steepletalk - north windham union church, ucc · mission news rev. hall will be in his office from...
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Regular Sunday Schedule: Announcements 9:55 am Worship 10:00 am Sunday School 10:00-11:15 am
Church Office Hours: Tues./Wed./Thurs. ~ 9 am to Noon
Thrift Shop Hours Wed. & Thurs.: 1:00 to 3:00 pm Saturday: 10:00 am -12:00 noon and whenever the sign is out front
North Windham Union Church, The United Church of Christ An Open & Affirming Congregation
723 Roosevelt Trail ~ Windham ME 04062 Telephone: (207) 892-6142
Email: [email protected] and [email protected] Website: www.nwucucc.org
Inside SteepleTalk
Pastoral Message Weekly Scriptures
Groups That Meet Here Special Events
Worship Attendance Board & Committee News
Tree of Life Calendar & More
Photo by Bruce Small
SteepleTalk
Church Staff: Rev. David Hall Interim Pastor
Joan Morton Office Administrator
Dr. Richard Nickerson Minister of Music
Dane Grondin Accompanist
David Burchill /Church Family Custodians
Ruth Kepron Steepletalk Editor [email protected]
April 2015 A MESSAGE FROM YOUR INTERIM MINISTER...
The following story appeared in the Manchester Union Leader in April of 1975:
A New Orleans lawyer sought an RFC loan for a client. He was told that the loan would be granted if he could prove satisfactory title to the property offered as collateral. The title dated back to 1803. After sending the information to RFC he got this reply:
“We received your letter today enclosing the application for a loan for your client. Let us compliment you on the able manner in which you prepared and presented the application. However, you have not cleared the title before the year 1802, therefore, before final approval can be accorded, it will be necessary that the title be cleared back of that date.”
Annoyed, the lawyer replied: “Your letter regarding titles in Case No. 23156 was received. I note that you wish titles extended further back than I have presented them. I was unaware that any educated man in the world failed to know that Louisiana was purchased from France in 1803. The title to the land was acquired by France by right of conquest from Spain. The land came into possession of Spain by right of discovery made in 1492 by a sailor named Christopher Columbus, who had been granted the privilege of seeking a new route to India by the then reigning monarch Isabella. The good Queen, being a pious woman and careful about titles, almost, I might say, as the RFC, took the precaution of securing the blessing of the Pope for the voyage before she sold her jewels to help Columbus. Now the Pope, as you know, is the emissary of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who, it is commonly known, made the world. Therefore, I believe it is safe to presume that he made that part of the world called Louisiana, and I hope to hell you are satisfied.”
I share this story because it can remind us that according to Genesis we are created in the image of God. There are many ways to imagine what that means. I think one way means that I, and you… indeed, everyone…has a spark of the divine within. I think that means all people have a deep desire to know God, whether they are aware of that desire or not. Perhaps that is one reason the church exists: To help awaken that desire.
May the peace of Christ be with you during this Easter Season, David
Mission News
Rev. Hall will be in his office
from 9 a.m. to 12:00 on
Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
He will also be here every
Sunday for Worship. If you
need to reach him at any
other time his home phone is:
371-2179 and his cell number
is 207-504-7874.
HOLY WEEK SERVICES
April 2: Maundy Thursday Worship at 7 p.m. with Communion and an interesting variation of the Service of Tenebrae.
April 5: Easter Two identical services of worship at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Both services will include the beautiful music of the choir. Between the services breakfast will be served at 9:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall.
INTERESTED IN JOINING THE CHURCH?
A nyone who is considering becoming a covenant member of the church is invited to attend two orientation sessions following worship on April 19 and 26. Let
David, any Deacon or the church office know if you are planning to attend. Those who choose to join the church will be received into membership on May 3.
1 2
3 4
Did you know that our church contributed clothing and $268.51 this winter to Preble Street in Portland?
Did you know that our congregation contributed $337 in March to the One Great Hour of Sharing—a fund that helps people nationally and internationally?
