Henniker Congregational Church

September 2017

With Gentleness and Reverence…

Dear Faithful Ones,

What a wonderful beginning! Chili Fest, a coffee-hour welcome, Thrift Shop visit, Friday Night at the Millers, worship, and many conversations. It has been good getting to know you. Thank you for your hospitality in the shape of your participation in worship, your nametags, your tasty treats, and your introductions. I look forward to sharing this experience of an in-between time with you. Together, we stand in the gap between what was and what will be, with the prayer that God will bless us with the Graces of faithfulness, wisdom, creativity, patience, and courage on the threshold of a Mystery Unfolding.

Let me share an experience that I mentioned at the August meeting of the Church Council. As part of my rhythm, I swim at the local Y a couple of days a week. One morning when I arrived, I observed a young man in the far lane. He was watching the swimmers intently, and I realized that he was trying to replicate what he was seeing them do. In other words, he was trying to teach himself to swim.

The trick with swimming, though, as with so many activities and behaviors, is that there is always more than meets the eye. The novice mimics what he sees above the water, but his ability to swim is limited because he can’t figure out what to do with his arms and legs under the water. So often the power of a swimming stroke takes place below the surface, as one sees with the underwater cameras at Olympic swimming races.

As we wade into the water of the interim time together, one of our tasks is to consider what has powered the Congregational Church of Henniker forward, beneath what meets the eye. What are the fundamental beliefs, cherished experiences, common practices, and lofty aspirations that propel this community’s ministry? How do you want to be church in the world? Answering these questions is essential to telling your story, shaping your communal life, and extending your invitation to your next pastor. I look forward to diving in with you.

“…in your hearts sanctify Christ... Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence.” ~1 Peter 3:15-16 (NRSV)

In Peace,

Rev. Susan

Join us for the 216th Annual Meeting of the NH Conference United Church of Christ. This year’s theme is In Search of Sanctuary: Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Registration begins August 28th at www.nhcucc.org. In keeping with the warmth of the theme, Rev. Bob Marrone from the Peterborough church is hoping to borrow homemade quilts to decorate the conference hall at the Grappone Center on October 21st. Contact our office for more details.

Four Thank Yous Received

In August we received lots of thank yous in the mail:

1) Seth Boden sent us a heartfelt thank you for sending him to Peace4Kids Camp

2) Rachel Keon sent her gratitude for being chosen as the Andress-Lewis Memorial Scholar, funded by Mark Lewis.

3) Family Promise of Concord sent a note of thankfulness for our financial and volunteer support of their 2017 program.

4) We also heard from Marcus McFall, thanking us for sending him to Horton Center this summer. He will become a counselor there next year!

Speaking of Horton Center:

Summer is still in full swing at Horton Center. September 29 through October 1 is Confirmation Retreat Weekend. The season ends October 12-15 with Fall Workdays for adults and grades 7 and up. There is no charge for this weekend though donations are accepted. It is time to put the camp to rest for the winter, so bring a bag lunch and be very appreciated by one and all! Visit their website at www.hortoncenter.org.

Parsonage Happenings

Much gratitude for Ron Hewitt and his merry band of workers this summer who laid new flooring and beautified the parsonage in time for Rev. Susan’s arrival.

Gorgeous wide floorboards! Protected by heavy paper walkways for the move in time! Great job!

Computer restored at the office!

Now here is something you haven’t seen in a while! Milli smiling at her computer!

Thank to Bruce Ballou, the main computer is functioning again. Now to re-do the church calendar, Facebook and the website. At Last!!!!

Thank you, Bruce!

Thank you to all the coffee elves and ice tea sprites from this summer. I don’t know who you all were, but thanks for the refreshment!

September coffee hosts:

September 3: Carol Hamilton (saved Milli & Paul from embarrassment…thank you, Carol!)

September 10: Christian Education

September 17: New Life Thrift Shop

September 24: Susan Daniel and Jack Clement

The Interim Time: What’s Next?

“Okay, she’s here. Now, when’s she leaving?”

Members and friends of the Congregational Church of Henniker may be used to seeing a timeline for the interim with the monthly newsletter. Now that we have officially entered the season of the intentional interim, the timeline will be published less frequently. Our life together will be marked by the activities of our ministry, rooted in our communal discernment, with a Spirit that is Holy. In the weeks ahead, we will worship together; we will consider what you are attending to as church in the present and what you want to attend to in the future; we will invite members and friends to participate in new ways; we will ask each other important questions and reflect upon what we do, say, and see. In time, we will create a Search Committee and a timeline for the search process will be shared. If you have any questions regarding this season of transition, please speak with Rev. Susan, members of the Church Council, or the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee.

