Herald. January Church Office Phone: FAX:

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1 The Pilgrimage Church of the Pilgrimage The Herald The Pilgrimage Congregational January 2013 United Church of Christ 8 Town Square, Plymouth Massachusetts The Reverend Dr. Helen Nablo Pastor helennablo@8townsquare.org office@8townsquare.org Church Office Phone: FAX: Rev. Gary L. Marks, Pastor Emeritus Volume LXXXIII, No. 9 Office Hours: Mon-Friday 8:30am-4:00pm September 2013 The Rev Says: As a kid, it always felt funny that New Years day was in January. Why wasn t it in September, when everything really begins? It s soon to be September, with everything new. Rally Day comes up on September 8 th. We ll celebrate coming back together again after the summer with a special worship service and a picnic and games at Stephen s Field. Funny to think that last year at that time I was just starting to learn everyone s names. The weekend after Rally Day, September 15 th, we have a special church celebration. Rosemary McKay and Janet Synnott, longtime partners, are being married! You are all invited. With Persephone s Daughters singing, and friends of many years taking part in the ceremony, it promises to be a day of great joy. The weekend after that we have the start of Stewardship season. We are doing things a little differently this year, thanks to some new people with new ideas offering their time and talent to the planning. Something else that is new is the start of a youth group for our post-confirmation young people. It s still in the works, but it will involve shared meals, conversation, faith formation and service. We have amazing young people in this church, and we hope they stay connected and involved. As I write this, nine of our young people are heading off for a kind of mini Continued on page 2 From the Moderator-Bob Taylor The Board of Deacons has proposed and the Church Council has approved the following policy regarding announcements before worship. Announcement Policy Fundraising and helping people in need are an important part of who we are as a church. However, the Board of Deacons is concerned about the amount of time spent at the beginning of our church services by announcements requesting money. This practice seems to have become the norm as opposed to the occasional reminder of fundraisers that are included as line items in the Annual Budget. The policy regarding fundraiser announcements is as follows: Specific church related fundraisers should receive the approval of the Board of Trustees either as part of the Annual Budget or before the initial appeal from the sponsoring Board or Committee. Information about church and/or missions related fundraisers should be submitted for publication in the Herald and/or the Fridge Notes section found in the order of worship. Information to be included in the Herald should be submitted to the church office on or before the 20 th of each month. Information for the Fridge Notes should be submitted by the Wednesday morning prior to publication. Additional announcements before church concerning these events will be at the discretion of the pastor. Continued on page 2 Moderator Bob Taylor Clerk Lois Post Treasurer - Verna Ross- Hoyt The Church of the Pilgrimage, UCC is an Open and Af:irming Church World Mission Emphasis- Heifer 1 Project International Music Director- Kelley DePasqua Organist Michael Eaton Director of Christian Ed- Jenny Healy OfJice Manager- Shellie Souza Sexton- Brian Gildea

2 Stewardship Update: Gratitude...Praise...Joy As we leave our summer schedules behind, I thought it might be helpful to give you a preview of our stewardship activities for the next couple of months. Our theme for this year s pledge campaign is Gratitude, Praise & Joy and our signature hymn is #377, What Gift Can We Bring. Sometime during the second or third week of September all of our members and friends should receive their first mailing from the stewardship committee. While officially kicking off our campaign on Stewardship Sunday, September 22 nd, we will also host a Welcome Back Luncheon the following week, September 29 th. This luncheon will be a low key event and is mainly an opportunity for everyone to reconnect as we begin another year of worship together. After our second mailing in mid October, we will conclude the official part of our pledge campaign during the Chest of Joash service on October 20th. We have lots of thoughts, prayers and ideas to share with you between now and then, and we look forward to joining you as we continue to strive to see stewardship as a personal spiritual practice that invites us to grow our faith and generosity. Another upcoming event is our annual Harvest Fair which will take place this year on Saturday, October 26 th. As one of our three main budgeted fundraising events, along with the Time & Talent Auction and our Golf Tournament, the fair is our most ambitious event and offers a number of volunteer opportunities. Many people have already stockpiled overflowing boxes of items for the various tables that will be offered. Others have started baking and freezing our famous fruit pies and other delights for our bake table. Please be sure to check the Herald and our weekly bulletins for more information and requests from this year s Harvest Fair committee. What gift can you bring? Nancy E Reed, Stewardship Chair 2 Continued from Page 1 (The Rev Says) mission experience, three days of mission activity and reflection. Whatever this experience holds for us, we hope to build on it. Soon Mike Eaton, Kelley DePasqua and the choir will be back, gracing us all with their beautiful music. There might be a few new songs in their repertoire, a few new faces in the choir loft. There is a new portrait on the church vestibule wall. Mine! (I have to admit, it made my feminist heart happy to see a female face in that long line of ministerial portraits.) Thanks to Bob Taylor for hanging the portrait this past Sunday after church, and Rosemary McKay for offering a sweet impromptu blessing. September, and everything is new. May we start this new church year with hopefulness, commitment, and a sense of being fully alive in God. Continued from Page 1 (Moderator) Fundraising and publicity requests unrelated to the program or mission life of the church may be published in the Fridge Notes section found in the order of worship, but shall not receive additional announcement time before the worship service. Inclusion of these notices will be left to the discretion of the office manager and pastor. On a separate note, Pastor Helen s portrait is now hanging in the lower vestibule. We re all pleased with it as we hope you will be. Did You Know? Our congregation is hosting the Jewish high holy days this year in our sanctuary as per the request of Rabbi Lawrence Silverman from Congregation Beth Jacob. Mid-summer Rabbi Silverman and temple members realized they had a problem. There is always a large turnout from the Plymouth community for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and the new arts center, which will, in the future, provide space for this event, is not yet ready. We are happy to open our space and be good neighbors in this way.