Did you know that Mark Bryant and Bill Diamond provided the Moment of Ministry on March 22 regarding Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a very local project? The
group received donations from the special offering taken at our church on March 29. This was in addition to the monies that came from the Music with a Mission concert March 28—designated by our own Windham High School Chamber Singers. (Monies from the upcoming concert Rhythm Future Quartet on April 11 are also scheduled to go to Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors.) Did you know that our church provided the food and helpers to feed more than 40 people at the March 9 Monday Meal here at our church? This is an ecumenical Lakes Region program.
Thanks to all who made these possible!
April 5 EASTER April 12 2nd Sunday of Easter April 19 3rd Sunday of Easter April 26 4th Sunday of Easter
Acts 10:34-43 or Isa 25:6-9 Acts 4:32-35 Acts 3:12-19 Acts 4:5-12
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 Psalm 133 Psalm 4 Psalm 23
1 Cor 15:1-11 or Acts 10:34-43 1 John 1:1-2:2 1 John 3:1-7 1 John 3:16-24
John 20:1-18 or Mark 16:1-8 John 20:19-31 Luke 24:36b-48 John 10:11-18
Weekly Scripture Readings for April
NWUC Worship Attendance 2015
DATE In Attendance
Mar. 1 78
Mar. 8
81
Mar. 15 69
THE THRIFT SHOP
NEEDS
Volunteers are needed to keep the Thrift Shop open during store hours: Wednesdays and Thursdays (1-3PM) and Saturdays (10-NOON). Just 2 hours of your time on a once-a-month rotation or perhaps you would be willing to substitute for an occasional shift. Your church and your community will love you! E-mail Norma at [email protected] Or leave a message with Joan at 892-6142 to sign up.
Don’t forget the Thrift Shop when you clean out your closets this spring.. Donations welcome!
THE FIRST WEDNESDAY CLEANING CREW
Next meets on April 1 (no fooling) at 9:00 am
Come join us for fellowship, fun and a free workout while helping to make our
building sparkle! Everyone is welcome!
The Deacons of North Windham Union Church have established a ride share program. If you or anyone you know needs a ride to church services or to a church function, please call one of the deacons. Thank you to those who have already agreed to be drivers. If you are interested in providing rides please let a deacon know that information as well.
Deacons and phone numbers:
Kathy Barnhart 893-1867 Ruth Caron 409-9184 Jeanie Clemmer 892-2840 Barbara Hall 310-0888 Susan Marean 650-9501 Betty Melanson 892-0114 Saralyn Spires 894-2200 Terri Whyte 892-1268 Rory Young 653-0998
Ride
Share Program
from The Search Committee
North Windham UCC Search Committee Minutes March 10, 2015
Attendees: Richard Buxton, Diane Dunton Bruni, Norma Marks, Kim McBride, Tracy Cook
Absent: Ian Donnelly, Jacqueline Gleason-Bourne, Ray Sylvester
Agenda
The meeting opened with connections and a prayer shared by Kim.
We reviewed two more profiles. Tracy is still waiting for one more profile that Rev. Cowles had indicated that we might receive. We reviewed Wendy (F) and Matt (G).
We are not going to pursue candidate F.
Candidates C, D and G are the candidates we would like to conduct Skype interviews with in the near future. The candidates need to let us know if they are interested in us by March 15th.
Optional dates for the first interviews are Friday the 27th or Sunday the 29th. We will hold the interviews at Diane’s home.
At our next meeting, we will review the interview questions and responses from the candidates.
Respectfully submitted,
Diane Bruni
Following are the requirements for the senior to meet:
A. is continuing his/her education
B. is a member in good standing of NWUC
C. is an active member of the NWUC Youth Group
D. shows a commitment to NWUC and community
E. exhibits Christian values and inspires others
All requests must be submitted to the Women's Guild BEFORE MAY 7, 2015. Any requests after that date can not be considered because the voting will be done on that date.
E ach year the Women's Guild offers a $1000.00 scholarship to one graduating senior who is planning to continue their education and is an active member of the church. This senior is
nominated by the Women's Guild members after submission of written request and explanation of intent to continue his/her education.
