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1 The Pilgrimage The Pilgrimage Herald Herald Volume LXXXII, No. 12 Church Office Congregational United Church of Christ December Town Square, Plymouth Massachusetts The Reverend Dr. Helen Nablo Pastor Phone: FAX: helennablo@8townsquare.org Rev. Gary L. Marks, Pastor Emeritus Office Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:00pm The Rev Says: Recently I heard about a website called Advent Conspiracy that is dedicated to helping churches and individuals reclaim Christmas. Curious, I went to the site and clicked on a three minute video -- the one entitled Worship Fully. While voices sang Joy to the World people were running. It wasn t clear what their destination was. Was it the mall? The nearest outlet or post office? But at the end of the video it all became clear. The running people arrived at an outdoor crèche scene where they all gathered round, faces beaming with adoration. Of course there was rushing in the first Christmas story. Let us make haste, the shepherds said, and see this thing that has been made known to us. At the same time the film played on the rushing we do this time of year. The film got me thinking about how the pace of life (already pretty darn fast) is going to pick up a notch in these next few weeks. It got me thinking about how the Christmas rush as we often experience it is not the Christmas Story. What will we do to keep the reason for the season? What will we do to stay centered in a message of hope, peace, joy and love? Some years ago I encountered this version of the 23rd psalm, also known as the nuns 23rd psalm: (Found in Guide My Feet by Marian Wright Edelman) The Lord is my pacesetter, I shall not rush. God makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals. God provides me with images of stillness, which restore my serenity. God leads me in ways of efficiency through calmness of mind. And God s guidance is peace. Even though I have a great many things to accomplish each day, I will not fret, for God s presence is here. His timelessness, his all importance will keep me in balance. Moderator& &Bob&Taylor &Clerk& &Lois&Post The Church of the Pilgrimage December 2012 God prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activity by anointing my mind with oils of tranquility. My cup of joyous energy overflows. Surely harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruit of my hours for I shall walk in the place of my Lord and dwell in God s House forever. So one suggestion for making this season more meaningful, less harried, is to pray this psalm out loud slowly -- at the start of every day between now and Christmas. Your new pastor is going to give that one a try! There are other ways we can walk rather than run through Advent: *This Sunday (the first Sunday in Advent) you are invited to pick up a copy of the UCC Advent devotional guide (available at the end of the service) and make five minutes every day in which to read the daily reflection. Some of the best writers in our denomination are featured there, and you will find their meditations thought provoking and inspiring. *Join us this coming Wednesday night, December 5th at 7 p.m. for a simple meditative service in the sanctuary a Service of Comfort and Peace. It is designed to be for those who find the holidays difficult on their spirits due to recent loss or other challenging circumstances. A light soup supper will take place in Allerton Hall before the service. *Join those who are going caroling on December 9th departing after the budget meeting. *Think about doing some of your gift giving through the Missions Committee of our church. Each Sunday at coffee hour SERRV products, Fair Trade coffee and Fair Trade chocolate are available for purchase, as are gift cards for donations of ten dollars or more to Heifer International. I look forward to gathering round the Advent wreath -- and to walking through this holy season with you. And when December 25th comes round, may we find ourselves arriving in a spirit of worship and gratitude for all that God has done for us. Grace and peace, The$Church$of$the$Pilgrimage,$UCC$is$an$Open$and$Af:irming$Church World&Mission&Emphasis0Heifer&Project&International 1 &Music&Director0Kelley&DePasqua &Organist& &Michael&Eaton Treasurer&0&Verna&Ross0Hoyt OfIice&Manager0Shellie&Souza&

