Pastor Nan’s Farewell
For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.
Dear Friends in Christ,
Saying farewell is never an easy thing to do. When a minister interviews with a church he or she usually hears something within the interview process that sounds like a spiritual call to them. Within a few months after arrival the mission becomes clear. It is then that the true energy comes to the fore and the mission of the church truly begins.
When I arrived here five years ago, it became apparent that the church needed the help of a minister who would stick with you for a while and help in the healing process that was left over from the past. To do that task meant that I sometimes had to do things that were not popular but things which had to be done I order to bring wholeness to the congregations. I know that those opening months were difficult but we all survived them.
Secondly, the business of the church needed to be reorganized. That project took time because of the combining of the two congregations.
Thirdly, we needed to change the by-laws to bring the two churches under one umbrella. We actually did come up with a set of by-laws for that purpose but they were not put in place because the Unitarians decided to go back to their own church.
As time went on I began to feel that we also needed to have some discussions about our beliefs. Those discussions were quite lively and I believe they were good for both churches. We also undertook a self study which helped us to see the spiritual future the church in the light of our Christian faith and heritage.
To our surprise last year the Unitarians decided to go back to their own church and their own faith. Even though there was disappointment about this, I feel that it has been good for both churches because each church now can worship the way that they feel is paramount to their own tradition. We still treasure our relationship over the years and hope the Unitarians are enjoying their own surroundings.
Everything else was sheer fun beginning with Ann’s 90th birthday party at the parsonage. What a wonderful afternoon that was. Dressed in period costumes, we had lunch and celebrated with Ann even though she wasn’t feeling at the top of her game because she had caught her hand in the lawn mower. What a good sport she was! Luckily the hand healed and all was well.
There have been many other events that are cherished in my memory. The outdoor Pageant, the all church pageant (seeing Ron La Pointe with angle wings on was a first, at least I think it was him), the bunny extravaganza, the several bible studies (a time when we came to know and love each other on a new level), all the wonderful dinners and fairs, serving at the hot dog stand, choir rehearsals, the 50’s dance, and the fun we had in October when we opened the parsonage for a gourmet dinner that was provided by our own gourmet cook, Wow!
Gas Guilt?
Have you ever felt just a twinge of conscience when you solo at church? No, I don’t mean solo singing; I mean solo driving!
Here are three easy ways to double the “mileage” you get from your $4.00/gallon gas. Share your solo ride
- with another family member
- with another church member, or, better still,
- with the neighbor down the road who rarely, if ever, gets to a church.
Lay it on your neighbor’s conscience. Tell your neighbor that your heart is heavy over wasting gas on solo trips. Tell him or her that your guilt will be assuaged if only he or she will hop into your front seat some Sunday morning soon.
You’ll both feel better and the church will feel the boost that always accompanies new people in the pews… Talk about a win, win, win!
Soulful Parenting
Courtesy of Belief Net
Check out www.beliefnet.com for more great ideas
The five P’s of parenting and other tips for spiritual parents.
- Listen to your heart when you are with your kids. Go with what feels right, not what your parents might have done or what you think parents are supposed to do. You are the perfect match for your child. You can’t make a mistake when you follow your intuitive guidance.
- Share your hobbies with your kids.
- Select one day a month or year to spend one-on-one time with each child. Mark the dates in your calendar. Let your child decide what the day’s events will be and celebrate together!
- Listen to your son or daughter. Playing catch is a wonderful time for listening.
- The old saying “Pick your battles” is an important one to remember. So what does it really matter if your child’s clothing looks a little foolish – he’s developing his own taste. Staying away from win-lose situations is much better in the long run for your relationship.
- Don’t forget the wonderful habit of note writing. Leave some unexpected words of encouragement in a book, under a pillow, via E-mail. If you travel, begin a postcard tradition. Send your child a postcard from each trip you take.
- Learn something new with your children.
- Is there a way you might make some chore a ritual your child looks forward to participating in with you? Maybe you wash the windows every spring and then have an annual water fight.
- Share your goals with your kids. Let them know how you have achieved a dream and help them come up with an action plan to achieve their own goals.
- Don’t forget the five “Ps” of parenting: Patience, Pure Love, Playfulness, Participation, and Persistence.
Remember, no one on their death bed ever said they wished they’d spent more time at the office.
Children’s Sunday June 8
The children will be sharing what they have learned about Gentleness, Goodness, and Joy this year. We will sing, put on a play, and make a rainbow!
We will be asking the congregation what brings you joy to be added with the children’s thoughts onto our rainbow. So come armed with your happy thoughts!
The children will demonstrate Gentleness by nurturing the flowers they planted last year as well as updating our gardens with new flowers again this year.
Please join us for this special service as well as planting and an ice-cream social! Dress is casual for this special service. I promise God won’t mind!
Have a Heart – Give a Blanket Drive
A heartfelt thank you to all who contributed to the success of this year’s “Have a Heart – Give a Blanket” drive. Through your generosity we collected money for 161 blankets. A special thank you also to our friends and neighbors, the Unitarians, who donated 35 blankets towards the total.
In Christian Love,
Nancy Desautils
Just for Fun….. Test your Bible Knowledge
If you need help with the answer, check the Biblical book, chapter and verse listed. Good Luck!
Note: The quotes in this quiz may not exactly match the words in your bible.
Questions:
- On what day did God create humankind? (Genesis 1: 27 – 31)
- True of False: God made the fish, the birds and the animals on day 5? (Genesis 1:20 – 23)
- Fill in the blank: “God said “Let us make man in our _______.” (Genesis 1: 26)
- From which tree in the garden were Adam and Eve not allowed to eat? (Genesis 2: 17 )
- Which creature tempted Eve? (Genesis 3:1)
- Eve was persuaded to eat the fruit for three reasons: name two. (Genesis 3:6)
- Who was angry with his brother, Abel? (Genesis 4:5)
- What offering did Abel make? (Genesis 4: 4)
- Fill in the blank: God said “Your brother’s _______ cries out to me” (Genesis 4:10)
- Who was described as “a righteous man, blameless among the people his time, and he walked with God”? (Genesis 6:9)
- Fill in the blanks: “Now the earth was ______ in God’s sight and full of _______” (Genesis 6:9)
- How many humans were kept safe in the ark? (Genesis 6 :10, 18)
- Before the tower of Babel was built how many languages were there in the world? (Genesis 11:1)
- What was the name of the plain in Babylonia where the tower of Babel was built? (Genesis 11:2)
- Fill in the blanks: “They used ______ instead of stone, and _______ for mortar.” (Genesis11: 3 )
Read the rest of this entry »
Interview with Marie Feeney
Marie is originally from Philadelphia. When her son and daughter were young, she was a single mother who had recently moved to Falmouth, Ma. This prompted her to start a Newcomers Club. It grew to over 1000 members and continues to this day with over 33 chapters. The Newcomers Club recognized Marie for her efforts. Her name, along with other “Women who have made a difference in other peoples lives” (including Oprah Winfrey) are engraved on a plaque at Falmouth Hospital.
Marie has lived on Leicester for over four years with her fiancé, Paul Gravina. Upon arriving in town, she joined the Red Hat Society where she met Betty Allen, who invited her to come to our church. It was not long before Marie joined the church as a Congregational member and eventually become a deacon. Marie has a bubbly personality and is very easy to talk with. She loves to shop on QVC, is a weekend sports watcher (especially the Red Sox!) and enjoys flower gardening. Ask her about her pets.
By Carol Mulrain
Singers Needed
As our choir saw itself gradually reduced to a trio, Bob Shauris, our talented organist/director, tackled the time-consuming chore of rewriting some of our sheet music, reducing the four-part harmonies to soprano and alto only. For this reason, we decided that our choir will remain an all-female choir, at least for the immediate future.
We are desperately seeking both soprano and alto voices. Although knowing how to read music would be helpful, it is not required and certainly not essential to the joy of singing. There is no audition process, but you must, however, be able to stay on key and carry a tune. Rehearsal is Wednesday evenings from 5-7 pm (a lot of fun and not the least bit scary!) If 5pm is too early, we can always negotiate a time suitable for the majority. We rehearse again on Sunday at 9am for a quick brush-up of that morning’s pieces.
The church and the choir are asking for your help. Won’t you please think seriously about joining us? And as you do, consider also the words of Thomas Carlyle, Scottish philosopher: “Music is well said to be the speech of angels”.
www.leicesterfcc.org/about/music/
Church News April 2008
A Search Committee has been formed to find out next settled minister. The people that will be serving on it were chosen by the Council after considering several factors – age, gender, interest in areas of the church that need attention, and most importantly, they are active members. We are pleased to announce the names of the Search Committee members: Marie Feeney, Jackie Henderson, Anne Mulrain, Ray Orsi, Jim Cathcart, Len Ivel, Ron LaPointe
The Council has every confidence that they will work together for the good of our church. It is a commitment that requires a fair amount of their time and energy. Their initial meeting with Rev. Peter Wells, our area UCC minister, was on April 6th. Watch for monthly updates on their progress in your newsletter. And don’t forget to thank them for serving on this very important committee.
