Room to Grow, Room to Serve, Room for You An Open and Affirming Congregation. WHAT S INSIDE Annual Meeting Recap. From Dawn s Desk

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1 THE BROOKSIDE CHRONICLE Brookside Congregational Church, United Church of Christ 2013 Elm Street, Manchester, NH Tel. (603) Fax (603) Visit Our Web Site: February, 2015 Room to Grow, Room to Serve, Room for You An Open and Affirming Congregation WHAT S INSIDE Annual Meeting Recap Getting there from here. page 3 From Dawn s Desk Looking back, looking ahead. page 2 Group Rate for Godspell Invite your friends, too! page 5 Have You Pledged? Is your pledge up to date? page 10 How About That? FAQs from the office. page 8 Join us for a Lenten Bible Study Begins Ash Wednesday. page 4 Join Us on Ash Wednesday, February 18: 6:15 Soup Supper 7:00 Worship 7:30 Bible Study Our Lenten Theme: Serving Together as People of the Covenant Liven Up a February Saturday Prepared to Serve is renewing! page 6 News of and for All Keep up with the church family. page 7 Prepare for Worship February Lectionary, more. page 8 Think Summer: Plan for Camp! Horton Center beckons. page 4 What s Up in Church School? See what our kids are doing. page 4 When Do I? Sunday volunteer schedules. page 9

2 From Dawn s Desk Annual Meeting We met for Annual Meeting in the Sanctuary. By our polity, congregational, it means that decisions are made by the gathered members of congregation. The Stewardship Ministry reviewed what was accomplished last year in building restoration and listed the 2015 projects which include: the sanctuary outside steps and columns, painting and repairing the outside Manning and Carriage House trim and windows, painting the front and back stair hallways of the Manning House, and updating for accessibility a new entry and walkway to Granite Pathways. We also reviewed what had been accomplished toward our strategic plan. Our strength was certainly evident in a positive impact on the local and international communities. What received little attention, but certainly has been a big priority in our conversion is Growing the Membership and attendance. It will need to be the focus of We passed a $339,317 budget with a $28,666 deficit. A good question was raised in what we plan to do to raise the income to cover the deficit. No decision has been reached, but there seems to be trust in the congregation that the deficit will be closed. I am not comfortable with just going along with a deficit of this amount, but maybe it is time for me to trust beyond our plans and budgets, and trust God who calls us to service. Your prayers and your participation in closing the deficit are vital. The budget included a 2% raise for staff. A good question was raised about the sexton s salary. It was explained that in 2013 when the Romanian priest left the cottage and was called to Maryland, that the sexton was interested in living in the cottage. In exchange for 15 hours of work per week, the sexton has the cottage rent free, but pays his own heat. Another question had to do with Granite Pathways. Their contribution to heat and space is $12,000 per year. At the end of 2015, our plan to expand the Thrift Shop into the Carriage House will need to cover the $8,000 contribution from the Thrift Shop to the operating expenses, plus the $12,000 we receive from Granite Pathways, a total of $20,000. The expansion of the Thrift Shop and the proceeds serve the mission of Brookside. I would like to remind everyone that Brookside is itself a non-profit dependent on voluntary contributions that are diminishing. Brookside does reach out into the community. Where did the funds for feeding the children at Elmwood Gardens and the crafts come from? From Brookside members. Members would not know about this unless staff cultivated the relationship and plan. Every non-profit that serves in the community has staff and pays utilities and has some kind of building or office space to support their mission. Brookside is no different, so when the proceeds of the Thrift Shop go into the operating budget, it is still serving our mission. We also need to consider the Gospel that we give witness to in our outreach. How does that get supported unless we do? That Gospel is learned and spread through worship into the community by us will be a focused year as we move forward with our plans. May it also be a faithful year in bearing witness to the God we serve through Jesus Christ. Grace and peace, Pastor Dawn Also from Pastor Dawn: I received notification from Havenwood that a donation was received from Brookside in memory of my father Roland L. Carbonneau. Thank you for remembering him and giving comfort to me with your gift to the Resident s Fund. With gratitude, Pastor Dawn February,

3 This Just In: Annual Meeting Recap from our Moderator Forty-eight of the 268 covenant members of Brookside Congregational Church, UCC gathered in the Sanctuary on January 25, 2015 to conduct the business of the church. Copies of the Annual Report packet and the 5-Year Strategic Plan are in the Narthex and through the church office. Reports published in the Annual Report packet were discussed and accepted. Stewardship Ministry shared an overview of the capital repairs completed in Repairs were financed primarily with $109,000, drawn from the investment account (approved at the January 2013 Annual Meeting), anonymous donations, a contribution from the Madeline Childs Trust and their maintenance budget. They also gave the group a preview of some of the priorities for Estimates are being collected and grants are being researched. Some of the work that will be done is in anticipation of expansion of the Thrift Shop into the carriage house as well as repair to the Sanctuary steps and landing, and work on the inside and outside of Manning House. The 5-Year Strategic Plan, compiled in early 2014 and approved at the May 2014 Council of Ministries, is our plan of goals and initiatives for the next few years. Annual meeting is a good opportunity for Ministries to share their initiatives and future plans. You can see the Goal Board created during the meeting, in the Narthex. Growing attendance and membership, financially sustaining Brookside and its Missions, reaching out to our local/international community, and finding ways to let our community know who we are and what we do continue to be priorities. The Nominating report of members who have agreed to serve on ministries in 2015 was presented and accepted. Many thanks to past and present members of those ministries. Serving the church can happen in many ways and I encourage everyone to think about ways they can participate in our church s life. We also accepted a budget with a $28,666 deficit. Council of Ministries will be watching this closely over the next few months. We continue to see a drop in pledge dollars and pledging units. Though our plate collections are strong, we budget based on what is pledged during our annual pledge campaign. Our pledge goal for 2015 was $190,000 and the pledge amount committed by our membership is $146,760, a gap of $43,240. The $146,760 was pledged by 99 units. My thanks to those who have committed financially. If you have not already pledged to financially support the work and mission of the church, I strongly encourage you to prayerfully consider doing so. Your financial commitment pays our staff, supports the work of our Ministries and keeps our doors open for us and our community. If a pledge is not something you feel you can do at this time, a one-time contribution would be greatly appreciated. Blessings, Laura Sevigny, Moderator February,

4 Children Share Learnings via Linked Hands Take a Look! The first three weeks of February we will continue with the Unit Giving Testimony and Witness. There are five workshops in this Unit. Art is being taught by Suzanne Burke, Cooking by Alison Kivikoski and Karen Horsch, Drama by Denise Forest and Dawn Brockett, Games by Kurt Strandson and Bob Falco, and Science by Joe Lachance. On January 18 we had a multi-age workshop where we learned more about The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. and some of his sayings. We watched a short video of some of his sayings and then the children traced their hands and selected a quote to paste on the hand. Each child made two hands and took one home and the other is on the display strips in the hall near the church office. Check them out! On February 22 and March 1, February vacation weekends, we once again will have multi-age workshops. Then, we will start a new Unit on March 8. Parents Cell Phone Numbers Crucial for Success of Evacuation Plan We have updated the evacuation plan for the Church School people. This plan has been sent to all parents. The most important part of this plan is that all parents of children nursery through 7 th grade are to meet their children by the large tree on the southeast corner of the large parking lot. We ask that parents notify the shepherd when you pick up your child. We also desire to have parents current mobile phone numbers in the attendance boxes that the shepherds will have with them. Most of these numbers are on file in the church records. If yours is not, please check with your child s shepherd or Vicky with your number. Plan some Time at Horton Center Doug Dixon has agreed to serve as the Brookside Ambassador for Horton Center again this year. Ask him to share his family s experiences with you and visit to learn more about this special place. Registration opened on January 28, so don t delay in securing your spot! Your Bible! The Study Begins Did you know that the Bible is not one book, but a library of 66 books? This Lenten study will be an introduction to the library of books that is the foundation of our faith. Designed to make the Bible more accessible in one-hour sessions, Your Bible provides a basic orientation to the Book, and opens a door of understanding to all other Bible study. EIGHT SESSIONS beginning Ash Wednesday, February 18 from 7:30-8:30, then on Mondays, March 2-April 13 from 7-8 pm. Student books are available for those who preregister. 1. Whole Bible and Themes 2. What is the Bible? 3. How Did the Bible Come to Be? 4. What is the Old Testament About? 5. What is the New Testament About? 6. How has the Bible Been Preserved and Handed On? 7. How Shall We Study the Bible? 8. What is the Place of the Bible in Our Lives? Speak with Pastor Dawn for more information. February,

5 Group Forming to See Godspell at Palace Theatre Join us for a Palm Sunday outing to see Godspell at the Palace Theatre. We can get a group rate of $25 per ticket to the 2 pm performance on Sunday, March 29. We do need to get 50 people confirmed that they are going in order to get the group rate. This outing is open to one and all, not restricted to Brooksiders. Invite a friend (or several)! If you are interested in attending, please Laura Sevigny at Sevigny.Laura@gmail.com. Eat at Shorty s, Help Others in Times of Need Brookside first participated in Shorty s Fair Share program to raise funds for the Organ Restoration Fund. Now that the Childs bequest has completed the funding for that project, the beneficiary of our Fair Share funds is the Pastor s Discretionary Fund, to be used [drum roll ] at the pastor s discretion when deemed appropriate. Here s how it works: on the 4th Sunday of any month, enjoy a meal at the Manchester Shorty s (Northside Plaza) any time from Noon until they close or get takeout. When you are done, write Brookside on the back of your receipt, hand it to the hostess as you leave, and we will receive 15% of your tab a pretty painless way to raise funds! The most recent check we received, from our November date, amounted to $36.34 free money, in effect. Mark your calendars for the upcoming dates: February 22, March 22, April 26, May 24, June 28, and resolve to help others by eating at Shorty s on any or all of those dates easy-peasy! Ready, On Your Mark, Get Set Search! (A Key Puzzle to Solve) We have not been able to locate the keys to the rooms behind the stage for some time now So we ask any of you who might have been using those rooms in the time since the Christmas Fair to search in your minds, your homes, and/or your belongings to see if perhaps these keys are tucked away, forgotten, in one of these locations. We would be most grateful if you find them and return them to the church office, which would also save the cost and trouble of having to replace them. Our thanks to: Faithful Stewards Corner Leigh Polish (belatedly), for making the owl mask for the Children s Christmas Pageant. Granite Pathways, for cleaning the ovens in the Manning House kitchen. Herb Pence & helpers, for removing the leftover large tables from Fellowship Hall. Kira Morehouse, for boosting publicity. All the contributors and participants in our Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. If any ministry member has someone to mention for the Faithful Stewards Corner, send their names to Pastor Dawn by the 15 th of each month for the Chronicle. February,

6 Prepared to Serve: Saturday, February 21 in Pembroke This annual training event is designed for all church members in the New Hampshire Conference, United Church of Christ! Numerous workshops are offered on a variety of topics including stewardship, spirituality, church leadership, church finances, global missions and Christian education. Join us for worship, workshops, exhibits and more! Find online registration at Serving at New Horizons on the 5th Tuesday of the Month Thank you to all who served at the soup kitchen on December 30th. Souper servers included: Joe and Denise Forest, Andrew and Tom Cleary, Sis and Bob Dunn, Louise Popp and Leigh Polish. Great job!! Brookside will be serving dinner again on Tuesday, March 31 at 4:15 pm. Please contact Nancy Popp at or popplaw@live.com if you would like to help. Loaves and Fishes Offering Is February 1 Remember our monthly Loaves and Fishes offering on the first Sunday of every month. Please bring non-perishable (and non-expired) food items to worship that day, or leave them in the special collection boxes in the back hallway during the week if you won t be in worship. Personal-size toiletry items are also welcome. All donated items are put to good use by New Horizons via their soup kitchen, food pantry and shelter. Another Letter from Jeferens! Jeferens Umbu Tamu, of Indonesia, is one of the children Brookside sponsors through Compassion International. This letter is from last fall. Dear Brookside Congregational Church, Shalom How are you? Hopefully everyone is healthy the same as my family and I are. It is dry season where I live. I just participated in flying the flag with troop 8. It was for celebrating Indonesian 69th year anniversary. What are your activities at Brookside all this time? That s all for now God bless. Love, Jeferens A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words We recently received this photo of another young man we sponsor through Compassion: Piero Giovanni Macedo Zevallos, who lives in Peru. February,

7 Holy Communion The sacrament of Communion will be celebrated on Sunday, February 1, served by: Scott Milne, Judy Foley, Mary Pratt, Ellen Tourigny, George Abbott and Dale Trombley; assisting will be Gary Trahan. Please note, we use gluten-free bread for Communion, so that those who have a gluten intolerance may participate fully in the sacrament. We Invite You to Join Us We welcome Loretta and Brian Brady who joined Brookside Church on January 25. Several more folks will join on February 8. If you would like to become a covenant member of Brookside Congregational Church, please speak with Pastor Dawn ( , ext. 101 or pastor@brooksidecc.org) to learn more about what membership entails. If You Would Like to Schedule a Baptism Please speak with Pastor Dawn (see contact info. above) to make arrangements for Baptism. No Green Bananas Meets 1st & 3rd Tuesdays This group of retired men meets at 9 am at Blake s Restaurant (corner of Webster & Maple Streets in Manchester) to enjoy breakfast and lively discussion, some of which may or may not be instrumental in solving various world problems. Upcoming meetings will take place on February 3 & 17; speak with Herb Pence ( ) if you would like to know more. Women s Union Still on Hiatus Remember, we won t meet in February but plan to come to our next meeting on Thursday, March 12. Details will be in Sunday bulletins and the March Chronicle. To Your Health! The Parish Nurse has hours here every week, on Thursdays from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in Room D. Avail yourself of free nurse consultation, blood pressure checks, health information, referrals and more. Weather Policy: when Manchester Schools are closed due to inclement weather, the Parish Nurse Office will be closed and the nurse will not be here. If You re Hospitalized Remember to call the church office ( ) if you want the pastor to know that you re in the hospital. Due to federal law, hospitals are not permitted to provide us with this information. February,

8 Chronicle Deadline Please submit all items for the March Chronicle by Sunday, February 15. You can deliver them in person, send them by mail, or them to: Thank you. A Font of Information: How About That? 1) Brookside s website carries the current Bulletin Insert each week. There are weekly bulletin links on the Home, News & Events, and Worship Services pages which bring you directly to the insert so you can see the Sunday volunteers, upcoming calendar, and various announcements. The insert is generally uploaded on Friday mornings. 2) Also available on our website is the monthly list of Sunday Volunteers. Go to the Worship Services page, and you will find a red heading partway down, Worship Volunteers and a link to click on. We try to keep this schedule up to date as we learn of changes throughout the month. 3) On most of the pages of the website (except the Home Page), there is an Event Calendar in the left border, which takes you to a Google Calendar showing what is happening when/where throughout the church facility. We try to keep this synchronized with our master calendar, and this is a good place to check before just assuming that a particular space is available for a spur-of-the-moment activity or meeting. Of course, you should always check with the office before booking a room, to make sure it really is available and that we have your meeting/activity listed in the master calendar. Heating and safety concerns are also good reasons to share this information with the office, as well. Thanks. Worship and Bible Readings for February Each issue of the Chronicle features monthly Bible readings, so that you can read and reflect on your own, at a time that suits you best. Following is the worship outline for February; underlined passages will be used in worship. February 1 Hebrew Scriptures Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Psalm 111 Christian Testament 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 Mark 1:21-28 Sermon: Waking Up the Demons February 8 New Members Hebrew Scriptures Isaiah 40:21-31 Psalm 147: 1-11, 20c Christian Testament 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 Mark 1:29-39 Sermon: Grasshoppers with Eagle Wings February 15 Hebrew Scriptures 2 Kings 2:1-12 Psalm 50:1-6 Christian Testament 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 Mark 9:2-9 Sermon: Serving Together in the Light February 18 Ash Wednesday - 6:15 pm, Soup Supper - 7:00 pm, Worship, with burning the palms - 7:30 pm, Your Bible! Study, Session 1 February 22 Lent 1 Hebrew Scriptures Genesis 9:8-17 Psalm 25:1-10 Christian Testament 1 Peter 3:18-22 Mark 1:9-15 Sermon: The First Covenant February,

