THE CHURCHMOUSE ON COMMUNITY. From the Pastor. Newsletter of The First Congregational Church, Canton Center, CT September 2017

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1 THE CHURCHMOUSE Newsletter of The First Congregational Church, Canton Center, CT September 2017 From the Pastor Rev. Brenda Pelc-Faszcza we do become invested in each other's wellbeing, and we feel a different way of belonging in a community when that's the case. Of course, we share values and hopes and goals and a mission in a community too, but always within the foundational grounding of our personal relationships of mutual care. ON COMMUNITY I've recently read the book entitled The Art of Community: Seven Principles for Belonging. Its author, Charles Vogl, is a graduate of Yale Divinity School, but his book is not about only churches or congregations. It's about community of all kinds, community that forms itself inside and outside of institutional containers. He defines a "community" as a group of individuals who share a mutual concern for one another's welfare, as distinct from a group whose members may share ideas, interests, proximity, or any number of things but who lack concern for one another. Such groups as the latter, he says, like The American Medical Association or Greenpeace, can have huge memberships but their members are not aware of each other's existence in any personal way and do not invest themselves in each other's personal welfare. In a true community, it's different: This is one of the things that makes church so worthwhile a community to belong to. While we are doing the ongoing work of a church... hammering out mission statements, deciding about programs, teaching the children, supplying the food bank, repairing the building, wrestling with the budget, searching for the next pastor... hopefully we are building, renewing, sustaining and deepening personal relationships with each other in the process, so that what results is not only a vital mission but a vital community -- a body of mutually caring people who really are concerned for each other's welfare. And not just in times of crisis, but in the ordinary, everyday, ongoing ways that feed us all. Do you know of someone not currently part of our church who might love to belong to such a community, or who would at least be open to exploring it? Invite them to church. Welcome them to church. Better yet, bring them to church! Tell them there's something here that you value and that you think they might value too. And, are you wondering what the "seven principles for belonging" are, as defined in The Art of Community? Stay tuned! Faithfully, Rev. Brenda

2 The Churchmouse Page 2 Christian Education News Casey Levine ANNUAL GATHERING SUNDAY -PICNIC ON SEPTEMBER 10TH We hope you all had a great summer and can t wait to hear about your adventures! Please join us for our annual Gathering Sunday picnic on September 10 th following church. We will be on the lawn, weather permitting, and will enjoy great food and fellowship. This event is co-sponsored by Wider Church Fellowship and is free and open to all! We ask that you bring a side dish or dessert to share, and our committees will provide hot dogs, hamburgers and drinks. If your last name begins with A-P, please bring a side dish; last names beginning with Q-Z, please bring a dessert. First day of Church School is Sunday, Sept. 10th. Registration begins at 9:30, so please bring the purple form you received in the mail. Teachers will be down in the classrooms to greet you. We will start in church at 10, enjoy a group activity and then have our picnic. This year, we will continue to have two Godly Play classrooms (for grades pre-k 2 nd and 3 rd -4 th, respectively) and a junior youth classroom for grades 5-8. Any high school youth in grades 9-12 are encouraged to help out on Sunday mornings. You can assist in any of the 3 classrooms, and earn those community service hours! We also expect to reinvigorate our JYF and SYF programs, so stay tuned for more information on that. Please think about how you can help with our Sunday School program for this church school year. You don t need to commit to helping every Sunday. But if you could commit to even one Sunday a month or be on a reserve list to help when needed, that would be great! A greater level of participation among our church members is going to be necessary if we want to continue providing meaningful faith formation programs for our children and youth. Please speak to Casey Levine, Bob Oswald or any member of the CE Committee to discuss how you can help. The CE Committee has been busy over the summer as well. We are so excited to welcome Sarah Pradhan as Interim Director of Faith Formation. Sarah is also the CE Director at North Congregational Church in New Hartford, so she has great ideas, experience and enthusiasm to share with us. Please see Sarah s introduction letter below. Note that Sarah will not be able to join us on Sunday mornings, so we are still looking for a few good volunteers for church school. Greetings families, kids and congregation! I'm pleased to be part of your Christian Education team as interim director. I've already met with Pastor Brenda, and the CE committee to discuss your youth programs and to say that I'm looking forward to working together would be an understatement. I'm not just looking forward to providing planning support for your Sunday School, I'm eagerly anticipating a great relationship to begin between your church and North Congregational Church in New Hartford, where I currently serve as CE director. I hope that I can support your teachers and committee members with creative ideas, new curriculum and enthusiasm, while expanding your youth programs and incorporating combined events with both churches. I have grown up in the United Church of Christ Family, and am now bringing up my own two little children with the love and acceptance that comes with the UCC. Please feel free to contact me at any time with thoughts, questions, or to simply introduce yourself. I look forward to serving your congregation. Blessings, Sarah Pradhan

