THE BRANCH-LINE. From the Interim Pastor s Desk. I am the vine, you are the branches.

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Gregory Emil Norris
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admin@wilbrahamunitedchurch.org Web Site: www.wilbrahamunitedchurch.org Church Staff Rev.

1 THE BRANCH-LINE I am the vine, you are the branches. Published Monthly * Yearly mail subscription $12 Submissions deadline: 15th of the month From the Interim Pastor s Desk WILBRAHAM UNITED CHURCH Wilbraham, MA (413) x admin@wilbrahamunitedchurch.org Web Site: Church Staff Rev. Tom Howells, Guest Minister Mark Jacobson, Director of Music Monica Stiefel, Administrative Assistant/ Branch-Line Editor Eric True, Maintenance Paul Nesbit, Director of Christian Ed. Betsy Johnsen, Bookkeeper The word "goodbye" is a contraction of "God be with ye." Saying it is a reminder that even when we're apart, God is with us both. It's an act of faith that if God is with you and with me, then somehow we're still together, and that in the end we'll join each other at a reunion in God's heart. Quinn Caldwell I have found saying good-bye difficult these past weeks. Instead I have occupied myself with tasks and busy-work, hoping I can avoid the inevitable parting. I do not want to depart without saying Thank you, and making sure you all know how much this time with you means to me. You have shown great courage in the way that you have faithfully discerned your call and have made changes to live into God s call. You have been so gracious in the way you have shared your faith and generous with your loving kindness and care. Your faith inspires me to more fully trust God s call and grace. I treasure these two years, and I leave here with a deeper sense of the depth of God s love. Thank you! Thank you for your kindness! Thank you for the generous gift! Thank you for the beautiful green stole! Thank you! I am so excited for you as you transition to your future and begin ministry with a new pastor. In order to facilitate this transition and with the desire of making a space for your new pastor, I do want to let you know that I will limit my connections with you. I will not , text, Facebook message, or call with you. I will stay friends on Facebook I care about you, and love to see what s going on in your life. My desire for you is a wonderful and deep relationship with your next settled pastor. Your new pastor will be blessed to grow in love of God and neighbor with you. I look forward to hearing about your adventures in discipleship in the years ahead! So I leave you with this while we say good-bye, I take comfort in the knowledge that we are somehow united in God s love. God be with you! Susan This devotional from the UCC was shared with Rev. Susan by a very faithful and wise member, and she now shares it with you! Excerpt from Acts 20:17-38 "'And now I commend you to God...' When he had finished speaking, he knelt down with them all and prayed. There was much weeping among them all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, grieving especially because of what he had said, that they would not see him again. Then they brought him to the ship." Reflection by Quinn G. Caldwell Nobody likes goodbyes, and we go to many lengths to soften or avoid them. A colleague leaves or a friend moves, and we say it's not goodbye because we promise to have lunch, or to write, or to Facebook. Sometimes we avoid the moment altogether: even though I barely knew her, I once hid in the bathroom for half an hour at a coworker's goodbye party to avoid the moment when she actually left. When Paul says goodbye to the Ephesians, he gets it right. He remembers what they did together, he tells them what they mean to him, he commends them to God. The word "goodbye" is a contraction of "God be with ye." Saying it is a reminder that even when we're apart, God is with us both. It's an act of faith that if God is with you and with me, then somehow we're still together, and that in the end we'll join each other at a reunion in God's heart. It's a promise that even when I can't be with you, God will be, and that that will be sufficient. Sometime soon you'll have to say goodbye to somebody. It's worth doing well, for it's all about faith. Prayer Oh God, all these partings are hard. When I have to say goodbye, help me to cling fast to the faith that you are with us always, and that all of us will one day be reunited again in you. Amen

Worship Commission would like to thank everyone who volunteered and helped with our advent and Christmas services! Shopping Card Update Thank You, members and friends of Wilbraham United Church.

While the final figures are not available at the time of preparing this article, we have already surpassed the previous best month, and possibly our most successful year.

