Volume LXXXVI No. 2 Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30am-4pm February 2017

Transcription

1 Volume LXXXVI No. 2 Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30am-4pm February 2017 From Our Pastor Sometimes we get in the most trouble when we think we know a lot about something. The trouble, to be specific, is we shut down. We stop being curious. We stop learning. We get stuck in our own limited perspective. So as I ve been reading Taylor Branch s book on the Civil Rights Movement, The King Years, I decided I d circle every page number where something significant was shared that I hadn t known before. I found myself circling a lot of pages and this from someone who majored in college in US History, with a focus on Black history and Women s history! I have discovered that when it comes to the civil rights movement in this country, I simply didn t know as much as I thought I did. With February being traditionally Black History Month I hope you ll consider finding a copy of this book and joining us when we discuss it (two different opportunities February 16 th and February 19 th ) It will be an interesting lens in which to view civil rights in our own time. I am really looking forward to discussing this book with people of faith. I also know we have in our midst some people who marched with Dr. King people who will no doubt add a lot to our conversation. I have also for some time been reading books on race in America today, looking for a good pick for a church book group discussion. Recently Geoff Campbell, New England Patriots musket man, placed Under Our Skin in my hands. Written by Ben Watson (former New England Patriot player, now with the New Orleans Saints) the book is based on a Facebook post Watson wrote following the Ferguson Verdict. Watson shared his feelings February 16 th and 19th There will be two opportunities to discuss Taylor Branch s book The King Years. The first will be Thursday, February 16 th, at the home of Pastor Helen and Mike Dunfee. The second time will be Sunday, February 19 th following morning worship. Books may be purchased through Amazon Books. disappointed, angry, offended, hopeful in that Facebook post, and people said you know, you should write a book based on that post! which he did. Racism has been called America s Original Sin. But what exactly is racism? Is it overt prejudicial acts, or is it also participating in a system that affirms and promotes whiteness while denigrating people of color? Watson s book will give us a lot to think about. It will open our eyes. We will all have pages to circle. Whatever faith is, whatever church is, we are called to a journey of ever expanding perspective. I hope you will join us for these important discussions.

2 Lenten Retreat for Teenagers: Journey to the Heart of Lent (March 3-5) We have reserved spots at this weekend retreat to be held at Craigville Conference Center on March 3-5. Faciliated by Rev. Matt Carriker and Rev. Sarah Buteux, this retreat will explore how to use the season of Lent to grow in love for ourselves, our loved ones, our enemies, the earth, and God. In between great meals and long walks on the beach, participants will work together to create a Lenten devotional that they can use themselves and share with others. The retreat itself runs Friday (7 pm) to Sunday morning (11 am) $160 per person. Please plan to let Jenny know at Coffee and Conversation on February 12 th if you are planning to attend. Ash Wednesday the Start of Lent We will mark Ash Wednesday with a simple morning service on Wednesday, March 1 st. The service will run from 7 to 7:30 am in order for people to be able to get to work in time. (Those who are interested and available may go out for coffee later.) Come and reflect on the journey of Lent. There will also be drive by ashes at the front of the church from 4:30 to 5:30 pm for those who would like to mark the day in this way, but are not able to make the morning service. Lenten Soup Suppers and Programs Save the Dates!! Dinner runs from 5:45 to 6:30. Program from 6:30 to 7:30. Wednesday, March 15 th Wednesday, March 22 nd Wednesday, April 5th Spirituality for Caregivers led by Rev. Dr. Rosemary MacKay Book Discussion of Under Our Skin led by Pastor Helen Rev Jean Lenk reads excerpts from her book Fertilizer Happens, describing her journey with cancer (copies of the book are available from Jean Lenk and also from the church office for twelve dollars) New Member Profiles (see photo below) Julie and Andrew Witherow Kingston residents Julie and Andrew Witherow moved here from Denver three years ago. Andrew works in financial sales and Julie is an Ameriprise advisor. They have a one-year-old son, Harrison. They enjoy family times outside, enjoying the beautiful sites New England has to offer. The Witherows decided to attend Pilgrimage one Sunday morning during a search for a church. They say, From the moment we walked in the door, to the time spent at coffee hour after the service, we found the people so warm and friendly that we couldn t wait to go back! They are impressed with the community outreach programs, the various youth activities and the participation of the members. They are looking forward to volunteer opportunities and attending church events with Harrison. Rich Vannozzi When Rich Vannozzi joined the church in December, he considered it a recommitment to a church where he had been an active member for 15 years ( ). He served on the Stewardship Committee, the Trustees and taught Sunday School, as well as serving in leadership roles in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. His children were baptized here. 2