3 The Churchmouse Page 3 Missions & Outreach Kristin Oswald We collected school supplies for our Wellmore Family Services families in the Torrington/Winsted areas during the summer months and have delivered backpacks bursting with notebooks, pens, sticky notes, pencils and erasers to our liaison for distribution before school starts. After many months of deliberation and discussion, the Missions & Outreach annual budget for local & emergency missions donations totaling $5,000 has been nearly 100% allocated. The organizations and amounts we voted to distribute prior to year-end include the following: $600 to Canton Emergency Fuel Bank $500 to Canton Food Bank $400 to Canton Connections and Focus on Canton, Inc. $300 to Gifts of Love/Community Farm of Simsbury, Foodshare, Inc., FISH NW CT $250 to Hands of Grace, Farmington Valley VNA, ECAD, Simply Smiles, Guiding Light Orphans, Asante Sana for Education and South Park Inn $200 to Open Hearth $250 for a plaque to be displayed in Cedars Dining Hall in memory of Ned Bunnell at Silver Lake Conference Center We Need You!! Please join our First Congregational Church Canton Center team for the Walk for Food & Fuel to be held at Canton High School on Saturday, September 16th at 8:30am. Let Kristin Oswald know if you are interested in walking as part of our group and can fundraise on our church s behalf. We have also been grooming, harvesting and delivering fresh vegetables including tomatoes, squash, beans, basil and cucumbers to Canton Food Bank every Tuesday morning. Thank you to the mission garden box caretakers for donating the seeds/plants and caring for your and others garden boxes. Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6

4 The Churchmouse Page 4 Music Notes Mary Lou Keefe, Director of Music The Senior Choir rehearsals will start up on Monday, August 28th at 7:00. We will not be singing on September 3rd as the ecumenical services will have continued through that date. There is no rehearsal on September 4th as it is Labor Day and we will resume singing on September 10th. I am looking forward to seeing all of you and singing songs old and new. The Handbell Choir will have a listening session on Thursday August 31st at 7:00 where you will be presented with the potential music schedule for the year. On Thursday Sept. 7th, also at 7:00 there will be an additional listening session of new music arrivals. Incidentally, we are still in need of one or two ringers as I have had only one inquiry but no commitment. I am looking forward to seeing all of you. Our children enjoying the Intergenerational Pentecost Service on June 4th

5 The Churchmouse Page 5 Trustees News Dave Poleyestewa, Chairperson We had a busy August. The handicap ramp has been repaired. The lawn is soon to be opened back up for our access. The frequent rain helped with growth of the grass. The carpets in the church and the parsonage have been cleaned. The parsonage has a new furnace. The rent sign has been posted and we have been getting showings to potential renters. If you know of someone wanting to rent have them contact Linda Kessler with Coldwell Banker. We will kick-off our Stewardship Campaign for 2018 on Sunday, 9/17/17 and complete in October and then develop the 2018 budget sooner than we have done in the past. Phil LeGeyt is the chairperson for the subcommittee. Please consider your pledging in the past. We have a smaller membership now but the buildings, grounds, and staff compensation don t correspondingly decrease with size of membership. We want to grow as a church and increase our membership and interaction with the community of Canton this year and going forward. WARNING OF: CONGREGATIONAL MEETING SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1ST CALL TO A SPECIAL MEETING of the First Congregational Church, Canton Center, Connecticut, Sunday, October 1, 2017 after the 10am worship, OR on subsequent Sundays until a quorum is obtained AGENDA 1. Presentation of and vote on a proposed compensation package for a new settled pastor 2. Presentation of and vote on a new church mission statement Respectfully Submitted, Bev Sealand, Clerk SCRIP IS BACK! September is here! Services at Canton Center will resume on Sunday, September 10 th and so will scrip! The Scrip Store will be open in the parish hall every week, at 9:45am and again during coffee hour. During these periods, you can order gift cards, which will be available for pick up the following week, and pick up cards you ordered the week before. You can pay by cash or a check made out to the church be sure to note Scrip in the memo line. We also have a good selection of cards in inventory for immediate purchase. Weather permitting, we will be having coffee hour and our Gathering Sunday picnic on the lawn on September 10 th, so look for the scrip table outdoors. Remember, Scrip is an easy way you can help raise money for the church by buying gift cards for everyday expenses like groceries, gas, clothing, restaurants and gifts. The best part about Scrip is that you pay for exactly what you get and the church makes money by purchasing the gift cards at less than face value. The key to a successful program is to make Scrip part of your weekly routine! You ll be amazed at how quickly the funds add up and how YOU are making a difference. You can even set up an online account and place your order from the convenience of your house any time! See Casey Levine/Karen Needham for more info. Visit to see the full list of retailers.