3 From the Music Committee The Summer Concert Series was a success. Thanks to all of you who came and heard some great music. A special thanks to all the members of the Music Committee who made sure the building was open for the performers, refreshments were served, the donations were collected, and the church was locked up afterwards. As fall rapidly approaches, the Music Committee is actively seeking input for special music that our congregation might enjoy. Our incredible Music Director, Kelley DePasqua, is also always willing to take requests for a particular anthem or offertory. Kelley is also encouraging any and all members of the congregation to join the senior choir. We rehearse every Wednesday from 7:30pm-9:00pm and on Sundays before worship at 9:00am. Finally, our amazing organ needs some major upgrades. There has not been any major service or repairs to the organ since it was installed in The Board of Trustees has approved the request for repairs for next summer (2014). Through several generous donations, we have already raised $11,000 towards the work, but we still need to raise an additional $25,000. After consultation with the Board of Trustees, the Music Committee will be conducting a capital campaign, starting in January of 2014, to raise the remaining funds. If folks want to donate to the fund now, it will help reduce the amount we need to raise in the spring. Pilgrim Association News The Pilgrim Association invites you to the Ecclesiastical Council for Frederick Hayes. The Pilgrim Association will gather on Thursday, September 19, at 7:00pm at Christ Congregational Church UCC in Brockton, 1350 Pleasant St., Brockton, MA. The Ecclesiastical Council will meet, review the credentials of, and hear the reflections of Frederick Hayes and examine him as to his fitness to be ordained to Christian Ministry in the UCC. Following the Council, there will be a reception for Mr. Hayes. 3 Sept. 1 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 22 Sept. 29 Flowers In loving memory of Jane, Harry Sr., Mabel, Harry Jr., Avis, Warren, and Marlyn. With love, Put & Kathy Burns and family. Dedicated to family past, present and future. Given by Jon & Debby Porter. The flowers on the Communion table are in memory of Betsy Campbell Corwin. Given by her brother, Gordon Campbell. The flowers on the side are in memory of our parents, Jean and John Bury and Rose and Tom MacKay. Given by Janet Synnott and Rosemary MacKay. In loving memory of Mert Chapman, the sweetest man I ever knew. Given by Nancy Reed. In loving memory of Hermann Schimpf. Given by Hildegard, Monica and family. Church Record On August 18, Tristan Arthur and Ava May Carpenter were baptized by Rev. Dr. Helen Nablo during the morning worship service. They are the children of Jenny Henrique and Eric Carpenter. Baptism Class All parents interested in presenting a child for baptism are invited to attend a class on Sunday, September 22nd, following morning worship. Child care will be provided. The class will run from 11:45am-12:30pm and will cover the meaning of the sacrament and go over various baptismal liturgies. We will meet in the Marks Conference Room in the John Robinson Center. Portrait of Pastor Nablo Helen s portrait was taken by local photographer, Nancy Green. It hangs in the lower vestibule among other photos of our former pastors. Take a look!

