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1 34 Church Street Monroe, CT Tel.: (203) Fax: (203) Office Hours: Monday Friday 9:00a.m. - 3:30p.m. August 1st, 2014 Senior Pastor: Rev. Jennifer Gingras Associate Pastor: Rev. Andrew Courtney Music Director: Will Duchon Secretary: Melissa Rosenberg Church secretary@mcc-ucc.org Mid-Summer greetings to all of you!!!! The summer seems to be just flying by! After a whirlwind Strawberry Festival, my attention turned to getting ready for a wonderful Senior Pilgrim Fellowship Mission Trip. This year, 41 advisors and PF ers made the nearly 2,000 mile round trip drive to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We logged 1,149 work hours with the following agencies: Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful (park cleanup), Freiden s Community Ministry (food pantry, sorting and bagging), Guest House of Milwaukee (homeless shelter, tended the community garden), The Gathering (food service, prepared and served a hot breakfast to the homeless), Feeding America (food pantry distribution, sorted bread), Habitat for Humanity (housing, built fences), Milwaukee Rescue Mission (homeless shelter, sorted clothing), Hunger Task Force (farm & fish hatchery serving, tended crops), Cathedral Center (women s shelter, sorted clothing),interfaith (housing for seniors, steam-cleaned carpets). We met some amazing people along the way! We are grateful to our Milwaukee hosts at Spirit of Peace Lutheran Church and Bethel/Bethany UCC for their gracious hospitality and assistance in finding us work. In return, we assembled bunk beds, assisted in food pantries, cleaned windows and weeded gardens at the churches. And we are so thankful for all of your support, encouragement and prayers on our journey! Saying Goodbye to Pastor Andrew: On Sunday, August 17 th the Monroe Congregational Church says goodbye and God bless to Pastor Andrew, who is moving back to Ohio to serve a church closer to his family. As with any other pastoral transition, good and healthy boundaries mean that once he has left MCC, all personal communications will cease. The reason for this is to give Pastor

2 Andrew a fresh beginning in his new pastorate, without carrying the responsibility of his former congregation with him. It also gives MCC a chance to move ahead with finding the next Associate Pastor. Take the opportunity to wish him well by attending the 10am service on the 17 th and the coffee hour directly afterward. Supporting our Member in Discernment, Kristen Provost Switzer: Many of you know that MCC member Kristen Provost Switzer has been working towards ordination in the United Church of Christ. She began attending classes a few years ago, first at Hartford Seminary then at Yale Divinity, so that she might fulfill the requirements for a Master of Divinity. This summer, she is completing her CPE (clinical pastoral education) and her ordination paper, which are two important steps on the path to ordination. Please keep her in prayer as she discerns where God is calling her. I will be taking some vacation time in August, to get rested and ready for the program year. From August 9 th through the 16 th I will be at my parent s home in Maine, Pastor Andrew will be covering any pastoral care needs that come up. From August 27 th through September 3 rd I will also be out of the office, if you have any needs please contact Melissa. Grace & peace, Pastor Jenn **************************************************************** Turn, Turn, Turn Ecclesiastes 3 was turned into a famous song written by Pete Seeger in the 1950s and popularized by the Byrds in the 1960s. The book of Ecclesiastes is full of ancient wisdom with a somber undertone in the form of a chorus that repeats itself: for all of this is a vanity and a chasing after wind. Wind is the same Hebrew word used for the Spirit of God that was breathed into Adam s lungs. We can t control how the spirit moves, but we can pay attention to it. I love the lessons about time that we can gather from chapter three. For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven (verse 1). There are two words for time that get used in this chapter: Kiaros and Chronos. While chronos is the time we are all used to, think of the word chronological and placing things on a timeline of when they happened. But, kiaros is God s time. No one knows when the leaves will change or the flowers bloom they do it on God s time. There is a time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted, a time for crying and a time for laughing, a time for mourning and a time for dancing, a time for searching and a time for losing (selected passages from Chapter 3 from the Common English Bible).

