FOCUS September 2018

Transcription

1 Save the Date! FELLOWSHIP & ADULT ED COMMUNITY DINNERS 6-7pm, Sept. 4, Oct. 2, Nov. 6 Dinners coincide with monthly Baby Basics Diaper distribution. Volunteers are invited to join in our effort to provide a healthy dinner for our guests and members of the church. Volunteers are welcome to help with set up, cooking, serving, visiting, eating and cleaning up with our Baby Basics families. Please contact Rev. Heike (revheike@needhamucc.org or Diana Conroy (conroyjd@rcn.com) if you are interested in helping out. THURSDAY LUNCH WITH HEIKE Noon -1pm, Sept. 6, Oct. 4 Monthly luncheons will start on September 6, 2018 at 12 noon at 1154 Great Plain Ave. in our Library. Further dates are as follows: October 5, November 1, and the Thursdays of December 6, 13, and 20, 2018 for the Season of Advent. All are welcome bring your friends and neighbors! CANCER SUPPORT GROUP Mondays 9:15-10:30am Our Cancer Support Group will start up on September 17, 2018 at 9:15 am in the Reception Room. This group will meet every Monday morning, except on holiday Mondays or school vacations. Come, if you need an extra hug or prayer said for yourself or a family member. MEDITATION GROUP 11:30am, Sept. 16, 30, Oct. 14, 28 The meditation/mindfulness group will again be meeting twice each month after the church service. The group is open to everyone, no prior experience needed. We will meet together and explore various types of meditation practice, including mindfulness. If you ve ever been curious about meditation or FOCUS September 2018 Homecoming & Congregational Meeting Sun. Sept. 9th following Worship mindfulness come and see what it s all about and find what works for you. Beginning in October we will meet on the second and fourth Sunday of each month. If you have any questions feel free to call or Sue Findlay, ; sgfindlay1@gmail.com THEOLOGY MAKEOVER 11:30am, Sun. Sept. 30, Oct. 14, 28, Nov. 4, 11 Theology is such a big topic, and we all have our own theologies. The book, by M. Thielen, What s the least I can believe and still be a Christian invites us to take a look at 10 things Christians don t need to believe (anymore) in part one, and part two gives us 10 things Christians do need to believe. The list could be and often is longer, but these 10 are a good start for a solid base for any Christian. Copies of the book are available for purchase in our in house Bookstore ($17). OUTREACH EVENT - RIDE FOR FOOD September 23 On Sept. 23rd members of our church will participate in the annual Ride for Food. We are riding as our own team under the umbrella of the Needham Community Council. The monies raised will be given to area food pantries, including the Needham pantry. It is not too late to sign up. Go to the Needham Community Council website, click the Ride for Food icon and follow the instructions. Make sure you are singing up under our team. FELLOWSHIP EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE FALL 2018 MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Deacon sponsored Prayer Lab every Wednesday night in October October 27 Oktoberfest November 3 Rake and Run sponsored by the Youth Group November 17 Village Fair December 15 Old Fashioned All Church Christmas Party The Congregational Church of Needham September 2018 FOCUS Page 1

