THE MEETINGHOUSE MESSENGER The First Congregational Church in Stoneham January 2018 United Church of Christ Upcoming Events: Jan. 7 – Three Kings Sunday & Merrie’s Retirement Coffee Hour! Jan. 21 – Church Council at 11:30 am Feb. 4 – “Souper” Bowl Luncheon First Church Acolyte Installation Congratulations to TJ, Avari, Molly and Caleb on their official installation on December 3 rd ! We are an open and affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ
Transcript
THE
MEETINGHOUSE
MESSENGER
The First
Congregational
Church
in Stoneham
January 2018
United Church of Christ
Upcoming Events:
Jan. 7 – Three Kings Sunday
& Merrie’s Retirement
Coffee Hour!
Jan. 21 – Church Council at
11:30 am
Feb. 4 – “Souper” Bowl
Luncheon
First Church Acolyte Installation
Congratulations to TJ, Avari, Molly and Caleb on
their official installation on December 3rd!
We are an open
and affirming
congregation of
the United
Church of
Christ
Happy
New Year!!
January
If you would like to be added to
the Birthday List, please email
the church office.
1 Anthony Catalano, Jr.
2 Britney Fucci
4 Nancy Sawyer
4 Paul Checca
8 Fred Baumann
8 Heidi Bilbo
8 Albert Savage
9 Rebecca Allard
9 Marge Dearth
14 Natessa Storm
14 Brendan Tripp
15 Dawna Wierzbowski
16 Claire Melkonian
18 Ryan McGrath
19 Paula Auterio
19 Robert A. Dearth
20 Jill Anderson
26 Carol Giadone
27 Bert Johnson
27 Dariel Thompson
30 Renee Muise
30 Susan Machnik
31 Karen Tripp
1 Church Street Stoneham, MA 02180
781-438-0097 (fax) 781-438-0238
Come Worship with us!
Sundays, 10:00 am
Staff of the Church Rev. Meredith Allen, Pastor
Joyce Simpson, Music Director
Leonard Levine, Sexton
Sara Thompson, Church Secretary &
Messenger Editor
Heidi Bilbo, Sunday School Superintendent
Lynn Haddad, Treasurer
The First
Congregational Church in Stoneham
Messenger Deadline The deadline for the February 2018
Messenger is January 19th. Please leave all submissions in the
Messenger box in the office, or email them to the church office at
Keep your eye on the bulletins and future Messengers for the date that Easter Cantata rehearsals will start!
Books & Chocolate Group
We alternate our books with a movie, sometimes related to the
book we have last read. We meet on Mondays, book discussion
evenings begin at 7:30 and movie nights begin at 7:00 pm.
Here is the schedule for this year:
January 15 - "Saturday Evening Girls' Club" by Jane Healey
February 19 – movie
March 19 - "The Red Coat" by Dolley Carson
April 23 – movie
May 21 - "The Stars are Fire" by Anita Shreve
June - field trip, date and destination to be determined
Please join us … the more the merrier! If you wish you can
bring something simply chocolate (no home cooking required!)
to share and your tea mug!
We meet in the church parlor, very comfy. All the books can be
borrowed from your library.
Food Pantry News
Here is our list of “Items of the
Week” for the month of January.
Please remember to pick up these
items when you are grocery
shopping. Please do your part to
help stock our pantry for those in
need in our church community
and in Stoneham and the
neighboring communities.
Peanut butter
Pancake mix
Coffee
Hot chocolate mix
Pasta sides
Please drop these items in the
colorful crates outside the
Sanctuary.
A Thank You note from Joyce
A HUGE thank you for all the help
given by our church family for the
Christmas Cantata!
There were so many people - bakers,
set up crew, cleanup crew, children’s
choir, ushers, Lenny for cleaning-
It takes many hands and all are
appreciated so much.
Thank you!!
Message from the Diaconate:
Winter is here and chances are we will start to see snow falling. If services are cancelled this winter due to a snowstorm, the cancellation will be reported on WCVB (Channel 5) and WBZ-TV (Channel 4). Please check
these stations before coming to church during a snowstorm. If there are any questions, please reach out to a member of the Diaconate.
Thank you for continuing the over 50 year tradition of donations to City Missions. Your generosity has helped nearly homeless families
have a blessed Christmas.
Your kindness and generosity reached the hearts of many individuals
this Christmas.
Kim Savage ~ On behalf of the Missions Committee
Craft Group Our Craft Group is busy creating items for the Spring already! We meet on Tuesday mornings from 9:30 am until noon in our room below the sanctuary. We will meet on January 9, 16, 23 & 30, depending on the weather. We have tea and refreshments. No special skills are required. Drop in anytime and check us out.
Thank you for your generosity from everyone who gave me
gift card, money and cards for my granddaughter Kathryn
Wall. She is still at CT children’s medical center. She has
many ups and downs to this point. We are still hopeful she
will be able to go home for xmas, but not really sure.
Continue your prayers for her return to good health. My son,
Christopher and daughter-in-law, Christina, thank you also for
your support. -Donna Wall
A group of
lovely ladies
following the
December
3rd Christmas
Cantata
A marvelous time was had by all at the
First Church Christmas Fair
Celebrate ‘The Beloved Community’ Jan. 15
All First Church members and friends are invited to celebrate the vision and values of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr., on Monday, Jan. 15 at the Boys & Girls Club.
The program, including music, dance, food and inspiration begins at 10 a.m. in the Boys & Girls
Auditorium at 15 Dale Court.
At the celebration, the MLK Planning Committee will honor Stoneham resident and activist Doreen
Moore for decades of outstanding service “building the beloved community,” a phrase Dr. King loved.
Mrs. Moore opened the first Head Start program. Then, for 42 years she was the director of the Leslie
Country Day School. An activist in education and community mental health services, she was
instrumental in founding Our Place and After Hours,
programs benefitting underserved adults and children.
Most recently she has guided the MELD arts group in
building the arts in Stoneham through grants to Stoneham
Schools, the Boys & Girls Club, the Stoneham Theatre, and
the Stoneham Classical Concerts, hosted by First Church.
Several First Church members participate on the MLK
Planning Committee, including Rob and Kathy Bardell,
Ben and Becky Jacques, Rev. Merrie Allen.
Thanks you to the many hands who helped prepare and serve food Friday and Saturday
for the church fair. I couldn’t have done it all myself, besides it is more fun working with
some remarkable people. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I can’t wait for another
opportunity to work with many of you again… thanks a whole bunch!
Donna Wall
Salvation Army Toy Drive
Dear Members and Friends of First Church,
This year I had 29 families – 64 children that needed help at Christmas time. The overwhelming
response by the outpouring of love and generosity that came from each and every participant was
heartwarming.
When the parents of these children came to pick up their packages, it was worth every minute spent
coordinating this large undertaking. Both mothers and fathers were crying with joy. If I asked for
an outfit, sometimes I would receive 2 or more.
A big thank you to all of my donors: members and friends of First Congregational Church, Purpose
School, Robinhood School, Lois Torri, Lund Dental, Nicole Nial, Congress Street Neighborhood,
Linda O’Leary and The Derby Sports Bar in Everett.
Thank you to everyone that participated in this joyous outpouring of love and help.
Blessings to all,
Lorraine Savage, Welfare Secretary for Salvation Army
THE CHRISTMAS FAIR
We decide to hold the fair a month later than usual this year. Unfortunately it snowed!
Those who attended the fair and roast beef dinner had a lovely time, with delicious pies,
luncheon and a wonderful dinner menu. The Fellowship Hall was decked out in seasonal
attire and many commented on how lovely it looked.
Regrettably we had very few volunteers to help set up and clean up. If there is to be a fair
next year there will have to be some major changes and more folks willing to help.
All the proceeds are not in yet, so we do not have a final figure. The day of the fair we
received a generous donation of furniture which will be sold on craigslist to benefit the
fair. The total amount will be in the February Messenger.
Respectfully,
The Fair Committee
Bette Biggio, Donna Wall, Lorraine Savage, Kathy Bergstrom & Kim Savage
Poinsettias
Given by: In Memory of:
The Agustoni/Lumb Family Joseph Agustoni
The Barry Family Ruth & Italo Macchia,
Lynn Herron, Frank Barry
Judi & Steve Catalano & Family Michael & Clara Rolli
The Daly Family Loved Ones
Jan Droz & Family Michael & Clara Rolli
Jan Droz & Family Loved Ones
Shirley Gibson & Beverly Roche Loved Ones
Shirley Gibson & Beverly Roche Loved Ones
Valerie Giovanni Loved Ones
Bea Griffin Bertha & Leslie Griffin
Karen Nelson Peggy Gorman
Karen Nelson Pearle & Win Nelson
Max Santamaria Grandfather & Uncle Matt
Caleb & Molly Sawicki “Gramps”
Barbara Severance Chuck Severance
Joan Snyder Parents & Brother
Sara Thompson Steve McManus
Sara Thompson John Piskadlo
Marian Towse Dan Towse
Marian Towse Christine Towse
The Whittaker Family Pauline Whittaker
Joyce’s daughter Becky works
her magic on the Sanctuary!
Lorraine and Kim Savage
display the ditty bags and
boxes of collected items
that were picked up by
Seafarers Friend in
December. The project
was a joint effort by our
Sunday School and the
Missions Committee, and
was tremendously
successful!
Pastor’s Corner
My dear friends,
Egad, there have been so many “lasts” over the past few weeks! Last Deacons (CE, Trustees,
Missions . . .) meeting, last visit to the crafts ladies. Last Community Dinner, last classical concert,
last Christmas Eve together. I’ve felt a pang of melancholy every time, and I’ve wondered how
retirement can be so “great” when it entails so many difficult goodbyes!
I deeply appreciate the many kind words and hugs we’ve exchanged. Even our silences have felt
full! And I’ve decided that all this sadness at our parting ways is actually a positive thing. Because
you and I have been a great team! Not perfect, mind you; no one’s perfect on this side of the
Jordan. But we’ve worked well together to build up our church, this precious branch of Christ’s
Body!
We’ve strengthened our sense of what it means to be Christ’s people with God-given
influence in the world – think about what our becoming ONA or putting solar panels on our roof,
for example, declares about what we believe.
We’ve strengthened our role as meetinghouse for the community. The Purpose School,
the Iglesia Adventista, the Tamil church, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, self-help groups, businessmen,
and concert goers meet regularly beneath our beautiful spire. Every relationship builds bridges
with the whole people of God.
And we’ve strengthened our landmark building as we’ve refurbished it from top to
bottom, all with an eye to being green. Go, us! Now let’s install that new bathroom and finish
replacing the windows!
I thank each one of you who has been part of our shared journey. Whether by your presence at
Sunday morning worship, your prayers from afar, or your donations of funds, goods and talents
that empower our mission to the world, by God’s grace you are making a difference. You certainly
have made a difference in my life. I am so much richer for having known you and served in
ministry with you! I leave with sadness, yes, but also with a heart overflowing with gratitude for
who you are and for the promise you embody to continue to bear Christ to the world!
May God bless us all in the New Year 2018. May we scatter seeds of light for one another,
trusting that our Light will always lead the way! And may God watch over us while we are apart.
