THE STEEPLE October 2015 PASTOR'S LETTER I exalt you, LORD, because you pulled me up; you didn't let my enemies celebrate over me. LORD, my God, I cried out to you for help, and you healed me. LORD, you brought me up from the grave, brought me back to life from among those going down to the pit. You who are faithful to the LORD, sing praises to him; give thanks to his holy name! His anger lasts for only a second, but his favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay all night, but by morning, joy! When I was comfortable, I said, "I will never stumble." Because it pleased you, LORD, you made me a strong mountain. But then you hid your presence. I was terrified. I cried out to you, LORD. I begged my Lord for mercy: "What is to be gained by my spilled blood, by my going down into the pit? Does dust thank you? Does it proclaim your faithfulness? LORD, listen and have mercy on me! LORD, be my helper!" You changed my mourning into dancing. You took off my funeral clothes and dressed me up in joy so that my whole being might sing praises to you and never stop. LORD, my God, I will give thanks to you forever. Psalm 30 Fall is here. There is beginning to be crispness to the air, although after that HOT September we had I was beginning to wonder if we would feel cooler air. The leaves are beginning to change. It is one of my favorite times of the year. If we could just stay in fall until spring would be great!! Somehow God did not create it that way. I guess we enjoy spring so much because of the struggles of the winter. I noticed that we also see a lot of pumpkins at this time of year. It seems everywhere you go they are there. In the grocery store, on front porches of houses, and decorations in offices to name a few. We take our kids to pick out pumpkins. We draw on them, we carve them, and we cook them and if we leave them on our porch too long the squirrels eat them. I have also heard people use the word “pumpkin” as a term of endearment. So whether we use it for decoration, or eat it, or have it be a term of endearment the pumpkin is definitely a sign of fall. The pumpkin is really just a large gourd and had a rather humble beginning and look where it is now.
Transcript
THE STEEPLE
October 2015
PASTOR'S LETTER
I exalt you, LORD, because you pulled me up; you didn't let my enemies celebrate over me. LORD, my God, I cried out to you for help, and you healed me. LORD, you brought me up from the grave, brought me back to life from among those going down to the pit. You who are faithful to the LORD, sing praises to him; give thanks to his holy name! His anger lasts for only a second, but his favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay all night, but by morning, joy! When I was comfortable, I said, "I will never stumble." Because it pleased you, LORD, you made me a strong mountain. But then you hid your presence. I was terrified. I cried out to you, LORD. I begged my Lord for mercy: "What is to be gained by my spilled blood, by my going down into the pit? Does dust thank you? Does it proclaim your faithfulness? LORD, listen and have mercy on me! LORD, be my helper!" You changed my mourning into dancing. You took off my funeral clothes and dressed me up in joy so that my whole being might sing praises to you and never stop. LORD, my God, I will give thanks to you forever. Psalm 30
Fall is here. There is beginning to be crispness to the air, although after that HOT September we had I was beginning to wonder if we would feel cooler air. The leaves are beginning to change. It is one of my favorite times of the year. If we could just stay in fall until spring would be great!! Somehow God did not create it that way. I guess we enjoy spring so much because of the struggles of the winter.
I noticed that we also see a lot of pumpkins at this time of year. It seems everywhere you go they are there. In the grocery store, on front porches of houses, and decorations in offices to name a few. We take our kids to pick out pumpkins. We draw on them, we carve them, and we cook them and if we leave them on our porch too long the squirrels eat them.
I have also heard people use the word “pumpkin” as a term of endearment. So whether we use it for decoration, or eat it, or have it be a term of endearment the pumpkin is definitely a sign of fall. The pumpkin is really just a large gourd and had a rather humble beginning and look where it is now.
Psalm 30 is like a big thank you note to God. The Lord has helped us in our time of trouble. The Lord has changed us. We are kind of like that pumpkin growing wild in the field. When we come to God we can be changed into something useful, something admired or sought after. When we take note of our lives we can see times when God has lifted us up and helped us get up and keep going.
With God in our lives we live a rich, full life. One that is filled with hope and laughter. We may go through challenging times, but with God with us we never lose our purpose.
It would be nice to stay with fall weather until spring arrives but it would interrupt the cycle of nature. The same is with us. We have our ups and downs in life. We have times when our lives seem dormant, but God
is preparing us for the next phase of our life. The one constant we have in life no matter what the season is that God is with us and is active in our lives.
Pastor Ede
VacationPastor Ede will be on vacation September 30 – October 8. If you have a pastoral emergency please contact Linda Merchant as arrangements for coverage have been made.
I would like to thank the members of the congregation who have welcomed me so warmly as organist/choir director. The flowers are blooming a beautiful purple! The reception you had after my first service was very thoughtful and delicious. It will take a little time for me to put names to faces, but hopefully not too long. I look forward to a long and happy time at First Church. Sincerely, Sue Curtis
New London AssociationEquipping the SaintsNovember 1The New London Association will be hosting the “Equipping the Saints Event.” This is a time when the churches come together, clergy and lay members, for inspiration and training. It will be held at Park Congregational Church in Norwich. More details will follow, I encourage you to join me in going to this event.Pastor Ede
Deacons
The Deacons are busy with worship plans for the fall and Advent/Christmas Eve. We will be having our Teacher Dedication during worship on October 11.
The theme of Advent this year is “Waiting for the Savior.” Pastor Ede’s sermon series is:November 29 – Waiting for the Savior: The Lord of Our RighteousnessDecember 6 - Waiting for the Savior: The Messenger of the CovenantDecember 13 - Waiting for the Savior: The Baptizer by Spirit and FireDecember 20 – Waiting for the Savior: The Good ShepherdDecember 24 – The Savior is Here!
Pastor Ede and the Deacons continue to take Home Communion to the Homebound. If you know of someone who is homebound and is not receiving Home Communion and would like to please contact Pastor Ede.
Trustees ReportThe trustees have been busy maintaining the grounds and preparing for the fall church activities. A window has been added to the downstairs youth classroom to accommodate the safe church guidelines. Also, we are running a dehumidifier in the craft room to reduce mold. Upcoming projects include replacing ceiling tiles in the youth group area, fixing a leaking pipe, and repairing a light in the Sunday school area.
We join the church in celebrating the service of Priscilla Stetson, our retiring organist and welcoming Sue Curtis, our new organist. Also, thank you to the Hoddy family for the donation of furniture for the youth classroom.
Sincerely,The Trustees (Scott, Steve, Steve, Bob, Paul, and Liz)
The theme for the Connecticut Conference of the UCC’s Annual Meeting is Leadership. Our churches are blessed with faith filled, committed and capable leaders who offer freely of their time and talents to enable the work and mission of the church.First Church is no exception. Our church is blessed with many leaders and leaders-to-be. A common statement when asked to take a leadership role is “Who, Me?” God equips and calls all of us to lead in a way that fits our gifts. The Conference has asked that each church submit a name of a leader in the church whom they would like to recognize. The council has chosen to lift up Andrea Charron as our valuable lay leader. She will be recognized at the Annual Meeting. Andrea has helped in many areas of the church. This is not only an opportunity to thank Andrea for what she has done for First Church, but it is also a time to lift up First Church. We are an active participant in our conference and it is good to be recognized. Thank you to all who give tirelessly to First Church.
Thank You! Thank You!
I wanted to thank all who helped make our Oasis stop for the Braking Aids ride such a success. The food was wonderful. Thank you all for having a welcoming and gracious spirit. Everyone who came through our doors that day felt such an overwhelming sense of God’s grace and love which was shown through each volunteer that was here. We all were truly blessed by having the riders stop at our church. Put September 23, 2016 on your calendar for next year’s ride!!!Pastor Ede
Memorial Fund
Donations can be made at any time to the First Church Memorial Fund in honor of someone, in memory of a loved one, or to celebrate an occasion. These monies are put into a savings account and ultimately into a high yield investment account. At that time only the interest is used by the church where there is a need.
Thank you for your past donations and any future gifts.
Ellen M. KendallMemorial Fund Chairperson
Stewardship
Our October mission is Neighbors in Need.
What is Neighbors in Need?
Through the Neighbors in Need offering, the church expresses a common commitment to justice and compassion throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. One-third of the offering under-girds the work of the Council for American Indian Ministry, including much-needed financial support for 20 American Indian congregations in the UCC. Two-thirds of the offering supports justice advocacy and direct service projects such as just-peace programs and community grants.
There will be inserts in your bulletins this month. Please read them over and consider giving a donation to this wonderful mission.
Thank you,
The Stewardship Committee
TREASURER'SAUGUST FINANCIAL REPORT
8/1/2015 -8/31/2015 Accrual Basis
Category Description 8/1/2015-8/31/2015
INCOME____________________________
Memorial Gifts 890.00Dividend Income 208.07Financial Secretary7,168.02Fundraising 250.00Interest Income 31.14
Ladies come and join us as we fellowship together Tuesday, October 20th. We will have a quick business meeting followed by a “Game night”, at 7:00, at the church. Come and enjoy some fun and Christian fellowship.
We have started our school year with some new changes. Our Sunday school is now separated into 3 Study Groups: Kids, Senior High, and Adult. Come and See what we have in store for you! The Kid's Group isexploring "theLord's Prayer". Ms. Fuentes, Mrs. Heidi, andMrs. King are planning each sentence of the prayer as a weekly theme for kids 3-13. The Senior High Group is meeting in the back room of the lower level or the church. Their meeting space is so welcoming! Mrs. Longacre and Mrs. Diane Phillips are leading this group,andareexcitedtoexplorethe BookofActswithyou.Adultstudyisalwaysagreatoptionforadults.No matter who you are, you are welcome here. (Parents, what a nice way to enjoy the time your child is engaged elsewhere. Coffee, tea, andfellowship. )
Did youknow?Signing in your child helps us to know who is in the building in case of an emergency. When you sign in, you just write your child's name on the sheet. When you sign out, sign your name. Easy Peasy!
Missions:We willbecollectingmoneyandfooddonationstohelpwiththeThanksgivingBasketsthatourDeaconswill put together just before Thanksgiving. We encourage the kids to be active participants in this by asking that 'earn' their gifts by helping family by doing some extra things they might not normally do. By giving up their time, they are learning a bit about sacrifice and what itmeans.
Pastor'sParty:This year our Pastor's Party will be intergenerational. They will be held on 11/29 and 2/14. In November, we will be doing Advent related activities. In February, we will explore Lent. We ask that if you plan to stay, that you come and join in the fun. Chatter around the room can be distracting for both leaders andparticipants.
Newthisyear:
Kids'Connection,a programdesignedtogivechildrenages3-9toawaytosharefellowshipandfunandfaith outside of Sunday School. This activity time isplanned to be held3 times during the school year. If it is
JuniorandSeniorYouthGroup:SeeMrs.JenniferNormanofMrs.ErikaRogersformoredetailsaboutourfun activity time for youth 10- 18. They have already had a beach party, and a gathering by the river
with candle litservice. There is more fun in the works.
By the way, Kid's Connection will give youth, ages 14-18, a chance to be volunteer staff. We know that thereis a need for our youth to be involved in community service, and this is one more way we
"The 4th Annual "Pachaug Presents" Craft Fair will be held on Saturday, November 14, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the Pachaug Town Hall and at the Fire House. If you have a craft you would like to donate to the Church Craft table, please contact Harriet Bromley (860-376-3262). There will also be a Church Bake Table, so we'll be looking for some extra special desserts for that. Don't forget to stop in for a hearty bowl of soup for lunch, which will be prepared by the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Church. The lunch will be served in the "dining" space at the back of the Fire House. You won't want to miss that! Fundraising :
2nd Annual Wine and Beer TastingOctober 24, 2015
6 – 8 pmLocation: Griswold Fish and Game Club
330 Bethel Road, Griswold, CT
Cost: $20 per person(must be 21 or over to purchase tickets)
10 + Distributers & Vineyards will be offering samples of old and new wines and beers.Sponsored by Island Packy604 Voluntown Rd., Griswold, CT
All Proceeds for this event will benefit The First Congregational Church of Griswold.
Call 860-564-6923 or 376-3262 to reserve your tickets
Child Care List October 4, 2015through January 4, 2016
First Congregational Church of Griswold 878 Voluntown Road, Griswold Connecticut 06351-3315
October 2015
First Congregational Church of Griswold is an Open and Affirming congregation which respects the worth and dignity of all persons who come to our Church family regardless of race, age, marital standing, gender, economic status, mental or physical challenges, nationality or sexual orientation. Our Church is a member of the United Church of Christ.
No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here. 878 Voluntown Rd. Griswold, CT 06351
