THE FORECASTER December, 2018

Transcription

1 THE FORECASTER December, 2018 Official Publication of First Congregational Church, UCC 30 Main Street, Binghamton, New York The Rev. Dr. Arthur M. Suggs, Pastor No matter who you are or where you are on life s journey, you are welcome here at First Congregational Church! Pastor s Perspective How does one say Thank You? This is my final newsletter article. My message is a simple - Thank You and God Bless You to a church that renewed my faith. But allow me to elaborate just a little. pleasure rather than expectation. Thank you for allowing me to be myself, particularly in the pulpit, more than any other church I ve ever known. To be loved for who I really am is a great gift.my wife Tracy has an ever so consuming career as a teacher, and thank you for never placing Wife of the Minister expectations upon her. Her participation has been out of Thank you for allowing me to explore, particularly in the area of theology. I m acutely aware I have departed from the standard party line, and I ve tried to do it with integrity and for good reasons. But some churches simply don t allow it at all. THANK YOU for that freedom. Thank you for your generosity, both in terms of time and money. You have given me time off when I needed it, and you have paid me such that I feel my work has been respected. Thank you for giving me such a wonderful staff, whether they are volunteer positions or paid. They all go above and beyond. I would like to mention in particular Nancy Wildoner, Cheryl Kindt, Judy Giblin, Bill Cuddeback, Dubbie Agard, Marty Rorapaugh, Vanessa Warren, Cindi West-Davidson, Sherry Shadduck, Jamie Walters, Arlene Price, Bernie Lewis, Julie Ann Johnson, Barb Thompson, and Toni Rorapaugh. And they might as well be staff with all they do, thank you to our Board Chairs: Clare Price, Doug Garnar, and Art Price. However, I need to mention one in particular. Leslie began as church administrator one year before I arrived. And she has been a Godsend. Talented, smart, the perfect personality for the job, no one could have asked for a better administrator, as well as confidant and friend. Thank you, Leslie, for all you do, and for who you are. I will miss working with you, but will cherish many, many happy memories. (Remember three hymns!) I m not sure if this is the best way to say this, but thank you for putting up with me. I ve been a minister for 35 years, and in that amount of time one learns of one s strengths and weaknesses. Early on (Cont. on Page 2 Pastor s)

2 Cont. from Page 1 Pastor s) psychologists and counselors forewarned me that my personality was an ill fit for the ministry. Go ahead and do it if you want. they warned me, but you will encounter some troubles. And I did I went ahead, and I encountered troubles. I have intended to leave the ministry twice. So thank you for putting up with at least the part of me that never fit well into the normal clergy mold. When I arrive at the pearly gates, I don t expect to hear Well done, good and faithful servant. What I m hoping for is Well, ok, not too bad, could have been worse. And thank you for the good times. We ve had good laughs on Sunday mornings. We ve had precious moments when the angels showed up. We ve had fun working together for parades, rummage sales, turkey dinners, and 570 coffee hours in the Parlor. We ve even had good times in the church committee meetings imagine that! You are a blessing to me; for allowing me to leave with a sense of contentment in my heart, a smile upon my face, and a modicum of sanity in my head. They say that we can have friends of silver, and friends of gold. Thank you for gilding my time amongst you. Your friend, Art Suggs Congregational Conversation Yes, we have one coming up - it will take place after the Worship and Fellowship time on December 9. Several topics for information and discussion: Report from the Transition Team; final report regarding the hallway and entrance renovation including scope of work and costs; update on Zach DuBord and his progress toward seminary education and Member in Discernment status; new arrangement with Face It! theater group; and finally some information regarding protocol for a departing minister. New wireless internet at FCC We now have wireless internet so please change your setting to fcc18. Password is still Chauncey.

3 ADVENT -a poem by j.j. adam When planting time is over When the harvest has been stored When the fields are covered with frozen stubble God the seed is planted. When the aroma of spring is long gone When the flowers of summer have lost their bright petals When all growing things have been pruned God the rose begins to grow. When the delicate egg shells of new life lie scattered on the ground When the fledglings have all learned to fly When the proud parents have all flown south God the feathering wing hovers over frozen snow. The Advent season is a time of great anticipation and hopefulness. It is also a time of dormancy and stillness, not only in nature s cycle, but in the cycle of our lives as well. We were made in the image of God, the imago Dei ; the German mystic Meister Eckhart describes it thus: The seed of God is in us. Now the seed of a pear tree grows into a pear tree; and a hazel seed grows into a hazel tree; a seed of God grows into God. In the season of Advent, we re invited to think about the things that lie dormant and unseen waited for and anticipated, not yet born. Is there a seed buried long ago that is still waiting to bear fruit in your life? What memory brings you a reminder of joy, peace, and energy? Is there a seed deep inside you, planted long ago, waiting patiently for its time of blossoming? (From an article by Kristine Haig, Presbyterians Today. Nov., 2004) Advent begins Sunday, December. 2. Join us in worship as we light the four Advent candles Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, and the Christ Candle on Christmas Eve. Something NEW will follow the Advent liturgy each week! Volunteers will share a favorite Christmas STORY, TRADITION, or MEMORY. -Christmas Blessings from the Christian Education Committee Communion December 2, 2018 Sunday, December 2, - the first Sunday of Advent, communion will be shared during morning worship. It is also the day gift angels will be available. Come and enjoy the Advent (anticipation) of the coming of the Christ child that Advent is all about

4 Zach DuBord is in care Several months ago, Zach DuBord felt a call to the ordained ministry in the United Church of Christ. He is currently working on the staff at Binghamton University and a member of the Board of Trustees at FCC. The process in the UCC is that the candidate is interviewed by the Committee on Authorized Ministry of the Susquehanna Association. He did that last month and was accepted. At the November meeting of the Board of Deacons of First Congregational Church, UCC, the board voted to endorse Zach s call and has notified the Association of our support. The next step for our congregation is to establish a support committee for him. Zach (who preached the message at worship November 26) will now begin several years of study to earn a degree in theology. Over the years our congregation has had members ordained into the ministry. It is exciting that Zach is embarking on this high calling! Christmas at First Congregational Church Lots of plans are underway for the Christmas season this year. With Thanksgiving a little early this year, the sanctuary will be decorated for all four Sundays in Advent. The Advent candle lighting service each week will highlight a Christmas carol that will be the opening hymn that day. After the opening hymn, there will be a short story about Christmas. There will again be opportunity to buy a Christmas gift for a needy family. The annual Christmas cookie swap is set for December 4. A new service this year is a Christmas Fellowship worship in the chapel. It is scheduled for Sunday, December 23, at 2:00 PM. We talk and share the joy of Christmas with family and friends. For some, Christmas can be a lonely time of year. This service will include songs, a message and fellowship reception. All are welcome, but with Christmas on Tuesday this year, many will not get home for the holiday in the middle of the week. This will be a chance for Church family to share. The holiday will culminate with Christmas Eve worship at 7:00 PM in the sanctuary. This is a special time of year when we pray that the Christ child will be born again in us. Come share the joy! For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men.

5 Handel s Messiah The Binghamton Downtown Singers will be presenting the 36 th annual production of Handel s Messiah under the direction of Marisa Crabb, with full orchestra and soloists. There will be one performance on Saturday, December 15, at 7:30 PM at Sarah Jane Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church, 308 Main Street, Johnson City. General admission tickets are $20, and will be available at the door. Ticket information can be found on the website: downtownsingers.org. The singers look forward to performing this sacred piece in a church setting for the first time in many years. Please join us! The ramp is finished! After most of five months of construction, the handicap ramp and new entry from the parking lot are finished. The final parts - the hand rails, curbs and plants are installed. Pete Perkins, who served as general contractor, had promised the project would be completed by Thanksgiving - he made it with two days to spare! The remodeling is a fine addition to the church facility. The reaction from many folks using the new entry walk through the new doors is WOW! The new expanded lobby with coat rack, new lighting, ceiling, wallpaper, carpet going all the way down the hall to Main Street is very nice. There is also a new unisex handicap accessible restroom in the Sunday school area. This is a very welcoming entry to our church. Be a Christmas Angel For the last six years, our congregation has adopted some less fortunate families and given them Christmas gifts. The Mission Committee in cooperation with Wilson Elementary School has received a list of 30 people who could use some Christmas cheer. On the first Sunday in Advent, December 2, the Committee will have colored paper angels clipped to garland in front of the sanctuary with gift wish information for a child or parent. The goal is to give each person two gifts - a garment and a toy. When taking an angel, log it on a master sheet, purchase the gift, wrap it and bring it back to church no later than the third Sunday of Advent December 16. The committee will deliver the gifts to each family before Christmas. This is a project where everyone wins! Some families get a little extra Christmas cheer, and we receive the gift of sharing the joy surrounding the birth of the Savior.

6 A blessing for Dr. Joe Joe Izzo, who has been a part of our church family for a number of years while attending Binghamton University, completed his work for a degree of Doctor of Chemistry. His final step, defending his dissertation, took place on November 16. His family came with him to church and Pastor Suggs gave him a blessing with some` members of the congregation laying on hands. United Church of Christ Christmas Fund In addition to Our Church s Wider Mission (OCWM), the UCC asks congregations to take four special offerings. December is the offering for the Christmas Fund. The collection used to be named Veterans of the Cross, and the money from that offering is used to support church workers. Many small church pastors have worked at low wages and without sufficient pension contributions. In addition, church workers who find themselves with financial problems can be helped by the fund. This is our chance to help folks who have devoted their lives to build the UCC denomination. Special envelopes will be in the bulletin the second and third Sundays of Advent. Honoring our Heroes This year Veterans Day fell on a Sunday and was the 100 th anniversary of the Armistice that ended World War I. Part of the FCC remembrance of that day was to honor Jack Brink and Chuck Mallery who were veterans of WW II, as well as Bob Neill who served in that era. Plaques were given to Jack and Chuck thanking them for their service to the country. The Veterans for Peace group were also honored during the service and the bell in front of church was rung at 11:00 AM which commemorated the hour World War I officially ended on November 11, Pictures of Jack & Chuck in their army uniforms were on display. Annual Meeting reports The Annual Meeting of the First Congregational Church, UCC, will be Sunday, January 27 following morning worship. The deadline for submitting information to be included in the annual report for that meeting is Monday morning, January 7, These reports have to be put together in a report for members at the meeting. Please keep in mind that report information may be given before the deadline date! It takes a lot of stress off staff if information is early!

7 Thanksgiving feast at FCC Following worship on October 18, the congregation and friends from other faith groups in the building enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving turkey dinner. As in years past, Chris and Tim O Neill organized and cooked the feast. (Most of the dinner crew pictured on the left.) With dessert that included a cake for Joe, several members of the Izzo family shared stories of Joe that were fun for all (except perhaps Joe)! Trustees report Tuesday, November 20, 2018, the Board of Trustees held a monthly meeting. The normal business was discussed including review of current and year-to-date financials showing expenditures are down slightly and overall income is marginally ahead of schedule. Basically, this tells us this church is very realistic in its understanding of our financial position. Projects the Board has been reviewing include the obvious: the ramp installation approaching completion; our security system upgrade to accommodate the new entryway; new wireless internet system; along with some not so obvious reviews including revamping of rental agreement; guidelines for which outside organizations may use the facilities; and roof drainage issues along Main Street. This is not a list of all that has taken place but a sample of key topics discussed. While this report may be a little shorter than most I have written, during the Congregational Conversation on Sunday, December 9, the Trustees will give much more detail with a final report of our entryway renovations. Art Price, Chair Board of Trustees Report from the Board of Deacons The Board of Deacons met Tuesday, November 20. Items discussed included: - Review of activities from the previous month - Passed a motion to ask the Committee on Authorized Ministry of the Susquehanna Association, UCC, to accept Zach DuBord as a Minister in Discernment - Reviewed and approved Advent service programs proposed by Christian Education Committee - Asked the Association to pick a different date for an Exit Interview with the congregation (The committee could not come until 12:30 PM on the proposed December 16 date) - Discussed possible Christmas season visits to shut-ins of our congregation Clare Price, Chair Board of Deacons MERRY CHRISTMAS!

8 Faith Works Fellowship (Fellowship members packing 30 bags of Thanksgiving meals.) On October 28 we began collecting funds and frozen turkeys for the Thanksgiving dinner baskets which we gave to our needy neighbors. A total of $1035 and two turkeys were collected. This produced 30 dinners which were distributed at a cost of $ The $ deficit was covered by the Faith Works account. A big thanks to all who contributed. As has been our custom in recent years, the Fellowship will not meet in December. Our next meeting will be on Friday, January 18. It will be the annual planning meeting. Please get your ideas together as to what you would like to do in the new year. This will be a pot-luck supper. Transition Team The Transition Team has been meeting regularly to develop an Interim Profile as the search continues for an interim pastor. This profile is supplied by the United Church of Christ Conference, and allows the church to determine the qualities and attributes the church would like to see in a candidate for interim pastor. The profile also gives a detailed assessment of First Congregational Church in Binghamton - its strengths as well as it weaknesses. Rev. Marsha Williams from the Conference office, has been assisting the team in its work. The team will keep the congregation updated on its progress.