May 2011 Newsletter
CONGREGATIONAL CONNECTIONS
MAY 2011 ISSUE
Church Yard Sale
May 21
PAXTON STREET SIDE LAWN
When cleaning out the house/garage this Spring, think of the Church. We need good stuff for a big Yard Sale.
Anyone interested in helping with either donating items or volunteering, contact Judy Ivel 892-3321 or Cindy Lapointe at 885-9875.
2010 UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
Each church in the United Church of Christ is asked to contribute to the support of the Associations and Conferences of the denomination. Churches benefit from these connections in numerous ways, which are often highlighted in our newsletter in the UCC Connections section.
This year local churches are asked to pay $18.60 per member. First Congregational Church asks that members pay these dues apart from their pledges to the church. Please make checks payable to “First Congregational Church of Leicester”. Checks can be mailed to the church, attn: Ann Orsi, or dropped in the offering plate with note “membership dues.”
If this poses a hardship for anyone, please see Pastor Doreen. Perhaps you can make a partial contribution toward the dues, with the church subsidizing the rest. Also, people may want to contribute extra to help subsidize the dues for those who cannot pay. All contributions are tax deductible.
Annual Reports Due
Last year at annual meeting the congregation voted to change our fiscal year to run from June 1 through May 30. The end of the year is fast approaching, and Committees should be working on their annual reports. They are due the first week of June to allow preparation time for our Annual Meeting on June 26.
by Chris Cathcart
This month, in honor of Mother’s Day, families will worship together on Sunday, May 8. So to cover all our lessons, we will have Sunday school on May 1. All classes continue their Easter lessons.
We’ve seen wonderful growth in Sunday school, with new people joining us and attendance improving in general. We are blessed to have three dedicated teachers, and our steady aid Ricky Spaulding as well as those who take on the crazy character role. Any adult is welcome to sit in with the classes, observing or lending a hand. If you’d like to try teaching, there’s lots of support available. Just check with me at fellowship time.
We’ve also noticed that there are more infants and young toddlers in church, and our lack of nursery care is sorely felt. The RE Committee will be discussing this issue at our meeting on May 22 right after worship, so if you have suggestions, please see me or Pastor Doreen before then, or feel free to come to the meeting.
Pot Luck Lunch and
Family Games
Sunday, May 1 after worship. If your last name begins with A-L, please bring a side dish or dessert. If it begins with M-Z, please bring a main dish to share
A Note from the Pastor
Grace and peace to you, my friends. When you get this letter, we will have celebrated Easter, and Lent will be behind us. I was supposed to have reported to you about my Lenten journey of taking the church on the road, and yet I find myself still in idle, maybe revving the engine slightly but never moving the gear shift out of park. Does that ever happen to you? You set goals and feel quite motivated, but one thing after another comes up and makes it easy to put things off. How do you handle it? What do you tell yourself about it? I find myself tempted to swing between two extremes, either be really critical of myself or let myself off the hook completely. I might start the mental tape rolling that says I am lazy, that I never get anything done, what is wrong with me, etc, etc. Or I might play the tape that says it’s no big deal, if it was meant to happen it would have happened, I do plenty of other things, or just generally shrugs it off. I don’t think either of these stances have much integrity. The way of integrity, I think, is to hold myself accountable with gentleness.
There is a saying that expresses this tension wonderfully: “God loves you just the way you are, but loves you too much to let you stay that way.” I remind myself that God won’t love me any less when I fail or any more when I succeed. God’s love is not conditional on such things. Grounding myself in that love gives me courage and strength and even enthusiasm about stretching and pushing beyond my comfort zone. It inspires me to try again, to clear the obstacles and get going.
What might it be like to hold each other accountable with gentleness? When people or committees set goals, whether to start a project, finish one, to pledge, or provide a meal for someone, how can we help each other stretch and grow and become who we are called to be? Can we be assured that no one’s value depends on success or failure? Can we trust that we are loved and accepted unconditionally, and from that place are invited to strive for more. We are not invited to strive for more stress, but for more wisdom and companionship, more learning and service, more connection…. more love. May it be so.
Blessings,
Pastor Doreen
Please hold in your prayers members and friends of our church family who are dealing with medical issues, financial strain, family complexities, isolation, loss and transition. May God’s love and light pour abundantly down on Ellie Skagerlind, Marge Rabidou, Helen Rancke, and Doug and Brenda Ponton. Please pray for our church growth, that we be a blessing to this community. If there are others you wish to add to the prayer list, please contact Pastor Doreen.
UCC Connections
First Congregational Church is part of the Central Association of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ (Phew!). The Association is a group of churches in the central Massachusetts area, and the Conference is a group of Associations in the state. The Association works directly with churches on search and call (finding a pastor), church conflicts, and ministerial fitness; and with people who wish to be ordained in the UCC, helping them to discern a call to ordained ministry, and meet and maintain important ministerial standards. The Central Association is holding its annual Spring Meeting on May 1 at 4:00 p.m. at the Acton Congregational Church. There will be reports from Association Committees and a talk by Bob Bachelder of Worcester Area Mission Society. These will be woven into a worship service, and the meeting will be followed by dinner out at Daniela’s Cantina in Acton for $11.00. Speak to Pastor Doreen ASAP if you are interested in attending the meeting.
The Conference assists in the search and call process also, holding the listings of churches who are searching, and sending profiles of candidates. They also offer numerous ways to support clergy, from workshops and retreats to clergy support groups and boundary awareness training. They host workshops for church growth and improvement, Confirmation and youth retreats, and are generally charged with supporting church vitality. Their Annual Meeting will be held on Saturday, June 18 at the Sturbridge Host Hotel and Conference Center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (or later if the plenary session runs long). FCC budgets for one delegate and the pastor to attend the meeting, but Pastor Doreen will use her ministerial budget to pay for anyone else who wishes to attend. Registration deadline is June 3, so let her know if you would like to go.
Presenters at this meeting are:
Keynote Speaker:The Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, General Minister and President UCC
Pastor and Comedian: Jen Munroe-Nathans
Click here for more information about the annual meeting and the presenters.
Bunny Day Thank You
Bunny Day 2011
Wow! Another successful Bunny Day Eggstravaganza was held on Saturday, April 16th. Nearly 100 children and their parent/s came to spend a few hours with Peter Cottontail, taking pictures, working on crafts, making bunny trail mix and munching on veggies and donut holes. We raffled off 18 beautiful Easter baskets filled with toys, stuffed animals and goodies and collected several large bins of canned goods and non-perishables for the Leicester Food Bank. Proceeds of $300 will also be donated. The children enjoyed searching for over 1300 Easter eggs outdoors on the lawn although it was a bit windy and chilly this year. Thankfully the rain held off until evening.
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who donated candy and eggs, items for the baskets, prepared food, helped to decorate, blow up balloons, spread the hay and hide eggs, set up and help the children with their crafts, work the raffle table, help Peter Cottontail with the children outdoors and clean up at the end of the day. Everyone did a great job! Thank you all for bringing joy and laughter into the church while supporting our local food bank at the same time.
Bunny Day Raffle 2011
For More Great Pictures of Bunny Day CLICK HERE
Simple Changes Could Yield Big Results
Imagine, for a moment, the following scene: as a recent newcomer in town, you’ve spent weeks looking for a church you’d like to attend. Excited about finally having made a choice, you jump in the car on a lovely Sunday morning and drive to the church, eager for a new worship experience and new people.
But as you pull up in front of the building, something seems strange. There are no cars parked in front; no sign of people arriving or entering. A little anxiety sets in as you wonder if you have misunderstood the time of the service. No, you’re certain you have it correct. Somewhat confused, you ask yourself, “Where is everybody?”
Now let’s imagine the scene again, same time and place, but with a few simple changes. You pull up in front of the church to find a line of cars already parked there. It’s a beautiful spring morning, and people are talking in groups on the sidewalk and front steps before worship begins. The main door is open wide, and as people arrive, greeters on the steps welcome folks to the worship service. “Wow,” you say to yourself. “I think I’ve chosen the right church for me. There’s an energy here.”
