March 2010 Newsletter
Congregational Connections
Egg Hunt – March 15, 2008
We need your help again this year to get ready for Peter Cottontail’s Easter Party. The date is Saturday, March 27, and it’s time to fill Easter eggs and raffle baskets. If you can help in any way, large or small, we will be most grateful. We are collecting baskets, stuffed animals, small toys, books, games, etc., – all for children ages 10 and under. Also, plastic eggs and soft, pre-wrapped candy to full them. If you need plastic eggs to fill, please let us know and we will provide them for you. We also need to keep track of how many eggs we have collected so that we can judge about how many each child is able to take home with them. Just place a note on the bag or box to indicate how many eggs are included. Please sign up to help decorate and work on the craft tables as we need many helpers to take care of all the children the day of the hunt. Please return all donated items by Sunday, March 21st, so that Marie Frascolla can put the baskets together. A big THANK YOU for all your help.
Baptism:
Ayden Michael Burnor, son of Nathan Burnor and Kelli Mulrain was baptized on Feb 14, 2010. The godparents are Scott Urekew and Anne Mulrain. Brothers Tyler and Danny are also their to support Ayden as he is baptized by Rev Doreen Oughton. Grandparents are Neil and Carol Mulrain.
Click here to see more photo’s of Ayden’s Baptism
Membership Information Session:
Sunday, March 7 after Pot Luck Lunch
If you are not yet a member of FCC and are interested in exploring this possibility, please come to this information session. There will be representatives from committees to explain more about how the church works, talk about our denominational connection with the United Church of Christ, and discuss faith journeys and what it means to become a member. Anyone interested in this information but unable to attend the session should contact Pastor Doreen. There will be a ceremony accepting new members during worship on March 14.
Lenten Offering: Envelopes Enclosed
Enclosed with this newsletter you will find a white envelope with the churches’ address on it. Please use it as you are able. In past years, church members have set aside a quarter for each day of Lent as an offering. Put a jar out on the counter and offer a prayer every day as you drop a coin in. Get the whole family involved. The act of “giving up” something for Lent can be as simple as forgoing that morning latte or spending time helping someone in need.
In memory of Herb May
Memorial service Sat 27th at the church 10:30 am
This week saw the peaceful passing of Herb May at his home in Holden. His wife, daughter, & granddaughter had just finished telling him how much they and all the other members of his family loved him. He had clearly understood them as they saw him trying to reply. Most likely he was saying goodbye. Of course we are all going to leave this life at some time. We can only hope it will be within such a loving home and family as that provided for Herb. I am sure he felt that love during his last days. While Herb had a very full life as a successful military officer and engineer it was the fine gentleman he was that created the first and lasting impression of him. When you learned of the principles of faith and humanity being the hallmarks of his ancestry you recognized that those same characteristics embodied Herb. He has served their memory well. Herb’s favorite form of relaxation was sailing on his Bristol sloop along the Southern New England and Long Island Sound waters. Like his other undertakings Herb was very proficient at the skills of sailing and shared his knowledge with others through his involvement in the Power Squadron. If you had occasion to sail or rendezvous with Herb & Joann you found a very affectionate couple on board. Love of nature and freedom are embodied in sailing and therefore blended well with Herb’s personality. Of course we will miss Herb’s presence with us but will always have his spirit with us whenever a fair wind blows. To read the complete obituary in the Telegram & Gazette click here.
BBT Café: March 31
Russell Hall continues to be the place for this FREE community dinner on the last Wednesday of each month. It is an effort headed by Peggy Prynosky of Christ Episcopal Church in Rochdale, with other church and community members sharing responsibility for providing meals. If you would like to help set up and/or attend the dinner on Wed., March 31, please call Peggy at 508-892-8684.
Behind the Scenes – Thank You By Pastor Doreen
I just have to lift up the work of Deb Arsenault on the church’s website. She has been doing amazing things, from posting sermons, to updating events and posting pictures. And you can’t believe what she does with the newsletter. The hard copy of the newsletter is terrible at printing photos, so Deb adds plenty of pictures to the articles on the website, and creates links to various programs that are mentioned in articles. If you have internet access, I strongly recommend you check it out. And even if you don’t, please let Deb know how much her efforts are appreciated. 
