in Spire The Newsletter of Maple Street Congregational Church United Church of Christ April/May 2016

Transcription

1 in Spire The Newsletter of Maple Street Congregational Church United Church of Christ April/May 2016 Pastor Kevin s Corner Meet Our Candidate for Associate Pastor for Youth and Family Ministry! Last October our congregation voted with hope and faith to create the position of Associate Pastor for Youth and Family Ministry. We formed a search committee and they have been prayerfully discerning and working diligently these past months searching for a candidate to present to our church family. That time has now arrived!! Meet Pamela Cochrane! The Search Committee and I are excited to present Pam s biography to you Pam s focus in ministry is on community building and welcoming children, youth and families into active worship and learning circles. She has a passion for new approaches in faith formation through story telling, artistic expression and intergenerational experiences helping churches seek to widen their welcome, engage new members and honor timeless church traditions. Pam earned her Masters in Religious Education in 2010 and a Masters in Divinity in 2014, both at Andover Newton Theological School. She served as Acting Minister of Faith Formation at Hancock United Church of Christ in Lexington, MA, as well as four years as the Director of Children s Ministry. Prior to Hancock Church, Pam served the Congregational Church of Harvard, MA (UCC) as Director of Religious Education and served a year as the Interim Director of Creative Worship and Arts as well as Ministerial Intern at First Church in Cambridge, MA (UCC). Her ministry has included serving a year on the Lexington Interfaith Clergy Association in Lexington, MA, and she currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Chaplains on the Way, an outdoor ministry in Waltham, MA. Pam also holds a certificate in Clinical Pastoral Education from Brigham and Women s Hospital and certificate in Ministerial Leadership from Andover Newton Theological School. (continued on next page) 90 Maple Street, Danvers, MA

2 (continued from page 1) Pam, her husband Ken, and grown daughters, Sarah and Maggie, currently live in the Still River village of Harvard, MA. Along with Cayenne, their golden retriever, Ken and Pam enjoy the outdoors, whether hiking, golfing, skiing, kayaking or just working in the yard. Daughter, Sarah is an RN in the Emergency Department of Metro West Hospital, Natick, MA and Maggie, after serving a fellowship in Kenya, is currently working with American Well, a Telehealth firm in Boston. Pam has always called Boston her home. Ken is originally from Pittsburgh, where his parents still live, but has adopted Boston, loves the Red Sox and seeking out good eats around the city. I believe the church is a place for all God s people to gather, worship and share the joys and sorrows of life together, says Pamela. Jesus preached of doing a new thing... that is an invitation to all, one to be received again and again! On Saturday, April 23 rd, the congregation will have the opportunity to meet Pamela and her family in a series of day-long events. Pamela, Kathy Gross, and our youth will lead us in worship on Sunday, April 24 th, followed by a congregational meeting and vote to call Pamila to ministry at Maple Street Church. Blessings, RevKev From the Stewardship Committee Thank you to everyone who has turned in their pledges to this year s Stewardship Campaign! It s been a pleasure serving with the committee this year as Co-Chair with Eileen Jacobson. We have turned inward for a message that we hope resonates and inspires everyone to pledge for the good works that we do here at Maple Street Church. We are such a bountiful community (whether you believe it or not!) I have come to know that church pledging is absolutely vital for the work we accomplish in sharing God s love. It is important for me to give and be part of this community. My mother-in-law used to say If I don t have a potato a day I don t feel right. Well if I don t pledge yearly to my church then I don t feel right! If you did not receive a pledge card and would like one, please call the church office and they will be happy to send one out to you. It has been a pleasure to serve with everyone on this year s Stewardship Committee. I would like to thank Faye Gardner, Pam Krum, Don and Eileen Jacobson, Lorne and Jean Hersey for their hard work and dedication! For the Stewardship Committee, Sarah Prescott The inspire 2 April/May, 2016