3 There is a time to come and a time to go, too. This wisdom literature captures the heartache and joy of leaving one place to go to another. Thank you for all of your support, love, joy, and everything shared with me during my time here. It has been a wonderful start to my ministry. We cannot control the movement of God s spirit, only see where it is going and build God s kingdom alongside of it. Monroe Congregational Church will always hold a special place in my heart. Peace be with you my friends, as we continue our journeys see God s kingdom among us. With much gratitude and many blessings, Pastor Andrew ************************************************************* VBS Thank-You s To all VBS volunteers: Thank you all for the amazing work you did this week. Pastor Andrew and I couldn t have asked for a better team! The children loved each of the stations and your amazing efforts were noted. Also a huge thank you to parents who donated snack for our team and who volunteered some of their time to help with registration and crafts. We really couldn t have done it without you! Thank you for making this a wonderful week for the children! Cady Gingras and Pastor Andrew ****************************************************************** News from the Deacons Summer Worship with St. Peter s Episcopal Church! One of the highlights of every summer is joining in worship with our friends from St. Peter s in an outdoor setting. We will host them on August 3rd, on the parsonage side lawn. There will be an ice cream social directly following the service. This month we hold in our prayers Kristen Provost-Switzer as she leads the youth of the Spring Glen Church on a mission trip to Staten Island Aug They will partner with an organization called Faith in Action which was founded out of a need to work with people affected by poverty, homelessness and HIV/AIDS around the Staten Island Ferry. The older kids will actually be rebuilding homes affected by Hurricane Sandy, while the kids under the age of 16 will be working in soup kitchens and food and clothing pantries. Please keep this group in your prayers. Kristen will share her experience with the congregation upon her return. Divorce Support Group-We meet the 4 th Tuesday of the month at 7:30pm in Dineson Parlor. Please call Karen Cheney for more information

4 Bereavement Support Group - 3rd Tuesdays of the Month at 7pm Donna Nickdow, a Monroe resident and clinical social worker hosts a bereavement support group with Judy Abbatiello here at MCC on the third Tuesday of every month from 7-9 in Dineson Parlor. Bereavement is an issue close to my heart as I experienced the unexpected death of my husband, Don, almost three years ago. Negotiating the loss of my partner has unquestionably been the greatest challenge of my life. My children and I have been blessed with dear friends, family and an incredibly supportive community has collectively facilitated our healing. Meetings are open to anyone in the community who has suffered the loss of a loved one. If you have any questions, please contact Donna at (203) As we continue to move through summer, the board of trustees would like to remind everyone to stay current on your pledges. While you may be on vacation, the church still has ongoing expenses for our staff and facilities. If you ll be away, consider using electronic giving to stay current on your pledge. You can set this up through your bank, via our Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) program with Vanco, or via the Donate Now button on our web page Thanks for your ongoing support of MCC! ****************************************************************** Fellowship News Sponsor a Month of Coffee Hours Would you like to help the people who come to worship get to know each other? What if we told you that sponsoring a month of coffee hours at the low, low price of $40 could feed four children for 3 weeks? You will not only get that warm and fuzzy feeling of doing something generous, but you can use your sponsorship to honor loved ones a dedication goes on a plaque and in the bulletin. Please make checks payable to MCC with coffee sponsor in the memo field. Thank you! Outreach News It's that time again...the next St. George's supper is on August 18th. Please look for the poster in Wilton Hall to sign up to help. We have a variety of needs, including shoppers, cooks and servers. Simply take a tag (or two!) and you will be making a difference for those in need. Questions? Please call Stacy Andrejczyk at