Awe, shucks, thank you _ I am glad you like it. Debbie
Exciting News from the Music Committee
By Robert A. Shauris. Minister of Music
Purchased in 1984, the Allen ADC 2010 in Leicester Congregational Church has served the community well. However, as many of you know, the organ has been showing signs of age. Intermittent glitches and control problems have plagued the organ for sometime (playing an organ that insists on having a mind of its own can be somewhat challenging!).
It is not advisable to invest any money in an old organ. Modern digital technology has substantially improved since 1984 and the new organs have truly become virtual pipe organs with fantastic sound. 
It may be remembered that we began to address the issue of a new organ about two years ago with a very successful fundraiser. Last summer I was discussing our organ problem with a friend who is involved with an organization that has assisted many churches with substantial grants for just such projects. The organization, the Gomidas Organ Fund, Inc. was founded years ago by a friend of mine of over thirty years, the late concert organist Berj Zamkochian. The long and short of our discussion; because of my association with the Fund’s founder there is a real possibility that we could receive a grant to help us realize the purchase of a new organ. To take advantage of this possibility I brought the news to our Music Committee and then made a formal request to the Fund board to apply to the Fund. That request has been accepted. The first big step in getting a grant has been accomplished. The next step was to form a committee. Music Committee members Cindy LaPointe and Jackie Henderson, Deacon Neil Mulrain, Trustee Ron LaPointe and I make up this committee. Another step accomplished. The next step has to be completed by 1 March. This is the deadline for the formal proposal that I must submit to the Fund. Then the most difficult step: waiting. I will update you in subsequent newsletters as to our progress. (I am thinking positively so I will not suggest anything but progress). If you should have any questions regarding this issue, please feel free to ask me after a Sunday Service.
Trustee Update
The Trustees last week voted to have 28 new windows installed in the parsonage, along with a new back door and insulation in the attic. The windows are triple glazed and have a lifetime guaranty. The project will be completed by April 10th, this should save us considerable money on the heating bills in the years to come
Note from the Pastor
Grace and peace to you my friends, in this season of Lent. I know I am a little behind, as Lent started a few weeks ago, but I still haven’t quite gotten the hang of thinking ahead a few weeks to when the newsletter will come out. So now we are in the thick of one of the most significant periods of the Christian faith.
This period of introspection, prayer and preparation for Eastertide has been part of Christian churches since the middle of the fourth century. It can be interesting to reflect on how this came to be, as it is not a biblical practice. You can check out the sermon from 2/21 on our website for more information its connection with baptism and Roman rule. But what calls to me to explore here is the way religious observances often connect with things going on in the natural world, such as the darkening of days during Advent, and the re-awakening of the world in Spring; and with things going on socially or culturally, such as dwindling food supplies in the spring. Doesn’t it make sense to encourage fasting as the winter stores of food run low? It’s like having lemons and making lemonade. We have dwindling food supplies; it has been a long winter of diminished sun and inhospitable weather, so how can we make this a meaningful time in our lives? How do we take the focus off our hunger and irritability and longing for warmth and sun? We ask people to focus on God, on what it means to be a person of faith. Here in this day and age, we can still identify with the longing for warmth and sun and the renewal of nature, but most of us do not relate to scarcity of food. Some would say we have too much. Perhaps fasting in some way, giving something up, can help connect us with a part of ourselves that doesn’t see such abundance as our right and our necessity. It sounds like a nice idea, and I’m interested to see if that works out. I can’t recall the last time I gave something up for Lent. Several times in the past years I have taken on spiritual disciplines such as daily prayer, reading, reflection and/or service during Lent and it has been quite enriching. Just before Ash Wednesday, someone helping me develop healthier eating and exercise habits cautioned me about overdoing it with the chocolate. I told him quite clearly that it was not something I was likely to change. I didn’t consider 1-4 small squares of high quality dark chocolate excessive, and I enjoyed it so much. “Life is about the joy,” I told him. As soon as I said it, I knew this was something I should let go for a Lenten discipline. As I write this I am on day 5 of my chocolate fast. Not feeling very spiritual about it at the moment. I have, in fact, been feeling somewhat entitled to treat myself to other goodies to replace the chocolate, once to the point of excessiveness. I feel a little bit whiny and deprived. It’s not pleasant to be confronted with these parts of myself, but I have been through such things enough to trust the process. And when I start to notice these things, I have thought about Jesus, about God, and prayed for right focus. I invite you to ask me how it is going when you see me, and I’ll update you in a few weeks when I write again for the April edition. I’ve come across several interesting ideas on Lenten practices that I wanted to share with you. One woman and her husband committed to eating on a food stamp recipient’s budget of $11 per day for two people. She wanted to see if she could have adequate nutritious food, even while acknowledging that she had many more advantages to make that more like than many poor people do – car access for easier shopping, tools, recipes and nutritional information, etc. You can check out how it went on the website click on link below. : http://thelentenexperiment.blogspot.com/2009/01/please-advise-us-on-our-lenten–plans.html Another interesting blog on this experiment is Rebecca’s Pocket. Click Here to read her story.
