FIRST CONGREGATIONAL, UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST BENZONIA MI

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1 FIRST CONGREGATIONAL, UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST BENZONIA MI August 2015 FROM OUR INTERIM MINISTER Have you read Thomas Cahill s 1995 book, How the Irish Saved Civilization? It s been years since I read it, but recently I found myself scanning it again, looking for these lines. I found them at the very end of the book. There s a good though here, at least for me. It has to do with the way history and fate, and destiny and God often come together to surprise. What will be lost, and what saved, of our civilization probably lies beyond our powers to decide. No human group has ever figured out how to design its future. That future may be germinating today, not in a boardroom in London or an office in Washington or a bank in Tokyo, but in some antic outpost or other - a kindly British orphanage in the grim foothills of Peru, a house for the dying in a back street of Calcutta run by a fiercely single-minded Albanian nun, an easygoing French medical team at the starving edge of the Sahel, a mission to Somalia by Irish social workers who remember their own Great Hunger, a nursery program to assist convict-mothers in a New York prison - in some unheralded corner where a great-hearted human being is committed to loving outcasts in an extraordinary way. How much of the future of someone else is in your hands right now? How much of the future of this community, this state of nation, this planet? Do you know? I didn t think so. Use your summer well. We ll be open every Sunday. God is good. See you in church (and bring someone with you!). ~ Dr. Charles Guerreno FROM OUR SEARCH COMMITTEE The Search Committee has just completed the first phase in our search for a pastor. The Church Profile is complete and will be available to members at the Congregational Meeting following the lunch after church on August 2nd. The next step will be to place a NOTICE through the United Church of Christ website. We will then start to receive applicants. See you after Church on August 2 nd.

2 Page 2 Notes from the Board of Trustees Meeting, July 20, 2015 Chris Gehring The trustees are pleased to have received an application for the long open position of childcare attendant in the nursery. This position is each Sunday morning for two hours. Carol Dye, Pastoral Search Committee co-chair, distributed packets containing the church profile to all trustees, asking for any input we have. Once the profile is totally complete, the committee will place a notice in the UCC Bulletin and begin receiving candidate profiles. Chris Gehring will be meeting with Pro Web Marketing to update our web site. The Search Committee is eager for this, as potential ministerial candidates will be checking us out through the web. Chris Stone showed us one of the new church computers purchased with funds from the Memorial committee. She and Mary Rodriguez will be updating them with current financial software. At the congregational meeting on August 2 following worship, Carol Dye plans to inform the congregation of the numerous updates that we have done to our buildings and grounds. A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR AUGUST VOLUNTEERS - COFFEE HOUR NURSERY GREETERS August 2 Soul Sisters BBQ Carolina Jones Geri Thornell August 9 Barb Brian Chris Gehring Anne Young August 16 Anna Nordbeck and Chris Jones Larry and Nancy Czap Mary Thompson August 23 Genny Bowman and Belle VanHammen Anne Young Anne Young August 30 Church Picnic / Potluck Emily Wagner Jean Bowers Head Usher: Andy Wagner NOTICE TO ALL VOLUNTEERS AND WANNA-BE VOLUNTEERS It is time to do the new nursery and coffee hour schedules for 9/2015-8/2016. If you are currently volunteering for one or both of these church projects and wish to continue, no response is necessary. if you are unable to participate any more or are not currently on the list and would like to help, please contact us and let us know. And if you have certain times of year which work best for you or do not work for you, please let us know. Nursery: contact Chris Stone at chrisjstone47@gmail.com or Coffee hour: contact Barb Brian at the_brians@charter.net or UCC Sister Church of the Month As part of our continuing efforts to work together as a community of faith, in worship we pray for UCC churches in our United Northern Association. You are invited in August to pray for the ongoing mission and ministries of the First Congregational UCC of Gaylord.