5 Giving Garden Harvest Party August 24 th The Board of Outreach would like to thank all of the volunteers who have made this first season of the Giving Garden such a success! Joins us for cake and lemonade at the garden after worship on Sunday, August 24 th! The MCC winetasting to benefit Habitat for Humanity is going to be September 20, 6:30pm at the Fracassini's house. This annual event is a wonderful opportunity for fellowship with each other and new friends. Everyone is asked to bring a donation of at least $10 per person, an appetizer or dessert, and a wine glass. For more information please speak with Kathy Maiolo. *********************************************************** Elisha s Corner: Monroe Centre Green At the onset the open space immediately south of the Meeting House of 1769 (completed in 1786) was privately owned. The Centre Green was formally established and initiated by Captain Joseph Moss, who lived on the east side of the green between the two churches, and Nathaniel DeForest, who ran the tavern and inn on the west side (between the current town gazebo and the town Hall driveway). They both deeded portions of their property in 1784 to the Ecclesiastical Society as a gift to expand the open space. If anything, the Green was nearer square in shape than the triangular shape of today. A 1934 pictorial aerial survey shows that Old Tannery Road extended diagonally across the open space to connect to Fan Hill Road. Records show that there was once a fence around the entire Green at one time, but it required such constant care and encumbered such sizable cost for repairs, painting and up keep that it was finally sold and moved to the Walker s Farm Cemetery where it is today. Additional deeds were conveyed in 1847 and 1872 to the Monroe Congregational Society (Church) and St. Peter s Episcopal Church Society (Church), and it remains under our co-ownership as the Centre Green today. The 1847 conveyance was financed by the Ladies Improvement Society who raised the money by holding the Town s first Strawberry Festival. The final conveyance was made in 1872 from William A. Clark, Treasurer of the Park Association of the Centre of Monroe. to the Congregational Society and the Episcopal St. Peter s Parish. containing about three quarters of an acre for $175. Today a guardian committee, composed of members from each of the churches, maintains this valued town asset to retain its original purpose to be the focal point of the community. The deeds stipulated that the property must be used as a town

6 park, or revert back to the former owner or their heirs. Subsequently, since it was set aside as the Centre of the Towne, it has been used initially for animal grazing, then town wide fairs and festivals, public worship, Memorial Day celebrations, and general town wide outdoor gatherings of all types. Currently it annually hosts our Strawberry Festival and the St. Peter Church Apple Festival, and the lighting of the Christmas tree. On December 31, 1981, Monroe Congregational Church, in conjunction with Saint Peter s Episcopal Church, inaugurated the tradition of the Annual Christmas tree lighting on the Centre Green. The switch for the lights was thrown by Mrs. Pat Saxton, one of Monroe s most beloved and respected elders. Pastor Luther Pierce, our minister at the time read from the scriptures and led the ceremony. Faithful in history, Gary Thompson

7 MCC Community Calendar Week of August 3 rd 10:00am Worship w/communion on the Parsonage Side Lawn, Summer Sunday 11:00am Ice Cream Social 11:30am Trustees Planning Meeting at Pastor Jenn s house Mon. Aug. 4th Sat. Aug.9 th -Sun. Aug.17 th Adult Mission Trip to South Dakota Week of August 10 th 10:00am Worship, Summer Sunday 6:00pm Senior PF Mon. Aug. 11th Week of Aug.17 th Pastor Andrew s Last Day 10:00am Worship, Summer Sunday Mon. Aug.18th 3:45pm St. George s Supper 7:00pm Deacons Planning Pam Joy s home Tues. Aug. 19 th 6:30pm Council Planning the Parker-Burgard home 7:00pm Bereavement Group (Dineson) Thurs. Aug. 21st 6:00pm CE Planning Meeting at Wolf Park Week of Aug.24 th 10:00am Worship, Summer Sunday 11:00am Giving Garden Harvest Party 1:30pm Outreach Maiolo s 6:00pm Senior PF Mon. Aug.25th Tues. Aug. 26 th 7:30pm Divorce Support (Dineson) Week of Aug. 31st 10:00am Worship, Summer Sunday Mon. Sept. 1st Office closed in observance of Labor Day Week of Sept.7th Rally Day 10:00am Worship w/communion, Sunday Registration 6:00pm Junior & Senior PF Tues. Sept. 9th 7:30pm Rachel s Well (Dineson) Wed. Sept. 10 th 9:00am Retired Men s Breakfast (Dineson) 11:00am Morning Circle (Dineson) 6:30pm Bell Choir 7:30pm Adult Choir Thurs. Sept. 11th 9:30am Bible Study (Dineson) Week of Sept.14th 10:00am Worship, First Sunday of Sunday 6:00pm Junior & Senior PF Tues. Sept. 16 th 7:00pm Bereavement Group (Dineson) Wed. Sept. 17 th 6:30pm Bell Choir 6:30pm Confirmation (Dineson) 7:30pm Adult Choir Thurs. Sept. 18th 9:30am Bible Study (Dineson) Sat. Sept. 20th 6:30pm Outreach Wine Tasting at the Fracassnini s