FIRST PARISH CHURCH CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST ANNUAL REPORT ANNUAL MEETING

Transcription

1 FIRST PARISH CHURCH CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST Manchester-by-the Sea, Massachusetts ANNUAL REPORT To the members of the First Parish Church Congregational The Officers, Committees and Organizations of the Church Submit the Following Reports for the Church Year Ending, June 2016 ANNUAL MEETING SUNDAY JUNE 12, 2016 Following Worship

2 INDEX Warrant 1-2 Pastor - The Reverend John G. Hughes, II 3-5 Nominating Committee 6 Proposed Church Directory 7 Board of Trustees 8-10 Stewardship Committee 11 Diaconate 12 Church Council Executive Committee Pastor Parish Relations Committee 16 Vitality 17 Clerk Membership List Missions Committee Christian Education Committee Music Committee 33 Delegates 34 Mary Martin Fund 35 Clock Winders th Committee 37 Minutes of Annual Meeting, June 7,

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5 PASTOR Worship is a touchstone of our identity at, U.C.C. Our Bible study has seen 17 different people come to study. We started out with 6 attending regularly and that number grew to 11 regulars at year s end. The outlook is our numbers will continue to rise. Our purpose of preparing for worship has resulted in reviewing the weekly bulletins, choir anthems, hymn selection, lectionary offerings, biblical maps, comparative Bible study, theological theories, history, synoptic gospel comparisons, and numerology used by Biblical writers. Vespers (regular Vespers in the fall and during Lent) has involved 25 different individuals, 21 of whom are regular attenders. Attendance ranged from a low of 12 to a high of 23 people, with 19 being average. At each of the regular Vesper worships, 12 to 14 music discs are taken. Overall, there were 5-fall vespers, 2-Christmas Eve, 1 on January 6 th (for the 12 th Night), Ash Wednesday s Hippolytus Service, 2-Lenten, and the Maundy Thursday s Tenebrae of Lights, for a total of 12 Vesper services our church offers. When we add in the Hour of Tranquility, September through April, it is clear worship is a central offering. A special Vesper for the Confirmation Class was added this year, where the Confirmands told the story of the magi and holy family with great clarity by candlelight, the 12 th Night Celebration. The 12 th Night and each of the 7 Vespers (celebrated alternate weeks in the fall and at Lent) takes 60 hours of preparation, preparing musical explanation sheets, developing the bulletins, researching and cutting musical discs. The challenge in the future is that CD s are becoming obsolete and soon will not be available. Unless a way to share play lists can be found through the use of alternative technology, the music ministry of Vespers may be in jeopardy. Special Worship included the Ecumenical events of caroling for One Night in Bethlehem, Carol Singing for Church members, 2-Ecumenical services of Good Friday (Stations of the Cross) and Sunrise Service on Singing Beach. 44 Regular Sunday Services, a special Missions Celebration Liturgy, Confirmation Liturgy, 35 th Joint Ministry Celebration Service (with special choir and brass music), Necrology, Jazz Celebration Sunday, and Valentine Day Worship were prepared and offered. Such an array of offerings is only possible because of the cooperation of our Choir Director/Organist Donald Dunn, the innovation and talent of Rebecca Shrimpton, Willie Sordillo, and Brian Price, as well as, the support of our Music Committee. The second touchstone of First Parish Church is Missions. It was my hope that we could offer a spring Missions outreach that would equal 10% of the fundraising we see in the fall from our Church Christmas Fair. The Missions Committee helped resource the Confirmation Class so this was possible. The Missions Committee gave moneys for cabinets and painting supplies so the Confirmation Class could paint cabinets for the Grace Center. David Lumsden then helped the Confirmation Class work the Chili Chowder Luncheon to raise money for Organic Gardens to be planted in Gloucester for use at the Grace Center. These two hands-on missions provided $1500 dollars in giving, 10% of our church fair collection. Where our church 3

6 PASTOR fair funds the mission of our church (General Fund) in the fall, a tithe of 10% was given in the spring to charity. When we add our generosity of COA baskets, Christmas cookies, Veteran kits, Zimbabwe container, Plummer Home support, Heifer Project International contributions, dinners at Open Door, etc. our giving shows we are a church whose hearts runneth over. Our Missions outreach is a wonderful balance of local, regional, and international giving. Another touchstone of First Parish Church is our support of Christian Ministry in our area. As our First Parish Church Delegates can attest, our Association and Conference s functions and involvement is shrinking. A survey of our area s parish churches was done prior to the merger of the Andover and Essex Associations in The clergy voiced a concern that the collaboration and identity of our churches might be lost. In response, a ministry known as The Clergy Luncheon was created. Three times a year, local clergy meet in our Chapel for lunch, in the months of October, January, and April. A Lunch Committee of 6 people plan for an average of 12 area pastors to join to study current church trends and concerns. As the oldest seminary in America, Andover Newton Theological School closes its doors, the continuing education (and fellowship) of our clergy is paramount. Before each luncheon a survey is sent to each participant, cataloguing their concerns and interests, so programs can be developed. Clergy come from an area that encompasses towns form Swampscott, Rockport, Newburyport, to Haverhill. The group that gathers in a microcosm of our area churches: 2-Bivocational Ministers, 1 layperson, 1 Start-Up Minister, 2-Interims, 2- Associate Pastors, 9-Parish Ministers, and 3-Retired Ministers. This year s subjects looked at new theories in 1) Giving as Generosity, 2) New Spiritual Practices, and 3) the Evolving Church Structures. We have 12 for lunch, with 6 committee members equaling 18 people on average. This year for my Continuing Education I attended a three day seminar on Transitional Ministry from Monday, April 4 th through Wednesday, April 6 th, in Framingham, MA. The seminar is a continuing education program for credit, which resulted in 28 clergy getting together, representing all 6 New England states. The theme was The Clergy as Leader and looked at 5 study areas: 1) Heritage (reviewing how congregations are shaped and formed), 2) Leadership (reviewing member needs and ways of organizing/developing effective strategies), 3) Missions (defining and redefining purpose and direction for congregations), 4) Connections (discovering relationship a faith community builds outside of itself), and 5) Future (developing congregational and pastoral profiles for best practices). Originally these theories were developed for Intentional Interim Ministry and now are being redefined as on-going process for any vital congregation to do as regular practice. A follow up seminar will be held this coming October (a five-day process) to complete the study. Finally, revamping our Confirmation Program is a wonderful example of what First Parish Church does well. Jennifer Powers, Rev. Llewellyn Smith, Rev. Maren Tirabassi, Priscilla Duda, Jessica Skidmore, Rev. Rona Tyndall, and Rev. John Hughes all helped 4

