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1 34 Church Street Monroe, CT Tel.: (203) Fax: (203) Office Hours: Monday Friday 9:00a.m. - 3:30p.m. November 15, 2014 Senior Pastor: Rev. Jennifer Gingras Music Director: Will Duchon Secretary: Melissa Rosenberg Church secretary@mcc-ucc.org Staffing for the Ministry of MCC Hi folks! In case you missed the recent congregational conversation about staffing and the open search, here is the information that I shared. About a year ago, when we were undergoing the 2014 budget process, church leadership reached out to Michael Ciba (our regional minister) for advice. We asked him a question: Is there something that we could be doing differently to balance our budget and fill the ministry needs of MCC? Our statistical numbers (membership, worship attendance, pledging units, etc.) put us right on the edge of a staffing question. Do we continue with two full time generalist pastors, and continue to struggle with making our numbers and cutting things that we don t want to (like OCWM and Outreach giving), or do we consider a new staffing plan? At that time, we knew that we had made a commitment to Andrew, and we honored it and hoped for the best. When he gave notice last May, it gave church leadership an opportunity to think differently about our staffing model. I met with leaders to evaluate how staffing had worked in the past. We discussed needing to support the areas of vitality that we have identified (children, youth, and families) and that we should staff appropriately in the areas that we want to deepen and grow. Our Regional Minister, Rev. Michael Ciba, recommended we open up the staffing possibilities to include those with Christian education credentials and experience working with mid-size churches, to grow our faith formation ministries. Next, we conferred with Trustees, and we decided a 3o hour a week position is more financially responsible at this time. Looking ahead, if we had successful stewardship campaigns, we may be able to increase the position in the future. If the search is too drawn out, we may need to re-evaluate and consider hiring some temporary help, especially if church leaders begin to suffer burn-out from under staffing. A traditional Interim is probably not helpful at this moment, especially since Andrew did not leave us under duress or because of conflict. I thank all of you for your prayerful support and understanding during this in-between time. In peace, Pastor Jenn

2 The 2015 Stewardship Campaign has officially begun! This year, as we complete our 250 th anniversary festivities, we turn our attention to what lies ahead of us in our story as a faith community. Our 2015 stewardship theme is Journey Further to reflect the forward momentum of the coming year. We are confident that with your generosity and God s support, we can achieve our goal of 115 pledges and $232,000. As of November 12th we have received 64 pledges totaling $150,615. New this year to the Stewardship Campaign is a raffle featuring wonderful, exciting prizes. In order to be considered for the raffle, all you have to do is turn in your pledge card. The sooner your pledge card is submitted, the more prizes you are eligible for. It s almost time for the second raffle which will be held on Sunday, November 30th (deadline Nov. 23rd). The lucky recipient will receive a coveted, reserved parking spot for the Christmas week services. The last raffle will be held on Sunday, January 4th (deadline Dec. 31). The honored family will be the invited guests of Pastor Jenn and her family, welcomed into their home for a delicious thank you dinner. The raffles are cumulative, so if you get your pledge in by Stewardship Sunday on November 9th you will be entered into all three drawings! Thank you for your continuing support of Monroe Congregational Church. Please contact a member of the Stewardship Committee if you have any questions or would like more information. In Christ s Service, The Stewardship Committee: Scott A. Switzer (chair), Carrie Friend, Liz Sampson, Trees Whitbeck ************************************************************************ Outreach The Bridgeport Rescue Mission fights poverty from the inside out as they embrace the urban poor and addicted with the compassion of Christ, offering hope and healing for a changed life. We are collecting sample size toiletries such as soap, shaving cream, and shampoo to help support their mission. There is a bin located in Rexford Hall to drop off donations. Thank you, Julie McClenathan

3 The Monroe Food Pantry serves over 206 families in our area and they are running low on supplies. They are in need of the following items: Juice Canned Soup Cake, Brownie Mix Tuna (water packed) Baked Beans Sugar, Spices Canned Tomatoes Canned Beans Flour Jarred Pasta Sauce Cooking Oil Canned pasta Cereal (hot or cold) Syrup Laundry Detergent Rice, Noodles, Pasta Salad Dressing Shampoo & Conditioner Stuffing, Boxed Potatoes Ketchup, Mustard & Mayo Bar Soap Bisquick, pancake mix, baking mix Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate Tooth Paste & Tooth Brushes Canned Vegetables & Fruit Macaroni & Cheese Big Y or Stop & Shop Gift Cards Non-Perishable Milk such as Parmalat Deodorant Frosting If you would like to donate perishable items such as eggs or milk please call to arrange a drop off time or place in the bin in the Rexford House-Thank you for your generosity. Thanksgiving Baskets for Covenant to Care The board of Christian Outreach has received a request for Thanksgiving Food Baskets again this year from our social workers at DCF. Last year we supplied Thanksgiving Food Baskets for 30 families in the care of the Connecticut Department of Children & Family Services -thanks to all of YOU! We hope everyone will help out again this year! Donations of any amount will be appreciated. A $30 donation will provide 1 hungry family with a Covenant to Care Thanksgiving Food Basket which contains: 1 $10 Gift Card for a turkey (If we raise extra money or I can find extra good deals I can purchase a $15 gift card!), 2 cans of gravy, 1 cranberry sauce, 1 stuffing, 1 bag of fresh potatoes, 1 can yams, 1 bag of fresh carrots, 1 large can of corn, 1 box of brownie mix, 1 fruit cocktail, 1 Kraft Mac & Cheese (or More), Green Bean Casserole: 2 cans green beans 14.5 oz, 1 French s Fried Onions 2.8 oz, 1 cream of mushroom soup Please make your check payable to M.C.C, and note: "Covenant to Care - Thanksgiving Baskets" THANK YOU! Please make your donation by Sunday, November 16th. Questions? Call Diane Prall Thank you for your support of Covenant to Care!

4 Please Help Support A Project From The Heart. As the Thanksgiving & Christmas Season Arrives It Would Mean So Much For Our Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan To Receive Care Packages From MCC. We need toiletries such as deodorant and shampoo, toothbrushes, and non-perishables items such as cookies (in boxes) beef jerky, puzzle books, playing cards and snack items. There is a bin located in the Rexford house with an extended list of items needed. Please consider donating to this worthy cause. If you have any questions please contact Miriam Zalenski at or bigred722@sbcglobal.net ****************************************************************** Deacons Interfaith Thanksgiving Service: Sunday, November 23rd at 4:00pm at United Congregational Church, 877 Park Avenue, Bridgeport, CT. This is the fourth year that the Council of Churches has hosted a Tent of Abraham Interfaith Thanksgiving service. Come and meet people from Jewish, Muslim and Christian faith communities as they share their traditions. This year, the MCC Adult choir has been invited to return and sing an anthem! Dec. 14 th Monroe Clergy Association Blue Christmas Service: On Sunday, December 14th at 3pm at the United Methodist Church of Monroe (515 Cutlers Farm Road) will hold a service for those who struggle with loss, grief or sadness this season. Join us to light a candle and prayerfully reflect, all are welcome. Prayer Partners will find out who they are praying for by the end of the week. Start praying for your partner and find them during the passing of the peace or at coffee hour. Say hi to them through a card using the church's address. Sit next to them at the celebratory luncheon this Saturday. I have 27 volunteers keeping each other in their thoughts and prayers. If you have not received your letter in the mail, please contact Susie Cuseo at or at thecuseos@yahoo.com

5 Christian Education 2014 Senior PF Wreath Fundraiser: It's that time of year where we're getting merry and bright! PF is holding our annual wreath fundraiser. If you would like to purchase a wreath; PFers will be at coffee hour the next few weeks taking orders. Thank you for your love, support and for making our 2015 mission trip a special one! 12 inch wreaths - $14 16 inch wreaths - $16 Bows - $2 Technology Day for MCC Members hosted by Senior PF Are you struggling with the new technology of our world? Do you want to learn about the technology so you can communicate with and impress your loved ones this holiday season? Then join us for Senior PF's technology day after church at coffee hour on the 23 of November! Bring a device you are struggling with or simply your questions! PF will have several stations set up to address your needs! We will have a questions box in Wilton Hall as well so you can submit questions ahead of time so we can have a better understanding of your needs and can better help you! Thank you and looking forward to working with our faith family! The Sunday School children raised $ from their bake sale for Holy Joe s Café. We would like to thank them for all their hard work. ************************************************************** Search Committee News The Search Committee has been selected by Council, commissioned, met, and prepared a mini-profile. The job is posted with the national UCC Opportunities, the Connecticut Conference, Yale Divinity School, Union Theological Seminary, the Association of United Church Educators (AUCE) and on our church s website at mcc-ucc.org/join-us/job-opportunities.html, we are accepting candidate materials under the search@mcc-ucc.org. In the beginning of the process, Rev. Michael Ciba told us to expect it to take at least six months. We will continue to meet and evaluate candidates until we are able to suggest one to the congregation. Our hope is to have someone on the job by midwinter, although the Holy Spirit may surprise us sooner. Thank you for your prayers and continued support. In Christ s Service, The Search Committee: Linda Caballero (Chair), Marian Schmitz, Fred Dubois, Michele Mount, Christian Rohach, Bill Allen, Rev. Jennifer Gingras

6 Thursday Morning Bible Study: You re Invited! Every Thursday from 9:30-11 at the Monroe Congregational Church, a group of people gather for Bible study. We begin our time by sharing prayer concerns. We then launch into a study that includes a variety of topics. Below are the readings for early October, should you wish to prepare before the study. Everyone is invited to come and raise questions and learn more deeply about faith in community! Nov.20 Jeremiah 1:4-10; 7:1-11 Prophetic call as warning; temple as den of robbers (Matt 21:12-13, Jesus cleanses the temple, which has become a den of robbers) Dec. 4 Esther 4:1-17 For such a time as this, Esther was made queen. (Matt 5:13-16, Salt and light) Fellowship The Young at Heart will meet at noon on Thursday, November 20 th at Longhorn Steakhouse, 838 Bridgeport Ave, Shelton, for fun, fellowship, and food. We hope you all will be able to join us. If you have never attended before, please come and see what we are all about. Call Bill & Ruth Wakeley at by Tuesday, November 18th, to make your reservation. Hope to see you all there. The Children's Snack cupboard is nearly empty. We are looking for donations of juice, snacks and cups for the kids during coffee hour. Please leave your generous gifts with a note for "Children's Snack" in the kitchen. All kids and those young-at-heart greatly appreciate the treats. The MCC book club has been reading Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver this month. We will meet at 7:30 PM Monday Nov. 17 at Paula Haggstrom's house, 42 Turkey Roost Rd, Monroe. All are welcome. ****************************************************************** Vitality Team Angela Cross is hosting a cookie baking night at her home, Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 7 PM. The plan is to bake cookies and make up trays to bring the town employees who work at the Monroe town hall as a thank you for all they do for our community. If you would like to join us, please bring your favorite cookie recipe, ingredients, bowl and a baking sheet... so we can keep things moving! RSVP by calling Angela at or angelajcross@gmail.com. Her address is 18 Lazy Brook Rd, Monroe. And, feel free to bring a friend!

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9 MCC Community Calendar Week of November 16th Stewardship Sunday 10:00am Worship 11:15am Stewardship Pancake Breakfast 12:15pm Music Committee (Dineson) 3:45pm Junior PF at Rockin Jump 6:00pm Senior PF 6:00pm Adult PF (Parker-Burgard home) Tues. Nov. 18 th 7:00pm Bereavement Group (Dineson) Thurs. Nov. 20th 9:30am Bible Study (Dineson) 12:00pm Young at Heart 6:30pm Confirmation 6:30pm Bell Choir 7:30pm Adult Choir Week of November 23rd 10:00am Worship 11:15am Senior PF Technology Share 11:15am Deacons Meeting (Dineson) 4:00pm Interfaith Thanksgiving Congregational Church, Bridgeport 6:00pm Junior PF & Senior PF Mon. Nov. 24 th 7:30pm Council Meeting (Dineson) Tues. Nov. 25 th 7:30pm Divorce Support (Dineson) Thurs. Nov. 27 th Office is Closed - Happy Thanksgiving! Fri. Nov. 28 th Office is Closed Week of November 30th 1 St Sunday in Advent 10:00am Worship 6:00pm Junior PF & Senior PF Tues. Dec. 2nd 7:30pm Rachel s Well (Dineson) Thurs. Dec. 3rd 9:30am Bible Study (Dineson) 6:30pm Confirmation 6:30pm Bell Choir 7:30pm Adult Choir Week of December 7th 2nd Sunday in Advent Baptism of Hailey Cacace Junior Worship 10:00am Worship w/communion 5:00pm Community Tree Lighting (St Peter s) 6:00pm Junior PF & Senior PF Tues. Dec. 9th Wed, Dec. 10 th 9:00am Retired Men s Breakfast (Rustic Grille) 11:00am Morning Circle (Dineson) Thurs. Dec. 11th 9:30am Bible Study (Dineson) 6:30pm Confirmation 6:30pm Bell Choir 7:30pm Adult Choir Week of December 14th 3rd Sunday in Advent 10:00am Worship 12:00pm Installation of Elijiah Rexford s Revolutionary War Memorial (Monroe Center Cemetery) 3:00pm Monroe Clergy Assoc. Blue Christmas Service (United Methodist Church in Monroe) 5:00pm Pizza & Caroling with Junior & Senior PF Mon. Dec. 15 th 3:45pm St. George s Supper Tues. Dec. 16th Thurs. Dec. 18th 6:30pm Confirmation 6:30pm Bell Choir 7:30pm Adult Choir