Our house is on Haven Drive, and this has caused me to ponder the Havens in my personal life, and in our congregational life together.

Transcription

1 Dear Friends, As many of you know by now, Valerie and I have at long last found a home to purchase and will be moving in mid-june. It has taken us more than four years to find it, but we believe it is the perfect place for us. Valerie works south of Hartford, so we are moving just a bit out of Southwick to Granby in order to make her daily commute a little easier. The house is just across from the McLean Game Refuge, with lovely walking trails for me and my three dogs! Our house is on Haven Drive, and this has caused me to ponder the Havens in my personal life, and in our congregational life together. The dictionary has these definitions for haven a port in a storm, oasis, sanctum; and more broadly, any place that we consider a place of safety or refuge. When you think about it, does that describe our Beloved Community here at Southwick Congregational Church? I like to think that our Christian community is more than a physical structure that it exists as safe place, where we can go as we are, and not be questioned. It is a place where we know we are loved. It is our spiritual home, a haven, as we gather together in community. And finally, on a level that is at once more broad and deeply intimate, Jesus himself is our dwelling place, our haven Abide in me, and I in you He told us (John 15:4). As the apostle Paul said in Ephesians 2:19-22: Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit Do you make a dwelling place, a haven, for Jesus in your life? Yours in Christ, Pastor Bart Haven The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned. - Maya Angelou

2 Christian Education Thank you to everyone who came to our semi-annual Variety Show on April 30th. Everyone had a good time and it was a great showcase for the talent we have in our church. A special thanks to those of you who were brave enough to perform in front of everyone! More From Christian Education Please don t forget to join us for annual Mother s Day Plant Sale on May 8th during coffee hour. Another busy year is coming to a close for the Sunday School Students and members of the Youth Fellowship. Please join us on May 22 for Children s Sunday. We have some great things planned to share with you. VACATION BIBLE SHOOL (VBS) Looking forward to the summer months, our mission continues with VBS. What a wonderful outreach opportunity with the youth in our community, many of whom ask their parents to return each year. If you cannot be actively involved during the week of July perhaps you would consider donating some items from our wish list. We are looking for: Inflatable beach toys (balls, floaties, etc) Sand pails and shovels Pool noodles Goggles Packing peanuts White poster board Broad tip Sharpie Markers (various colors) Green crepe paper streamers And other items. Please contact a member of the Christian Education Committee if you would like to donate any of the items on this list. THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!!!

3 MARK YOUR CALENDARS May 8th May 22nd July Mother s Day Plant Sale During Coffee Hour Children s Sunday During Worship Service VBS 9-12 PM, New Fellowship Hall Boy Scout Eagle Project Boy Scout Josh Hill of Troop 114, which is sponsored by this church, is working toward his Eagle Scout. In order to achieve his Eagle Scout rank, Josh has to complete a community project. The project he chose will be landscaping the area along the side of the church as you walk from the parking lot up to the church front. Josh s plan is to dig up the old mulch and replace the existing shrubbery with new bushes and flowers. The design also includes replacing the boards along the sidewalk railing with something more substantial. He estimates the work will take three days to complete. This will be done over a two week period with the help of his fellow scouts. In order to finance this project, Josh has to raise the money. He will also be soliciting donations/discounts from local businesses for the materials needed. His first fundraiser is a car wash scheduled for May 7 th 9-2 PM at the Village Pizza parking lot. This is where we come into the picture! Please plan on supporting Josh and his fellow Boy Scouts. Spring Cleanup Mark your calendars! May 21 st will be our spring cleanup day. The format is the same as always. Just two hours is all we need. The day starts at 8:00 AM and ends at noon. You choose what two hours work best for your schedule. If you can t make the day some home baked goodies are always appreciated. It s always fun and rewarding to accomplish something. Please sign up so we can plan the projects. Contact anyone from the Building & Grounds Committee.

4 Spotlight on: The Gifts of Music Cabinet Located: In the Church Narthex Dedicated to: Philip H. Hall DID YOU KNOW? The purpose of the cabinet is to serve as the repository of the Philip H. Hall Gift of Music Program begun by Philip in 1992 and to house an original of each piece of vocal music purchased through this program. The cabinet was designed to blend with the church interior. Presently, there are four notebooks containing originals of vocal music purchased. They are arranged by the music year in which they were first sung or played as may be the case with Hand Bell Gifts of Music. An alphabetic listing of the music is located in a separate binder for ease in finding a particular piece. If you are exploring this cabinet, you will find that the memorial book displayed on top of the cabinet has a wealth of information. There is a brief description of the program and, with the turn of a page, a picture of Philip and the highlights of his life as remembered by Evelyn Fuller. Following this are pages listing the particulars of each Gift of Music arranged by Music Year. (A Music year begins in September and ends with Music Sunday usually the second Sunday in June.) Next, beginning with the Music Year , are listed the titles of additional vocal pieces purchased with memorial gifts made to the music committee. If you need help in accessing the information in the cabinet or want more information about the Gifts of Music program, please ask Joyce Paggen or any member of the Music Committee.