9 DOORPERSON February 1 February 8 Calley Milne Lance Auger family February 15 February 22 Richard Rodman Bill Hoysradt ACOLYTES USHERS February 1 February 8 Doug Dixon Bob Dunn Nancy Popp Sis Dunn Tricia Lucas Jeff Rapson Greg Berry Richard Rodman February 15 February 22 David Gates Bob Merrill Doug Dixon Sarah Merrill Don Waldrupe Bob Howard Dave Migliori Donna Howard February 1 February 8 Sienna Milne Kyra Whitehead February 15 February 22 Derrick Dixon Isabelle Whitehead DEACONS OF THE WEEK February 1 February 8 Scott Milne Judy Foley Judy Foley Scott Milne READERS February 1 February 8 Gary Trahan February 15 February 22 Mary Pratt Kira Morehouse Ellen Tourigny Gary Trahan February 15 February 22 NURSERY/CRIB ROOM STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The objective of The Brookside Chronicle is to disperse church news; inspire people to a new awareness; and interpret the ministry of our church. We will be faithful to the truth, honest and caring, and strive for accuracy. The Chronicle staff appreciates and welcomes input from all organizations, ministry groups, officers, members and friends of Brookside Congregational Church. We reserve the right to edit, cut or leave out articles according to available space, timeliness and priority. February 1 February 8 Kira Morehouse Sandy Mun Evan Mun February 15 February 22 Patty Cayer Rebecca Cote Fellowship Hour Schedule The schedule for the next three months is as follows: Feb. Officers/At Large Mar. Stewardship Ministry Apr. Mission Ministry February,

10 Financial Update, In a Nutshell Any questions regarding the detail of the treasurer's report below may be directed to Dale Trombley at , or her at dtrombley@tds.net. TREASURER'S REPORT For the period ending December 31, 2014 Actual vs. Budget Month Actual Budget Var. Total Income 34,327 33,157 1,170 Total Expenses 27,493 25,938 (1,555) Net Gain (Loss) 6,834 7, Year-to-date Actual Budget Var. Total Income 335, ,586 3,180 Total Expenses 327, ,368 8,432 Net Gain (Loss) 7,830 3,782 11,612 Total YTD Pledges Actual Budget Var. 151, ,451 (6,863) Brookside Congregational Church United Church of Christ 2013 Elm Street Manchester, NH Telephone (603) Fax (603) Web Site: Sunday Worship & Church School: 10 am Church Office Hours: Monday Thursday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Fridays, 9:00 am to NOON Rev. Dr. Dawn Berry, Pastor Office Hours 9 3, Mon. Thurs. (Friday is the Pastor s Day Off) Office tel x 101; home pastor@brooksidecc.org Please remember that the pastor is frequently called away, or may have other commitments during the day. It is best to call first if you need to speak with her. The ABCs of Love Use this alphabetical list of love-in-action verbs as a reminder of the many ways to reflect Christ s love: Accepts Joins Supports Behaves Kneels Tries Comforts Listens Understands Defends Mentors Volunteers Empowers Notices Welcomes Forgives Overlooks expects Grows Provides Yields Helps Quiets adds Zest to life Invests Rejoices Reprinted with permission from The Newsletter Newsletter, February, February,

11 BROOKSIDE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST (Feb. 2015) 2013 ELM STREET, MANCHESTER, NH ~ (603) FAX: (603) ; WEB SITE: OFFICERS, MINISTRY GROUPS AND STAFF MEMBERS (Chairs and Council members will be listed beginning in March) Moderator Laura Sevigny Treasurer Dale Trombley Clerk Debi Rapson Members at Large Anne Lachance Calley Milne Stewardship Greg Berry Bob Falco Bill Hoysradt Tricia Lucas Bob Merrill Roger Sevigny Christian Formation George Abbott Megan Brockett Judy Foley Denise Forest Scott Milne Kira Morehouse Mary Pratt Ellen Tourigny Gary Trahan Ambassador for Horton Center Doug Dixon Mission Gail Goodman Leigh Polish Jeff Rapson Jennifer Trecartin Cindy Watts Mark Watts TBA, Thrift Shop Rep. Jean Dickson, Women s Union Rep. Called to Care Coordinator Sarah Duffley Human Resources Dave Migliori Calley Milne Laura Sevigny Pastoral Relations Becky Boisvert Tricia Lucas Scott Milne Mark Watts Church Delegates Jean Dickson Doug Dixon Sarah Duffley Historian Donna Moody Librarian Sarah Merrill Thanks to all who serve in so many capacities. Hearts & Hands/ Prayer Shawl Ministry Coordinator Rosemary Hoysradt Thrift Shop Operating Dawn Brockett Paula Curry Sis Dunn Gail Goodman Bill Hoysradt Joseph Lachance Sally Sederquist Penny Stillman Women s Union Executive Committee Jean Dickson, Treasurer/Secretary Marylou Bissonnette Carol Delle Sis Dunn Sally Sederquist Trustee to Elliot Joseph Lachance Sexton Heath Auger voice mail #105 sexton@brooksidecc.org Pastor Rev. Dr. Dawn Berry voice mail #101 pastor@brooksidecc.org Minister of Music Kim Whitehead voice mail #108 music@brooksidecc.org Church School Coordinator Rev. Fran Hakenson voice mail #104 franhce@brooksidecc.org Acting Youth Coordinator Ellen Tourigny mrstourigny@gmail.com Parish Administrator Vicky Wisner voice mail #100 vickyw@brooksidecc.org Admin. Assistant Nicole Grinnell voice mail #103 nicoleg@brooksidecc.org

12 February, 2015 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday :00 am Chancel Choir rehearsal 9:00 am No Green 9:00 am Pastor s Day Off 9:00 am 10:00 am Worship (Communion; 10:30 am Full Bananas Group at Thrift Shop (PDO) Thrift Shop Loaves & Fishes) Staff Meeting Blake s Restaurant 10:00 am 11:30 am Junior Choir rehearsal 1:30 pm Worship, Parish Nurse 11:30 am Thrift Shop Committee Evergreen Place 6:00 pm 6:00 pm Stewardship Min. Handbell Choir 6:30 pm 7:30 pm 6:30 pm Companions Christian Formation Chancel Choir in Christ Group :00 am Chancel Choir rehearsal 9:00 am (PDO) 9:00 am 10:00 am Worship (New Members) Thrift Shop Thrift Shop 11:30 am Junior Choir rehearsal Noon Hearts & 10:00 m 11:30 am Mission Ministry Hands Craft Group Parish Nurse 6:00 pm Handbell Choir 7:30 pm 6:30 pm Companions Chancel Choir in Christ Group :00 am Chancel Choir rehearsal Office Closed 9:00 am No Green 9:00 am (PDO) 9:00 am 10:00 am Worship Bananas Group at 5:45 Handbell Choir Thrift Shop Thrift Shop 11:30 am Junior Choir rehearsal Blake s Restaurant 6:15 Soup Supper 10:00 am 8:00 am-4:00 pm 6:30 Chancel Choir Parish Nurse Prepared to Serve ~ CHRONICLE DEADLINE ~ 7:00 pm Ash at Pembroke Acad. Wednesday Service 6:00 pm Council 7:30 Bible Study of Ministries 7:45 Chancel Choir :00 am Chancel Choir rehearsal 9:00 am (PDO) 9:00 am 10:00 am Worship Lent 1 Thrift Shop Thrift Shop 11:30 am Junior Choir rehearsal Noon Hearts & 10:00 am Noon Close Eat at Manchester Shorty s, Hands Craft Group Parish Nurse Benefit Pastor Discretionary Fund 6:00 pm Handbell Choir 7:30 pm Chancel Choir Note: Generally, only church-related activities are listed here; however, be aware that many outside groups use space in our facility on a regular basis, as well. A full calendar of events is available on our website, click to any page and find the link on the left side.