Middlebury Congregational Church United Church of Christ The Green 1242 Whittemore Rd. Middlebury CT

Transcription

1 Middlebury Congregational Church United Church of Christ The Green 1242 Whittemore Rd. Middlebury CT

2 UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER Sundays in June ~ 6:00-7:30 pm Sunday Sundaes Wednesday, June 8 th ~ 5:00-7:30 pm Strawberry Festival Sunday, June 19 th ~ 10:00 am Celebration Sunday Followed by the Church Picnic on the Green A SAFE PLACE I came across a tongue-in-cheek article recently that I would like to share with you. It was written by Brother Maurus Zoeller, O.S.B., St. Meinrad Archabbey. Enjoy! Play it safe: Avoid riding in automobiles because they are responsible for 20 percent of all fatal accidents. Do not stay home because 17 percent of all accidents occur in the home. Avoid walking on streets or sidewalks because 14 percent of all accidents occur to pedestrians. Avoid traveling by air, rail or water because 16 percent of all accidents involve these forms of transportation. You will be pleased to learn that only.001 percent of all deaths occur in worship services at church, and these are usually related to previous physical disorders. Therefore, logic tells us that the safest place for you to be at any given point in time is at church. Bible study is safe, too. The percentage of deaths during Bible study is even less. For safety s sake, attend church and read your Bible. Read the Bible. See you in church. And don t forget our music and celebration Sunday (with picnic) on Sunday, June 19. In Christ, Dave Buchan Interim Minister Monday, June 20 th Friday, June 24 th 9:00 am - 12:15 pm Vacation Bible School

3 The Sunday School Scoop This is a busy time of year for the kids at MCC! In May, we had a number of different volunteers help out in our various programs. While Becky took some time off from the nursery with the birth of her son Benjamin, we had wonderful help from Kris Zold, Katie O Connor, Brittany and Megan Romaniello, and Lexi Fielding. We also thank our Sunday School teachers, Sam Dexter, Katie O Connor, Pam Albon, Robbie Kamide, and Heather Heme. In June, we will have a craft workshop on June 5 th, where the kids will make decorations for Vacation Bible School. On June 11 th, we will have a Sunday School celebration with fun and games. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we can enjoy the time outside! June 19 th is celebration Sunday. We will celebrate the great year we have had in our Sunday School and church. The Cherub Choir will sing, and our third graders will receive their Bibles. Finally, June th will be our 5 th annual Vacation Bible School! Surf Shack is sure to be an amazing week in the life of our church. During the month of June, we will have a list of donations we are looking for (snacks and supplies) to help make our week successful. We appreciate all the help and support our congregation gives us. As of this writing, we are still early in the process of receiving registrations, but if you have not yet registered or know someone who is interested, please contact me to see if there is still room available to participate. Valerie Beard Below is a list of supplies we are seeking for Vacation Bible School. More items to come in the weekly issues of the Crier! Water Color Paper (100 sheets from 9x12-11x14 size) Small, decorative beach-themed items (like seashells, mini plastic fish/crabs), to decorate art projects Sand white/tan 8x10 frames (60) wood or stiff cardboard Driftwood (for making wind chimes) Thin Paper Plates Sharpies Permanent Markers Fine Paper/Plastic Bowls Plastic Cups 9oz Juice Boxes 100% juice 8-10oz small water bottles MCC Book Group June 23rd at 7:00 pm On the Green (Bring your own Chair) June s Book:

4 The Deacons' Bench Tradition: noun tra di tion \trə-ˈdi-shən\ The handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction. Our church history is a patchwork of traditions passed down from one generation to the next. It is the framework of our lives together; it is the story of who we were, who we ve become and how we arrived here. In the earliest days of the church, the apostles Peter and Paul spread the teachings of Christ through written letters and the spoken word. The retelling of the stories from one person to another was the beginning of the many Christian traditions that are our common ground. Our traditions are important to us. They are the story of our family and they connect us with the past. They help us understand that we are a part of something unique and special, something much bigger than ourselves. They are the antidotes to the harried feelings that come from our fast-paced and ever-changing world. They are the constants that balance us during times of change. They bring us comfort, carry our joys, and transport the work of the Holy Spirit to the softest parts of our being when we need it the most and recognize it the least. Through our traditions we are connected to one another across time and space, person to person, in the unspoken rhythm of a circle that cannot be broken. We look forward to the seasons of the church: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Easter and Pentecost because we associate the traditions of those seasons with the hymns, rituals, and celebrations that hold a place in our memories. In the same way we look forward to the special seasons of our lives at the Middlebury Congregational Church: A Star Tree, caroling at Christmas, Jambalaya Dinners, the darkness of Maundy Thursday, the joy of Easter Sunday, the annual Auction, church picnics, and the Strawberry Festival. Too many to name, each bringing us a memory of a snowy day, a sunrise service, words from a sermon, a child s face, a loved one s smile and we are reminded of those each time we renew a tradition The Deacon s Bench continued... So set your schedules aside and come be a part of our summer traditions! Our first Sundaes on Sunday is June 4 th from 5-7:00 P.M. on the Green. There will be homemade Hot Fudge, Caramel Sauce and an array of toppings for your bowl of ice cream. The always-anticipated Strawberry Festival will be on June 8 th, Celebration Sunday and pot luck picnic on June 19 th. Renew old friendships, learn something from someone new, and spend some time with your friends and family. You are the most important part of our circle and we can t wait to share our traditions, old and new, with you. On behalf of the Board of Deacons, Ellen Aronheim From the Mission Board Thanksgiving came in May for me. I am grateful for so many things this month. Tag Sale: The gross take from the tag sale was about $5000. There were so many church members who helped make the event a success. Special thanks to Jeanine Bonaventure for chairing the event. A number of the tents were damaged in the wind and rain. We are waiting on estimates to get them fixed. Ion Bank: Thank you to all who voted for us. We were awarded $1,172 Mission Scholarship: All the members of the Mission Board are awesome. Each spent a few hours reading through 58 essays then attended the meeting and reviewed the tag sale and top essays. We chose Mallory Blais of Pomperaug to receive the scholarship. I am very thankful for my church and its dedication to serving the wider community. Brenda Romaniello Mission Board Chair - 6 -

5 Days Gone By Did you know that the Mr. & Mrs. Club, an organization sponsored by the church for almost 40 years, was established in 1937? The group was composed of young married couples, who would often bring friends to the meetings. Some future members of the church were first introduced to our church in this manner. (In 1957, the club had a membership of 170 couples, with an average of 50 couples attending the meetings!) The object of the Mr. & Mrs. Club was primarily social. At the monthly meetings, planned programs ranged from entertainment to informative to serious discussions. Funds from the club were often donated for improvements to the church and for many years, members decorated the church for Christmas. Every June, new officers were elected. The presidents were always married couples. Another June tradition was the annual picnic at the Westover fireplace, which included a softball game. In 1961, the softball game was played by the "Saints", led by Pastor Charlie Ives, who overwhelmed the "Sinners" led by Assistant Pastor Dick Bauer "who shortly after was traded to the New Hampshire league." It rained in 1958, so the picnic was moved to the church Social Room and was followed by an impromptu square dance. Throughout the 1960's the Mr. & Mrs. Club continued with their entertaining meetings, events (including some talent shows showcasing an interesting array of talents) and the annual picnics, which were eventually moved to the Green. The club sponsored the first Art Show on the Green in 1967 and it was such a success that it became an annual event. By 1973, the membership of the Mr. & Mrs. Club was waning. Because many felt that there were people who failed to join because they thought that the club was only for those who had a partner, it was renamed the Middlebury Congregational Church Supper Club. The monthly meetings continued with entertaining programs and dinners prepared by a group of the ladies. Unfortunately, attendance continued to decrease and in 1976, the Supper Club was disbanded "due to an apparent lack of interest." Days Gone By continued... The Art Show disappeared for a year after losing its sponsoring organization, but it was reinstituted in 1977 and really prospered. It eventually was renamed the Arts & Crafts Show and grew immensely over the years to the point that it overflowed onto the parsonage lawn and also offered food and apple pies for sale all day. (The pies were gone in no time) In 2001, the Faith Middleton Traveling Show (from National Public Radio) was a featured event during the Show. We all enjoyed sitting in the sanctuary and watching Faith and other members of her show as they talked about making apple pies and judged the apple pies baked by members of our congregation and those of St. John of the Cross Church. That was the last Arts & Crafts Show - kind of the last hurrah. It was discontinued in 2002 due to the increasing difficulty of attracting vendors who were willing to participate in a single day event and also, I guess you could say, "lack of interest". A sort of off-shoot of the Mr. & Mrs. Club was the Mr. & Mrs. Comic Opera Group which staged musical productions from The musicals raised a lot of money for the church and also benefited music in the community. They became enormously popular, looked forward to each year, and became well known in this part of Connecticut. More about The Mr. & Mrs. Comic Opera Group in next month's Church Life. Alberta Weller, Church Historian