3 A New Jersey native, Rich came to Plymouth after college as a land surveyor, a job he had for 19 years. Since then, he has taught surveying at the college level (Wentworth Institute of Technology, UConn, UNH and now back at Wentworth). Those jobs took Rich away from Plymouth, but he is happy to be back here now and nearer to his two grown sons, who live in Plymouth. He also has a daughter who lives in New Hampshire. He enjoys Friday night dinners with his friends at the Old Colony Club and his volunteer work with the Berwick Boys Foundation in West Bridgewater. Sherrie and Gerry Pelissier Sherrie and Gerry Pelissier bought their first house in Plymouth in 1984 and raised their two daughters here. Both girls were confirmed at St. Peter s Catholic Church in Plymouth, and both are getting married this summer! Sherrie taught preschool for many years in Plymouth, and she now works for a downtown dentist. Gerry has owned several businesses and now is a consultant for Stewart s Root Beer. They enjoy time with friends and family, and long walks on Plymouth s waterfront. The Pelissiers love the community involvement of our church and the fact the everyone is welcome. They joined the church in December and Sherrie is already busy teaching Sunday School. New Members from left to right Rich Vannozzi, Sherrie & Gerry Pelissier, Andrew, Julie & Harrison Witherow 3

4 Confirmation Class News There will be a meeting for parents of the next confirmation class date and time TBA and likely in the month of March. The next class will be both 8 th graders and 9 th graders together, and will begin in Fall This start time gives us time to locate mentors and also gives the pastor, the lead teacher, time to plan the schedule. See future Heralds for more information. From Your Director of Christian Ed, Jenny Healy I can't believe I'm writing for the February Herald already. Where did January go? As we have for several years now, we are gearing up for blanket making in February, our Project Linus month. For those new to this, we spend the month learning about the healing stories of Jesus and making blankets for kids of all ages who are suffering from chronic or terminal illnesses, dealing with being removed from their homes, and other dire circumstances. They are security blankets, like Linus had in the Charlie Brown series, meant to bring comfort and a reminder that there is someone out there who cares about them. I highly recommend going onto their website or Facebook page where you can find notes of thanks to the blanket makers. The notes are very moving and bring to life the reasons we spend so much time on these. All month we will be accepting donations of fleece and flannel for our blanket making. The local fabric store has lots of sales so it is easy to pick something up for the kids to work on. Bring your donations to church or drop them off in the 3rd-5th grade classroom during the week when the office is open. We are also looking for donations of time to help prep the blankets; if you can operate a pair of scissors, you can prep a blanket! See me if you'd like to help. More for February: Feb. 5 Love Feast & Communion Feb 7 Board of Christian Education meeting in Marks room Feb 12 Coffee & Conversation and sub making for youth group fundraiser Feb Youth group Boston trip and lock in Feb 25 Game Night & Potluck From Membership and Evangelism FOOD FOR THOUGHT Nothing - not a conversation, not a handshake, nor even a hug establishes friendship so forcefully as eating a meal together. That s what many people discovered last spring and summer when the Membership and Evangelism Committee initiated Food for Thought dinners in homes throughout Plymouth. Individuals and couples opened their homes to host 8 to10 new and not-so-new church members for a relaxed dinner and conversation around their table. Hosts and guests at the five dinners enthusiastically agreed that the small, sit-down venue provided a great opportunity to meet and get to know each other. We look forward to hosting additional dinners this winter and spring for all those who have not left for warmer climates. We hope you ll participate in this exciting new adventure as we welcome new members into our fold. Fill out the form below and drop it in the offering basket or dianekeller@aol.com if you would like to host or be included as a guest. Ellie Reinhardt, Chair I would like to be included in a FOOD FOR THOUGHT dinner Host ( I offer to host people in my home ) Guest (I would like to attend a Food for Thought dinner) 4