2 Heather Blais Heather joined our church on November 18, She lives on 6 Keith St, Middleboro with her three daughters. Genevive is 13, Hannah is 11, and Lilian is 10 and attends Sunday School. Heather was from Pittsburgh, PA, but has lived in Massachusetts since age 10. She is an artist, loves to sing, and loves camping and the ocean. She is looking for ways to fit serving in with her busy schedule. Jane Barwis Our Membership & Evangelism Committee would like you to meet four of our new members. Next month you will have the opportunity to meet more, so stay tuned! Zebbie & Roy Mathis Zebbie and Roy live at 5 West Trevor Hill in Plymouth. They have 3 adult children, Tanya Mathis in Dedham, Melanie Geary in Hollison, and Michael Darren Mathis in Acton. Both Zebbie and Roy were born and raised in Miami, Florida. They met in junior high school, dated in high school and college, and both graduated from Florida State University. They were married in June Zebbie is a retired elementary school teacher, Roy is a retired Lt. Colonel with the U.S. Air Force and retired from Kraft Foods with his civilian career in sales, marketing, and logistics. They both have lived in NY, FL, MI, CT, IL, SC and attended Presbyterian or Congregational churches in these places. Both look forward to serving in different areas of church life. Other News Jane Barwis also joined our church on November 18, She and her husband John live at 40 Abigail s Path in Plymouth. They have two daughters, Bari Anne Pender who is 41, and Mollie Jane Avergt who is 35. Jane and John moved to Plymouth in February They came from Monroe, CT, after 33 years. There they attended the Episcopal church. John has decided to go the Unitarian Church, but Jane s search for a church home brought her to The Church of the Pilgrimage. Jane is a registered nurse who worked for the last 17 years in Oncology, and is recently retired. She has 3 adorable grandchildren, loves walking, hiking, biking and reading. She is looking forward to serving on committees such as Missions & Outreach and helping with coffee hour. Christmas Caroling: Please join us as we carol around the Newfield House for the residents! We will sing on Sunday, December 9th from 2-3pm. For those who would like to bring a bag lunch, we will meet downstairs in Allerton Hall following the church s budget meeting and join in fellowship together before heading over. Or...if you would prefer to meet us there, that s fine too! This is a joyous experience and will brighten not only the faces of the residents but will also leave your heart feeling happy! If you have any questions, please call Marna Blomberg ( ) or Barbara Northrop ( ). We hope to see you there! Crib Room Help: The schedule is on the crib room door. If a dozen people signed up for just one Sunday, it would be much appreciated by the three regulars who cover the crib room. I know it s not the same as being upstairs in the service but thanks to the Board of Trustees, the sound system was fixed over the summer and the service can be heard in the crib room. Any questions, please call or me at or suzander735@earthlink.net. Suzanne Anderson. 2

3 Stewardship News Being on the Stewardship Committee can be terrifying at times. This was especially true when the only Pastor I had ever known at this Church retired. Suddenly everything was up in the air. An interim pastor was hired. A search committee was formed to find a suitable Settled Pastor. The Board of Trustees struggled to keep our finances on an even keel. Our committee members shuddered at the great pressure on our pledge drive to increase donations. As the summer progressed, I found myself writing on a yellow legal pad as my dear Mert napped during a month long hospital stay. I tried desperately to find the words that would inspire our congregation in this time of uncertainty. At night I would lie awake wondering how we could everyone to pledge the amounts needed when we were months away from hiring a new Pastor. I tried to put my faith in God but I still worried. On Stewardship Sunday I stood at the pulpit asking; Can you hear God calling you? I tried to read your faces. I looked for smiles. I still worried that we would never get the results we needed. How could we face everyone if we didn t? Now came the hard part. The pledge cards had started arriving. With last year being my first year on the committee, I worried about the number of cards returned each week. I was constantly at the Church office adding up the totals. As the weeks went by we made phone calls, sent notes. Each week got a little easier. Our parishioners did hear us. More importantly, they heard God calling them. They rose to the occasion. They increased their pledges. And most importantly, they have kept those pledges. Now we come to this year. Our goal this year was to run our fall pledge campaign without constantly mentioning money and budgets. We wanted to emphasize the spiritual side of Stewardship. We wanted everyone to feel the joy and satisfaction of being a good Steward. We wanted everyone to see the Offering as a vital part of our Sunday service and a time to celebrate and recognize all the various forms of Stewardship. The