6

7 ALMOND SHORTBREAD BARS Crust: 1-cup butter ½ cup powdered sugar 2-cups flour Filling: 8 ounces cream cheese, softened ½ cup sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon almond extract Frosting: 1 ½ cups powdered sugar 1 ½ Tablespoons milk ¼ cup butter, softened 1 teaspoon almond extract ½ cup toasted, sliced almonds Instructions: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Crust: Cut butter into dry ingredients. Pat into 9 x 13 pan. Bake for minutes. Filling: Mix sugar and cream cheese with mixer until well creamed. Beat in eggs and almond extract until fluffy. Pour over crust while still hot. Bake at 350ºF for minutes. Cool completely. Frosting: Cream sugar and butter. Add milk and almond extract, mix well. Spread evenly on baked, cooled filling. Sprinkle toasted almonds on top

8 SUNDAY SUNDAES Another year is coming to a close. Where does the time go? It is hard to say goodbye to our 4 year olds, but they are so excited to be going on to "big kids school". We will send them off with a fun field day and a pizza party. Thank you to everyone who bought flowers and bulbs during our fundraiser. We hope you all have beautiful gardens for many years to come. Also, thank you for saving "Labels for Education" and sending in bits and pieces of interesting crafty items. You would get such a kick out of seeing the children's excitement when they have a new variety of items to use. Have a wonderful summer! Linda Kohler Preschool Director CHURCH RECORDS BIRTHS Casey Christopher Crawford, son of *Taylor Balletto Crawford & Alex Crawford, grandson of *Joe & *Debra Balletto born on May 16 th. Meredith Rose Tiso, daughter of *Stephanie and Daniel Tiso, granddaughter of *Kathie Albert born May 8 th. The Deadline for JULY Church Life: June 9:00 a.m

9 The Church Picnic STRAWBERRY TRIVIA FUN FACTS Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside. The average strawberry has 200 seeds Strawberries are low fat, low calorie; high in vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, potassium Strawberries, as part of a 5 a day fruit & vegetable program, can help reduce the risk of cancer & heart attacks Americans eat 3.4 pounds of fresh strawberries each year plus another 1.8 pounds frozen per capita Strawberries are the first fruit to ripen in the spring There is a museum in Belgium just for strawberries Strawberries are a member of the rose family In medieval times, strawberries were served at important functions to bring peace & prosperity. Folk lore states that if you split a double strawberry in half and share it with the opposite sex, you'll soon fall in love Getting down to Earth with Strawberries: Birds are responsible for distributing strawberry seeds everywhere. Strawberries are indigenous to every continent except New Zealand, Australia, and Africa. Not every single flower will produce a strawberry. A strawberry will not ripen once it is picked. Strawberries do not grow from seeds. Instead, they reproduce with long shoots of new growth. California produces over one billion berries annually. Laying them side-by-side would allow them to circle the earth several times

10 June 2016 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY The best portion of a good man s life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love. 5 8:30 Adult Choir 10:00 Worship 11:00 Cherub Choir 11:15 Diaconate 1:00 Girl Scout Bridging Ceremony 6:00-7:30 Sunday Sundaes 8:30 Adult Choir 10:00 Worship 11:00 Cherub Choir 6:00-7:30 Sunday Sundaes 12 7:00 Preschool Graduation :00 Preschool Comm 12:00 AA 7:00 Mission Brd. 12:00 AA 7:00 Trustees :00 Yoga 7:00 AA 9:00 Hulling 5:00-7:30 STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL 7:00 Yoga 7:00 AA 7:00 Yoga 7:00 AA :00 Boy Scouts & Comm. Mtg :00 Boy Scouts & Boards of Review 7:00 Church Council 7:00 Boy Scouts 16 3 Youth Retreat 10 5:00 Girl Scout Bridging Ceremony 7:00 Youth Group 7:00 Youth Group 17 Salem Farms Campground :30 Adult Choir 10:00 Worship Celebration Sunday Church Picnic 6:00-7:30 Sunday Sundaes Father s Day 8:30 Adult Choir 10:00 Worship 11:00 Cherub Choir 6:00-7:30 Sunday Sundaes 26 9:00-12:15 VBS 20 9:00-12:15 VBS 12:00 AA :00 AA 9:00-12:15 VBS 7:00 Yoga 7:00 AA 7:00 Yoga 7:00 AA :00-12:15 VBS 7:00 Book Group 7:00 Boy Scouts Court of Honor 7:00 Boy Scouts :00-12:15 VBS 7:00 Youth Group 24 25