NWUC Women's Guild Scholarship Notice to all High School Seniors who are active members of this church
This scholarship is awarded after the recipient has finished the first semester of school and has submitted a copy of his/her transcript to the Women's Guild.
2015
Music with a Mission
Celebrates 2nd Anniversary And 22nd Concert! Our Music with a Mission concerts started up in
March 2013, and we just celebrated with our 22nd concert of the series.
O n Saturday, March 28th, we welcomed back the Windham Chamber Singers,
who showcased their 2015 spring tour program to a packed house. The sanctuary was alive with energy as 285 folks including family, friends, and music lovers from throughout the area came to enjoy the pride of Windham and Raymond. It was no surprise that this year’s choir is loaded with talent as we enjoyed several arrangements with beautiful solo segments. The program included an enjoyable mix of classical, avant-garde, sacred, gospel, and popular tunes. The Chamber Singers are leaving on April 8th for their
annual 5-day tour, performing in schools, nursing homes and community concerts. This year’s tour includes coastal Maine, Downeast, the Katahdin region and Aroostook County. It was clear from their performance that they have worked hard all year. The students seemed very relaxed in front of their hometown crowd, and the audience loved every number. As always, the guys’ and gals’ pieces were hilarious, and the
WCS version of STOMP was a huge hit. The closing number was an upbeat song written for them by Dan Strange called “It Takes Time,” and then the choir sang a beautiful encore of “Let There Be Peace on Earth.” “We knew this would be a special night and it sure lived up to expectations,” said Dr. Nickerson, who has directed the Chamber Singers for the past 27 years. “It was very rewarding to have a full house to perform for our community and to inspire the singers for our upcoming tour. We were pleased to help raise money through the Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors program.”
Continued on next page
Story by Jim McBride/Photos by Bruce Small
Top photo: James Mannette and The Guys Photo right: Ellie Joseph and The Gals
Celebratinggreatmusicwithconcertsforthecommongood
MWAM Committee: Jim McBride, Rick & Linda Nickerson, Bruce & Gail Small Michael & Ruth Kepron and Chick Marks
accompanist for a church in Brunswick through June. While she may be able to fill in here for one or two Sundays before then, we look forward to having Nell start full time in July. Dane has graciously agreed to stay on here at NWUC into the spring. While we are still working out the details of his final weeks, we look forward to recognizing Dane’s contributions and thanking him for his service when he finishes up. We feel very fortunate to have enjoyed Dane’s talents over the past four years – and we are equally fortunate to have a capable replacement on the way!
LOST AND FOUND: A Good
Accompanist A s we reported earlier, Dane Grondin
has given his notice and decided to leave his position as the accompanist for North
Windham Union Church. Dane has done a great job since joining us over 4 years ago while still a student at USM. As you recall, Dane was married last summer, and now he and his wife Rachel look forward to worshipping together at her church in Portland. The good news is that we found a very capable replacement to take Dane’s seat on the bench soon after he departs! We are delighted to report that Nell Britton will join the team to support the music program at NWUC starting this summer. Nell is graduating from USM this spring with a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance. She plans to start a graduate program in piano performance and choral conducting at USM in the fall. Nell is currently under contract as a choral
2015Season 3
Concert Series All Concerts start at 7:00 PM
April 11 Rhythm Future Quartet
May 1 USM Chamber Singers
June 27 Royal River Chorus
July 25 A Night of Broadway: the Reunion
September 19 Wicked Good Band
October 17 Tricky Britches
November 7 Heather Masse
www.mwamconcerts.com
After the first two years and 22 concerts, Music with a Mission has raised over $20,000 including over $8,000 for mission support to local non-profits, and $12,000 for NWUC. “We are thrilled with the success of the series,” stated Jim McBride, chair of the committee. “We have been fortunate to bring in some very talented musicians. And the support shown by our church members and the Lakes Region community has been truly heart-warming!” Our next concert is coming right up on Saturday, April 11th, when the incredibly talented Rhythm Future Quartet will perform an evening of fast-paced acoustic jazz. These four young jazz virtuosos play dynamic and fiery arrangements of gypsy jazz standards and original compositions. “We are very proud to introduce Rhythm Future Quartet to our Music with a Mission audience,” said Dr. Nickerson. “A few of our committee members saw them perform last fall and were simply blown away with their talent and energy. Don’t miss this show – you’re in for a real treat!” And we are especially pleased to once again support Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors with the community proceeds from the Rhythm Future Quartet concert.
