The Messenger
May 2015
Vol. 22 No. 4
Dear Friends,
It is pouring like the dickens outside as I write this reflection. Did you ever
wonder where that phrase came from?
Well I did as I wrote it. So I looked it up
(the internet does have its benefits) and
immediately found that I just said “it is
pouring like the devil” or “pouring like
hell” without actually using those objectionable words. It led me to think, how
many words or phrases do I use every day
that I don’t really know the meaning of?
How often do I not know what I am really
saying? For a preacher, it’s a scary
thought!
But what is even more frightening
than that is not ever asking ourselves the
question – what does that word or phrase
really mean? Especially when we are using
and depending on words that have such
emotional and meaningful content, such as
“love” or “hope,” or even “God” or “body of
Christ.” Some words take us a lifetime to
explore and live into.
verbial old man with the long
white beard. But there is something about that image that I
find I miss – the ability to pull
up my notion of God visually.
The man with the beard, or the
grandmother with the wise and
wrinkled face, or the divine and
innocent baby lying in a manger
– these are all images that I can
somehow relate to for better or
for worse.
As I get older and my experience of God deepens, I find
that no one image works for me
anymore. Sometimes that is
hard as when I pray I want to
talk to someone, something, I
can hold in my mind’s eye. But
that is getting harder for me.
Perhaps that is just the next
stage in my spiritual journey…
how do I pray without that kind
of eternal image? Is it perhaps
that God is not outside, but
within me? Outside and within.
Then how do I put myself in that
God’s hands?
I tell you, sometime this
feels harder than the dickens…
My understanding of what love is
has changed a great deal since I was a little but, you know, I believe it is
girl. Love was feeling safe, and being made truly where God is leading me.
And I am so glad that the interto feel safe by those who cared for me.
net
cannot solve this question
Then as a teenager love became some rofor
me,
only the living God can
mantic notion of two hearts and minds
as
I
continue
to ask the quesunited as one, always. After learning some
tions.
pretty difficult life lessons, I realized that
that thinking was pretty naïve, and love
I invite you to join me in
had to be sturdier, more complex, and
the questions and the amazing
more, well, realistic than that. I am still
journey.
growing into the notion and the reality of
love.
Always in God’s love,
And if that’s the case, what about
my notion of God? Oh, it has certainly
Kate
changed from my early notion of the pro-
The First Church in
Belfast,
United Church of Christ
8 Court Street
Belfast, ME 04915
207-338-2282
Email:
office@firstchurchin
belfast.org
An Open & Affirming
Congregation
Inside this issue:
ONA Update
5
Trustees Note
9
Stewardship Corner
10
Missions Update
11
Eight O’Clock Ser- 12
vice Club
Kids Korner
20
Pastor -Rev. Joel
Krueger
Pastor -Rev. Dr. Kate
Winters
Church Service— 10:00 am Sundays
Communion—First Sunday each
month
Church School for PreK-12th grade
(Sept—May)
Youth Group Grades 6-12
Office Hours—Tues, Wed, Thurs
8:30—12:30
Office Administrator: Nancy Brown
Director of Music: John Cameron
Dir. of Religious Education:
Custodian: Allen Eldridge
Sexton: Rowena Lisa
Nursery Attendant: Brenda Warman
MEETING OF THE CHURCH COUNCIL
March 22, 2015
The meeting was called to order at 11:30 am by Denise Goodman.
Those in attendance were: Rev. Joel Krueger, Denise Goodman (Moderator), Linda Smith (Scribe), Jane and Gary Grant, Vicki Keller,
Nancy Rice, Deb Heitman, Caryll Krohne, Pam Burrows, Kathy Warner, Carl Goodwin-Moore, and Barbara Powers.
Carl opened with a story about team work.
Call for a quorun: 8 voting members were in attendance.
Minutes from February 21, 2015 meeting: Vicki made a correction at the bottom of page 1: adjustment: change to "adjust". Pam
moved to accept the minutes as corrected. Jane seconded the motion. Approved.
Old Business:
How to expense costs of free "community service" rentals: Joel
We had a discussion about the cost of allowing various groups to use our facility. The question was asked, "Do we want to ask for contributions and cost them to our financial report as part of our mission?" Allowing groups and individuals to use our facility is a way to
contribute to our community. Currently we don't keep track of how much we do and what it costs us. Caryll stated that it costs $83.80
a day to use the parlor and $137.02 a day if someone uses the whole facility. This does not include the cost for staff time or for the
custodian. We all need to realize that each time someone uses any part of the building it costs us money. Someone asked what/who is
considered community service. Examples were when Restorative Justice uses the building, or when a 12 step group uses up-stairs
once a year (they give a donation). Guiding Eyes also uses the building as does Habitat once in a while for a meeting. It is a good idea
to keep careful track of building use because it indicates that we are providing service to the community. Joel keeps the calendar and
he will keep track of who is using the building and for how long. This helps our members and friends understand who we are and how
we are serving the community. We do review each request for building use individually.
Trustee Issues:
Beacon Family Inc. (basically an adult day care: community supports): Carryl: This won't move forward until May if it is
going to happen. The trustees are ready for any kind of a rental that is suggested. They have looked at the insurance and they know
what they have to do to be sure that the church is adequately covered. If Beacon Family Inc. uses the building we would have to get
supplemental insurance because of liability issues. Caryll stated that the trustees have been busy all winter working on all the details
that are needed to be addressed if Beacon Family Inc. uses the building. They would use the parlor and the library and they would be
using that space from 9-2:30 or so. We have no idea what the wear and tear will be on our building. They may use the kitchen. Our
custodian cleans on Saturday so the church and restrooms should be in good shape for Sunday mornings. Caryll suggested charging a
$100 utility cost and that would be re-looked at in 6 months. We need to know how many people are in the program and if that
changes we should be notified. Council members stated that they are happy to have this program and thanked the trustees, especially
Gretchen and Caryll, for all the work they have done to see that this happens. This is a good fit for our church because of our ONA
status and the 8 O 'Clock Club's long time relationship with the group home.
Front Steps: Carryl stated that it has been helpful to work with Christopher Glass, church architect and historian. He has provided
alot of information about the laws and statutes that need to be addressed as the project moves forward. Todd Hall was our contact
with Chris. Chris will recommend an architect and a landscaper for the project.We asked if the project can be completed by next winter. It is about a 6 month project and hopefully can be completed by the fall. We don't know if some of this work will be done probono. We want this project to be ADA compliant.
ONA Implementation: Denise: the team hasn't met do to various circumstances but members are contacting ministers of
churches to see if the church they serve sponsors a troop and if yes, how do they deal with it. Members of the team are also asking
those pastors if they would be willing to stand with us in making a statement to the national BSA.
Daring to Disciple: tabled.
New Business:
Denise serves on the Search committee for the new Conference Minister. She has reported that they have made a decision and the
candidate will be presented to the Mission Council on April 10, 2015. Once the Mission Council receives the candidate and he/she
accepts then they will inform that person's church. Once the candidate's church has been notified then the announcement will be
made to the conference. May 30, 2015 is tentatively the date that the conference will officially call the new conference minister. There
will be a worship service at that time.
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Vicki reported that on April 18, 2015, Habitat is having their annual Cafe Italia. They have baskets they raffle off. Will the church provide a basket again for the raffle for Habitat? Pam moved that we support and sponsor a basket for the Habitat Cafe Italia to be held
on April 18. Barbara seconded the motion. Approved. We will once again do a book basket that will include books for ages 0-12. Vicki
has volunteered to put the basket together. Vicki will be selling tickets for the event, which will probably cost $20 per ticket.
Treasurer's Report (see attached budget summary):
Caryll stated that she is serving as interim treasurer until Larry comes back. She reported that the Pension Board has not been billing
us correctly. We finally got the bill and the voucher has been approved. Todd Hall has signed vouchers and there are some deposits
that will go in tomorrow. The concern is that Joel and Kate potentially lost a lot of money that they could have invested at a good
time. We need to ask why we are not getting an invoice. We only got one this week. Now that Steve has retired as treasurer we will be
getting a Quick Books report from now on. It will be harder to read but Caryll will circle what we need to know. We will also see a balance sheet. Pension questions can go to Mark Schussler at the Conference Office and Joel will do that. We talked about the deficit in
commitments,which are partly do to weather. Attendance at many Sunday services was small or services were cancelled do to snow
and poor road conditions.
Committee Reports:
Window Dressers: Pam stated that we still need a representative from First Church to serve and attend meetings. She also asked
the trustees if they want to do any more inserts in the church. Council members noted that the inserts have made a huge and noticeable difference.
Hospitality: Pam stated that hospitality still needs one more member but everything is still running smoothly.
Deacons: Pam and Deb H. Pam reported that there is a possibility of a change in leadership on the diaconate and it will be discussed at the next meeting. Deacons are preparing for Holy Week. Deb stated that the pastor's will be taking vacation from May 1May 14, 2015 and from June 19-25, 2015. They will also be taking Continuing Education time from June 26-July 1, 2015 when they
attend General Synod.
Music: Kathy Warner reported for Heidi. The choir is very happy with John Cameron. He is going to be away Easter and the following Sunday but has arranged for someone to take his place. He is working with the kids every week with the goal of beginning a children's choir. The choir members have raised $240 to clean the robes.
Missions: Barbara stated they had a good response from people who volunteered to come and work at the food cupboard at the end
of February. Most of their meetings are about how they use their money. They are open to input from members about how they
should use their money and for what purposes. They revised the funding guidelines and they look at each request individually. What
is their policy around requests for money and down the line how does our ONA affirmation effect how they review requests and allot
money. Joel reviewed the missions committee meeting minutes which addressed that and affirmed that they would not fund groups
that discriminate. It appears that their policy fits our ONA affirmation. Common prudence is to not give money to a group that is not
cleared through the UCC. We want to avoid being terribly legalistic but provide guidelines that will be helpful.Nancy said that they
have a schedule so they know when special offerings are due.
RE: Deb stated that the kid's music is going fabulously and John works with them every Sunday after the children's message. His
goal is to eventually have a children's choir. They are averaging 15-17 kids on a Sunday. Joel reported that Wednesday night house
church is going well as is the Friday night study group. Joel and Kate are impressed with the caliber of the conversation that takes
place during these meetings. After Easter they are hoping to organize another study entitled Painting the Stars and Beth Haynes
will be involved with that. Jane said that they are doing okay without a Sunday school director. Deb Woodbury stated that 3 kids want
to go to Pilgrim Lodge. RE will give that information to the missions committee. They will also ask the congregation for support. Deb
Woodbury will work with the kids next week on the PL scholarship application. Possibly they can once again do the "Dress the
Camper" campaign that was done a couple of years ago to help raise money for the PL scholarships.
8 O' Clock Club: Vickie stated that the ladies have met and they are looking at the future of the 8 O' Clock club. They have been
talking about some exciting new things. At the salad supper in May they are hoping that that will be the start of their new life. Their
mission statement was written many years ago. It came out of the women's league for women who worked and has always been a
service group, not a club. They are coming to a place where they would like to invite the whole congregation to join. An article will
appear in the next Messenger explaining the proposed changes. They are looking at good changes coming down the pike and hope to
build up the membership. Their next project may be to redo the cupboards upstairs. They may take that on if it is okay with the trustees and the council. They may change their name to the 8 O'clock Service Group.There will be a rummage sale on April 11, 2015 from
8am-2pm. They will be renting tables at a charge of $10 per table. April 9, 2015 is their pot-luck, which will begin at 5:30pm. Vicki
said that they do have dues and it is a cost of $5 per year.
At Large: Carl stated that he is impressed with how it is like a family reunion each Sunday. He also talked about the fact that we still
need one more delegate for the annual meeting of the Maine Conference. Council members wanted to know what is involved in being
a delegate. Carl explained that you are responsible to attend the Maine Conference annual meeting that takes place in Augusta in the
fall. This year you would also have to attend the service for the new conference minister. As a delegate you are a laision to the conference and you would keep the congregation connected to and informed about what is going on at the conference level. You would also
have the opportunity to connect with other churches. You also have the responsiblity of writing a report for our annual meeting.
3
Carl said that he goes out to lunch with a group of elders in our church. He has learned a lot from them. He spent time talking with
Margaret Cunningham, who told him how much she enjoyed playing games. Carl suggested that possibly the church could sponsor a
game night. These elders are wonderful and can still serve the church with great purpose. Possibly a foster grandparent program
could be started, or our elders could spend time in the Sunday school classroom to interact with the children. Maybe even take some
time to work in the nursery. Carl believes that we all should think of ways to incorporate their skills and experiences into the life if
our church.
Jane said that there will be an Easter breakfast that will take place right after the sunrise service. It will run from 6:30am-8:30am.
Jane and Vicki will co-chair the breakfast. Anyone who would like to help please let them know. The breakfast will be by donation.
Joel said that at the ministerium meeting Allen Shumway said their church is not doing a breakfast this year. He said it is one less
thing for them to do and Allen didn't think they needed to have 2 breakfasts going on at the same time. The Easter breakfast will be
advertised in the paper.
Caryll asked Jane and Gary Grant to serve in the capacity of Corporate Clerk for the Articles of Incorporation. Carl nominated Jane and Gary to serve in this capacity. Vicki seconded the motion. Approved.
Trustees: Caryll stated that the dance hall permit still is not resolved nor enforced. The trustees will be reviewing their investments
and they have decided that they want to make this local so the next person can make a simple change with little or no hassle.
Ushers: Gary: He said there have been questions about the inner sanctuary doors. He fixed the broken hinges on the doors and he
removed them. He will start a conversation with the deacons asking if he should he put the doors back or not and he will discuss,
with the deacons, as to how the doors affect the service. He also stated that John Womack is one of the newest ushers.
Stewardship: Linda gave the report. Please see attached.
Pastor's report: Joel reported that he and Kate are working on a Lilly Foundation grant for their sabbatical. If they receive the
grant it will help pay for their sabbatical as well as providing funds to the church for any costs while they are gone. The church needs
to be thinking about the theme of the grant: Partnering. How might the church help develop the ministry of the church while they
are gone?
The next church council meeting will be on Sunday, April 19, 2015, 11:30 am in the library.
Jane Grant graciously agreed to lead the opening devotion.
Pam moved to adjourn the meeting. Gary seconded the motion. Approved.
Respectfully Submitted,
Linda
Linda A. Smith, Clerk
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Open and Affirming Update
At its April 19 meeting, the Church Council approved a letter (printed on next page)
drafted by the ONA Implementation Team to local and national Boy Scouts of America leadership expressing concerns about apparent conflicts between the BSA emphasis on healthy families and the BSA policy excluding gay or lesbian scout leaders. The letter was emailed to all
Maine Conference UCC ONA church pastors, inviting them to sign on. Earlier team contacts
with many of those pastors indicated a number were eager to join the effort.
We are asking that the letter be placed on the agenda for the national BSA meeting at the
end of May. Depending on what, if any, action takes place at that national meeting on this issue, the team is considering additional steps.
One may be to develop a First Church facilities use policy that would require any organization or group using or renting our facilities to comply with our Welcoming Statement.
This step would affirm the history of the BSA relationship with First Church and allow the local Cub Scout Pack leaders to decide whether they can comply with that statement.
Based on the Council’s decision last November, we and the local Pack leaders will assess the situation by October to determine whether the charter can be renewed for 2016.
As always, the team welcomes input from First Church members.
Team Members: Denise Goodman, Linda Smith, Dana Williams, Judy Williams, Gretchen
Daly, Vicki Keller, Pam Whitt, Pastors Kate and Joel
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The First Church in Belfast
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
8 Court Street
Belfast, Maine 04915
207-338-2282
[email protected]
www.firstchurchinbelfast.org
Rev. Dr. Kate Winters and Rev. Joel Krueger
An Open and Affirming Congregation
Boy Scouts of America
PO Box 152079
Irving, TX 75015-2079
Attention:
Dr. Robert M. Gates, National President
Tico Perez, National Commissioner
Wayne Brock, Chief Scout Executive
April 14, 2015
Gentlemen:
In February of 2013, we wrote to the Katahdin Area Council and the Pine Tree Council, both in
Maine, concerning the Boy Scouts of America’s exclusionary policy towards homosexuals. Since that
letter was sent, the Boy Scouts of America has altered this policy so that “no youth may be denied
membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone.”
We applaud and are grateful for the wisdom behind this important decision to make more accessible
an organization that helps young people. The decision reflects a real concern for the well-being of
our children in the context of our changing and more inclusive society.
We write to you today, on the threshold of your Annual Conference, to urge you, in that same spirit
of caring and concern, to remove the final barrier to inclusivity in your organization. We ask that
you change the current policy to include, regardless of their sexual orientation, young adults (18 year
olds), adult Scouts, individuals seeking volunteer opportunities, and individuals seeking leadership
roles in your organization. This request is made out of our understanding of what God requires of us
in relationship to each other and also out of our understanding of the importance of “family” in the
life of a child.
With regard to the former assertion, the Welcoming Statement of our Open and Affirming Congregation most clearly speaks to that. In it, we say that:
6
…we strive to witness God's love and Jesus' example in the wider community. To that end,
we engage and support all people, whoever they may be and wherever they are on their
spiritual journey, in worship, fellowship and service. We intentionally and joyfully welcome people of every race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender
identity and expression, marital status, physical and mental ability, socioeconomic situation and faith background into the full life, ministry, sacraments and
leadership of this church. We celebrate and support family in all its diverse forms
and recognize and bless all loving and committed relationships.
The latter—the importance of family—also finds a place in our Welcoming Statement, and it is a
value whose importance your organization clearly understands. That sentiment is articulated in
much of your literature and quite powerfully in the description of your “Family Life” merit badge,
where you state:
The family is the basic unit of society and is important to both individuals and communities.
The world is rapidly changing, making today's society much more complex than ever before.
As Scouts earn this merit badge, they will realize why it is important to know more about family life and how to strengthen their families.
From our perspective, we, of course, feel that the sexual orientation of an individual, whether child
or adult, should not be just cause for exclusion, but it is this shared value of the importance of
strengthening families in this “rapidly changing” world that is most challenged by your current policy. We believe that one of the best ways to teach the importance of family is to affirm the families
who are a part of the community. In this “complex” society we find ourselves in today, those families
increasingly include single moms, single dads, two moms, two dads, and a mom and a dad. It is not
these “combinations” or models of parenting that make a family unit strong; it is the parenting itself
that does this. It is not possible to hold up this unarguable fact without affirming the value of “…
family in all its diverse forms….” With the present model of leadership in the Boy Scouts of America,
a Scout, whether heterosexual or homosexual, and whether sexuality is discussed or not, is provided
with no appropriate model of what it is to be a responsible adult who is other than heterosexual.
This lack of diversity in leadership undermines the family unit by implying that models that include
same sex couples are of less worth. Certainly, the first requirement of the Family Life merit badge,
“Prepare an outline on what a family is and discuss this with your merit badge counselor,” poses a
challenge to the Scout whose same-sex parents do not have a place in the organization.
In order to continue to have a positive impact on the boys who choose to be Boy Scouts today, and in
order to give the greatest credibility to the organization’s assertion that it is grounded in the importance of the strength of family and in the character development of its Scouts, the Boy Scouts of
America, too, must change. As worshipping communities, The First Church in Belfast and many
other churches have seen how important this is. We have had our eyes and our hearts opened to the
realization that “to witness God's love and Jesus' example in the wider community… we must … engage and support all people, whoever they may be and wherever they are on their spiritual journey,
in worship, fellowship and service.” And, we have changed.
7
In that spirit, and with the interests of the boys and their families in our prayers, we urge you to
make the changes to your policy that will affirm and include all the many young people whom the
Boy Scouts of America will influence. Welcoming good people regardless of their sexual orientation
will strengthen families and society for generations to come.
In closing, we, the undersigned, respectfully request that our correspondence be delivered during
the A Conversation with the National Key 3 segment of the upcoming National Convention.
Respectfully,
Rev. Joel Krueger, co-pastor
Rev. Dr. Kate Winters, co-pastor
The First Church in Belfast, United Church of Christ
Charter Holder for Cub Scout Pack 30 since 1959
Open and Affirming Team of The First Church in Belfast, United Church of Christ
Gretchen Daly
Denise Goodman
Vicki Keller
Rev. Linda Smith
Pamela Whitt
Dana Williams
Judy Williams
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Trustees Note
Front Porch/Walkway. In late winter, trustees met with Christopher Glass, a noted
architect with historic-preservation strengths who has guided many projects
through to excellent completion. He provided guidance about our new front
entrance. We expect to be able to review a sketch with his concepts shortly. It is important to keep in mind that this large and central construction project will be expensive. First Church does not have the money to pay for this set aside in an account.
Trustees will keep the council and thus the congregation informed, so that our plans
to fund the construction can be understood at the outset. Please don't hesitate to contact any trustee with your questions and concerns.
Investment Management. Trustees also are reviewing our investment management plan. With the expert guidance of our chair, Carryl, we may make a change from
our current investment house, Church United, to another company with a better track
record for customer service and accountability.
“Some of Mother Earth’s Greatest Gifts!” (Our Sunday School kids on April 19th)
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Stewardship Corner - Manley Rogers
A common question during pledge time: “I give to the church but I do not
fill out a pledge card. Isn’t that ok? Yes and No. It is better to pledge so
that the amount of your contributions can be fully considered by the budget
committee members as they work on the fiscal plans for the year. As to the
extent of your pledge, only you know what you can give. The amount is not
the most important detail. We want you to participate in the building of
the budget to be a full member of the team.
Being a part of voluntary activities of the church is also an act of STEWARDSHIP (careful and responsible management of something entrusted to
ones care).
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The Missions Committee welcomed Mason Hall to our April meeting and enjoyed listening to his experiences in Kenya. He shared photographs with us and spoke of the
nonprofit organization he and his friends volunteered with. We look forward to
bringing Mason to a Sunday service and hospitality hour soon so that he can share
more fully with the wider congregation.
We are also exploring options for inviting the congregation into a discussion of what
constitutes Fair Trade products, such as coffee, and whether we might like to make
a church-wide commitment to supporting farmers in third world countries by purchasing fair trade products. More to come soon about this possible Missions project.
Submitted by,
Judy Williams
Chair
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The 8 O’Clock Service club
(The best kept secret at First Church)
I sat around a table with a few members of the 8 O’Clock Club of The First Church yesterday
and came away with three strong impressions. First, they are all about service. Second, in the giving
of the service, life-long friends have been made. And third, they do not like to toot their own horns.
So hopefully they will forgive me as I do it for them. If we describe the church as the Body of Christ,
I would imagine the 8 O’Clock Club as the hands, guided by the heart, ready to do what is needed to
keep the body healthy and in good shape.
First of all, who are they? The 8 O’Clock Club was born in 1941 (yes, it is 74 years old!) as an
outgrowth or an alternative to the Women’s League. They came together as the women who worked
during the day, so they met at 8 o’clock in the evening for their activities. This is no longer their
meeting time, but the name continues as a tribute to their long history. In fact, a number of things
have changed over the years. The group no longer claims to be solely for women as newest member
Carl Goodwin-Moore can attest. Carl speaks often of the wisdom and the laughter shared within the
group. Actually, a number of men have joined them in their good work over the years, Scott Merrithew and Charlie Reynolds among them. One thing that hasn’t changed is their focus – to serve
the needs of First Church, both the physical plant and in expanding its ministries. Their mission
Statement makes it clear: “The Eight O’Clock Club is a fellowship of worship, education, service,
and giving, to aid the program of The First Church in Belfast, U.C.C., as it serves the cause of
Christ in the community and throughout the world.”
Monies raised by the 8 O’Clock Club (through their involvement with the Summer and Christmas Fairs, serving refreshments at funeral receptions, and hosting various meals throughout the
years) have led to some tangible improvements in the building and on the grounds. They have purchased the Nativity Scene, the dishwasher, two electric stoves, silverware and dishes for the church
kitchens, to name just a few. They also contributed to the purchase of the elevator and some of the
landscaping around the church. You can also thank the 8 O’Clock Club for the bathroom on the second floor of the parish hall, a blessing to be sure!
But their work goes beyond these physical improvements, important as they are. They have
sponsored baby showers, birthday parties and the Cub Scout Pack 30 since the 1970’s, have gotten
together to make crafts and valentine cards for the homebound, and their potluck salad suppers provide fellowship and good food for all. Perhaps the most spirited event of the First Church year is the
annual Group Home Christmas party that the club has been sponsoring since 1977. A number of the
residents from the local group homes come for supper, a visit from Santa Claus, and receive gifts
chosen especially for them. The joy of that evening lasts all year.
One of the surprises of my table meeting with the members was finding out that one of the
dinners sponsored by the club years ago hosted Sen. Margaret Chase Smith. The history of this
group is rich and worth raising up.
Continued
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I asked one of the newer members, Carryl Krohne, to share with me what drew her to the club. She
writes: “One of my fondest memories of my childhood at Trinity Evangelical Reformed Church and Faith
United Church of Christ in Indianapolis, Indiana was the Women's Guild. The Eight O'Clock Club is definitely an off shoot of such a women's group. My mother was always involved in
either sewing cancer pads for Indy hospitals or taking birthday cakes to shut ins. I was fortunate
that I went everywhere with her and witnessed her dedication and also her spirit. That spirit of serving others is what I find in the Eight O'clock Club members at First Church in Belfast. I am at home
with its members like no other group I have found in Belfast.”
The service of the 8 O’Clock Club is woven into every corner of our church and out into the
community. Every time someone uses the elevator, or admires their painted cones on their church
wreath, or is needing sustenance after a family funeral, the 8 O’Clock Club’s giving spirit is felt.
To end, I’d like to extend an invitation. The group is sponsoring their yearly salad supper on
Thursday, May 14th at 5:30 pm. Make any kind of salad and come! You will be welcomed with open
arms. Perhaps you too will hear a call to service and help continue the legacy of this blessed group,
making life-long friends in the process.
Submitted with thanks and admiration to all the 8 O’Clockers
by Pastor Kate
Group Home Christmas party 2009
Group Home Christmas party 2010
Group Home Christmas party
2010
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May 2015
Page 14
Eight O’Clock Club
Eight O'Clock Club will hold its annual
salad supper on Thursday, May 14th at 5:30
pm in the church parlor. This annual event
is open to all church members and friends.
Come and enjoy friendship, delicious salads
and learn more about the Eight O'Clock
Club, which has been in existence since
1941. Over the years the group has donated
many hours of service to the church and the
wider community. It has also raised dollars needed for internal church
improvements.
Friends at House Church celebrate Margaret Cunningham’s birthday! As Margaret says, her second
“79th” birthday! Happy Birthday Margaret!
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Coming Soon –
Pentecost and the
Circle of Disciples
The Religious Education Committee is announcing a new and important program in our church. It is called the “Circle of Disciples.” This is geared toward any
person who wants to better understand the Christian faith and the meaning of church,
deepen their commitment to service, and truly become an active disciple of Christ.
Originally conceived as a new model of Confirmation (in which young people
who have been baptized choose a more intentional commitment to their faith and become full “members” of the church), we have expanded the scope of the program so
that anyone may enter as an “Apprentice Disciple” with a circle of disciples to support them in growing in faith. This is an exciting venture with already two people
about to become “apprentices.”
The Circle of Disciples will include a Spirit Mentor (who will ultimately convene
the group and be the primary mentor for the apprentice), a disciple of education, a
disciple of service, a church mother/father (a longtime member of First Church), and
anyone else the apprentice chooses. The circle may not meet very often, but will work
as partners to form their apprentice in discipleship.
We will call the Spirit down on our first apprentices on Pentecost Sunday, May
This will also be the last day of Sunday School, with all the festivity that entails.
So, wear your red and be prepared to be fired up!
24th.
If anyone is interested in becoming an apprentice disciple or in volunteering for
one of the circles (church mothers and fathers are especially needed), please talk to
Pastor Kate or e-mail her at [email protected].
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The Messenger
Save the Date!
SENATOR GEORGE MITCHELL
FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015
5:30-7:30 PM
The First Church in Belfast, UCC
... to celebrate the publication of his new memoir,
The Negotiator: Reflections on an American Life.
Except for an earlier appearance in Portland, this will be his first talk and signing
in Maine!
Free & open to all, but reservations required.
Please call LEFT BANK BOOKS - 338-9009
Maine Conference United Church of Christ
SPECIAL MEETING
Saturday, May 30, 2015
1:00 - 4:00 pm
First Congregational Church, UCC
Waterville, Maine
THE MISSION COUNCIL ANNOUNCES
THE REV. DEBORAH BLOOD
AS CHOSEN CANDIDATE TO BE NEW CONFERENCE MINISTER FOR
THE MAINE CONFERENCE
OF THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
Clergy and delegates will vote to confirm the election and call
of Rev. Blood to the position of Conference Minister.
A reception will follow.
Please plan to come and celebrate and welcome Rev. Blood to the Maine Conference.
All are welcome!
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The Messenger
After Church Forum
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Presentation by Mason Hall
on his trip to Kenya through the Belfast Non-profit group
Expanding Opportunities
Expanding Opportunities was founded by Beverly G. Stone in 2000. It is a
501c3 in the United States and an NGO (Non-governmental Organization)
in Kenya. Its purpose is to increase self-sufficiency through educational
and charitable projects for people nationally and internationally.
Expanding Opportunites operates several projects in the United States and
Kenya:
Street Children Fund - helps feed, clothe and educate homeless children
living on the streets in Kenya.
Friends Across the Ocean - develops cultural awareness and fosters
friendships.
Aina Moja - sells African crafts and arts to help fund the organization
and support African artisans.
STEMS - seeks funding to promote success through education, money,
and support to small business ventures in Africa.
Books for Kenya - provides educational material for Kenyan schools.
Camp Forest - teaches wilderness skills and appreciation in a Maine wilderness camp.
Distance Learning Centers - develops learning centers in African.
Mason will also spend some time with the Sunday School children telling
about his work in Kenya. Please plan to come and learn more about what
he did and what this local mission group, Expanding Opportunities is all
about and how we might engage with them in their work.
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The Messenger
SUNRISE ASSOCIATION
Spring Meeting
Saturday, May 9, 2015
9:30 am
Union Congregational Church of Ellsworth Falls, UCC
At a combined Annual Meeting last October, the Hancock-Waldo Association and the
Washington Association agreed on the framework and Bylaws for a new organization
- the Sunrise Association of Churches and Ministers, including all UCC churches
in Washington, Hancock, and Waldo counties. Following approval and acknowledgment by the Maine Conference and the United Church of Christ, the Sunrise Association will come to life on May 9, 2015 with the election of officers at its first official
meeting, to be held at the Union Congregational Church, UCC in Ellsworth Falls. The
9:30 am meeting and election will be followed at 10:30 with a celebratory worship service that will include the installation of Rev. Mary Angela Davis as the settled pastor
of the Union Congregational Church. Thanks be to God, whose Holy Spirit sustains
us all in the work of the church in the name of Jesus Christ.
The Sunrise Association is pleased to invite all authorized ministers and delegates
from member churches to attend this most special event, and extends an invitation to
our worship service to the wider church as well. Authorized ministers are asked to
robe for the Service of Installation using the liturgical color of red. If you do plan on
attending, please RSVP to Rev. Mary Angela Davis at [email protected]
The Sunrise Association traces its roots back to the Hancock Association, founded in
1825.
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May Birthdays
7
Norma Cowan
9
Elizabeth Rauch
13
Abigail Wessels
14 Dody Many
16
Lee Woodward Jr.
17 Dawn Voigt
19
Mallory Banks
20 Pamela Chase
21 Georgia Randall
23 Susan Hall
25 Linda Smith
26 Cameron Grant
28 Mike Williams
31 Avis Howells
19
Kids Korner
20
Reading about the life of the early church can sometimes be disheartening as we
compare their experience with our own. However, not only do I expect that things
were not always as idyllic as written, but I also think our church life is filled with
grace! This sermon, entitled “The Messy Grace of Unity” is based on 1 John 1:1-4,
Psalm 133, and Acts 4:32-33.
Kate
What a great image Luke gives us today of the
early Christian church. “Now the whole group of
those who believed were of one heart and soul,
and no one claimed ownership of any possession, but everything they owned was held in
common. With great power the apostles gave
their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.”
Every young pastor starting out wants a church
just like this – happy people, full of grace, taking
care of one another. If the church they arrive at
doesn’t initially look like this, he or she is going
to dig right in and work to make it happen, to
build a shining example of Christian community.
Because it is the faith community together that is
the true witness to resurrected life.
don’t look a whole lot like the young church Luke
describes, sharing our wealth, sharing our food,
gracefully working together as one.” While they
had remarkable unity, we seem to have “issues”.
Let’s be brave and name some. First, we have
money issues. How to raise and then how to
spend our money? Should we build up our endowment so the First Church might have a secure
future? Dear Bill Abbott was a great proponent
of this, and I know there are others who feel the
same. Or should we be more concerned about
the present ministry of our church, using our resources to expand our outreach and meet the
needs of people today, trusting God to take care
of our future? Money is always a contentious issue.
From the very first day of Easter, we have
the story of the apostles experiencing the risen
Jesus and then witnessing together to Thomas,
who recognizes the truth when he is back within
their fold. It is the gathered community that
testifies to risen divine life. The letter of First
John begins “We declare to you what was from
the beginning, what we have heard, what we
have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at
and touched with our own hands…we declare to
you what we have seen and heard so that you
may also have fellowship with us…so that
our joy may be complete.”
We also have a Boy Scout issue. A longtime ministry through our 8 O’Clock Service Club
is being questioned. Should the Boy Scouts be
supported here at our Open and Affirming Congregation even though they have a discriminatory
policy against gay and lesbian leaders? Some
want to discontinue this support because of the
damage this policy does to gay children who certainly get the message that they are not good,
whole, and worthy, as adults like them are unwanted. Others see the good our involvement
with the Scouts has done and continues to do
particularly with the poor families in our area.
This split is truly painful.
From the beginning, the Christian witness
is about unity, bringing together disparate
groups and different people into one lifeaffirming testimony about the ubiquitous presence of God who loves us all. The way we live is
the witness to something powerful taking place
among the people. Hear the Psalmist: “How
good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity.” Yes, the unity of the Christian
community is the witness resurrected life. Our
unity is our testimony.
