Belleville Congregational Church An Open and Affirming Congregation. of the United Church of Christ October, 2016 News and Views

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1 Belleville Congregational Church An Open and Affirming Congregation MISSION OF BELLEVILLE CHURCH Centered in the inclusive love of Jesus Christ, we seek to be a welcoming, affirming, and healing congregation. Led by the Holy Spirit, we are inspired to grow and be renewed through our worship, fellowship, Scripture study and the sharing of our gifts. Strengthened by God s love and guidance, we strive to serve with compassion those in need, both near and far. Ponderings 1 Calendar 2 Birthdays 3 Service Club & Thank you 4 Adult and Youth choir 5 Fellowship & Outreach and Soup s On 6 Roots Concert & Ross and Lynn Varney 7 Thrift Shop & Men s Fellowship Dinner 8 Coffee Hour 9 Ushers & Scripture Readers 10 of the United Church of Christ October, 2016 News and Views Dear Friends, The world, our culture, the church is in such change... old models don t always work. And yet we remember the saying from Hebrews that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever." In the church we try new songs, some of which will catch on and become the "famous" ones from the turn of this century (think: "new century hymnal"), and yet we often hear a call for hymn sings using the "old chestnuts", songs that have lasted and been sung for a full century! Most church analysts are convinced that many things do need to change with the times... such as the "way" that we get the "good news" out. We try different kinds of music, different kinds of publicity, different kinds of family holiday events, different missions,... AND YET... it is true that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and always. One of the central messages of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that the Son of Man came to seek the lost. No matter how we spin the gospel, and church involvement, there is always the need to follow Jesus into the places and to the people who feel lost or are indeed on the margins of society. This calls for deep gifts of compassion and patience that we must cultivate... and give first to ourselves in our own "lostness" if we are to have any capacity to offer such compassion to others. Theologians have called it a "God's preferential option for the poor." Yes, "the poor" or lost do have priority in God's world... Jesus talked about seeking out the one lost sheep, as a priority over spending time with the 99 who were not lost. The call is always there, so we can never give up or become slack in our efforts to love all neighbors. Please keep thinking with me this year about creative ways to follow Jesus! Yours in faith, Ross Varney Contacts 11 1

2 2016 CALENDAR Sun Mon Tue Thurs Fri Sat 2 10am Worship 11:15 Youth choir rehearsal 9 10am Worship 11:15 Youth choir rehearsal 16 10am Worship 11:15 Youth Choir rehearsal 11:30 Soup s On 23 10am Worship 11:15 Youth choir rehearsal Worship 11:15 Youth choir rehearsl 3 6:30 NCS rehearsal 7pm CODA 10 6pm NCS rehearsal 7pm CODA 17 7pm CODA 24 7pm CODA 31 Happy Halloween am Worship & Education 18 7pm Executive Board 12 7:30pm Stewardship & Finance Thrift Shop 6pm Men s Fellowship Dinner :30 Gentle Chair Yoga & Tai Chi 5:45pm Bible Exploration 7pm Choir practice 13 1:30 Gentle Chair Yoga & Tai Chi 5:45pm Bible Exploration 7pm Choir practice 20 1:30 Gentle Chair Yoga & Tai Chi 5:45pm Bible Exploration 7pm Choir practice 27 1:30 Gentle Chair Yoga & Tai Chi 5:45pm Bible Exploration 7pm Choir practice Community Flea 9-12 Thrift Shop 12:30-3 Blackwood Acting Class UCC Northeast area computer workshop :30-3 Acting Class 8pm Roots concert with Nathan &The Zydeco Cha Chas 7pm CODA 2

3 October November Men s Fellowship Supper 8 Virginia Lowell 6 Jamie Beauparlant 8 Erv Bode 8 Annika Ellis 13 Denis Ipbuken 10 Jon Williamson 16 George Hangen 10 Helen Hatcher 22 Keith Conway 20 Judi Smith 24 JanetWoodman NOTE DATE 26 CHANGE Sue Wolfendale 26 Emily Fay 28 Jon Pearson 29 Irene Bradford 28 Christina Grandoni 29 Colin Dean 3