3 The Deacons Bench This year our Sunday School students prepared Easter baskets for our homebound friends. The Deacons delivered them prior to Easter Sunday. These visitations by the Deacons during the year and on special occasions are greatly appreciated by the homebound. The Deacons have found gluten-free bread and it will be served it at our next monthly Communion Service. Seasonal colors of the church: You may have noticed that the colors on both the pulpit and lectern have changed from green to purple. This represents a change in our church season from the season after Epiphany to Lent. Green represents the color of growth and is used as the color for the season Epiphany and following Epiphany. As we enter into Lent, the season that prepares us for Holy Week and Easter, we change from green to purple. Purple is the color of royalty and is evocative of the mocking Christ received before his death. During Holy Week we will change from purple to red. Red is used as a sign of the blood Christ shed for us. Holy Week can be represented by several colors depending on the day of the week; however, red is the overarching color until Easter day, which is represented by either white or gold representing Christ s resurrection. From Church Growth Thank you to all who shared a dish, a story, set up, and cleaned up at the recent all-church Pot Luck as it is said many hands make for light work! As we think of our church home as family, what does eating together in that context do for us besides give us nourishment for our bodies? Oh, it is so much more and the wonder of a Pot Luck Dinner is evidence of that from beginning to end. The tables are set and ready, 9:15 comes around and the bowls, dishes and crock pots begin to roll in and are lovingly passed on to volunteers in the kitchen. Then come the stories, who made the recipe before them, how the bread was baked, how to warm the dish, or mix it and the favorite memories of potlucks gone by, always shared with great joy. When it is time, the meal is set out, the scent of yum melds together and wafts through the church, filling the sanctuary and with no words says welcome dinner is served! The opportunity to break bread together and to share a meal, meet someone new or learn something new about an old friend, our children spending time with new adults; all time for deeper conversations and enriching relationships. In the Gospels there are many food stories of Jesus and his time at the table with his beloved friends, time for nourishing that continues to feed us as Christians today. The blessing of fellowship around food and table, nourishment indeed; for each other, for ourselves, for our whole church family, and beyond. From The Church Growth Committee Peggy Kuzma, Beverly Hayward, Gayla Bartlett and Karen Kilty The inspire 3 April/May, 2016

4 Building Bridges Through Music will offer their Annual Jazz Lunch at Maple Street Church Saturday on April 9th from Noon to 3 pm. The wonderful music will include plenty of jazz.. and our very own Maple Street Church Choir will also perform! Food for this special event will be provided by Burtons Grill in Peabody, Buffalo Wild Wings and Goodies. There will plenty of enticing raffle prizes. 100% of the proceeds from this event will go to support the children's programs at BBTM. So come and be a part of the fun!! Tickets are $35 and can be purchased from Gayla Bartlett or at the door. Please make checks payable to Building Bridges Through Music. Recently the Cub Scouts Pack 16 held their Blue and Gold event in the social hall. Rev. Kevin was on hand to welcome the group and offer grace. RevKev also reflected on his days as a boy scout. Troop 16 has a strong history at Maple Street Church where you will see them working on various service protects. They plan to construct a bench (with Maple Street Church and Troop 16 on it) which will debut in spring. Gayla Bartlett Troop 16 Church Liaison J & J Flowers Thank you to Judy Drouin and Judy Manuel for the beautiful arrangements they create and donate for us to raffle each month. This special fundraiser supports the Green Card Fund and to date these has brought in more than $300. Thank you, Judy and Judy, for so generously sharing the gifts of your talents and artistry. --Kathy Gross A Note from the Treasurer As of March 23, 2016 Don t forget to plan for the upcoming Congregational Meeting and Vote on Sunday, April 24, and for the Annual Meeting on Sunday, May 22. Both meetings follow Sunday Worship. Fiscal Year to Date Pledges: Actual Received Budgeted $113,941 $140,0000 % of Budgeted Pledge Receipts 81.4% (should be at 90.4%) The inspire 4 April/May, 2016

