Sept 2014 Newsletter
Congregational Connections
Welcome Back!
Our numbers have been small, but the Spirit has been strong through our summer worship, as we took time out to give thanks, sing, pray and hear the Word in a pared down service. Our organist Bob has been recuperating from a leg injury, and we appreciated our guest musicians Karen D (organ), and Ken Latham (guitar). Now we are refreshed and ready to welcome back those who found spiritual sustenance elsewhere over the summer.
Our full liturgy resumes on Sun, September 7.
This year there is no Sunday school, but particular effort has been made to welcome and include children in the worship service. Activity bags are available which promise to delight your child for their time with us. The nursery is not staffed at this point, but staffing will be considered if a need develops. Please speak to Doreen if this is of interest to you.
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Harvest Fair
Sat, September 20 (Rain or Shine)
We will be selling Apple Crisp and Ice Cream again this year on the common, and popcorn and soda from the church lawn.
Friday afternoon/evening (the 19th) we will be making the Apple Crisp in the church kitchen with anticipation of that wonderful aroma that fills up the whole church the 
day of the fair.
If you can help out either day (or both) or if you can spend just an hour or two at one of our sale areas, we would be extremely grateful. If the weather is as wonderful as it was the last two years we will need many hands to get through the day. It’s a great event – hopefully you won’t miss it!
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It’s On! Paint Night
Tues, October 7
6:30 pm in Russell Hall
Artist Amy Sauer will provide canvas, easel, paint and guidance. FCC will provide yummy snacks; non-alcoholic beverages and ambiance. And you provide your own wine or beer, along with your enthusiasm and $30. You will receive a lovely picture painted by you, and a wonderful time. So mark your calendars now. Sign up begins September 21.
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A Note from the Pastor
Greeting Friends, and Happy Fall! Wasn’t it a lovely summer? Did you take a little more vacation time, spend more time with family? I did. I have a sister who lives most of
the year in California, but spends three summer months in Maine. It is a treat to the rest of us to have her so near, and she is very gracious about inviting people to come stay in Maine. I also went on a week-long vacation with my parents, siblings, and almost all of our children, as well as various spouses and friends. I feel so blessed to have a family then genuinely enjoys one another’s company, and makes time to be together. And still…. there are times when I am with them that I feel I have regressed back into a teenager (or younger!). I certainly don’t feel like the grown up I am most of the time. I feel jealous or resentful or competitive. Sometimes we get to telling our young adult children stories from our childhood, the games we played, the fights or mischief we got into. I try to recall how I felt and how I thought when I was young, but I can’t ever seem to fully step out of the spot I am standing in now, the mid-50’s lens that I look through.
Our summer Sunday worship services were also spent with family, in a way. We heard and pondered the stories of our ancestors in faith from Genesis and Exodus. We started with God’s call to Abraham and Sarah, with the promise of descendants as numerous as stars in the sky, which came to fruition late in their lives with the arrival of Isaac. We looked at the story of God’s call to Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, only to spare him at the last minute. Isaac grew up, married Rebekah, and had fraternal twin sons – Esau and Jacob. We read the stories of Jacob’s deception of his dying father, stealing a blessing that was meant for Esau, and we read later stories about a deception against Jacob by his uncle, swapping Leah in for Rachel, the daughter he thought he was marrying. And we even heard about those twelve sons of Jacob, ten of whom attacked their own brother Joseph and sold him into slavery.
The bible offers us glimpses into the lives of these people, a story here, another there, with little continuity. I always wonder about the in-between times. Did Abraham talk to Sarah about his plan to offer Isaac as a sacrifice? What did he say to Isaac about what happened on that mountain? How did it affect their relationship? What was the relationship like between brothers Esau and Jacob before the big trick? Did they share a room and talk at night? Did they bicker, or keep their distance? What about Leah and Rachel – what was their relationship like before Jacob came along? I can think of dozens of questions. Now the bible is not a history book, and I can’t say for sure that any of these people existed, or that their lives unfolded as told in the book of Genesis. But these stories were told and retold through the years in order to tell us something about God, about people, even about families.
It makes me wonder about the stories of my life that I chose to highlight. What am I communicating about myself, about God, about family in them? I’m not just talking about the stories I tell my children, but the stories I remember, the stories to which I give emotional weight. Do I tend to be the victim, the hero, the innocent? In some ways our stories define us not only to others but to ourselves. There have been times when I’ve looked back at different times in my life, reviewed the stories in my mind, and felt ashamed, unworthy, or stupid. And that has held me back, made me want to hide away. Through reading and prayer and supportive conversations with trustworthy people, I have learned to tell my stories differently. I can look at the same event and see different things – courage or pain or fear. I can have compassion. I can focus on having moved past things. And these stories uplift and empower me. I don’t have to be victim, hero or innocent. I can simply be a child of God, beloved, doing her best to shine God’s light. Isn’t that your story too?
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Share the Spirit: Engaging Worship and Faith Formation
Sundays at 5 pm
You are invited to bring the family to an informal and creative experience of worship, followed by an opportunity to expand on the worship themes through creative arts or discussion. The half-hour worship service is held in the large room next to the Sanctuary, with candlelight, song and scripture. After worship, people self-select to go to the conference table to color, draw, mold or paint; or to the ladies’ parlor for discussion and/or video clip that follows on the theme of worship. Each of the sessions will have a facilitator. We then re-gather in the circle of worship, sharing any insights gained, and blessing one another as we head out to begin the week, refreshed in the Spirit.
We will gather on the second and fourth Sunday each month, beginning September 28. Three times during the year (Nov. 9, Jan. 11 and March 8) worship will be combined with a meal in Russell Hall. Come as you are. All are welcome, so invite a friend.
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Strawberry Hill Fair
Sat, November 8 from 9-2 pm
Please let us know if you can help in any way: posters & advertisements set up, table relievers, or kitchen. Let’s use our gifts. Many hands make the job a lot easier.
Items needed for the fair:
Sewing & knitting, Christmas decorations, Silent Auction, Bake table, Country Store, Toys (in saleable condition), Luncheon, Book room, Raffle items and Raffle baskets –
it would be greatly appreciated if you could get the baskets to Marie Frascolla by October 26.
Store Canning needs!
Judy Ivel is doing some canning for the Country Store at the Church Fair. She is looking for 8oz screw top jam/jelly jars and 1 pint screw top canning jars for relish.
Please contact her at
508-892-3321 if you have a stash you’d like to donate. Thanks a bunchå.
The fair committee:
Judy Ivel 508 892-3321
Cindy LaPointe 508 885-9875
Marie Frascolla 508 892-0038
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Women’s Association Meeting
Wed, September 10, noon, at the church to start planning for the Strawberry Hill Fair.
Dessert and beverages will be provided.
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Bible/Book Study Resumes
All are welcome to join in these engaging explorations of scripture and spirit.
• The Monday evening group begins its gatherings on September 15 at 7:00 pm. We will start with a video lecture series about the New Testament. We welcome newcomers to the group. With no advance reading, it’s the perfect time to begin. We meet weekly except for the 2nd Monday each month. Speak to the pastor for the meeting location.
• The Wednesday morning group will meet the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 10:30 beginning September 17. Using the lectionary (the 3-year cycle of recommended scripture readings to be used in Sunday worship) we will explore the passages for the upcoming Sunday. It is a great group to join whenever you can, as sessions do not build on each other. No advance reading necessary, but if you would like to read through on your own, we will be looking at Exodus 16: 2-15; Psalm 105: 1-6, 37-45; Philippians 1: 21-30; and Matthew 20: 1-16. We usually meet in the parsonage.
• The Thursday evening group meets once per month, beginning September 11 at 6 p.m. in North Brookfield (car-pooling encouraged). We will read a whole book in advance, to be discussed at the gathering, then choose another book. On September 11 we will be discussing Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Contact Pastor Doreen if you are interested. If you can’t make it for the September 11 session, but might be interested in the next book / session, let Doreen know to keep you in the loop.
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The Leicester Food Pantry
Open Tuesdays 5-7 pm
St. Joseph’s Church, 759 Main Street
The Leicester Food Pantry provides nutrition assistance to over 150 registered families living in town. Located at St. Joseph’s church, it is open to any Leicester resident who is in need of food. In accordance with the Worcester County Food Bank rules, shoppers can attend the food pantry once per calendar month and must show a photo ID each time they visit. There is a limit of 3 cloth or 6 plastic bags per visit.
Donations Gratefully Accepted
shampoo, toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste
Monetary donations may
be mailed to
P.O. Box 333, Leicester
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Hope for Housing Shopping Cards
We have been invited to join with Christ Episcopal Church in supporting this worthy program. Hope for Housing is a non-profit program developed by the Interfaith Coalition to Prevent Family Homelessness. By simply purchasing cards for stores that you already frequent, you can make a difference. The stores donate a percentage of the purchase price to Hope for Housing, and it costs you nothing!
Here’s the process: You will receive an e-mail each Tuesday remind you of the available cards. If you wish to purchase cards that week, respond to the e-mail by Thursday. Bring or send a check for the cost of the card by Sunday, and pick up your card at church. If you can’t make it to church that week, the card will be held until the next Sunday, or contact Doreen to make other pick up arrangements. The following cards are available. Please check and see if this is something you can easily integrate into your shopping routine.
• Panera $10 and 25
• Big Y $25 and $50
• CVS $20; Shaws $25 and $50
• Stop & Shop $25, $50, and $10
• Hannaford $25 and $50
• It is possible to get $100 cards for Shaws, Big Y, and Hannaford
• It is possible to get $10 cards for CVS and Hannaford (with about 2 weeks’ notice)
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Super Saturday
October 25, 2014
http://www.macucc.org/supersaturday
At Keefe Technical School in Framingham. Please consider attending this day of workshops and worship (and lunch!) that can inspire our growth as individuals and as a church. Workshop options can be viewed on-line at www.ucc.org/supersaturday.
If you would like to go, please let Doreen know by Wed., October 8 so she can register everyone together and (hopefully) qualify for a group discount!
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Pastoral Relations Committee – September 2014
The committee has been working on an evaluation of our minister’s competence in providing pastoral care (i.e., home or hospital visits, counseling in crisis situations, funerals, weddings and baptisms). We developed questions, identified people who have received pastoral care, and nearly completed the interviews. We would like to complete this soon. Doreen has been with us for five years, and has had only one evaluation to date (on worship leadership). Regular evaluations enable us to discern what ministries are working well, and what needs improvement. The next step is for the committee to pull the together responses into an evaluation, which will be shared in a meeting with Doreen, and in a report to the Council.
Again, we thank all who participated and for your willingness and candor. Please know that if anyone has any issues, questions, or difficulties, feel free to speak to one of us on the committee or to Pastor Doreen.
Respectfully,
Jackie Henderson, Len Ivel, and Ellie Latham
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Never underestimate the power of prayer. You are invited, as you read this, to add your prayers for those listed. Take a moment to breathe in God’s Spirit, and channel your good will and hopes to each person or situation named. You might imagine them surrounded by a healing light, or held in God’s hand. May this simple practice fill you with peace and hope.
– For Miranda, a teen who is having emotional and family problems.
– For peace within families everywhere.
– For Peace all over the world
– For children going back to school and their parents who worry no matter their age
– For those suffering with health or mental illness
– For our church, children and all of us.
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Collector’s Report
Loose Offerings Envelopes/Pledges Totals
7-13 $ 60.00 $188.00 $248.00
7-20 $ 8.00 $648.00 $656.00
7-27 $22.00 $808.00 $830.00
8-03 $35.00 $1328.00 $1363.00
8-10 $37.00 $293.00 $330.00
8-17 $54.00 $288.00 $342.00
8-24 $13.00 $878.00 $891.00
Totals $ 229.00 $4,431.00 $4, 660.00
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Telephone: 508-892-3274
www.leicesterfcc.org
If you have information that you would like in the newsletter please contact
Brielle MacDonald at 508-353-3338 or briellemacd@gmail.com
