From Pastor Doug THE SPIRE The Congregational Church of South Dartmouth United Church of Christ Planting the Seeds We have all been enjoying the changing season here. In just a few short weeks, we have gone from the first hearty crocuses poking out of the snow to the explosion of color of flowers, shrubs, trees, and all those brilliant spring flowers. It is no mystery why primitive peoples throughout the world erected elaborate stone monuments to mark the Spring Solstice and the promise of the coming of spring. We are far removed in distance and time from the solstice-marking architects of Stonehenge or Chichen Itza but we are no less happy to celebrate the coming of spring. It is that wonderful time to open the windows, to get the winter stuffiness out of the house, get out the gardening tools, and in this community to turn our hand to varnishing and polishing the brightwork. For primitive people, spring meant the end of the long wintertime that early people called the hungry times, when the monotonous dried foods preserved from the last season often ran out too soon. Spring marked the life-sustaining opportunity to begin planting and gathering to sustain and renew life itself. Thankfully, we are removed from the specter of winter starvation that haunted our ancestors, but we share their deep-in-our-bones relief that the cold of winter, the gray of winter, and the isolation of winter is over. From your heartfelt welcome for me in November to our exuberant celebration of Easter our wintertime has been characterized not by any spiritual chill but by the warmth, energy, and vitality of our worship and fellowship. Thanks be to God, we have had our May 2014 faith, our church, and our church family to actually raise our spirits throughout the coldest and grayest months of the year. One of the beautiful lessons of the springtime is the emergence of the spring flowers that were planted last fall. In fact, in many cases we see the blooms of bulbs that were planted decades ago and even generations ago. In our community we are powerfully reminded of this by the spectacle of all those daffodils in Parsons Reserve. This unique treasure was planted by other people in years past, but these blooms brighten our spring days and we can expect them to brighten the spring days of generations yet unborn. When we walk through that amazing expanse of living, waving, color we are the recipients of a blessing from people who have gone before us. Churches work much the same way. At our Easter Sunrise Service at Round Hill, I spoke with a young woman who had grown up in our church and now, as an adult, lives in another state. She was visiting her family in Dartmouth and she simply had to come to my church s sunrise service and to say hello to her former Sunday School teachers! She does not worship with us every Sunday now that she has moved away, but those seeds of faith and love and community that were planted in this church have indeed taken root in her life and she will be blessed by these gifts wherever she lives and whatever she does. She is one of the flowers of this church and we know that there are so many others just like her. As gardeners we only plant our tulips and daffodils in the fall. As Christians, we plant our faith all the time. Grace and Peace, Doug
Reminder ~ Annual Meeting Sunday, May 4th Immediately Following Worship Please note: Page 2 Starting on Sunday, May 25th the worship service will begin at 9:00 am. Friday - May 2nd 5pm to 7pm Saturday - May 3rd 8am to 1pm From The Church Council Council News Council news: The council met for their monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 15, 2014. Agenda for the Annual Meeting was discussed. Nominating Committee presented a slate of Ministry and Committee members to be voted on at the Annual Meeting. Finance Ministry reported that some of the money in the Invested Funds will be re-allocated to the Restricted Fund Accounts: Mission Fund, Scholarship Fund, Boynton Fund and Library Fund. Painting of the trim on the church and parsonage is required. Tony will do what he safely can and we will hire out the work on high, unreachable areas. A request was received from The Beach Plum Cafe to use our licensed kitchen to prepare food during the summer while their establishment is undergoing construction. An agreement outlining responsibilities, guidelines for staff supervision and avoiding potential scheduling conflicts with church activities will be negotiated at a rate of $20/hour. The council approved this request. Next council meeting, Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Page 3 The Flowers for April were given by: April 6th - Dave and Grace Wyss in memory of Alen Wyss (David s Dad). April 13th - Helen and Leslie DeGroot in honor of the members of the Congregation who do so much to benefit the Church and community. April 20th - Margaret Jones in memory of my brother Richard and all those who are fighting cancer. April 27th - Pam and Kevern Joyce - Celebrating the Glory of God. Confirmation will be held June 8th One Great Hour of Sharing Thank you to all who contributed to the recent special offering for One Great Hour of Sharing helping us raise over $700.00. This important mission of the church provides support for health, education, refuge, agricultural and emergency relief initiatives in many countries, including the U.S. May 18th - Children s Sunday All Church Picnic On Children s Sunday, May 18 th following the service all are invited to join-in for the Church Picnic. Hamburgers, hot dogs and buns, as well as beverages will be provided. We are asking individuals to provide the extras If your last name begins with: A-K, please bring a salad; L-R, please bring a dessert; S-Z, please bring a side dish.