2 News from the Deacons The Theme for October will be PRAYER In keeping with this theme, the Deacons will be offering 4 opportunities to explore different approaches to prayer, on the first 4 Wednesdays of October (7:00-8:00). The programs will include a Taize prayer service, a prayer-writing workshop, exploring prayer and meditation, and music as prayer. We hope you will come join us in the chapel. No experience necessary! September 23 and September 9:45 In anticipation of October s theme of prayer, the Deacons will be meeting 15 minutes before the worship service on Sundays 9/23 and 9/30 to pray for our church. PLEASE JOIN US in the Reception Room at 9:45 on these two Sundays as we offer our prayers in this time of transition while we search for our new senior minister. FOCUS Contributions are welcome. Please submit materials by to office@needhamucc. org. October issue deadline: Mon., Sept 24th Rev. Jim Mitulski Interim Senior Minister revjim@needhamucc.org Rev. Heike Werder Associate Minister revheike@needhamucc.org Homecoming Sunday Brunch Sept. 9th! The Guatemala Partner Families invite the entire congregation to join us in Fellowship Hall immediately after worship for a scrumptious Homecoming Sunday Brunch. This is a wonderful opportunity, as folks return from summer activities, to renew old friendships, make new ones, and enjoy great food and fellowship together! ReportBack by August Delegation to Santa María Tzejá Sunday, Sept. 16, 11:30 am in Linden Hall The August delegation travelers (Elise, Meredith, Gabriella, Amanda, Gayle, Jane, Caryl, and Alan) invite you to hear our stories and our experiences in Guatemala. Learn about our sister community of Santa Maria Tzejá, the very welcoming community members, the curious children, the vibrant schools, and the beauty of the landscape. This presentation is a great way to learn what going on a delegation is like, as Brenda and Alan recruit for the February 2019 delegation. Light refreshments will be served. February 2019 Delegation Sign-Ups! Brenda Metzler and Fred Moder will co-lead the church s upcoming delegation to Santa Maria Tzejá (February 13-24, 2019). We hope to have both youth and adults on this transformational trip. Total cost is approximately $1,500. Sign-ups will close as soon as the delegation is filled (or by late September), since airline tickets must be purchased early, due to competition from other schoolvacation travelers. Please contact Brenda or Fred ASAP with your interest or questions: bmetzler7@ verizon.net or fmoder@verizon.net. Time Change for Monthly Meetings to 11:30 am: Please Join Us! Although our first fall meeting is an evening meeting (Sept. 9, 7:00 pm, Church Library), we are moving most of our monthly meetings to 11:30 am following Coffee Hour, in the hope that more people will be able to join us at this time. Our meetings are open to all, and in truth we need the participation of more people, whose interest, ideas and energy will serve to sustain and strengthen the partnership. So please drop by and see what this long-running project is all about. Maddie Downer CE & Youth Director youth@needhamucc.org Valerie Becker Music Director musicdirector@ needhamucc.org Danielle Jurdan Administrator office@needhamucc.org Cindy Sullivan Office Assistant & Bookeeper office2@needhamucc.org Rev. Dr. Paul Clayton Pastor Emeritus The Church Board board@needhamucc.org Jackie Allen, Moderator moderator@needhamucc. org The Deacons Dibby Moder, Chair deacons@ needhamucc.org To provide feedback about any aspect of the church, feedback@needhamucc. org The Congregational Church of Needham September 2018 FOCUS Page 2

3 From the Ministerial Review Team The Ministerial Review Team has concluded the review process with the ministers. We appreciate everyone who responded to our surveys. The information gathered was presented to each minister during individual meetings in June. We thank everyone who participated for their honest and thoughtful insights. We hope you had a great summer. Offering Hospitality in a New Way Our coffee hour fellowship is one of our most beloved activities in the church. What better way to spend time after worship than with a good cup of coffee and talking with friends or making new connections to people who come and visit our church on a Sunday morning. We would like to try to upgrade the foods that are being served at coffee hour. We think we can do better than Oreo and Chips Ahoy cookies but we need your help. First, we are encouraging all committees and teams to pick the second Sunday of every month to provide food for coffee hour. The Guatemala Partnership is the first to take on the challenge with their special Homecoming Sunday Coffee Hour Brunch. Outreach Update The Outreach Committee will kick off the fall with our 3rd Annual Participation in the Ride for Food. This ride is dedicated to ending food insecurity in the Greater Boston Area. Each year, our Church fields a team of riders who ride 10, 25 or 50 miles to benefit the Needham Community Council s Food Pantry. This year, the Community Council asked us to form a sub-team from the Church. This allows them to raise more money through the Ride. Our church has supported the Community Council for years but did you know? *The Food Pantry serves 4,434 clients per year. * They provide more than 10,000 pounds of food per month! *More than 200 families shop at the Food Pantry this month at NO charge. Secondly, families and individuals are invited to sign up for a Sunday to provide the food. You can use this opportunity to celebrate someone s birthday, anniversary or honor a person in your family or an occasion by providing goodies for coffee hour. Your sponsorship will be mentioned in the bulletin just like the families and individuals who give flowers for the altar. The office has set up an online sign-up form at go/10c0844a8aa23a2fd0-coffee or you can simply call the office to do so. What kinds of food are we hoping to serve? Cheese and crackers, grapes, fruit bowl, crudité plate, mini muffins, cookies, breads, and cakes...anything you would like to eat with your coffee and share it with the rest of us. All goodies need to be nut free. Will you join us? Please call Rev. Heike if you have any questions at , ext The Needham Food Pantry provides a service to families experiencing food insecurity. Over the last two years, our Church has proven to be one of the biggest supporters of the food pantry through this ride raising more than $12,000 through Outreach funds and donations from members. This year, we hope to give even more! How can you help? Ride with us! This year, Rev. Heike, Rein Kirss, Mike Normile and Lynn and Phil Gotwals are riding but we d love to have a larger team. Register at: Ask any team member if you have any questions. Donate! Use the same link and donate to any team member. Each rider is looking for sponsors. If you are not sure who you can donate to, it s best to choose the team member with the lowest total and donate there. We are all working to the same goal! If you need more information, please contact Lynn Gotwals at lynn.gotwals@gmail.com. The Congregational Church of Needham September 2018 FOCUS Page 3

