THE STEEPLE BELL. SEPTEMBER 2018 Dennis Union Church United Church of Christ An Open and Affirming Congregation

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1 THE STEEPLE BELL SEPTEMBER 2018 Dennis Union Church United Church of Christ An Open and Affirming Congregation WITH JESUS AS OUR ANCHOR AND COMPASS, GOD BIDS US TO BE A BLESSING IN THE WORLD Dennis Union Church P.O Box 2020 Dennis, MA WEBSITE Rev. Nelson Murphy Bridge Pastor seniorpastor@duchurch.org Margaret Bossi Organist & choir director music@duchurch.org Rev. Bette Anne Crowell Associate Organist & choir director Barbara Wells Bell Choir, Director Cindy Fiscus Church School and Youth Fellowship cedirector@duchurch.org Jane B. Wilson Media coordinator media@duchurch.org Nancy McKiernan Office administrator office@duchurch.org Peter Berrien, Gordon Bellemer Finance officers finance@duchurch.org Dave Crocker Sexton DENNIS UNION CHURCH CHANGING LIVES HERE AND BEYOND The Stewardship Team (Ken Landall, Gary Forrister, Barbara Gray, Marcy Stanton, Skip Walsh, Bill Boothe and Dave Corbett) carefully considered several other themes before choosing this one. This theme speaks of both ministry and mission. It truly expresses what we are about at DUC. We are in the business of changing lives, the lives of our members and friends, and the lives of those who are touched by our generous outreach. Many people benefit from the ministry and mission of our church. In October we will hear from representatives of just a few of the organizations we offer assistance to as they strive to change the lives of their clients. Stewardship begins with the understanding that everything we have comes from God. We are blessed in so many different ways by our still speaking God who is active in our own lives, as well as in scripture, history, and all creation. Grateful for gifts, large and small, we are invited by God to respond to God s grace by generously giving back, by sharing the gifts and blessings that have been bestowed upon us, and by caring for the world and making a difference in the world which God has entrusted to us. The practice of extravagant generosity changes individuals and changes churches, allowing them to accomplish great things for Christ. <p Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations by Robert Schnase> Blessings, The Stewardship Tea

2 SEPTEMBER 2018 Sept. 10:00 A.M. Labor Day Sunday Rev. Paula Degree, preaching, communion Sept. 10:00 A.M. Rally Sunday Cindy Fiscus and Youth lead worship Sept. 10:00 A.M. Blessing of Animals Rev. Cal Mutti, preaching Sept. 10:00 A.M. CANDIDATE FOR SETTLED PASTOR, PREACHING meeting follows worship Sept. 10:00 A.M. Rev. Nelson Murphy, preaching The Apple Festival on Sat., October 6 th. NEWSLETTER It s easy to sign up to receive our monthly newsletter and our weekly updates. Go to the church website duchurch.org on the right side of the home page you will locate the place to sign up. Our newsletter and our weekly updates keep members informed of the happenings at DUC. WE INVITE YOU TO COME AS YOU ARE AND DISCOVER WHO YOU CAN BE. PLEASE FULFILL YOUR PLEDGE If you made a pledge toward the Habitat for Humanity Build in Dennis, please remember to fulfill your pledge by the end of September. Dennis Union Church has accepted the opportunity to lead the ecumenical build, working with our sister churches in Dennis. When in worship, please consider checking in with Facebook. DUC Are you on our church list? Every Friday we send an with updated information about our Sunday worship service and other events at DUC. You can sign up for s on the church website: The Christian Education Committee is planning a church picnic to follow worship on Rally Sunday, September 9 th. This year the picnic will be held at the church. The softball game will take place after the picnic, probably at the Seaside Ball Field by Corporation Beach. The Blessing of the Animals following worship on Sunday, September 16 th. SEARCH COMMITTEE NEWS The Search Committee is recommending a candidate to serve as the settled pastor of DUC. The candidate will preach on September 23 rd. A meeting to vote on the candidate will take place immediately following worship. There will be an opportunity to meet and greet the candidate on Saturday, September 22 nd. Please watch your mail for details.