mailings, the Stewardship Sunday Service and luncheon, the four weeks of Stewardship Moments and the Chest of Joash Service were all aimed at helping all of us to see Stewardship in this new light. The feedback we have received from so many of our parishioners has been overwhelming. Our goal of seeing Stewardship as a spiritual practice that invites us to grow our faith and generosity resonated with many of you. Of course, eventually we have to look at the numbers. We have 110 pledges for a total of $171,186. If we want to maintain a balanced operating budget we need to bring this figure closer to $195, Since we have had 132 pledges for the past two years we should be able to reach this goal once all the pledge cards are received. So please, if you haven t done so, take the time to fill out your card and return it to the Church. If you did not get a Stewardship mailing or have misplaced your pledge card, they are always available on the table in the upper vestibule or by calling or visiting the Church Office. And remember, if you have any questions or concerns, please be sure to call the Church office or speak to Pastor Helen or a member of the Stewardship Committee. With Pastor Helen at our side this truly is a time of New Beginnings. Nancy E Reed, Stewardship Chair Church School News Please make note of the following items on your calendar: December 2 1. The Greening of the Sanctuary-children will come to worship with their families, participate in the greening then be dismissed to their communion service across the street, upstairs in the church house. Children can be picked up after worship. 2. Pageant sign-ups will be posted on one of the bulletin boards in Allerton Hall. December 16 Costumes for the pageant will be assigned after church, upstairs in the balcony. December Christmas Workshop: All children of Sunday School age will go downstairs to Allerton Hall after the Children s Message for a morning of rotating craft workshops. Children can be picked up after the service. 2. Pageant rehearsal will follow right on the heels of junior choir rehearsal in the sanctuary. December 24 The early service begins at 7:00pm. All pageant players are asked to be in the crib room by 6:30 for costumes and last minute instructions. December 30 Family friendly service featuring a carol sing and a story sermon. SAVE THE DATE: January 26 Potluck & Game Night in Allerton Hall. More details to follow! 3

4 From the Moderator At the November 13 Church Council meeting, the council approved the following committee appointments: Al Hoyt to the Music Committee, Tom Mudgett to the Board of Trustees, Genie Roberts to the Membership and Evangelism Committee, and Jon Porter, Larry Foster and Ed Marks to the Auditing Committee. The Music Committee reported that the organ console is in need of major repair. The mechanisms connecting the console keys to the pipes they control are over 40 years old and are mechanically based. They are wearing out and replacement parts are in limited supply. It will cost an estimated $25,000 to fix the console with modern technology. We will be discussing with the Board of Trustees how and when to address this need. John Blomberg has continued to video many of our church services. You can find them on YouTube by searching the term Helen Nablo. A video of the Installation Service can also be accessed through our website: Bob Taylor Notes Amy Simpson would like to thank all the people who sent cards and notes. She really appreciated it! The Harvest Fair has come and gone and now we can look forward to the upcoming holiday ahead. In the aftermath of the fair my heart is filled with love for each of you that worked to make our fair a success. Everyone has something to offer, and these gifts, no matter how big or small, are what makes us a team, a faithful team. Our Harvest Fair is a wonderful fundraiser but sometimes the monetary value is outweighed by the value of friendship and faith. I am honored to be a part of such a team and proud to be a part of such a loving family here at The Church of the Pilgrimage. Thank you for you support, and for sharing another wonderful year with me. Also, thank you to all of you who generously donated for my beautiful gift. I will treasure it always. With love, Laura Curtin *To date the Harvest Fair has raised over $11,585.20, and counting. 