5 Home The Dwelling Place of God is the theme of our Special Music Sunday on April 10 th. The Chancel Choir will offer several anthems for worship, including The Heavens Are Telling, a well-known chorus from Joseph Haydn's oratorio, The Creation, and a soulful arrangement of Thomas Dorsey's much-loved Precious Lord, Take My Hand by Joel Raney. Please plan to join us. First Sunday Services The theme of our April 3 rd First Sunday service is Now Is God Present. The New Kids on the Rock will retell the scripture stories of Easter morning at the tomb and the road to Emmaus. The theme of our May 1 st First Sunday service will be A New Light Is Streaming. Plans for the May service are still in development! First Sunday has been a meaningful new adventure at Maple Street Church this year. Many have made this initiative possible. I would like especially to thank the young people of this church, the New Kids on the Rock and the Joyful Noise Choir. They have illumined our faith understanding and worship together as they led worship and presented parables, stories, children's literature, skits, solos, and anthems for our morning messages. Many thanks go to Linda Angeramo for her support with the New Kids; she has assisted in so many ways, including narrating the morning message and finding just the right props and costuming touches for our First Sundays. Thank you to Mackenzie Thompson, our capable youth assistant for her help with the New Kids, and to Dick Crotts for helping out as needed in rehearsals. Very special thanks go to Ethan McGrath for the beautiful visual art that he created for each First Sunday bulletin. His expressive drawings capture the heart of each theme. Thank you to Ji Hye, who chose preludes and postludes to engage all ages most recently the Feather Theme by Alan Silvestri and Hedwig's Theme by John Williams and supported our morning messages with piano accompaniment. Thank you to all who have supported our First Sundays and helped to craft these services into ministry offered by our church community for our church community readers, Chancel Choir members, guest actors from our adult congregation who played parts as Jesus, prophets, and even the star of Bethlehem... Thank you, every one, for all you have shared in ways both large and small to bring new life and possibilities to our worship and communion as a whole church family. - Kathy Gross The inspire 5 April/May, 2016

6 Maple Eves will hold their April Meeting in the Social Hall on Wednesday, April 13, at 7:00 PM. Tom Martin will present an entertaining program entitled The Sounds of Old Time Radio. Guests are welcome, this is something even the men would enjoy. The hostesses for the evening are Gisela Turner and Peggy Kuzma. Judy Drouin will lead us in devotions. Dessert will be served. If you are not on the Maple Eves call list and would like to attend please call Marge Hathaway at THE REV. DR. CHARLES N. GROSS SCHOLARSHIP The Gross Scholarship is in honor of Rev. Gross s many years of service and devotion to Maple Street Congregational Church and was established upon his retirement. This scholarship is available to any graduating high school student who is a member, or child, grandchild, and/or greatgrandchild of a current member of the Maple Street Congregational Church. The student must have been accepted and enrolled in post-secondary educational institution with plans to attend. While consideration will be given to a young person who has been active in Maple Street Congregational Church, the Scholarship is not restricted to such students. Contributions to the Gross Scholarship fund are always welcome and a wonderful way to remember his years of service at our church. The fund was established with donations from individuals and the church in an amount large enough to provide an annual $1, scholarship in perpetuity. The goal of the scholarship committee, though, is to continue to grow the scholarship endowment so that in the future it will be able to provide additional annual scholarships to worthy young members of Maple Street Congregational Church. Any qualified applicant interested in being considered for the Gross Scholarship can obtain an application from the Church Office, and copies are also available in the narthex. As part of the application, the student will be required to submit a 500 word essay on how activities leading to the improvement of the community have affected his/her life; and provide a list of recent community service, extra curricular activities and work experience. Applications should be completed and returned in a sealed envelope and addressed to the Scholarship Committee, Maple Street Congregational Church, 90 Maple Street, Danvers, MA by April 24, The Gross Scholarship will be announced and presented on Sunday, May 15. The recipient will receive $1,000 in the form of a check made payable on his or her behalf to the educational institution he or she will be attending. Seniors-- pick up your applications now! The inspire 6 April/May, 2016