4 Prayer Request Update The greatest tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer. -F.B. Meyer If you would like to request a prayer, simply send an to cotpprayers@gmail.com and your prayer request will be sent to your COTP family who will lift your request to the Lord. There are currently 17 members of our church family who pray for your requests. To be added to this small, but faithful flock, please your wish to cotpprayers@gmail.com. Elizabeth Hughes Campbell for the Deacons Want to Volunteer? OneTime Only: Make a dozen sandwiches or a dessert for the Stewardship Luncheon (September 29). Contact Nancy Reed at nancyereed@gmail.com. Weekly: Sing in a church choir as able. Contact Kelley DePasqua at kdepasqua@msn.com. Variable: Work on the Harvest Fair now through October 26th. Contact Kara Mallon at the4mallons@gmail.com. Bible Study The Wednesday morning bible study will resume on Wednesday, September 11th, at the regular meeting time of 10:30 am to 11:30 am. In the past, this bible study has looked at the lectionary text the pastor is going to preach on. When we meet we will have a decision to make as to how to approach this coming year. We have thought about using materials this Fall from the Massachusetts Bible Society, doing a basic course entitled "What is the Bible?" Intended particularly for people with little bible knowledge, it seems like it would be a good review as well for people who are more knowledgable. Our other option would be to study Bruce Feilor's book, Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths. This would not be bible study in the same way we have done it before either. It would likely take us most of the Fall to work our way through this book, and I think this book would work for those of various bible knowledge levels. We will not order materials until September 11th so that day will be a study of a passage to be preached on and then a discussion of which direction to go in. It will take a few weeks to get the book we do choose ordered. We may look into doing these studies at a time that works for working people -- Sunday after church or an evening -- later on in the year. Contact Pastor Helen if you have any questions about participation. All are welcome! Christian Education News WELCOME BACK! The summer was extra brief this year with the kids getting out so late from school. I hope you were able to squeeze in some fun whether it was right here on one of our beautiful beaches or on a road trip to some relaxing destination, new or familiar. Regardless, here we are together again for Rally Day, ready for a full year of learning and worship and fun. Here is what to expect to start the year: September 8 Rally Day 9:30-10 Sunday School Registration in Allerton Hall Children go to worship with their families then are dismissed after the Children's Message. The whole Sunday School will assemble in Allerton Hall for a start of the year workshop Rally Day at Stephens Field: CE will provide hot dogs, watermelon, waters and equipment for some fun and games. September 15 The first day of Sunday School October 6 World Communion Sunday: Fifth grade and younger all go directly to the JRC for their communion service followed by Sunday School. Parents can pick up in the usual classrooms. Sixth grade and up will join the adults for the full service. A word about communion: Thanks to the generosity of spirit of Susan and Mark Coombs, last year we were able to re-institute our Children's Communion services which are held in the JRC simultaneously with the adult services. These services are teaching services designed to instruct the children in the meaning of the elements, immerse them in the story of the Last Supper and teach them what it means for us to break bread together. Children 6th grade and up will be joining the adults for communion this year, while the younger children continue across the street. To kick off the year and celebrate their presence in the sanctuary, the 6th-8th graders will join the congregation for the whole service on October 6, World Communion Sunday. In the months to follow, they will begin their Sundays downstairs in Allerton Hall with their Sunday School class and come upstairs to share in communion at the end of the service. There are a few exceptions to this schedule which will be published in the Herald and can also be found in the Sunday School calendars to be distributed on Rally Day. 4

5 Music Notes Many thanks to everyone who attended, organized or performed in our Summer Concert Series. We are so blessed to have such a rich musical culture in our church! Thank you also to Lois Post for serving us all summer as organist and to choir section leaders Kelly Danner, Anne Smith, Jim DePasqua and David Tyler (with wife, Lea) for providing additional service music this summer. Michael and I are very excited to get back to our weekly rehearsals with the various choirs at the church. I would also like to take this opportunity to invite ALL members of the congregation to consider joining the Sanctuary Choir. High school students are also welcome and encouraged to sing with us! (I sang in this very choir as a high school student!) Our singers come from all levels of musicianship and there is surely a place for YOU! We are also fortunate that our large roster and section leaders allow a flexible commitment If you have any questions, please speak with either Michael, myself or any choir member. Sanctuary Choir - Ms. Kelley DePasqua, Choir Director, Mr. Michael Eaton, Organist: Rehearsals - Wednesday Evenings