Tidings October Monthly news for members & friends from Niantic Community Church October 2012

Transcription

1 T i d i n g s Monthly news for members & friends from Niantic Community Church October 2012 FROM THE PASTOR AND TEACHER Dear Friends, On October 21 st, this year s pledging campaign will begin. That s the time when we remind ourselves that it is our own financial giving that supports all the many ministries that we do in Jesus name. But it s significantly more than that, as well. It was only since coming to Niantic Community Church that I look forward to pledging campaigns. In part, that s because our church which is to say, all of us together carries out an inspiring range of ministries. In part, it s because the members of our congregation again, that s you! are deeply generous with the financial resources that God has placed in your care. But it s also because NCC shows such deep respect for giving as a basic practice of faith. I know this from my own experience. Every time I give to others the resources that are in my control, it s like a door opening up to let in God s spirit. When I see so many in our church, reaching so deeply to give away what you could keep for yourselves to me, each one of those looks like an act of God. So I look forward to enjoying our pledging campaign. That s a good verb for it, at NCC: giving joy to our annual celebration of God s abundance and our own generosity. Each Sunday during the five weeks our Pledging Team will have a gift for you to take away a small and sometimes humorous reminder of the constant giving of our God. At NCC, by God s grace, we are soulstretching, peace-working, mystery-loving, community-investing, thankfully-giving people. Come to worship in October and November to find out more! And God s richest blessings to you, Pastor John A. Nelson A Federated Church of the United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church An Open, Affirming, Reconciling Congregation

2 Worship in October Worship Services at 9:00 & 11:15am October 7 th : 4 th Week, Season of Creation: Mountain Sunday Worldwide Communion Sunday Texts: Isaiah 65:17-25; Psalm 48:1-11; Romans 8:28-39; Mark 16:14-18 Pastor John A. Nelson, preaching: Beautiful in Elevation October 14 th : Heritage Sunday Texts: Matthew 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-15; Luke 18:15-17 Pastor John A. Nelson, preaching: Learning the Future October 21 st : 21 st Sunday after Pentecost Texts: Job 38:1-7, (34-41) and Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35c; Hebrews 5:1-10; Mark 10:35-45 Pastor John A. Nelson, preaching: Souls Stretched Wide October 28 th : 22 nd Sunday after Pentecost Texts: Job 42:1-6, 10-17; Psalm 34:1-8, (19-22); Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 10:46-52 Pastor John A. Nelson, preaching: Sweet Work of Peace Church School for Adults Sessions will take place between the 9 & 11:15 services, in the Fellowship Room. Come to one, some, or all: you are always welcome! Church School for adults helps us to better know our scripture, our tradition, our fellow congregants, and ourselves. Childcare available if requested! please speak to Russ or Pastor John Taking Faith Home Over the past few months, colorful inserts entitled Taking Faith Home have appeared each Sunday morning in our worship bulletins. Now, we d like to hear your thoughts about those inserts. Have you found them helpful in your personal or family devotions? For table conversation? For after-school activities with children? Have you found them helpful in any way in nurturing you or your family s faith? Or perhaps you ve found them most helpful in starting your campfires this summer. Whatever your experience, we d like to hear about it. Please pass along those thoughts to Judy in the church office, to Patty Chaffee, Carol Donovan, Marion McKenzie, Lew Meier, or Paul Helvig. And thanks for the feedback. The link below will lead you to a lovely story about our church on the United Church of Christ Connecticut Conference website. Get Ready for Worship! Follow the Preparing for Sunday link on our website (NianticCommunityChurch.org). You will find the scripture readings for the current week, a brief description to set them in context, a reflection on the passages, and a prayer starter. It s a great way to spend time with God s Word and since those passages are (often) the basis for services on Sunday morning, you ll be adding a new layer of richness and meaning to the experience of worship. 2

3 History Quiz & Trivia September brought us back to school and back to church. Both of these activities were announced to our forefathers by bells. See if you can answer the following questions about bells. *The Niantic Community Church has had two bells in its history, one Methodist and one Congregational. Where are they? *The early church bell was not rung on the hour as many are today. When, during each day, did the bell ring? *Many communities would ring the bell one time for each year of life when a person died. Do you have any idea how long it would take to ring if the person was ninety (90) years old? *On a normal day how far can a church bell be heard? *What else did the sound of the bell tell people? Movie Night, Friday, October 12 th 7:00 9:00 p.m. Out of Control: AIDS in Black America Popcorn and refreshments provided Brought to you by the Parish Nurses Out of Control was the first national network television documentary to examine how and why AIDS has become overwhelmingly a black epidemic-not in Africa or the Third World, but right here in the United States. Blacks make up 13% of the total US population, but over 50% of all new cases of HIV infection. That infection rate is eight times the rate of whites. Among women, the statistics are even more shocking: 70% of all new HIV infections are Black women, and a black woman is 23 times more likely than her white counterpart to be diagnosed with AIDS. AIDS is the leading cause of death for Black women ages 25-49, and has been for the last 11 years. In interviews with AIDS activists, doctors, public health officials, and Black leaders, Out of Control revealed, for the first time, the political and social reasons AIDS spiraled into a crisis in Black communities across the country. ~The Documentary Spirited Singles met for a picnic and book discussion at McCook s Photo credit: Joanne Moore 3

4 News from Christian Education and Youth Minister Russ Kirby Church NCC: Church School attendance is up this year over last year, and we re having tons of fun learning new songs with the youth band in our opening time and about God in our classes! Church School now includes all kids in Pre-K through 8 th grades, and we go to the Multipurpose Room from the 9:00 AM service following Thought for Young Minds. Just a reminder that class ends at 10:15, and we encourage parents to enjoy coffee hour downstairs until then, since waiting for your children in the multipurpose room can be distracting for them. Besides, what better way to catch up with your friends than in Coffee Hour? NCC: Fall is well underway in youth fellowship in October, and there are plenty of great opportunities going on for youth in grades 6-12! Some highlights: Senior Youth (grades 9-12) have a laid back, fun opportunity this year to learn about God and the Bible. We re holding Bible Basics at 7:00 PM on Thursdays in the Multipurpose Room. No need to study, just bring your Bible and join us to learn about this book our faith is based on. It s laid back, great chance to grow in your faith! This Sunday, October 7, is our monthly Senior Youth (grades 9-12) Homeless Shelter Meal, and the Junior Youth (grades 6-8) will be cooking! Junior Youth will meet from 4:30-6:00 PM to prepare the meal, and Senior youth will meet at 6 PM at church to take it to the St. James Church in New London. We ll return by 8:15 PM. Sunday, October 14 th during Senior Youth Fellowship all youth in grades 8-12 and their parents will meet to begin working on our 2013 Youth Summer Mission Trip! (8 th graders are included since they will be considered 9 th graders when the summer rolls around.) We ll meet in the Multipurpose Room from 4:30-6:00 PM to choose where we want to go, how we want to get there and what fundraisers we want to do. See you there! Sunday, October 28 both Senior and Junior youth will gather at 4 PM to carve Jack-O-Lanterns in our second annual Carving for a Cause time. We ll have a contest to see who has the most creative carvings, and all the Jack-O-Lanterns will be given to homebound members to brighten their holiday! If you know anyone who might enjoy one of these youth creations, please call the church office and let us know. We ll also need parent drivers for the deliveries. Go to to find youth and Christian Ed Calendars online. Peanut Butter Pallet Challenge November 10th will mark the 5th Fountain/Timmons Team of Prudential CT Realty Food Drive for the Gemma Moran Food Center. Other food drive sponsors include Tri-Town Foods, WNLC and the Niantic Rotary. The Gemma Moran food bank serves many local food pantries including the weekly food pantry at NCC on Thursday evenings. This year you are invited to participate in a fund drive to purchase badly needed peanut butter for our local food bank. For the next 3 weeks we will be selling individual jars of peanut butter for $1.80 or a case of peanut butter (12 Jars) for $21.60 in the dining hall after the 9AM service. It takes 98 cases to make a pallet of peanut butter. Our church members have currently purchased 22 ¾ cases this past Sunday. Please consider making a donation to this worthwhile cause. The Outreach Committee is also challenging local churches to participate in this food drive to see collectively how many pallets we can purchase in the spirit of friendly competition. 4

5 67th Annual Jack Frost Bazaar Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012 The Jack Frost Bazaar is a wonderful tradition of our church, sponsored by the Women's Fellowship Board, and celebrating its 67th year this year! We need lots of help to make it successful. From the Nurturing Faith Committee Think you don t have time to nurture your faith during the week? Sign up for daily Still Speaking Devotional at Receive the Word of God daily in your and read short scripture-based reflections when you have time. Sign up and feed your spirit! We will need help with set-up and clean-up, donating items for any of our rooms (Silent Auction, Attic Treasures, Precious Past, Jewelry, Books, Handmades, Toys & Sporting Goods and Holiday Decorations.) We also need folks to donate baked goods and cookies. We need many workers the day of the bazaar. Other ways you can help include hanging a flyer at your workplace or a local business, helping to spread the word with your friends, and of course come shopping at our bazaar! There will be 4 churches in East Lyme holding holiday fairs on November 10 (NCC, Christ Lutheran, Niantic Baptist and St. John's) so it will be a great day to do the rounds of all of them! Contact Susan Brown ( ) or Jennifer Datum ( ) if you can help or for more information and thank you! A BIG thank you to Bob Jerome, from the Art Emporium, 228 Main Street, Old Saybrook, for his generous donation of mat board scraps for use in creative nurturing faith programs. Spring Cleaning? We want your jewelry! In an attempt to avoid a Jack Frost Bazaar all-nighter in November, we are asking that jewelry be donated earlier in the year. So as you are spring cleaning, and you come across any jewelry you are ready to move along, please label it for the Jack Frost Bazaar, and leave it in the church office. A Considering Membership Session is scheduled for Saturday, October 13th from If you are interested in exploring the possibility of membership, please contact the church office (860) Jeannette Woodworth, Laureen McCarthy and Edie Watrous. 5

6 5 th Annual NCC Chili Cook-Off Saturday, October 13 th 5:00-7:30 p.m. This church-wide family event has something for everyone. Kids enjoy face painting, games, hotdogs, cider and fun while adults partake in the all you can sample chillis competing for prizes and the coveted winning apron. Live music, fabulous fellowship and all for a great cause. This year, co-chairs Jolie Peters and Mary Signorino are inviting the congregation to get involved in any number of ways. Volunteers and competitors are needed, as well as great appetites. Tell your friends and recruit your favorite restaurant to compete. Encourage your civic organization, fire dept. or boy scout troop to enter. This year we are also accepting donations of gift certificates to restaurants, stores and any kind of business to help us fill those prize baskets. Let us know how you would like to be involved! Call the church office DRUM CIRCLE Holy thunder will be heard from the multi-purpose room when the NCC Community Drum Circle meets on Friday, October 19, 7-8pm. The monthly program will be facilitated by Kate Brodaski. No experience needed. Bring a drum if you have one and if not, come anyway. We have some here! All are welcome to this Nurturing Faith activity. 6

7 History Quiz Answer Tidings October 2012 Sacred Source Painting Answers: The Methodist bell was melted down and remade into tea bells that were given out for pledges to the building fund of the church on Penn. Ave. The Congregationalist bell from the Stone Church is located across from the Burial Ground on Society Road. The bell would be rung at 6AM, 12 Noon, and 9PM. In some areas after the 9PM ringing the bell would toll out the date for those making entries in their diaries. It would take an hour and a half to ring the bell. The bell was rung once a minute for the number of years. Many bell ringers would put the correct number of corn cornels on a rail and knock one off at each ringing until the correct number of years was reached. During ideal circumstances a bell can be heard 9 miles. From the sound of the bell many people could tell which way the wind was blowing and if the barometric pressure was rising of falling. Many could tell the next days weather by the sound. Trivia: Many Church and Town bells were used with special bell signals. They might ring to warn of an attack, a fire, to announce the arrival of the fishing fleet or the rising of the tide. What is sacred source painting? A universal creative process that returns you to your natural state of oneness with the divine Creator.for anyone who wants to awaken their artist s soul. It will rekindle your sense of freedom and will affect other areas of your life as well.many have found this process to be genuinely transformative. - Aviva Gold, author, Painting from the Source. Always wanted to paint? This monthly program uses tools that include a DVD and book by Aviva Gold and lots of paint and paper. For every ability, even if you ve never picked up a paintbrush. When? We meet the second Friday of each month 9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Bring a bag lunch. Cost? $5 per session (if you can) to help cover cost of materials. Facilitated by Community Minister Patty Chaffee. Please call for more information (860)

8 From the Parish Nurse Donna Hathaway Greetings, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and as a reminder I would like to share some information with you. Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis in women in America. Early detection and treatment is most important to successful outcomes. The American Cancer Society s guidelines for the early detection of breast cancer are: Age 40 and over: Annual Mammogram Annual clinical breast exam by a doctor or a nurse Monthly breast self-examination Age 20-39: Clinical breast exam by a doctor or nurse every three years Monthly breast self-exam If you have a history of breast cancer in your family discuss mammography screening guidelines and scheduling with your health care provider. For information about free or discounted Mammography screening you can call your local hospital or The American Cancer Society. Peace, Donna Hathaway My experience as an American Red Cross Nurse Volunteer. On Sunday at 3pm I received a call asking if I could deploy to Mississippi. On Monday at 10am I was on a plane to Jackson, Mississippi where I rented a car and drove 2 hours to Hattisburg, MS. I checked into a hotel and got a good night sleep knowing from past experiences that it would be the last for a few days. At 8am on Tues I arrived at headquarters and received my assignment. I then drove an hour to Gulfport, MS, to an evacuation shelter for the duration of storm Isaac. As I arrived I was greeted with open arms and a smile, when I said I was a Nurse Thank God you are here. Which I have to admit was a bit scary. People of all ages, 5 weeks to 95 years old, scrambling around, securing their spot on the floor, only 50 cots for 350 people. People from this part of the country are told to go to the shelter with food and bedding, medications and to be prepared to sleep on the floor. For the next 48 hours with approximately 20 other American Red Cross volunteers from all over the country and one local nurse, I was assessing and providing for the needs of all during a high anxiety time. During this time I think I got approx. 8 hours of sleep. I dealt with issues from infant fevers, cuts, seizures, cardiac arrest, respiratory distress and hypo and hyperglycemia. When the storm was over and the roads opened we assisted people onto the buses to take them back to their homes. I received many thanks, hugs, and God blesses. I then moved onto a more permanent shelter with 80 people. Four days later when that shelter closed I was blessed with a hotel room and a day off for rest. My last few days in Mississippi were spent with an outreach team going out to the neighborhoods that were affected by the flooding. When I was sharing my story with Marie she asked me to share it with you. It is my hope that my story can help you understand what an American Red Cross Nurse Volunteer does during a major weather event. This was my 14 th deployment beginning with Katrina. If you are wondering why I put myself through such an experience, I do it because I have been given a gift from God and feel called to use it. I receive much more than I give. Peace and Joy, Donna M. Hathaway 8

9 Growing in Faith Faith is a slippery thing. You won t find consensus about what it is or should be. Most, however, would agree that it doesn t fall in the realm of science. It s not tangible or factual. It can t be proven. It s well, it s faith. Like love, faith grows as we spend time with the One who is the focus of our faith as we become more intimate with the source of light and meaning in our lives. So it shouldn t be a surprise that all we do here at NCC is (or should be) an opportunity to grow in faith. And yet, we may not have thought of it that way before. Consider how each of the following might help you to grow in faith. How many are you currently taking advantage of? Do you feel a stirring in your heart, in your soul, in your spirit to grow in a new direction during the coming year? Worship Services Music Ministries Adult Choir Agape (youth) Women s Gospel Choir Men s Gospel Choir Children s Gospel Choir Adult Bell Choir Youth Bell Choir Drum Circle Soloist Singing Ministry to Nursing Homes Home Communion Ministry Lay Reading Ushering Parish Visitors Offering Counters Adult Sunday Morning Classes Sermon Talk-Backs Teaching Children s Sunday School Between Hour Café (coffee hour) Youth Fellowship Advisor to Youth Fellowship Bible Basics (youth) Disciple Class Tuesday Bible Study Breakfast Taking Faith Home The Wednesday The Weekly from Russ Kirby Tidings Soup and Soul Confirmation Mentoring Confirmands Operation Love Prayer Chain Bread for the World Letter Writing United Action Heifer Project International Habitat for Humanity Caregivers Group Labyrinth Ministry Spirited Singles Women s Retreat Mini-Retreats Creative Book Discussions Sacred Source Painting The Healing Art of Photography Book Group Prayer Shawl NCC Food Pantry Shoreline Food Pantry Monthly Meals at Soup Kitchen Serving on Church Boards and Committees WCSA Jack Frost Bazaar Rummage Sales Summer Meals Chili Cook-Off Dinner Groups Dinner-and-a-Movie Movie Nights Hiking Group Spring Grounds Clean-Up 9

10 Advertise in the Church Yellow Pages Because you are either a member of the Niantic Community Church, or because you have been recommended by a member, you are invited to advertise in the first annual edition of the Niantic Community Church Yellow Pages. Copies of this edition will be distributed to the members of the church. Additional copies will be available in the church office. There will also be an on-line link to our web page. Funds received will support the general budget of the church. This project is one of the fundraising ideas that developed to replace the income from the established summer supper program. This is a great way for us to work together in our business dealings, thereby strengthening our sense of community. You may advertise your business or services. You may take out an ad soliciting donations for your favorite charity. Page Size: 8 ½ x 11 Full Page: $200 Half Page: $100 Business card size: $50 Youth (age 21 & under) business card size*: $5 Please make checks payable to Niantic Community Church, with Yellow Page in the memo line. Contact Information: Name of Business Contact Person Phone Size of ad: Full Page Half Page Business card Youth* You may either attach your ad or business card, or send it electronically to joannezmoore@gmail.com Or, you can mail the ad and your check to Niantic Community Church, 170 Pennsylvania Ave., Niantic, CT 06357, or turn it in at the church office. Advertising for Youth under 18 Years Old The contact information provided for youth should be that of the parent or guardian. Contact Information: Name or Nature of Business Contact Person Phone Size of ad: Full Page Half Page Business card $5 Youth* I give my permission for my child to advertise in the Niantic Community Church Yellow Pages. Signature of Parent or Guardian 10

11 Niantic Community Church 170 Pennsylvania Avenue Niantic, CT (860) Worship Services at 9:00 a.m. and Pastor & Teacher: John A. Nelson Community Minister: Patty Chaffee Christian Education and Youth Minister: Russ Kirby Church Secretary: Judy Snitkin Parish Nurse: Marie LaTourette Music Director: Paul Althouse Children s Center Director: Kathy Tiller 11:15 a.m. Deadline for the November edition of Tidings is Oct.15th. Please submissions to Tidings@TheDatums.com 11