7 PASTOR resource the program. Parents provided lunches and transportation, our Deacons provided worship opportunities, the Mission Committee made hands-on missions a reality, the Massachusetts Conference of the U.C.C. resourced our Confirmation Retreat on Cape Cod. Our Confirmands attended area churches of differing denominations for comparative worship study, visited programs our churches helped establish and supports (Hospice of the North Shore and the Chaplaincy Program at Beverly Hospital), researched different prayer methods, and developed a strong sense of Christian community. It was truly an all church effort both of our church community and the greater church communities of which we are a part. We owe a great deal of gratitude to Priscilla Duda, and Jen Powers, Nancy Klebart for the tremendous coordination and communication that makes such a process a successful reality. Respectfully submitted, Rev. John G. Hughes 5

8 NOMINATING The Nominating Committee has the task of asking members to fill open positions on the ten committees and nine officer positions described in the current by-laws of First Parish Church, Congregational. Because we are a Congregational church, we are dependent on our members to serve in various ways as officers or on committees. The work done through committees and officers is critical for our church to function effectively and demonstrate the vitality that we all desire. This year the Nominating Committee is happy to report that it has been successful in filling three Officer positions and eighteen Committee positions. These open positions occurred through both resignation and expiring terms. We are very grateful to all those who said yes when asked to re-commit their time and energy for another term. Our thanks also go to members volunteering for the first time. First Parish Church is now blessed with forty-eight church members serving on ten committees (five of whom serve on two committees at the same time) and another eight members serving as officers (three of whom also serve on committees). At the present time there remain critical vacancies to be filled: three positions on the Diaconate and one position on the Vitality Committee. Respectfully submitted, Martha Gubbins Penny Lapham Mary Lumsden Jen Powers Marianne Round 6

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10 TRUSTEES This report will focus on Church property and Trustee-related activities exclusive of financial issues. CHURCH BUILDING (Trustee in Charge: David DeMoura) has been an eventful year for the Main church building. We have completed the painting of the Church and steeple. Our Sexton David Reid successfully supported the Diaconate this past year. He was much appreciated. David will be going to college (Leheigh Univ) come August. Nathan Duda is replacing David in April. A 5 yr. plan was developed to list the many action items which need to be addressed for the Main church structure and functionality. These items represent known deficiencies and attempt to prioritize and keep in focus the various items on the to do list. The most significant completed items and accomplishments were as follows; Completed items 1. Steeple Bell repairs to wooden wheel and railings. 2. Restoration of the Clock face level all 4 clock faces 3. Repair /restoration of the exterior hand rails at all 3 door steps were completed 4. Painting of the steeple (all levels) and Main church body was completed summer of Restoration of the wood railings at the carillon level Open Items 6. Good news; The church via a financial grant from several Church donors has allowed the BOT to begin planning/designing to have the Men s restroom converted to a handicap accessible restroom. BOT considering options for swapping the men s and ladies rooms to provide more room as well as a handicap accessible space. This work is planned to start later this year. 7. Now that the Bell level roof has a new rubber membrane to address water leakage we can now plan for future repair and painting of the front Narthex/stairwell ceilings. (Est. cost - $11 to $ 12,000). Recent activity by T-Mobile made penetrations for which the membrane had to be repaired and re warranteed. 8. Identification of the leak source on the street side of church showing up under the balconies in ceiling area of both sides of church sanctuary. 9. Repair of the heating ductwork by the street side front entrance. 10. Lining the Heating system brick chimney. CHAPEL (Trustee in charge: Jeff Parker) While both the Chapel and Sunday School buildings have continued to serve us well, providing both a gathering place for our youth and fulfilling the needs of adult activities from both our Church and community, it has become clear that this set of buildings are suffering from some deferred maintenance. The first item which must be addressed for both safety/security reasons and energy conservation is the replacement of approximately seventy badly deteriorated windows and two doors. With funds limited, the trustees plan to replace 8