3 SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS Bill Bacon Sept. 2 Laura Foss Sept. 7 Allison Vandersall Sept. 10 Linda Hildebrant Sept. 10 Alicia Peirce Sept. 11 Margaret Clancy Sept. 14 Connie Bickford Sept. 15 Sue Schofield Sept. 15 Bill Beimler Sept. 18 Jane B. Wilson Sept. 19 Marc Hildebrant Sept. 19 Nellie Stidham Sept. 21 Danielle Ingraham Sept. 21 Gordon Bellemer Sept. 22 Linda Phillips Sept. 24 Bridget Foss Sept. 26 Ginnie Haskell Sept. 28 Beverly Larson Sept. 28 Cal Mutti Sept. 30 Ruth Lund Sept. 30 SEPTEMBER ANNIVERSARIES John & Marcy Stanton Sept. 1 Bob & Doris David Sept. 2 Peter & Judy Berrien Sept. 11 Jerry & Priscilla Brines Sept. 11 Josh & Bette Anne Crowell Sept. 12 Tom & Joan Clapp Sept. 17 Rick Bishop & Mary Ann Agresti Sept. 20 ACTIVITIES Enjoy a cruise around Plymouth Bay on Thursday, September 20, followed by supper at the Lobster Hut on the Plymouth Town Wharf. The Pilgrim Belle, a paddle wheel, small tour boat is reserved for Dennis Union Church members and friends, so we hope you will sign up on the poster at church or call Betty Boothe at The cost is $13.00 per person. Carpooling will be available, and further information will be on the poster. This will be a FUN way to socialize, so please join us!! The DUC Quilt Show will be in our sanctuary as part of the Apple Festival on Saturday, October 6. Will you share your quilt(s)? That antique quilt in the attic or the treasured quilt in your home will be admired by so many people. Designs, colors, histories and quilting techniques will amaze all! Call Betty Boothe if you are willing to share, and she will give you the details for the display. We will be very careful with your quilt. Sept. 2 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 SEPTEMBER USHERS Howard & Judy Chesley, Kathy Furey Joan Stout, Ken Mills, Janice Gardner Bill Crowell, Willa Crowell, Priscilla Hutchinson Kim Crowell, Catie and Anna Crowell Janice Gardner, Midge Kuntz, Elaine Simoneau SEPTEMBER DEACONS September 2 Lyle Ashby September 9 Cheryl Cerbone September 16 Nancy Berquist September 23 - Sue Schofield September 30 Joan Stout CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY The minister, officers and congregation of Dennis Union Church offer their sincere sympathy to the family and friends of Edith Conti who died on August 10, Her memorial service was held here on August 17, 2018, at 12:30 p.m.

