Chanticleer. Volume 89, Issue 3

Transcription

1 Chanticleer Volume 89, Issue 3 Dear Friends, The Gospel according to Mark starts abruptly, as we might expect for the style of the whole book: The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And the most authoritative copies of the Gospel have an abrupt ending: the disciples run away from the empty tomb, and don t tell anyone, because they are freaked out by the whole thing. (Okay, it says: So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. ) Here s the deal. The Gospel according to Mark, all 16 chapters, are written as the beginning of the good news (or Gospel) of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And the end of the book we call Mark is not the end of the Good News. The Good News of Jesus Christ is still ongoing. Another way to think of it, we are a part of the current chapter of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Like the disciples, we will falter, we will stray, we will deny, we will run away, fear will win, and all of that. But the Good News is not that we are strong enough and smart enough and willful enough to beat life. The Good News is that even in (maybe especially in) our weakness, God s grace is sufficient. God s love IS our life. And while we struggle together to live out God s love in a world so rife with violence and partisanship and threats and hatred, God s love remains sufficient. Be not ye anxious. God s got this. Let us come together and live it out. Grace and Peace, Phil

2 Progressive Dinner 2016 Sunday, April 24 Sign up begins March 20, the sign up sheet will be in the Bess Fulton Room adults are welcome! JOIN US! for the annual social event put together by Women's Fellowship: Progressive Dinner. Sign up to progress from a house hosting appetizer to a smaller group enjoying dinner and then the full gathering of all participants at the church for ice cream sundaes. All To participate, simply sign up on the poster in the Bess Fulton room BY SUNDAY, April 10 and you will receive your traveling and cooking assignments Sunday, April 17. We are always in need of hosts for both appetizer and dinner, consider signing on the line indicating your willingness to host and indicate the number of guests you can accommodate. We are always in need of good appetizer, salad and main dish recipes and gather these before the planning meetings. This year we will be enjoying pork or ham. Contact Linda Foster, , if you have good recipes or can join us to plan the meal Wednesday, April 6 ELEVEN By Emily St.John Mandel March Book Review An audacious, darkly glittering novel set in the eerie days of civilizations collapse. Station Eleven tells the spellbinding story of a Hollywood star; his would be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity. A novel of art, memory and ambition, Station Eleven tells a story about the relationships that sustain us, the ephemeral nature of fame, and the beauty of the world as we know it. I found this book a little hard to get into and put it down at least twice! However, I kept picking it back up and anxious to find where the book was going. I liked that it was Michigan based by a Michigan author. It as well worth the read and I recommend it as a thoughtful and interesting read. Reviewer: Judi Cates Have you read a book that you would like to review and share with the Chanticleer? If so, your review and I ll get it into the April Newsletter. Judi

3 UCC Women of Michigan invite you to join us at The Gathering Laughter and Joy in the Spirit June 10, 11, 12, 2016 Kettunen Center, Tustin, Michigan The GATHERING is a weekend of retreat, renewal, relaxation and recharging. It offers workshops, music, entertainment, vespers, and a meaningful worship service. The Kettunen Center is located in the woods on a beautiful lake and the accommodations are luxury in the woods and the food is delicious and abundant. The keynote speaker is Rev. Meg Wilson who is currently serving as the Pastor of Family Ministries at Hope United Church of Christ in Canton, Michigan. Meg has a love for contemporary worship and outreach ministries which offer inclusive opportunities for people of all ages to feel God s presence. She is focused on helping others connect with healthy, honest, and hope-filled ways of building faith into their daily lives. Workshops with a large variety of subjects are offered Saturday morning and afternoon but if you don t wish to participate you can spend this time alone with God. Also, clergy women will be available all weekend if you have a care or concern to discuss privately. If you have talents and treasures (crafts, collections,etc.) you would like to share, you are encouraged to bring them. Used books, CD s or DVD s will be for sale. SERVV items will be available for sale. SERVV is an organization that works to support low income artisans and farmers through the World Fair Trade Organization. 50/50 raffle will be available. Financial assistance is available. Please come and enjoy. For further information, see Eileen Harrison or Jan Dodds.

