CONFIRMATION OCTOBER SCHEDULE. C.R.O.P. WALK Sunday, October 19, Pastor Ann. Dear Good People of Mystic Congregational Church!

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1 The Anchor Imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. ~ Hebrews 6:12, 19 Dear Good People of Mystic Congregational Church! October finds us in full swing as we engage in the many and varied ministries of our church. Having given a lot of thought this summer to sacred spaces and places beyond the confines of church buildings, I am even more convinced that our church doors must swing both ways, with our coming in the doors to worship together in community and our going out those same doors to bring God s love and healing to our world. Already we go out from our church doors to tutor students in New London, to read stories to homeless families in Norwich, to visit our sick and homebound, to bring food and prepare and serve meals to our hungry neighbors from Westerly to New London. We go out from our church doors to engage in ecumenical activities such as the upcoming annual CROP Walk sponsored by the Mystic Area Ecumenical Council. This year our High School Youth Group, including our Confirmation class, will be joining in several of those going out activities and more as they learn that God s church has no walls and that the presence of the divine can be felt anywhere. Over the course of the next several months, they will gaze up inside the Mystic Seaport Planetarium as they reflect on the nature of God; they will participate in a mask-making workshop at Mystic Arts Center as they reflect on their own identity and authenticity; they will worship with our Hispanic partners in New London as they learn about how and why we worship; and they will soak in the wondrous and prayerful atmosphere at the Mercy Center in Madison as we explore our spirituality. As the bright and beautiful days of October dawn, I urge you not only to come in to church to give C.R.O.P. WALK Sunday, October 19, 2014 Mystic Congregational Church Gathered on January 20, 1852 October 2014 Vol. 55 Issue 9 CONFIRMATION OCTOBER SCHEDULE Sunday, October 19 1:00 pm Registration St. Mark s Episcopal Church, Pearl Street, Mystic Mystic Area Ecumenical Council Annual C.R.O.P. Walk Theme: Ecumenism and Our Burning Questions Sunday, October 26, 4:00 6:00 pm Mystic Arts Center, 9 Water Street, Mystic Day of the Dead Mask-Making Workshop Theme: Identity and Authenticity This year s CROP Walk will take place on Sunday, October 19, (CROP is an acronym for Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty.) We will meet for registration at Saint Mark s Church on Pearl Street and walk to the Noank Baptist Church and back. Hopefully you will decide to join this group and help in raising funds to help stop poverty and hunger. If you can t walk, please sponsor someone who is able to walk. Interested in walking or being a sponsor? Please contact Margot Greener at or algmmg@aol.com. praise and thanks to God, but to go out. Go out for a walk in the falling leaves and commune with your Creator. Go out to bring apple cider to a friend and see the Christ in him. Go out looking for God just as you come in to church seeking God s presence. May your comings and goings be a source of wonder and inspiration for you each and every day! In faith and with love, Pastor Ann Book of Life Married: Julie Schuster & Brian DeVasto, on September 6, She is the daughter of John & Janice Schuster. Born: Molly Ryan McCarney, on September 2, 2014, to Kate & Patrick McCarney. Entered into Eternal Rest: Betty Anne Cooper Stouch, on June 30, Mother of EveAnne Stouch. Linda Jacob, on September 3, Sister of Nancy McLoughlin. Agnes St. Martin, on September 6, Mother of Joe St. Martin, Jody Capen s husband. Barbro Bengston, in Sweden on September 11, Mother of Ulrika Gates.

2 It s October already???! This month will be full as usual with our annual CROP Walk on the 19 th, our annual Crock Pot Cook-Off on the 26 th and a very special Senior High Youth event also on the 26 th. We will be participating in a Mask-Making workshop at the Mystic Arts Center on October 26 th, The Day of the Dead (a Mexican holiday combining Halloween, All Saints Day and All Souls Day). At this workshop you will all have a chance to create and build your own mask under tutelage from one of the MAC s experienced instructors. It will not only be a fun hands-on activity, but will give us all a chance to explore the idea of wearing masks of all types. OCTOBER 2014 SCHEDULE Senior High Youth Group (Grades 9-12) October 19 1:00-3:00 pm. Annual Crop Walk from St. Mark s Episcopal Church to Noank Baptist Church. October 26 4:00-6:00 pm. Day of the Dead Mask-Making at the Mystic Arts Center. Taste of Mystic Congregational Church Crock Pot Cook-off Sunday, October 26, :00 a.m., Parish Hall Please break out your favorite crock pot recipe and join us for a friendly competition to benefit Children's Ministries. All are welcome to participate by either cooking and/or tasting! Prizes will be awarded to the top three dishes. Chefs, please bring a full crock with recipe. Please drop off warmed-up food to Parish Hall prior to the 10:00 a.m. service. Suggested Donation: $5.00 per person. $20 maximum per family. For more information, please contact: Suzanne Burns ( Ext. 119) or Laurie Alfieri ( ) Rally Day on September 14 was a great success! We had more than 40 children attend Sunday School classes and 9 wonderful volunteers caring and teaching the children. Afterwards, we enjoyed the All-Church Picnic with plenty of sandwiches and cookies for all. Thank you very much to the Children s Ministries Committee and those church members who helped bake, cut, pour and serve! (See photos of the event elsewhere in this issue.) Fall is a busy time of year for our program. We have visited Heifer Global Village in Rutland, MA and had hands-on learning about their mission to end hunger, one animal or plant at a time! We harvested our remaining produce from our Thyme for Giving Garden. We will construct pinecone bird feeders for our Church Bazaar, go bowling and play bingo with residents at Apple Rehab and delve into our Faith Practices unit Blessing and Letting Go! All of these activities encourage our children to encounter Faith and God in all of the activities in their life, at church or at home. Thank you for supporting our program and sharing your amazing children with us! Please look for about special events and Middle School Activities! OCTOBER 2014 SCHEDULE October 5 Faith Practices Lesson 2 October 12 Columbus Day Pinecone Sunday October 19 Faith Practices Lesson 3 October 26 Faith Practices Lesson 4 Crock Pot Cook-off in Parish Hall (sponsored by Children s Ministries Committee with the help of Middle Schoolers) OUR PARISH CARE TEAM NEEDS YOU! Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you? And the king will answer them, Truly I tell you, just as you did to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me. ~ Matthew 25:37-40 TO VOLUNTEER TO BRING COMFORT AND CARE TO OUR SICK AND HOMEBOUND Contact Pastor Ann at ann@mysticucc.org OR Jane Donnel at jdonnel@snet.net