2 Worship Commission would like to thank everyone who volunteered and helped with our advent and Christmas services! Shopping Card Update Thank You, members and friends of Wilbraham United Church. During December, our shopping card sales program experienced its most successful month ever. While the final figures are not available at the time of preparing this article, we have already surpassed the previous best month, and possibly our most successful year. Considering that we were behind 2016 figures for most of the year, this turnaround was remarkable. Your support of the program is appreciated by the shopping card team. Also noticeable, is how many parishioners are using the on-line buying feature. The convenience of ordering cards from home, and receiving the necessary paperwork for the purchase within minutes, is becoming attractive to many. The church receives a commission for the sale, while not tying up funds in inventory. If this feature appeals to you, contact Connie Stiefel for the procedure. We hope that one of your 2018 New Year s resolutions will be to support the shopping card program. Remember, each card purchased helps support the ministries of Wilbraham United Church. Happy New Year from the Shopping Card Ministry team Connie Stiefel, Bob Law, Lisa Fallon, Wendy O Rourke, Candy Dearborn - 2 -

3 ANNUAL MEETINGS Sunday, January 28, 2017 Wilbraham United Church The Annual Meeting of the Wilbraham United Church will be held at 12:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall to transact the following business: adopt a budget, elect officers, and act upon any other business properly brought before the meeting. The meeting will be preceded by a luncheon served by Women s Evening Fellowship. Nan Shepherd, Church Clerk Congregational Society The Annual Meeting of the Congregational Society will be held in the Sanctuary following the morning worship service. The business will be: to receive reports, elect officers, and act upon any other business brought before the meeting. Herb Vieira, Clerk Methodist Charge Conference The Annual Meeting of The Methodist Charge Conference will be held in the Zeckhausen Room immediately following the morning worship service. The business will be: to receive reports, elect officers, and act upon any other business brought before the meeting. Alesia Peck, Recording Secretary The 2018 Altar Flower Chart is posted on the Missions bulletin board in the Narthex. If you are interested, please sign up for the week(s) of your choice. Normal cost of the arrangement is $40. However, if you would like your flowers to be displayed in the Memorial Urns, the cost is $45 and you must notify the office at least one week before your chosen date. Flowers are normally distributed after services to Church family members in need of a little cheer following a hospital stay or an illness, as a birthday wish to those who have reached a milestone year, or for various reasons of goodwill. If you would like to take your arrangement home after services, please notify the office during the week prior to your designated Sunday, so there is no confusion with the delivery people on the Altar Flower Committee. Thank you to all who have signed up in the past

4 Governing Board Update Time seems to really be flying. It seems like Pastor Susan just joined us, but in fact she has been with us nearly two years, ( the amount of time she promised to spend with us). We are so grateful to have had this time with Pastor Susan. I thought I would share the text of what I said at Pastor Susan's farewell luncheon on December 10th. Pastor Susan Gibson has been with us for almost two years. A few weeks after Susan joined us, it felt like Susan was part of our congregation for years. She managed to learn nearly every name and connection of each family. This may not seem like an essential aspect of ministry, but I think it told us from day one how much Susan cared about all of us, and just how hard she was willing to work to earn our confidence. Pastor Susan was called as our interim Pastor. As such, she embarked on so many of the important tasks of interim ministers; most importantly: challenging us and how we thought. Pastor Susan offered thoughtful and engaging sermons that helped us navigate a world that is challenging to most Christians living in our world today. While Susan worked earnestly on these special interim minister tasks, an amazing thing happened. In two years time, Pastor Susan was able to compress four or even five years of meetings and efforts and projects and discussions, four or five years worth of innovations and improvements, four or five years worth of challenges to our notion of who our neighbors were; and who we were; and what God was calling us to do. In doing all this, and being with all of us nearly every hour of these two years, I believe Susan became our minister. I don t think of Susan as our interim minister, I think of Susan as the 22 nd settled pastor of Wilbraham United Church and a beloved Pastor as well. For this effort and dedication and for the abundance of hard work with which you undertook your ministry here with us, we will be forever grateful to you and we will not forget you. Thank you, from the bottoms of all our hearts, and may God bless you as you continue your journey of Christian leadership. We are blessed to have Pastor Tom Howells joining us as a "bridge" minister while our Settled Pastoral Search Committee continues their process. I am confident that the combination of Pastor Tom and the lay leadership of the congregation will see us through to the next chapter and to our settled pastor. During the time of Pastor Susan's interim ministry, we strengthened the lay leadership within our church. This fact gives me confidence that we will continue to succeed in our ministries and continue to ask ourselves: What is God calling us to do? I have been completely amazed at so many things recently: The Holly Fair and the examples of Christian fellowship that abound from so many aspects of it; the outpouring of affection and gratitude for Pastor Susan on December 10th...less than 24 hours after the end of the Holly Fair, and most recently, the Christmas Pageant on December 17. I told Mark Jacobson it was the best one I ever saw, to which he replied: You say that every year", but it was true...it was the best one ever! I am excited about the future of WUC. We will welcome Pastor Tom Howells back to our church. The lay leadership and lay ministry teams will continue to feed the hungry and visit those who can't get out to church. We will continue to make our building a warm home for Alanon, and Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts. And we will call a new minister to be our settled Pastor. As we wait with anticipation together, I ask for your continued prayers for our church, its members, its volunteers and leaders as each of us does the work God calls us to do. Bill Trudeau Moderator/Governing Board Chair - 4 -