4 Service Club Service Club will meet on Tuesday, October 11th at 11am at Poet s Inn. Call Sue Wolfendale for reservations Dear Members and friends of Belleville Congregational Church, Thank you for all your support, both financial and spiritual, for the Walk for Kenyan Girls Education held at the Belleville on September 18. It was a wonderful success! Our Sunday school members attended planning meetings beginning in July in preparation. They asked so many people to sponsor them- friends, relatives, church members and neighbors. 33 people walked to the Merrimac River behind our bright red banner to collect water as children do in Kenya and in many parts of the world each day for their families needs. The children of Belleville raised $1, thus far with some funds still to be collected!! Amazing! This money will go toward a pump and generator at our girls high school, Tembea Academy, in Kenya. We have drilled the well and have a plentiful source of clean water but a pump and generator are necessary to access the water. Thank you children of Belleville and your friends, families and members of the church once again! Sue Heersink and Debby Rooney (Sue s sister) founder of BEADS for EDUCATION. 4

5 Youth choir rehearses on Sunday morning after the worship service. Come and make a joyful noise to the Lord! The adult choir rehearses Thursday evenings at 7pm. Come and lend your voice! 5

6 The Board of Fellowship and Outreach will meet on Sunday, October 16 th after church. On Sunday, October 16 th please join us after church for the Service Club s luncheon fundraiser Soup s On. There will several homemade soups to enjoy (you can sample all of them!) along with rolls and butter, salads and desserts. Suggested donation for adults is $5 and $1 for children. Please call Sue Wolfendale at if you can donate a soup. 6

7 Belleville Roots Music presents Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas in a concert/dance at the Belleville Stage, 300 High Street, Newburyport on Saturday, October 29th at 8:00 PM. Tickets are: $30 in advance/$35 day of show/$10 children 18 and under. Rev. and Mrs. Ross Varney in costume for a 60's Beatles' themed birthday party at Belleville. 7

8 Belleville Church Thrift Shop Come by and see what s new! The thrift shop is open every Wednesday and Saturday 9am noon. Men s Fellowship Dinner Wednesday, October 19 th 6:00pm gathering, 6:30 supper 8

9 October 2 Mardee Beauparlant, Pam Ellis & Marge Killam 9 No coffee hour Columbus Day weekend 16 Sue Wolfendale, Karen Conway & Helen Hatcher 23 Martha Kelleher, Norma Dean & Lori Wiswell 30 Gail Gandolfi, Anna Guyette & Sue Heersink November 6 Nancy Canali, Kelly Burke-Anderson & Diana Bondar 13 Marcia Samuelson, Bob Locke & Dorothy Williamson 20 Audrey Clarkson, Jennifer Allard & Irene Bradford 27 Marion Spark, Kathy Raywood & Ben Heersink 9

10 Communion is the first Sunday of each month October November 2 The Schmidt Family 6 The Allard Familu 9 Audrey Clarkson & Kathy Raywood 13 Mardee & Carol Beauparlant 16 Gail Gandolfi &Jean Kirkpatrick 20 Jean Kirkpatrick & Peggy Utterback 23 Dan Fay & Hans Erwich 27 Kelly Burke-Anderson & Michelle 30 Carolyn Kyle & Shirley Locke Anderson October 10 November 2 Sue Heersink 6 Emery Rice 9 Hunter Anderson 13 Gail Gandolfi 16 Lynn Varney 20 Michelle Anderson 23 Barbara Colten 27 Bill Silsby 30 Carolyn Kyle

11 Belleville Congregational Church An Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ 300 High Street Newburyport, MA bellevillechurch.org Church Staff & Contact Information Pastor Ross Varney Office hours: Tuesday 11 AM 12:30 Wednesday & Thursday 10:30 AM - Noon; or by appointment. Newsletter Submissions Do you have an article that you would like to include in the monthly newsletter? If so, please submit your article to the church office by the 25th of each month. Thank you! Church Office Valerie Gates, Office Administrator Office hours: Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Church bcchurch@worldpath.net Website: Andrea DeGiovanni, Organist & Music Director Bob Locke, Sexton Church Officers Moderator: Kelly Burke-Anderson Clerk: Kathy Raywood Treasurer: Jim Samuelson Collector: Norma Dean Memorial Fund Treasurer: Auditor: Members-at-Large (Ex. Board) Shirley Locke & Ben Heersink Contact Persons Board of Fellowship & Outreach: Audrey Clarkson Board of Worship & Education: Gail Gandolfi Board of Stewardship & Finance: Hans Erwich UCC Delegate: 11 Sunday School Coordinator Flower Coordinator Shirley Locke Hospitality Coordinator Audrey Clarkson