6 The Churchmouse Page 6 From the President Jim Magennis This month s Churchmouse includes updates from our various committees, but I wanted to share a few as well. I will start by pointing out that we ve been extremely fortunate to have Reverend Brenda support and guide us through this transition period and that now it s our turn to support her as well. The Big Picture and Challenges ahead. We are facing many challenges, as are most mainstream churches, but it s made us take a step back and consider how we will move forward. This has become the primary focus of the Church Council. Under Kim Treadwell s guidance, we ve been working on various initiatives, including reviewing our church structure, our Mission Statement, and creating a new Community Engagement Committee -- which in case you have not heard, has identified ways to engage the community and attract new members. We are a group of committed and talented members and I am optimistic that we can work together to move forward. To help communicate these initiatives and get your feedback, we ve scheduled another Second Hour discussion right after the service on Sunday, Sept 24. The topics for discussion will be the proposed revised Mission Statement and the proposal for defining our pastoral position and search. Following that, on Sunday, October 1, we will hold a Congregational meeting to vote on those two items. In addition, here s a summary of other activities. The Trustees will soon start our annual campaign. The Search Committee will move forward, based on the result of our Oct. 1 vote. Our Nominating Committee will soon be reaching out to fill the various roles that keep us as a vibrant church. Please let them know if you want to volunteer and consider helping out if asked. Our CE Committee has done an amazing job of filling the void once Sarah LeGeyt moved on, but we will soon have a part time CE director. We hope to install a new kitchen stove this fall. Improvements have been made to our church building, the school house and parsonage. The All Are Welcome, Open and Affirming (ONA) committee has met several times and will soon engage the congregation. And this is only some of the work that has taken place. I am looking forward to a new church year. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Jim Magennis

7 Page 7 The Churchmouse Deacons Bench Kathy Byko, Deacon Our Church Family is made up of people at many different stages in their life journeys. On Sunday, June 11 th, we recognized the High School Seniors in our congregation with gift bags for the world of work and school beyond Canton Center, CT. When they come back after graduation, they will likely see their home Church with different eyes and we will need to adjust our vision as well. Here is our gift to them: Here is a bag filled with symbolism for your journey to infinity and beyond 2017 The Bag & Tag: Remember your childhood and all who were a part of it. Note the netting, from our Church school supply room it s light and a bit frivolous; inconsequential. And yet, it is strong it can support many times its own weight. You can too. You are stronger than you know. Space: If you want something in your life, make room for it. Find what energizes you and makes you come alive. Friendship, music, education, spirituality, passion for your life s work that s what the space in your bag is for. Fill it wisely. Postcard: addressed to the Church; send us your address so we can keep in touch with you. Envelope: addressed to the Church, so you can keep in touch with us. Inside is a Prayer Request Card send it in so we can share and lift up your joys or concerns, wherever your journey takes you. Pencil: Always work hard and keep your mind and your body sharp. You have been blessed with many talents (some of which you have not yet discovered); now is the time to sharpen and use them to make a positive impact on the world. Eraser: You will mess up from time to time and that is okay just know that God will love you through all of life s snags. Use an eraser to make amends, learn from your mistakes and move on. Pipe Cleaners: Play, be creative, be flexible! If you don t like the way your life is taking shape, remember that you have the power to change it. Oatmeal & Raisins: Take care of yourself as you journey. Never forget you are a child of God. Touch Screen Wipes: If you re not getting the desired responses, or life seems a bit blurred, try cleaning things up from your side. Prayer is good for that too. Paper Umbrella: Have fun, enjoy your fellow travelers! Being a Christian is not all serious stuff; remember to live joyfully in the world God created for you. Hershey Kiss: At your baptism, your Church Family promised to love you and raise you in Christian love, and that will continue throughout your life in all the Christian communities that you are a part of. Cherry Brook Rock: Remember your spiritual home and the foundation of your Christian faith. Just as this rock was shaped in part by the river flowing over and around it, so the Living Water of Baptism has helped shape you. May you continue to be fed and refreshed on your journey, through the Sacrament of Communion, as you walk with Jesus Christ along The Way. A Candle: This candle was used in a Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship Service at the First Congregational Church, Canton Center. Know that God s light will guide your way, but you must reach out and respond to it. If the light of God is ignored, it will burn out of your life. Even then, know that it can be reignited, because God s love for you never goes out. Stay close to God and live in God s love, and there you will find peace.

8 Page 8 The Churchmouse Schoolhouse Project Update Bill Borchert We are happy to report that we have received a kind and generous anonymous gift for a new roof for the 1848 Schoolhouse, which we have been working to refurbish and update for use. You can expect to see some action across the street from the church in the fall. Please remember that the Schoolhouse is available to the community as outreach for the church for exhibits and small events. It is a wonderful little building with a great history. Please talk it up! A special thank you to our Music Director, Mary Lou Keefe and to all who provided Music for our Sunday Worship in July. The Prime Timers Out To Lunch Group will go on Wednesday September 13, 2017 to Lost Acres Farm in Granby for a delicious buffet lunch. We will meet at the church at 11:15 to car pool. The price is $15.00 Per person. This is a favorite place as we can also shop in their country store for fresh fruit and homemade breads, soups, and baked goodies! Any questions call Gail Macbeth ALL-COMMITTEES MEETING September 13th at 6:30 p.m. All persons volunteering on any Church Committee are asked to attend the Church Council s First Annual All-Committee Meeting on Wednesday, September 13th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The purpose of this meeting will be to plan our year across our various activities, with a holistic view of our church vitality. We look forward to hearing from you! From, Jim Magennis, President, Kim Treadwell, Vice President, Curt Johnson, Member-at-Large

9 The Churchmouse Page 9 Sam Collins Day Sunday, Sept. 24th from 11-4 p.m. The Canton Historical Museum, Collinsville is celebrating Sam Collins Birthday at the Canton Historical Museum and the surrounding area. More information can be found on the church community bulletin board or CantonMuseum.org. How Christians and Muslims flourish together in these times. On October 27 & 28 Farmington Valley American Muslim Center, Avon and The First Church of Christ, Congregational 1652 in Farmington will hold a conference featuring: keynote speakers, workshops and panel presentations. For more specific Conference Information, visit or Neighbors in Need (NIN) is a special mission offering of the United Church of Christ that supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States. One-third of NIN funds support the Council for American Indian Ministry (CAIM). Twothirds of the offering is used by the UCC's Justice and Witness Ministries (JWM) to support a variety of justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects through grants. The 2017 theme is "Protect the Sacred: In a Just World, Clean Water is Life. Offering envelopes will be inserted into bulletins on October 1st. All Are Welcome : How the Open and Affirming Covenant Adds Meaning to that Phrase Many of you have likely heard that a committee has been created to explore our church becoming an Open and Affirming (ONA) church. ONA is a UCC designation for its member congregations that make a public covenant of welcome into their full life and ministry to persons of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. As we embark on this exploratory process, we wanted to begin by introducing you to the members of the ONA committee. They are Jim Magennis (Chair), Hollace Bristol, Mary Engvall, Neil and Amy Jamison, Tim LeGeyt, Beth Lingenheld, David Howard, Rina Pane and Martha Stansel. We will provide regular updates in the Churchmouse and through additional channels of communication. The process will include several steps including educational sessions, a survey of membership and, should we find interest in taking this step, a vote by the congregation. Our first step will be to hear from members individually who would be willing to share their thoughts on this subject. Many people have already spoken with ONA committee members. If you would like to have a chat about the ONA covenant or the process we will follow, please reach out to us. If you d like to arrange a time to meet, Jim can be reached by at: jjmagennis@gmail.com We want to thank you in advance for your input and support of the ONA committee as we explore this topic for our congregation. Mary Engvall

