April The Good Newsletter of the. Southwick Congregational Church. United Church of Christ. Southwick, MA

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1 Southwick Congregational Church Committee Chairs Board of Deacons: Barbara Gunn, , Buildings & Grounds: Eric Nitsch, , Christian Education: Florence Pitoniak, Finance: Jodi Potts, Library: Jodi Potts, Memorial Gifts: Karen Brzezinski, Mission Outreach: Patty Banasik, Music: Melanie Nitsch, April 2016 Southwick Congregational Church 488 College Highway P.O. Box 260 Southwick, MA Return Service Requested Church Office Hours: Monday through Friday 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Pastor s Office Hours: Tuesday through Friday 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Church Office Phone & Fax: ; Pastor s Study: Website: southwickucc.org The Good Newsletter of the Southwick Congregational Church United Church of Christ Southwick, MA Office southwickucc@gmail.com Look for us on Facebook: Southwick Congregational Church UCC Staff: Minister Reverend Bart Cochran Choir Director/Organist Roberta Kowal Bell Choir Director Patti P. Wood Administrative Assistant Elaina Lempke Custodians Matthew Kowal Florence Pitoniak VOLUME MMXVI No. 4 Minister: The Rev. Bart Cochran Please join us Sundays for Worship Service 10:00 AM Mid-Week Service Thursdays 6:30 PM DATED MATERIAL PAID Permit No. 309 Southwick, MA US Postage

2 Dear Friends, April is a strange month. It s the first full month of Spring but I ve learned since being here in New England that it can be 80 degrees and sunny or 25 degrees and snowy! Also, April starts with a hilarious tradition April Fool s Day. My mother was a terrific prankster when I was growing up with my two brothers in Texas, and April Fool s Day was her specialty. I vividly remember how she woke me up one morning on April 1 st and told me the school had burned down overnight, and we didn t have to go to school. I got so excited that I couldn t go back to sleep, until she said April Fool s! I certainly felt foolish and she had a good laugh as well. Consider how our culture often sees our Christian faith and traditions as foolishness. Why get up on Sunday morning to worship in community and fellowship when you can sleep in? Why help those in need when it will cost you time and money? Why spend time trying to love your neighbor when it is so difficult, and your neighbor may not return your love anyway? Why be a fool for Jesus Christ? Let s consider what Paul had to say about this to the Corinthians. The first-century Christian community in Corinth was full of pride, with people boasting of their worldly accomplishments as well as their spirituality. They had begun to look down on Paul, whose life was full of sacrifice and hardship. In responding to the Corinthians with irony, Paul emphasized his foolishness in contrast to their wisdom: We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are honorable, but we are despised. 1 Corinthians 4:10 normal right side) as the bell tables will be on the right this year. Pastor Bart suggested having the flowering cross in the front center aisle for flowering and then placed it up on the altar before the worship service starts. This will be investigated for logistics. Shut-in plants will be ready for delivery on Palm Sunday. Nominating Committee: Patti Wood announced Roxanne Cook volunteered to be on the Flower Committee. Pastoral Relations Committee: No report this month. New Business: Discussion about whether the church will be doing a Strawberry Supper this year. A committee would need to be formed soon to start planning. Roxanne Cook expressed her sincere wishes that this could be pulled together as church suppers are a longstanding tradition of the church, great for fellowship, and will help us financially. Following no further business, the meeting was adjourned by the Moderator at 8:47 pm. Respectfully submitted, Melanie Nitsch, Clerk Executive Committee Report - March 10, 2016 The meeting was called to order at 8:52 pm by Moderator David Breton. Melanie Nitsch brought up discussion on whether we need to have a contract for our Bell Choir Director since a salary has been instituted from the vote at the Annual Meeting last month. Ted Orson suggested a job description would be more beneficial than a contractual agreement. A motion was made to have a job description created for the Bell Choir Director s position which was seconded and passed unanimously. Patti Wood stated she will offer her suggestions to the Music Committee regarding the job description contents. The Missions & Outreach Committee is proceeding with sending cards to shut-ins, ill members, those in the military, any names on our prayer list, but the committee still continues to need full names and addresses for many of these names. Patti Wood from Nominating Committee made a motion to add Roxanne Cook as a member of the Flower Committee, which was seconded, and passed unanimously. With no further business to discuss, the Moderator made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:07 pm. Respectfully submitted, Melanie Nitsch, Clerk

3 Discussed the Organist/Choir Director Contract and will get that signed and presented to Finance Committee. We discussed the bell choir director s position and recently voted on salary. We discussed future projects/fund raisers. Joyce Paggen requested a time to be set up to thoroughly clean the handbells. It will be discussed at next bell choir rehearsal. Christian Education: Flo Pitoniak reported 3 members present and she is elected as new chair of the committee. The Youth Group raised over $300 on their recent Valentine s Day Bake Sale. They discussed using some of the proceeds to purchase items and put together hygiene kits to be donated to the Samaritan Inn and other homeless shelters. They discussed different fundraiser ideas and activities throughout the coming year. The children will participate in the Palm Sunday Service and will have a special program afterwards. Vacation Bible School (VBS) is scheduled for July 25-29th this year from 9 am to 12 noon each day. The curriculum has already been ordered and the committee is looking for many volunteers to help. May 22nd this year will be Children s Sunday. The committee is organizing a Variety Show with a pot luck supper to be held on April 30th in the evening. Missions & Outreach Committee: Patty Banasik reported as the chairperson. They are working on finalizing the church s 2015 Special Contribution to the UCC. They also discussed fundraisers and activities throughout the coming year. They mentioned they recently brought a cake to the Samaritan Inn that was left over from coffee hour and it was greatly appreciated. They are suggesting that in the future leftovers can be brought there again. The committee is investigating donating hams to the Food Pantry for Easter. They are organizing a Tag Sale for June 4th. Table spots will be rented to both church members and community members. The proceeds from the table rentals will be split between Missions and the general church fund. Finance Committee: Jodi Potts reported as the new chairperson with Beth Studer being elected as Co-Chairperson. They had 7 members present. They discussed an overview of the committee s functions. The copier contract will be reviewed. One fundraiser suggestion discussed was a Trivia Night. Deacon s Committee: Melissa Day reported that no chairperson was elected at this meeting. She has requested to step down as chair. They welcomed new member Rob Lempke. They reviewed Deacon duties, discussed Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday Flowering Cross service, and New Member Sunday. Patti Wood asked if the Flowering Cross could be moved to the left of the chancel (rather than its Paul s use of irony is clear: the Corinthians, who think they are wise, are actually buying into the prevailing culture of pride and narcissism. Just as in our culture today we may appear foolish because of our commitment to Christ. It isn t always easy or popular to believe in Jesus and his teachings. And many people we interact with each day think that the Good News of a crucified and resurrected Savior makes no sense. As faithful Christians, we often do look like fools for Christ. So, what should we do? We can choose to be silent about our faith. We can try to fit into the prevailing culture which is one of violence, greed and self-absorption. Or we can let our lives speak, bearing witness to our Christian faith in love, grace and service to others. If we do this, we know that many will continue to be drawn to the message of Jesus. Let your faith shine through in all you do, and be a fool for Christ on April 1 st, and every day! Yours in Christ, Pastor Bart

4 Christian Education We are entering another busy season for the junior members of our church and those of us who work with them. Last month we joined with Pastor Bart and welcomed Jesus in the parade of Palms at the beginning of Palm Sunday service. After that the youth group and Sunday School joined us in New Fellowship Hall to share their version of the story of the Passion and Easter. It was interesting and everyone learned a lot. The fun continued with our annual Easter Egg Hunt. Thank you to everyone who made these events possible. With renewed energy, we continue with some special events for the children and members of our congregation. April 30 th we have planned a variety show, starting at 6PM with a pot luck supper. Come and join us and lend your talent, or your remarkable lack of talent, in any area. This is sure to be great fun! Please remember to bring in your non perishable food items Sunday, April 24 th, for donation to the food pantry. We are very pleased with the generosity our congregation has shown as we renew our commitment to our neighbors in need. THANK YOU!!! Don t forget on May 22 nd we will celebrate the children and their work throughout the Sunday School year when, once again, we take over the 10:00 service on Children s Sunday. DATE EVENT TIME/PLACE April 24 th Food Pantry Sunday During the 10 AM service April 30 th Pot Luck Supper 6:00 PM in Old Fellowship Hall (please bring food to share and your own dishes and utensils) April 30 th Variety Show After dinner in New Fellowship Hall May 22 nd Children s Worship Sunday During the 10 AM service All Church Committee Meeting March 10, 2016 The meeting was called to order by Moderator David Breton at 8:05 pm. David asked for a motion to accept the Minutes from the February Annual Meeting which was moved, seconded, and passed unanimously. Pastor Bart followed by offering a prayer to open the meeting and also thanked David and all the new committee members for volunteering their time. Pastor s Report: Pastor Bart reported there are no upcoming weddings or baptisms in the foreseeable future. There will be a New Member Sunday planned for May 15th (Pentecost Sunday). He talked about trying some new endeavors during the summer months to see how it goes. Traditionally our attendance is down somewhat so it might be a good time. One thought was to have a family night and show a movie and then have next Sunday s sermon revolve around the movie. He mentioned he recently attended an all-day seminar at the Jewish Temple in Springfield attended by other Christian, Muslim, and Jewish clergy. He enjoyed making connections with other clergy there. Treasurer s Report: Ted Orson reported that pledges/collections seem high in this month s financial report which makes us look like we are well ahead of our budget but Ted cautioned that this is misleading and doesn t expect this to last due to the fact that some of these contributions that came in are from members who donate yearly in one lump sum. Memorial Gifts: Karen Brzezinski reported she is the chair of the committee and only member. She mentioned a beautiful quilted flag that is being donated by Joyce Hamilton to be used at our Maundy Thursday Service this year and all future Maundy Thursday services. This year s service is on March 24th at 8 pm. Buildings & Grounds: Eric Nitsch was elected chairperson. Five members present. They welcomed new member Craig Perras. The committee has 13 work orders that are outstanding presently. Several are big ticket items such as paving the parsonage driveway, electrical work in the church kitchen, painting the front of the church, and replacing carpeting in the sanctuary. The All-Church Spring Clean-Up is tentatively scheduled for May 14th or the 21st so please check your calendars! Music Committee: Melanie Nitsch reported 5 members present. We welcomed new members Brittany Perras, Lee Zinnack, and Diane Jennett. We gave an overview of our yearly duties to the new members. Melanie was elected as chairperson of the committee.

5 Stewardship News Each new Stewardship season reminds us of the commitment we make to support our church as best we are able. Financially, winter has been good to us this year. Mild weather minimizes our energy expenses and Stewardship receipts for January and February have been solid. Each year also finds a number of members fulfilling their annual Pledges early in the year as seen on the below chart. Notice that the margin between receipts and expenses is shrinking. Each church community in the Hampden UCC Association is assessed an annual fee to support the Association staff and to provide services to its members. That annual fee is apportioned to the individual churches based on the church membership. Our Southwick UCC church roster of 207 active members incurs, at $19.10 per member, an Association bill of $ To date, 28 Southwick UCC members have contributed $ toward UCC Dues. Hopefully, the balance, $ , will soon appear from the remaining 179 members. LOOKING AHEAD How does a vacation sound? Do you enjoy the sounds of waves on the beach, watching surfers, singing, dancing and the laughter of children? Would you like to be able to enjoy all this and more at no cost to you? If you answered yes to any or all of those questions then I have deal for you. Here is all you need to make that dream a reality. July 25 th -29 th from 9AM-12, we will be hosting SURF SHOP VBS in New Fellowship Hall. Come and join us! We are looking for volunteers. Give us one day, one hour or a whole week. You choose what suits your availability. We have an opening with your name on it! We will supply you with all the necessary excitement, energy and joy that you can handle and probably a little more. Don t miss this opportunity to be part of one of the most stimulating events of the church s summer. Help us reach out and let children know that they are valuable to us and share the message of God s love with them. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE!

6 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) Paint Party Fundraiser On February 27th we had approximately 43 attendees come to paint and help raise over $650 AND have fun! Thank you to everyone who helped make this a success! Tell us one thing most people would be surprised to know about you? I was in the in the Massachusetts Army National Guard for 10 years as a Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical weapons decontamination specialist and actually worked with live chemical weapons as part of my army training. Favorite sports teams: My favorite sport is football and my favorite team is, of course, the New England Patriots. What was the best advice you were ever given? My father always told me that it s ok to agree to disagree with someone, i.e. there are things that honest gentlemen can disagree about. The latest book or movie that made you laugh out loud? The Martian by Andy Weir was the funniest book I ve ever read and just all-around awesome (the move is great too, but the book is better). What achievements are you most proud of? I am most proud of graduating from Army basic training. It was very difficult mentally and physically but it made me realize what I m capable of doing. What do you like best about Southwick Congregational Church, UCC? The thing I like best about the Southwick UCC is the people. Everybody feels like family. I also enjoy Pastor Bart s sermons and that his theological point of view aligns with my own. Maundy Thursday The banner at this years Maundy Thursday Service was made by Joyce Hamilton for Memorial Gifts in memory of Carrie Arnold.

7 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 April is Robert Lempke. Rob has been on the Buildings & Grounds Committee and currently is serving on the Deacons Committee. Tell us a little about your background? I was born at Baystate Hospital just after midnight, on Mother s Day. I was the first baby born on that Mother s Day. We moved to Southwick when I was nine years old and I lived in Southwick till I was 22. I graduated from Westfield State College with four year degree in Computer Science. I ve worked as a computer programmer for ADNET Technologies, LLC since Tell us a little about your family? My father, Ernest, is originally from West Springfield and my mother Betty was born in West Virginia and moved to Massachusetts when she was a child. I have a younger brother named Ernest. I meet my wife, Elaina, in 1996 at Westfield State College. We married in 1999 and moved to Southwick in 2001 when my wife was 8 months pregnant with our daughter, Maria. Our son Rob Jr. (RJ) was born in Favorite Movie: It s hard to pick just one. I ve always been a big science fiction fan. A few of my favorites are Star Trek II, The Matrix, Aliens, Return of the Jedi, The Thing and Tron. Favorite pastime/hobby: I enjoy working on home improvement projects and gardening with my wife. I also like reading and learning about new things, especially science and history. I also enjoy watching movies. Most of all, I enjoy playing games with my kids. Strawberry Supper We are looking for volunteers to help with the Strawberry Supper! The supper is planned for the 3rd Saturday in June. There is a sign-up sheet located in Old Fellowship Hall. Please contact the church office or Roxanne Cook for more information and to sign up at (413) CONDOLENCES Our deepest sympathy to the family of Harrison Goodkin upon his passing. To My Church Friends, Thank you for the African violet given to me to celebrate Easter. It s nice to be remembered. Thank you very much, Gwen Gregory Happy Birthday! Emily Pitoniak April 2 Melissa Day April 11 Wyatt Baker April 12 Beverly Withington April18 Barbara Day April 20 Dennis Day Jr. April 22 Andrea Warriner April 27 Frank Wolak April 28 Betty West April 29

8 April 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Thrift Open 2 3 Communion Service 10 AM Coffee Hour 11 AM OA Meeting 3: Boy Scouts 6-9:30 PM Bell Choir 6:30 PM 6 Choir Rehearsal 7 PM 7 Midweek Service 6:30 PM 8 THRIFT CLOSED 9 10 Worship Service 10 AM Youth/Sunday School 10:15 AM Coffee Hour 11 AM OA Meeting 3:30 17 Worship Service 10 AM Coffee Hour 11 AM OA Meeting 3: Boy Scouts 6-8:30 PM Bell Choir 6:30 PM 19 Boy Scouts 6-8:30 PM American Inn Service 6:30 PM Bell Choir 6:30 PM 13 Choir Rehearsal 7 PM 20 Choir Rehearsal 7 PM 14Office Open 9-1 Fair Share Delivery Midweek Service 6:30 PM All Church Meeting 8 PM (Bell/Voice) 21 Midweek Service 6:30 PM 15 Thrift Open 22 Thrift Open Worship Service 10 AM Youth/Sunday School 10:15 AM Coffee Hour 11 AM OA Meeting 3: Boy Scouts 6-8:30 PM Bell Choir 6:30 PM 27 Choir Rehearsal 7 PM 28 Midweek Service 6:30 PM Historical Society Dinner 6-8 PM 29 Thrift Open 30 Variety Show & Potluck 6 PM Please Remember Food Pantry donations the last Sunday of the month