continue to offer a warm and caring environment for all. Missions Minute Sad news from Kenya For a long time, Sherry Otwoma has been our contact person in Kenya for the educational fund for girls in Esabalu, Kenya. Sherry’s son was recently killed while trying to protect a neighbor from abuse. He was Sherry’s oldest son and the father of a small child. Missions voted to send $100 to Sherry as a sympathy gift. Heifer Month is Upon Us! Our goal is to raise $5,000. We will be selling Heifer shares as well as come cute Heifer items on the Sundays of May 3, May 10, May 24, and May 31. The month is also full of events. May Sunday bulletins will have event reminders each Sunday. Check out Amy Simpson’s Heifer themed bulletin board in Allerton Hall! Everything she does is beautiful and this will be no exception! Heifer Events May 3rd—the goats will visit outside, before and after church. Heifer’s Rachel Brown will provide the children with a fun day, doing the Children’s Sermon and meeting with the children during Sunday School. Be there for the fun! May 10th—is Mother’s Day. Rosalee Sinn will talk briefly about Heifer during the church service. After church, make a contribution in honor of your mother and give her a Heifer Honor Card. May 17th—annual meeting. No Heifer events. May 24th and May 31st—visit the Heifer table after church and make your contribution. Maine Missions Trip to East Machias, Maine -­‐ Neighbors Helping Neighbors will work together in Maine’s poorest area to repair homes, so that people can stay in the homes where they already live. Nine youth and 3-­‐4 adults from The Church of the Pilgrimage will attend the week-­‐
long trip. The group will provide their own food and pay their own way. Selling shares after church will help lower the cost. The Missions Committee voted to donate $2,000 toward building supplies for the undertaking. Local Youth/Local Missions. Six youth will be going. Jenny is going to be the director. Jenny has sent a letter to area churches, inviting individual delegates to attend from churches without youth groups. The Missions Committee voted to donate $500 to help bring cost down for youth from COTP.
6 Food Warehouse It’s the end of the winter so everyone is taking a breather from worry about food—except the needy. Please keep bringing in those items for the food collection baskets located on the church stairway. Cereal, tuna, and peanut butter are all good items, or bring what you want. Every little bit helps! Your Mission to the Missions Committee We welcome and look forward to working to newest Missions Committee member, Pat Svajian. Rosalee Sinn has offered to volunteer for the committee in Sarah’s absence. As you know, our innovative leader, Sarah Barnicle, is occupied with concerns and help for Peter, so she is on leave from the committee. Several people are finishing their terms on the Missions Committee in June. We need more members to help with our growth as a mission-­‐oriented church. Please consider joining the committee. You could start by coming to our next meeting, Wednesday, May 13 at 7:15 p.m. in the Robinson Center. It is really a fun committee, plus we do good things! Join us! Missions Meeting Night Change: Beginning in May, Missions Committee meetings will be help on the second Wednesday of each month. Monday Meals The end of April again marked the close of our Monday Meals Program for the season. Despite the challenges of the extreme weather conditions in January and February, and the fact that at least three of the major storms extended through Sunday nights, -­‐-­‐-­‐ and in one case, resulted in frozen water pipes in the kitchen, we managed to supply food on every Monday. It proved to be a wonderful experience in working together with our volunteers, the Church School, friends of the church, members of the Plymouth Taskforce for the Homeless, local businesses, and even, several of the Monday Meals participants, some of whom have valuable restaurant experience and training in good food preparation techniques. Over the 35 weeks of the 2014 – 2015 season, we served more than 1700 hot meals and provided over 1000 bagged, take-­‐out, sandwich lunches, with a combined total of nearly 2900 meals. Attendance