Others have gone on an energy fast, hanging clothes out to dry instead of using the dryer, or keeping the heat on very low. I’ve also heard of those who commit to doing daily anonymous acts of kindness throughout Lent. Ideally, a Lenten practice is truly preparation for Eastertide, and the things we do to prepare connect to the things we want to celebrate at Easter. What about you? Have you ever given something up or taken something up for Lent? How did it affect your life, your faith? How did it connect with the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ, the new life born in each of us over and over again? I warmly invite you to write, call or see me to share your stories of Lent and Easter.
Losing the Nails
By Hazel Farris
During early childhood I had a fiery temper that often caused me to say or do unkind things. One day, after an argument had sent one of my playmates home in tears, my father told me that for each thoughtless, mean thing I did he would drive a nail into our gatepost. Each time I did a kindness or a good deed, one nail would be withdrawn. Months passed. Each time I entered our gate, I was reminded of the reasons for those ever-increasing nails, until finally, getting them out became a challenge. At last the long-awaited day arrived-only one more nail! As my father withdrew it I danced around proudly exclaiming, ‘See, Daddy, the nails are all gone.’ Father gazed intently at the post as he thoughtfully replied, ‘Yes, the nails are gone, but the scars remain.'”
Click here to read this story and other similar lessons. Some are very funny yet thought provoking.
Multi-church, Interfaith Good Friday Event
At the February meeting of area clergy, an idea was suggested to honor Good Friday through a relay walk. Members from churches spanning from Leicester to West Brookfield would walk in small groups or teams of two for a small portion of the distance between the furthest churches carrying a medium-sized cross. There would also be food donation drop off points at all participating churches Friday to Saturday. The walk would take place down Route 9 between 3 and 6 p.m. If this is something you might be interested in participating in, please contact Pastor Doreen.
Moment for Mission:
Focus on One Great Hour of Sharing
One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) is one of the five collections taken by the United Church of Christ to support the denomination’s Wider Mission. This particular offering supports international programs of health, education and agricultural development, relief and refuge assistance. Smaller churches such as FCC are wise to focus much of their outreach efforts on local need where we are able to be more hands on and develop deeper connections with people nearby. FCC does this well with its involvement in the Food Bank, the BBT Café, Worcester Fellowship and more. By contributing to OGHS and the other denominational offerings, we here in Leicester have the opportunity to participate in overseas missions as we follow Christ’s call to give food to the hungry, clean water to the thirsty, clothing to the naked, care to the sick, and welcome to the refuge and stranger. We also follow Christ’s call that all churches work as one body. Here are just two stories of how OGHS funds have been used:
A Home Away from Home: Ialokot, Pakistan, a “tent city” is home and host to hundreds of earthquake survivors. Living there has its difficulties but is better than having no place to live. Supported by Church World Service, Action by Churches Together International and gifts from the OGHS offering, this camp provides food, clean water, health clinics and educational opportunities. Nearly all the people who are waiting in the tent city are eager to return to their homes one day.