from 7:30-9:00 First Rehearsal - Wednesday, September 4th First Sunday - Sunday, September 8th Sunday Services - Rehearsal at 9:00 am for 10:00 service Youth Choirs - Additionally, all young people are encouraged to participate in the youth choirs at the church. Sign-ups for the Junior Choir (Grades 3-8) and Cherub Choir (PK-2) will take place on RALLY DAY, September 8, and rehearsals will begin the following week, September 15. Junior Choir, Grades Ms. Kelley DePasqua, Director. Rehearsals - After Church each week in the Sanctuary, not to exceed a half hour. As a rule, we do not rehearse after the service on the days when we have sung. First Rehearsal - September 8. Sunday Services - As much as possible, on the Third Sunday of every month, starting in October, plus Christmas Eve Family Service and Youth Sunday. (This is flexible, depending on holiday or special service.) Cherub Choir, Grades PK-2 - Mrs. Lois Post, Director. Rehearsals - After Church in the JRC, not to exceed 15 minutes, Schedule given by the director Sunday Services - Schedule provided by director, approximately 6 times per year plus the Christmas Eve Family Service and Youth Sunday. ROBES UPDATE - The Robe Committee took a summer hiatus! We will be meeting in September and will pick up where we left off in the process. If you did not get to see the fabric/color samples in the Spring, we will make those available again. We have yet to make any formal decisions. Kelley DePasqua, Music Director SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS WANTED. No experience necessary. Our new curriculum walks you step-by-step through the lessons with lots of great activities to choose from. I would love to talk to you about it. Call Jenny Harvest Fair News So it MAY be September, but we are gearing up for our biggest fundraiser of the year for the church. The Annual Harvest Fair is October 26th, 9:30am-2:00pm! Yes! The Harvest Fair would not happen without YOUR help. What can you do? Donate an item for the Silent Auction, donate your time to help set up, help at the luncheon or at the fair, or visit local businesses and gather raffle gift certificates. And as you go through your closets, keep us in mind. We will have a few drop-off dates the week before the fair, and can also make arrangements to pick up items. We are looking for jewelry, baked goods, attic treasures (please no TVs!), Christmas and holiday items, housewares, bed & bath and linens. After years of amazing leadership, Laura Curtin has passed the reins to me, Kara Mallon. I m the oldest daughter of Diane and Bill Harting. We will have our first meeting in the Upper Vestibule right after church, before the Rally Day Picnic on Sunday, September 8. We would love to see you! Any questions? Don t hesitate to contact me at or the4mallons@gmail.com. Thanks - and see you at The Harvest Fair! ~Kara 5

6 The Pilgrimage Calendar August ~ September 2013 ~ October Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 2 Church Office 3 4 Nominating Comm 6 Confirmation Class Closed Mtg 8:30am Lock-in, Allerton Hall Choir Rehearsal beginning 6pm 7:30pm 1 Worship 10am Rev. Gary Marks, guest preacher 5 Shellie away through September 15 CBJ Rosh Hashanah Service in our Sanctuary 7 Confirmation Class Lock-in, Allerton Hall ending at 8am 8 Worship 10am 9 Membership & 10 Church Council Pastor Helen preaching Evangelism Comm Mtg 7pm Marks Room Rally Day Harvest Fair Meeting after church in upper 9:30am Monday Meals of Hospitality 11am AH vestibule 11 Bible Study 10:30am-11am Marks Room Choir Rehearsal 7:30pm Guild Luncheon at noon Wedding Rehearsal 5pm CBJ Yom Kippur Service 7:30pm Sanctuary 14 CBJ Yom Kippur Service 9am Sanctuary Wedding 3:30pm 15 Worship 10am 1st Day of Sunday School 16 Monday Meals of Hospitality 11am AH Bible Study 10:30am-11am Marks Room Choir Rehearsal 7:30pm Stewardship Sunday Worship at 10am Pastor Helen preaching Baptism Class after worship 11:45am-12:30pm 23 Monday Meals of Hospitality 11am AH Bible Study 10:30am-11am Marks Room Choir Rehearsal 7:30pm Worship at 10am 30 Pastor Helen Preaching Monday Meals of Habitat Sunday Hospitality 11am AH Stewardship Luncheon after worship Note to Knitters: Knitters are welcome to join the evening knitters group which meets at the home of Diana Budge (15 Oak St) on Thursday evenings at 7pm. Join us if you are an accomplished knitter or a beginner, or anything in between. It is a good opportunity for fellowship and a chance to create your own work of art. There is a new bin of yarn in Allerton Hall for those who would like to knit scarves, hats, or mittens for the fair. I would appreciate the help. If you can knit these small items, it frees me to continue knitting sweaters. Guild Notes We re back! Please join us for our traditional first meeting luncheon on Friday, September 13, in Allerton Hall at noon (please note time). Pastor Helen is our guest speaker. Check us out! We have a great list of programs this yeara little something for everyone. For those new to us, the Guild s mission is to provide an opportunity for fellowship and service. WE have a number of projects this year as well as just time to get to know each other better. All women of the church are welcome and feel free to bring a friend. The piggy is back from vacation. I hope that everyone has been saving their change because she is in need of sustenance. We are doing well in our fundraising efforts for the JRC kitchen-over $14,000 thanks to your generosity. The Guild thanks you for your enthusiastic support. God Bless! 6

