1. business and industrial
2. company
3. annual report

What is YOUR Vision
for First Church?
Annual Report 2013/2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Agenda of Annual Meeting 2014
4
Warrant of 2014 Annual Meeting
5
Clerks Reports
Minutes of Annual Meeting 2013
Clerk Annual Report
6
9
Pastor’s Report from Reverend Kaz Bem
10
Church Council Report
Mission Team Chart
13
15
Worship Ministry
Diaconate
Flower Team
Music Ministry
16
17
17
Parish Life and Leadership Ministry
Women’s Fellowship
Men’s Fellowship
20
21
Spiritual Formation Ministry
Christian Education
Alice Blakeley Scholarship
Senior Youth Group
Stewardship
22
23
24
24
Mission and Outreach Ministry
25
Stability Ministry
Trustees
Annual Report
Finance
Trustees Personnel
Building Maintenance
Building Use
Heating System through March 29, 2014
Pastoral Relations
Multimedia and First Church Website
Computer Systems
Investment Oversight Committee
27
27
28
28
29
30
31
31
31
32
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Delegates to the Massachusetts Conference UCC (MACUCC)
33
Matchmaking (Nominating) Report
34
Financial Reports
Collector Report Fiscal Year 12-13
Collector Report Six Months Fiscal Year 13-13
Treasurer Report
Proposed Budget 2014/2015
36
37
38
40
Please note: Financial Statements for the Year Ended June 30, 2013 are a separate addendum.
3
First Church in Marlborough (Congregational) United Church of Christ
37 High Street
Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752-2344
(508) 485-6297
AGENDA OF ANNUAL MEETING
MAY 4, 2014
1.
Call to order—Steve Ziegler, Moderator
2.
Opening Prayer
3.
Introductory Remarks: Steve Ziegler, Moderator
4.
Vote to extend the suspension of by-laws previously approved by the congregation.
5.
Minutes of the 2013 Annual Meeting held on May 5, 2013
6.
Annual Reports not including Matchmaking (Nominating) or Budget
7.
Matchmaking (Nominating) Committee Report and election of Nominees
8.
Swearing in of officers and ministry team members
9.
Operating Budget for Fiscal Year July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015
10.
To vote approval for the Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer to be granted full authority to buy, sell,
exchange or in any other way transfer title of stocks, bonds, and any other investments, their rights
or warrants which stand in the name of the Church; and that they may be enabled to execute the
legal transfer of same with the approval of the Trustees.
11.
To act on the matter of authorizing the Treasurer to borrow money with the approval of the
Trustees.
12.
Other business—Discussion only—Only matters appearing on the Warrant can be voted upon.
13.
Closing Prayer
14.
Adjournment
4
First Church in Marlborough (Congregational) United Church of Christ
37 High Street
Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752-2344
(508) 485-6297
WARRANT OF ANNUAL MEETING - 2014
MAY 4, 2014
The Annual Meeting of the voting members of First Church in Marlborough (Congregational) will be held
in the Parish Hall of the Church on 37 High Street, Marlborough, Massachusetts on Sunday, May 4, 2014
at 11:30 AM to act on the following:
1. To hear and act on all reports.
2. To receive the report of the Nominating Committee and to elect officers for the ensuing year.
3. To act on the appropriations of such sums as may be needed to defray expenses for budget
year July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015 and to adopt methods of raising the same.
4. To vote approval for the Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer to be granted full authority to buy,
sell, exchange or in any other way transfer title of stocks, bonds, and any other investments,
their rights or warrants which stand in the name of the Church; and that they may be enabled to
execute the legal transfer of same with the approval of the Trustees.
5. To act on the matter of authorizing the Treasurer to borrow money with the approval of the
Trustees.
6. Vote to extend the suspension of by-laws previously approved by the congregation.
Warrant posted according to law
April 20, 2014
Deborah Marino,
Clerk
5
CLERKS REPORTS
First Church in Marlborough (Congregational)
United Church of Christ
MINUTES OF ANNUAL MEETING – 2013
MAY 5, 2013
The Annual Meeting of the voting members of First Church in Marlborough (Congregational) was held in
the Parish Hall of the Church on 37 High Street, Marlborough, Massachusetts on Sunday, May 5, 2013 at
11:35 AM.
Attendance sheets were passed out and were signed by 54 members.
The meeting was called to order by Moderator Steve Ziegler. Reverend Kaz Bem gave the opening prayer.
Steve reviewed the meeting agenda and thanked all those who were in attendance for coming and
supporting the church at its 353rd annual meeting. Minutes from the Annual Meeting of May 6, 2012 were
approved as submitted.
The annual reports of ministry groups and committees were reviewed and examined. All of the annual
reports with the exception of the Matchmaker's and Budget were then accepted as submitted.
Arnie Goodrich spoke on behalf of the Matchmaker’s (Nominating) Committee and was happy to report
that the docket was completely filled with the exception of one opening in the Matchmaker’s group itself.
Christine Crocker was nominated from the floor and accepted the position. The slate of officers,
committee members, and ministry team members was approved by the members. Moderator Steve
Ziegler swore in the clerk, Deborah Marino, who then installed all new officers, committee members, and
ministry members in attendance. All others were sworn in in absentia.
Marnie Hooker opened up the discussion of the Operating Budget for fiscal year July 1, 2013 to June 30,
2014. Marnie asked that all members consider donating time and talents as well as money to the church as
a way of increasing stewardship. The theme of this year’s stewardship campaign was stone soup, where
each additional bit of food which was added to the soup pot created a richer, more nutritious broth. Our
total number of active members at the start of 2013 was 194. We have 182 pledging units. Of these, 101
were received. The amount received in pledges was $134,228.00. The proposed budget was $227,770;
therefore the pledges support 58% of the budget. The Trustees have proposed a balanced budget, and
there are some cuts in it. Overall, there was a 14% increase in pledging over last year. This year’s
ultimate pledge goal was $220,000. It was noticed that as the overall number of pledges increased, the
amount of each pledge overall decreased. However, due to the fact that pledging did increase, the church
can rely a bit less on investment income and fund raisers. These could be used as extra income for special
needs. Marnie and the stewardship committee would appreciate feedback on how well the campaign
went.
Marian Hopkins, chair of Trustees, began the discussion of how the church is doing as of the first 9
months of this fiscal year. She thanked Women’s Fellowship for their delicious refreshments and Chip
Horne for manning the projector. Marian had good news: loose offerings were more than estimated in
last year’s budget, the rewards program did better than expected, special offerings were up, and facility
rentals were holding firm. Last year a $28,000 deficit budget was approved and at this time there is only a
$5,000 deficit. She asked that receipts be submitted soon to the treasurer if any are being held so that we
may know our financial picture more clearly.
6
Marian announced that our investments have done well. From January 2012 to March 2013 our
investments have increased from $834,000 to over a million dollars. She reminded the members that we
still need a chairperson for Fall Fest, a good fund raiser, and reviewed the budgeted items. There are cuts
in Christian Ed, some cuts in maintenance and repairs, and a fundraising start-up line item was added. She
thanked the many people who continue to do helpful acts around the church on a volunteer basis. Under
the proposed budget, all paid personnel would receive their current salaries and all ministries would
remain level-funded. If special needs arise during the year, a special meeting could be called and funding
requested.
Moderator Steve Ziegler thanked the trustees for all their hard work and called for a vote on the budget as
proposed. Pastoral Relations member John Merritt asked for an increase in the pastor’s salary of $3,000.
Pastor Kaz Bem mentioned concern with raising funding for his sabbatical, as a substitute pastor will have
to be paid. Marian stated we will need to build up a sabbatical fund and that preparation for such will be
ongoing. A lengthy discussion ensued concerning whether contractual changes can be made and budget
bylaws amended as part of the budget discussion at annual meeting. It was proposed that contracts should
be updated yearly and the trustees notified of pastoral relation needs prior to the annual meeting. A motion
was made that we suspend the bylaw that states all contractual changes must go through the trustees. This
was voted down by the congregation.
Marian recommended that we evaluate how we are doing financially and meet again in the fall.
Committees and ministries will be more organized at that time and not in transition. Budgetary concerns
will be clearer at that time.
A discussion followed concerning the fact that evaluations for all paid employees with contracts have been
lacking. The review structure has changed with the ministry model we have used and job descriptions are
not as clearly defined. A motion was made that comprehensive performance reviews and well-documented
evaluations of paid employees be done in January by a dedicated member of Trustees so that at annual
meeting the review of employees would be complete when raises are discussed. This motion passed.
A motion to accept the budget as originally proposed by the trustees was made and passed by a majority of
voters.
The Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer were voted to be granted full authority to buy, sell, exchange or in
any other way transfer title of stocks, bonds, and any other investments, their rights or warrants which
stand in the name of the Church and that they are enabled to execute the legal transfer of same with the
approval of the Trustees.
The membership voted approval of authorizing the Treasurer to borrow money with the approval of the
Trustees.
Marian encouraged members to carefully read the annual report and know who serves on committees so
that the appropriate people may be reached when questions or concerns arise.
She thanked the church staff for all they do and mentioned that all ministries should provide reports so
that they are documented and understood by all.
7
Pastor Kaz mentioned that he wrote two sections in his annual report: one of the past and one for future
consideration of who we are and how we function as a church. He said we cannot continue all of our old
ways. We are growing in attendance and in active members but our building was created to house many
more people than we have. Renters are our mission partners and we may need to be more flexible in
sharing our space. He encouraged members to invite family and friends to come to church and to ponder
on how we can share our faith and the good news of the gospel. We need to honor our history with a
strong future, and he assured the group that with the help of God, we could do just that.
Pastor Kaz closed the meeting with a prayer.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:12 pm by Moderator Steve Ziegler.
Respectfully submitted,
Deborah L. Marino,
Church Clerk
8
CLERK ANNUAL REPORT 2013
The membership of First Church (Congregational) UCC at the close of 2013 was 200. Average church
attendance at worship services was 96. There were 15 adults and 19 children enrolled in Christian
Education.
Reverend Kaz Bem officiated at the baptisms of nine children:
January 6, 2013:
Cole Patrick DeVincent, born July 7, 2012 to Jason and Karen DeVincent
January 13, 2013:
Jack Alexander Saart, born January 28, 2006 to Jason and Kimberly Saart
April 21, 2013:
Bryn Paquita Seaver, born November 2, 2012, to Jonathan and Jessica Seaver
June 16, 2013:
Kathryn Elizabeth Warren, born September 21, 2004 to Scott and Brenda
Warren
June 23, 2013:
Twins Ethan James White and Graeme Raymond White, born July 25, 2006 to
David and Janice White
November 10, 2013: Coralee Aubrey Schwartz, born May 23, 2013 to Tyler Schwartz and Felicia
Vautier
November 17, 2013: Jiah Christopher Adams--born February 7, 2013 to Ygor Siqueira and
Lyndsi Adams
November 24, 2013: Brayden Joseph LeClerc, born August 8, 2011 to Eric and Larissa LeClerc
New members were welcomed on March 3, 2013 by the congregation:
Barbara Christoph
George Christoph
Dana Donovan
Sky Donovan
Kathleen Leonard
Jessica Seaver
Jonathan Seaver
Brenda Warren
Confirmands were welcomed into membership on May 19, 2013:
Hannah Cole
(Mentor Stephanie Hasbrouck)
Emily Ducey (Mentor Sue Pellerin)
Amelia Kinney (Mentor Sue Buckingham)
Kira Macauley (Mentor Andrea Merritt)
Our membership was saddened by the deaths of several members and friends:
January 24, 2013
Virginia Martinangelo (Friend of the church)
June 9, 2013
William N. Stone. (Active member)
August 3, 2013
Ann E. (Betty) Hollis (Active member)
Sept. 28, 2013
Barbara E. Somerville (Active member)
October 3, 2013
Alice Olsen (Active member)
November 2, 2013
Glenn E. Owens, Jr. (Active member)
November 11, 2013 Virginia Blair Clark. (Friend of the church)
November 16, 2013 Lisa Poudrier. (Friend of the church)
November 25, 2013 Sally C. Tripp (Active member)
Respectfully submitted,
Deborah L. Marino,
Church Clerk
9
PASTOR’S REPORT
Dear Members and Friends of First Church,
The famous theologian Karl Barth once said that a minister should always preach with the Bible in the one
hand, and the current newspaper in the other. I was recently reminded of this saying when a friend of mine
asked me what I read other than theological journals and books. Well, I answered, I regularly read “The
New Yorker”, “The Times” and “The Economist.” As if this was not enough I subscribed recently to the
Sunday edition of the “New York Times,” too. That’s on top of television and movies in which I try to
stay current.
Last year was a good one at First Church, though we lost some beloved members at First Church (please
see the Clerk’s report). From August till December it seemed I was running a full time funeral ministry.
However, even with six active members being called to God’s eternal glory, the year 2013 was also the
first year in a decade when we had more baptisms than funerals! Our membership also went up, and we
have now hit the magic number of 200 members. That is exciting news for the future – as well as a great
responsibility.
Our Sunday school continues to grow (please see the appropriate report, too) and I pray that it will
continue in the years to come. As many other days, Sunday mornings compete with other more secular
engagements – mainly sports in all shapes and sizes. I wish I could tell you that Sunday School always
comes victorious. Our record in this area is mixed. All I can say is that if in every conflict church versus
sports, it is the Church that always has to accommodate and give way (I admit – I am not as imposing as
some coaches), then, no matter how many times we say Church is important to us, our kids will see
through those declarations to exactly what they are: just declarations. I don’t want this to be a
condemnation or a guilt trip, but a cautionary note from your pastor. I do get the New England obsession
with sports, though it is beyond me at times; but it comes at a cost.
Last year in the spring we welcomed four young women into church membership. I still recall how
moving the service was, when we all joined our hands and voices singing “Come, Holy Spirit”,
committing them to the tender and mighty care of the Holy Spirit. They now joined the Youth Group led
by Jenn Bastien. This past fall another confirmation class began, this time with three boys (no – we do not
segregate sexes – it just turned out this way). Our program is new, creative and we try to show our
Confirmands that the Christian faith is not just something we do on Sunday mornings, but it’s an exciting,
intellectually, and creatively rich faith that inspired thousands of people throughout ages to produce
beautiful pieces of art and music. The other exciting aspect is that this year our Confirmation leader is a
former Confirmand of First Church himself, Brian Hasbrouck. It is always exciting to know that youth at
First Church do not just get confirmed and fly out – some actually do stay involved. In fact, a couple of
my friends while visiting remarked just how many age groups we have and how many young people are in
our pews on Sundays!
Bible Study continued throughout the year. While the morning study was moved to Tuesday at 10 am, this
year we did not have evening Bible Study. I am looking forward to starting a new evening class in
September with a couple of other surrounding UCC churches to boost our numbers. Please look out for
details during the summer.
10
The different ministries continue their good and faithful work: the Stewards, the Deacons, the Trustees,
Mission and Outreach. I want to especially thank everyone who took the time to participate or co-chair the
“Your First Church” meetings were held in the fall and in February. Again, while some of you expressed
some disappointment with the number of folks who showed up – I, personally, am pleased. It is what it is
– and accepting the fact that folks have fewer and fewer hours at their disposal – and therefore for church
too, is a part of reality in which we must adjust.
As most of you know worship is a central focus for me – as it is the one unique thing that the Church of
Jesus Christ does – we worship the Creator, Son and Holy Spirit – ONE God. Attendance has been good
and it has been stable at almost 100 folks on Sunday services, with a spike on Communion Sundays to
about 110-125. What makes me really happy is that attendance during the special services increased
significantly. Last year was the first year we did the whole Holy Week Triduum (Three-days) with
separate services on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday. The attendance
at those services was phenomenal – it almost matched our standard Sunday attendance! And on Easter
Sunday we had over 220 folks! So many of you remarked after that just how special and unique and
profound Easter and Holy Week were because you came to all those services! Such worship is made
possible not only by our growing and phenomenal music ministry (Bells, Choir, .covenant – in
alphabetical order), but also by the dedication and hard work of the deacons. And it is worship – its
profoundness, its rootedness in the Gospel of Jesus Christ that helps us to attract new members. We are
also becoming a bit more multicultural now – if my calculation is correct we now have eleven nationalities
from five continents represented in our church – the only ones we are missing are Australians…if you
know someone, make sure to invite them.
I want to thank Cliff and Amy here – who work with me on a daily basis and put up with me on a daily
basis, too. I am really blessed with a team that makes my load lighter and easier to bear. Also, please
allow me to ask for your forgiveness if I have offended you in any way or you felt that I have been amiss
in my duties.
Personally, last year has been a year of adjusting for me. I am trying to find the best way of balancing my
private life and my church life and dedication to you. It’s not always that easy since you are such a
wonderful and supporting living body of Christ (the church) that sometimes I actually don’t mind hanging
out too much with you. Again, I am trying to find that good balance between First Church life, UCC life (I
am on the Committee on Ministry for the Central Association), theological life – and Kaz as Kaz life. Not
easy, but I am told it is not only possible but also necessary. For example – the question remains: when do
I have time during the week to read theology?