4 PLAY BALL! RALLY DAY PICNIC and BALL GAME~ There will be a picnic on the front lawn of the church immediately after Rally Day on September 9th. It was decided that instead of both eating, and playing ball, at Seaside Field (near Corporation Beach), that we would have a picnic at DUC before the game. The Christian Ed Committee will provide the hotdogs, chips, and drinks. The ball game begins at 12:30 p.m. at Seaside Field. Players AND spectators are welcome! There are bleacher seats, but you might want to bring your beach chair. BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS Coin collection banks will begin going home with children in August. Every cent counts! Giving an animal to a needy family is like giving someone a small business - providing wool, milk, eggs, and more. Animal donations can provide families a hand up, increasing access to medicine, school, food, and a sustainable livelihood. Go to to see how our donations will help! I will be looking for children to carry our animal-shaped pinatas around the Village Green after worship! The Sunday School will also participate in our annual animal puppet parade and singalong in the Sanctuary before class. LET S NOT FORGET THOSE WHO HAVE DIFFICULTY GETTING TO CHURCH Richard Burnham Doris David Russell Gillis Bruce MacPherson SOCIAL CONCERNS Laurie Soc Elinore Zeeb Ann Johnson Barbara Mabee "Faith Meal" at Faith Assembly of God Church, Hyannis - Meals are served every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at Faith Assembly for the area's food-needy. On the FIRST Friday of every month, volunteers from Dennis Union Church assist in the preparation, serving, and hosting of a supper. We are present from 3:00 p.m. -6:45 p.m. Volunteers can help for an hour, or the entire afternoon. Tables are prepared, food is prepped, pots are washed, & guests are greeted and served. If you would like more details, please call me (Cindy Fiscus) at The next meal for us is September 7. Days of Hospitality - These lunches are Salvation Army's way of making sure people have a lunch option on the weekends. Different churches on the Cape take advantage of this great service opportunity. We at Dennis Union host every-other-month, on the 4th Sunday of that month. Our calendar year consists of lunches in January, March, May, July, September, & November. At each luncheon, we require volunteers to drive our guests from Salvation Army to our church, and back again to Hyannis. Arrival time at Salvation Army is 12:00pm, and lunch concludes at 2:00pm. Meanwhile, at church we need people to prepare tables, prep the lunch, sort through donations of clothing and toiletries, serve and host the lunch, and to help with clean up. SEASONAL CLOTHING, TOILETRIES (especially deodorant, razors, shaving cream, wash cloths), SOCKS for men and women, and LAUNDRY SOAP (small bottles or pods) are requested for the guests. Our next luncheon is September 23.

5 AUCTION SUCCESS! Joanne Ashby and I cannot thank you enough for all the support and hard work expended in making this year s Auction and Bazaar a success. Buyers showed up in thousands to see the grand display of treasures that had been donated over the course of a year. Key to our success, however, was that visitors were greeted by your upbeat attitude and smiles. Thanks to your hard work, our gross receipts were $55,762.55! That represents an astounding 15% jump over last year. Its an Awesome number - so a hearty congratulations to everyone. A detailed breakdown by category is posted on the Church bulletin board. Note that sales income was higher for 3 out of 4 categories. In most cases, that reflected either having more items to sell, having better quality or both. So please, no apologies if your category shows a lower number than last year. Results are a direct reflection of the hand you were given. In effect, the way donations came to us. We are always tempted to identify certain people that were key to this year s auction but there were so many. Suffice it to say, the sorting, pick-up, set-up and clean-up teams were spectacular. Everything from signage to food, flower arranging to pie making, unpacking, carting, selling and running the bidding for live and silent auctions was first rate. All of you and your many family members and friends were key players. It was truly a humbling experience for Joanne and I. Thanks again. PS: First: You should know that a number of charities from the community came by in the afternoon and picked up unsold items. Additionally, a substantial portion of Auction/Bazaar income goes back into the community each year through the Church s many outreach programs. Secondly: Your constructive comments are welcome. Please send them via to raceti@gmail.com or jcacorp@comcast.net while they are still fresh in your mind. And -- mark your 2019 calendars for the next Auction Bazaar on August 10 th. SEPTEMBER FLOWERS September 2 In loving memory of Paul Woudenberg s birthday from his family September 9 In honor of Bently Bainbridge Baxter and Bailey given by Nancy and Skip Walsh September 16 In memory of loved ones given by Ed and Bev Brink September 23 given by the Flower Committee September 30 In loving memory of our grandson Michael Grimm given by Barbara and Paul Gray