3 WOMEN S FELLOWSHIP At our Women's Fellowship meeting on Tuesday, October 14, we will hear about the inspiring journey which a retired school teacher took to Guatemala. Sara Holdridge was looking for a meaningful mission project that involved helping to improve schools in rural Guatemala. After Sara's initial trip, Susan soon visited the town. The program, Success Story in Guatemala, will trace their progress from schools, the development of a library and an ice cream-making machine! We hope you are sufficiently tantalized to come and bring a guest at 9:15 a.m. in the Parish Hall and share refreshments and fellowship as we listen to their story CTUCC ANNUAL MEETING The 147th Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Conference United Church of Christ will be held on October at Cheshire High School in Cheshire, CT. Our Shared Vision That They May All Be One Christ is just like the human body a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part gets the glory, all the parts celebrate with it. ~ 1 Corinthians 12 CELEBRATE our 20th ANNIVERSARY! KOREAN PARTNERSHIP SUNDAY Come to worship on Sunday, October 26 to give thanks to God for our long and fruitful partnership with Dongbu Sunlin Church! For more information, please go to: You are invited to attend The 20th Anniversary Celebration Dinner of the Connecticut Conference Korean Partnership Special greetings and prayer exchange NANCY PETERSON STORY HOUR at the Norwich Family Shelter is on the 1st, 15th and 29th of this month at 6:30-7:30 p.m. October volunteer readers are Natalie Billing, Suzanne Burns, Jane Morison, Cristina Negron, Marie Saluk, Liz Theodore and Liz Webb. New members to the group are always welcome. Interested in joining? Contact Jody Capen ( ). Wednesday, October 15, :00 p.m. First Church of Christ Congregational 2183 Main Street, Glastonbury, CT Please RSVP by October 9, 2014 Event Price $20.00 Checks can be made payable to MSC and be sent to: Emily Hale, Connecticut Conference UCC 125 Sherman St., Hartford, CT 06105

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5 September 14, 2014 RALLY SUNDAY Blessing of the Backpacks & All-Church Picnic Photos courtesy of Keith Barker

6 OCTOBER 2014 Worship Services Sunday, October 5, 2014 WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY Sacrament of Holy Communion 8:00 & 10:00 a.m. Rev. Sidat Balgobin Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, Psalm 19 or Isaiah 5:1-7 Psalm 80:7-15 Philippians 3:4b-14 Matthew 21:33-46 Sunday, October 12, 2014 Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost 8:00 & 10:00 a.m. Rev. Ann M. Aaberg Exodus 32:1-14 Psalm 106:1-6, or Isaiah 25:1-9 Psalm 23 Philippians 4:1-9 Matthew 22:1-14 Sunday, October 19, 2014 Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost 8:00 & 10:00 a.m. Rev. Ann M. Aaberg Exodus 33:12-23 Psalm 99 or Isaiah 25:1-9 Psalm 23 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 Matthew 22:15-22 Sunday, October 26, 2014 Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost 20 th Anniversary Celebration of Our Korean Partnership 8:00 & 10:00 a.m. Rev. Ann M. Aaberg Deuteronomy 34:1-12 Psalm 90:16, or Leviticus 19:1-2, Psalm 1 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 Matthew 22:34-46

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8 Mystic Congregational Church where hope is alive and love is visible 43 East Main Street Mystic, CT Office (860) Fax (860) Website: Facebook Mystic Congregational Church UCC Sunday Services All MCC Members Rev. Ann M. Aaberg Laurel A. Butler Trish Dehls Suzanne Burns Doug Aaberg Frank Davis Susan Lettrich Leni Pomeroy 8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m.* *Sunday School & Child Care Ministers Pastor Moderator Director of Music Director of Children s Ministries Director of Youth Ministries Treasurer Contribution Treasurer Office Secretary Non-Profit Organization U. S. Postage PAID Permit No. 31 Mystic, CT Our Mission Statement: to joyfully bring the Christian principles of faith, hope and love to all through quality worship, education, fellowship and outreach.