Which brings me back to the opening thought of this report. Believe it or not, in the first weekend issue of
the “NYT” that I received there were two pieces about religion. One was about the Unitarian Universalist
Association selling their headquarters on Beacon Street and moving to a new place that better reflects who
they are as religious body in the 21st century. It is not just them – the American Baptists, the United
Methodists, Reformed Judaism and even Jehovah Witnesses are leaving their old headquarters and
downsizing not just to survive but to focus on their mission rather than property management. The article
predicts that probably more and more denominations and churches will follow suit. Once again, the
American religious landscape is changing and it is not for the first time. In fact, the professor James
Hudnut-Beumler from Vanderbilt University remarked that until the 1890s most American congregations
were pretty flexible and moved frequently. It was only when they became affluent and rich with expensive
buildings did they freeze in time and – literally – space. And if you don’t believe her – just remember that
our own meetinghouse is our fifth building.
11
The second piece was even more interesting. Titled “A ‘God-optional’ Group Seeking Relevance in
Worship” it describes a new and alternative Jewish congregation that gathers for worship in a rock pub,
led by a progressive-orthodox openly gay Rabbi. Just like “The House for All Saints and Sinners” in
Denver by the Lutheran Rev. Nadia Boltz – this congregation thrives and attracts the demographics the
older denominations (Jewish and Christian) seem to repel. Worship is more interactive, more
congregation-led, and involved. They are experimenting with the frequency of worship, its format (e.g.
Do-your-own Shabbat), etc.
Now, not everything that is new and hip and is loved by the new generation always has to be great and
good for the church – remember the mullets in the 1970s? But we are listening and I am reading and
watching and experimenting. While DIY-Sunday Service is beyond the pale in Christian theology and
practice – we can and should try out things like: new times for worship, new seating arrangements, focus
on silence, music, etc. Just because we have been used to a particular style of worship and church layout
and time of worship does not mean that it is the only acceptable one.
Trying to reach those who cannot come on Sunday mornings, and to be more creative liturgically, the
Deacons and I decided to try to offer Wednesday night worship services with Communion. They are more
contemplative, meditative, and interactive. We use Jazz and offer Holy Communion every time. We keep
in mind that in Boston, the Jazz Vespers at Old South UCC attract about 50-60 people. Our first service
had 19 folks. If you haven’t heard about it I suggest you come and check it out. While right now we are
offering it on a monthly basis, we will re-visit the decision next year. If you know of anyone who might be
interested please invite them over and come for the company.
Faith and being the church of Jesus Christ is never static. We have a big anniversary coming up – our
350th birthday. I am very open to suggestions and help with just how and when we should celebrate. It’s a
good birthday but I hope that it won’t distract us from our mission which is: how do we, the First Church
in Marlborough (Congregational) UCC, serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the next 350 years?
What habits, traditions, reactions and modes of operation is the Holy Spirit calling us to shed, let go and
stop repeating? What new opportunities for mission and worship are being open to us? Where is the
Triune God leading us?
I had a very fascinating conversation with one of you last year about the future of the church. While I am
not all that positive on the future of denominations, especially the American ones, I told that person what I
do believe in: our God is a faithful God and has promised never to let us down. God did not promise to
indulge us in our silly ways – or to keep us safe and warm – but God did say that He will be with us even
until the end of time.
So, as we prepare to celebrate our 350th birthday as well as we live into the 21st century, let us remember
the words Rev. John Robinson said in 1620 during a sermon in the English Reformed Church in
Amsterdam (from whence, incidentally, I came to you), to the Pilgrim fathers and mothers as they were
about to set sail to the New World:
“God has yet more truth and light to break forth from his word!”
May God bless you all, and allow us to worship and minister to God’s glory in the coming year
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Kaz
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CHURCH COUNCIL
AUGUST 2013 – FEBRUARY. 2014
Church Council Members –at-large: Laurel Hill (Council Chair), Stephanie Hasbrouck (Council ViceChair), Paul Hasbrouck (Council Secretary)
Team members that attend include: Pastor Kaz, Steve Ziegler (Moderator), & the 5 Ministry Team
Facilitators:
Worship Ministry: Richard Rowell/Gary Hollis (Deacons)
Stability Ministry: Sue Pellerin (Trustees)
Spiritual Formation Ministry: Sue Buckingham
Mission/Outreach Ministry: Chip Horne
Parish Life Ministry: OPEN
Council Ministry Objective: To facilitate communication amongst the ministry teams and to determine
and interpret polity decisions. Council is open to anyone who would like to attend by listening, giving
input or getting updates on Church life.
Meeting Format: We open with a Devotional read by a team member; Pastor Kaz gives us Minister’s
Report on current and future activities; we go over any old business from previous months; Ministry Teams
each give reports on any new/old business from their individual meetings and any updates from Moderator.
Areas and any issues that we need to identify/discuss may bring us to new agenda/business items during
that meeting and we work on a plan to try and resolve with our group or go to correct people for help or
answers. We then schedule our next meeting and close with Pastoral Prayer.
Year Review: We started out the year with the continued discussion on the Ministry Model. We asked
ourselves if the current Mission Teams Chart (naming all the teams and what groups are under each one)
are still working or does it need to change. (See chart on Page …) Should we just make it known to the
congregation that this is the model we indeed employ (as we have been using the Ministry Model Structure
over last couple of years) instead of the Committee Model Structure? How can we increase the
participation and assure that the congregants know who to reach out to in the different teams especially if
they have a spiritual calling/dream to volunteer for a particular event/project or to even join a ministry
team? We discussed and agreed that a number of members, especially families with children, have very
busy lives outside Sunday Worship and time is a very major issue for families with which to juggle. Just
going to church on Sundays is a big goal for some, so having members join for multi-year positions is very
difficult and a challenge to recruit people.
Do the current by-laws agree with the Ministry or Committee Model? We met at Pastor Kaz’s in early
September for an informal meeting going over each article in current by-laws and assigning them to a
correct team to review/update and report changes/input back to Council. This is in order to change to
support a Ministry Model Structure if this is what we choose to accept. The tasks will require rewriting and
doing several drafts. This may include omitting and/or adding language to current bylaws on each article
piece. This will be started in the near future.
13
A big focus this year was starting up the discussion with the Congregation “Your Vision For First Church”.
In other words, think of where and what direction you think the Church is going in, looking to the future,
and what are the solutions to achieve these goals. We scheduled three sets of meetings - in October: “Pie
in the Sky” – what do you see in the next 2, 5, and 10 years for First Church and yourself and what would
you like to see added? In November: What is in our way to achieve some of these goals? Unfortunately the
turnout was not big, but again this is a “time issue” with families to attend outside a Sunday meeting. The
input that we did receive and hear was great and we did a lot of brainstorming which was positive for
Council to hear. In February: we had only one meeting after Church and we did get a bigger crowd. We
went over the data we collected and listened to Pastor Kaz give his input and then opened it up to the floor.
“How can we still function and serve Marlboro? Our big endowments we received in the past will probably
never happen again.” A big concern was the communication piece. Let’s hear the news from church
meetings and not “hearsay” from other places. Keep the congregation informed on what’s happening. We
ended the meeting by having a new group being formed to look at our next step and our options. The three
items that will be looked at and researched will be: 1) stay in current building and look at costs to
update and repair, 2) look into new building and the costs 3) explore and research programs to
possibly consolidate and combine with other Churches.
It has been a very rewarding, upbeat and productive year for Council. I would like to thank everyone on
the team for all their support and help, especially being there for me every step of the way and giving us all
the courage to start looking at our next phase of First Church. A new vision is always risky to look at but
remember that with God’s spiritual guidance we will get to the end of the road. It will be a rewarding
spiritual adventure that might mean everyone hitting a few speed bumps along the way but getting to our
final destination and ending with a fantastic joyride. Change is never easy but when one door closes a
stronger and better door opens at the end of the day, because God never shuts out anyone and gives us the
strength to endure anything.
Submitted by,
Laurel Hill, Chair
Church Council
14
15
WORSHIP MINISTRY
DIACONATE ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014
May the peace of Christ be with you and all who you love!
This last year was a year of growth, learning, new ideas, and congregational support for the deacons of
First Church.
As many in the congregation know, our mission and ministry at First Church is one that is to:
(1) support the logistical aspects of Sunday worship; (2) assist in the planning and support of baptisms;
(3) managing and scheduling for worship services all lay leaders, greeters and ushers; (4) and assisting in
the planning support - with the Pastor’s leadership - for Holy Week and Advent services. This is the core
of our responsibilities.
This last year the diaconate made continued efforts to become “more electronic” in putting on computer
those practices and procedures, often in different places and in paper based forms, the “policies and
practices” which the diaconate has performed in past years. This process will continue. For example, we
presently use Google calendar to organize our lay leaders, ushers, greeters and those deacons who are
“working a Sunday” in any given month. This allows use as a group to be more efficient and effective.
