U N I T E D C H U R C H N E W S

Transcription

1 U N I T E D C H U R C H N E W S F E B R U A R Y A SINGULAR DAY U N I T E D C H U R C H S T A F F Rev. Dr. Linda D. Even Pastor lindaeven@theucf.org Jared Shepard Director of Music Ministries jaredshepard@theucf.org Michele Sargent Administrative Assistant office@theucf.org Al Arras Board Moderator Bob Craft Treasurer treasurer@theucf.org Scott Manuel Assistant Treasurer treasurer@theucf.org It was morning, the first day. Dark. Snowing. Shovel on snow, the only sound. No news of the day. No one along the way. Coffee and comics. Cat in front of the fire rousing herself to inquire about treats. Dog racing in looping arcs powdered in snow tail above the drifts circling in to inquire about treats White on white - etched through frost glass Flashes of color blue and red crowding the feeders to inquire about treats. It was evening. Ruby moon not revealed by a gemstone heaven pearl and opal reflecting earth s crystal fire A darker darkness crept across the sky shadows trailed below. Then There was light, A silver saucer moon a bite-chipped rim Trees sketching sharp-edged shadows across the snow And it was morning, the second day. In faith,

2 P A G E 2 From the Music Director Thank you to all who made Advent and Christmas time such a joy to prepare and celebrate at UCF this year. I would like to take a moment during our relatively quiet, calm, and cold February, to reflect on just a few of the contributions from our church members and friends over the past few months. In addition to our many choir singers, handbell ringers, and joyful sign choir, we also enjoyed offerings of special music from John Price who arranged to sing on Christmas Eve with some youth singers from our church. Every year on Christmas Eve, I look forward to John's gift of music to our church. As always, we were grateful to Dr. James Spencer for joining us on Christmas Eve to play holiday brass music with his friends and family. Nothing else quite fills the sanctuary with the sound of the holidays quite like a brass quartet playing carols. This year I was also happy to welcome back some of my extended family; Joe Cannella on violin, and his grandson, Joe Cannella, playing the bassoon. I enjoy playing with Joe (violin) throughout the year, but Joe (bassoon) has lived in Germany for the past four years, so having all of us together is a rarity, but I'm delighted when it comes together on Christmas. This year, I only found out the day before Christmas that Joe would be home. Our entire music ministry is also thankful to the many volunteers on the Worship and Spiritual Life committee who donate their time during the holidays to make sure our sanctuary looks festive and is a beautiful place for us to sing and make music. I know that along with the WSL committee, there are many others around UCF who do everything they can to make this a beautiful place to serve and worship. Thank you also for your contributions and for making this a beautiful place for us all. -Jared Director of Music Ministries

3 Merci, Joyeux Noël, Bon Voyage et Bienvenue! P A G E 3 News from our Haiti Educational Mission Partnership (HEMP) Merci to all who made the Brass, Bells and Chorale Concert a huge success. Special Shout-Outs go to the Syracuse University Brass Ensemble and its director Jim Spencer, The Syracuse Chorale and its director Pepe Calvar, and the UCF Handbell Choir and Jared! Thanks, too, to all the behind-the-scene-workers who helped prepare and clean up after the event. $1500 was raised to buy pre-school materials for children in Paulette, Haiti. Another merci goes to Vibrant Village for increasing their financial support for a lunch program for all 262 students in both our Haiti elementary schools, 12 months a year. This amounts to $57,000 yearly! Joyeux Noël or Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Serge, our contact in Haïti. His note follows: 'Equipe de FEED par mon Organe souhaite à vous tous : Georgette, Tim, Scott, Gloria, Wynetta, Ruth Colvin, Joe, Ken et tous les Fidèles de Park Central, United Church of Fayetteville, Pebble Hill, les membres de M&M Haiti, toutes les écoles qui soutiennent la FEED et les clubs français un Joyeux Noel 2018 et déjà Une Sainte Année 2019 dans l'amour et la Paix. Serge et l'equipe de FEED.* * As its representative, The FEED team wishes you all: Georgette, Tim, Scott, Gloria, Wynetta, Ruth Colvin, Joe, Ken, and all the faithful at Park Central, United Church of Fayetteville, Pebble Hill, the members of the Haïti M & M, all the schools and French Clubs who support FEED, a Merry Christmas 2018 and already, a Holy 2019 in love and peace. From, Serge and the FEED Team (For those who have forgotten, FEED is an acronym in French for Foundation for the Development of Underprivileged Children in Paulette, Haiti.) A future Bon Voyage or safe travels to four members of the M & M team (including Scott Manuel) leaving at the end of March 2019 for a week in Haïti. Included in the plans are continued bonding with our Haïti partners at FEED, observing what they are doing and teaching some hands on lessons in teaching methods. Bienvenue or Welcome & Merci to Katie Schmidt of UCF and her ESM organization for their interest in learning more about our mission. They are doing their research to apply for a grant to support HEMP s efforts. Children enjoying lunch each day at school

4 P A G E 4 Family Service A look back at UCF S Advent and Christmas! Candlelight Wosrhip Our special Christ-child Creche Set-Up Team Adult Studies with new America White Christmas for Food Pantry Christmas Pot-luck Advent Helpers Brass, Bells & Chorale Salvation Army Tree Tabitha