7 New Members On May 5, 2013, we welcomed 18 new members into our church family. On June 23 we welcomed 5 more. Each month in the Herald we will include a photo and a brief bio of some of these new members to help you get to know them. Please introduce yourself, if you haven t already! Wendy Porter Jessie And Josh Hanlon Jessie and Josh Hanlon, and their two children, Sam 9 and Audrey 6, are new additions to our church family. Jessie s parents, Linda and Sam Butterfield, joined at the same time. Jessie and Josh grew up in Plymouth and have many connections to The Church of the Pilgrimage (Jenny Healy was Jessie s babysitter, and, about the same time, Jessie s mother, Linda, worked with Judy Mitchell at the old Plymouth Five.) Josh was raised Catholic and then attended the Methodist Church with Jessie. They came to COTP seeking a more traditional service, and stayed for the music and Pastor Helen. Josh travels extensively as Sales Director for Biowater Technology. Jessie is a real estate agent with Options 153. Jessie is looking forward to attending the Wednesday morning Bible Study group with Helen once the kids get back to school. Josh is interested in getting involved with the homeless ministry, especially the overnights, while Jessie plans to start helping with the Monday Meals of Hospitality. New member, Wendy Porter, grew up in nearby Middleboro, Massachusetts. She was a student at schools in Middleboro, and graduated from Bridgewater State College. Wendy attended North Congregational Church of Middleboro, the churchhome to generations of her family. Her marriage to Jim Porter brought Wendy to Plymouth. She and Jim have resided in the area for 12 years, and have two children: daughter, Jessica (5) and son, Maxwell (3). Seeking a local church-home, Wendy visited The Church of The Pilgrimage. She found a church with a friendly and welcoming environment, an outstanding music program, and wonderful Sunday School most fitting for her family. Professionally, Wendy had planned to be a math teacher. She changed career plans to social work. She is currently with the Child Protection Services of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Being a very busy, working mother with two children, Wendy has very little spare time. However, when she gets time she enjoys reading a good book, and quality time at the beach both are at the top of her list. At The Church of The Pilgrimage, Wendy has attended the Wednesday Bible Study, worked in the Crib Room, and volunteered to teach preschool Sunday School classes. Her hopes for the church are: for the church to continue to reach out to young families, and continue to grow. 7

8 ! Deacons Notes If you ve been away for a bit, welcome back! The deacons have been busy this summer exploring and developing some new ideas and reviewing and revising some established practices which we hope will help us to continue expressing our care and concern for each other as a church family. There are several ways for you to become involved in our activities which can positively impact the lives of those who find themselves in need and welcome a little extra support from their church family. Some folks may need our support for a prolonged period of time, but many benefit from the additional care offered to them for very brief periods of time. The Visitation Committee is always looking for folks who can visit a home bound individual on a once a month basis. Many of these folks have been faithful members of our church for many years while some are more recent members who were drawn to us because they sensed the family atmosphere found in our congregation. All appreciate these visits, for it is one way we can let them know that they have not been forgotten. We have revived the Ministry of Meals program which provides meals for individuals or families. Perhaps someone in our church family has undergone surgery or is experiencing a difficult time in their lives. A simple meal can nourish not only the body, but the soul as well. You can ask to be included on our call list for immediate meal requests or, if you have a special meal that you like to prepare, there is freezer space in the JRC kitchen which will allow us to freeze your donation and deliver it when the need arises. If you choose to help out in this way, simply attach a list of the ingredients to the container and drop it off at the church office. The deacons have also started a Writing Ministry focused on those who would appreciate a card or note of support due to recent events in their lives. If you are aware of anyone who would benefit from this ministry, please forward the information to either a deacon or the church office. We have a wonderful group of people within our congregation who are qualified to serve as Communion Ministers. Please contact the church office if you know someone who would welcome the chance to receive communion at home. The power of prayer should never be overlooked, and we now have an active Prayer Chain. If you know of anyone in need that would appreciate prayers on their behalf or you would like to join the Prayer Chain, please go to cotpprayers@gmail.com or let the church office know. And, last but not least, if anyone enjoys writing and would like to share our church s spiritual and social life with the larger community, please consider writing short articles for the local newspapers. We are blessed with an active congregation and would love to share our enthusiasm with others. Please talk with one of the deacons, and we will forward your interest to the Church Council. 8