10 The Churchmouse Page 10 OUR ONGOING TRANSITION AND DISCERNMENT: Important Upcoming Dates Sunday, Sept. 24 Second Hour Discussion, after the service The Church Council will be bringing two topics for discussion: 1) A proposed revised Mission Statement for the church 2) A proposal for defining our pastoral position moving forward into a search. 3) Kick off of the Open and Affirming Committee Sunday, Oct. 1 Congregational meeting The purpose of the meeting will be to vote on the first two items that will have been discussed at the Second Hour on Sept. 24, as indicated above. These are important topics, and our discernment and vote will shape our way forward. Our Pastoral Search Committee has reconvened to begin its work and will be guided by these votes. Please plan to attend and participate!! PLEASE NOTE: WORSHIP ON SEPTEMBER 3, WILL BE AT THE CANTON COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH (125 DOWD AVE) AT 10:00 AM Worship in September Please consider hosting Coffee Hour one Sunday! The coffee is provided... you can make it a family activity all you need to bring is a quart of milk. Snacks are optional. We thank our committees, who fill in on a monthly rotation for any Sundays when we don't have individuals or families hosting coffee hours. Our goal is not to have to tap our committees regularly for our hospitality function. Sunday coffee hours matter to all of us! Please use the sign-up sheet to take a Sunday. Thank you! Sept. 3 Worship at The Canton Community Baptist Church at 10:00 a.m. We resume our regular worship time of 10:00 a.m. Sept. 10 Gathering Sunday We celebrate the start of a new season! Church school begins. Picnic following the service. Sept. 17 Regular worship Sept. 24 Regular worship

11 The Churchmouse Page 11 SEPTEMBER 2017 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 AA 11:00 p.m. 3 Worship & Communion at Canton Community Baptist Church 10:00 am 4 Labor Day Office Closed ACA 7:00 pm 5 Community Engagement Mtg 3:30 pm Deacons Meeting 6:30 pm 6 7 Handbell Choir 7:00 pm 8 9 AA 11:00 p.m. AA 7:00 pm 10 Gathering Sunday & Worship 10:00 Gathering Sunday Picnic 11 Prayer Shawl 10:00 am Trustee s 7 pm Music 6:15 pm Choir 7:00 pm ACA 7:00 pm 12 AA 7:00 pm 13 Prime Timers Lost Acres Granby All-Committee Meeting/Potluck 6:30 pm 14 Handbell Choir 7:00 pm AA 11:00 p.m Worship 10:00 ACA 7:00 pm AA 7:00 pm Handbell Choir 7:00 pm. AA 11:00 p.m Worship 10:00 Congregational Second Hour ACA 7:00 pm AA 7:00 pm Handbell Choir 7:00 pm AA 11:00 p.m.

12 The First Congregational Church (United Church of Christ) 184 Cherry Brook Road P O Box 133 Canton Center, CT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE PAID AVON CT PERMIT NO 426 **Change Service Requested** Rev. Brenda Pelc-Faszcza Pastor The First Congregational Church 184 Cherry Brook Road PO Box 133 Canton Center, CT Office (860) Kristen DiMattia, Secretary office@cantoncenterchurch.org M-F 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Pastor (860) Rev. Dr. Brenda Pelc-Faszcza pastor@cantoncenterchurch.org Organist/Director of Music: Mary Lou Keefe music@cantoncenterchurch.org Interim Director of Faith Formation: (860) Sarah Pradhan Sbsruby79@gmail.com Worship every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. We re on the Web! Visit us at: