april 2015 the spirecongochurchsd.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/...2015/04/09 ·...

The Congregational Church of South Dartmouth United Church of Christ

THE SPIRE April 2015

From Pastor Doug

Every Easter, I feel it is one of my important

duties but also one of my greatest privileges, to

share with you all my conviction that Easter is

much more than a one-day-a-year holiday. I

believe profoundly that the message of Easter

defines both who we are and whose we are as

individuals and as a worshipping community

every day of our lives.

We are an Easter people who are gathered in

one very special Easter church — the

Congregational Church of South Dartmouth.

And in this church we believe — both as

individuals and as the entire church family — in

the triumph of hope over despair. We believe in

vitality over stagnation. We know that Jesus

turned his church over to ordinary but faithful

disciples — just like you and me — to be “led by

the Spirit” in putting their faith into action in their

own specific place and time. And our time is

right now, and our place is right here.

And we, the Easter people of this church, are

being led by the Spirit to put our Easter faith into

action. Our young people are serving meals to the

homeless and packing gifts for our shut-ins. Our

entire congregation is abuzz with interest in a

Mission Trip. Within each Sunday service, this

congregation of adults and young people are

hearing a “children’s message” that actually has

no age boundaries in reminding each and every

one of us of God’s love. Each week our choir

finds ever new ways to share the story of our faith

in music that touches the heart in ways that the

spoken word cannot. We are sharing the joy of

the Sacrament of Baptism more and more

frequently. We continue to embrace new

members and to attract more visitors.

The sense of excitement, mission, and vitality

that we are all feeling has one source. It all

springs from deep in our hearts in that place

beyond words and churches and doctrines. This

feeling of vitality, week after week, worship

service after worship service, meeting after

meeting is what it means to be Easter people.

This is how we live each day in light of the

absolute assurance of God’s demonstrated

affirmation of abundant life which is the miracle

of Easter.

We are truly an Easter people, moving forward

as a church family with optimism, with hope, with

energy, and with faith. Let’s let those Easter

“alleluias” echo off the sanctuary walls on Easter

morning…and continue to echo in our hearts all

year long.

An Easter People All Year Round

The Congregational Church of South Dartmouth, UCC

Primary Movers Please Join Us 6 pm to 8 pm

Friday, April 10, 2015

Gallery X Frederick Douglass Gallery

169 William Street New Bedford, Massachusetts

To appreciate the art of

Children’s Circle Children

Wine & Hors d’oeuvres Silent Auction

Parking available for Art Show in Carter’s Parking Lot 55 William Street.

Council News

The Council met for their monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 17, 2015

The church website will be updated to make it more current. Membership Ministry is discussing a long term

strategy to shift to a different platform which will make the website more user friendly.

Council received a report from the Property Committee: Snow removal has taken a toll on the budget. Work will

need to be done in the stairwell to the second floor where there was leakage. Plans are in place to replace the spire lighting with LED lighting to save money. The parking lot lines will be repainted, as well as the front steps.

A proposal to begin planning a mission trip was presented. Discussion included plans for the trip to be

multi-generational. It was agreed that this project be spear-headed by an enthusiastic group of congregants. A notice will be put in the Spire and announcement made to the congregation to form an organizing committee.

Adult Religious Education program was held on March 1st with 24 congregants in attendance with next program

scheduled for March 22. Based on the level of attendance, the RE Ministry would like to introduce some regularity to an adult program.

Lenten reflections with soup dinners have been well received. Thanks to the Fellowship Ministry, Women's Guild

and Men's Discussion Group for sponsoring and hosting these evenings.

Next Council meeting: Tuesday, April 21, 2015

From The Church Council

Multigenerational

Mission Trip Planning

Have you ever wanted to go on a Mission Trip, but never

had the opportunity? Have you been on one and would

like to go again? Would you like to go with your high

school age child? A parent? Friend? Well, this may be

your chance. We are forming a Mission Trip Exploration

Committee in preparation for a possible Summer 2016

Mission Trip. If you have any interest in planning for or

participating in this multigenerational group, please

contact Steve Starrett at [email protected], or 508-335-

2470, or just see him after church.


When someone you love

becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.

Worship Ministry

Holy Week Services

April 2nd ~ Tenebrae service will be Maundy Thursday

This will be our traditional service with readings and the extinguishing of candles.

April 3rd ~ Good Friday ~ 12 noon

This service last year was very special; very moving.

March 30th - April 4th

Again the Sanctuary will be open 7-9am for anyone wanting reflective time.

Readings and Scripture will again be available.

Easter Sunday April 5th

We will have a sunrise service at 6:00 am at Roundhill Beach

Festival Service at 10am

On behalf of the Worship Ministry, God's Grace and Peace to all ~ Linda Paradise

A different sort of church school

Because the ocean is vast, fish survive — and thrive — by living and

working together. A shoal is a loose grouping of fish that forage indi-

vidually but deter predators by staying close together. A school of fish

is more tight-knit. Thousands of small creatures move as one great or-

ganism, shimmering through the water to confuse and fend off larger

fish on the prowl.

God also sets humans in groups to help us thrive. Worldwide

church denominations function somewhat like shoals, while our local

congregations are like schools — to teach us, yes, but also to nourish us

with both physical and spiritual food, give us a sense of belonging, and

empower us to accomplish good things together that we could never do

alone.

Jesus called his disciples to fish for people. The Holy Spirit,

gathering us as Church, calls people to live like fish!


Religious Education

Learning Easter Expressions of Joy

Each Sunday morning our children leave the

sanctuary early in the service to go to their Sunday

school classes. Some may wonder what goes on at

this time. In subtle ways, seeds of faith are being

planted in them. We water and tend the seeds so that

they will spring forth in the hearts of the children

long after they grow into adulthood and take their

places in the world. We believe that this faith will

give them hope, whatever may come. Let me

illustrate how this works, by telling a story and then

providing a moral to the story…

The (true) story: During the darkest days of

the former Soviet Union a Communist Party rally

was held in one of the larger cities. It was an event

staged for the purpose of instructing the “ignorant

masses” on the virtues of Communism and the

foolishness of Christianity. The facility was filled

with common men and women who were forced to

attend.

A high-ranking Party official spoke first. He

mocked the religious “opiate of the masses” (as

Marx had put it) and then praised the superiority

of atheistic Communism. After his lengthy,

highly-charged attack on Christianity was done, a

local Orthodox priest was given the chance to say a

few words. The audience was eerily quiet as the

elderly man stepped up to the microphone. He

paused… and then he exclaimed, “Christ is risen!”

And the people shouted back, “He is risen indeed!”

The moral of the story: From the time of their

youth, the common folk had been saying these words

each Easter. They learned it as an expression of joy

and of victory over the sinister forces that oppose

human beings, principally death and the suppression

of freedom. The priest had the last word that

evening, and his last word said “LIFE!”

Here in the northern hemisphere Easter

occurs during the springtime. As the darkness and

chill of winter give way to the blossoming of trees

and flowers, and the daylight stretches longer into the

evening, we see signs that life has the last word over

death, and that light has the last word over darkness.

Those who view this with eyes of faith are

encouraged by the faithfulness of God. God always

has the last word -- LIFE! This is the good news of

Easter.

My hope is that the children of our church

learn expressions of joy that will last their whole

lifetime. Additionally, I hope that the adults of our

church will share in the joy of Easter with the

children. Sunday morning is indeed a precious time.

Doug Cederberg


April Anniversaries

Derrick & Margaret Jones (50 years) April 3, 1965

Robert & Betsy Dubiel

(50 years) April 24, 1965

Richard & Diane Brown (25 years) April 28, 1990

Outreach Ministry needs your help!!!

Sharing the Harvest – May 16 - 9am-Noon

Come help us plant vegetable plants that will turn into

tons of food to help local food needs in our community.

The Dartmouth YMCA has several acres that are

planted, cultivated, harvested and then they distribute

these fresh wholesome foods to local people.

Please help us get this process started. We will be planting starter plants in the prepared

field.

After the planting session, we will break for a pizza lunch.

More details to follow in the next Spire

If you have any question please feel free to call Dave Neilson (508-642-3866)

Thank you

Wedding Anniversaries are listed in the Spire every five years for the first fifty, and then each year

thereafter!

Margaret & Derrick Jones will be going on a momentous trip with their family to the UK to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with very special

friends.

We pray for traveling mercies and many wonderful memories.


The Spring Rummage Sale will be held:

May 1st and 2nd

Please begin to gather items to donate. Below is a list of items we would love for you to donate and also a list of items we cannot accept. Please contact Linda Paradise or Cecelia Roberts if you can help with the rummage sale, before to help sort and set up, during either as a worker or cashier or after to help clean up.

Drop off will begin April 13th

The Flowers for March were given by:

March 1st - Elizabeth Nichols in love and celebration of life.

March 8th - Brian, Sharon and The Fernandes Family, in memory of Nicholas, on the anniversary of his passing, and for all who have died by suicide.

March 15th - Bradford and Nicole Niemiec in loving memory of our

Grandmother, Claire Ellis.

March 22nd - Sue Lindblom in memory of Edgar Lindblom.

March 29th - Martha and Steven Shuster in celebration of our daughter Molly’s engagement to Edward Clark Otocka.

Rummage Wish List

Clothing

Shoes

Toys

Household Items

Furniture

Linens,

Bicycles

Books

Glassware

Finer Items for Heritage

Room (jewelry etc.)

Thank you!!

Items we cannot accept:

Skis

Ski Boots

Bindings

Cribs

Car Seats

TV’s

Computers

Monitors

Printers

Fish Tanks

Thanks for your consideration and generous

donations to our Rummage Sale.


Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 Daily Reflection 7-9 am Choir 7-8:30 pm AA Meeting 7 pm

2 Daily Reflection 7-9 am Maundy Thursday 7 pm Tenebrae w/ Communion AA Meeting 7:30 pm

3 Daily Reflection 7-9 am Good Friday 12 pm Service AA Meeting 6-7 Beg 7:30 pm

4 Daily Reflection 7-9 am

5 Easter Sunday 6 am Sunrise Service Round Hill 10am Worship

6 Boy Scouts

7

8 Choir 7-8:30 pm Girl Scouts AA Meeting 7 pm

9 AA Meeting

10 AA Meeting 6-7 Beg 7:30 pm

11

12 10am Worship

13 Boy Scouts Rummage Sale Drop Off Begins

14 7 pm Ministry Meeting


16 AA Meeting


18

19 10am Worship

20 Boy Scouts

21 7pm Council Meeting


23 AA Meeting


25

26 10am Worship

27 Boy Scouts

28 29 Choir 7-8:30 pm Girl Scouts AA Meeting 7pm

30 AA Meeting

April 2015


Our E-Prayer Group

If you would like to become a member of

the prayer chain, please contact Marcia

Hathaway either by phone (508)993-5740

or email [email protected] or

call the church office. As "members of the Prayer Chain," you

would receive a copy of the prayer. Your only responsibility is

to read it, thus you too are "praying" for the requests put forth. I

never put anyone "in" the prayer without a request, and I only

disclose what has been shared. Since we all know that prayer is

a powerful healing tool, the more members we have praying,

the more power we concentrate on a request.

Marcia K. Hathaway, Breathe Deeply. Namaste.

Pastoral Concerns

Please don’t forget to call or

email the church office with

information on any hospital admissions or pastoral

concerns. We do not receive notification from the

hospital so the only way we can be informed of an-

yone that may need a visit is if you let us know.

Please let us know if you have someone you would

like added to our Prayer List in the Spire.

Thank you for helping us stay in tune to the needs

of our church family.

Please note, we have large print bulletins,

as well as, large print hymns available

for you every Sunday in the narthex.

Please feel free to

pick up a copy as

you enter church

worship or ask for

one.

Gratitude is one of the sweet shortcuts to

finding peace of mind and happiness

inside.

No matter what is going on outside of us, there's always

something we could be grateful for.

Joys and Concerns

Just a reminder we have a book on the podium in the Narthex for people to write down their joys or concerns. A deacon will bring the book to the minister once the service has begun, thereby giving him an opportunity to read them before the time for sharing. Those who prefer to voice their joys and concerns may continue to do so.

In Our Prayers…

Belén Sullivan

Tim Goulet

Linda Shwartz

Please remember if you

would like us to add

someone to the list, we

would be more than

happy to - just let us

know!

Keeping Terry Cryan

In our thoughts and prayers

on the Passing of her mother Flora

mailto:[email protected]


Attention all

high school seniors:

Baccalaureate Sunday

June 7, 2015

Baccalaureate is the worship

service we hold each year to

honor our seniors who are

graduating from high school.

We invite each of you to

participate in this special

service as we celebrate your

graduation and the time you

have spent as a part of our

church family.

If you are a graduating senior

and would like to be a part of

this service, please contact

Kathleen Pappas

([email protected] or

call 992-4059).

We look forward to your

presence at worship on

June 7th.

The Congregational Church of South Dartmouth

2015 Scholarship Application Form Information

The Congregational Church of South Dartmouth is excited once

again to award scholarships to one or more qualified high school

seniors. Students graduating from high school this year and planning

to continue their education are encouraged to apply. Eligible

students are members and non-members who have had a close and

active association with the Church. Through this application

process, students will demonstrate their involvement in and service

to the Church and the community. They will also write an essay that

illustrates their faith journey. Finally, they will be asked to provide

letters of recommendation.

Applications will be available through the Church office

beginning on April 6, 2015 and will be due back to the office no

later than May 21st. Scholarship recipient(s) will be announced on

Baccalaureate Sunday, June 7, 2015.

The Scholarship Committee will review applications during the

month of May. The Committee reserves the right to reject any and

all applications. It is important for applicants to read the instructions

on the application form carefully, and fully comply with the

requirements. Incomplete applications may not be considered.

Should the Committee require further information, a Committee

member may be in contact with the applicant.

The deadline for submitting the application is absolute. Completed

applications need to be returned to the Church office by 2 pm on

May 21st, 2015. It is up to the applicant to confirm the office closing

time for that day. APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED AFTER THAT

TIME WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT BE CONSIDERED.

We wish all of our scholars luck and look forward to seeing them on

June 7.

Scholarship Committee

The Congregational Church of South Dartmouth United Church of Christ 17 Middle St., PO Box 80608 South Dartmouth, MA 02748-0608 http://congochurchsd.org RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Reverend Douglas Stivison [email protected]

Robin E. Lake, Office Administrator [email protected]

Church Telephone: 508-993-6676

Holy Week Services

April 2nd ~ Tenebrae service will be Maundy Thursday

This will be our traditional service with readings

and the extinguishing of candles.

April 3rd ~ Good Friday ~ 12 noon

This service last year was very special; very moving.

March 30th - April 4th

Again the Sanctuary will be open 7-9am for anyone wanting

reflective time. Readings and Scripture will again be available.

Easter Sunday April 5th

We will have a sunrise service at 6:00 at Roundhill Beach

Festival Service at 10am

april 2015 the spirecongochurchsd.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/...2015/04/09 ·...

Documents