We have also supported a number of funerals, sadly, for members and friends of the Church and the larger
Marlborough community, who have passed away in the last 12 months.
On money matters, and our (deacon) budget, we continue to be very careful to watch expenditures in
consideration of our overall “budget picture” at First Church. We remain on track to stay within our
budget and not to exceed its limits. As a group, we are proud to be fiscally within our authorized limits.
I wish to thank our current diaconate team, and Gary Hollis, Co-Chair, for their energy, support, and effort
as well as their sacrifice of their time, talent and treasure for our community of faith at First Church. Well
done Deacons of First Church!
Submitted by,
Richard Rowell,
Co-chair of the Deacons
Deacons: Deb Beauregard, Bill Davis, Bev Fiske, Frank Marino, Bob Murphy
Pam Patten, Todd Beauchemin, Kim Matheson, Chip Horne, Marcia Fitzgerald, Gary Hollis
16
FLOWER TEAM ANNUAL REPORT
June 2013 to March 2014
The Flower Ministry is part of our Outreach to members and friends of First Church. The flowers at the
front of the Sanctuary on Sunday mornings are only the beginning of their mission. After the service the
flowers go to the donor and/or are taken to cheer members and friends who may be in health care
situations in or out of their homes, to celebrate happy events or to show appreciation.
New this year are stands that can each hold 6 plants in a pyramid so as to mass the colors. They were first
seen at the Christmas Cantata. We plan to add artificial seasonal arrangements to brighten the information
table in the downstairs lobby.
In addition to inviting new requests for flowers, the team contacted repeat givers, monitored compliance
with trust fund instructions left by past members or their families, made arrangements with our wonderful
florist, Awesome Blossoms, and provided Amy with the bulletin dedications. At Christmas we decorated
the Sanctuary and doors with Cliff’s help in the hanging of the greens and your donations which in 2013
included 48 poinsettias. For Palm Sunday we arranged purchase and delivery of Eco palms and some
straight palms. A few of the straight palms were saved to be burned for Ash Wednesday ashes. On Easter
the Sanctuary was decorated with your donations of lily and tulip plants. Our beautiful Christmas and
Easter plants are supplied and delivered by Farm Road Gardens. We also prepared the bulletin inserts
with your dedications on those holidays.
Team members and new flower donations are always welcome!
Submitted by,
Cindy Vail, Deb Marino, Joan Beauchemin
MUSIC MINISTRY
The music ministry of First Church continues to grow in numbers, technical skills and spiritual depth.
Working closely with Pastor Kaz, we have explored a variety of new styles of service music including
expanding our repertoire of hymns, and new liturgical sermon, prayer, and benediction responses. This
year we hosted a Hymn fest to explore the possibilities of a new hymnal which is more closely aligned to
our emerging theology.
Highlights of the year include:
• Combining the music ministries of two churches, the Contemporary Music Ensemble of the
Immaculate Conception Parish and the Chancel Choir and Orchestra of the First Church of
Marlborough (Congregational), UCC in presentations of Randy Vader, Jay Rouse and Rose
Aspinall Christmas Cantata, “Come, Messiah King.” The combined choirs and orchestra worked
under the name The Cantata Singers of Marlborough and included 30 vocalists, 9 musicians, and
two narrators. The project took three months to plan and prepare and was the largest effort
undertaken to date. The group presented the work to two retirement communities (Sisters of St.
Ann’s and New Horizons) and performed at First Church receiving resoundingly positive feedback
and many requests to repeat the work next year.
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•
Opportunities for instrumentalists and soloists including our new trumpeter, Sarah Shaw; flutists
Diane Gilchrest and Christina Rowell; jazz saxophonist, Sarah Hanahan; and French Horn player
and teacher Jennifer Bastien.
•
Continuing the tradition of offering services through the Triduum, the three days leading to Easter
(i.e. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday). Music selections during the Triduum
included selections from 2013’s Lenten Cantata “Songs of the Shadows.”
•
Replacing the Baby Grand piano with a Studio Piano. Since the Baby Grand piano in the choir loft
had problems maintaining a tuning, it was decided to retire the Baby Grand and replace it with the
Studio Piano from the floor of the sanctuary. This not only provided a more consistent sound, but,
because of its size, we were able to gain the room needed to fit our growing Chancel Choir.
•
Improving the overall audio experience during worship. Collaborating with Women’s Fellowship,
Deacons, Audio/Visual Committee, Building Committee, Trustees and covenant we have added
wireless microphones to our equipment inventory and are looking at creative and affordable ways
to improve our current sound system.
Chancel Choir
We have enjoyed another year of tremendous growth as we have welcomed several new members into the
Chancel Choir. At its fullest, we are 21 singers strong. In addition to our standard weekly service music
and anthems, we had the pleasure of working with our guest musicians, covenant and the Joyful Ringers,
combining our talent and passion to make special worship services more meaningful. We continue to
explore a wide variety of musical styles including Plainsong, Chant, Motets, Classical, Gospels,
Contemporary and Praise, and Worship music. As we stretch our musical abilities, range, and repertoire,
this year we focused on choral techniques of blend, dynamics, and interpretation.
Submitted by,
Russ Goliger,
Music Director
covenant.
As covenant wrapped up another musical season for 2013-2014, it’s a matter of supreme joy to realize
how many people have passed through and served in the group over a 10-year span. Each has left their
mark and has contributed to this community through their talent, enthusiasm, adventurous spirit, and
fondness for one another, regardless of the age gap among its members. It is with joy and much love that
we bid farewell to Kevin Ducey, our one graduating senior this year; Kevin moves onward and upward
after many years behind a guitar, a bass, or a drum set. It’s also hard to say goodbye to our seniors,
because of how close we’ve become over the years. There is a living fondness that would never have
blossomed if it weren't for this, our place of worship.
And, on a grander scale, it is possible that covenant may also be saying “farewell” at the end of this year
because of attrition; the well of young instrumentalists stepping up is drying up as it seems, and the
message may be that it’s time for a new, different type of musical adventure. If that is the case, we leave
you with our gratitude for your encouragement, support and patience over the years, and know that our
(your) youth was well served in this endeavor, as they served our Sunday worship in return.
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In the words of Psalm 33,
“Praise the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings.
Sing to him a new song, play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.”
Faithfully,
-Steve Kotsopoulos and Liz Mahoney
Children’s Choir
The Children's choir contributed one musical selection each month to the church services. Sometimes they
sang and sometimes they played the color coded handbells. In December they were part of the Christmas
Pageant put on by Janice White (see Sunday School).
Submitted by,
Jenn Bastien
Joyful Ringers
Once again this year the Joyful Ringers have been delighted to welcome new ringers to our group! After
joining with trumpeter Sarah Shaw (as well as the Chancel Choir and Jim Duncan on piano) to perform a
combined piece at the Interfaith Thanksgiving service at St Matthias, we invited her to come try out some
handbells, and she’s been with us ever since!
We are also thrilled to have Tambre Knox join us this year. Tambre used to ring bells when she was in
school, and she brings her musical expertise to the group, as well as lots of dedication and enthusiasm.
Both ringers joined us as we were honored to be asked once again to play at the annual Festival of Trees, a
holiday season community event held this year at the Royal Trade Plaza, and they managed to get some
nice publicity for us in the newspaper!
In December we also welcomed Jenn Bastien to the bass section. Jenn, also a former ringer and current
music teacher, comes with daughter Noa-lee, who is quickly becoming an accomplished musician in her
own right!
And this year when Roberta Saart and husband Jim “migrated” to Florida for the first part of the Spring
semester, our permanent sub Linda Duncan was able to fill in on a regular basis, and we couldn’t be
happier- we even inherited an extra rehearsal ringer thanks to husband Jim!
Beyond ringing each month in church, we also joyfully hosted the Shrove Tuesday pancake supper again
this year, and look forward to sponsoring the palms for the Palm Sunday service this April.
It has been a year of growth both in numbers and along the musical continuum, and we look forward to
expanding and improving even more as we move into our next year together!
Submitted by,
Diane Burke,
Director
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PARISH LIFE AND LEADERSHIP MINISTRY
WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP (56th Year)
September 2013 To June 2014
The First Church Women's Fellowship is an active group of approximately 25-30 ladies who meet
monthly from September to June of each year. The group has had some enlightening and enriching
programs this past year, including Bruce Anderson (A Minstrel Man), flower-arranging with Helen Cronis
from Awesome Blossoms, a musical therapy info-session with Cara Brindisi, biblical storytelling with
Rev. Cynthia Maybeck, calligraphy class with Diane Burke, a saxophone concert by Sarah Hanahan, a
history lesson with Gary Hylander, and other fun activities like game night and our annual banquet. In
September, January, and April we enjoyed a covered dish supper. Three major fundraisers were held this
year: the fall rummage sale (October 17-18), the Meetinghouse Fair (November 23), and the spring
rummage sale (April 10-11). The Ash Wednesday silent luncheon (March 5) was sponsored by our group
and, as always, we welcomed all those who wished to join us from First Church or the greater community.