5 From Your Church Council Our Church Council meets monthly with representatives from the Boards and Committees of our church. Here are some issues which the Council has dealt with of late. ~ Church Bell Ringing: Now that our church bell has been fixed there is an interest in finding volunteers who would like to help ring it before our Sunday worship services. If you would like more information, please contact me at: dougshow@meganet.net. ~ Ad Hoc Committees of the Council: The Council has renewed for a year the ad hoc status of our Publicity and Safe Buildings and Grounds committees. The former has been commended for its service to our church and the latter is in the process of developing a fire drill procedure for our church as well as other safety measures. The 2020 Committee has met with representatives from the Plymouth 400 committee and is beginning to envision meaningful ways our church can celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims arrival in Plymouth. ~ Our Pledge Drive Procedure: The Council has adopted a new time line for our fall 2017 pledge drive. In October the Trustees will present a draft budget for 2018 to the congregation at an informational church meeting. The stewardship campaign will follow, knowing what we hope to receive in pledges to make that draft budget possible. After reviewing stewardship results etc., the Trustees will present a final budget for 2018 to the church s annual Budget Meeting in January 2018 for the congregation to vote on. This procedure of developing a draft budget before the pledge drive is common in many of our UCC churches and it is believed it will increase the effectiveness of our pledge drive and its support of our church s ministries. ~ Alcohol Use on Church Property: The Council voted to ratify the decision of the Board of Trustees that there be no use of drugs or alcohol on Church property. For those who wish more information on the discussions and decisions of our Church Council, I will note that the minutes of our Council meetings are available in our church s office. Respectfully submitted, Doug Showalter My Stewardship term is over and I'd like to go out with a smile! Many of you may already know that I am completing my two terms as a member and Chair of the Stewardship Committee. I started in January 2011 and with a lot of help from our new interim pastor, Rev. Dr. Doug Showwalter, we brought in 133 pledges totaling close to $187, Over the next three years we increased the number of pledges to 144 and the total amount pledged to close to our goal of $230, Our pledges for 2016 dropped by a small amount, but we had anticipated this due to the generosity shown in our Capital Campaign. Our resent Stewardship Campaign has not generated the amount of pledges we had expected. As a result the Board of Trustees had to drop the projected pledge income back to $230, for the 2017 budget. However, as of January 27th we have only received 134 pledges totaling $224, Now, how can you help me to go out with a "smile"? If a few more of our members and friends pledged between $ and $1, for the 2017 operating budget I think we could reach a more realistic goal that would help us to maintain the programs we all enjoy at our beloved Church of the Pilgrimage. We just need 10 or 15 more pledges and any amount you can give will be gratefully accepted. Also, please feel free to contact me or the Church office if you have any questions. Pledge cards are available on the small table on the left hand side of the upper vestibule. Nancy E Reed 5

