February 2011 Newsletter
Congregational Connections
The First Congregational Church of Leicester~ February 2011 Issue
Have a Heart
February Blanket Month
Blankets will be available for only $5.00 each. Church World Service says the $5.00 blanket is the basic concept of every disaster response program. When people are homeless, cold and alone, a warm woolen blanket provides both primary protection as well as shelter. Your $5.00 donation will provide that blanket to someone who needs one.
Checks payable to:
Church World Service
Mail to:
First Congregational Church of Leicester
Pot Luck Lunch and Family Games:
February 6
Please join us for these monthly fellowship events right after worship, usually on the first Sunday of each month we have worship and Communion for all ages. The next Lunch and Games event is February 6. 
Bring an entrée or side dish/dessert and your favorite game to share and let the good times roll. If you are unable or forget to bring food to share, we hope you will stay anyway. There is always plenty of food, and we cherish your companionship.
If your last name begins with A-L, bring a side dish or dessert. If it begins with M-Z, bring a main dish, and we’ll switch it next month.
Upcoming Dates: March 6 and April 3. In May and June we are planning other fellowship events.
Wanted: Your Unused Coupons
by Carol Mulrain
I save all high value ($1.00) coupons from the Thursday and Sunday coupon section; even if it’s something I personally don’t use because I know that I can use it to buy items for the food bank. And that’s where you can help by saving the coupons you don’t want and bringing them to church .
I have recently bought two jars of peanut butter, a box of Success Rice, cookie mix and two bags of instant potatoes for the food bank for $1.00! This was done by using manufacturer’s coupons (located in Sunday’s paper) and doubling or tripling them using the store issued coupons in the weekly flier. You can also find coupons on websites such as coupons.com
For example, Price Chopper had triple any manufacturers coupons (printed on the front of the flier) up to $1.00. The store had Peter Pan peanut butter on sale at 2 for $4.00. I used a manufacturer’s coupon for $1.00 off 2 jars along with the triple from the store and got $3.00 off the two jars to bring the price down to $1.00 for both. I’ve tripled dollar coupons many times before to get items free. You just have to watch the sales and combine both the manufacturers and the store coupon for maximum savings. It can be fun!
Did you know that Price Chopper will honor Big Y’s (or any other store) double or triple coupons! The actual wording is “we honor all competitors double or triple coupons.”
So get out there and start saving money and donate your unwanted coupons to the church.
A Note from the Pastor
Greetings Friends.
What I have on my mind today is an apology and a request. I owe an apology to the church for my neglect of an important ministry task, that of spreading the good news about our church to the community outside our doors. It was almost 10 months ago that a team from First Congregational Church attended a workshop put on by the Massachusetts Conference about how to get more members for the church. I was so pleased that the focus of the workshop was not about making our numbers look good – membership and budget numbers – but about helping to feed the spiritual hunger that is out there. It was no surprise to hear about how church attendance, membership and participation in all mainline Christian churches has been on a sharp decline over the past few decades. Some people have been turned off or even harmed, emotionally or spiritually, by their experience with church and walked away. Others have never had any experience of church at all. More and more people identify themselves as “spiritual, but not religious,” and many believe that churches are mere institutions rather than places of spiritual nurture and meaningful expressions of Christ’s love. I want so much to invite more people to see and know and experience these expressions of love, this spiritual nurture.
Since the workshop we have taken some steps to help newcomers to feel more comfortable in the church and more oriented to the building and the liturgy. FCC has always been so friendly in greeting new people, and we have added signs around the building so people know where to find things, and more clarity in the order of worship. But how often will people just stop by on a Sunday morning without any idea of who we are and what we are about? The key to spreading the good news is to be a presence in the community, for me to be out there meeting people, learning who they are, what they need, and how the church can serve them. We must actually be good news for the community. We can’t be everything to everyone, and who and what we are as a church must grow organically, based on our environment and our gifts, but in response to real human needs in Leicester and surrounding communities. And I have not done my part yet. I have been getting to know all of you, learning about your needs, your gifts, and your passions, but it is past time to take it on the road.