4 Staff Bonuses The Christmas season is upon us and it is time to say thank you to our church staff for all their efforts during the year. I will be collecting monetary gifts with a big cowboy hat for the next four Sundays. Brian has done a great job keeping the Church and Robinson Center up and saved us money by doing projects that would normally have to be fixed by a contractor. One example was his repair to the railing that was backed into along Burial Hill. Shellie has done an excellent job keeping us organized during this period of transition and continues to negotiate lower prices with contractors to save us money. We have all enjoyed wonderful music from the choir, led by Kelley and Michael. Pastor Helen s sermons have been amazing and our church is headed in the right direction under her leadership. There will be two envelopes: one for Helen and one for the remainder of the staff (Shellie, Brian, Kelley, and Michael). The staff s gifts will be divided based on the number of hours worked during the year. Norm Bingham-Maas Christmas Poinsettias Christmas is fast approaching. By your loving purchase of poinsettias, we can enhance the beauty of our church for the Christmas services. Sign up in the lower vestibule following the service during the next several Sundays. An insert listing the donors and those memorialized or honored will be included in the December 23 rd Sunday bulletin. The suggested donation for a poinsettia is $15, although a donation of any amount is welcome. The flowers may be designated for shut-ins, or picked up after the! Christmas Eve services or the following Sunday. Volunteers will be welcomed to take flowers to shutins following the December 23 rd Sunday service. Church Record On November 11 Rev. Dr. Helen Nablo baptized Austin James Gwardyak, son of Joyce & Michael Gwardyak; Christian William Carter Jr., son of Amy & Christian Carter; Layne Vieira, son of Dorothy Vieira. Rev. Dr. Helen Nablo performed a memorial service for Lynn L. Honeck on November 2, 2012 in our sanctuary.

5 Guild News Last month s meeting was held at the Robinson Center due to a power outage at the church, but it made for a very cozy environment to enjoy a program about the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. We managed very well. Coming up in December is our Holiday Tea with a representative from the Salvation Army as our speaker. The Guild makes a sizable donation to their efforts to make Christmas special for those less fortunate. They are asking us to concentrate on gifts for older children (teenagers) this year as that is where there is the greatest need. Bring some favorite Christmas memories with you to share with everyone but, above all bring yourself. December 4th we have a group going to Island Terrace Nursing Home for their Christmas tree display and tea. We have one more opening if anyone else would like to join us. Transportation will be provided. Call me if you are interested at If you were in Church on November 11, you already know that the $1000 matching donation was met, plus! We received over $150 in individual donations as well as $800 from the golf tournament, and then a very generous gift of $1000 from Laura Sampson. We are very grateful for everyone s help and have received another check for $1000 from our anonymous donor to match. I tried to talk him into identifying himself so that we might thank him, but he insists on hiding his light under a bushel. With another $160 plus dollars from the piggy in October, we are over halfway to our initial goal of $20,000. The total to date is over $10,400-amazing for one year s fundraising. Our church family has taken our Sunday piggy collection to heart and it is remarkable how quickly coins can grow into dollars. Keep up the good work, and we will see a workable kitchen sooner than we think. The Guild is very thankful for the enthusiasm with which the church has moved this project along. Diana Budge, Guild President News from the Board of Trustees Good news! The roof has now been repaired. I counted about 30 new slates on the Burial Hill side of the church roof. We have now spent well over $10,000 during the last year trying to keep rain out of the church. Let s hope this takes care of this problem for many years. Thanks to all who helped out on our fall clean-up day. Even though we scheduled this for the weekend after the Harvest Fair, we still had a good turnout. The Crib Room ceiling was repaired, the Memorial Garden was pruned, the side door was weather stripped, the furnace room window was insulated and many windows were washed. Speaking of windows...we are still planning to replace the three windows on the front of the church during the next 6 months. Our church budget meeting will be held on December 9th. Copies of the proposed 2013 budget can be picked up in the upper vestibule (one per family please). News from the Board of Deacons The Board of Deacons would like to once again extend an enthusiastic welcome to the 13 new members of our church who joined Thanksgiving Sunday. We are now right in the midst of the busiest part of the year. The greening of the sanctuary will be coming up on Sunday, December 2nd and Christmas will be here