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Services are also available on-line. Go to www.wilbraham-ma.gov On the left click Public Access Schedules - Channel 191.

6 Missed church? TRANSITIONS: Changes of Address Alice Belsky 741 Parker St Apt 221 East Longmeadow, MA Watch the service on Wilbraham Public Access, Channel 191, 8 PM on Mondays and 8 AM on Tuesdays. Services are also available on-line. Go to On the left click Public Access Schedules - Channel 191. Find the service you d like to watch by selecting a date on the calendar and a time, 8pm Mondays or 8am on Tuesdays. Click Watch Now Gloria & Jim Russell 389 Gifford St. Falmouth, MA Kathie Birkhaeuser 268 Reed s Landing Springfield, MA Thank you, thank you, thank you to all our cookie bakers!! We are grateful for another successful Cookie Walk and couldn t have done it without you. With your help we sold over 4,000 cookies, spreading joy with each one. It s heartwarming to see so many taking time out of their very busy schedules to make the always popular Cookie Walk possible! Please refer to Google Calendar for the most recent monthly edition of the Wilbraham United Church calendar. WILBRAHAM UNITED CHURCH CONTACT INFORMATION Main Phone: FAX: website: TO REACH OUR CHURCH STAFF: Director of Music, Mark Jacobson markjacobson104@gmail.com ext. 106 Dir. of Christian Ed., Paul Nesbit christianed@wilbrahamunitedchurch.org ext. 105 Bookkeeper, Betsy Johnsen bookkeeper@wilbrahamunitedchurch.org ext 100 Maintenance, Eric True wucbuilding@wilbrahamunitedchurch.org ext. 107 Administrative Assistant admin@wilbrahamunitedchurch.org ext

OUTREACH COMMISSION NEWS OUTREACH In October Wilbraham United Church sent $2559.

Called to Care Called to Care will be meeting on January 3rd at 1:00pm in the Library.

social workers from Springfield. Women s Evening Fellowship appreciates your generosity! Thank you!

flowers to shut ins and church members. Ideas for this winter!

7 OUTREACH COMMISSION NEWS OUTREACH In October Wilbraham United Church sent $ to Church World Service for Hurricane Relief. In November we sent $690 to Neighbors in Need. Called to Care Called to Care will be meeting on January 3rd at 1:00pm in the Library. PIECEMAKERS The PieceMakers quilting group will meet in the Bliss Room on Mondays at 10am. All are Welcome! This month s meetings: January 15th and 29th Survival Center: Twenty-one gifts were delivered to the social workers from Springfield. Women s Evening Fellowship appreciates your generosity! Thank you! Worship Commission would like to thank Gennie Keddy for her 40 years of service delivering our altar flowers to shut ins and church members. Ideas for this winter! Canned meat or chicken Beef stew Anything on Sale Thank you! The Heifer Market Place was very successful. Orders have been placed for $1115 of animals and Outreach Commission will match $1000 of that and order animals as well. The Outreach Commission thanks you everyone for participating in this wonderful project! - 7 -

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THE BRANCH-LINE. From the Supply Pastor s Desk

THE BRANCH-LINE. From the Supply Pastor s Desk THE BRANCH-LINE I am the vine, you are the branches. Published Monthly * Yearly mail subscription $12 Submissions deadline: 15th of the month WILBRAHAM UNITED CHURCH Wilbraham, MA 01095 (413) 596-2511