11 BOT (continued) the two doors as well as approximately 25 % of the needed windows summer Additionally, the storage bin doors, trim and railings adjacent to the parking area will be upgraded and painted. The First Parish sign on the town green has been repaired and painted. PARSONAGE (Trustee in charge: John Round) The calendar year 2015 was not quite as busy as 2014 but eventful nevertheless: The winter weather took its toll on the parsonage as it did with so many other homes in the area. Ice dams were a problem and we had a roofer remove them in February before they could cause damage. A leaky pipe in a bathroom was repaired by Milne plumbing. A family of squirrels seemed to have taken up residence in the parsonage; an exterminator took care of the problem. The front stoop has been settling and deteriorating for several years. The cracks continued to grow. The stoop was dismantled and rebuilt. Several items continue to be noted as needing attention: Worn carpet in the hall and in two bedrooms Several kitchen tiles are cracked; the entire floor should be replaced; this is an item which has been on this list for several years and is estimated to cost $9000 A crack in the garage cement floor entrance Routine maintenance of the heating and other systems was performed. FINANCE AND CHURCH OFFICE (Trustees in Charge: Nancy Klebart & Joseph Alsop) Nancy as office manager continues to have primary responsibility for the accounting at First Parish Church, with support from trustee Joseph Alsop. We do need a Treasurer to provide oversight over finance and accounting and able to step in when needed. We continuously look for ways to make our accounting procedures simpler and more accurate, while maintaining appropriate financial controls. We have implemented an automatic check reader to increase the speed and accuracy of recording contribution checks. With this we have decreased the need for paper recording and moved to direct entry of contributions into our database software, Power Church Plus, by the Financial Secretaries. A new computer was purchased and installed in the Financial Office in the spring of 2016, replacing a failing PC and improving accessibility. A Paper Folding machine was purchased in late 2015 replacing an older version that had ceased working. We have switched remote access providers and are very happy with the change. MEETING HOUSE ADVISORY BOARD (Submitted by: John Round) After several years of not spending any funds (since 2011) from the Endowment, $40,000 was spent in The Board voted to release an additional $9890 (4% of the average Endowment Fund balance on Dec 31 for the last three years) for major preservation/maintenance projects, bringing the total available to $40,471. All of the $40,000 went to the restoration and painting of the Church Meeting House. Restoration efforts included repairs to the steeple clock and the carillon bell level of the steeple (the 9

12 BOT (continued) highest part). A complete list of the restoration/repairs appears elsewhere in the Trustee s report. In 2015, we received approval of a grant from the Town and through the CPA for $48,200 (100% of what we requested) for repairs to the clock level of the steeple. This is the second appropriation from the CPA in as many years. In 2014, we received $35,000 through the CPA to repair the bell cradle and bell level of the steeple. All of the restoration and painting was completed in September, THANK YOU S TO: Tyler Duda, and David Reid our past Sextons, Nathan Duda our current Sexton, and George Nickless, our Chapel Custodian, all of whom have and continue to do a great job maintaining our facilities. My fellow members of the Board of Trustees, who have the challenging job of managing our facilities and finances. Jack Abbott, Steve Carhart and Rick Wilk, who serve as members of the Investment Advisory Committee and keep a watchful eye on our professional money management firm. Nancy Klebart, Trustee and our church office manager who, with Trustee Joe Alsop, have continued to update our accounting processes (just about done!). And finally, a very special thank you to Paul Lengieza, who departs the Trustees after a five year stretch. His counsel and perspective were highly valued during his time on the Board. Paul, you ll be missed Respectfully submitted, John Round, Chair Members of the Board of Trustees: Joe Alsop David DeMoura Nancy Klebart Paul Lengieza Richard Smith Jeff Parker 10

13 STEWARDSHIP Manchester-by-the Sea, Massachusetts The Stewardship Committee has worked hard this year implementing suggestions made by last year's coach, Paul Nickerson. Our Annual Fund drive 2016 began in mid-november. We were pleased with 109 pledges totaling $208,000 for We once again worked with the Vitality Committee to celebrate our pledgers and generous givers. Our pledge party was held at the Community Center in January. Thank you to all who made this happen! We have been educating our congregation in options for making donations ---envelopes, credit cards in the office, and Pay Pal on the website are all options for giving your pledges or donations to F.P.C. Thank you to those who commit to pledging each year We are now receiving leadership donations towards the 300th Capital Gifts Fund for our church building projects. Matching funds are available for these generous gifts. We have received gifts from Vin Terrill and The Weld Foundation. Two other families are in the process of donating at this time. If you have any questions about this fund, please see one of us. Thank you to the congregation for your generosity in the past year! Sincerely, The Stewardship Committee Mary Ellen Cook-Co-Chair David Lumsden-Co-Chair Katrina Cicala Martha Elder Barbara Smith Bruce Warren 11