Magdalena Goes to School: In Belgrade, Serbia, Magdalena Tomic is a polite and quick student at Branko Pesic Primary School. Many of the students who attend her school are ethnic Roma and vulnerable to discrimination. With assistance from One Great Hour of Sharing and Church World Service, the parents of the children received small micro-credit loans and started their own businesses. Parents themselves enrolled in classes and learned new skills and new ways of earning a living. They are grateful for the opportunity to support their children’s development too! Now the children are being fed, minds as well as bodies. This newsletter should come with an envelope for Lenten donations. If you would like to enclose a check specifically for OGHS, please note that on the check itself and use the envelope to return this donation. Or if you regularly attend worship, look for the OGHS collection envelops in the pews over the next few weeks. Thanks so much for your generosity and care.
UCC Connections
As a member church of the United Church of Christ, we are covenant partners with the national denomination, the Massachusetts Conference, and the Central Association of the UCC. This covenant gifts us with blessings and rights, as well as responsibilities to each body. FCC does a wonderful job keeping its financial commitments to the denomination, and has utilized the great offers of support and training in several areas. I (Pastor Doreen) serve on the Board of Directors of the Central Association, and am on the nominating committee for the Board. I am acutely aware of the need for lay participation at the Association level, especially on the Committee on Ministry. This Committee oversees all issues of clergy ordination, licensing, and fitness in the Association. Like any human group, clergy can develop their own biases about these issues, and input from lay people is absolutely crucial. I am asking each of you to consider serving on this Committee. The term is three years, and the Committee meets monthly on the third Thursday from 9am-3pm. Partial-term slots are available for people who want to try it out before making a longer commitment. It is a big time commitment, but it is also an awesome, committed group of people doing important work. You will learn much about the denomination, the ordination processes, leadership and ministry. You must be a member of an Association church in order to serve. Other committees that have openings include the Board of Directors – a 2-year commitment, fourth Thursday at 7 pm Sept-Nov and Feb-June. Duties include planning the two Association meetings, nominating, participation in ordinations and other special events, and oversight of other committees. There is also the Nurture and Fellowship Committee that meets as needed to plan the retired clergy luncheon, the administrative assistant’s luncheon, and fellowship events for clergy. There is also an opening for Association treasurer who attends meetings of the Board of Directors and manages the finances of the Association. Nominations will be made at the spring meeting in early May, so please give some thought to serving, and let me know.
Sunday School Update
By Chris Cathcart
In January the 1st through 3rd grades finished up their lessons on the 10 Commandments. The older kids cleaned out and got settled in their new classroom. The little kids continued to learn about all the ways that God is in their lives. In February the older kids will be learning about the Trinity. The 1st through 3rd grades will be studying prayer and the little kids will be learning about the 10 Commandments. We continue to build our A. R. K. with random acts of kindness. I will be putting out forms to be filled out by anyone who witnesses an act of kindness by one of our Sunday School Children. I will provide a basket to put them in so that I can update our ark. Also if you are a parent of one of our kids, please bring some forms home and return them each Sunday filled with all the wonderful things your child/children do at home also! Anyone wishing to volunteer time or want to make a donation please see me.
January’s Collection Totals
3rd $865.00
10th $989.00
17th $338.00
24th $1,121.65
31st $1,072.00
Calendar of Events
Worship Sun 10-11am
Maundy Thursday Service April 1 at 7:00 pm
Weekly Bible Study Contact Pastor Doreen if interested.
Wed 10:30 am Mon 7:00 pm Yoga
Mon’s 6:30-8 PM Women’s Association March 3 @ 12:30 at the church.
Deacon Schedule
7 – Carol Mulrain & Ann Orsi
14 – Deb Entwistle & Neil Mulrain
21 – Nancy Desautels & Lenny Ivel
28 – Ray Orsi & Ann Orsi
Prayer List
Helen Rancke
Phyllis White
Mandella Family
Cunningham Family
Pastor Nan