before we know it. Our traditional Christmas pageant will be at its normal time of 7:00pm on Christmas Eve and our late night service will be at 11:00pm. On December 5th the Church will be having a special Service of Comfort and Peace for all those facing loss or loneliness during the Christmas season or for anyone just seeking some quiet and reflective time during what can be a stressful time of year. The Deacons would also like everyone to know that Communion Ministers stand ready to visit anyone (either in a care facility or at home) that would like to receive Communion, but can t make it to Church. If you are interested just call the office at or Peter Causton at One housekeeping note: six of our silver Communion cups went missing on Sunday, November 4th. If anyone has any information about this please let Shellie at the church office know. In Christ s Light, The Board of Deacons 5

6 Nominating Committee Notes The Nominating Committee met on November 7. Our discussion centered around the boards that have been filled and existing vacancies. We are pleased that a great deal of progress has been made in filling these vacancies. We appreciate Pastor Helen s presence at these meetings to assist us with information about the existing membership list. The following have current vacancies: Board of Trustees Board of Christian Ed, Missions & Outreach, Nominating Committee, UCC Delegations, Stewardship, and Assistant Clerk. We encourage new members to become acquainted with our church by volunteering to serve on a board or committee.. Don t be shy. We are here to help. Good News! On Monday, November 19 th, Al Hoyt, Bob Taylor, and Helen Nablo traveled to Old South Church in Weymouth for the purpose of Al Hoyt s meeting with the Committee on Ministry of the Pilgrim Association of the United Church of Christ. Al presented his faith journey and his sense of call to ordained ministry. As representatives of The Church of the Pilgrimage, both Bob Taylor and Helen Nablo spoke on his behalf. The committee voted to accept Al as a candidate in discernment. We celebrate this important step along the way! Al will be preaching on Sunday, December 9 th. Did You Know...? There is a transition team for Pastor Helen? This group meets monthly with her to talk about the church in general and in particular how this first year is going. It s a place to ask questions, wonder together, and also hear feedback on worship, preaching, and any other area of church life. This group will also help Helen plan a leadership retreat (to be held in the new year) which deacons, council, and board of trustees would attend. The members of this group are Dawn Durmis, Linn Peterson, Trace Sears, and Amy Simpson. As moderator Bob Taylor may also join us for future meetings. Amy Simpson has been posting a prayer each month on the bulletin board in Allerton Hall? In November it was an Iroquois prayer and in December it is a prayer for the season. Stop by and take a look! 6 Dec 2 Dec 9 Dec 16 Dec 23 Dec 30 Monday Meals News We would like to thank all of the volunteers who have contributed in so many ways to Monday Meals this season. All the baking, cooking, serving, set up help, planning and financial support is so much appreciated. The Fourth & Fifth Grade Sunday School Class recently baked pumpkin cakes and corn bread that added to the delicious pot roast dinner served on the Monday before Thanksgiving -- a special treat for all. Members of The Baptist Church surprised us by bringing in gift bags containing various health items and accessories that their youth group had assembled for the homeless. So many ideas and so much enthusiasm come together to make the program work. New ideas and suggestions are always welcome. Plans are underway to again provide a dinner on Christmas Day. Last year some 45, or so, people came for a joyous occasion. A few extra desserts or goodies would greatly add to the meal. We are currently serving people each week. Additional take-out meals and second helpings bring the average weekly total servings to 62. If you would like to join in and help, please call Diane Flood, or any of the team leaders. Team leaders: Diane Flood & Gay Flood, 1 st week of each month; Meg Bross, 2 nd ; Pat Mudget & Gloria Souza, 3 rd ; Rosa Cook and Lynnette Lancaster 4 th. Flowers In memory of deceased Guild members. Given by the Guild. Communion Table: In loving memory of Esther Surrey, Danielle McNeely, and loved ones. Given by Sandi Mann Santos and family. Right Side: In loving memory of John Robinson. Given by Marie Robinson. In loving memory of Grant (Rusty) Axford. Given by his parents Barbara & Grant Axford. Christmas Poinsettias are given in memory of relatives, friends and loved ones. Names will be printed in the December 23 bulletin.