Breathe in the Goodness of God; breathe out the stress of urgency; find Joy in the journey! (“She’s probably here for 18-24 months.”)

By-Laws

[To continue with our by-law review this year, we look at the Stewardship and Finance Subcommittee of Church Council]:

Stewardship and Finance Subcommittee of the Council: This subcommittee shall be appointed and directed by the council, and all of its activities shall be carried out in close coordination with the council. It shall consist of three members, each serving a staggered two-year term, which may be renewed for one successive term. This subcommittee has the following major functions:

(1) Conducting an annual stewardship campaign;

(2) Developing and tracking, in cooperation with the church council, the annual church budget for submission and final vote at the annual meeting;

(3) Supervising the work of the treasurer, including reviewing monthly performance against the budget, thus keeping the council apprised of the status of the budget on an ongoing basis;

(4) Tracking the use, performance, and status of the church’s endowment and investments and keeping the council apprised thereof;

(5) Maintaining, in cooperation with the diaconate, all memorial funds and donations to the church, with particular attention to any caveats and restrictions to same.

World Service Committee

Our committee continues to support Claire Aucoin's mission in Colombia. There are envelopes in the pews for donations or you can send them to the church office. We appreciate any amount you are able to donate. Our goal is to donate $100/month.

We will let you know when our next Family Promise host dates are. We are always looking for more volunteers for this program. Please contact Sally Auer at 428-7773, Karen Landes at 428-6359 or Sue Crawford at 670-4147 if you are able to help. You can also contact the church office.

The Food 4 Friends program provides snacks for about 45 children who may not have enough food over the weekend. Please contact the church office or Deb Dow if you would like to make a donation or help pack the bags. You can sponsor a child for a half-year or a full year. Call Deb at 428-3114 for details.

Christian Education

Just a note about getting things ready in the Sunday School classrooms.  I am going to use the room with the mural as our meeting/lesson/crafting space this year and the classroom I used last year as an activity room for any games, etc., we might do.   I moved the big white table from the former high school room into the mural room and replaced it with one of the tables that was in the classroom I used last year.

----Mary McFall

Church Council

Our next Conversations is scheduled for Sunday, September 17th, 11:15-11:45 a.m. (Conversations are planned for the second Sunday of the month during coffee hour, but this month that is Homecoming Sunday, so it will be the third Sunday.)

The idea behind Conversations is to create a means of communication amongst our congregation and with church leadership in a safe, kind, respectful environment. Please join us to talk and ask questions! 

We have invited Rev. Susan Tarolli to tell us a bit about herself and her background on September 17th. We also have invited the Christian Education Committee to update us on the Sunday School program for the fall. There will also be time for questions on any topic!

The next Conversations is planned for Sunday, October 8th.

Family Promise Update

A note from Cash:I hope everyone has had a wonderful Summer as it draws to a close. I’m freshly back from vacation (many have asked where the updates were but rest assured you didn’t miss any I was just away for two weeks). But now some quick updates for you all:Erika and Josiah are nearing their two month mark with our program and are making great progress. Erika is working full-time @ a call center and has over 600$ saved. She is on the FIT waiting list and is also taking GED classes! Great work and progress

Mary, Ryan and RJ are also doing well. They are hitting their 30-day mark with our program and BOTH are working! Ryan works full-time at a tree company and Mary has taken a part-time gig job at a horse farm and they have 800$ saved for their apartment. They are working with us weekly on getting connected to more resources they need and are making great progress on stabilizing their lives!

And the news many of you have been asking for: I attended the final inspection for the Gilman’s trailer yesterday (Thursday) and it was signed off on! So the mortgage title is being appraised and a closing date (and the Gilman’s move-in) will likely be next week finally! Thanks to everyone who has helped, or tried to help along with this project during the past year. I also know several of you have asked about donations for the Gilman’s, I will be in touch next week once the actual close and move-in date is set

Hurricane Harvey Relief

For the month of September we will be collecting special offering for Hurricane Harvey Relief. There will be manila envelopes either as a bulletin insert or stacked on the narthex table as you enter the sanctuary. Funds will be sent through the NH Conference of the UCC Church.

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