14 DIACONATE COMMITTEE The Diaconate Committee starts each monthly meeting with a prayer by a fellow Deacon and by sharing joys and concerns. This year we focused on strengthening communication with other committees. Our former Sexton, David Reid, joined one of our meetings to reflect together on how to make our services even better. We are grateful for his input. In February the chair of the Vitality Committee, Allison Moir-Smith, joined our meeting followed in March by our Director of Christian Education, Priscilla Duda. Their ideas and suggestions stimulated vibrant discussions among the Deacons. We changed our ways and are in the process of changing certain settings and routines in coordination with other committees: 1. The Deacons will invite special greeters and readers for special services (for example, we will invite couples who have been married at FPCC to greet and read on Valentines Day). 2. For the first approximately 10 minutes of a service one deacon will stay in the Narthex in order to greet latecomers and ease their way in. 3. Whenever the weather allows for the church doors will stay open during the service in order to appear more welcoming to those who are inclined to join. 4. We are working on changing the coffee routine at the end of a Sunday service in order to make this routine more inclusive for newcomers. Stay tuned. 5. We are working on finding a solution for better signage ( Church is open. All are welcome. ). We have many ideas and will coordinate with other committees. Stay tuned. Communicating with other committees has helped us Deacons immensely in our mission. We will invite members of other committees in the coming church year to further our understanding and becoming ever better ambassadors of our church. For highly attended services the Head and the Assistant Deacon as well as the Sexton are now equipped with name tags. This way, newcomers have an easier time identifying who to turn to. Our treasurer, John Feuerbach, kept our finances in order. Janet Marshall, our Corresponding Secretary, sends our cards to all those of us who have to deal with challenges in their lives. Sheila Kafer and Janet Groth are heading the Care Team and provide so many in need with meals, rides and loving care. Janet Groth has been on top of getting our supplies. We ve never run out of anything. Thank you! Back in September of 2015 we welcomed our new member, Sue Parker. We are grateful for her energy and passion for our church and the Deacons mission. We are sad to say good-bye to three faithful Deacons who have served our church so reliably and passionately for so, so many years: Jeff Bodmer-Turner, Janet Groth and Eleanor Harris. Thank you for all you have done! We welcome with open arms anyone who will join our ballet dances for the coming church year. Respectfully submitted by Christiane Alsop John Feuerbach Lynda Griffiths Janet Groth Paul Gudonis Eleanor Harris Jan Marshall Shawn Newman Ralph Smith Wendy Smith 12

15 CHURCH COUNCIL/EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Church Officers Rev. John Hughes, Pastor Dan DeOreo, Moderator George Nickless, Clerk TBD, Treasurer Cheryl Lengieza, Assistant Treasurer Bruce Warren, Financial Secretary Bonnie Benincasa, Martha Gubbins, Sheila Carrassi, Paul Driscoll Asst. Financial Secretaries Boards/Committee Representatives Julie Tosi/Sara DeOreo Christian Education Penny Lapham/Martha Gubbins, Nominating Wendy Smith/Christiane Alsop, Diaconate George Nickless, Delegates John Round, Trustees Margaret Michael, Music Lelly Smith, Deborah Rouine, Missions Mary Ellen Cook, Stewardship Mary Ellen Cook, Vitality The Church Council is established in our Church By-Laws to coordinate and plan church activities and to communicate with members of the congregation through the Committees of the Church. Membership consists of the Pastor, Financial Secretary, Treasurer, Clerk, Moderator and the Chair of each of the standing Boards and Committees. This year was the second year with Dan DeOreo as the Moderator and Chair of Church Council. Dan wants to extend his thanks and gratitude to Church Council and all of the church community for their patience and welcoming nature. A smaller group, the Executive Committee, serves the Council by taking some of the administrative load / planning agendas for Council meetings and following up on Council decisions. An important special task of the Executive Committee, done in conjunction with the Chair of the PPRC, is to annually assess clergy performance. This year, the statutory members of the Executive Committee (Moderator Dan DeOreo, Trustee Chair John Round, Diaconate Co-Chair Christiane Alsop, and Rev. John Hughes) were joined by rotating Council members Bruce Warren and Mary Ellen Cook - and as required, Jason Smith, chair of the PPRC. Dan continued to hold Church Council and Executive Committee meetings on an everyother-month basis, starting in September of 2015 with the first Council meeting. Although it presented some challenges, most council members appreciated having to go to fewer meetings and we depended more on the use of , such as if we needed to pass a vote on an off meeting month. Church Council and E.C. also continued to approve all meeting minutes via , thus not spending time in meetings reading minutes from the past months. In September of 2015, with the leadership of our Missions Committee, the church collected items to send to our sister church South Down in Zimbabwe. Many church members and community residents contributed with donations of clothing, medical supplies, sporting equipment, school and office supplies, power tools and shoes, to name a few. This year there was a high demand for Sewing Machines and Fabric to start a local sewing group. The project ended with a multi-generational Pack-Up Party in the chapel where everyone worked together to pack up all of the donations. Some of the 13

16 CHURCH COUNCIL/EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE youth helped courier the items to NH where they were loaded into the container. This year, the FPC help load half of the entire container! In December, the container arrived in Zimbabwe and we got to see the fruits of our labor and generosity when receiving pictures back from Zimbabwe. In September of 2016, we hope to once again help our sister church in South Down, as a church and a community, by contributing to the container collection. There were also monetary contributions from a few church members that were given to Rev. Fungayi Mutsumbei to help fund his Project Kusimudzira. Project K is helping women in Zimbabwe build better lives for themselves by giving them a source of income. Specific projects for 2015 included the aforementioned Sewing Machines and supplies, power tools and a chainsaw. One cash donation went to purchasing a Peanut Grinding machine for women to make and sell peanut butter. This year the chair of the CC and EC continued the tradition of beginning each meeting with Joys and Concerns. Each committee member would share a joy and/or a concern that they have from their immediate life. This helped everyone get to know each other and help ground our meetings with the sense that we are all together and helping one another. The formation of the Vitality Group which has replaced Membership and Growth continued to bring in new members, spread the word of our great church and organize special events. This year there was a special 35 th anniversary celebration for Rev. Hughes where members of the church and community gathered to celebrate all the John has given to our community. With the vision of the Vitality Group and the support from our church leadership we continued the Hour of Tranquility which opened our sanctuary to the community on a weekly basis for quiet, spiritual reflection with music. This has been steadily growing in attendance and is an example of how our church is serving our community in times of need. The Trustees continue to take great care of our Church and Chapel properties with many improvements. This year the steeple was reinforced and the entire exterior of the church was painted. This was in large part due to the formation of a capital gifts program orchestrated by the BOT and Stewardship that brought in some large monetary donations. The Council worked closely with the Christian Education Committee to continue the role of the Christian Ministry Coordinator who works closely with our Pastor, Church Council and the office to help coordinate many of the educational events of our church. The Council recognizes how much work and time goes into the CE committee and is clearly helping to build the future for our church. This year we hired a new Youth Director. Jessica did a terrific job with the youth of the church and we are excited to continue to have her in this role for another season. 14