5 Strawberry Supper The Strawberry Supper will take place on Saturday, June 18th at 6 PM. The menu will include ham, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, strawberry shortcake with whipped cream and beverages. Cost for adults is $12, children 6-12 is $5. Please contact the Church office for reservations (413) Also, we are still in need of volunteers, signup in Old Fellowship Hall. Stewardship Status: Gentle Reminder: Annual UCC Dues ($19.10) per active member may be sent to the Church Office. Confirm with Elaina at ( or southwickucc@gmail.com) if you are unsure of your membership status. Henrietta s Thrift Shop Please think about donating items to Henrietta s when doing your Spring cleaning! We are in need of jewelry and kids toys. We are still looking for a 3rd person to volunteer running the store an additional day! Day of the week and hours are negotiable please contact Joyce Hamilton for further information. Missions Outreach News Clean out your closets, basement & garage!!! Missions Outreach will be holding a Tag Sale on Saturday, June 4th, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The tag sale will take place outside, if there is inclement weather the sale will be moved inside into New Fellowship Hall. Tables for members are a flat fee of $25 and for the general public prices are $30 for a Church provided table, $25 if bringing a table. There will be a light lunch available for purchase. To reserve a table please call the Church office at (413)

6 Member Spotlight Member Spotlight profiles a church member, family or group the goal is to share and learn more about each other. This feature is sponsored by the Missions and Outreach Committee contact Patty B., Andrea, Sally or Valerie if you d like to contribute a profile, or have suggestions! Our featured member for May is Ashley Greco. Ashley has been involved with Christian Ed and the Youth Group at the church for some time. But, did you know she is a motorcycle enthusiast? Go Ashley! Tell us a little about your background? I grew up in Southwick and in this church. I went to Westfield Vocational Technical High School for HVAC/R, I worked in the field for 4 years. I moved on to work in the dental field which I've been doing for about 6 years and I love what I do! Tell us a little about your family? I have an older half sister and a younger brother and sister. I also have a 10 year old niece who I love spending time with! I was also blessed with another little sister, Lola (the puppy). My mom and Ted adopted her a few years ago. Looks like I'm no longer the favorite! Favorite Movie: Bridesmaids! I love comedies. I laugh through the entire movie every time I see it! Favorite pastime/hobby: Being a kid! I grew up in a great neighborhood with a lot of other kids my age. We were always doing something together such as flashlight tag, football, and riding our dirt bikes and quads. One of my friends and I always baked cookies for anyone new who moved into the neighborhood. We were the self proclaimed "welcoming committee" for the neighborhood. There was always someone to hang out with and something fun to do! Tell us one thing most people would be surprised to know about you? I ride a motorcycle. I have an 1100 Yamaha V-Star and I love it! My dad also rides and it's something we enjoy doing together. A couple of summers ago we went to the rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. The riding out west was amazing! The scenery is beautiful and

7 I can't wait to go back for more! Favorite sports teams: Don't call me a bad New Englander... But I'm not a huge sports fan! I love going to baseball and hockey games, but it doesn't make a difference to me what teams are playing. What was the best advice you were ever given? Plain and simple- Treat others how you would like to be treated and be positive, negativity isn't going to get you anywhere! What achievements are you most proud of? I bought a house in 2014! I completely gutted the kitchen and bathroom and remodeled. The inside is done...the outside has a ways to go! What do you like best about Southwick Congregational Church, UCC? The sense of community. You can be as involved in the church as much as you want to be. I am a member of the Christian Education Committee, I enjoy being with the children and helping out at church functions. Happy Birthday! Elaina Lem p ke May 2 Bar b ar a Machiet t o May 12 Flo Pit oniak May 12 Rob Lem p ke May 12 Sar ah Cot t o May 15 Mar ie Boyd May 22 Sally Mer lo May 25 Connie Johnson May 31

8 Southwick Congregational Church Historical Corner Hi everyone! My name is Martha Johnson and I have taken on a special project of diving into the history of the Southwick Church. The church was formed in 1765 when a group of people from the south part of Westfield wanted to form their own congregation. When this group was petitioning to form their own church they also bought their first Communion Set. The Southwick Congregational Church History pamphlet (published in 1973) states our church still possesses this first Communion Set that predates the church, the meetinghouse, and even the town. I found mention in some other church records that vote was held to raise four pounds & ten shillings to purchase the utensils for the Lord s table At some point in the church s history the Communion set was no longer in the church. Eventually though the Communion set was returned. I found this excerpt from the memorial gifts book: One of the interesting features of the day [the 150 th Anniversary] will be the presentation to the church of the original communion service bought about 1764 which has been preserved by the descendants of Deacon Rockwell. Mrs. Helen Rockwell Cooley, of Westfield, had it in her possession and directed that it should be given back to the church. It consists of a large pewter plate, two small plates, a wine tankard and two cups. Mrs. Helen Rockwell Cooley is daughter of Dr. Joseph Rockwell or Deacon Rockwell. The communion set is still used today for our Communion service but I think we can all agree this exceptional piece of church history sure has had a life full of adventure! If there is anything you would be interested in learning more about or stories you would like to share please don t hesitate to reach out to me at Johnson.martha@aol.com or my cell phone number I look forward to interacting with all of you!