4 September Sunday Monday Tuesday 2 10am - Worship - Chapel 11am - Coffee Hour 11:30am - Guatemala Partnership Mtg 3 Church Offices CLosed 4 6pm - Community Dinner 9 8:30am - Choir Practice 10am - Worship - Homecoming Sunday & Blessing of the Backpacks 11am - Congregational Meeting 11:30am - Guatemala Partnership Welcome Brunch Coffee Hour 3pm - Jr High Welcome Meeting! 4:30pm - Mystery Dinner Rehearsal 5:45pm - Sr High Welcome Meeting! pm - Board Mtg 16 8:15am - Men s Breakfast 8:30am - Choir Practice 10am - Worship - Maddie Downer Preaching 11:30am - Guatemala Reprot Back Mindful Meditation 3pm - Jr High Youth Group 4:30pm - Mystery Dinner Rehearsal 5:45pm - Sr High Youth Group 23 Ride for Food 8:30am - Choir Practice 10am - Worship 11:30am - Preparing for a New Minister 3pm - Jr High Youth Group 4:30pm - Mystery Dinner Rehearsal 5:45pm - Sr High Youth Group 30 8:30am - Choir Practice 10am - Worship 11:30am - Theology Makeover Mindful Meditation Talking About God with Kids & Teens 3pm - Jr High Youth Group 4:30pm - Mystery Dinner Rehearsal 5:45pm - Sr High Youth Group 17 9:15am - Cancer Spt Grp 7pm - Finance Team Mtg 24 9:15am - Cancer Spt Grp Oct 1 9:15am - Cancer Spt Grp Oct 2 6pm - Community Dinner

5 Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Noon - Lunch with Rev. Heike 6pm -Sunday School Open House 7:30pm - Chancel Choir Rehearsal 12 7pm - Deacon s Mtg :30pm - Chancel Choir Rehearsal pm - Youth/CE Meeting 28 7pm - Youth Lock-In 29 Youth Lock-In Oct 3 7pm - Prayer Labs with the Deacons Oct 4 Noon - Lunch with Rev. Heike 7:30pm - Chancel Choir Rehearsal Oct 5 Oct 6

6 Warrant for Special Meeting Sunday, September 9, 2018 This Special Meeting of The Congregational Church of Needham will be held in the Sanctuary on Sunday, September 9, 2018 at 11:30 a.m., immediately following the 10:00 a.m. worship service. Childcare will be provided during the meeting. The warrant of articles for the meeting is as follows: Warrant Article I - To vote on a proposal to reclassify Maddie Downer s position, Director of Youth and Children s Ministries, from a lay position to an ordained position, and to call her to serve our church in that capacity. Adult Education Offerings this Fall This fall, Rev. Heike will lead an Adult Education Class on a Theology Makeover. We are going to read and discuss together a book by Martin Thielen What s the least I can believe and still be a Christian A Guide to What matters most. If the title peeks your curiosity, this class is for you. Theology is such a big topic, and we all have our own theologies. The book invites us to take a look at 10 things Christians don t need to believe (anymore) in part one, and part two gives us 10 things Christians do need to believe. The list could be and often is longer, but these 10 are a good start for a solid base for any Christian. We have reserved the Sundays of September 30, October 14, October 28, November 4, and November 21, 2018 for this interesting book discussion and study. Copies of the book will be available for purchase in our in house Bookstore ($ 17.00) by August 23, 2018, or you can go directly to Amazon.com for your order. Celebrate the Silent One! Time to share your talents, resources and ideas for the Silent Auction! Caryl Johnson and Sue Turner ask that you be creative and thoughtful with a donation to the Church Fair Silent Auction. Can you share an experience, such as a lesson involving your favorite hobby or activity? Could you donate Lift your Voice and SING! If you enjoy the music at church and like to sing the choir invites you to join them. We practice one evening a month (the first Thursday) and before church on Sunday at 8:30. Come and try it out. We enjoy making music for Sunday services and have a great time together. No long commitment is required. Sing for a Sunday or a season or all year long, but SING. No reservations required just show up any first Thursday or Sunday morning. a dining gift certificate to your favorite area restaurant? Would you consider the gift of a weekend at your vacation home? Or, do you have a spa or shop you frequent that might contribute a gift certificate? Teenagers, how about giving a few hours of babysitting in December for parents to holiday shop? Please send a brief description of your donation, the value/time involved and the best method to contact you to: carylgjohnson@gmail.com or suegturner1@comcast.net. The Congregational Church of Needham September 2018 FOCUS Page 6

7 Answers to some questions about the Special Meeting on September 9, 2018 Why are we voting on Maddie Downer now? Maddie has been engaged with the ordination process throughout her time with us. She has completed her M.Div. at Andover Newton Theological School. Last summer she completed her Clinical Pastoral Education requirement at a local hospital. How is Maddie s work evaluated? Maddie has been providing regular reports at congregational gatherings. She received a positive annual performance review this month. Once ordained, the deacons and directors will also become involved in her annual review, as they are with the other two ordained ministers at the church. How will Maddie s job change if we sustain her call? Maddie will continue in her primary focus with children and youth and faith formation. Once ordained, she will also be called on as needed for weddings, funerals, baptisms, baby dedications, and to preside at Holy Communion. She will preach from time to time What is the history of Maddie Downer s employment with CCNUCC? Maddie was hired in 2015 through a hiring committee in consultation with the pastor at the time. The original terms of her employment were part time, 10 months per year. In fiscal year 2017, her job was expanded through the budget process, her employment was extended to year round, and her compensation increased. She receives no benefits. She is considered a salaried, part-time employee. Why are we voting on adding a minister in the midst of a pastoral search? Regardless of the outcome of the search, we anticipate the need for the ongoing continuing work of a dedicated professional, lay or ordained, working with children and youth. What is the fiscal impact in this year? In the upcoming year? There is no fiscal impact this year. If we expand or contract the hours or compensation of the position we will do it through the budget process for fiscal year How does this relate to Maddie s ordination process? Maddie has completed all of the requirements for ordination. She had an Ecclesiastical Council in her home Conference in Connecticut, at which time she was certified as eligible for ordination once a local church confirms this call by offering her a position that recognizes her ministerial abilities. Both Rev. Heike and Rev. Jim were present for the council and saw firsthand how she has matured into this call during her time with us. Once she is approved, her ordination will take place in Connecticut in November, and then she will be eligible for standing in our local judicatory, the Metropolitan Boston Association of the Massachusetts Conference. Her process will be complete, and she will be permanently ordained. The Congregational Church of Needham September 2018 FOCUS Page 7

8 Men s Fellowship Breakfast, Sunday, Sept. 16 On Sunday, 9/16, the Men s Fellowship Breakfast will welcome all church men to breakfast Great Plain Avenue 1180 Great Plain Avenue Needham, MA T: office@needhamucc.org On the web at needhamucc.org On the Congregational Church of Needham UCC The Men s Breakfast brings men of all ages and persuasions together in the Library on the 3rd Sunday of the month before worship in honest and lively discussion touching our faith and our lives in today s complex world. We welcome men of all ages and accommodate those with scheduling challenges. Arrive at 8:15 AM for fellowship and breakfast or by 9:00 AM for the discussion. Contact: John Baldwin (jsbaldwin@comcast.net) or Rob Dunlavey (rob@robd. com) for more information. NEW CALENDAR!!! You use Google Calendar to keep track of your appointments and your family... guess what...the church does too!! And we ve created a Google Calendar for YOU of all church events, meetings, Worship schedules, Youth Activities, Music events and rehearsals... You can share it with you own Google calendar and turn it on or off as needed. Want to take a peek? The sharable link is calendar.google.com/calendar/b/1?cid=y2nuzwvkagfty2fszw5kyxj AZ21haWwuY29t THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF NEEDHAM UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 1154 Great Plain Avenue Needham, Massachusetts stamp address