Here is where the request comes in. I am new to Leicester, and am not yet a resident. I’m hoping those of you who have been around a little longer can make suggestions about people to meet and places to go. What sort of town activities / meetings would give me insight into the particular issues in the community? Where do people gather to shoot the breeze about their day-to-day struggles and dreams? What places might be open to working together to meet a need?
I need to lead this effort, but I can’t do it alone. Any and all suggestions will be gratefully and enthusiastically welcomed. You can grab me at fellowship time, drop by the office, call me or e-mail me. Let us not hide our light and Christ’s light under a bushel.Blessings, Pastor Doreen
Women’s Association:
February 2
June Kelley will host the meeting at her home on February 2nd at 12:30. Call the church office for address or directions, or meet at the church to carpool at 12:25.
For the March 2nd meeting, Judy Ivel has graciously offered to host at the same time. All women connected to the church are welcome to attend.
Bible Study
The Wednesday morning group will meet at 10:30 beginning February 2in the Pastor’s Study. We will spend a few weeks exploring the story of Joseph and his brothers. Please read Genesis chapters 37-39 for the first session.
The Monday evening group (7:00 p.m.) has decided to focus on non-biblical spiritual books, and is now reading The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran. Contact Pastor Doreen for specific assignments and location details.
Membership Explorations
Whether you are new to First Congregational or have been coming for awhile, you might be interested in learning more about what it means to become a member here. If so, please speak to Pastor Doreen and an information session will be scheduled at the convenience of the interested parties. If you have already attended an information session and are interested in becoming a member, please speak to Pastor Doreen.
Adult Confirmation/ Baptism Classes
If you have found a home in our Christian church but have not been baptized or confirmed and would like to be, have I got an offer for you. I would love to hold a few sessions on basic Christian theology, the meaning of baptism, and what it means to be part of the body of Christ. Even if you have been baptized and confirmed, but find these topics of interest, you are welcome to attend. Please speak to Pastor Doreen and a time will be scheduled to accommodate those interested.
Pick-Up Choir II
If you love to sing but can’t make a commitment to becoming a full-time choir member, then our Pick-Up Choir is perfect for you! All voices are welcome, both women and men. And knowing how to read music is not necessary!
Here’s how it works: Attend rehearsal Wednesday, March 2, from 5:00-7:00 (hours negotiable). Bob will teach us an easier anthem as well as a simple introit and benediction. Then attend the Sunday morning warm up at 9:00 on March 6. Choose a choir robe, and you’re ready to go! It’s a small amount of time for a HUGE amount of fun! Please join us! Give your name to Bob, Cindy or Jackie by Sunday, Feb. 27, and we will see you at rehearsal!!
UCC Connections – Super Saturday: March 5
On March 5 the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ will hold its second Super Saturday, a day of workshops and networking on a wide range of topics relevant to churches today. Go and learn about some of the best practices, go and make new connections, go and renew your enthusiasm for the Church. Some workshops offered: Faith Formation Across the Life Span, Music as Ministry, From Charity to Justice, Boundary Awareness for Laity, Growing Together, Money Autobiography, and Stirring Up Healthy Ministry through Pastoral Relations Committee.
There are many more which you can check out at www.macucc.org. The cost of the day (8 a.m.-3 p.m. includes lunch) is covered by the FCC Ministry Budget. It will be held at Ludlow High School. Please see Pastor Doreen ASAP if you are interested in attending.
Discipleship / Membership Continuum
I have been sharing over the past few months from a Super Saturday workshop on shifting models of church. The “membership model” may have worked fine at a time when families went to church as a matter of course, when it meshed well with the wider culture, and there was less questioning of the relevance of it. We cannot count on that, and there is now more focus on the church as a body that answers God’s call, even if it is not in sync with the wider culture. Here are three more items from the spectrum assessment tool. You are invited to think about where you see FCC on these continuums, where would you like to see us, and how could we get there. Consider, on a 5 point scale these aspects:
1. Members are focused on finding their call and carrying out their ministry. … to …. Members are focused on how their needs are being met.