6 Rally Day Worship Service Sept. 9 The children and youth will lead us in worship on September 9th. All students that are reading prayers or are providing our music should plan on being at church by 9:00 for a quick run-through. September 23 There will be no class, so that we may all be present in worship to meet our candidate for the Settled Pastor. There will be special worship bulletins for the children! September 30 We begin our Autumn Session with GUSTO! All children age 4 and up are welcome to our multi-age class. Children younger than age 4 will enjoy spending time with Ms. Laurette in our Crib Room. CALLING ALL BAKERS AND HELPERS - FALL IS APPLE FESTIVAL TIME! Our Tenth Annual Apple Festival will be on Saturday, October 6 th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. The Apple Fest Committee is very excited to have the Activities Committee joining us again this year. They will be sponsoring another Quilt Show in the Sanctuary with no admittance fee. Fresh apples for purchase, baked apple goods, local crafters on the Village Green, delicious food, children s crafts and face painting, boutique, great pumpkin raffle, grill and other surprises will be featured. Look for Maggie s sign-up sheet for her annual piemaking session. This will be held on Friday, September 7 th, from 1:30. to 5:00 p.m. We will offer these pies as fresh-frozen on the 6 th so people may stock their freezers ahead for meals and visitors. All pie materials will be supplied for our assembly-line. She will need helpers to peel, mix, roll out and crimp! Besides promoting great outreach into the community, everyone has a great time. We will need help with setting up and cleanup on the day. Apples for pie baking and apple treats will be provided for our home bakers. Also, we will need people to work in the various booths. Look for sign-up sheets for these tasks during September. Apple Fest Committee: Judy and Peter Berrien, Maggie Bossi, Sue Schofield, Jane B. Wilson, Emily Woudenberg and Judy Chesley September's collection is BOXES of CEREAL for the Hands of Hope Food Pantry. Our goal is 300 boxes of cereal. Last year, I believe we passed our goal! Bring the cereal to church any day of the week. There will be boxes in the hall for your donations.

7 WELCOME REV. NELSON MURPHY Dennis Union Church is pleased to welcome Rev. Nelson Murphy as our Bridge Pastor to lead us forward as we continue our time of transition. Nelson and his family are not brand new to DUC. They have been summer worshippers for more than a dozen years. Most recently Nelson served as the Interim Pastor of First & St. Stephens United Church of Christ in Baltimore, MD. Prior to that, he served as the Director of Investor Development for United Church Funds in New York City. He has also been an interim pastor in Mahwah, NJ and Harwich, MA. From he was the Director of Information Technology for the National Council of Churches. Earlier in his career Nelson served as the pastor of Redeemer United Church of Christ in Sussex, WI. He was also the organizing pastor of St. Paul s United Church of Christ, a new church start in Rio Rancho, NM. Nelson is a graduate of Hope College in Holland, Michigan and McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. He was ordained by the Southeast Association, Wisconsin Conference of the United Church of Christ in Nelson is married to Sandra. They have 3 adult children and 5 grandchildren. Nelson and Sandra will live in Brewster, where they have truly enjoyed their summer vacations. WHAT IS A BRIDGE PASTOR? A Bridge Pastor, like an Interim Pastor, serves a church during a time of transition. An Interim has specific tasks to ensure the health and viability of a congregation. Terry completed the prescribed interim tasks. A Bridge Pastor often follows an Interim as the congregation continues the search for a Settled Pastor. He or she is the bridge between the Interim Pastor and the Settled Pastor. Dan West was a farmer from the American Midwest and member of the Church of the Brethren who went to the front lines of the Spanish Civil War as an aid worker. His mission was to provide relief, but he soon discovered the meager single cup of milk rationed to the weary refugees once a day was not enough. And then he had a thought: What if they had not a cup, but a cow? That "teach a man to fish" philosophy is what drove West to found Heifer International. And now, nearly 70 years later, that philosophy still inspires our work to end world hunger and poverty throughout the world once and for all. The core of our model is Passing on the Gift. This means families share the training they receive, and pass on the first female offspring of their livestock to another family. This extends the impact of the original gift, allowing a once impoverished family to become donors and full participants in improving their communities. The goal of every Heifer project is to help families achieve self-reliance. We do this by providing them the tools they need to sustain themselves.