7 Missions & Outreach Committee News The Missions Christmas Fair Allerton Hall Sundays during Coffee Hour SERRV Shopping As you know, this year the annual SERRV sale has a different format. We are now ordering directly from the SERRV catalog in Allerton Hall during Coffee Hour. Please shop with us and spend generously because money raised through sales supports our church's Mission and Outreach Committee (25%) and worldwide economic development. Orders for jewelry, scarves, musical instruments, and all other unique items will be accepted each Sunday until Sunday, December 9th to ensure delivery by Christmas. Equal Exchange Delicious Equal Exchange coffee, chocolate, cocoa, and other products will be available for purchase at our Missions Christmas Fair. Equal Exchange's mission is to build long-term trade partnerships that are economically just and environmentally sound, to foster mutually beneficial relationships between farmers and consumers and to demonstrate, through our success, the contribution of worker co-operatives and Fair Trade to a more equitable, democratic and sustainable world. Your purchase will make a welcome gift for anyone on your list. Heifer International For friends and family difficult to buy for, consider donating the gift of a rabbit, a llama, a flock of ducks, or our local favorite: a goat! We will have gift cards available for those who wish to pass on the gift of self-sufficiency to families in need. Food Donations The Greater Plymouth Food Warehouse recently thanked the Church of the Pilgrimage for donating 91 lbs of food! That means 68 meals became available to hungry people. (UPDATE: In addition to the 91 lbs mentioned above, 478 lbs of food from the food drive was delivered on November 19.) The Warehouse provides nonperishable food items to over 33 local food assistance programs, food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency food providers, Head Start Programs and the Boys & Girls Clubs. A shopping list of most needed items is in the box below. Bring your donation to church, put it in the basket on your way up the stairs, and your Missions Committee will take care of the rest! Or drop off donations directly at 14 Apollo 11 Road in the Plymouth Industrial Park: Monday 9-11am and Wednesday 9am-12pm.! Food Warehouse Donation Shopping List canned fruit, cereal, juice, peanut butter and jelly, baked beans, spaghetti sauce, condiments, mac & cheese, soup, canned tuna and chicken, canned vegetables, diapers, baby wipes, and toilet paper. Overnights of Hospitality Beginning Sunday, December 16, through Sunday, December 23, we will be welcoming the homeless men of Plymouth under our Allerton Hall roof for a week of warm dinners and peaceful nighttime shelter. Please prayerfully consider staying overnight as one of our chaperones or making and serving a warm meal for approximately 25 people. If you re interested how our program works or if you d like to volunteer, please call Sarah Barnicle at Leave your name and number and I ll be happy to return your call. 7

8 ! Christmas Services 2012 December 24th at 7:00pm Traditional Christmas Pageant December 24th at 11:00pm Christmas Eve Candlelight & Communion Service Christian Ed Toy Drive on Sunday, December 16: This year we will be giving our gifts to the South Shore Women s Resource Center, an agency that helps women and their children who are victims of domestic violence. In addition to collecting gifts for any age, we have three families who have turned in specific requests so we will have item gift tags for you to choose from as well. This makes it especially meaningful for children to pick a tag and go shopping for something they know another child really wants). It is easy to buy for small children and elementary age children but don t forget tweens and teens too--gift cards are especially popular with them as are movie tickets, electronics and accessories. Thank you so very much for your generous sharing! 8