17 CHURCH COUNCIL/EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The Council worked closely with our Pastor and the Diaconate Committee. Rev. Hughes guided us spiritually throughout the season with his sermons and bible studies. Rev. Hughes continues to be a spiritual leader in our community making First Parish Church a religious home of Manchester by-the-sea. With younger families joining our church that have a slightly different perspective and busy family and sports schedules, we thought it was time to look at the number of committee members called for in our by-laws. The Executive Committee met with the Nominating Committee to brain storm ways to fill our committee requirements. They recommended to Church Council to lower the minimum number of committee members for most committees to 4. In addition, committees would be able to accept assistant committee participants to help on a one year basis for specific projects. It was agreed that a proposed change to the by-laws would lower the minimum number of members for all of the committees by up to a dozen and allow a whole new list of individuals that we can draw upon as assistant committee participants. This will hopefully lessen the burden on the Nominating Committee and existing members who serve on multiple committees year after year. We agreed that the addition of assistant participants will create a larger pool of individuals to call on, even if for a limited project specific timeframe. Assistant participants would not feel the stress to commit to 3 or more years but in the time spent would become familiar with our church and community which could lead to greater involvement and additional church memberships. The By-Laws sub-committee spent many hours going through our by-laws to make these changes to be voted on in this Annual Meeting. Respectfully submitted by:dan DeOreo Moderator for the 15

18 PASTOR PARISH RELATIONS COMMITTEE The committee met regularly with the Pastor through the program year in accordance with the by-laws. We thank members Pam Price and Martha Elder for hosting meetings all year. One of the primary questions considered by the committee this year was How can we make ourselves more visible and accessible to the congregation at large? We continue to explore answers to this question, which we hope to be able to act on as we enter into the new church year in the fall. As always, the committee worked to support Rev. Hughes to the best of our ability. This was a year marked by several changes in the professional/pastoral landscape for Rev. Hughes. Changes to administrative rules at Lahey Health have forced him to reduce the time spent visiting members of the community at Beverly Hospital. This, in turn, has affected the number of people requesting baptisms and other services at the church. Rev. Hughes has also noted that there has been a reduction in the number of clergy available to fill the pulpit in his absence, which has meant an increase in demand on his time. Despite these changes, Rev. Hughes states that he is optimistic about his own health and the health of the church as a whole. He looks forward to celebrating the church s 300 th anniversary over the next year, as well as the innovations that he and his staff are bringing to the confirmation and 1 st communion classes. The PPRC will continue to support the relationship between the Church and the Pastor to the best of our ability. Respectfully submitted, Pastor/Parish Relations Committee Jason Smith Pam Price Martha Elder Ron Gendron 16

19 VITALITY The Vitality Group worked independently to enact the tenets of Vitality coach Rev. Paul Nickerson in (i.e. he did not serve as our coach). We may revisit the possibility of renewing the coaching relationship in We held 2 New Member Sundays, welcoming 7 new members to FPCC. We received this lovely thank-you note from a new member: What a warm and wonderful and wonder-filled welcome to the First Parish Church! We held many outreach events, including sidewalk chalk art during the Manchester Arts Festivals (including flyers about FPCC Sunday School and fall events; we will do this again); Rev. Hughes 35 th Anniversary, a town-wide event with extensive outreach and publicity, including Proclamations by state senators; the Hour of Tranquility, opening our church to the community; Valentine s Day bell ringing, invited couples married at FPCC to ring the bell. None showed, but it was a joyful day of bell ringing for our members. In the fall/winter of 2016, we will organize FPC cheering on the half-marathoners running by our church in October and caroling on our church steps while community groups decorate the Festival of Trees and during the Christmas shopping evening. In early spring of 2017, we will approach the Manchester Community Center and Mother s Club about the possibility of co-sponsoring the community Easter Egg Hunt for young families in Masconomo Park. An additional goal for is to host in-home normal life events (watching sports, spa day, book club), with 3 FPC members inviting 3 guests to get to know each other in a non-church environment. This is one of Rev. Nickerson s central ideas to creating vitality in churches, and therefore should become an area of focus for the Vitality Committee. Mary Ellen Cook and Allison Moir-Smith/Co-Chairs 17

20 CLERK The Clerk has kept the records for the Church year , recording baptisms and changes in membership through transfers, admissions, and deaths. During the church year (July 1 to June 30), the active membership decreased by fourteen; 13 to inactive member status, and one death. There were seven new active members during this period. Present membership is 221 Active Members and 1 Associate Members. The total Active Membership as of, is 221. The total Active Membership as of June 17, 2007, was 290. The total Active Membership as of June 15, 2008, was 279. The total Active Membership as of June 07, 2009, was 281. The total Active Membership as of June 06, 2010, was 277. The total Active Membership as of June 05, 2011, was 264. The total Active Membership as of June 17, 2012, was 246. The total Active Membership as of June 02, 2013, was 243. The total Active Membership as of June 01, 2014, was 247 The total Active Membership as of June 16, 2015, was 228 The total Active Membership as of is 221 A copy of the present active membership and associate membership list is attached. The following baptisms were recorded for the year July 2015-June 2016: BAPTIZED Jack Lester Collens Logan Jackson Mahan PARENTS Justin and Lindsey (Shuka) Collens Gerald and Alexandra (Jackson) Mahan Additional Committees of the Church: The Clerk feels that additional information is needed for the membership to understand committees that have been formed by the church and those that are ad hoc to the Church Council, as well as committees de-activated as a result of Church Council action. 1) Pastor/Parish Relations Committee (PPRC): Created by the Church Council with a purpose to sustain a harmonious relationship between the Pastor and the Church community, and to assist the Executive Committee in providing an annual evaluation report to the Annual Meeting. This past year, the 3 members appointed by the Church Council were Henry Lapham (since resigned), Pam Price, and Ron Gendron, and the 2 appointed by the Pastor were Jason Smith and Jolene Larsen. Ad Hoc to the Church Council: 1) Archivist/Historian: (not appointed for several years) 2) Executive Committee: Formed by vote at the 2004 Annual Meeting as the administrative arm of the Church Council. The committee consists of the Moderator, (Dan DeOreo) plus chairs of Diaconate (Christiane Alsop); Trustees (John Round); and two other Council members to serve half-year terms (Mary Ellen Cook 18

21 CLERK (Stewardship) and Bruce Warren *Financial Secretary), served this year. We give utmost thanks to them for their work this year. 3) Safe Church Committee: Formed by vote of the Church Council in 2009 to up-date and maintain our present policies. Members include George Nickless, Mary Hosman, and Priscilla Duda. This committee presented a revised look at the package of requirements to put our church in a safe condition, particularly with the youth and Sunday School. A presentation was made to all teachers. CORI checks completed. Revisions needed to reflect electronic devises. 4) Webmaster: Dan DeOreo has filled this position temporarily. 5) Publicity: Position and committee is open at this time. It is now open to a new Council to review the position and work to establish a committee. 6) Fair Committee: Chairmanship is open at the present. 7) By-law Committee: Newly formed at the May 19, 2015 Council meeting to revise committee member s status. This will effect several sections of Article VI, VII, and VIII. Dan DeOreo, George Nickless, Joe Alsop and John Round are appointed members. 8) Tercentennial Cty: This committee was voted by the Council to handle the upcoming 300 th anniversary year of the church. Members include the Rev John Hughes, the Rev Lelly Smith, Mary Ellen Cook, Penny Lapham, Christine Alsop, and Sue Parker. 9) Clock Winders: How can we forget them? Not sure if they come under Council or Trustees, but they keep the clock and bells wound weekly. Henry Lapham, George Nickless, Mark Potter, Brian Duda, Sheila Carrassi, and Bruce Warren. Committees formed by either Annual or Special Meetings: 1) MHAB. The Meeting House Advisory Committee was added to the By-laws as a sub-committee of the Board of Trustees to oversee the use of funds resulting from the First Parish Church Meeting House Campaign. The MHAB consists of five people, three of whom are non-church members. Present members appointed by the Trustees and ratified by Church Council are: Church: John Round and Jens Kure-Jensen; Non-Church: Regina Villa, Dr. James J. Bacsik, and Stephen Rosenthal. Committee formed by the Diaconate: 1) The Care Committee: Formed by the Diaconate to attend to people in need of food, comfort, transportation, medical equipment. These dedicated people have made a significant impact on the work of the church in the community. They are led by Sheila Kafer (chair) and Janet Groth (vice-chair). Many volunteers contribute. Committee formed by the Trustees: 1) The Investment Advisory Committee. The work of these three had led to a significant difference in our investment portfolio. Many kudos to Steve Carhart, Jack Abbott, and Rick Wilk who willingly volunteer their time and experience to oversee our investments. Respectfully submitted, George A. Nickless, Clerk Additional historical data: 19

22 CLERK Church Services 7/08 thru 5/09 = weeks recorded Average attendance = 95 7/09 thru 5/10 = weeks recorded Average attendance = 101 7/10 thru 5/11 = weeks recorded Average attendance = 101 7/11 thru 5/12 = weeks recorded Average attendance = 92 7/12 thru 5/13 = weeks recorded Average attendance = 96 7/13 thru 5/14 = weeks recorded Average attendance = 86 7/14 thru 5/15 = weeks recorded Average attendance = 102 7/15 thru 5/16 = weeks recorded Average attendance = 79 Traditionally the count does not include July and August. Special Services: Ash Wednesday Maundy Thursday Easter Services Christmas Services (2) Sunday School & Youth Group Students: 9/08 thru 5/09 = weeks recorded Average attendance 33 9/09 thru 5/10 = weeks recorded Average attendance 27 9/10 thru 5/11 = weeks recorded Average attendance 29 9/11 thru 5/12 = weeks recorded Average attendance 38 9/12 thru 5/13 = weeks recorded Average attendance 42 9/13 thru 5/14 = weeks recorded Average attendance 30 9/ 14 thru 5/15= weeks recorded Average attendance 31 Sept 2015 to May 2016 Average Attendance 25 Sunday School & Youth Group Teachers: 9/07 thru 5/08 = weeks recorded Average # teachers per week =11 9/08 thru 5/09 = weeks recorded Average # teachers per week =10 9/09 thru 5/10 = weeks recorded Average # teachers per week = 9 9/10 thru 5/11 = weeks recorded Average # teachers per week = 10 9/11 thru 5/12 = weeks recorded Average # teachers per week = 12 9/12 thru 5/13 = weeks recorded Average # teachers per week = 11 9/13 thru 5/14 = weeks recorded Average # teachers per week = 10 9/14 thru 5/15 = weeks recorded Average # teachers per week = 10 Sept 2015 to May 2016 Average # teachers per week = 11 Some of the Small Group Ministries Presently Meeting Confirmations class: 18 (this may be the largest in our church history) Care Committee - Sheila Kafer, Chair; Janet Groth, Vice Chair Vesper Service: Began in fall of Average attendance 18 Friday Bible Study: weekly: average attendance 6-10 Soup & Conversation: 3+ times per year, average attendance 51 Women s Fellowship: average 20 Respectfully submitted, George A. Nickless, Clerk 20

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29 MISSIONS COMMITTEE The Missions Committee is primed for new projects in the upcoming year as well as fresh approaches to longstanding traditions. Our community presence through Missions efforts helps the First Parish Church in its wider outreach. The 2015 Zimbabwe Container Collection was an outstanding example of our entire congregation helping out. We are continually exploring volunteer opportunities where small groups or individuals and pitch in as the need arises. Our Youth Director Jessica Skidmore has been a wonderful addition to the service projects that engage the children of our Church. The children have engaged in various Missions activities throughout the year. All Missions activities occur through the financial generosity and participation of the Congregation. Any charitable donations made on behalf of the First Parish Church are directed to well-managed organizations with a stable record of service. First Parish Church donations support practical programs that focus on hunger relief, providing shelter, caring for the physically and emotionally impaired, and helping those struggling with addictions. We are mindful of our children s needs because they are most vulnerable in the community. We also embrace UCC humanitarian efforts, green initiatives and social justice causes. Organizations that received monetary donations from the Missions Fund in the past year include: Heifer International, The Open Door, Plummer Home, Wellspring, Grace Center, Operation Troop Support, and the United Church of Christ. A summary of various Missions-sponsored projects since the 2015 Annual Meeting include: The Open Door Community Meals program provides a healthful meal which included baked ham dinner with baked potatoes, a vegetable medley, fresh rolls, a full salad bar a dessert. Six or seven parishioners volunteer their time with each meal. Meals are served March, June, September, and December. It is a fulfilling event for the volunteers and much appreciated by the diners of the evening. Harvest Food Drive - On Bread for the World Sunday, October 18th, we dedicated the collection of food we had assembled. A group of children brought forward a token of all we had collected and took them up to the altar. In Alice Eastland s words, Lelly s special blessing transformed a pile of cans into a spiritual offering. The shout-out and answer from the congregation brought everyone together. At the Church Fair in November, a station was set up in the area where tables are stored. There a poster announced the possibility of making a donation to honor someone you know. People were drawn to the mission projects we support and most of the contributors were not members of our congregation. Our youth had made some attractive cards with envelopes and we provided an insert noting that a 27

30 MISSIONS COMMITTEE gift was made to support a chosen charity in your honor. The most popular causes were Beverly Bootstraps, The Open Door and The Grace Center. Our Annual Winter Coat and Boot Drive was a huge success this year. Spear headed by Kim Gendron, this event supported the youth in Gloucester by donating 60 winter items to children in need. The church was able to donate almost double the amount of items from the previous year. First Parish Church hosted a Chili-Chowda Fest on April 9 th, under the able leadership of David Lumsden. The event raised $1035 and the proceeds benefited the West End Neighborhood Gardens in Gloucester. Several raised bed gardens will provide organic vegetables for the Grace Center. Among the many volunteers for the event were the Confirmation class, and chowders/soups along with other parts of the luncheon, were donated by the Causeway Restaurant, The Beach Street Café, The Landing Restaurant, The Essen Restaurant, La Casa de Luis Restaurant, Crosby s Marketplace, Richdale s, and Captain Dusty s, and church members. The Missions Committee thanks everyone who contributed to this very successful event. The Confirmation Class received Missions Committee support in ordering 2-72 tall Kitchen Pantry Storage Cabinets. The class primed and painted the cabinets white. George Nickless and Rev. John Hughes delivered them to Grace Center in Gloucester, where they were filled with supplies and immediately put into service. The cabinets were needed as the Grace Center expands its program from 3 days to 5 days a week. Zimbabwe Container Collection - Many people from our church and from the local community donated items to be shipped to the South Down Church in Zimbabwe. Dan DeOreo coordinated the massive project with the United Church of Christ church in Keene, New Hampshire. You can see pictures and learn more about the Zimbabwe church on our website; /. Missions supplied the contents for the Plummer Home Easter Baskets. The baskets were assembled by the Youth and Jessica Skidmore and 18 baskets were delivered. 300th Anniversary - Rev Lelly Smith represented the Mission Committee in conversations about the 300th Anniversary of the congregation. After consultation with our committee, she worked with Rev Hughes to put together a Mission Celebration Sunday Service to take place on May 22nd. Speakers were invited to come thank us and celebrate with us from The Grace Center, Open Door, The Office of Veteran Services, and Plummer Home with letters from the Zimbabwe church read by Dan DeOreo. A special Anniversary Hymn was written to begin the service and passages from Psalm 107 were selected to be read before each presentation. A member of our church was asked to introduce each guest speaker. 28

31 MISSIONS COMMITTEE A group of six including Jessica Skidmore, our Youth Director, went out to clear a trail under the direction of the Manchester Essex Conservation Trust. The youth enjoyed hiking the woods near Route 128 and contributing to the beauty and accessibility of one of our nice trails. The Cricket published a photograph of our group on the trail on Saturday November 7, Gingerbread Cookie Decorating - Thanks to Alice Eastland, the youth with Jessica Skidmore decorated some delightful and delicious cookies on Saturday, December 5th. The decorated cookies were given to those visited by the Care Committee and also passed out on Caroling Night. The Missions Committee plans to support another Zimbabwe Container Collection in September/October in cooperation with Christian Education. The South Down U.C.C. partnership with First Parish Church continues to engage our hearts and our imaginations. Respectfully submitted, Rev. Lelly Smith Deborah Rouine Jim Brennan Kim Gendron Nancy Peterson 29

32 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION COMMITTEE The Christian Education Committee met monthly from September to May with our two program directors to discuss programs, review the budget, discuss and plan for upcoming special events. The Sunday school had another good year. With the increasing competition with Sunday morning sporting events and a strong ski season, participation dipped some. Also, we began a mid-week Sunday school lesson which parents really appreciated. The Middle School Youth met regularly on Sunday mornings and also for special social events and service projects. Many thought provoking adult education programs were offered, including Soup and Conversation, Hour of Tranquility, Friday Bible study and The FPC Book Group. The CE committee coordinated or assisted with a number of special events Open House in September, the Christmas Pageant, the combined Birthday Bash/Heifer Talent Show, and Children s Sunday. We are blessed to have a very talented group of program directors Christian Ministry Coordinator Priscilla Duda who did an amazing job all year in our Sunday school and organized inspiring programs for adult education and Youth Director Jessica Skidmore who inspired our youth. We had a hard working committee consisting of six volunteer participants: Co-Chairs, Julie Tosi and Sara DeOreo; Allison Moir-Smith (Secretary); Jen Powers and Tami Bothwell. Everyone pitched in to help run the events. We are grateful for the teachers and volunteers without whom we could not have our Sunday school and nursery. We are particularly grateful to Ann Greenleaf, who comes every Sunday to lead our children in song, and Chip Price who helps play guitar for our children in church. CE Director s Report, Priscilla Duda First Parish Church Sunday school had another wonderful year teaching our children Bible stories through our Godly Play curriculum. We currently have 6 volunteer teachers, 2 junior teachers and a staffed nursery. Each week we offer a music lesson under the direction of Annie Greenleaf; the children perform during worship throughout the schoolyear and are accompanied by Chip Price. This year we provided 28 baskets to Manchester s COA to distribute during the holiday season; the baskets are filled with various toiletries, and are always appreciated. Our main mission project was raising money for Heifer International. Through our annual talent show fundraiser we were able to send a check to Heifer International for $ money that will help so many in need. In December we provided 30 children on Cape Ann winter boots and coats so that they would be warm during the winter months. We worked with Cape Ann Interfaith for a very successful mission. We currently have 54 children enrolled in our program and were able to maintain an average of 16 children per week and 10 volunteers. Our greatest issue this year concerning attendance is additional competition with Sunday town and school sporting events. To help with commitments on the weekend we offered a mid-week Sunday school this year which was very well received. We had 6 participants each week who attended and 30

33 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION COMMITTEE caught up on lessons missed we will offer the program again next year. In June, FPC will offer a Vacation Bible School to all children The program was a huge success last year and are looking forward to this year. We will hold the VBS from 1pm- 3pm on June 22, 23, 24 th. We continue to provide a positive, rewarding learning experience that welcomes all to participate. Adult Education Report, Priscilla Duda Soup and Conversation has had a very positive response. We started the year in October with Rona Tyndall speaking about the Grace Center in Gloucester. We had 56 in attendance for this wonderful discussion. In October, Richard and Barbara Smith shared with 63 members the beautiful story of Courage and Light. We wrapped up with Rev. Lelly Smith discussing Pilgrimages with us in March, which was attended by 47. I look forward to seeing everyone starting October 2 nd when Margaret Bendroth will share information on Congregational History. October 23, Rev. Edward Matuvhunye will talk with us about Zimbabwe. Looking forward we will learn about Growing Up in Saudi Arabia by Jen Powers in the late fall. Bible Study started again under the direction of Rev. Hughes in February. The group, averaging 8, meets Friday at 4:00 for a look at the week s scriptures. Book Group has been a great success with many of the congregation. The group meets once a month at a members home for wine, snacks and fellowship. The group reviews and rates the book and the host choses the next selection. We currently have 22 members participating on a regular basis Hour of Tranquility FPC opens our church on Wednesday evenings for all to stop in for a moment of meditation, prayer, lovely music and opportunity to light a candle. The program has been very well received and is an outreach beyond our members. I continue to look for new ideas and ways to improve our Adult Education programs. Middle School Youth Group, Youth Director s Report, Jessica Skidmore During the program year, students in grades 6 through 8 engaged in monthly opportunities of worship, religious education, fellowship, service, and were involved in the community of the church. This year, the Middle School Youth Group (grades 6-8) met Sunday mornings during Sunday school time in the basement. In the fall, students learned about how to be Christian examples to the world. We read from the Old and New Testaments and talked about different people throughout Biblical history who lived their lives according to Christ teachings and how we can do the same. The curriculum for these meetings was compiled by combining our Youth Group curricula re:form and also some online curriculum from Junior High Ministry. In the spring, we spent time learning about what it means to serve wholeheartedly as we teamed up with the Missions committee to help and give back to those in our community. Jessica Skidmore, with help from some high school students and parents (Santana Tosi, Toni Rerisi, Julie Tosi, Holly Potter, Julie Hindes) lead youth group. The Middle School youth group was encouraged to help serve the community in several different ways throughout the year including sorting donations for the Zimbabwe container, sorting food for the Harvest food drive, making and decorating gingerbread 31