To which we might respond “Uh oh….we
We also have another issue that we share
with other Christian churches, and that is our
changing relationship with culture. While once
the surrounding culture supported church life
insuring full sanctuaries on Sunday, overflowing
Sunday School rooms, and enough volunteers to
take on just about every project, now church is
simply one choice among many, and often a
questionable choice in an era of religion as suspect. There are benefits to this, but no doubt the
declining support puts stress on congregations
21
that have old and historic buildings to maintain
while they struggles to redefine their purpose in
our time. We are easily divided as some cling to
and embrace old ways, while others want to make
real changes in structure and mission, basically
in how we are church for today. Split again.
So, knowing all of this, what kind of witness is this church making to the living God
among us? Where is our unity? Well, my
friends, I am not a young pastor anymore, and
the signs of unity I would have looked for 30
years ago have changed. Godly unity is not a
group of happy people all working together with
the same mind moving in the same direction,
whistling all the way. That kind of unity usually
means that someone, or a number of someones,
is keeping their mouth shut. Human beings are a
diverse bunch of creatures, God made us that
way. Because we are different, in our experience,
our upbringing, our sensibilities, the task of creating unity in which each person is valued and
honored, is always a messy business!
think is shaped by the sum total of our experiences and not one of us has the same. But, when
gathered in the name of Jesus, we can be of one
heart. And that heart, filled with the love of
God, is what weaves the unity – the unity that allows difference of opinion, intense discussion,
passionate disagreement, all the while making
authentic decisions about the way we live this
risen life among us. The unity of one heart and
many minds is wonderful, messy, unpredictable,
rare, and I would add courageous, daring and
holy.
Imagine it this way – a big family gathered
around an Easter dinner table may look like a
perfect example of unity as they speak politely
and pass the potatoes and get through the meal
without any fallout, even though underneath relationship are raw and broken. But the big family
that gathers around the same Easter table speaking their minds, engaging in real and often contentious conversation, throwing loving barbs
back and forth while dishing up the pie, may look
out of control, but is held together by a love
One of the commentators I read this week, strong enough to let each member be who they
Michael Kirby, helps here. I never really liked
are and remain fully embraced at the family tathis Psalm 133 as its images bothered me. It talks ble…even when supper is over.
about people living in unity being like the precious oil poured on the head. Now the anointing
If we as a church truly celebrate and welwith oil was a sign of hospitality in ancient times, come diversity, we will be a rambunctious, somebut running down the beard of Aaron and onto
times maddening, but surely authentic example
the collar of his clothes? What a greasy mess! It of unity in Christ. As a young pastor, that would
reminds me of our Maundy Thursday service
scare me off in a second. As a much older one, it
when the edge of my scarf fell into the oil we were still may raise my blood pressure, but I’ve
using to anoint hands for service. ‘Twas not
learned that this is the messy grace of unity.
pretty. The Psalmist also speaks of the dew of
As we continue to love one another, even in
Hermon falling upon the mountains of Zion.
our untidy complexity, we are a powerful witness
Now, that’s a better image, but Kirby tells us that of God’s love – a love that is true enough to celewhile not atmospherically impossible, it almost
brate difference, brave enough to speak its mind,
never happens. In his words, in this psalm,
open enough to have a place for all, and sure
unity is “wonderful, messy, unpredictable, enough to welcome change and transformation
and rare.” He also reminds us that “the only
together.
truly predictable relationships are those that are
First Church, today I celebrate us in our
one-sided, marked by suppression or domination
lively, messy, and holy witness of unity! Amen.
– the polar opposite of unity.” (Feasting on the
Word)
Let’s go back to the Acts passage. “Now
the whole group of those who believed were of
one heart and soul…” Luke did not say they
were of one mind, did he? In fact, any gathering
of two or more are never of one mind. How we
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~ May 2015 ~
◄ April
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
June ►
Thu
Fri
1
Sat
2
9-12 Guiding Eye
Dogs
Pastors Vac
3
4
5
8:30 Choir Rehearsal
10:00 Worship /
Communion in
pews
Pastors Vac
10
17
11
12
13
1:30 Food Cupboard Board
9
9:30 Sunrise
Assoc Mtg.—
Ellsworth Falls
18
14
15
16
5:30 Eight O’Clock 5:00 Left Bank
Club Salad Supper
Books –Speaker
6:00 Cub Scouts
6:30 NA
George Mitchell
19
20
21
22
23
8:30 Food Cupboard
11:00 Prayer Circle
Council
24 Pentecost 25
8:30 Choir Rehearsal
10:00 Worship
Last Day of Sunday School
1:00 Food Cupboard
4:30 Diaconate
4:00 House
Church
26
27
6:30 NA
31
8
6:30 NA
8:30 Choir Rehearsal
10:00 Worship
3:00 Maskers
7
3:00 Music Comm
8:30 Choir Rehearsal
10:00 Worship
RE
3:00 Maskers
Pastors Vac
6
Church Office
Closed
10:30 Harbor Hill
Worship
1:15 Stewardship
4:00 House
Church
28
29
30
1:00 Maine Conf
Special Mtg
(Waterville)
6:30 NA
Notes:
8:30 Choir Rehearsal
10:00 Worship
11:30 Mason
Hall Presentation—
tion—Kenya
23