2. The mission of the church is paramount. … to … The comfort of the members is paramount.
3. We understand evangelism as a response; when our hearts are transformed by the Gospel, then we cannot help but tell others the Good News of Jesus Christ. … to … We have an Evangelism Committee which oversees church growth by going out and recruiting new members from the ranks of the “unchurched.”
Please share your thoughts and questions with each other and/or with me (Pastor Doreen).
Retreat and Refresh:
April 1-2
First Congregational Church would like to have its first spiritual retreat. All adults are welcome for this overnight trip to the Craigville Retreat and Conference Center on Cape Cod. The tentative date is Friday, April 1 through Saturday April 2. A minimum of 6 people in addition to the 2 leaders is required for this retreat to happen. The Conference Center books quickly, so please express your interest to Pastor Doreen as soon as possible. The cost would be approximately $90. Partial subsidies are available if the cost is a hardship. Commitment deadline is February 20.
Worcester Fellowship Lunch Providers:
February 27
FCC is on the WF calendar as lunch providers on the 4th Sunday every other month. We are so grateful for the generous donations of food and energy to this ministry. There will be a sign-up sheet for donations available on February 20, and we encourage you to add your helping hands to the lunch assembly after worship in Russell Hall on the 27th. All are welcome to attend lunch and worship behind Worcester City Hall beginning at 1:00 p.m. This is an outdoor service, so dress warmly if you wish to join Quentin, Pastor Doreen and our Confirmation class in fellowship with WF.
Preparing lunches for Worcester Fellowship
Our next date as providers falls on Easter Sunday. We understand that most people will need to leave church to be with family after worship that day. Doreen and Quentin will have plenty of time to prepare the lunch and will bring it to Worcester, but would you consider making your usual food donations? Many thanks, Quentin Lewis.
Labyrinth Workshop:
Saturday, March 12, 1-3 p.m.
Begin your Lenten journey with a Labyrinth walk. Join us for a brief introduction to labyrinth walking followed by quiet contemplation on a pattern provided by Labyrinth Alchemy. A labyrinth is an ancient symbol that relates to wholeness. It combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path. The labyrinth represents a journey to our own center and back out into the world.
The workshop will be open to the public for a fee of $10, but there is no charge for friends and members of First Congregational Church. Take advantage of this program of spiritual nurture. Snow date is March 26. Contact the church office to register or if you have any questions – 508-892-3274.
Better Ministry Through Evaluation
This is the title of one of the Super Saturday workshops I attended last October. It emphasized the importance of on-going evaluation not just of church staff, but of how the whole church is responding to God’s call to be a bearer of good news. It makes a convincing case that the best evaluations invite conversation rather than ranking good or bad on a list of personal functions or traits. Though individual reactions are important, rich reflection focuses less on individual preferences and desires and more on effectiveness of ministry – feeding the spirit and expressing God’s love and care to people at the church as well as the larger community. The process is not to be rushed, not something to get through, but an opportunity to reflect and share. A wide range of input is extremely valuable.
The process will begin with Council in late February, and the goal is to look in time at all the ministries of the church – the overall worship experience, the education and spiritual nurture ministry, outreach ministries, committees, pastoral care and hospitality. Members and friends of the church will be asked to participate in an evaluation group for worship or a ministry they have been involved in or touched by. I hope when asked you will say yes. My goal is to make this an enriching and meaningful experience for everyone involved.
Sunday School Update
by Chris Cathcart
I would like to begin this month by giving a big “Welcome Aboard!” to our newest teacher Angela Shea. Angie will be taking over Jim’s class of “Boz” kids. They are very lucky to have her as she comes with great enthusiasm and joy. I know she too will have lots of fun and very much enjoy teaching the class. I hope she will return with us to teach again next year! Please be sure to thank her for her service to God, our Church and our children. She certainly is a gift from above.
