January Southwick Congregational Church UCC. United Church of Christ. The Good Newsletter of the. Southwick Congregational Church

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1 Buildings & Grounds: Christian Education: Craig Perras Dan Warriner Ashley Greco Deacons: Patty Banasik Finance: Elaina Lempke Flowers: Roxanne Cook Fundraising: / Nominating: Patti Wood pattiperusse@yahoo.com Library: Joyce Arnold Memorial Gifts: Missions: Karen Brzezinski karenbrzezinski@hotmail.com Roxanne Cook Donna Sullivan rbcook1014@aol.com djsullivan135@hotmail.com Music: Melanie Nitsch emnitsch@gmail.com Pastoral Relations: COMMITTEE CHAIRS Roxanne Cook rbcook1014@aol.com January 2018 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 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM Church Office Phone: ; Pastor s Study: Website: Office Facebook: www. southwickucc.org southwickucc@gmail.com Southwick Congregational Church UCC Staff: Minister Reverend Bart Cochran Choir Director/Organist Roberta Kowal Bell Choir Director Patti P. Wood Office Administrator Lyn Casey Custodians Matthew Kowal & Maria Lempke Southwick Congregational Church United Church of Christ 488 College Highway; P.O. Box 260 Southwick, MA VOLUME MMXVIII No. 1 Minister: The Rev. Bart Cochran Please join us Sundays for Worship Service 10:00 AM Mid-Week Service Thursdays 6:30 PM Website: www. SouthwickUCC.org The Good Newsletter of the Southwick Congregational Church United Church of Christ Southwick, MA DATED MATERIAL PAID Permit No. 309 Southwick, MA US Postage

2 From The Pastor There is always some sort of party at my house for New Year s Eve. When the boys were teens they and their friends would gather in our basement (where we kept the pool table) and the adults would be celebrating upstairs. But as midnight approached, the adults would move downstairs to join the teenagers and we would all celebrate together. We d watch television the Times Square Ball Drop - and we d all make a lot of noise. Now that it is just Valerie and me, we celebrate more quietly. But I do think it is important to mark the New Year, a time of new beginnings. What better way to start the New Year than to contemplate God s word? To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven ~Ecclesiastes 3:1 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. ~Isaiah 43:18-19 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~Jeremiah 29:11 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. ~Ezekiel 36:26-28 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. ~Mark 11:25-26 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ~Colossians 3: Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. ~ Proverbs 23:18 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. ~1 Peter 1:3 May all your hopes be realized in this new year, Yours in Christ, Pastor Bart Worship Schedule Sunday Worship service at 10:00 AM Thursdays Midweek Service with communion continue at 6:30 PM Ecumenical Service at The American Inn on the third Tuesday of the month at 6:30 PM Office Hours The Church office is open Monday thru Thursday from 9:00 AM~1:00 PM & Friday from 9:00 AM~12:30 PM Pastor Bart s Study is open Tuesday thru Friday from 10:00 AM~2:00 PM All Church Meeting: Sunday, January 14, at 11:15 AM All Church Committee Refreshment Schedule January & February Open Call for Pastoral Care: If a member of our church community knows of anyone who is ill, hospitalized, grieving, or moving to a senior living facility, please be sure to advise the church office. We want to respond with caring support. Call the church office at or at southwickucc@gmail.com Don t forget, you can read the weekly sermon on our website: on the page: From the Pastor

3 Ministry and Outreach 4 5 Music Notes January 7 ~ 14 ~ TBD ~ 28 ~ February 11 ~ 14 ~ 18 ~ Lent ~ March 4 ~ April 1 ~ April 8 ~ April 26 ~ Handbell Concert w/ Gold Dome Ringers All Church Meeting on Sunday New Member Sunday Souper Sunday Youth Group Bake Sale Ash Wednesday Annual Meeting on Sunday Lenten Bible Study All Church Meeting on Sunday Easter All Church Meeting on Sunday Historical Society s Dinner planned Member Spotlight The Missions and Outreach Committee is looking for members to participate in Member Spotlight. Please answer the following questions, which we will use for a short article in The Gold Dome. The goal is to learn more about each other and build community in our church! Name? How long have you been a member/attender at SCC? Tell us a bit about yourself - your family, your job, your hobbies? What is/are your favorite sports team(s), and why? What is your favorite movie, and why? Tell us something you bet we don t know about you! What do you like best about our church? Anything else you d like to add? The Missions and Outreach Committee will contact you to take a picture to accompany the article or you can submit your own picture (it can include your family, your pets, etc. be creative!) to southwickucc@gmail.com. Be sure to put Member Spotlight in the subject line. Choosing Hymns: Part Three Our hymn book contains a wealth of information that helps with choosing hymns. In the beginning is The Organization of the Hymnal page. Looking for hymns on Stewardship? Try P At the back of the hymnal is the Topical Index which has 216 headings with hymns listed under them pertaining to each subject. For instance, there are 26 hymns listed under the heading Comfort. Also in the back is the Scripture Reference Index which is somewhat limited, but useful at times. I find the one in my Worship and Rejoice hymnal to be far more extensive. At the bottom right of each hymn are two lines. The first gives the name of the Hymn Tune for that particular melody and the second gives the metrical line of the words. In the back of the hymnal is the Index of Hymn Tunes. [Some of the names are quite surprising. For instance, Rock of Ages is TOPLADY and Amazing Grace is O WALY WALY.] Also in the back is the Metrical Index. These two lines and indexes are very useful when the words to a hymn fit the scripture, but the melody is difficult. An example of this is Take My Gifts on P.381 great words, horrible melody. What to do? The metrical line listed on the hymn is 87.87D. Therefore the words can be sung to any hymn tune having the same metrical line of which 22 are listed in the Metrical Index. Problem solved! Lyn agrees to print the words in the bulletin and I play one of the 22 probably the Hymn Tune Nettleton which the congregation knows. Before closing this article, I want to explain why occasionally we don t sing every verse of a hymn. Sometimes it simply boils down to time. If each hymn happens to have 5 or 6 verses, and it is a Sunday with something extra in the service like The Lighting of the Advent Candle, I will pick the verses that most fit the scripture readings. Other times it is the placement of the hymn in the service. For instance, on November 5 th our final hymn was Lord, Whose Love Through Humble Service. We sang vs because they speak of being called from worship to serve others. In closing, I do welcome hymn requests. For example, Once in Royal David s City that we sang on the morning of December 24 th was at the request of Elethea. Please note, it may take a while for your request to fit in with the scripture readings. Let me know your favorites. ~Roberta Kowal

4 6 7 From the Library A New Year Brings a New Beginning As the New Year starts and the old year ends There s no better time to make amends For all the things we sincerely regret And wish in our hearts we could somehow forget We all make mistakes, for it s human to err, But no one need ever give up in despair, For God gives us all a brand-new beginning, A chance to start over And repent of our sinning And when God forgives us we too must forgive And resolve to do better each day that we live By constantly trying to be like Him more nearly And to trust in His wisdom and love Him more Dearly Assured that we re never out of His care And we re always welcome to seek Him in prayer. By Helen Seiner Rice Cherish today. ~Joyce Arnold JANUARY Come hear our renowned handbell choir perform some of your favorite pieces in our historic church under our Gold Dome. Souper Sunday January 28, :15 am HAPPY BIRTHDAY Janice Hall January 1 Shirl Hamilton January 4 Ellie Bates January 20 Mike Wolak January 26 Buddy Vecchio January 30 For those who can, bring a pot of your favorite homemade soup to church that morning (with name and ingredients listed). Some friends will ladle it up into small & large containers for sale after church. Bring a friend! If we ve missed a birthday, please let the church office know!

5 Thank You s and Warm Wishes Mary Alice Avato called the office to say Thank you for the poinsettia. How can such a little plant have such amazing color she wondered. She went on to say she cannot see very well, but she has a friend who reads Pastor Bart s sermons to her every week and looks forward to receiving them with the bulletin in the mail. The Boissonnaults also commented on the color of the poinsettia in the Christmas card they sent. Jeanne Stomgren also sent us a thank you for her plant, ornament and visit. Janey Thompson wishes a Merry, Merry Christmas to all who pass in and out of [the] office and heaps of Christmas blessings. She also sends news from Florida. All the cards are hanging outside the office if you would like to read them. Thank you to the Christian Ed Committee for the Children's Happy Birthday to Jesus Pageant!!! It was awesome!!! ~Patti Wood Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!! News of the Cookie Sale ~ Total Sales were ~ $ 1, Thank you so much to all the bakers. Such a wonderful assortment of cookies we had. Thank you to Virgil, Robin and Debi Anderson for Friday eve set up. Thanks to Barb Day who kept the trays full (until we ran out!!) and Donna Sullivan, our gracious greeter! Not only has this become a great fundraiser, but it is such a fun event to see our return customers, meet up with people from our community that we have not seen in awhile...it just brings such smiles to faces...and lots of Holiday Greetings, Hugs & LOVE!!! And lastly to Elethea Goodkin who does her Christmas shopping at our event and purchased over 12 lbs of cookies for gifts! Merry Christmas to all! Cookie team~ Robin Sklarski, Virgil Paggen, Patti P Wood P.S.~ Thank you to Big Y for donating the plastic containers!!!! Hi Rev. Bart, I just want to begin by saying thank you so much for an amazing wedding ceremony on November 12. We have people still reaching out to us to tell us how beautifully done the whole thing was. And just like you said, many have also confessed to not being able to keep a dry eye during it. It was everything I could have ever imagined and dreamed of. We look forward to seeing you soon for a Sunday service. Thank you again for everything! Lynn & Jim Kolasinski From the Office The 245rd Annual Meeting will be held February 18. All reports from each Committee should be in the church office by January 19. As a reminder, each year the Nominating Committee asks each member of every committee if they wish to stay on their committee. The office will be closed Friday, January 1st in celebration of New Year s Day and on Monday, January 18th in remembrance of Martin Luther King Jr. Please note: January and February Coffee Hours are OPEN Do you have a treat that you didn t get to bake over the Holidays? Do you want to sign up for a Sunday with a new friend? Please notify the Church Office if: You have a change of address Your phone number has changed Your address has changed You know someone else s contact information has changed You have an idea and you don t know whom to tell You would like to make a change to the Prayer List You would like to reserve flowers for the altar You would like to be added or taken off the Gold Dome mailing list

6 All Church Committee Meeting December The meeting was called to order by Moderator David Breton at 8:05 pm. Pastor Bart opened the meeting with a prayer. After asking if anyone had questions on the November 9 th All-Church Committee Meeting Minutes, a motion was made, seconded and passed unanimously to accept those minutes. Minister s Report Pastor Bart wished to thank all who sent get-well wishes during his recent pneumonia illness. A wedding was held at the church on Nov. 12 th and the church received a thank you note from the bride about how wonderful and accommodating our church was for her wedding. Remembering that this is the 5 th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, Pastor Bart asked everyone to hold those families in our prayers. The church received a phone call from Diane Caruso of the Southwick Library Board asking if they could use our Fellowship Hall in an emergency. Some questions arose and Pastor Bart will contact her back for more information. Deacons Flo Pitoniak reported 2 members present. A New Member Sunday will be held in January, date TBD. The committee discussed all upcoming Christmas services. Pastoral Relations Committee No report. Mission-Outreach Roxanne Cook reported 2 members present. The toys for the Southwick Coalition collection will be delivered 12/15. The sock box and mitten tree are still up and accepting donations. The usual Christmas Eve Offering will go to support the Veterans of the Cross. Finance Committee Beth Studer reported 4 members present. The group discussed pledges. Treasurer s Report Ted Orson reported that overall our financial status is unchanged. Pledges are still under and our expenses will be rising with the heating and plowing season upon us. There has been a substantial increase in the church s water bill recently received so Buildings & Grounds will look into this issue. Short discussion on the parsonage rental. It is currently a one year lease and then it goes to month-to-month. Memorial Gifts Karen Brzezinski had nothing to report. Buildings and Grounds Craig Perras reported 2 members present. Dan Warriner fixed an upstairs rug issue and the toilet in the Dickinson Room is scheduled to be fixed Music Committee Melanie Nitsch reported 5 members present. The group discussed their upcoming 2018 budget and took some time to discuss future projects and ideas. Library Committee No report. Christian Education Audrey Baker reported 4 members present. December 17 th in church will be the Children s Christmas Program a birthday party for Jesus. Fundraising Committee Patti Wood spoke about the very successful Holly Bazaar, approximately $1,600 raised. The church s Holiday Cookie Sale is Saturday, 12/16. There will be a Souper Sunday fundraiser in January. Nominating Committee Patti Wood is looking for someone to help her find new committee members for next year. Flower Committee Roxanne Cook mentioned Poinsettia Sunday is December 17 th. She is looking for a volunteer to take over making the cemetery boxes for next year that are offered for sale during the Holly Bazaar. New Business Brittany Perras plans to host an afternoon in January at her house to focus on new membership in the new year. Patti Wood brought forth a discussion about changing our monthly All- Church meeting from the 2 nd Thursday evening of the month to a Sunday following church services. A motion was made, seconded, and passed by a majority show of hands to move the monthly meeting to Communion Sunday each month following services and coffee hour except for the month on January and April in 2018 and the church will give this a six month trial. The Church s Annual Meeting will be held on February 18, 2018, following coffee hour. The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 pm. Respectfully submitted, Melanie Nitsch, Clerk Executive Board Meeting December 14, 2017 The meeting was called to order by Moderator David Breton at 8:37 p.m. The Executive Committee was apprised of the contract negotiations taking place between Pastor Bart and the Negotiating Committee. The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Melanie Nitsch, Clerk

7 Stewardship Journey New Year s Affirmations Throughout life we are on a stewardship journey. What does stewardship look like in our lives today? Many associate stewardship solely with church budgets and fund-raising programs. We are instructed in the Parable on Talents (Matthew 25:14 30) that we are not the owners but have been trusted with resources and the care of everything for the sake of God's purposes in the world. Stewardship is where the concepts of faith, caring and economics intersect. Stewardship embodies ownership, responsibility, accountability and reward like Christ saying Well done, good and faithful steward. Fifty-nine pledges averaging $25/week and totaling $78K have currently been received for These pledges mainly duplicate those of 2017 suggesting that our individual pledge limits have been reached. Growing our membership, maintaining a zero-increase annual budget and exploring new fund-raisers is essential to our financial well-being. It is with light that we see, with love that we live and with Stewardship that we survive. The invitation to pledge is always open. Thanks to everyone who has, or hopefully will, submit a pledge for ~Virgil Have you noticed it is a little brighter all throughout the church? All the lights have been switched over to Lower Energy Bulbs which will save us money in the long run. This idea came from Joe Rovelli and saved the church almost $12,000 up front because the work was done for free through Ever Source. Just a reminder If you have an idea, speak up, let your voice be heard. This little girl holding a dove is the latest to join the flock on the desk in the office upstairs. I want to thank the Music Committee for my Birthday Gift / Thank You gift for helping out with the October raffle. I immediately took the gift certificate and ran across the street to the gift shop and picked out my new angel. I hope these figures and animals and plants help make the office a safe place for you all to come visit. Thank you again Music Committee for making my job a little easier. ~Lyn Casey, Office Administrator This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased and delighted. ~Matthew 3:17 Has anyone else noticed that New Year s Day is on a Monday? Has anyone made a New Year s Resolution? What happens if by Tuesday, January 2nd we ve already blown our New Year s Resolution? Do we have to wait till 2019? I hope not. I have a confession, I thought Lent was a chance for us to try again except this time we only had to do it for 40 days and not a whole year. I have since learned that I don t have to worry about 365 days, or even 40 days; all I have to think about is today. I can do anything for 24 hours that would appall me if I thought about having to do it for a lifetime. And, those 24 hours can start at any time - even at 1:37 pm (when I am writing this). I don t want to make New Year s Resolutions. Not because there aren t parts of me I don t want to change, but because I first want to accept myself as I am warts and all. I would rather make a New Year s Affirmation. I am going to take the liberty of imagining that when God says, This is my beloved Son, He is really saying This is my beloved Child. And I am also going to imagine He is talking about all of us. And when God says He is well pleased and delighted that means He accepts us just as we are. When I can believe God accepts me exactly as I am, then I can begin to as well, and then I can change. So, my New Year s Affirmation for 2018 is I am a beloved child of God in whom He is well pleased and delighted. Going to the gym, losing weight, drinking more water, writing more, all those things will fall into place only when my relationship with God falls into place. I can t do anything more to make God love me He already does. I would like to spend more time with Him though, and I can do that right now, simply by saying, Hi God, Thanks. ~Evelyn Dean Casey

8 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Communion Service 10 AM Coffee Hour 11:00 Handbell Concert 1:30 PM OA 3:30 PM 1 New Year s Day Office Closed Office open 9-1 Music Together 10 2 Boy Scouts 6:30 9 Boy Scouts 6:30 Girl Scout Leaders 7 Voice Choir 7:00 10 Voice Choir 7:00 4 Midweek Service 6:30 PM 11 Midweek Service 6:30 PM 5 2:30 OA Meeting 6-7 AA Meeting 7: :30 OA Meeting 6-7 AA Meeting 7:30 6 Epiphany Martin Luther King, Jr Day Bell Sunday Service Worship 10 AM Youth Service Group 1010:15 AM Youth Coffee Group Hour 11:00 10:15 Coffee ALL Hour CHURCH 11:00 OA 3:30 PM Office Closed Music together American Inn 6:30 Boy Scouts 6:30 17 Voice Choir 7:00 18 Fair Share Co-op Midweek Service 6:30 PM 19 Gold Dome Articles Due 2:30 OA Meeting 6-7 AA Meeting 7: Worship Service 10 AM Coffee Hour 11:00 OA 3:30 PM 22 Office open 9-1 Music Together 10 A Adult Guitar 7:30 PM 23 Boy Scouts 6:30 24 Voice Choir 7:00 25 Midweek Service 6:30 PM 26 2:30 OA Meeting 6-7 AA Meeting 7: Worship Service 10 AM Youth Group 10:15 Souper Sunday 11 OA 3:30 PM 29 Office open 9-1 Music Together 10 A Adult Guitar 7:30 PM Handbell Concert Jan 7 at 1:30