Music with a
Mission
News from the Music Committee
From your Office Administrator
This was in an e-mail that David Burchill sent me. My brother, Bob, has been in ICU for 2 months and is still there. He has a long road ahead of him with many challenges. This is perfect for him and all of us in a time of need.
Thank you for all your prayers. Please keep them up. He needs them. Joan Morton
Do not be afraid or worry when you are sick.
Let the doctors handle your body,
God handle your life,
but be in charge of your own moods.
The nicest place to be is
in someone's thoughts
The safest place to be
is in someone's prayers,
and the very best place
to be is... in the hands of God.
Hi everyone! My friend Joan, who works in the office, sent me this picture of winter in Maine. So. . . . . I have asked Joan to share this picture of winter in the South. No shovels? This works!
Needless to say I am not coming home with Chick and Norma. I will hitch a ride with someone else as soon as I know Spring has come to Maine!!! My friends are celebrating the end of winter and the beginning of Spring. Hope you can soon.
Your Church Mouse!
YOUR CHURCH PHOTO DIRECTORY INFORMATION
Within the next month the 2015 Photo Directory will be ready to be printed and
posted on-line. If your information has changed such as marital status, a birth,
death, a new mail or e-mail address and phone number or a second address
for the winter, please contact Joan Morton in the church office.
Please do this NOW so that your information in the directory will be current
and accurate. Deadline for changes/additions is April 15th.
Contact Joan Morton at:
207-892-6142 or
E-mail: [email protected]
N O R T H W I N D H A M U N I O N C H U R C H , U N I T E D C H U R C H O F C H R I S T
April 2015
OUR
FAMILY
TREE
MILESTONES
IN THE LIVES OF
THE PEOPLE
IN OUR
CONGREGATION
OUR PRAYERS ARE WITH:
Doug Avery Diane Johnson Ruth Caron Craig Dyer Karla Dyer Bill Crane Bob Lincoln (Joan’s
brother) Ledgewood Manor
Ministry provided by this church family
All military personnel and their families
OUR SYMPATHIES ARE WITH:
Carolyn, Chris, Meghan and Brianne Fullarton on the loss of Carolyn’s dad, Carl Frank Rouse, of New Brunswick, Canada on February14.
Anita Quinlan and James Mannette on the loss of their husband & father Tim Mannette on March 17.
HAPPY
BIRTHDAY!
02 Brittany Anderson 05 Rowan Cornish 06 Craig Dyer 07 Terri Whyte 09 Brenna Small 11 Robert Akins 12 Cara Denis 14 Linda Califano 17 Linda Nickerson
19 Camren Topar 20 Arnold Avery 20 Jared Kepron 20 Nicole Kepron 20 Kyle Rich 21 Jim Parr 22 Shane Donnelly 23 Nancy Johnston 24 Susan Marean 26 Alyssa Carroll 26 Richard Pitre 29 Meaghen Kenney
April 16 Jeff and Mary Kay Sanborn
Peter and Laurie Small
April 18 Steve and Bethany Avery
April 20 Craig & Beth Broadbent
April 22 Arthur & Vicki Locke
April 28 Wilbur and Barbara Hall
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
Our heartfelt thanks for everything,
from the family of Tim Mannette,
- Anita and James
Dear Church Family,
Thank you feels inadequate to express our gratitude for the love, generosity and support given to us during this difficult time. We are deeply grateful for all the comfort and encouragement, hugs, condolences, assistance, time, planning, food, and sympathy. It is a great comfort to be surrounded by people who care and understand. All our church family has been amazing and supportive and such a big help in so many ways. Tim had been reluctant to go to church for a while because he did not want people to see him in his debilitated condition, but when he finally went, he felt so welcomed. What warmed him the most was how everyone chatted with him and shook his hand and treated him the same as always. It cheered him and acknowledged and honored him by making him feel special, but in a very natural and routine way. For that we are forever grateful. Neither James, nor I, have ever lived in our home without Tim. As we adjust to our new life and learn to go forward according to God's plan, all of you make this difficult journey a little easier to bear.