Page 4 Religious Education Look upon the rainbow, and praise God that made it. Ecclesiastes 38:2 During this Season of Easter (which is 50 days long, beginning with Easter Sunday) the children will explore stories from the gospels of John and Luke and the book of Acts about the ways in which Jesus followers shared God s love through words and actions. We will also prepare for Children s Sunday, May 18 th. On Children s Sunday, May 18 th following the service all are invited to join-in for the Church Picnic. Hamburgers, hot dogs and buns, as well as beverages will be provided. We are asking individuals to provide the extras If your last name begins with: A-K, please bring a salad; L-R, please bring a dessert; S-Z, please bring a side dish. On April 6 th the children planted 10 trays (50 cell per tray) - 5 of cucumber and 5 of zucchini for Share the Harvest Farm. These will be planted at the farm on Saturday, May17th the church s congregation work day at the farm. Thank you to Carolyn Lytle & Dan King for watering each morning & evening. Lenten Stewardship = to date, we have received $128.25 for Heifer International.
Page 5 May Anniversaries SAVE THE DATE JUNE 28th Spring Concert at the Congo Featuring Joanne Doherty and Barbara Phaneuf Folk music and other genres for all ages Mark your calendars Details to follow in June Spire Attention all high school seniors: Baccalaureate Sunday, June 1, 2014 We will be holding our Baccalaureate service on Sunday morning, June 1 st. Baccalaureate is the worship service we hold each year to honor our seniors who are graduating from high school. We invite all of you to participate in this special service as we celebrate your graduation and the time you have spent as a part of our church family. If you are a graduating senior and would like to be a part of this service, please contact Daphne Siegal at congochurchdaphne@comcast.net or call 993-7597. We hope you will join us for this meaningful service. Dick and Nancy Purdy (52 years) May 5, 1962 Dean and Ruth Cassell (63 years) May 27, 1951 Everett and Jane Hoag (67 years) May 29, 1947 Wedding Anniversaries are listed in the Spire every five years for the first fifty, and then each year thereafter! Youth Group In April, youth worked hard taking creative photos of our church! I am so incredibly proud of the youth's creativity! What a great display of what this church means to each of them! As the program year comes to an end, it is bittersweet. I have had a great time in my years as youth fellowship director! I would like to thank all the youth and parents for going on this journey with me. I will definitely miss youth fellowship, but I'm also excited to focus on my (growing!) family. Lisa Tufano
Page 6 Outreach Ministry News Outreach Service Project at Sharing the Harvest Please join us on Saturday, May 17, from 9:00 to noon for a special all church service project at Sharing the Harvest Community Farm on Gulf Road in Dartmouth. This is a fun, healthy and meaningful volunteer opportunity for the whole family. No special skills or gardening knowledge are necessary. We will work together in the fields to prepare vegetable beds, plant seedlings, and help the farm get ready for the growing season. A pizza lunch will be provided at noon. Sharing the Harvest is a non-profit, volunteer driven farm that grows fresh organic produce and distributes it to the needy on the Southcoast. It was established in 2006 to reduce hunger, create volunteer stewardship and increase agricultural education. In the past 8 years, the farm has supplied over 200,000 pounds of fresh produce to regional food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless programs. Congo Blood Drive June 1 You can be a life saver by giving blood at the Congo Church blood drive! The Southcoast Blood Donor Van will be at our church on Sunday, June 1, from 8:00 am to 1:30 pm. When you donate, you will receive TWO BONUSES: 1. YMCA Southcoast will waive your joiner fee (savings of up to $90!) ymcasouthcoast.org 2. You will also receive 2 FREE TICKETS to a New Bedford Bay Sox home game! How great is that??!!! This is a community-wide effort, so invite your friends and neighbors to donate, then enjoy a game together! Who can donate blood? Almost anyone who is in good health, weighs at least 110 pounds, and is at least 17 years of age (17 year-old donors must weigh at least 130 lbs.) is eligible to give. Blood is needed for emergencies, and for people who have cancer, blood disorders, and many other illnesses. Healthy donors are the only source of blood; there is no substitute. Yet blood is always in short supply because only 5% of the eligible population donates. Donating is quick (about 30 minutes) and painless. It costs you nothing and is an easy way to make a real difference in the lives of others. Please schedule your appointment at coffee hour during May, or contact Pam Joyce at 508-993-4838 or pamaram@comcast.net. Questions? Contact Pam.
