North Falmouth Congregational Church, UCC
155 Old Main Road/PO Box 403
North Falmouth, MA 02556-0403
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Dated Material
The Sandpiper is a monthly publication of the North Falmouth Congregational Church, UCC.
The Reverend Bob Naylor, Interim Pastor (508) 563-2177, www.northfalmouthucc.com
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The Sandpiper
North Falmouth Congregational Church,
United Church of Christ
October 2019
Pastoral Page
Lessons in Body Building #1 – Your Body Parts
Needed As many of you I love basketball and I like
softball…………………but in spite of having a
gym membership I don’t really like strenuous body
building exercising. However, I am told my body
needs the trend mill jogs, the upper body and
shoulder lifts, the lower body leg and foot
exercising as much or more than jogging and
shooting baskets or hitting and fielding round
spheres thrown to me or struck at me. And, if I
want to be honest, I know such body building
exercising probably will do more for my physical
wellbeing than basketballs shot and softballs
thrown. In I Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul talks about
how to make the Body of Christ, the church strong
and fit in proclaiming the power of the Gospel to all
the world. The church in Corinth was divided over
who had the greatest gifts…….my speaking in
tongues is of more importance than your healing
ministry; my preaching ministry is more important
than your prophesying! The behavior was
childish….Paul alludes to that behavior in I
Corinthians 13. He says that even the small gift of
ministry is needed for the Body of Christ to remain
healthy. And the Gospel proclaims that we all have
a gift to give to strengthen the ministry of North
Falmouth Congregational Church. When I arrived at my last full time parish, I heard
many members say: “Praise the Lord, I can step
back now that we have a settled pastor. Bob can do
it!” I soon made it abundantly clear that I was only
one Body of Christ part and that the future vitality
of the church depended on all the Body of Christ
parts sharing their special gifts. In several months you will have a very talented and
faith-filled settled pastor, Christina Williams. It is
not a time to step back but rather step in and share
your gifts. October is also the time for our annual
stewardship effort. Yes, a significant focus will be
on giving of your treasures – that means generous
financial giving for the strengthening of the
ministry of the church. It is also a time to reflect on
sharing our time and talents…a time to begin
building a healthy Body of Christ. Here is a brief
devotional to help each member discern their God-
given gifts and to reflect on how they might be used
in the ministry of NFCC.
Think about the skills you have nurtured as
gifts from God – your professional
expertise, your hobbies and avocational
interests, your personality traits that could
be used in ministry. Write them down as
you reflect upon them while you offer this
prayer:
o Creator God, you who created the
whole universe with all of its
mystery and majesty, I give you
thanks for these gifts that you have
given me. May I use them in my
daily living and through my church
to forward the building of your
realm on earth. In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
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o Consider the many ways you might
use these gifts through the ministry of
NFCC….On an ongoing basis or a one
to several times a year offering. Write
down some creative ways that your
gifts could strengthen the Body of
Christ. As you finish, offer the short
prayer…..”Use me, Lord. Amen.”
Being an involved gift giving member of the Body
of Christ is good for our personal spiritual health
and the health of our church. I think it is time that I
got out of my chair and my house and STEP INTO
my gym. Maybe I will live longer and hit the ball
farther. Lift, breathe; lift, breathe…………….
A Body Building Partner with You,
Bob
Artful Bible Studies to Continue Through
Christmas
Our Artful Matthew Bible Study was well received
so we have started a second study, Artful Genesis.
We meet for prayer and energetic discussion with
our catalyst being the words of Scripture linked
with the arts – visual, musical, dramatic, prosaic
and poetic, etc. The sessions are stand alone, so
you can come when your calendar permits. The
sessions are held on Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m. There
may be occasional changes to Wednesdays. Since I
will be with you until the end of the year the
following will be the focus of the
session…….Through October – Artful Genesis.
Beginning in November – Artful Advent and
Christmas. While registration is not required,
letting me or the office know would be helpful.
An Autumn Devotional
There is a tinge of death here as I sit surrounded by
the fantasia of the stained-glass colored leaves. My
heart leaps for joy at your artistry, yet mourns with
each dying leaf descending to it final resting place –
earth. Remind me Artist of Beauty God that the
translucent ice cathedral of winter as it melts will
bring the green leaves of spring – nature’s
resurrection…..whose shade will refresh me amid
the heat of summer. Ah, for the miracle of nature’s
majesty we rejoice! Amen. (rhn – 2019)
Worship in October October 6 – 10 a.m. Worship &
Communion, continuing the “Our Little
Known and Well-Known Ancestors in the
Faith – Focus – Elijah, Scripture –
Selections from I Kings 18 and 19 (The
Lord’s Supper will be served.)
October 13 – 10 a.m. Worship, continuing
Sermon Series – Focus – Peter – “Heals
Over Head for Jesus” Scripture – The
Acts of the Apostles 4:1-16
October 20 –– 10 a.m. worship, a Special
Sunday Worship with Bob Naylor
Preaching on “God’s Hands, Our Hands”
as professional potter creates a work of
art in clay. Potter Hollis Engley will be
our special guest. Scripture – Isaiah
64:8
October 27 – 8:30 a.m. Worship &
Communion, 10 a.m. Worship, continuing
Sermon Series – Focus – Moses –“The Ten
Commandments Middle Man” Scripture –
Exodus 20:1-21 – We will also continue our
have a special hymn Sunday of traditional
hymns from western European faith
traditions. Come and learn to appreciate
the historic hymns of the church.
November – 3 – 10 a.m. Worship &
Communion, continuing Sermon Series –
Abraham and Sarah – “Pilgrim or
Tourist? What Are You?” – There will
be communion and this will be our pledge
ingathering Sunday. Scripture–Selections
from Genesis 12 (On this Sunday closest to All Saints Day we will
remember those who have died during the past
year and gone to the Church Triumphant! If you
would like the name of a loved one or friend whose
has died during the last year listed in the bulletin,
please contact the church office no later than
October 27!) (With the exception of communion Sunday, a
Children’s Time will be included in the service.)
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10/02 James Graham
10/04 James Modic
10/04 Brian Youmans
10/05 Louise Graham
10/05 Christel Sievert
10/08 Leila Elguessab
10/08 Lindsey Oliveira
10/08 Ashley Yoerger
Ladner
10/11 Kaitlin Cook
10/12 Kathryn Teixeira
10/17 John Scavotto
10/19 Erin Murphy
Christian Education News
October Root Beer Fest
Sunday, October 20, after church
We will celebrate the Fall season together after the
10:00am service with root beer floats, baked soft
pretzels and some apples and caramel dip. Plan to
be there for treats and fun. The potter who will be
here for the service will also be available to show us
his craft and there just might be a few more
surprises. This would be a great day to bring a
friend to church!
College Care Packages
This year, once again, we will be sending care
packages to all of our college students for the
holidays. Boxes will be available to fill in the
Covenant Room beginning Sunday, November 3,
through the December 1. Students look forward to
all of the little gifts we send. Bring in some snacks,
homemade treats, post-its or other homework
supplies, ornaments, etc. We will also accept cash
donations to help defray the cost of postage. Help to
brighten the end of this first semester and remind
our college students how important they are to us.
All-church Holiday Pot-Luck and Advent
Workshop
Join us on Sunday,
December 1, after
the 10:00am service
for our annual Holiday Pot-Luck and Advent
Workshop. Please remember that this event is not
just for children and families but for the whole
congregation to come together to celebrate the
season. Sign-up sheets will appear in a few weeks
so mark your calendars!!
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Children in Church This year children will remain in our Sunday
service once a month. Rather than separate them all
the time, we will be helping them to understand that
they are a welcome and integral part of our church
family. You may notice that they will sometimes
have an activity to work on in church. These
projects will not just be things to busy them, they
will be directly related to the sermon and theme of
the day and will hopefully help them to better
understand and participate. Feel free to ask them
about what they are doing and what they may
remember from the service. And tell them you are
glad they are there!
Family Pajama Party/Movie Night On Friday, October 25, 6-8PM we will be showing
Piglet’s Big Movie for our young ones. Movie
nights are a way that we reach out to our YMCA
families so bring kids, grandkids and friends to
show them how welcome they are. We will gather
for some fun at six, have dinner and then watch the
movie. Everyone is invited to wear your PJ's and
bring a pillow and blanket to relax on. We will be
serving pizza, drinks and popcorn. A sign-up sheet
will be available so that we will know how much
food to order.
Autumn Reunion Our Autumn reunion Sunday was a big success.
Backpacks were blessed, burgers were eaten, many
people brought friends and a good time was had by
all! Thank you to all those who came early to set up,
donated food and the grill and helped with clean-up.
The church program year is off to a great start.
Yum! Burgers & Sno cones
Thank you
I would like to express my deep appreciation on
behalf of my family to everyone who has been so
kind and helpful since the death of my father. We
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are grateful for the meals, cards and kind words and
for all of the work on the memorial service and
reception. It is at times like this that we most realize
how important it is to be part of a supportive
community. We have felt loved and supported
through this difficult time and are very thankful.
Lisa
Apple Picking
Lots of fun was had at our apple picking trip to
Crow Farm in Sandwich. It was a beautiful day and
everyone went home with lots of apples. Check out
the Facebook page for some pictures of the
delicious looking treats some of our members
baked. Thank you to Carolee for making the
arrangements.
Our Multi-Talented Music Director Babette
Fun and Games For all ages
Save-the-Date Giving tree collection begins on Sunday, Nov. 24.
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Sunday, September 15
th
Blessing of the Animals
Dave Allen with Baxter
Marcia with a Golden Retriever friend
& Barbara with her Bunny
HOLIDAY FAIR at NFCC
Saturday, November 16th
The Holiday Fair will soon be
here.!!!
Mark your calendars for Saturday, Nov. 16th.
That is the date for the NFCC Holiday Fair.
Sign-up sheets will be in the Cov. Rm. in October
so please take the time to find something that
you can help with this year. We need your help
to make this fair a success. Volunteers will be
sorting thru the Christmas items to get them
priced early so that the week before the fair isn't
so hectic. We need some volunteers to do that.
We are also in need of a couple people to do the
Attics Treasure's Room. and a possible craft
room. We need everybody to bake for the bake
table so we have an ample supply of wonderful
items to sell. We'll need set up and take town
crews, of course, and a person to sell raffle
tickets and call the winners. Please think over
what you can do to contribute to a successful
fair. Email Myrna [email protected] if you
want more info about the volunteer jobs. Isn't
fall just the best season of the year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
STEWARDSHIP – “A New Beginning: A New
Journey into the Future”
Save the date for Stewardship Sunday which will be
held on November 3rd.
Our Stewardship theme for this year is “A New
Beginning; A New Journey into the Future”. Very
soon we will be embarking on a new journey with
our soon to be settled Pastor. In preparation for this
new journey what a better time for each and every
one of us to step in and step up to the challenge of
preparing for this new journey; this new beginning.
Whatever our hopes and dreams are for the future of
our church and congregation, we can best meet
them with our active participation with our time,
with our talents and with our financial commitment.
Your Stewardship Team looks forward to further
exploring with you our preparation for the new
beginning and new journey into the future.
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WHAT IS A STEWARD?
A Steward is someone who serves and
takes care of something.
In the Congregational Church we are all
Stewards. We often only think of
Stewardship at pledge time in the fall.
What would happen if we viewed it as a
commitment of sharing finances, along
with time and talent?
You may be thinking “I do not have time
to be on a committee, or I work, I have
family obligations, I am too old. Now you
will have an opportunity to contribute
your time or talent in a small way. This
will be a commitment for a small project.
In the covenant room there is a new
board. It is titled “WE ARE STEWARDS
IN ACTION.” Listed under this board
there will be a sheet posted each month
with a small chore that needs doing.
Please find one that fits your ability or
talent and sign up to own that chore. You
are free to do it on your own time and
invite someone to work with you.
There is another board that will list needs
that can be met with a financial
contribution. These needs will be fairly
small ones in the hope that both those of
the congregation and visitors alike will be
able to help out. Some of these chores
may require a professional to be hired.
The church buildings, grounds and all
that keep them going belong to all of us.
From the Treasurer
Another reminder…We have received our annual
Fellowship Dues assessment from Massachusetts
Conference, United Church of Christ. The
MACUCC dues are $20.00/member and the
Barnstable Association dues are $1.75/member for a
total of $21.75/member. This assessment is per
member not family. Our 2019 total assessment
based on 135 reported members is $2,936.25.
The Board of Finance urges all members to pay
their dues and put Dues on the memo line of the
check. Through July we have received only $305.00
in dues payments or slightly more than 10% of what
we were assessed.
The Altar Committee
Christmas poinsettias will be displayed on the altar
on Sunday, December 15th. They must be ordered
by Sunday, November 17th to give Mahoney's time
to secure the number of plants desired. An order
form is included in the Sandpiper or can be found
on the counter outside the church office. Questions
or concerns please contact Marsha Martin.
Ladies Brown Bag Luncheon Ladies you are invited to the Women's Union
Meeting on Wednesday, November 13th at 12:00
noon. Please bring a "Brown Bag" Lunch. Dessert
and Beverages provided. Following lunch Barbara
Semple will present a program entitled "Women at
Sea". We look forward to our gathering
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Poinsettia Order Form
Due by November 17th 2019
(Poinsettias will be delivered and used for the Sunday Services on December 15th.)
I wish to give _____ poinsettia(s) @ $12.00.
(Choose one from the wording below.)
In loving memory of/
In honor of/
In celebration of/
Given by: _______________________________________________
(Name) (Phone Number)
COLORS: (please indicate number of each color)
______ Red
______ White
______ Pink
______ I will pick my poinsettia(s) up after service December 15th
.
______ Please deliver to a shut-in after service on December 15th
.
Payment of $12.00 each is due with your order by Nov. 17th
.
Please make check payable to NFCC, PO Box 403, North Falmouth, MA 02556. Questions: 508-563-2177.
Thank you!