The Women's Fellowship supports First Church in many ways. We provide kitchen and coffee hour
supplies each week. The Fellowship pays to have the parish hall floor stripped and waxed twice per year
and pays to have the kitchen and stove cleaned thoroughly each year. We routinely give scholarship aid to
church youth who wish to attend Star Island Retreat. This year we gave a large sum to the church for
microphones and an audio mixer for use in the sanctuary. When the trustees spoke of heating costs and
repairs, the Fellowship gave a large donation toward the heating system.
Women's Fellowship is very active in outreach activities to the wider community. Each month we collect
non-perishable items for our local food pantry. In December, we had a "baby shower" and collected baby
food, diapers, baby clothes, blankets, and other baby necessities for the food pantry. A cash donation was
also sent to the pantry. Cash donations were also sent to Heifer, New England Home for Little Wanderers,
Cottage Hill Academy, Church World Service, the Eagles golf tournament, and the Aplastic-Anemia and
ADS Foundation.
Our Fellowship was saddened to lose three long-term and beloved members of our group this past year:
Betty Hollis (died 8-3-13), Barbara Somerville (died 9-28-13), and Alice Olsen (died 10-3-13). We
welcome all teens and women of the church to join us at our meetings (2nd Tues of the month) and share
our joy in service to the church and community.
Submitted by Deborah Marino,
Recording Secretary
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MEN’S FELLOWSHIP
Men’s Fellowship sponsors a "Spaghetti Supper" once a month. This meal is open to members and nonmembers alike who wish to attend, and is staffed by members of Men's Fellowship and volunteers from
Women’s Fellowship.
We assist the Women’s Fellowship with setup and cleanup for rummage sales and other events sponsored
by Women’s Fellowship.
Men’s Fellowship provides financial assistance, when possible, to members of the church who are in need.
The Fellowship meets once a month to discuss upcoming church events where we may be needed.
Submitted by,
Bill Davis
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SPIRITUAL FORMATION MINISTRY
The Spiritual Formation Ministry is made up of those who are called to see to the spiritual growth of our
congregation and friends. This year Lynette Biggs has overseen the Sunday School program and Jen
Bastien has worked with the youth. Brian Hasbrouck has been working with Pastor Kaz as the leader of
the confirmation group. All three of these people have made the spiritual growth of our children and
young people a priority. Pastor Kaz continues to lead bible study to provide an opportunity for the adults
to deepen their understanding of the bible and allow their individual growth. The scholarship ministry
continues to provide for our young people, who are seeking higher education, as they approach adulthood.
Respectfully submitted by,
Susanna Buckingham
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
Sunday School Annual Report 2013-2014
Sunday School had a total of 43 children registered for the 2013-2014 school year. An average of 25
children regularly attend. About 27 adults gave their time and talent to make Sunday School a success.
The Sunday School curriculum was ordered for the fall, winter, and spring sessions. The curriculum is
consumable and changes on a three year cycle. It is also constantly updated to have current information
and details. The curriculum carries the same message that the adults are hearing upstairs. We purchased
four different age groups to make sure the message is age appropriate.
Sunday School ran throughout the year with full sessions during the months of September through March.
During March most sessions ran but one grade level had to be redistributed due to teacher shortage.
The structure of Sunday School was changed a bit this year. Teaching Sunday School was mandatory if a
parent registered their child/children. The parents were asked to teach for four consecutive weeks instead
of eight. We also combined age groups so that we had four age groups instead of five. With these
changes, we still had difficulty in the spring covering all age groups. We also had parents who did not
teach even though they had a child registered.
Extra Information:
Ashley Flannigan has continued to be reliable and punctual as our nursery teacher. We are very lucky to
have her as in our nursery.
Janice White worked many hours to make our Christmas Pageant a wonderful success. The children put
on an amazing performance that was enjoyed by all.
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Kim Matheson ran a Bible study group throughout the year, working with the third grade students. The
students worked on projects, discussed verses, read together, and reflected to earn their own bibles. The
children will be presented with their bibles in the spring.
Submitted by,
Lynette Biggs,
Superintendent
SCHOLARSHIP
First Church in Marlborough (Congregational)
Alice Blakeley Memorial Scholarship Annual Report
The following students were awarded scholarships from the Alice Blakeley Memorial Scholarship Fund in
June 2013:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Andrew Ducey
Clarence Forman
Pam Gilchrest
Kyle Gilchrest
Olivia Goliger
Madeline Hasbrouck
Andrea Hollis
Eva Kotsopoulos
Olivia Kotsopoulos
Jackson Maher
Erin Merritt
Jessica Merritt
Jason Murphy
Rachael Patten
Heather Roach
Lindsay Snow
Michael Youngstrom
Elmhurst College
Merrimack College
UMASS Lowell
UMASS Lowell
Providence College
University of Miami
Northeastern University
College of Wooster
Wellesley College
Emerson College
Endicott College
UMASS Amherst
UMASS Amherst
Elmira College
Framingham State University
Elon University
Northeastern University
These students submitted an application, which was reviewed and found to meet the criteria necessary
to receive a scholarship.
Respectfully submitted,
Susanna Buckingham
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SENIOR YOUTH GROUP
The youth group year at First Church in Marlborough began with four of the youth heading to Star Island
Summer Camp in July. This was a transformative week for the four youth as they made friends (some of
which joined us for events) and deepened bonds. They cannot wait to go back this coming summer. The
youth continue to sell fair trade items to raise money for Star Island. The Women's Fellowship has also
been wonderful in supporting them monetarily.
The youth group of 2013-2014 has been almost acting as two groups. The first is a continuation of the
Confirmation Group from last year. These four girls meet bi-monthly with Pastor Kaz Bem to work on the
Evangelical Catechism. The alternative months these same girls and the rest of the youth of First Church
attended events. Events included movie viewings and discussions, a trip in to Boston to tour churches and
attend church services, meeting at the Coffee Loft to catch-up, and attending the fairs at the church as one
group.
Submitted by,
Jenn Bastien
STEWARDSHIP ANNUAL REPORT
We’ll call this year the year of the quiet campaign.
The stewardship campaign started in October 2013 with a letter and contribution form mailed to all
members and friends of First Church in Marlborough. Our goal was a pledged amount of $185,000 so we
do not have to rely on our investment interest and principle to support the operating budget. Follow-up
reminders were sent to those who had not responded by the end of November. And follow-up phone calls
were made as needed in February.
Through the responses received from the mailings and phone calls, we have cleaned up our list of
potential pledgers. That number is now 161.
In last year’s campaign, we received 101 pledges totaling $134,228. This year we received 101 pledges
totaling $144,289. We did not meet our goal but the amount received during this last campaign goes a
long way to supporting the budget. Thank you to everyone who is able to make a financial contribution to
the operations of the church building, the staff, and the ministries operations.
As we haven’t reached our goal yet, we are hopeful that members and friends will look inside themselves
and find a reason to help make up the shortfall. You do not have to wait for the Stewardship Campaign to
make or change your pledge. It can be done at any time during the year when the Holy Spirit moves you to
do so. God loves a cheerful giver.
Thank you to everyone for your support of First Church in Marlborough.
Submitted by,
Marnie Hooker
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OUTREACH MINISTRY
ANNUAL REPORT 2013
The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of
mine, you did for me. Matthew 25:40 NIV
Members of Outreach during 2013:
Kazimierz Bem, Marcia Fitzgerald, Carol MacEwen, Peter Nott, Cheryl Eaton, Bob Knox, Gary Hollis,
Pat Kennedy, Kim Beauchemin, Susan Pellerin; Hannah Jacobs, Shirley Ney, June Venoit
Activities during 2013:
Prayer Shawls
The prayer shawl ministry is ongoing with the help of many women of our church who enjoy knitting and
crocheting. These shawls are always available to anyone who wants one or needs one. Anyone who
needs to feel comforted or loved may have one to wrap around their shoulders. Anyone who would like to
give one to a friend or loved one just needs to ask Rev. Kaz, Carol MacEwen, or one of the deacons. I
have delivered many lap robes to Marlborough Hills to give to the patients there and I have delivered
about a dozen prayer shawls to the new Cancer Center at Marlborough Hospital to be given to patients
who are having treatments there. We have taken many shawls to our church people who have been
hospitalized, confined to a nursing home, or homebound this past year. Many thanks to all of you who
have shared your love and talent by making these shawls for others. God has blessed us to be there to help
others. (Submitted by Carol MacEwen)
Easter Bunny Bags
In 2013 69 Bunny Bags were assembled and delivered to the Marlboro Food Pantry. The bags contained
candy and toys for children who might not otherwise receive anything for Easter. This program was led
again by Cheryl Eaton with assistance from Peter Nott, Andrea Merritt, Janet Yurkus and Bill
Davis
Katy Mahoney Memorial Back-to-School Backpacks
The Katy Mahoney backpack program this year was a great success. With the help from many people of
our church we filled over fifty backpacks with school supplies. They were all delivered to the
Superintendent’s office to be given to children in Marlborough who could not afford to purchase what
they needed to start school. We will forever keep Katy’s dream alive by helping children in Marlborough
start school happy. (Submitted by Carol MacEwen)
Our Father’s Table
Our Father’s Table is a meal provided to homeless people and other people in need three times a week by
one of fourteen different churches in the Marlboro/Hudson area. First Church volunteers sponsor this meal
once a month. (Submitted by Bill Davis)
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Marlborough Food Pantry
Once a week, food donated by church members is delivered to the Food Pantry. This donation averages
about 35 lbs per week. In addition, large amounts of clothing left over from rummage sales are also
donated. These donations average about 150lbs per rummage sale. (Submitted by Bill Davis)
The Fellowship Freezer has been the recipient of many donations from many sources…Men’s and
Women’s Fellowship and several congregants to name a few. The majority of the contents are used to
feed congregants in need. My wish is for it to be utilized more for those in need, even though I know that
many people are really looking for a gift card as opposed to a nice home cooked meal.
Submitted by,
Chip Horne
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STABILITY MINISTRY
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014
The Trustees met monthly for this past fiscal year, and we welcomed four new members to the group:
Jason Saart, Sue Pellerin, Cliff Fenton, and Brenda Quimby. I would like to thank the previous members
of the Trustees for all of their hard work, and especially Marian Hopkins, for her years of leadership and
guidance.
Also, I’d like to thank the entire congregation for stepping up and helping us to manage the heating
challenges and costs we’ve had over the past fiscal year. As of this writing, we’ve spent a total of $19,429
on heating oil, maintenance, and repairs. However, the congregation has lightened that burden through
special monthly collections, which has provided a total of $3,206 to date. I would like to especially thank
the Women’s Fellowship for their very sizeable donation to help offset our heating costs this year.
Lastly, a lot of work was put into this year’s proposed budget. We’ve taken a hard look at our actuals and
proposed a realistic budget, deficit budget though it may be. However, we are also keeping our eyes wide
open as we examine how long we can continue relying on our investments to fund church building
operations and maintenance. I hope you all take the time to understand our finances and the challenges we
face moving forward.
Kim Beauchemin, Co-Chair
Board of Trustees
TRUSTEES FINANCE REPORT
As always, the finances of First Church are a challenge. The Trustees have prepared a budget for the
coming year that is as realistic as possible, resulting in a deficit. A significant increase in pledging was
certainly a help.
We voted to give several of our devoted employees, who haven’t received a salary increase in several
years, a small raise to let them know we appreciate what they do for First Church.
The finance committee members, Frank Marino, Kim Beauchemin, and Sandy Stetson, have worked with
our investment advisor from Ameriprise Financial, Al Weaver, to keep the income flowing. Al has been
advising us for 20 years now and has played a significant part in keeping our accounts profitable.
A new line item to the proposed budget is for an escrow account to provide the funds necessary for when
it’s time for Pastor Kaz to take his sabbatical.
Jen Flynn, who was the Treasurer for several years, resigned as of 1 February and Jeremey Crocker has
been appointed to fill the vacancy until the Annual Meeting. He has been doing an admirable job.
Working together, and with God’s help, we’ll keep it up.
Submitted by Sandy Stetson,
Finance Committee – Board of Trustees
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TRUSTEES PERSONNEL
My role on Trustees is to serve as liaison between Trustees and the employees/paid staff of First Church.
Personnel issues such as employee concerns, employment contracts, job descriptions, wages and benefits
and performance reviews are the focus of my position. If you would like to discuss the role of our
employees and how the Church interacts with them, please feel free to contact me. On behalf of the
Trustees, we look forward to your input whether it be joys or concerns.
Our deepest thanks to all of our staff who passionately share their talents, education, skills and ministries
to enrich our church community and our spiritual journey’s. Our ‘full-time’ employees include:
Pastor Kaz Bem
Jeremey Crocker, Interim Treasurer (February 1, 2014)
Cliff Fenton, Sexton
Jennifer Flynn, Treasurer (Through January 31, 2014)
Russ Goliger, Choir Director
Amy Lapetina, Office Manager
Our ‘1099 paid staff’ includes:
Jenn Bastien, Youth Leader
Lynette Biggs, Sunday School Superintendent
Jim Duncan, Organist
Ashley Flanigan, Nursery
Brian Hasbrouck, Confirmation Leader
We are grateful to have such a wonderful group working at First Church and I would ask you all to thank
them for a job well done. We are blessed!
Submitted by,
Susan Pellerin,
Trustee
BUILDING MAINTENANCE
The forced hot water heating system leaks continue to be a problem with several new leaks appearing in
2013. This system, installed in 2005, was provided by Juniper Farms in Hudson who subcontracted most
of the installation to another company. Repairing the leaks is a time consuming project because it takes a
full day to drain the system and significant labor and material to cut out the leaking joints and re-solder
new fittings in place. Juniper Farms provided an estimate of $3585 to repair this year’s leaks and the
Trustees reached out to the owner of Juniper Farms to get an explanation of the root causes of the leaks
and questioned the workmanship of the initial installation. Juniper Farms came back and made the needed
repairs at no labor cost. The material costs are not yet known but should be minimal. Although the system
has long passed its warranty period, the Trustees feel the system installation was inferior due to inadequate
sweated joints (the melted solder joining the copper pipes and fittings) in the copper pipe system. We
contacted and met with several heating companies and plumbers in the course of seeking other estimates
and each professional contacted, stated that making the copper pipe joints in our system, on pipe that is up
to 3” in diameter, is difficult especially given the fact that the pipes in the church are very close to finished
interior walls and ceilings. The leaking joints that were cut and removed by Juniper were kept by us and
they were heated up and disassembled and it’s clear to us the joints were not well made. These are
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available for show and tell in Cliff’s work room if anyone is interested. We are exploring options on other
possible repair methods for future leaks that utilize crimped type fittings that could lower labor costs
considerably. Future leaks seem inevitable and this method of repair seems to be endorsed by some
plumbers but not others.
The Furnace was cleaned in the fall and some replacement parts were needed to stop leakage of exhaust
gases. The oil burner was replaced with a high efficiency unit that is expected to reduce oil consumption
by approximately 20% (or around 1300 gallons of oil annually). The oil use will be monitored and the
payback on the $9300 investment is expected to be only two heating seasons.
Exterior siding damaged from last winter’s wind was repaired in the spring.
The church office was painted and redecorated by the Men’s Fellowship. A new monitor was added that
displays both the front Bolton St. and the parish hall entrances so people entering can be seen by our
office manager Amy.
A new color monitor was added to the organ pit area with a small high resolution camera facing the
congregation allowing the organist to better see the sanctuary.
The main entry doors facing High Street were refinished. The refinishing materials were donated by
Monnick Supply and the labor was provided by local painter Brian Foley for a $100 donation to Aplastic
Anemia & MDS International Foundation. Women’s Fellowship provided true funds for the donation.
Snow removal continues to be provided as a church expense with plowing for services and events done
when it snows over an inch. The sidewalks and entrances are shoveled by numerous church volunteers.
The outside grounds in the spring, summer and fall are maintained by Cliff with grass cutting etc. and with
volunteers providing weeding, trimming, mulching, flower planting and raking. Boy Scout Troup 41
provided assistance with spring cleanup. Volunteers are always welcome to pitch in at any time.
The weekly trash pickup contract with Waste Management is expiring in June 2014. Beginning in June,
the trash pickup will be provided by Metrowest Rubbish Services at a much lower rate of $45 per month.
The expiring Waste Management contract had escalated allowing their cost to climb to where it is
currently at $193 per month.
BUILDING USE MINISTRY TEAM
The purpose of the Building Use Ministry Team is to work with the existing organizations that currently
utilize our facility, act as a liaison with the Trustees and the outside groups, and continue to open our
doors to the community in fellowship.
2013 was another year of continued activity and use of our church facility. Once again the following
major events occurred since last years’ report:
-
Held the Merrimack Valley Ringers concert
Held the Marlborough Home for the Holidays concert
Continued our contract with the Friday New Life group
Continued our contract with the Early Risers group
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-
Continued our contract with the Herob Presbyterian Reformed Church
Held one English Study Lesson series of classes with the Herob Presbyterian Reformed Church
Held several birthday parties and baby showers in fellowship hall
Held multiple recitals for Tambre Knox and Jenn Bastien music schools
Held two different performances Ghost Light Players (GLP)
Continued our contract with the Sweet Adeline’s singing group
Continued our contract with Lessons with Jenn music school
Added a new renter A Way of Life that meets Sunday evenings
We inaugurated the 2nd Saturday Music Series
Through all of these events the Building Use Ministry Team brought in almost $20,000 in contributions
that goes towards First Church’s annual budget. This year, at the request of the Trustees, we reviewed our
rental fee structure and for the first time in five years we have had to increase our fees to all renters. We
want to thank all of our renters, Men’s and Women’s Fellowship for their incredible co-operation and
flexibility in accommodating the varying and sometimes conflicting needs of our church facility. We
continue to use the Master Calendar (thanks to Amy for setting this up and most importantly keeping it up
to date) that has made it simpler to schedule the longer running events.
Plans for 2014 are shaping up for three more performances and a children’s theater workshop by the Ghost
Light Players Theater Group, as well as continuing the 2nd Saturday Concert Series that would introduce
some local talent as well as other musical groups to open up to our community. We have had three
concerts so far and are looking forward to increasing the number in 2014. This includes a variety of music
genres such as Blue Grass groups as well as more contemporary music. As you can see our team is always
on the lookout for different opportunities to open up our doors to the community as well as sharing in the
cost of our building.
Special thanks go out to Liz Mahoney (who will be stepping down from this ministry team in June), Jason
Saart, Cliff Fenton, Amy Lapetina, the deacons (who helped with several events), and George Pellerin for
their continued dedication to this mission.
We are always on the lookout for members to join our ministry team to help out with coordination with
our renters and the opening and closing for events. Please see Liz, George, or Jason if you are interested in
helping out.
Submitted by George Pellerin, Liz Mahoney and Jason Saart
HEATING SYSTEM THROUGH MARCH 29, 2014
Good weather is on its way at last! As we look at the 2013-2014 heating year, which is not quite over, we
are still battling some more leaks. We have had Juniper Farms at the church at least five times to make
repairs. Also, we have tried to keep the heat (most of our thermostats are programmed) at 68 degrees for
all users. When our renters and church leave for the day our thermostats revert down to 55 degrees. As of
this date we have purchased over 5600 gallons of fuel oil to attempt to make it comfortable for all. The
church would like to thank all who have made additional contributions to our heating system. If you have
any questions, please see me.
Submitted by,
Cliff Fenton, Sexton
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PASTORAL RELATIONS
Members John Merritt, Janet Yurkus, Fred Haas and Pat Kennedy met periodically throughout the year
with Pastor Kaz. During these meetings, members offered Pastor Kaz support and provided feedback from
the congregation to him. In addition, a pastoral evaluation was conducted and recommendations were
made to the Trustees.
Submitted by,
Patricia Kennedy
MULTI-MEDIA AND THE FIRST CHURCH WEBSITE
The multimedia group uses a new video camera purchased in 2013 to record the weekly Sunday services.
The services are edited to 60 minutes each week, and a DVD is delivered to Marlborough’s WMCT
television station for weekly broadcast. The services are also provided to Hudson’s public access
television station HUD-TV electronically by uploading the video file to a dropbox location for their
download. Hudson’s broadcast is significantly better than Marlborough’s due to their updated equipment.
Unfortunately, Marlborough's WMCT does not provide a very high quality broadcast due to older
equipment that isn’t going to be updated for at least the next couple years. A DVD or electronic file of
any Sunday service or part of a service can be provided on request.
The church website at www.firstchurchnet.com provides information about the church for potential
newcomers with links to social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Faithstreet. Regular updates
include information on upcoming worship services and events, weekly sermons in mp3 format, crier
publications etc. The platform was recently updated to a more secure software and is now responsive,
which means it scales to be more readable on mobile devices and cell phones.
Submitted by
Kim Beauchemin, Co-Chair
Board of Trustees
COMPUTER SYSTEMS ANNUAL REPORT
Heavy use of personal computers is made by our Pastor, Treasurer, and especially our Office Manager.
During the year no new equipment was added however our subscription to McAfee anti-virus software
was renewed (via donation). We changed internet providers to Verizon FIOS. Support included printer,
email, and minor hardware problems. Automated cloud backup was started. It is anticipated that our
Treasurer’s computer and our wireless router will be replaced in the coming year.
Submitted by,
Chip Horne
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INVESTMENT OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
The Investment Oversight Committee is a subcommittee of the Board of Trustees charged with serving as
liaison between the Trustees and our professional investment management firm, Ameriprise Financial.
Current membership includes Sandy Stetson (Assistant Treasurer and Trustee), Kim Beauchemin (Chair
of Trustees), Frank Marino (at-large member) and Mr. Al Weaver of Ameriprise. The committee meets
every 3-4 months to review the church’s investment accounts and consider any changes recommended by
our professional investment advisor, Mr. Al Weaver, who has decades of experience working with
churches and other non-profits managing their investments. Mr. Weaver and Ameriprise do not charge any
portfolio management fees for their services, and the only costs we incur are trade commissions whenever
we decide to make changes to our portfolios. We do this as infrequently as possible to minimize our cost
and maximize our return. Mr. Weaver also periodically meets with the full board of trustees to review our
investment goals and objectives. Monthly summary reports of our investment accounts are available to the
full board through our joint members.
Submitted by,
Frank Marino
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DELEGATES TO THE MASSACHUSETTS
CONFERENCE, UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
Pat Kennedy, Laurel Hill and Pastor Kaz attended Super Saturday, October 26, 2013 in Franklin,
Massachusetts. The day included a welcome breakfast, Worship, and Inspirational Words by The
Rev. James Moos, morning and afternoon forums and workshops, a marketplace which included
different information and religious articles for sale, lunch, and closing Worship.
One of the workshops attended was Whole Church Evaluations. Participants were led in a discussion
on what a church needs to do in order to be successful in the evaluation process. We learned that
there are four areas that churches should look at: 1) Assessment – have job description in place; it
should meet the vision of your Church and God. “Vision Holds The Power”. 2) Assignment – getting
the right people to do the correct job; know what the framework includes. 3) Alignment – do we
have the resources to accomplish goals; are we all traveling on the right path. 4) Adjustment –
monitors and listens to feedback by having safe conversations – tweak if needed in order to succeed
and support them when necessary. Evaluations should be reliable and have valid information in
place.
The leader also states a Pastor’s job is one of the more stressed and burned out jobs in the
marketplace now. There seems to be a huge number of clergy who leave each month from burnout.
One reason is that a Pastor has to deal with all different needs and opinions from their Congregation.
They try to stay positive and keep everyone happy which is sometimes a challenge and hard for them
to keep balanced. We learned that the roles in Worship should be: the Pastor is the prompter, the
Congregation the performer, and God is the customer and the audience. Two types that go to Church
– “feed me” (emotional and support) and “apron”- what can I do? (workers). A church should be
Prayer Centered, Servant Centered (serves God), and Vision Centered. God’s vision should align our
roles. Change is the most difficult thing to happen in a Church but it needs to be a healthy one if it is
to be successful. An open dialogue is very important. A book to help in this area is “Crucial
Conversations” by Stephen R. Covey.
Submitted by,
Laurel Hill,
Church Delegate
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MATCHMAKING (NOMINATING) REPORT
The Matchmaker Ministry has completed its mission and we have filled the open church positions for the
FY 2014-2015 slate (July 2014 – June 2015 church year). We are filled with gratitude for all of you who
feel called to support the ministries of First Church.
Faithfully Yours,
Arnold Goodrich and Susan Pellerin
Slate of Proposed Candidates for the Annual Meeting
First Church in Marlborough (Congregational)
United Church of Christ
May 2014
Officers (1 year terms)
Moderator
Clerk
Asst Clerk
Treasurer
Asst Treasurer
Collector
Asst Collector
Steve Ziegler
Deborah Marino
Janet Yurkus
Jeremey Crocker
Sandra Stetson
Susan Pellerin
Cliff Fenton
1 yr - 2015
1 yr - 2015
1 yr - 2015
1 yr - 2015
1 yr - 2015
1 yr - 2015
1 yr - 2015
Church Council At Large (3 people)
Stephanie Hasbrouck
1 yr – 2015 Chairperson (Final year)
Paul Hasbrouck
2 yrs – 2016 Vice Chairperson
Todd Beauchemin
3 yrs - 2017 Secretary
Trustees/Stability (8 people-3 year terms/Auxiliary 1 year term)
Marnie Hooker
1 yr – 2015 (Final Year)
Brenda Quimby
1 yr – 2015 (Final Year)
Kim Beauchemin
2 yrs – 2016
Susan Pellerin
2 yrs – 2016
Tammy Ducey
3 yrs – 2017
Peter Nott
3 yrs - 2017
Sandy Stetson
Auxiliary (one year term)
David Youngstrom
Auxiliary (one year term)
Janet Yurkus
Auxiliary (one year term)
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Diaconate/Worship (12 people-3 year terms)
Marcia Fitzgerald
1 yr – 2015
Robert Horne
1 yr – 2015
Bill Davis
2 yrs – 2016
Kim Matheson
2 yrs – 2016
Deb Beauregard
3 yrs – 2017
Diane Gilchrest
3 yrs – 2017
Jr. Diaconate/Worship
Hannah Cole
Emily Ducey
Gary Hollis
Todd Beauchemin
Frank Marino
Beverly Fiske
Bob Murphy
Kathy Leonard
1 yr - 2015
1 yr - 2015
Pastoral Relations for Settled Pastor (4 people)
Jim Saart
1 yr – 2015
Janet Yurkus
1 yr - 2015
Fred Haas
1 yr - 2015
Pat Kennedy
1 yr - 2015
Matchmakers (3 people)
Arnie Goodrich
Pamela Patten
Susan Pellerin
1 yr - 2015
1 yr - 2015
1 yr - 2015
Auditors (3 people)
Susan Hanahan
Joanne Kotsopoulos
Karen Sullivan
1 yr - 2015
1 yr - 2015
1 yr - 2015
MACUCC/Delegate to Central Association 2015-16
Central
Laura Lane
Final of 3 yrs – 2015
Central
Anne Tennyson
Final of 3 yrs – 2015
MACUCC
Laurel Hill
1 yr - 2015
MACUCC
Bob Knox
1 yr – 2015
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1 yr – 2015
1 yr – 2015
2 yrs – 2016
2 yrs – 2016
3 yrs – 2017
3 yrs – 2017
FINANCIAL REPORTS
COLLECTOR RECEIPTS
FISCAL YEAR JULY 2012 - JUNE 2013
Susan H. Pellerin, Collector
First Church Funds
Pledges:
Pledge Year July 12 - June 13
$ 123,177.50
Prior Year July 11 - June 12
4,897.00
Non-pledged receipts for general church funds:
Christmas Envelopes
3,825.00
Deacon’s Fund offerings
1,911.00
Easter Envelopes
1,329.00
Initial envelopes
293.00
Sunday Loose Offerings (non-pledged amounts)
Thanksgiving Envelopes
20,763.15
225.00
Special Collections sent outside the church:
Christmas Offering – UCC
469.00
Invest in the Vision - UCC
365.00
Neighbors in Need - UCC
211.00
One Great Hour of Sharing
289.00
Pastoral Excellence
317.00
TOTAL FOR FISCAL YEAR 12-13…………………… $ 158,071.65
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COLLECTOR RECEIPTS
SIX MONTHS (JULY 2013 – DECEMBER 2013)
Susan H. Pellerin, Collector
First Church Funds
Pledges:
Partial Year July 13 - December 13
$ 63,407.00
Prepaid Pledge for Fiscal 13 14
1,000.00
Non-pledged receipts for general church funds:
Building & Heating Repairs
$ 2,127.00
Christmas Envelopes
4,392.00
Deacon’s Fund offerings
575.00
Special Offerings
25.00
Sunday Loose Offerings (non-pledged amounts)
Thanksgiving Special Donations
11,411.09
195.00
Special Collections sent outside the church:
Christmas Offering – UCC
761.00
Neighbors in Need
300.00
Yale Divinity Scholarship
348.00
TOTAL FOR 6 MONTHS FISCAL YEAR 13 - 14…… $ 84,541.09
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TREASURER REPORT
For the Fiscal Year from July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013 (FY 2013)
Before discussing the results of FY 2013, it is important to note two subsequent events that occurred
during fiscal year 2014 (FY 2014) that impacted FY 2013:
-
Jennifer Flynn resigned as Treasurer effective January 31, 2014, and Jeremey Crocker was appointed
as Interim Treasurer effective February 1, 2014.
-
After the change in Treasurer, the financial records of the church underwent a major overhaul in order
to bring the records into compliance with generally accepted accounting principles and standards for
not-for-profit organizations.
The overhaul to the financial records was a necessary step that was long overdue. While the church is a
tax-exempt entity, a Federal, state or local tax authority has the right to audit the church’s financial
records, and they can go back several years (although the likelihood of an audit is extremely remote). If
the church’s financial records do not conform to the accepted standards, the church may be subject to
penalties by one or more of those authorities. Thus, as the time and the resources were now available, the
project was undertaken.
The project involved restating financial records for all fiscal years after fiscal year 1994. This required
reviewing ledger books as far back as the 1970s (and, in one case, information from the year 1666) in
order to find and present correct historical information. Rather than restate each individual year from
1994, the net effect of all the changes was brought forward to the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012. All
recorded transactions from FY 2013 and FY 2014 were then reviewed and corrected, as necessary, to
ensure compliance with the standards. The project took over 120 hours to complete.
In place of the actual vs. budget page that has accompanied this report in past years, a formal set of
financial statements have been prepared as an addendum to the annual report. These financial statements
are presented in conformity with the not-for-profit accounting standards and will look somewhat different
from what has been presented in past years. Members of the congregation will now see a more complete
picture of the financial health and well being of the church, particularly the impact of the variety of
restricted funds on the church’s books. In addition to the four statements and footnotes that are required
for presentation under not-for-profit accounting standards, a supplemental statement of actual vs. budget
operating revenue and expenses has been included, as this is useful to the members of the congregation for
making informed decisions about the financial direction of the church.
Here are some comments to take note of when reviewing the financial statements:
-
-
The Statement of Financial Position (known as a balance sheet in the for-profit world) shows that the
church has assets of over $1.26 million. Don’t be mislead though – over $417,000 of those assets are
tied up in restricted funds that can only be used for specific purposes, and over $102,000 can never be
used and must be maintained at all times.
Almost all of the assets are comprised of investments and cash and cash equivalents – 87.8% and
11.9%, respectively. Liabilities are minimal, as the church has no loans or other long-term debt.
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-
-
-
-
-
-
The Statement of Activities and Changes in Net Assets is more of a summary statement of the
revenues and expenses of the church. Revenues and expenses are broken out into their fund
classifications as required by accounting standards.
The changes in net assets for the year (i.e. profit) were $177,600 in total. However, this was due
entirely to the outstanding performance of our investments during the year, which appreciated nearly
$200,000 in value. The more important item to look at is the changes in net assets from operations,
which was a loss of $22,351, meaning that we spent that amount more than we received/earned
through pledges, offerings, fundraising, etc.
Pledges continue to be the top method of support for the church, comprising approximately 58.3% of
unrestricted and undesignated support and operating revenue.
The reclassifications section is mostly just an accounting tool to try to illustrate outgoing money from
designated and restricted funds.
The Statement of Cash Flows demonstrates how the activities of the church impact the cash needed to
keep the church running on a day-to-day basis, and is regarded by many in the business world as an
important indicator of the financial health of a business. When reviewing this, the most important
number to focus on is net cash used in operating activities, which shows a decrease in cash of $22,351.
This is not the direction we want to be headed, as it required us to liquidate $14,543 of investments to
help cover the cash shortfall.
The Statement of Functional Expenses is fairly straightforward, with expenses broken out into their
functional categories. As we move through FY 2014 and into fiscal year 2015, the goal is to expand
the education, worship and mission category into 3 or 4 separate categories for more transparency.
The Supplemental Statement of Actual vs. Budget Operating Revenue and Expenses is also fairly
straightforward. The budget for FY 2013 projected a loss from operations of $26,688, while the actual
loss was $22,351, meaning we were under budget for the year by $4,337.
The footnotes contain quite a bit of “accountant speak”, which can be confusing and could not be
avoided, but they are a very useful source for diving further into some of the numbers on the
statements and for getting better information on the financial operations of the church. Notes 3, 5 & 6
are particularly useful for understanding our investments and the nature of our restricted funds.
As a final note, an early glance at unaudited FY 2014 numbers reveals that changes in net assets from
operations from 7/1/2014 through 2/28/2014 are $5,561, and the total changes in net assets are $55,530,
which are encouraging positive signs that tighter financial management is in place and better support from
the congregation is happening. Hopefully, these will continue throughout the remainder of the fiscal year.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeremey Crocker
Interim Treasurer
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