Page 7 May 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 Rummage Sale 5-7pm Rummage Sale 8-1pm 4 10am Worship Communion 11 am Annual Meeting 5 Boy Scouts 6 7 Girl Scouts 8 9 AA Meeting 10 11 10am Worship 12 Boy Scouts 13 7pm Ministry Meeting 14 Girl Scouts 15 16 AA Meeting 17 9am - 12 noon Outreach YMCA/Share the Harvest 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 10am Worship Children s Sunday 11am All Church Picnic Boy Scouts 7pm Council Meeting Girl Scouts AA Meeting 25 9am Worship 26 Boy Scouts 27 28 11am Baccalaureate Practice 29 30 AA Meeting 31 Girl Scouts
Page 8 Pastoral Concerns Please don t forget to call or email the church office with information on any hospital admissions or pastoral concerns. We do not receive notification from the hospital so the only way we can be informed of anyone that may need a visit is if you let us know. Please let us know if you have someone you would like added to our Prayer List in the Spire. Thank you for helping us stay in tune to the needs of our church family. Our E-Prayer Group If you would like to become a member of the prayer chain, please contact Marcia Hathaway either by phone (508)993-5740 or email mkhathaway@comcast.net or call the church office. As "members of the Prayer Chain," you would receive a copy of the prayer. Your only responsibility is to read it, thus you too are "praying" for the requests put forth. I never put anyone "in" the prayer without a request, and I only disclose what has been shared. Since we all know that prayer is a powerful healing tool, the more members we have praying, the more power we concentrate on a request. Please note, we have large print bulletins, as well as, large print hymns available for you every Sunday in the narthex. Please feel free to pick up a copy as you enter church worship or ask for one. Faith Communities for Dartmouth 350 th Celebration The town of Dartmouth turns 350 in 2014 and there are lots of plans being made for the 350th Celebration. For the past six months, two of our members, Herb and Beth Howe, have been representing our church as part of the Faith Communities planning for the 350th anniversary of the Town of Dartmouth s incorporation. The celebration will move through three parts of town: May 24-26/ Smith Mills July 26-27/Padanaram September 5-6/Bliss Corner On September 7th, the Dartmouth 350th parade will be held and our church will participate with a homemade float - design to be determined. We are looking for creative people who want to be involved with the hands-on preparations, planning and implementing of these activities. If you are interested, please be in touch with Herb and Beth at 508-993-5809.
Page 9 Easter Pictures of children getting ready for their Easter Egg Hunt and the volunteers who helped make it possible. The Congregational Church of South Dartmouth 2014 Scholarship Application Form Information The Congregational Church of South Dartmouth is excited once again to award scholarships to one or more qualified high school seniors. Students graduating from high school this year and planning to continue their education are encouraged to apply. Eligible students are members and non-members who have had a close and active association with the Church. Through this application process, students will demonstrate their involvement in and service to the Church and the community. They will also write an essay that illustrates their faith journey. Finally, they will be asked to provide letters of recommendation. Applications are available through the Church office and will be due back to the office no later than May 16th. Scholarship recipient(s) will be announced on Baccalaureate Sunday, June 1, 2014. The Scholarship Committee will review applications during the month of May. The Committee reserves the right to reject any and all applications. It is important for applicants to read the instructions on the application form carefully, and fully comply with the requirements. Incomplete applications may not be considered. Should the Committee require further information, a Committee member may be in contact with the applicant. The deadline for submitting the application is absolute. Completed applications need to be returned to the Church office by 1 pm on May 16, 2014. It is up to the applicant to confirm the office closing time for that day. APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED AFTER THAT TIME WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT BE CONSIDERED. We wish all of our scholars luck and look forward to seeing them on June 1. Stephen C. Roberts, Chairman Congregational Church of South Dartmouth Scholarship Committee.
Reverend Douglas Stivison stivison@earthlink.net Church Telephone: 508-993-6676 Robin E. Lake, Office Administrator robin@congochurchsd.org The Congregational Church of South Dartmouth United Church of Christ 17 Middle St., PO Box 80608 South Dartmouth, MA 02748-0608 http://congochurchsd.org RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Starting Sunday, May 25th Worship Service Will Begin At 9:00 am