In December the Boz kids learned about the first Christmas. The High-Pointers learned about Faithfulness. We wrapped up the month with our Christmas Play which I adapted from a children’s book that I had read to my son, Liam. It is called “Hurry, Hurry, Have You Heard?” Our sanctuary “forest” was filled with many joyous worshipers as well as all kinds of animals such as birds, fox, wolves, cats, dogs, bunnies, squirrels and even things such as a black widow spider (played by Liam Cathcart), all the animals from the stable and even an elephant (played by Ben LaPointe). The children were fantastic and we had about 98% attendance! It was loved by all.
I would like to thank all of the children on behalf of my husband Jim and myself for all of the wonderful Christmas gifts. It was so very thoughtful of you! I want each of you to know that we love you very much. You are part of our family – our church family. Each one of you has different gifts that you give us and it is such a joy to get to know you and discover what these gifts are.
In January with the addition of our new teacher we realized that many of our High-Pointers were in grades 5-8. Since Angie so graciously offered to teach the little ones, Jim is freed up to teach the oldest ones! They look forward to embarking on their journey through the “Core Truth” curriculum. They will begin by exploring how God and Jesus fit into their lives.
The High Pointers will finish their journey of faithfulness that they began in Dec. In Feb. they will begin a study of attitudes. They will explore good and bad attitudes, how God affects our attitude and why it is important to maintain a good attitude.
The Boz kids will continue learning about the ways God impacts their young lives through bible stories, games, crafts and activities.
Lastly, I will once again be in need of someone who is willing to reach out of their comfort zone a little and be silly with the kids as a “wacky character”. Please consider trying this as everyone who has “acted” for me has found it to be a great experience. They have laughed and told me they had a lot of fun and all have told me they would do it again. It would be a joy for me to help more people find this pleasure!
If you would like to volunteer, have questions or feel the desire to make a donation of supplies please see me at church, call me at 774-318-8057 or e-mail me at christine_cathcart@yahoo.com but please note that I do not check my e-mail every day.
Staff Transitions
We regret that Rosa Nieves is not able to continue her work as our secretary. But you will be delighted to hear that Brielle MacDonald
Brielle MacDonald
has offered to resume the design and layout of our newsletters beginning with this month’s spiffy issue.
Pastor Doreen will do the weekly bulletins, but we are looking for a few volunteers to help on a bi-monthly basis with the newsletter mailing preparation. Many hands make light work, and we are hoping to get enough volunteers that two teams rotate each month. There are 10 issues of Congregational Connections during the year (none in July or January), so it is a commitment of 5 times per year. If you can help, please let Pastor Doreen know.
Generous Saints
Those are the words that came to mind when I learned of the overwhelming response to our request for donations to help a local family have a special Christmas. Donations poured in and we collected over $600.
We learned of a second family that needed help, and were able to include them in our Christmas shopping.
We also took in $344 in the free-will offering for Leicester Food Bank on Christmas Eve.
First Congregational Church is such a spe-cial place, so full of generous saints, so full of warmth and love. Bless you and thank you.
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Collection Report – Nov & Dec 2010
November 7 $ 583.00 (includes $25.00 Organ Fund donation)
14 600.25
21 1,182.59 (includes $25.00 Organ Fund donation)
28 834.00
____________
Total $ 3,199.84
December 5 $ 2,224.88 (includes $580.00 family need collection)
12 3,617.00 (includes $3,000 fair, $121 Christmas fund,
$25.00 family need collection)
19 826.00 (incl. $10 family need collection and $11 Christmas fund)
26 1,141.00 (incl. $35 Christmas fund, $40 family
need collection, $344 food pantry collect.)
____________
Total $ 7,808.88
Christmas eve 4pm and 11pm services had a free will offering plate to benefit the Leicester Food pantry at St. Joseph’s Church. We collected $344.00.
A special collection to benefit local families in need totaled $655.00.
The Christmas Fund, a special collection to benefit retired ministers totaled $187.00.
Our church is blessed with generous hearts. Thank you to all who are able to help others in need.