At a recent meeting of the Church Growth Committee, members spent time discussing the first impressions one might have of our own building’s exterior; first impressions that could, in fact, be working to our disadvantage. We came up with two ideas for improvement which will require little effort and absolutely no expense.
Here’s how you can help:
1. Whenever possible, park in front of the church. If you’re the first to arrive, pull up to the head of the line so others can park behind you.
2. Come in through the main entrances in the front or use the side door. Even if you park in the rear lot, use the front entrance if walking or weather are not problems.
3. During the months of good weather, step outside to socialize before worship begins. What could be more fun than that?
We’re asking everyone to help out with this and to make a consistent effort. Small changes can, indeed, yield bigger results!
Thanks, from your Church Growth Committee:
Pastor Doreen, Chris Cathcart, Marie Gravina, Jackie Henderson
Council News
At our March and April meetings, the Council voted to allow two groups to rent Russell Hall on a weekly basis. The group Business Network International meets Wednesday mornings from 7-8:30 a.m., hence their chapter name of “Early Birdies.” The BNI is a network of small business owners who support one another through recommendations and referrals. All members are interviewed and vetted for honesty and integrity in their business practices. The representatives I’ve met with are wonderful people. If any FCC friends or members are small business owners and wish to be considered for membership in the BNI, please see Pastor Doreen. Also, the group is a great source for a variety of services from legal assistance to office supplies to trades. Again, see Pastor Doreen for more information. Click Here for a link to their website.
The second group that will start using Russell Hall in May is the Church of God, a non-denominational Christian church. They observe a 7th day Sabbath, meeting on Saturday afternoons. The group was highly recommended by the First Congregational Church of Worcester (Tatnuck), who has leased to Church of God for several years. We look forward to a supportive and mutually beneficial arrangement.
The Council had their Evaluation meeting in late March, facilitated by pastoral relations committee member Marie Frascolla, with note taking by clerk Donna Spaulding. The general feeling was very positive about the functioning of the Council – the care all members have for the church, and clarity about goals and purpose. We identified some areas that need work, such as supporting the Religious Education Director with a more active RE Committee, and staying more focused and on-topic during meetings so that they don’t go longer than is necessary. Three Council members, Jackie Henderson, Chris Cathcart and Carol Mulrain, volunteered to coordinate and lead a worship evaluation session in the next few months. They will be asking people to meet after worship some Sunday to give feedback. Though the group size will be limited, there will be periodic evaluations so that everyone who wants to will have a chance to participate. I hope everyone who attends worship will participate at some point, so say yes if you are asked.
A BIG THANK YOU
On behalf of the church and the Board of Trustees, we would like say well done to the young Boy Scouts of troops 126 and 125 and their adult leaders, for the beautifying of our lawns. On Saturday, April 9th, they raked the entire church property. Also, a thank you to Len Ivel for the disposal of the leaves. We also would like to thank you to Scout Brandon McCue for his assistance on Saturday, April 16th, Bunny Day .
God’s Pharmacy
It’s been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish… All before making a human. He made and provided what we’d need before we were born. These are best & more powerful when eaten raw. We’re such slow learners… God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body!
God’s Pharmacy! Amazing!
• A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye… And YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.
• A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.
• Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.
• A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.
• Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.
• Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don’t have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.
• Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female – they look just like these organs. Today’s research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).
• Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.
• Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.
• Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries
• Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.
• Onions look like the body’s cells. Today’s research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.
Religious Education Committee Meeting
Sunday, May 22 at 11:30. All members are strongly urged to attend to plan for RE Sunday and to develop the Committee’s goals and functions. Anyone interested in RE at FCC is welcome to attend.
Bible/Book Study
Mondays 7:00 p.m and Wednesdays 10:30 a.m. Contact Pastor Doreen or see worship bulletins for locations, schedule and reading assignments.
Women’s Association
May 4 at 12:30 at the church to elect officers.
On June 1st the meeting will be held at the LaPointe’s home. Pastor Doreen will install the new officers.
Council Meeting
Sunday 5/15, 11:45 in Russell Hall. We will develop the budget for the coming year. All are welcome.