6 Deacon s Notes It s hard to believe that January has already come and gone and, by the time you get this, the leadership retreat will have been completed and we will be looking forward to the next season of our church year. Lent will be quickly upon us this year. Ash Wednesday is on March 1 st and there will be many opportunities for worship and fellowship between then and the celebration of Easter on April 16 th. Here is an idea of what our Lenten offerings look like this year. Ash Wednesday Plans are being made for an early morning service (7-7:30am) and a later opportunity to receive ashes on a drive-by basis. We will be continuing our simple, yet meaningful, soup suppers and discussions in Allerton Hall. These will be held from 5:45pm - 7:30pm on Wednesday March 15, Wednesday March 22 and Wednesday April 5. More information on the topic to be discussed each week will be forthcoming. There will be a Women s Retreat at the Craigville Conference Center on March 31 st and April 1 st. Please contact Rev. Helen, Jane Dolan, Dawn Durmis or Gina Basler if interested in attending. Participants may choose to stay at the facility on Friday night (March 31) or join the retreat group for the day on Saturday April 1. April 9th 8am - Palm Sunday Communion Breakfast in Allerton Hall. April 13th Maundy Thursday Service with Communion in sanctuary 7pm April 14th Good Friday to be announced April 16th EASTER SUNDAY 3 services Sunrise Service Cole s Hill Family oriented pageant service in sanctuary Traditional Easter Service in sanctuary 11am The Deacons continue to actively support our outreach ministries including a Ministry of Writing, a Ministry of Meals, the Visitation Committee, a Prayer Chain (cotpprayers@gmail.com), and a Communion Ministry team who would be honored to serve communion to those of you who now find it difficult to attend church. If you are aware of anyone who would benefit from any of these ministries, please let a deacon or the church office know. We also want to remind our congregants that there are several hearing devices available from the Deacon-in-charge on Sunday mornings that may benefit those who are hearing impaired and copies of the sermon are available on the marble table in the upper vestibule. Hope you can find time to join us for all or some of our Lenten program and service offerings. From Your Missions Committee January is Habitat for Humanity month and our congregation is donating $2000 in 2017, as we have done in years past. We greatly respect the work that Habitat volunteers do in many of our communities. The Overnights of Hospitality Interfaith Community Program to house and feed the homeless during the winter months, is now in its tenth week of the season. Connie Melahoures, president of the Plymouth Taskforce to End Homelessness, reports that around six guests have been coming each night. Many people have provided meals, but more volunteers are needed to serve as chaperones. Members of our church have helped throughout the year and our Missions Committee supports the program financially. To become part of this outreach, sign in on the Train.com/k4w5gd. You will feel blessed. 6

7 Sub Sale February 12 Once again the youth group will be making subs to raise funds for the mission trip to Maine. Subs will be available for pick up after the service on February 12. The is cost is $8. There will be a choice of ham and cheese, Italian, or Turkey. All will have lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. Sorry, no special orders and you have to supply your own condiments. Order forms will be found in the bulletins on the January 29 and February 5. Please turn in your order form and payment at the youth group's table after church these 2 Sundays. Checks can be made out to The Church of The Pilgrimage with "mission trip" on the message bar. Any questions please call Sue Powell at Nominating Committee News The Nominating Committee is hard at work to fill board/committee positions/vacancies by our annual meeting in May. We have several needs on Board of Christian Ed. Also, need to fill Music and Nominating Committee. There are a few other openings also. Please consider joining a committee. For more information you may contact a member of the nominating committee. Church Record & Notes In a note from Diana Budge received earlier in January: Dear Church Family, What a blessing all of you are.. Many thanks for your thoughtful calls, cards, goodies, meals and prayers. It has truly been a gift of caring for me. I am afraid I will have to put my "energizer bunny" status on hold for the next 5 or 6 weeks. I am feeling much better, a lot less pain and am able to stand and sit for longer periods of time. I am however, stuck with not doing any of the BLT's (bend, lift and twist) for the next six weeks which is very limiting. I hope to be back at Sunday service, at least in a few weeks. I miss you all. Special thanks to my Deacon colleagues who are filling in for me. I owe you.. Blessings, Diana In a note from Tom Barnes: Thank you so much for the poinsettia plant delivered by Tony & Susan Cotta. Also, thanks for the Advent Devotional delivered by Sue Powell. What a gem! The graphics are beautiful and the devotions by the members are inspiring. Merry Christmas to all. Tom Plymouth No Place for Hate Panel Discussion A panel discussion is being planned for Sunday March 5 from 2-4 pm at the Plymouth Public Library Otto Fehlow Room. This is being held for the purpose of answering questions and discussing the ongoing relationship between the Plymouth Police Department and Plymouth citizens of diversity. We will have an open forum to illuminate perceptions of the interactions with each other. Leadership Retreat Report At our New Year leadership retreat on Saturday, January 28 we took time in the morning worship to list things we celebrated areas of growth, new things, accomplishments in the past year. We thought it would be a good idea to share this list with the whole congregation. Our next step is to ask the question of why we do what we do, in order to have greater focus of our mission and the core beliefs or values that drive that mission. In many ways, our celebrations are a reflection of this. *The Restored Front Outside of our Sanctuary Building *Finished JRC kitchen and the JRC upstairs being now a much better space *Hiring a new crib room worker (Kristen) *a new men s bible study 7