9 All Church Committee Meeting April 14, 2016 The meeting was called to order at 8:15 pm by Moderator David Breton. Pastor Bart offered an opening prayer. Two corrections were brought forward for the March All-Church Meeting Minutes: Karen Brzezinski corrected that the new flag displayed in the sanctuary during Easter was made by Joyce Hamilton for which she received remuneration, it was not a donation. From the Building and Grounds Committee, please note that Eric Nitsch and Shirl Hamilton are co-chairs of that committee. A motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously to accept the minutes with the above two corrections. Pastor s Report Pastor Bart and Valerie have been busy preparing for their new home purchase in South Granby. Pastor Bart s semester at Boston University will be ending on 4/20/16 and the only thing left will be his dissertation with an expected graduation date of May New Member Sunday will be held on May 15 th, Pentecost Sunday. Board of Deacons Barbara Gun, new chair, reported 5 members present. They discussed a special Mother s Day program. They discussed starting a Women s Fellowship Group to get people more involved in the church. They will continue the Prayer List in each Sunday s bulletin but would like a dry-erase board in Old Fellowship Hall to add requests to. Buildings and Grounds Eric Nitsch reported 5 members present. They have a quote to re-do the floors in both halls, with a decision to be made to replace or refinish them. The quote to paint the front of the church is $14-15,000 approx. The Spring Clean-Up is scheduled for 5/21/ noon and they are asking everyone to sign up for two hours of their time that morning. The Eagle Scout project with Josh Hill to landscape the area along the sidewalk is moving forward with new bushes, new edging, and new flowers. Josh is having a car wash fundraiser to help fund this project on May 14 th in the Vil Pizza parking lot so please consider supporting Josh s efforts. The new stove for the kitchen will be re-visited this summer. New bulbs will be placed in the church sign out front.

10 Treasurer s Report Ted Orson reported there are no big changes from last month s budget and collections. The church received our UCC dues bill of $4,046. Ted has paid half of this. Members are asked to pay their share of this if possible $19.10 each. So far $582 has been collected. Members are asked to contact Virgil Paggen or the Church office to check to see if they have or have not already paid this. The church has $27,000 invested in the Hoffman Fund through the MA Conference. This investment will need to be moved. Christian Education Flo Pitoniak reported 3 members present. May 22 nd will be Children s Sunday. The Church Variety Show will be April 30 th so please sign up. VBS will be 7/25-29 from 9-12 noon. Volunteers are still needed. Music Committee Melanie Nitsch reported 6 members present. The group worked on a job description for the Bell Choir Director and began to organize for the summer music schedule. Mission-Outreach Patty Banasik reported 2 members present. The group will organize a tag sale for 6/4/16. They discussed the monthly donations that they make. Hams were donated to the Food Pantry for Easter. They are looking for the next Member Spotlight please volunteer. Roxanne Cook has started writing out cards go those on the prayer list. Nominating Committee Patty Wood had no new nominations. Memorial Gifts Karen Brzezinski talked to the Finance Committee about a CD that is coming due. Pastoral Relations Committee No report as they did not meet. Finance Committee Jodi Potts reported 6 members present. Pastor Bart was excused from the meeting as a discussion was held on the Pastor s request for the employer s share of his Social Security, due to the fact that he is considered self-employed, be paid by the church. He is also asking for the retirement portion of his benefits so that he can put the funds into a traditional IRA rather than a Church/UCC-run annuity. Both of these requests represent funds that are contractual (approx. $10,000). Ted Orson then spoke about the church getting serious

11 about fundraising perhaps a dinner once a quarter as dinners are very successful fundraisers. Patti Wood volunteered to chair a committee to investigate fundraisers. Patti mentioned there is a Vendor Fair scheduled for 10/1/16. Flower Committee Patty Banasik spoke on behalf of Roxanne Cook. Roxanne is asking members to consider their garden flowers for use in altar arrangements. There is a calendar by the coffee pot for sign-ups for each Sunday. New Business Patti Wood offered a suggestion of dividing up coffee hour responsibilities each month by the alphabet i.e. A-C for January, D-F for February, etc. Another church does it successfully this way. A request was also made to consider having a Bring a Friend to Church Day. The meeting was adjourned at 8:55 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Melanie Nitsch, Clerk Executive Board Meeting April 14, 2016 The meeting was called to order by Moderator David Breton at 8:58 p.m. Patti Wood and Pastor Bart have requested a copy of the draft job description for the Bell Choir Director from the Music Committee. Ted Orson strongly suggested dates be planned soon for dinners/fundraisers as there is an urgent need for funds. A suggestion was brought forth for the yearly church calendar to be published so the church can get organized and see what dates are available for fundraisers. The meeting was adjourned at 9:06 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Melanie Nitsch, Clerk