4 Music Notes This last month has involved my learning about copyright laws and how they affect what we do in music at our church. Our church has a Church Copyright License (CCLI) that we pay for every year ($196/yr). With that license, we can print songs, hymns and lyrics in our bulletin to facilitate congregational singing; create our own customized songbooks (such as our Supplement); and record our services and make a limited number of CDs to give to those who aren t able to attend the service (we can t sell them). However, it does not allow us to post our choir anthems and concerts on our webpage. Matt Slot researched our particular licensing (thank you, Matt!) and determined that we needed to add a Streaming License to our CCLI license (another $60/yr). With this, we can now post links to our choir anthems and individual pieces from our concerts, provided that the individual songs are all covered by CCLI something that I am now checking on. So far, I haven t found a choir anthem that isn t covered, thank goodness! When the choir and congregation sang Go Make a Difference in early February, I typed the words for an insert in the bulletin. When we do that, we need to indicate that the words were used by permission, and we need to post our CCLI license number on the printed page. The book from which Go Make a Difference comes is called Sing!, Prayer and Praise, and it is published by The Pilgrim Press, the UCC publishing house (and North America s oldest surviving publishing operation!). While we have the license to copy songs from that book to insert in the bulletin, I m hoping that eventually we ll be able to buy enough copies of the Sing! book so that we ll be able to put the book next to our hymnal in the pews. There are many wonderful, upbeat songs in that book, and I m hoping to start including more in our service. The choir is already singing several of the pieces for the choral introit and choral benediction, and I d like to have the congregation sing more of those pieces with us. So if anyone would like to contribute to the cost of buying the Sing! books (approximately $11 each), please see me! Ramona Kime Director of Music

5 Outreach Moment This was a long meeting today (Sunday, 2/21). This was our planning/review meeting for the year. We have a lot planned and we are also looking at some new projects. I will elaborate on those as we finalize them. The Community dinner on Feb 17 went well. We served about 70 including the servers. The County Journal came to take pictures. House of Ruth made a very nice donation to the Community Dinner program. Hopefully you all saw the nice article in the Feb 20 County Journal. The cost of the dinner to the church was $ This did include a case of corn which will last for 2-3 dinners. We will still be participating in all our usual Thanksgiving and Christmas projects as well as our summer reading program, and CROP walk. We are looking to be involved in Celebrate Charlotte again this year. I will keep you posted. It was mentioned that there are several prayer shawls but they are not getting many requests for them. If you know of someone who would benefit from one please let the church know. We are still gathering names for spring yard clean up. Remember, they do not have to be members of the church. See me in church with names or call me at We are currently working on the spring shoe box project. We are in need of empty shoe boxes. They can be placed on the counter in the Bess Fulton room. Anyone is welcome to grab an empty one and fill it with things kids can use during spring break such as small games, books, puzzles, crayons and coloring books, snacks, outdoor toys. These are not gender or age specific. Just return them to the counter when filled. Our next project is going to be a baby dresser. Tags will soon be coming out with items needed for the dresser. Take one or two tags and bring them back to the dresser. We generally deliver the dresser around Mother s Day. We are in need of 1-2 more members on Outreach. If you are interested please contact me. As always, if you have ideas on how we can reach out to the community and share God s love please let Outreach know. We are always open to new ideas. This was our last meeting with Pastor Tom s guidance. Thank you Tom for all your help and input. Thank you for your commitment to the underserved. We will miss you. Stayed Tuned, Mary Normand, chair

6 Third Easter Community Dinner At First Congregational Charlotte March 27, 2016 Three years ago the request was brought to the Board of Trustees to provide a Community dinner with all the trimmings to the people of charlotte on Easter Sunday. It was noted that there were dinners offered on Thanksgiving and Christmas but nothing on Easter Sunday. The request was approved; the congregation pitched in with money and food donations and a tradition was started! In 2014, the first year, we served 96 dinners! Easter Bunny cakes decorated the tables to the delight of the children and each family was able to take this treat home. In 2015 we served 146 dinners!!!! March 27, 2016 EASTER SUNDAY DINNER BESS FULTON ROOM Noon to 2:00 PM There is NO CHARGE for this dinner; it is our gift to the community. Invite family, friends and those you know that will be alone on this special day in the life of the church. As we approach Easter 2016 we are gearing up for the Third Easter Community Dinner here at First Congregational. Enthusiasm from the congregation has already started. It is wonderful to serve others, People Helping People. What a better way is there to Serve Jesus? If you would like to help cook, serve, clean up, donate food or money please contact Chris Reist at

7 IT S NOT TOO LATE TO REGISTER!!!! CALL TODAY.. Come to the Red Tent gathering of Women. Saturday, March 5, 2016 First Congregational UCC Charlotte-Church Annex. TIME: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm TOPIC: Is you life an original or is it a copy? COST: $15.00 BRING: A Creative mind and an open Heart! For more information and questions please contact Sandra Field at Judy Johnson at Chris Reist at The purpose of the Red Tent is to bring women together to create a safe haven among women of the church and community. There will be workshops, creative crafts, lunch and moments for reflection. In our thoughts (self image) we see ourselves as kittens but in truth we are lionesses with the strength and courage to move forward on our life s journey. We need to take time and look at ourselves and see a true and total daughter of the Creator, God. The Red Tent Journey will continue for the next year, meeting in March, June and October of 2016 Please plan to join us as we continue our journey together. If we make our goal to live a life of compassion and unconditional love, then the world will indeed become a garden where all kinds of flowers can bloom and grow Elisabeth Kubler Ross

8 $ Bud s Budget Bites $ Budgets are a vital necessity of any organization. We hear about government budgets, business budgets and our own personal budgets (yikes!). So now we need to hear about our church budget. The Church is like any organization that has costs for utilities; maintenance; salaries; operational costs and so forth. Did you know our utility bills for a year run $14,000? Yup, so heat is an important necessity for our Michigan winters. So each year the trustees review last year s expenses, estimate the costs and allocate dollars for the next year and place an estimated cost for this line item. Did you know that in December there is an increase in offering by 17.5%? This is very true as many folks wait to the end of the year to give. Some reasons are folks try to catch up on their pledge and others to increase their charitable giving. However, no matter what the reason the Church is thankful to all who give to support the ministry of the church in our community! Ask Bud Bud what is an allocation? Allocation means an amount or portion of a resource assigned to a particular recipient and in our case, a particular cost. *Send in questions to Bud s Budget Bite s. Next month stay tuned for our continued discussions on how we take a Bite out of our Budget mysteries. Bud From the Trustees, Approved Financial Figures as of January 31, 2016 (General Budget Only, NOT restricted accounts) Income: $33, Disbursements: $15, Positive: $17,391.81

9 Happiness And Healing Advocates (HA HA) By Brenda Bly HA HA s, we are the people that have been using the large conference room in the annex for the past couple of years. We meet every Monday night from 6 to 8pm. We come together in circle to share self- healing techniques that have been proven to offer relief from stress, anxiety, insecurities, and low self- esteem. All of the things that keep us from being the people we were created to be. We share many techniques that introduce you to the "healer within. These energy techniques keep us in balance and experiencing ease of being in mind, body and spirit. We use kitchen yoga, qi gong, self - massage, and tapping energy meridians as means of relaxing and healing ourselves. We offer guided imagery to learn to use the healing power of our imaginations. We also offer weekly ear acupuncture for those who wish to receive the healing benefits from the 5 point wellness procedure.. Everything we offer on Monday nights gradually assists us in honest looking at ourselves and making a choice to change the things that no longer serve our Highest Good. We have recently started reading and sharing the book, The Gift Of Our Compulsions, A Revolutionary Approach To Self-Acceptance And Healing, by Mary O Malley. Many of us have realized that behaviors that started out soothing us when we were anxious, stressed and too busy have now created problems for us. We came together as a group of people sharing our concerns, our lives and our wishes to be as God created us. Together we have created a community offering comfort, laughter and support in our journeys.we offer unconditional love to each other and all who wish to join us. If you have questions call Brenda Bly at , or Joy at

10 CARE COMMUNITY: What is the Care Community? By Pam Rinckey We meet the first Wednesday morning of each month at 10:00 a.m. in the annex library and would love to see new faces there. Come join us. One of the important things about being part of a caring church family is the support we each need, cherish and enjoy. Several months ago I put out a notice about starting a new group who could be responsible for helping fulfill that need. The response was great and we formed what we now call the CARE Community. At each meeting we go through the friendship slips from the previous months and note new people and, if the address is available, send them a note to tell them we appreciate their attendance. Notes are also sent to people who have been absent from Sunday service for awhile and to people who might be cheered by just a friendly note. Our members also visit people we know are either in the hospital, in some kind of facility and those who are unable to leave their homes as much as they d like. We have recently been coordinating help with meals and transportation for some of our church members as the need arises. We are continually trying to improve the methods of communication between the congregation and our committee so that together with Pastor Phil, our church family will feel loved and cared for. One of the important things about being part of a caring church family is the support we each need, cherish and enjoy. Several months ago I put out a notice about starting a new group who could be responsible for helping fulfill that need. The response was great and we formed what we now call the CARE Community. We meet the first Wednesday morning of each month at 10:00 a.m. in the annex library and the coffee is on. We love to see new faces that are eager to serve our community. Come join us! Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. Marcel Proust

11 Adult Bible Study with Curt Scott Tuesday at 6:30 PM How did we come to accept what we believe? Where did our spiritual ancestors come from, socially, mentally and spiritually? How does what we believe about Jesus differ from what Christians said about him between our Savior s execution and the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD? What don t we know that would be helpful to our current situation? THE HISTORY PART For more than three years Curt Scott has surveyed the historical conditions and people who have been our spiritual ancestors since Neanderthals buried their dead and primitive artists painted animals and people on the wall of caves. Scott traces the wave pattern of human attitudes and behaviors that engendered the beliefs and actions that led here: Protestant sanctuaries filling then emptying then filling somewhere else throughout the late 20th Century. The current topic is Emergent and Convergent Christianity. In other words, class discussion is about where we are going right now. Lately, Tuesday classes have gone on into the night because the future is a very exciting place to be when the present gets perplexing. The timeline from Abraham to Moses to Joseph, to Jesus, to today reveals 4000 years of trajectory. On Tuesday evenings, from 6:30 until mental exhaustion, we ponder contemporary thoughts what is emerging and what is converging and compare those ideas to that trajectory. Like everyone else, we seek the most probable landing strip for this current spiritual flight of humanity. Please join Curt Scott on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 pm in the Annex for this study in the contemporary trends in Christianity. Look for April Chanticleer for continued discussion on Adult Bible Study

12 Lectionary Readings for March Fourth Sunday in Lent - March 6, 2016 Joshua 5:9-12 Psalm 32 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 Fifth Sunday in Lent - March 13, 2016 Isaiah 43:16-21 Psalm 126 Philippians 3:4b-14 John 12:1-8 Sixth Sunday in Lent - March 20, 2016 Liturgy of the Palms Psalm 118:1-2, Luke 19:28-40 Liturgy of the Passion Isaiah 50:4-9a Psalm 31:9-16 Philippians 2:5-11 Luke 22:14-23:56 or Luke 23:1-49 Easter Sunday March 27, 2016 Acts 10:34-43 or Isaiah 65:17-25 Psalm 118:1-2, Corinthians 15:19-26 or Acts 10:34-43 John 20:1-18 or Luke 24:1-12 The Gospel of Mark At Noon each Thursday In the Annex Library

13 Minister: Every Member Minister of Worship and Congregational Life Phil Hobson Minister of Program and Membership Development Tom Jones Moderator Amy Frost Vice Moderator Curt Scott Board of Deacons Rachel Harvitt Board of Trustees Bill Rinckey Board of Christian Education Amy Slot Outreach Board Mary Normand Church Clerk Barbara Anderson Financial Secretary Don Johnson Treasurer Eric Crandall Staff: Office Manager Sher Brown Custodian Rex Todd Director of Music Ramona Kime Mission Statement of First Congregational Church Our church will provide a place and direction for joining with God, healing the broken, and education for youth and adults. We will be challenged by our faith to reach out to our congregants, our community and world family, and to offer opportunities for spiritual growth and renewal. We welcome others into our Christian Family. Sunday Worship: 10:00 a.m., Children s Sunday School: 10 a.m. Adult Bible Studies: Sunday 8:15 a.m., Tuesday at 6:30 pm Men s Group: Saturday 8:00 a.m. Senior Choir meets each Wednesday at 7 pm in the Lounge Board of Trustees meet the third Monday of the 6:30 pm in the Annex Library Advisory board meets the third Thursday of the 6:30 pm in the Annex Small Meeting Room Women s Prayer Circle Women of the church are welcome the 1 st & 3 rd Thursday of each month at 10:30 am in the Annex Library. The Chanticleer is a monthly newsletter, distributed to members and friends of First Congregational Church. We welcome most comments and articles. Chanticleer article deadline is the 18 th of each month. address: fcuc@sbcglobal.net Website address: ucccharlotte.org Church Office: Hours: Tuesday thru Friday from 8:30 am to 3 pm Phone Number: Blanche Moyer Circle Next Meeting April 11 th at 6:30 pm in the Lounge Prayer Shawl Ministry meets The 1 st & 3 rd Saturdays at 9:00 am. Love to knit or crochet? Don t know how? We ll teach you! Come & join us we would love to have you!