A Prayer for Our Church

Lord Jesus, we pray that you will somehow give us ears to hear, hearts to love and wills devoted to serve; that in the days to come this congregation may be known not for our glory but for thine alone – a congregation of people who know you; that this place may be an oasis, a place where people come to find out about you, where lives are straightened out and made whole, where people find the peace that passes understanding. Give us, we pray, a heart to desire these things above all else. We pray through Jesus Christ, Amen.

Please join us and Welcome The Rev. Wayne Steever, as he will be leading Worship Services on August 11th & August 18th.

A monthly publication of the Somers Congregational Church, UCC Gathered in Somers, Connecticut, March 15, AD 1727 Volume 286 Number 8

The Reverend Dr. Barry Cass, Pastor

No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here.

Our Church Garden

First, plant five rows of Peas:

Presence, Promptness, Preparation, Purity & Perseverance

Next to these, plant three rows of squash: Squash Gossip, Squash Criticism, Squash Indifference

No Garden is complete without turnips:

Turn up for meetings, Turn up with a smile, Turn up with new ideas, and Turn up with determination to make

everything count for something good and worthwhile.

Church Email Addresses: Barry Cass bcass@somerscongregational.org Janet Bergeron somerscong@somerscongregational.org Jacqueline Nappi jnappi@somerscongregational.org Liz Scanlon lscanlon@somerscongregational.org Barbara Anderson careroom@somerscongregational.org Website: www.somerscongregational.org

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13

Some thoughts about several things . . . On Monday night, with the temperature still pretty high I was glad to be at the church sharing the July Community Fellowship Supper! The Board of House and Grounds cooked the hamburgers and hot dogs and provided all the fixin’s plus a pasta salad. As you know, I live alone, so a meal prepared for me is a wonderful thing! My only question is – where were you? The monthly suppers are always good food, and there is an abundance of good conversation, laughter and fellowship around the tables. NEXT MONTH on the 15th the Nominating Committee will be providing the meal. Supper is served from 5 to 6:30. There is no charge, but there is a donation basket. So -- at church this week sign up to be there. Or you can sign-up by calling or emailing the church office. This is a KID FRIENDLY event! My bet is it will be hot in August too, but hot or not, a meal made for you with someone else cleaning up is perfect any time of year! Most everyone has heard that given the way the construction schedule can change, even though the new Meeting House is pretty much on track, to be sure we are ready the Dedication Celebrations will be held in January 2014. Changing the date means we will have plenty of time to plan, and more importantly, means we will not have to be changing plans at the last minute. There will be some things that will happen in the building ahead of time – we have no doubt that our Christmas Eve services will be held in the new sanctuary -- but the formal dedication and celebration will follow. Things continue to move along with funding the new Meeting House. The Capital Campaign continues to move and donations continue to come it. If you have not yet made a contribution or a financial commitment to the project, now is the time. I am sure everyone who considers Somers Congregational United Church of Christ to be their church will want to be a part of creating the wonderful new building taking shape. Over 100 kids participated in Vacation Bible School July 8 to 12. That made us especially thankful that air conditioning had been restored to the office wing! Christian Education Director Liz Scanlon did an outstanding job organizing and running VBS and she recruited an absolutely awesome group of leaders. From the middle and high school crew leaders to all the leaders of the various activities of the week, everyone pitched in and it showed! I have an ongoing concern about building up our Youth Programs for both middle and high school kids. Leadership is, as always, an issue. Do you have, or do you know someone who has a passion and talent for working with youth? Let me know.

Peace -- Barry

Weekly Scripture Readings for August 2013

August 4 Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost (Communion Sunday) Hosea 11:1-11 Psalm 107:1-9, 43 Colossians 3:1-11 Luke 12: 13-21 August 11 Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (Children’s Day) Isaiah 1:1, 10-20 Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23 Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 Luke 12:32-40 August 18 Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost - Celebration Sunday Isaiah 5:1-7 Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19 Hebrews 11:29-12:2 Luke 12:49-56 August 25 Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Jeremiah 1:4-10 Psalm 71:1-6 Hebrews 12:18-29 Luke 13:10-17

The Book Club will Not meet in August. Next Meeting is Tuesday, September 10th at 7:00 p.m. The Book will be -- And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini Khaled Hosseini, the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, has written a new novel about how we love, how we take care of one another, and how the choices we make

resonate through generations. In this tale revolving around not just parents and children but brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers, Hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor, and sacrifice for one another; and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most. Following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices and loves around the globe—from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos—the story expands gradually outward, becoming more emotionally complex and powerful with each turning page.

Worship at Blair Manor On the Second Tuesday of each month our church is responsible for a worship service at Blair Manor. Led by our pastor, worship begins at 10:30 A.M. and lasts about a half hour. We are fortunate that Anne Larson accompanies the group in singing two hymns most months. Other members and friends of the church are more than welcome to join us, to be a part of the service and to add voices to the singing. If you have any questions, talk to Barry. Barry will be away in August, so the next Blair Manor worship service will be

Tuesday, September 10th at 10:30 a.m.

Somers Congregational United Church of Christ

860.763.4021 Free Community Fellowship Supper

5:00 to 6:30 P.M. Thursday, August 15th In the BUGBEE CENTER

EVERYONE – Children! Youth! - Adults! - all are invited to share this free Supper and to enjoy the fellowship and a good time. Bring your family and friends. Let us know you are coming by signing up at church, or calling or e-mailing the church office. There is no fee for the meal, but a donation basket is available. All money collected is used to keep the Community Suppers going.

Our church has some very specific rules about church membership. The By-laws define Active Members of the church as those who, “regularly attend worship, make regular financial and/or time contributions for the support of the Church, and participate in the life of the Congregation.” Those who are active members of the church can vote at regular and special church meetings and help to set the budget and the policies of the church. In order to become a member of the church an individual is required to attend an informational meeting (Inquirers’ Meeting) to learn about how the church operates and the expectations of members.

There are many people in the community who identify with our church and who look to us for pastoral and other support who are not members. Our tradition is to be available to all who turn to us and to minister as much as we can, whether they are members or not. We are also always open to receiving new members. The Membership Board will be holding an Inquirers’ Meeting early in the fall for anyone who is interested in learning more about the church and more about church membership. In the meantime, if you have any questions you can speak with Barry or a member of the Membership Board.

From the Church Historian . . . .

Piedmont Hall Since our church once owned Piedmont Hall, I thought it would be interesting to write a brief history of a building that is still an important part of Somers. Although Somers center is not designated an historic district, 87 buildings including Piedmont Hall are named to the National Register of Historic Places. Piedmont Hall began its life around 1830 (dates vary) as a Methodist church on South Road, not too far from Main street. The Universalist congregation shared it for a while. In the mid 1800’s the church was moved to Main Street where the Rockville Bank plaza is now and set back from the road with several steps leading up to the two door entrance. “Sometime around 1900, with the congregation dwindling to almost nothing, the church closed its doors and the building remained idle until 1914 when Judge and Mrs. Ernest Fuller purchased it and converted it into a center of community life. In 1939, having provided the auditorium with a stage and dressing rooms, the basement with a kitchen and other facilities for large public dinners, and having put the building in general good repair and given it a modern heating plant, the Fullers felt their work was done. In 1939 at the annual roll call and supper of the Somers Congregational Church, one of the greatest events of the season, Judge Fuller presented the deed to the church “as the organization most likely to be permanent in the community and to maintain and carry on the property in the way that has been done and make it available for all suitable gatherings.” 1. The building was named Piedmont Hall by the Fullers, after their beautiful home, Piedmont, which stood at 735 Main Street and which burned in 1957. Our Prudential Committee (Church Council) minutes from the 1940s make several references that explain the importance of the building to the community. A delegation from the Grange came and were allowed the use of the building on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month, paying $7.00 for a regular meeting, $10.00 for dances and $3.00 for rehearsals. A group from the Recreation Association came to discuss the amount the young people should have to pay for dances - $2.00. Of course, the church itself used the building for suppers and other church functions. On Dec. 8 1946 the Prudential Committee recommended “that the church allow the Town to use Piedmont Hall for the same uses they have made of the church basement (the town used the basement for Town Hall) for a period not to exceed 5 years and in return the Town shall agree to release the church of all obligations in providing quarters in the basement and that the church shall further agree to deed the Town the land on which the chapel now stands providing the Town agrees to move the building to the rear of the church placing it on a suitable foundation without expense to the church.” 2. Oct. 11 1948 the church voted to sell Piedmont Hall to Herbert Wells to be turned into the Somers Playhouse Herbert Wells’ scrapbooks at the Somers Historical Society continue the story. A 1999 article in The Journal Inquirer by Priscilla Wells says, ”converting the old church into a theater was expensive and hard work but, oh, so exciting. We preserved its antiquity and placed old white church pews on the front lawn, with flowers planted around the veterans’ monument that stood there then and antique urns of red geraniums on the

broad steps and porch with quaint black lamps.” The Somers Playhouse opened on July 6, 1949 with the play “George Washington Slept Here”. With “200 used but comfortable leather theater seats” they charged $1.80 for the best seats and $1.20 for the rear seats and balcony. 3. The Somers Playhouse closed in 1963 after more than 100 different productions. In 1964, Milton Hanos purchased the building and donated it to the town for a public library. It was then moved a few hundred feet west to make room for the present shopping plaza and parking area. Maybe some of you remember borrowing books there or taking your children to the children’s library in the basement. In 1988 when our beautiful new library was opened, Piedmont Hall was again renovated and is now used for many cultural events. So Piedmont Hall has a long and distinguished history of service to our church and community.

1. Somers The History of a Connecticut Town Fred C. Davis and Richard W. Davis 2. Somers Congregational Church Prudential Committee minutes 1940’s 3. Herbert Wells scrapbooks Somers Historical Society

Ailene Henry, Church Historian

Altar Flowers for the Month of August August 4 Altar Flowers on this day will be given by Anne and Dick Larson in loving memory of Brenden.

August 11 Altar Flowers on this day will be given by The Mehl Family in loving memory of Christine Taft in honor of her birthday. August 18 OPEN August 25 OPEN

It is our custom that altar flowers are donated in memory of or in honor of loved ones. Arrangements can be bought or hand-done. An individual or a group of individuals can donate them.

There can be more than one bouquet on any given Sunday. If you would like to give flowers for the altar in August, please call Judy Mehl (860-749-6329)

Homecoming Sunday – September 8tH

during tHe 10:00 a.m. SerVice. Join uS at 9:30

tHat morning to regiSter for tHe Sunday ScHool year.

TO ALL COMMITTEE MEMBERS: If you would like specific

information about an upcoming or a past event listed in the September Highlights, please let me know on or before the following date:

Highlights Deadline Date is September 18th

Deadline for Council Packet Minutes from Committee Meetings due to the Church Office on August 15th.

Thank You! Jan

www.somerscongregational.org

The church website will have weekly updates on the progress of the Meeting House. They can be viewed by going to: www.somerscongregational.org/restoration.

You can also like us on Facebook to be notified when the updates are posted.

CHANGE Change keeps occurring throughout all of life. Sometimes it brings joy, and sometimes it brings strife. Change what you should; but you still have a voice --- How you accept every change is your choice.

Field of Flags The Field of Flags is at the Terryville Congregational Church in Terryville, Connecticut with 6,728 flags for the American casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Terryville church was built in 1838, but in 1967 the church was completely destroyed by fire. The church was re-built in 1969. The church is celebrating their 175th Anniversary this year with many extra church events all year. The church started the town's first Food Pantry as well as a Nursery School many years ago. We talked with some of the older church members who told us the story of their fire which was so similar to our own event. They had a special understanding of what our congregation has been going through the past 18 months. Even though they miss some of the "nooks and crannies" of the former church, they told us the "new" church is so much more functional and the improvements they were able to make were very helpful with all of their programs.

Needed items: JUICE BOXES

TUNA/CHICKEN IN CAN CEREAL

With our 116 clients and 35 children, some of our supplies are still running rather low. Even though School is out, we continue to give the Children their daily snack-packs. They look so forward to their daily treats!

Thanking you in advance for your generosity . . .

We gratefully accept monetary donations as they go a long way at Foodshare. Many Thanks!

Special Note: Sarah Maskill stopped by the Church office the other day. She is a Boy Scouts Leader and asked me to mention the following to all our Church and Committee Members:

So that the Scouts can earn their badges, if you have any projects around your house or even the Church grounds, please give her a call and make arrangements. (860.746.4251)

August 4 Summer Sunday School August 11 Summer Sunday School August 18 Summer Sunday School August 25 Summer Sunday School

Summer Sunday School will be focusing on different Parable Stories each Sunday.

Our next Sunday School Teacher’s Meeting will be on AUGUST 25th at 11:15 a.m.

at Johnson’s (JMMC)

VBS 2013 -- Thank You!

100 children registered at Vacation Bible School this year. The building was filled with lots of singing, God sightings, laughter, games, Bible points, science experiments, snacks and God’s love to help us Stand Strong . It was a fun filled week! There are so many people I would like to thank who helped me with Vacation Bible School.

I want to personally thank Barry who took many pictures of the children all week and then put them into a slide show for our wrap up each day. I appreciate all his time, effort and support!

Many thanks to my station leaders who gave their time all week ,Deb Barry, Rich Mazur, Jackie Nappi, Nicole Caron, Andy Phillips, Tyler Cass, Tammy Bley and David Scanlon.

Thank you very much to all the crew leaders who volunteered their time this week to shepherd the children from station to station. They are Brandon Scanlon, Brian Rossini, Christopher Uyar, Kyle Trusch, Bonnie Christian, Samantha Gay, Karen Wojcik, Barbara Anderson, Margaret Festi, Sarah Renzoni, Emily Renzoni,

Marianne Dalessio, Samantha Alaimo, Emily Jewell, Jessica Trusch, Kaitlin Gagne, Sarah Thiel, Marissa Savona, Melissa Morton, Laura Morton, Zach Bley, Sarah Uyar, Hannah Uyar and Nick Shimizo.

Thank you so much to Anne Kirkpatrick, Lois Lindell and JoAnn Hornyak for overseeing the registration table and checking the children in and out each day. It was such a help to me.

A “HUGE” Thank You to JoAnn Hornyak for the amazing scenery and props. They were stunning and really made the kids feel like they were in a kingdom!

Thank you to Luke Lussier for all his help all week playing the role of Sir Wally and helping in snacks and with the scenery.

Thank you to Jane Gamble and Kathy Lombard who also helped during the week.

Lastly, Thank you to everyone who donated food for our King’s Kitchen snacks. It was a tremendous help to have all the food provided for the children and to be able to make the fun snacks that are suggested with the program. As you can see, this was possible with the dedication, help and support of so many people. Thank you , Thank you , Thank you !

VBS 2014 -- Weird Animals Where Jesus’ Love is

One-of-a-Kind Stay tuned for more information to come

Liz Scanlon, Christian Education Director

Sue Zdebski, our church liaison to the Covenant to Care Adopt a Social Worker Program, has put together a list of items needed by children for the next school year. During this time, there is a particular need for back to school items. Through this very active program, these children in need are able to begin school with the proper school supplies. We also personalize all back pack for each individual child. Thanking you in advance for your support. And because of your generosity, we are able to lessen some of the stress on many families and help them to heal and make their families stronger. Should there be any extra supplies, they will be donated, as always, to the Town of Somers for them to distribute to Somers Kids in Need.

BACKPACKS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS (Note: Backpacks are needed for students grades K-12)

3 RING BINDERS – 1 inch and 2 inch COMPOSITION NOTEBOOKS

LOOSE-LEAF NOTEBOOK PAPER, PADS FOR BINDERS,

DIVIDERS & POCKETS, INSERTS FOR BINDERS,

ZIPPERED POUCHES FOR NOTEBOOKS, GLUE STICKS/KEY CHAINS,

ERASERS, RULERS, PENS/PENCILS/RETRACTABLE PENCILS,

STICKY NOTE PADS, RULED INDEX CARDS,

SAFETY SCISSORS, GEOMETRIC STENCILS & COMPASS,

BOOK COVERS, TAPE/SMALL STAPLERS W/STAPLES AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN THINK OF . . . .

* FOR SOMERS KIDS IN NEED AND COVENANT TO CARE KIDS *

Please drop the supplies in the bin labeled “Back Packs” at: JMH Educational Center or at the Church Office by August 11th

Note: Ocean State Job Lot has many of these items at low prices.

Somers Congregational Church

Building Committee – August 2013 Highlights

Building Committee Members: Jim Jewell, Pat Jones, John Jones, Diane Joseph (secretary), Tom Mehl, Sara Mulvihill, Mark Marschall (Chair), Barry Cass ex-officio, Anne Kirkpatrick ex-officio. Donna Hanks is working with us as Treasurer. The Building Committee continues to work with our architects, Clohessy Harris & Kaiser, LLC (www.chkarch.com) and our construction manager, Petra Construction (www.petraconstruction.com) and things are really getting very exciting. The Building Committee toured the Meeting House for the second time on July 16th and things are really moving along. Joe Driscoll and I will continue to take tours on Sundays so Joe can capture the progress with his camera. The Technology Committee will continue to update the church’s website with new photographs that Joe provides. Writing about the progress in these monthly Highlights articles is nothing compared to the pictures of the progress being made. Joe is taking the photographs to keep the congregation informed of the construction and to provide a documented record of what is behind the walls, above the ceilings, and the construction methods being used. We are hoping this pictorial documentation will be helpful for the congregation for decades and centuries to come. With the technology changing so fast, I’m not quite sure how they will view the pictures decades from now, but we’ll let them figure that out. As of July 16th, we are back on the current schedule as Petra Construction has picked up the lost week due to the rainy weather in June. We’re still looking at the end of November for completion with voicing of the organ in progress at that time. There is optimism that we can pick up more time between now and then but the schedule is pretty tight and any delay in a key task can delay several more. And, our construction manager is doing everything possible to take advantage of every opportunity to get ahead. As you may suspect, weather is a key factor, and with the Meeting House almost completely weather tight, it shouldn’t affect the interior work. If we continue to have good weather days with an occasional storm in the late afternoon, we will continue to make steady progress on the exterior work as well. Scaffolding has been erected at the front of the church and all around the steeple. The plan is to get everything done on the steeple while the scaffolding is in place including framing, siding, painting, electrical installations, lightning protection, and the roofing cap on the steeple. The window wells for the Foundation Room have all been covered with granite from the front steps of the former Meeting House. The granite from the former steps will also be used to make the engraved date plaques for the front of the church with 1727 on one and 2013 on the other. The stone masons continue to do the granite veneer on the front steps and the folks at Skyline Quarry in Stafford Springs are busy with their guillotine splitting granite sections for the stairs and top front landing. The Building Committee approved the arctic white finish for the Hardie Plank siding that will be used on the exterior of the Meeting House. Hardie Plank is a fiber cement siding material that looks like clapboards and is resistant to moisture and fire. One of its great features is that it does not need to be repainted for 25+ years. It is composed of natural and renewable components and is the “green” alternative to siding with the durability to match. Kingsland Company will begin delivering the frames for the stained glass windows on the second and third floors on July 22nd which will allow us to begin the siding work. The mahogany windows and the stained glass inserts will be installed in mid-August. Emphasis will be placed on the west side of the Meeting House so we can finish that side and Avery Construction can get in and do the finish grading and landscaping on that side. The focus this past month was to get the Meeting House fully enclosed so the interior work can proceed in all areas. With the roofing complete and the steeple being enclosed, we are almost 100% there. The highest priority right now is to get the ceilings built and fully insulated so the scaffolding that covers the entire Sanctuary floor can be removed by the end of August. Petra Construction worked two Saturdays this past month to get all the spray foam insulation blown in to the exterior walls. This was a major accomplishment and

by doing it on Saturdays, it didn’t stop any of the other interior work as no other crafts can work in the area when this is being applied. The mechanical, electrical and plumbing are being roughed in as well as the tele data, A/V, and sound. CL& P is locating the transformer for the southwest corner of the property so we can complete the hook-up to permanent power from the street in the very near future. The air handlers have been installed, the condensers were installed on July 16th, and they will be piped and wired up so they will be operational when we receive permanent power. This will allow us to have a conditioned space for curing the plaster work and finishes. It remains Petra Construction’s intent to deliver finish lumber and materials to the site and let them set in the conditioned space for a while to prevent shrinkage when the millwork is installed. There are a few minor steel staircase revisions that need to be made which will be made within the next month. Framing of interior spaces is almost complete and it was really great to see the Kitchen, Pilgrim Hall, the Meeting Room, and other spaces all framed out when we toured. The Chancel framing and handicap ramp have really taken shape in the last month. The Chancel floor has been framed and you can now see the actual size of the Chancel. Again, I urge you to visit our website and see the pictures that Joe Driscoll has taken because a picture is truly worth a thousand words. Members of the Building Committee visited Lloyd’s Woodworking this month and they have begun the work on our pews. They are on schedule and the pews will be ready for installation in early October. Final design changes are being made to the Chancel furniture and all the pieces will be ready for delivery in mid-November. And, the candle holders for the pew ends on the center aisle will also be made by Lloyd’s Woodworking. Petra Construction is getting bids for the pew cushions so they will be manufactured and ready when the pews are done. All the lighting fixtures have now been selected so they can be ordered at the appropriate time. Bid Package 2 - Division 7 - Siding and Trim was awarded to Petra Construction Corp. this month. We are working with one contractor to finalize their proposal for the security and fire protection work so the Building Committee can vote and award the bid package. Although this is taking much longer than expected, it will not create any delays if we can start this work by the end of July. Richards Fowkes reported on July 15th that they are in good shape on our organ project. All of the components in the case except the tremulant are complete. The console exterior (the wood cabinet) is being assembled this week. The carvings for the pipe shades, etc. will be started toward the end of this week. The real work at this point is the work on the case. They expect the case to be in the assembly mode around mid-August followed by the assembly of all the completed components and the work to put together the key and stop action. They will be building a platform in their erecting room to replicate our installation with the trough, etc. that is in the balcony of the Meeting House. The materials for the platform will be acquired at the end of this week and the platform assembled next week in preparation for the case assembly in August. Next month will be when our organ starts looking like the finished product. As soon as there is something standing in the erecting room, they will start sending pictures our way. Let me end by stating once again how much work is being done behind the scenes by our construction manager and architect. This is a good size project and the coordination to take the design and translate it to materials and labor and construct it per plan takes a lot of work and attention to detail. We now have over 40 craftspeople representing different trades working in the Meeting House on a daily basis. The Building Committee clearly recognizes the contribution CHK Architects and Petra Construction have made and continue to make every day. You can feel their pride as they work for us on every little detail. Their positive approach to achieving quality work will make our Meeting House a very special place to worship when it is completed. As always, the Building Committee welcomes any questions or information you wish to share as well as any pictures you have of our new construction. Please send them to: build@somerscongregational.org Respectfully submitted, Mark Marschall