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8 would open, enlarge and expand, to be able to support the butterfly s body. This sad and beautiful story illustrates one of the most salient lessons we learn throughout our lives. It s easy to imagine life as simple - good or bad. But often we wind up with a mix of both that shapes our character making us who we are. One day, a man walking down a path saw a butterfly cocoon that was about to open. As he watched, a small opening appeared in the cocoon; the man sat and watched for the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then, it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no further. So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and opened the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a withered body, it was tiny and its wings were shriveled. The man continued to watch because he expected that, at any moment, the wings Neither happened. In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a withered body an shriveled wings. It never was able to take flight. What the man, in his kindness and his Goodwill, did not Understand, was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening, were nature s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings, so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Sometimes, struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were allowed to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been. Never able to fly. I asked for Strength...and I was given difficulties to make me strong. I asked for Wisdom...and I was given problems to solve. I asked for prosperity...and I was given a brain and brawn to work. continued on next page The inspire 8 April/May, 2016

9 I asked for Courage...and I was given obstacles to overcome. I asked for Love...and I was given troubled people to help. I asked for Favors...And I was given Opportunities. I received nothing I wanted...but I received EVERYTHING I needed. Live life without fear, confront all obstacles and know that you can overcome them. REMEMBER: It s the pebbles in the brook that make it sing. However, God is Love and never gives us bad things to make us better. We live in an evil world. What God does is help us by strengthening us through Christ and by making all things work out for the best for us who believe. FIFTY -YEAR MEMBERS TO BE HONORED MAY 8 On May 8, parishioners who have been members for FIFTY YEARS or more will be recognized at the 10 AM Worship Service. Following the service, special refreshments will be served at the Coffee Hour. The Deacons have been compiling a list of those eligible. However, so that no one is left out, please contact Deacon Chairman Alden Duffill or the Church Office if we missed you, and you will be included in the celebration. Our prayers continue to be with families who have suffered the recent loss of a loved one. Our prayers are with the family of Stuart Allan Phinney, who was memorialized here on March 26. They are also with the family of Jane Porter Potter, who was memorialized on March 5. Blessings to Spencer Michael McLlarky and Calla Mae McLlarky, children of Andrew Michael and Kristen Lee McLlarky, both of whom were Baptized here on March 13. The inspire 9 April/May, 2016

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11 Maple Street Congregational Church United Church of Christ 90 Maple Street, Danvers, MA Rev. Kevin Smith Minister , ext (cell) revkevmsc@gmail.com Ms. Kathy Gross Director of Music Ministry Ms. Ji Hye Jung Asst. Director of Music Ministry Ms. Linda Blair Office Administrator Mrs. Lynne Hathaway Nursery School Director , ext 5 candk144@gmail.com , ext. 0 jihye87@gmail.com , ext 0 info@maplestreetchurch.org , ext. 6 lynnehathaway@verizon.net Our Worship Services are recorded every Sunday and aired on Danvers Comcast Channel 99 and Verizon Channel 36, Sunday 10:00 am and 7:00 pm (one week delay) Our lighted steeple is an important symbol of our presence in the community. Your contributions in memory of loved ones and friends or to commemorate a special event help keep the steeple lighted. If you would like to have the steeple lighted for one or more weeks, please fill out the form below and send it with $15 per week to the church office. I would like the steeple lighted in memory of: I would like the steeple lighted in honor of: Requested date (if available) to light: (signed) Telephone Number: The inspire 11 April/May, 2016

12 The Spire Maple Street Congregational Church United Church of Christ 90 Maple Street Danvers, MA No matter who you are or where you are on your faith journey, you are welcome here! The Spire is a regular publication of Maple Street Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, 90 Maple Street, Danvers, MA The due date for contributions to the June/July issue of The inspire is May 18 at noon. Fully composed items can be ed to info@maplestreetchurch.org or delivered to the church office. Items may be edited for length and grammar. No matter who you are or where you are on your faith journey, you are welcome here!