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30
Thrift Shop 10-12
WORSHIP & SUNDAY SCHOOL
Every Sunday
at 10 A.M.
April2015 North Windham Union Church, United Church of Christ 723 Roosevelt Trail Windham, ME 04062 207/892-6142 Email: [email protected]
Thrift Shop 10-12 Girl Scout Derby MWAM Concert “Rhythm Future Quartet” 7pm
Thrift Shop 1-3 Girl Scouts 6-8 Choir 6:30pm
Thrift Shop 10-Noon
TOPS 5-7pm GS
TOPS 5-7pm GS All Boards 7pm
LG/FB 2-4pm FR AA 7:30-8:30 FR No Boy Scouts
AA 12-1pm Thrift Shop 1-3
AA 12-1pm Thrift Shop 1-3 Girl Scouts 5:307:30pm PH
Thrift Shop 10-12 Fair
Abbreviations: GS: Gathering Space AW: After Worship PH: Parish Hall Kit.: Kitchen AA: Alcoholic Anonymous TOPS: Take Off Pounds Sensibly LG/FB: Look Good/Feel Better (Cancer Support Group)
Church Staff
Rev. David Hall, Interim Pastor
Dr. Richard Nickerson, Minister of Music
Dane Grondin, Accompanist
Joan Morton, Office Administrator
David Burchill, Custodian
Monday Meal 4-6:30 PH/Kit. AA 7:30-8:30pm FR Boy Scouts 6:30-8:30 PH
AA 12-1pm Thrift Shop 1-3 PH/FR Rental
EARTH DAY
Thrift Shop 1-3 Girl Scouts 6-8 Choir 6:30pm
Thrift Shop 1-3 Girl Scouts 6-8 PH Choir 6:30pm
Fair set-up
New Member Orientation AW Murder/Mystery Dinner Theater 4pm
TOPS 5-7pm GS
AA 12-1pm Thrift Shop 1-3 Girl Scouts 5-9 FR
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS:
Tues./Wed./Thurs., 9 am to Noon
W.Guild Potluck Thrift Shop 1-3 Girl Scouts 6-8 Choir 6:30pm MAUNDY THURSDAY Service at 7pm
Youth Group 4pm PH
AA 7:30-8:30pm FR Boy Scouts 6:30-8:30 PH
EASTER SUNDAY Worship at 8 and 10 am
Breakfast at 9am
Breakfast is Served! Between the Easter services breakfast will be served at 9:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall.
Thank you to Steve Karantza and his kitchen crew for preparing this meal!
TOPS 5-7pm GS Executive Council 7pm
Cleaning Crew 9am AA 12-1pm FR Thrift Shop 1-3 Girl Scouts 5:30-7:30pm PH
GOOD FRIDAY
New Member Orientation AW
Monday Meal 4-6:30 PH/Kit. AA 7:30-8:30pm FR Boy Scouts 6:30-8:30 PH
Thrift Shop 1-3 Choir 6:30pm
A free-will offering will be taken to cover costs
Prophet Quinn G. Caldwell "“I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command." - Deuteronomy 18:18 One of the three points of my church's mission statement is "Welcoming All." Maybe yours has a similar commitment. We work hard on ours. Probably you do, too (please tell me you do; we need your church to survive). I am convinced that this is what God wants us to do, but I sometimes think we might do it for the wrong reason. Or at least for only half of the right reasons. Mostly, we talk about the importance of welcoming people in terms of those who might be out there wandering in the wilderness, those who might be wounded and in need of balm or hungry and in need of real food, those who have never heard about the deep beauty of life with God. We talk about it in terms of what we have that they might need. And of course that's a good start. There's another good reason to welcome all, though: enlightened self-interest. I think at least half the reason to welcome all is that you never know which passerby might be a prophet. You never know which might have something from God that will heal you, or save you, or balance the budget, or change you forever, or bring you home. For that matter, given that God has promised to return one day (and given that so many missed it the first time around), one of the people standing outside those big doors of yours and wondering whether to come in could be God. Can you really afford to not welcome her? Prayer God, let us welcome people because they need it, even when it's hard. But let us be smart enough to welcome people because we need it, too. Amen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Quinn G. Caldwell is the Pastor of Plymouth Congregational Church, Syracuse, New York. His most recent book is a series of daily reflections for Advent and Christmas called All I Really Want: Readings for a Modern Christmas. Learn more about it and find him on Facebook at Quinn G. Caldwell.
Reprinted here with permission from the United Church of Christ Daily Devotional
Senior Choir Rehearsal
Thursday Evenings ~ 6:30-8pm
GROUPS THAT MEET HERE North Windham Union Church, United Church of Christ
Women’s Guild
The Women’s Guild meets the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month
(except no meetings July-August) The 1st Thursday at noon is a
Potluck Lunch/Program The 3rd Thursday is at 10:00 am and
is a project meeting (bring a bagged lunch)
All women are welcome. FMI Contact Joyce Jewett at (207)892-6898
The Girl Scouts meet the 1st and 3rd Wednesday from 5:30 to 7:30 pm and every Thursday from 6 to 8 pm in the Parish Hall.
Girl Scouts
The Boy Scouts meet Mondays from 6:30-8:30 pm in the Parish Hall.
Boy Scouts
Look Good / Feel Better Cancer Support Group meets the 3rd Monday of each month from 2-4 pm in the Family Room.
Look Good / Feel Better
AA meets Monday nights at 7:30 pm and Wednesdays at Noon in the Family Room
AA
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets in the Gathering Space each Tuesday. Weigh in is from 5:15-5:50 pm. A meeting follows this, finishing at 6:50 pm.
Everyone is Welcome!
T.O.P.S.
The Missions Committee sponsors a Grief Support Group which is led by VNA Home Health & Hospice. The Group meets in the Family Room on the First Tuesday of each month from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. FMI contact Linda Hopkins at 400-8714 or e-mail her at [email protected].
Grief Support Group
Monday Meal
Check the Calendar for Mondays that this community meal will be offered in the Parish Hall.
The senior choir of the North Windham
Union Church, UCC invites all interested
singers to become a part of our choir
family. Our regular rehearsal time is
Thursday evening from 6:30 – 8:00. We
also meet at 9:00 on Sunday mornings to
get ready for the worship service. Our
choir is open to anyone who loves to
sing…no previous experience required!
Next SteepleTalk Deadline April 22 For the May Issue
Please send items for the Sunday Bulletin to the following e-mail address: [email protected]
North Windham Union Church United Church of Christ 723 Roosevelt Trail Windham, ME 04062
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North Windham Union Church, UCC
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CHURCH STAFF
Rev. David C. Hall Interim Pastor
Joan Morton Office Administrator
Dr. Richard Nickerson Minister of Music
Dane Grondin ~ Accompanist
Dave Burchill & the Church Family Custodians
NORTH WINDHAM UNION CHURCH United Church of Christ
723 Roosevelt Trail Windham ME 04062
Telephone: (207) 892-6142
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.nwucucc.org
Church Office Hours: Tues./Wed./Thurs.- 9 am to Noon
Regular Sunday Schedule:
Announcements 9:55 am Worship 10:00 am
Sunday School 10:00-11:15 am
Thrift Shop Hours Wed. & Thurs: 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am -12:00 noon and whenever the sign is out front