The Echo. First Congregational Church of Eliot United Church of Christ. Children s Sunday Celebration May 14, Church Events

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1 The Echo First Congregational Church of Eliot United Church of Christ MONTHLY NEWSLETTER MAY 2017 PASTOR: REV. DR. BETH HOFFMAN Children s Sunday Celebration May 14, 2017 It has been a wonderful year of learning, exploring and playing in the fun of our faith. On this special Sunday we will be recognizing all our learners and all our leaders for the wonderful ways they empower our community to try new things, honor traditions and challenge us to be a full family in the Body of Christ. Please make sure that all your kids and their supportive people are with us on this day! AMIGOS PROJECT MISSION There is a never ending need to keep the hungry children of the world in our prayers but when we pray we also need to move our hands and our feet. For the month of May we will be challenging one another to collect $ for the children of Honduras. We have a direct connection to the children of the mountains in this very poor place and this year more than ever, the children are suffering without food. Every dollar given moves us to our goal, and this year we are setting the bar high and asking that each family unit make a special donation of $50.00 so that we might be successful. Make a donation in honor of a child in your life and bring honor to God in your generosity. Church Events May 3 Ladies Circle May 5 OOTS Fundraiser May 6- Work Day Cleanup starting at 11AM May 7 AMIGOS Sunday May 7 - Authors Day May 9-Muslim Study May 14 Mother s Day May 14 - Children s Day May 20- Men s Breakfast May 21 th Sacrament of Baptism celebrated May Pilgrim Lodge Church Retreat Event

2 PILGRIM LODGE Church Retreat It s that time again! Everyone is invited to our UCC church camp for a weekend of fun, reflection, community and peace in the great setting of God s creation in Gardiner, Maine. From Friday night May 26- Sunday afternoon May 28 we will partner with our sister church Second Christian in Kittery. This is a wonderful experience for all who enjoy that cabin, lake, boardwalk adventure. The approximate cost will be for adults and $45.00 for children. Want to know more about this fabulous opportunity please talk to our pastor, who will have our sign up forms and potluck details. Our CE director welcomes kids to join her as a family unit if they don t have an adult chaperone. Summer FUN Sundays The Sky is the Limit! One of the greatest gifts of our church community is the way every adult supports the church school children. This summer our theme for our Sunday Fun days is The Sky is the Limit. We are hoping that God is putting it on your heart to spend one or more Sundays with our fabulous kids Starting in June and running through August we will be having group experiences and asking our adults to join our kids on the lawn, in the movie room, doing and art project or cooking in the kitchen! Anything is possible CE Director Lydia Hoffman will be available by phone to support your gifts. SIGN UP WITH LYDIA and help our SUMMER SUNDAYS SOAR to the SKY!

3 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 First Congregational Church Of Eliot, UCC :30pm Ladies Circle Lessons 4 3-6pm 5 OOTS Rotary Fundraiser at Regatta 6-11pm 6 9am-Noon 7 Amigos Sunday Communion Author Fair Children s Sunday Penny Collection 21 Baptism Finance 11: ECHO ITEMS DUE pm Deacons 16 6pm Council 23 7pm Out of the Shadows Community Conversation Sr. Citizens 5:30 Prop Bd 6:30pm Choir 17 Lessons 6:30pm Choir 24 Lessons 6:30pm Choir Garden Club pm Pilgrim Lodge Weekend Men s Breakfast 8-9am 9am-Noon 27 Pilgrim Lodge Weekend 28 Pilgrim Lodge Weekend C.E. 11:

4 Fundraising Team Update and Upcoming events! By now you have probably received a card in the mail asking for your help in turning 10 to $100 for the church. To explain a bit more.this is an all church effort to help raise funds in a fun way for the ministries of Eliot UCC. There may be something that will interest you or you may be motivated to help in the way that makes sense for you. Some of the ideas and events that have come from the congregation are: Bake sales.this will be ongoing throughout the year. Contact Audrey Bryce to help! A Pampered Chef party ~ where 10 to 15% of the profit will be donated to the church date to be announced soon. Please contact Heidi Rodenhuis An upcoming Yard Sale (to be held in June) where a table fee will be charged that will be donated back to the church Uber service to the airport ~ a fee is charged that will reimburse the driver for gas and tolls and the remainder will go to the church. This is an ongoing event. (By the way, do you feel an urge to be one of the drivers? Do you have the time? Please contact Richard Donhauser for more details.) A Genealogy Project/scrapbook class is being planned for June by Diane Burbank An Author s Fair is scheduled for May 7 after worship, until 3pm in Fellowship Hall. Come out and meet local authors. Are you an author? Please contact Shelby Grondin-Bushe for more details. A choir Music Festival is being planned for the middle to end of June. A concert by local musicians, Susie Burke & Dave Surette! Not to be missed! Date TBD A fall memorial concert featuring the music of beloved Fred Gifford by his band. A Mitten making event, by Sally Hartford, will have been completed on April 29 Jane Spinney is offering to do alterations Lampshade repurposing is being done by Sonya Quinn Local (or not so local) walks (5k) have been done with proceeds given to the church A textile drive is being planned for the fall through the Epilepsy Foundation Our annual BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL is being planned for Saturday, September 9 This is just the beginning! Do you have an idea? As a team, we are willing to help with manpower, advertising or anything else you may need. There should not be any monies taken out of your own pocket. Whatever you spend should be taken out of the proceeds before giving to the church. At the end of the year, we are planning a dinner to celebrate all participants! We thank you for your help as we try to mix things up a bit! God is good! The fundraising team: Linda Gove Loraine Boyer Dayle Shiverick Audrey Bryce Lisa Marshall Sally & Fran Hartford Richard Donhauser

5 SUNDAY SERVANTS Fellowship Hosts 7 Sue Beattie & Loraine Boyer 14 Diane Burbank & Paula Caswell 21 Joanne Cultrera & Joan Donhauser 28 Dottie Edson & Bobbie Gosselin Ushers 7 Loraine Boyer & Dick McKenney 14 Laurie Troy & Linda Downey 21 Brad & Jennifer Swanson 28 Richard & Joan Donhauser Liturgists 7 Pastor Beth 14 Lydia Hoffman and Sunday school 21 Laurie Troy 28 Lisa Marshall Deacon of the Month Kristina Goodwin Sanctuary Steward Linda Gove BIRTHDAYS 1 - Sue Beattie 2 - Tom Beattie 3 - David Caswell 5 - Linda Gove 10 - Tina Dodge 13 - Alaina Goodnough 19 - Joshua Gray 22 - Sherry Goodnough 23 - David Gray 25 - Jennifer Caswell 30 - Pat Cress, Kaylee Masury Nursery

6 Pastor s Page Non Negotiable I refuse to be a Christian who lives in fear of people who look or speak or worship differently than I do. I refuse to be a Christian who believes that God blesses America more than God so loves the world. I refuse to be a Christian who uses the Bible to perpetuate individual or systemic bigotry, racism, or sexism. I refuse to be a Christian who treasures allegiance to a flag or a country or a political party, above emulating Jesus. I refuse to be a Christian who is reluctant to call-out the words of hateful preachers, venomous politicians, and mean-spirited pew sitters, in the name of keeping Christian unity. I refuse to be a Christian who tolerates a global Church where all people are not openly welcomed, fully celebrated, and equally cared for. I refuse to be a Christian who speaks always with holy war rhetoric about an encroaching enemy horde that must be rallied against and defeated. I refuse to be a Christian who is generous with damnation and stingy with Grace. I refuse to be a Christian who can t see the image of God in people of every color, every religious tradition, every sexual orientation. I refuse to be a Christian who demands that others believe what I believe or live as I live or profess what I profess. I refuse to be a Christian who sees the world in a hopeless spiral downward and can only condemn it or withdraw from it. I refuse to be a Christian devoid of the character of Jesus; his humility, his compassion, his smallness, his gentleness with people s wounds, his attention to the poor and the forgotten and the marginalized, his intolerance for religious hypocrisy, his clear expression of the love of God. I refuse to be a Christian unless it means I live as a person of hospitality, of healing, of redemption, of justice, of expectation-defying Grace, of counterintuitive love. These are non-negotiables. John Pavlovich, wrote these words but I profess them. How about you? I. FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM What are the Five Pillars of Islam? May 9th II. III. IV. New Small Study My Neighbor is Muslim: A dialogue of learning about the Muslim faith in conversation with Christianity. Tuesday Evenings 7-8PM RSVP with the pastor if you hope to attend ISLAM & JESUS What Does the Qur an Say about Jesus? May 16 th ISLAM & JEWS/CHRISTIANS What Does the Qur an Say about Jews & Christians? May 23rd ISLAM & CHARITY What is the Islamic Understanding of Charity? May 30th V. ISLAM & VIOLENCE What does Islam Teach about Violence? June 6th See you in church where we practice this together. Pastor Beth VI. ISLAMIC STATE What is an Islamic State? June 13th

7 FINANCE April has continued to be a difficult month in our financial world with continued high bills for heating and plowing - remember that April 1st storm. We ended March with a $700 deficit; we may finish April with all bills paid, but we may not. We have two Sundays left and that will tell the story. Then come May with taxes due on the Parsonage in the amount of $2854 and the Denominational Dues in the amount of $1430 just came in. The world of finances! Below is the Annual Expense graph that I started last month, but I have changed it a little. The expense line has been changed to show Actual Expenses paid in January thru March, then continues with Anticipated Expenses for the remainder of the year. This shows that we paid expenses in the amount of $32,881 in the first quarter of the year. General Fund Income for the same time period totaled $31,616 which is a $1265 deficit and the reason I am having difficulty keeping all the bills paid. The Fund Raising Committee has proposed a 10 for 10 fund raising idea that all of us could participate in. Have you thought about it? Could you come up with an idea to help out? Ten people adding $100 each would add an extra one thousand to our total income. And that would help. Think about it!-----jan McMullen, Treasurer LADIES CIRCLE Meets at 12:30 PM On Wednesday April 5th, 14 Ladies met and enjoyed Easter decorations and lunch provided by Nancy Hundley and Jane Spinney. Following our meeting, tables and food were prepared for the Lenten Service to be held that night at our church. Thanks for lots of refreshments and help provided by the ladies of the church. Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, May 3 rd. We are asked to bring in small items to be put into small bags to be given to Mothers at Footprints for Mother s Day. Nancy Hoyt will have devotions and Dottie Edson and Nancy Hoyt will have refreshments. All ladies are welcome to join us on the first Wednesday of each month. THRIFT SHOP is OPEN Thursday May 4 & 18 3 p. m. - 6 p. m. Saturday May 6 & 20 9 a. m. to Noon We need articles of men, women, and children clothing clean and in good condition. Household articles, kitchen, knick knacks, books, etc. NO LARGE ITEMS. No furniture. Please do not leave donations at the door. Thank you!