5 Announcements P A G E 5 UPDATES FROM THE OUTREACH COMMITTEE Our 2017 Thanksgiving Offering was designated to a water project through Charity Water. Charity Water has reported that our $2,597 in combination with other funds is at work on multiple water projects in Mozambique. Specifically the funds are being used in the Nampula Province of Mozambique, the most populous of 10 provinces with more than 6.1 million people. This is a poor rural area that is often hit with natural disasters, droughts, floods, cyclones and earthquakes, which causes large scale food insecurities and increases the need for a safe water supply. Additionally most household latrines do not meet national standards. This poor sanitation contributes to the spread of water and sanitation-related disease. Charity Water, in partnership with World Vision, is working on 76 projects to improve the lives of the people in this province. They are drilling 62 wells, putting in 12 piped system tap stands and 2 water point and sanitation facilities. Additionally, 13 Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) committees and 2 school WASH clubs have been fully trained and another 76 are in progress to educate the people. They are about halfway through the project and expect the work to be finished in six months. When the project is completed they will have more information, including photos, to share with us. Access to clean water is a catalyst for nutrition, gender equality, education and economic growth. Thank you to all who are making this project possible in Mozambique. Advent Paper and Hygiene Products Collection The white paper products collection to benefit the Fayetteville/Manlius Food Pantry was a huge success with boxes and bags of toilet tissue, facial tissues, paper towels, soap and other hygiene products collected. Thank you to all who supported this project and helped those less fortunate.

6 P A G E 6...More Updates FROM THE CHRISTIAN EDUCATION COMMITTEE Calendar Notes for Sunday School are as follows: Feb. 1 Feb. 10, 24 6 th through 12 th First Friday Meeting (offsite) Classes will be in session Volunteers are needed to help in the classrooms. Families in need may not have the resources to celebrate birthdays or buy children s Valentines to share in school. To help address this need in our community, our Sunday School s mission for February is to collect birthday packages consisting of a cake mix, icing, candles, and small birthday plates or napkins which will be distributed through the FM Food Pantry. We are also hoping to collect children s Valentine s Day cards so that they can share them with their classmates. - Donna FROM THE FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE We are delighted to welcome Kathy Bugnacki to the co-chair position of the Fellowship Committee with Janet Press! Kathy will be undertaking the weekly coffee hour coordination along with Fellowship supply maintenance. Please show your support by signing up to do a Sunday coffee hour without being asked! GATHERINGS Tabitha Women will be meeting Wednesday, February 13 th at 7:00 in Fellowship Hall. We will be endeavoring to create FABULOUS designer silk scarves! All you need to bring is $6.00 to cover the cost of the silk scarf and some broad tip Sharpie markers (Must be Sharpies) preferably with a chisel tip, in light colors as dark do not work as well. All United Church women are invited to participate! Contact Cindy Rosbrook for additional information. A FANTASTIC February Pot-Luck is scheduled for Sunday, February 10 immediately following worship! Notice how we squeezed it in between the who cares - not my team Super Bowl and Valentine s day! Maybe the Souper (Get it?) Sweetie lunch? Sign up is on the way to Fellowship Hall. Contact Mary Jane Woodcock, Kathy Bugnacki, or Cindy Rosbrook with any questions. U N I T E D C H U R C H N E W S

7 P A G E 7 STAFF CHANGE As you know, Pam stepped in as Interim Administrative Assistant last fall to help us out with our office situation. While we would have been happy to discuss her staying permanently, she indicated at the beginning of the month that she felt that she had done for us what she could and said she was ready to move on. We are deeply grateful for her assistance to us through those challenging days and especially for getting us through the holiday season. And, of course, we don't have to say good-bye to Pam because she is still among us as a worshipping participating member. The Staff Support Committee opened a search and on its recommendation, the Board voted to hire Michele as our new Administrative Assistant. Michele retired from H&R Block where she was a tax preparer. During the course of her career, she worked for several congregations as an Administrative Assistant. After a few years in Florida, she returned to this area to be near children and grandchildren, and thinks this is the perfect part-time job for her. We expect Pam to be here for much of the remainder of the month as Michele trains. Thank you to the Staff Support Committee (Janet, Dave, Beth and Gloria) for their work in reviewing, screening, advertising and interviewing; and Bob Craft for all his computer work in getting accounts ready for Michele s arrival. WORSHIP CANCELLATION NOTIFICATION As we are in the season again, it is time for a reminder about our worship cancellation procedure. If worship is cancelled due to weather, the notice will appear on Channel 9. We will make a decision as early as possible but no later than 6AM on Sunday morning. We cannot make a decision day in advance based on a prediction, as we all know that weather prediction is art, not science. The decision is made by the Pastor, in consultation with the Moderator or Immediate Past Moderator depending on those persons' availability at the time a decision needs to be made. We take into account current weather and road conditions and travel advisories. We need to consider not only the condition of the main roads, but the side streets on which our members live, as well as our parking lot. Just as important, we consider the safety of worshippers who might try to get to worship and risk their health or safety. Yes adults can make their own decisions, but there are folks who feel that if worship is happening, they need to be there as a matter of obligation to God. We will not risk their safety. We are also extremely concerned about the well-being of volunteers, such as our building stewards who need to clear sidewalks etc., possibly in dangerous weather. If possible, we will also send an all church and put the notice on the church website, but access to those is also limited by weather-restricted access to the church building. The most reliable source for up-to-date information is Channel 9. U N I T E D C H U R C H N E W S

8 P A G E 8...More Udpates STEEPLE COFFEE HOUSE 2/9/19 -- The Perennials ( oldies ) 2/23/19 -- John Price & the Usual Suspects (Contemporary Folk) KITCHEN EQUIPMENT NEEDED Buildings & Grounds has to replace our back-up refrigerator (located in the hallway outside the kitchen). If anyone has an idea or a line on a new or used fridge, please contact the Church Office at or John Hess at UPDATES FROM THE BOARD At its January meeting the Board: Heard year-end financial reports and Advent/Christmas follow-up from all its various committees. Received the good news that the Fellowship Committee is welcoming co-chair Kathy Bugnacki and the Outreach Committee is welcoming two new members -- Rich Brundage and Nico Commandeur. Accepted Pam O'Malley's resignation as our Interim Administrative. Assistant with gratitude for her stepping in and helping us through the holiday season. Voted to hire Michele Z. Sargent as our new Administrative Assistant. Continued its processing of the responses from the Refresh Desserts and the retreat on change with a discussion exercise done in pairs. U N I T E D C H U R C H N E W S

9 P A G E 9 REFLECTIONS FROM A CHURCH LEADER A few months ago, I asked church leaders to offer a reflection on why they do what they do in service to Christ through UCF's ministry. This is a second offering in what I hope is an ongoing series. Among the hats I have worn here at United Church, Stewardship is the committee with the most easily measurable results. We either make our budgeted pledge amount or we don t. And while no one on the committee is held personally responsible for the hits (we made it) or misses (we missed the goal), we do share a feeling of success or loss when the final results are in. Stewardship is an educational task, not, as it seems, a task of coaxing dollars out of pockets or other hiding places. To educate about stewardship is to insure everyone understands and hears the call of Christ: to give generously to support our church and its functions; to support those less fortunate. The church is both historically and in our own time, well suited for the task of sharing our wealth and providing support. To that end, it is the task of the Stewardship Committee to choose a theme, whether from a Biblical quote or other source of inspiration, and develop materials to be mailed to each home to inform and inspire. We also provide a Minute for Mission in worship to remind those present of the importance of submitting a pledge as soon as possible. Linda preaches inspiring, enlightening sermons highlighting the many reasons we have to be generous Asking for money is a difficult thing to do for most of us and it hasn t gotten any easier over the past several years. The decisions made in each household or by each individual are ones made in prayerful consultation with God. The Board then receives the results and makes prayerful decisions on which elements might be added or need to be removed from any year's ministry, based on the resources available. Combining our contributions, large and small, makes each of them go further collectively and have greater effect than when we attempt to make a difference on our own. This has been my task for several years. Whether I have been successful in leading the charge to meet our goals or have missed the mark, it has been a challenging but satisfying journey in service to UCF and our mission. U N I T E D C H U R C H N E W S

10 P A G E 10 Friday, February 1 7 PM First Friday Youth Sunday, February 3 4 th Sunday in Ordinary Time The Lord s Supper 9:30 AM Choir Rehearsal 9:45 AM Nursery Care 10:00 AM Worship (K-12 in worship) 11:00 AM Fellowship Wednesday, February 6 2 PM Bible Study Women s Lounge Saturday, February 9 7:30 PM Steeple Coffee House Fellowship Hall The Perennials ( oldies ) Sunday, February 10 5 th Sunday in Ordinary Time 9:30 AM Choir Rehearsal 9:45 AM Nursery Care 10:00 AM Worship 10:00 AM Sunday School (K-12 begin in worship then depart for Sunday School) 11:00 AM Fellowship Pot Luck Luncheon Monday, February 18 Office Closed Tuesday, February 19 Deadline for Newsletter Tuesday, February 19-7PM - Board Meeting - Women s Lounge Wednesday, February 20 2 PM Bible Study Women s Lounge Thursday, February 21 7 AM Men s Covenant Women s Lounge Saturday, February 23 7:30PM Steeple Coffee House Fellowship Hall John & The Usual Suspects Sunday, February 24 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time 9:30 AM Choir Rehearsal 9:45 AM Nursery Care 10:00 AM Worship 10:00 AM Sunday School (K-12 begin in worship then depart for Sunday School) 11:00 AM Fellowship Tuesday, February 12-1:00 PM - Congregational Care Meeting Tuesday, February 12 7 PM Worship & Spiritual Life Women s Lounge Wednesday, February 13 7 PM Tabitha Women s Lounge Sunday, February 17 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time 9:30 AM Choir Rehearsal 9:45 AM Nursery Care 10:00 AM Worship (K-12 in worship) 11:00 AM Fellowship U N I T E D C H U R C H N E W S

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