was somewhat lower this year, due to the number of storms, snow accumulation and cold. Most of the Seniors, many from group homes, and those dependent on bus travel or in wheelchairs were unable to come in for weeks. With the coming of Spring, it was good to see them all back. And, it was also good to see that some of the young men and women were beginning to find part time jobs, however, several still stopped in to grab a cup of coffee and food to go In closing the season, we would again like to thank the Church School for their always reliable and creative help in supplying goodie bags, Christmas decorations, cards and sandwich lunches, and completely handling the meal on Martin Luther King’s Birthday Monday. They were great! We particularly want to thank Gloria Souza’s daughter and son-­‐in-­‐law, and their Church in Marshfield, for arranging to pick up excess fresh baked goods from Panera Bread each Sunday night and delivering to us. Their Church has undertaken the project as a mission to help organizations that are involved in providing help to the needy. Pat Mudgett and Gloria are coordinating this trial program and will determine if it should be continued next year. These delicious fresh baked goods have helped us reduce costs, and in addition, supply breads to those in need. 7 We could not have survived without the professional help from Shellie Souza, who oversaw repairs and adjustments to the stove on so many occasions; and Brian Gildea, who somehow managed to make sure the church was set up and accessible under all weather conditions. And, a special thank you to Pastor Helen for her ever-­‐present support and much appreciated guidance. To all the volunteers, who truly make the program possible -­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐ Thank you !!! Team Leaders: 1st week of the month – Diane and Gay Flood; 2nd week – Rosa Cook & Lynnette Lancaster; 3rd week – Pat Mudgett & Gloria Souza; 4th week – Meg Bross, Pat Svajian & Alyce McAulliffe. Notes From Craig Campbell: To you all for involving me in your thoughts. May you all be well and happy in this special season. Love, Craig (The Lily is as beautiful as you all are!) From Gerry & Bruce Allen: Friends at Church, I thank you so much for the lovely Easter lily that Tony Cotta brought to me. We are really enjoying it. I was sorry my health problem kept me away that Sunday. The plant brought much cheer to us. Again many, many thanks. From Tom Barnes: Many thanks for the Easter lily I received on Easter—it has 5 blossoms and 2 buds. From Lillian Knowles: Dear Friends, I served many years on the Visiting Committee and received great joy from the visits. Now, my role is reversed and instead of delivering plants on Christmas and Easter Sundays, I have the great pleasure in receiving a plant. The Easter lily is beautiful and I appreciate all the love and compassion it brings. Thank you. Love, Lillian From the Davids’: Bobby, John and I wanted to thank you for the beautiful Easter lily. We are enjoying its beauty in our living room. We are doing well. So we thank you for our visit with Sue Cotta and the flowers. Love, the Davids’ From Billie Courtney: Thank you for the cards and expressions of sympathy on the recent passing of my granddaughter. Billie Courtney On April 15, Pastor Helen performed a graveside service at Vine Hills for David Barker. On April 17, Pastor Helen conducted a funeral service for Allison Cappola in our sanctuary. Church Record On March 15, 2015 Pastor Helen baptized Mason Joseph Reid, son of Shauna (Landry) and Ryan Reid. On April 25, 2015 Rev. Bob MacFarlane performed a marriage ceremony for Emily Farley and Bob McGovern. Summer Camp Opportunities We have received several brochures about summer opportunities at various campgrounds of the United Church of Christ, all located in New England, and all quite reasonable in cost. There are week-­‐long camps for children and youth (and a few first time camper experiences that are just two days) weekend family camps, and one camp, Covenant Hills Camp, that is a summer camp for children, teens, and adults with special needs (located in Cabot, Vermont). There is a special bulletin board display of these opportunities located in Allerton Hall. Come check it out! 8 Pilgrim Association Spring Meeting-­‐ the Multigenerational Church The Pilgrim Association will gather at 2pm on Sunday May 3rd in the afternoon at First Church Braintree. The featured speaker for the program part of the meeting will be Reverend Molly Baskette of First Congregational Church Somerville, MA. Wondering how to run programs in your church where the key element is bringing all age groups together in a way that truly enriches the experience for all rather than just accommodates all? Whether you are Pastor, Delegate, Mission Chair, Deacon, Moderator or any other church leader, this program is for you. Pilgrim Association News At 2pm on Sunday, May 17th, at the request of The First Congregational Church in Plympton, the Pilgrim Association will gather for the Installation of The Rev. Anna Eaton Butera. Following the Installation Service there will be a reception. The First Congregational Church in Plympton is located at 254 Main Street. 9 10 The Church of the Pilgrimage May 2015 Calendar Events May 2: Time & Talent Auction & Dinner, 5:30pm, Allerton Hall. May 3: Worship, 10am Sanctuary. Baptism Class, following worship, Marks Room. Church Clean-­‐up, after worship. Youth Coffee and Conversation, after worship, JRC Youth Room. Pilgrim Association Spring Meeting, 2pm, First Church (Braintree). May 6: Choir Rehearsal, 7:30pm, Sanctuary. May 7: Board of Christian Education Meeting, 7pm, Marks Room. May 8: Guild Meeting, 1pm, Marks Room. May 10: Worship, 10am, Sanctuary. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! Guild Bake Sale, coffee hour, Allerton Hall. May 12: Church Council, 7pm, Marks Room. May 13: Music Committee Meeting, 6:30pm, Stewart Room. Board of Trustees, 7pm, Marks Room. Missions Committee Meeting, 7:15pm, JRC Second Floor. Choir Rehearsal, 7:30pm, Sanctuary. May 14: Membership & Evangelism Committee Meeting, 7pm, Stewart Room May 16: Heifer Farm Spring Open House, 1-­‐4 pm, Rutland, MA. May 17: Worship, 10am with Baptisms. Annual Meeting following worship. Piano Recital, 2pm, Sanctuary. May 18: Shellie Souza, vacation day. May 19: Stewardship Committee Meeting, 7pm, Marks Room. May 20: Choir Rehearsal, 7:30pm, Sanctuary. May 24: Worship, 10am, Sanctuary. May 25: Memorial Day, Church Office Closed. May 26: Board of Deacons, 7pm, Marks Room. May 27: Choir Rehearsal, 7:30pm, Sanctuary. May 31: Worship, 10am, Honoring graduating seniors, who will share faith stories. New Member Breakfast. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ SPRING OPEN HOUSE May 16 | Heifer Farm | 1-­‐4pm You’re invited for a day of FREE farm fun! Heifer Farm 216 Wachusett Street Rutland, MA 508-­‐886-­‐2221 www.heifer.org/farm Baby Animals Seed Planting Goat Milking Live Music Refreshments 11 !
From our Membership & Evangelism Committee
Let’s all wear our name tags to church! Whether you’re a long-time member
or new to our congregation, name tags help all of us from being
embarrassedIn byaccordance not remembering
someone’s name!
with the Bylaws of The Church of the Pilgrimage, the 2015 Annual Meeting will NOTICE
!
be held on May 17, 2015, following the Service of Worship. We would like to enlist everyone’s help in welcoming our church visitors.
urpose of the engaging
Meeting shall be: If you don’t The feelPcomfortable
in conversation
with someone you
don’t know, 1.
please
seek out a Membership Committee member who will be
To receive Reports of all Boards, Committees and Officers. wearing a blue
name
tag. They
will be
looking
toMspeaking
2. The election of Officers, Board and Cforward
ommittee embers. with
visitors and introducing them to others. These “membership ambassadors”
Church Members are urged to attend important eeting. hour
are eager to All help
visitors
and newer
members
findthis their
way to M
coffee
and to feel welcome
and comfortable in our church!
Lois E. Post !
Welcome to the following new members who joined our church in March
and June: Dennis
Clerk and Joanna Albers; Lynne Athanase; Audrey Martinelli;
Gary Sturgis; Barbara and Dean Anglin-Rizzo; Courtney Derwinski; Kevin
Leet; Lee McCullough; and Rose Wagner. We are pleased to have them as the
newest members of our church family!!
12 6