3 Page 2 New Books in Our Library An Altar in the World Barbara Brown Taylor shares how she learned to find God beyond the church walls by embracing the sacred as a natural part of everyday life. She shows us how to discover altars everywhere we go and in nearly everything we do as we learn to live with purpose, pay attention, slow down, and revere the world in which we live. Prayers for People Who Say they Can t Pray Not only is this a book of prayers, it is a book written to remove obstacles to prayer and to teach us how to pray. This book has many prayers arranged by topic. The issues are many. Imagine just about any life situation or problem you may have too busy, worrying (the monkey mind) financial concerns, broken heart and there is a prayer. By reading so many prayers, a person can begin to see how to put their own situation into words and focus on improving the situation or coping with it. Some Things You Just Have to Live With, Musings on Middle Age Quoting one reviewer Rev. Crafton is an extraordinary writer. She opens her soul and invites the reader to examine it. In the process her readers get new insights into their own souls. She helps her readers to understand that joys, fears, anxieties, home, and all the aspects that make us human are shared by others. We are not alone. This book is for anyone who is middle age, has passed middle age, or expects to ever be middle age. The Courage to Grow Old Don t be dissuaded by the title, it can benefit both those of us who are increasingly aware of our age as well as those perceptive younger people who realize some day they, too, will be older. Writing with wisdom and humor, author Crafton tells us we should not waste a moment wishing we were younger than we are. Telling us we have to take whatever we have to work with it and make today as sweet as we can. It s what it appears to be, I have been binging on books relating to spiritual life, women authors, women pastors, authors whose first name is Barbara, and (dreaded expression) aging. All are easy reads full of ideas for reflection. Older or not-so-old, man or woman, all will find their horizons growing after reading any of these. Anonymous donations recently: The Great Debaters This is a DVD of the 2007 award winning movie starring Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker based on a debate team coach who transformed a group of underdog African American college students into a powerhouse that takes on the Harvard elite. Three Christmas stories, two for children, that you ll be hearing about later. Thanks to the donors whoever you may be. MEMORIAL GARDEN: On the north side of our church property is a beautiful memorial garden for members and friends of the church who would like their cremated ashes interred on our sacred grounds. For $500 you may reserve a square-foot plot that covers future opening and closing as well as a memorial plaque to be placed on the stone along the walkway. Donations for perpetual care are welcomed. CHILDREN S BOOK DEPOSIT: At the entryway from the parking lot, just inside the doors on the left, is a wooden cabinet labeled Children s Book Deposit. The Christian World Service Board is working to enhance a new relationship between our church and Crystal Lake Elementary school by donating children s books for their library or to be given directly to the students. Please bring books you would like to donate and use the new cabinet at the church.

4 AUGUST BIRTHDAYS 1 Andrea Polhamus 3 Roger Weil 4 Dorothy Uren 4 James Sheets 7 Chester Jones 7 Theodore Reed 9 Dawn Olney 9 Clara Reed 11 Doii Burget 12 James Brian 14 Doris Marshall 15 Lisa Sauer 16 Bud Strong 18 Linda Nugent 20 Andy Wagner 21 Jerry Richardson 21 Ruth Catton 26 Shelley Thompson 28 Al Young 29 Mary Ann Civiok REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS THOSE FACING HEALTH CONCERNS: Brenda Case Tom Kennard Linda Ponte THOSE IN HEALTH CARE FACILITIES: Pink Rearick who is at the Homesteader. Mary Hopkins who is at Frankfort Senior Care. Rosemary Miller who is at The Pines Helen Pickard, Pat Forrester, and Hal Bruning who are in Traverse City. FOR OUR SHUT-INS: Mona McElderry Doii Burget Page 4 Reminder: If you, a loved one, or a church member you know is in the hospital, please let the church office know so that our minister may visit. Due to privacy laws, hospitals no longer contact the churches to let them know church members are hospitalized. The church wants to know so that we can support you during this time of need. AUGUST ANNIVERSARIES 1 Susie and Alan Vigland 17 Mary and Doug Rodriguez 17 Barbara and James Brian 21 Shirley and Art Wolfe 21 Agnes and Jerry Slater 22 Carol and Steve Davidson 23 Pat and Earl Schopp 26 Marilyn and Jim Sheets

5 AUGUST 2015 Page 5 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SAT Soul Sisters BBQ 7:00 AA 10:00 Yoga -Barn 7:00 WAA Exercise 5:30 NA 6:30 - Kiwanis 7:30 Choir Practice :00 CentraWellness 11:00 Commodities Distribution 7:00 AA 10 Yoga 7:00 Council 7:00 WAA 3:00 Deacons Exercise 5:30 NA 7:30 Choir Practice :00 Trustees 7:00 AA 10 Yoga 7:00 WAA Exercise 5:30 NA 6:30 - Kiwanis 7:30 Choir Practice :00 AA 10 Yoga 7:00 WAA Exercise 5:30 NA Church Picnic 7:00 AA

6 First Congregational Church, UCC 901 Barber Street, P.O. Box 234. Benzonia, MI Phone: (231) F I R S T C O N G R E G AT I O N A L CHUR C H, UCC B E N Z O N I A, M I C H I G A N Dr. Charles Guerreno Interim Minister Chris Stone Treasurer Mary Rodriguez Financial Secretary James Sheets...Church Moderator Carolina Jones...Christian Ed Coordinator Jessie Zeller Custodian Nancy Eggleston Secretary Office phone: Office hours: Monday Friday 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Office secretary@benzoniacongregational.org Our Facebook Page: