Redeemer News Church of the Re deemer UCC January 2018 From Pastor Susan Looking Ahead to 2018 at Redeemer 2018 will be a very significant year for Church of the Redeemer! God has put in your hands a rather large responsibility and from what I have learned about you, I am confident you are up to it! This year you need to do two big, faith-filled things: (1) discern together the path forward for your congregation and (2) begin living into that path in concrete ways. Be assured that there are several faithful pathways open to you, including some pretty exciting ones. That said, none of them are simple. There are no small steps, simple tweaks, incremental adjustments that will resolve the underlying issues. But that s OK; you are ready for big steps! What s needed now? First and foremost, you need to be in conversation and communion with God and with one another. Please make time each day to pray. Lift up to God your beloved community, individual members and the relationships between people. Pray for faithful discernment, for endurance and for inspiration. Also, please prioritize presence and participation in the Next Steps sessions. These all-church gatherings are where we convene to discuss faithful possibilities for your future. They are also where we will work out a concrete Ministry Plan for Church of the Redeemer. Don t worry if you ve missed previous sessions; just jump in as soon as you can! The greater the participation the better will be the decisions and action steps. By faith we do trust that God is with us in this journey. For my 2018 blessing upon Church of the Redeemer, I invoke the apostle Paul: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit Romans 15:13. New year blessings, Pastor Susan Inside this issue: Worship in January 2 Children s Faith Formation Thank you from Elizabeth Gleich All Church Gathering: Next Steps 3 4 5 Next Steps diagrams 6-7 Book Groups 8 Multi-Church Youth Group Schedule Hospitality and Usher Schedule 9 10 Calendar for January 11 Panel on Gun Legislation 12
Page 2 Redeemer News Worship in January January 7 January 14 January 21 January 28 Epiphany Next Steps: Part 3 following worship Lunch and childcare provided Facing our fears and going forward is the sermon theme Jordan Rebholz preaching and leading worship Bible Sunday
Children s Faith Formation Page 3 Happy New Year! We made it to 2018, and I am so excited to see what will come! Throughout my life, every January my family sits down and reflects on all of the things that happened in the last year, and we talk about our hopes for the future. Some years have been more exciting than others, and some years have definitely been harder than others. But regardless of what happened the year before, we always hope for something better and brighter in the next year to come. This past year was filled with some really joyful moments, as well as heartbreaking ones. Sometimes it's hard to look back. We wonder what our lives would look like if those "bad" things hadn't happened. But, it's important to remember that with each new year, or even each new day, we are given the opportunity to look forward and hope for a better future. It's not always easy, but I promise it's worth it. There are many changes to come here at Redeemer, and I am so incredibly proud of the work that we have accomplished so far. Change is hard, regardless of how necessary it is. I do not have the words to explain how blessed I feel to be a part of this incredible church family. One of the most important and beautiful things about church is having a community of people who come together in joys and sorrows. We never have to be alone. This is the good news that we must remember every day. Thank you for letting me be a part of your family. This next year is still a mystery. We do not know what is going to happen, and that can be scary. But, because we are a part of this church family, we don't have to face it alone. I can't wait to see what 2018 has in store for us all! Jordan Rebholz, Minister for Faith Formation
Page 4 Redeemer News Thank you from Elizabeth Gleich Dear Church of the Redeemer, especially the discernment team, Thank you for being my church home a place of refuge, of welcome, of growth and a place for discernment. Your community, the Beloved Community that is Redeemer has meant so much to me over these past few years and has given me so much. Thank you for telling me when I walked into the church for the first time, this household of faith was not complete until you arrived. I am so grateful for your support and prayers as I discerned ordination. Thank you for the beautiful stole you gave me during my ordination. I will think of you all whenever I wear it. I am blessed! The newly ordained Rev. Elizabeth Gleich and husband the Rev. Elliott Munn The Rev. Elizabeth Gleich
Redeemer News All Church Gathering: Next Steps Page 5 Looking ahead, please save the date of January 7 th when we will resume our all-church conversation about Redeemer s next steps. These sessions are intended to prepare you to discern and decide on your future path. Since Redeemer s future may be significantly different than its past, it is highly desirable that as many people as possible participate in this process! See pages 6 and 7 for diagrams regarding what we did on December 3 at Next Steps 2.
Diagrams from Next Steps: Part 2 Page 6 Going with a picture is worth a thousand words, we share two pictures on pages 6 and 7 that will help you see what we did at the most recent session on December 3. The diagram on page 6 (a work-in-progress) depicts the core architecture of your church your foundation, your 3 pillars/priorities, and your roof (we haven t gotten to that yet!). The diagram on page 7 seeks to express five faithful lanes that are open to Church of the Redeemer as you consider your future. We will pick up this conversation on January 7 (Next Steps: Part 3). Between then and now, hold your spiritual community in prayer each and every day. Open with a question, be quiet for ten minutes, trust in God s Spirit. Repeat.
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Page 8 Redeemer News Book Groups The Noon Book Group The Noon Book Group s first meeting in January will take place on Tuesday, January 9 when the group will discuss Threading My Prayer Rug: One Woman's Journey from Pakistani Muslim to American Muslim by Sabeeha Rehman. Bring your lunch and join in the discussion and fellowship! The Evening Book Group The next meeting of the Evening Book Group will be at 7:30 on January 22 nd to discuss The Leavers by Lisa Ko. The meeting will be held at the home of Carol Nardini. As always, new members are welcome!
MULTI-CHURCH YOUTH GROUP SCHEDULE FOR JANUARY Page 9 More information will be forthcoming as it becomes available. January 7 Chill Night location to be announced 5-6:30 pm January 14 MLK Service Friendship Baptist 4 pm 26 Edwards Street, Hamden January 21 Chill Night location to be announced 5-7 pm With dinner January 28 Chill Night Church of the Redeemer 5-6:30 pm Schedule for Confirmands: MLK Service January 12 at Mishkan Israel 7:30 pm 785 Ridge Road, Hamden Or January 14 at Friendship Baptist 4 pm 26 Edwards Street, Hamden January 21 Confirmation 4-5 pm Youth Group 5-7 pm with dinner January 28 Worship at home churches
Page 10 Redeemer News Ushers and Hospitality Servers For January and February Thank you so much to all who serve as Ushers and Hospitality Servers each Sunday! Ushers and Hospitality Servers are assigned by their respective teams to serve on a given Sunday. Under Redeemer s hospitality plan two individuals or couples are assigned as hosts and hostesses for a given Sunday. One provides a savory food item and the other a sweet treat. While our office administrator Barbara will continue to send reminders via email each week, this list should serve as a reminder in advance of Sundays that you are assigned. If you are unavailable on a date you are assigned please try to arrange to exchange dates with someone else and let Barbara know so that she can acknowledge the correct ushers or hosts in the bulletin. This is the usher s or hospitality server s responsibility. Ushers Jan 7 Jan 14 Jan 21 Jan 28 Feb 4 Feb 11 Feb 18 Feb 25 Bob Parker Marilyn Toland Doby Hall Courtney Mason Bill and Julie Moore Alan Kendrix Chuck Peterson Carol Nardini Peter and Grace Halsey Ken Minkema Lori Fast Minkema Wes and Carol Poling Jon Reed Brad and Kathy Czepiel Meggie Czepiel Hospitality Servers Jan 7 Julie and Bill Moore Lorraine Morrissey Jan 14 Jan 21 Jan 28 Feb 4 Feb 11 Feb 18 Feb 25 Gail Reen Georgia Erickson Caryne Eskridge Kathryn Gaffney Bob Parker and David Carter Babz Rawls-Ivy Fran Giffin Grace and Peter Halsey Julie and Bill Moore Marilyn Larson Claudia Bosch TBD Grace and Peter Halsey Ian Skoggard
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 7 Epiphany 8:30 Senior Choir, sanctuary 10:00 Worship & Communion 14 8:55 Senior Choir, sanctuary 10:00 Worship and Sunday school 21 8:55 Senior Choir, sanctuary 10:00 Worship and Sunday school 28 8:55 Senior Choir, sanctuary 10:00 Worship and Sunday school 1 New Year s Day Church office closed 2 7:30 Leadership Council, Phillips 8 9 12:00 Noon Book Group, Phillips 15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Church office closed 22 7:30 Evening Book Group, home of Carol Nardini February Newsletter Articles due January 2018 3 4 5 6 10 11 7:45 Senior Choir, sanctuary 16 17 18 2:30 Knitting Group, Sterling 7:45 Senior Choir, sanctuary 23 12:00 Noon Book Group, Phillips 29 30 31 24 25 7:45 Senior Choir, sanctuary 12 13 19 20 26 27 Page 11
Church of the Redeemer UCC 185 Cold Spring Street New Haven, CT 06511 (203) 787-5711 redeemer@uccredeemer.org The Rev. Susan J. Murtha, Interim Senior Minister susanjdarc@gmail.com Jordan Rebholz, Minister for Faith Formation Robert Parker, Moderator of the Church Henry Sykes, Treasurer Kay Comendul, Clerk Marguerite Brooks, Director of Music Julia Blue Raspe, Chancel Choir Director and Alto Section Leader Paul Berry, Boys Choir Director and Tenor Section Leader Sarah Reed, Soprano Section Leader Brian Robinson, Bass Section Leader Larry Bishop, Organist Barbara Repetsky, Office Administrator and Financial Secretary Collin Morrissey, Security Lou and Valarie Fanelli, Sextons PANEL DISCUSSION ON SENSIBLE GUN LEGISLATION Sunday, January 14 There will be a panel discussion: Sensible Gun Legislation: Finding Common Ground at the Unitarian Society of New Haven (700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden) on Sunday, January 14 from Noon to 1:30 p.m. Part of the panel will consist of representatives from the Hamden and New Haven Police Forces, Jeremy Stein from Connecticut Against Gun Violence, and Brent Peterkin, Statewide Coordinator for Project Longevity. In additional, we expect representation from state legislators. The panel is open to all, and your participation is welcomed!