8 *a new women s walking group *more active in our community *waterfront festival booth *Puppet Show outreach to community *Halloween trick or treating *Nativity/Tree lighting Open House *Open House at Thanksgiving *Continuing to care so deeply for each other *17 new members in 2016 *Becoming more and more welcoming *New CE curriculum and the willingness to try something new *Innovation in worship (that hasn t freaked people out) *Our pastor s caring ways *Don Remick preaching and leading us in reflections *Women s bible study continues strong *Jenny s leadership with CE and Youth the mission/service emphasis *Women s retreat being planned (deepening relationships) *Shellie s support for our staff and congregation *Brian s willingness to help *Nourishment both with food and spirituality ie. Lenten Suppers *More young families attending *challenging and encouraging sermons *working on communication regarding things we feel differently about * Sneak Peak (Friday about each Sunday) *Work of the publicity committee (branding, better signage, articles in paper) *Improved website *Wayside Pulpit looks great! *Strong and dynamic choir and beautiful music every week *Finished 2016 with a small surplus (was due to overpay on utilities) *Responding to Pulse nightclub tragedy with a community service in our sanctuary *Advent booklet * Food for thought dinners helping people know each other *Pastoral care and attention of those in later years/end of life *Outreach with the Service of Comfort and Peace *ringing the Bell! *JRC services a new way to worship/openness to change *Intergenerational Services *Youth involvement in worship *Maine Mission trip 2 nd year *Confirmation class *Working on the opiod crisis *Monday meals going strong, also Christmas day meal and our involvement in Overnights of Hospitality *continued growth we are blessed that Plymouth itself is growing 8

9 February Calendar Events February 1: Bible Study, 10:30am, Amy Simpsons home. Choir Rehearsal, 7:30pm, Sanctuary. February 5: Worship w/communion - Boy Scout Sunday, 10am, Sanctuary. Love Feast for Sunday School. February 6: Monday Meals of Hospitality, 11am, Allerton Hall. February 7: Board of Christian Ed Meeting, 7:15pm, Marks Room. Bible Study, 10:30am, Amy Simpsons home. Choir Rehearsal, 7:30pm, Sanctuary. February 9: Nominating Committee Meeting, 8:30am, Steve Trifletti s office. Board of Trustees Meeting, 7pm, Marks Room. February 11: Missions Meeting, 11am, Marks Room. February 12: Worship w/ Good Samaritan offering, 10am, Sanctuary. Sub Sandwich pick-up. Youth Coffee & Conversation, after worship, youth room. February 13: Monday Meals of Hospitality, 11am, Allerton Hall. Church Council Meeting, 7pm, Marks Room. February 15: Bible Study, 10:30am, Amy Simpsons home. Choir Rehearsal, 7:30pm, Sanctuary. February 16: Book Discussion, 7pm, Nablo/Dunfee home. February 19: Worship, 10am, Sanctuary. Book Discussion (second option), post worship, Marks Room. February 20: Herald Deadline Church Office Closed/Presidents Day. Monday Meals of Hospitality, 11am, Marks Room. February 21: Membership & Evangelism, 7pm, Marks Room. February 22: Bible Study, 10:30am, Amy Simpsons home. Choir Rehearsal, 7:30pm, Sanctuary. February 22-23: Youth Group Lock-In. February 25: Game Night and Potluck, 5-9pm, Allerton 9

10 CHURCH WIDE POTLUCK & GAME NIGHT FEBRUARY pm ALLERTON HALL Bring your favorite dish to share and your favorite games to play! Sign up with Jenny or