The Messenger
Richmond Congregational Church  November 2014
1801 - 2014
The Richmond Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, is an Open, Welcoming and Affirming Church
Sunday Worship 10:00 AM September-June, 9:00 AM July & August • Sunday School & Nursery care provided
Reflections From the Pastor
Dear Friends in Christ,
Don't forget.
Daylight Savings
time end at
2am on Sunday
November 2nd!
Church Office Hours
Regular office hours
for the Administrative
Assistant are:
•Tuesday - Thursday
from 8:30am - 3:00pm.
Please feel free to leave
a message whenever
the office is not open
and we will get back
to you as soon as
possible. We can be
reached by phone at
(802) 434-2053 or by
email: church@rccucc.
org.
Pastor Katelyn’s
October Office Hours:
•Monday: Day Off
•Tuesday:
9:00 AM-12:00 PM
Church Office
•Thursday:
3:30-5:30 PM
Church Office
Pastor Katelyn is
also available by
appointment. Please
call the church office
(802) 434-2053 or
email: katelyn@rccucc.
org to schedule a
meeting.
It’s that time of year again when the local pharmacies have banners up
advertising “Get Your Flu Shot.” Last week I got my flu shot. I try to take
such health precautions for myself as well as for the people I interact with.
The combination of the flu shot and hearing about the Ebola crisis in the
news caused me to wonder whether fear is just as contagious as the germs
that actually cause such diseases. And if this is the case, what can we do to
inoculate ourselves and build up a resistance to such fear?
As a child, my parents taught me to say “Bless You” when someone sneezes.
It has become an automatic response. But, when I take a step back and think
about it, I realize how powerful an act this actually is. Bless is a verb. It means
to sanctify, consecrate, approve, or exalt. Blessing is a way of setting things
apart as holy, as the stuff of God!
So how can a sneeze, or a sneezer, become the stuff of God? Well that’s
the point now isn’t it! Everything is the stuff of God; we just don’t always
acknowledge or treat it as such. Our Stewardship theme this year is “Blessed to
Be a Blessing.” The theme draws from Genesis 12:3b “…all peoples on earth will
be blessed through you.”
In November, we will have several opportunities to celebrate the blessings of
this faith community and engage in communal acts of blessing.
• Sunday, November 2 - All Saints Day. Bring a picture or a memento to
worship of loved ones who have died. Together we will remember these
saints who have blessed us with their presence.
• Friday, November 7 - Stained Glass Window Spaghetti Supper at the Friday
Food Affair. Supper is served from 5:00-7:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall. At
7:00 PM we will gather in the Sanctuary and help bless the refurbished
stained glass windows.
• Sunday, November 9 – Service of Installation. Join with delegates
from the Champlain Association and the Vermont Conference United
Church of Christ as we covenant together in ministry. An Ecclesiastical
Council will be held at 3:00 PM. I will present a brief talk and answer
questions from delegates of the Champlain Association. At 4:00 PM
we will gather for the Service of Installation where I will be officially
installed as the Pastor of Richmond Congregational Church. Rev.
Jared Hamilton from the United Church of Hinesburg will preach. A
reception follows the service.
• Sunday, November 16 - Stewardship Sunday. The RCC youth will lead us in
Reflections, continued on page 2
Reflections, continued from page 1
this intergenerational worship
service where we will celebrate
all of the blessings that God has
bestowed upon us. Members
and friends will present their
pledge cards of treasure, time
and talent. After worship we
will have an Ice Cream Social!
• Sunday, November 23 –
Ecumenical Thanksgiving
Service at Williston Federated
Church at 4:00 PM. Join with
Williston Federated Church,
Holy Rosary and Immaculate
Heart of Mary for this annual
Thanksgiving tradition,
complete with joint choirs!
A light soup supper served
following the service.
• Sunday, November 30 –
Caitlin Purinton, a Member
in Discernment for ministry,
will preach and lead worship.
Caitlin grew up at RCC, and it
will be wonderful to have her
return as a worship leader.
This is also the first Sunday of
Advent and we will light the
candle for peace.
Save The Date Holiday Market
Saturday December 6, 2014
Get ready for the 11th annual
Holiday Market. This year we
will use four venues; Library,
Town Center, Holy Rosary
Church and R.C.C.
All four locations will feature
local crafts and businesses with
a Shuttle bus service between
sites. There will be Santa at the
Library and Horse drawn wagon
rides as well. The Market time
this year will be from 9 am to
2 pm (an hour shorter than
usual).
Our church will host a majority
of the vendors and all the
delicious food we prepare draws
people to our beautiful church.
Once again we would love to
have our church members
participate by donating
wonderful baked goods, soups
or other food items to the
luncheon which has become a
very popular part of the market!
We will
also have a
church mouse table which you
may donated antiques, unique
items or holiday decorations for
us to sell and we will be selling
pecans as well. Please plan to
help with cooking, serving, and
selling. Sign up sheets for the
luncheon will be in the parlor in
early November.
We could always use help with
vendor table set ups on Friday
12/5 (afternoon) and clean up
after the market on 12/6. If
you can lend a hand or have
community service volunteers
looking for hours please contact
me. We look forward to another
successful event that benefits
our whole community.
Any questions or donations
please call Barb Willis @ 8998150 or e-mail at bawillisvt@
comcast.net.
Church and Williston Federated
This year's
Ecumenical
Church will all gather at Williston
Thanksgiving
Federated for this time of
Service will be worship. Rev. Katelyn will be
held on Sunday, preaching and the service will be
November 23rd at 4:00pm at
followed by a light meal of soup
the Williston Federated Church. and bread.
Clergy, singers, and members of The offering will be divided
See you in church,
Richmond's Our Lady of the Holy between the Richmond and
Katelyn
Rosary, Williston's Immaculate Williston Food Shelves. Please
This Newsletter is printed on
join us as we come together and
Heart of Mary,
30% post-consumer stock!
give thanks.
Please recycle.
Richmond Congregational
The Messenger  November 2014 - Page 2
In the coming weeks I pray that
we may be agents of blessing
within the congregation as well
as out in the community. May we
offer blessings wherever we go,
and with whomever we meet.
As we bless others, may we find
our joy increasing and our fear
diminishing. Indeed, we are
blessed to be a blessing!
Where There is a Will, there’s a Way
As members of Richmond
Congregational Church, we want
to assure that the work of the
church continues to flourish and
that we have the resources to serve
the community well. With a gift
planned in your estate, you can
leave a legacy which reflects your
values and beliefs. There are many
ways to accomplish this and here
are two of the most used options.
The most simple way to leave a
legacy is through your will. Just a
few sentences in your will or trust
are all that is needed.
It is flexible. Because you are not
actually making a gift until after
your lifetime, you can change your
mind at any time.
It is versatile. You can structure
the bequest to leave a specific item
or amount of money, make the gift
contingent on certain events, or
leave a percentage of your estate
to the Richmond Congregational
Church.
Interested in
joining Richmond
Congregational Church?
Join Us For A New Member
Fellowship Dinner
All Church Members and
Friends welcome!!!
•Sunday, November 2
5:00-7:00 PM - Call for
location
Bring a dish to share and
have a chance to fellowship
with other church members.
Another way that you can
support the mission of the RCC
is by creating a Charitable Gift
Annuity. This vehicle works well
for people who want to receive
steady payments during retirement
years. Through a simple contract,
you agree to make a donation of
cash or stocks and in return you
would receive a fixed amount each
year for the rest of your life and
there could be tax benefits as well.
Richmond Congregational works
with the Vermont Community
Foundation to administer this life
income program.
If you would like more
information about making a
planned gift to the church, feel
free to contact Pastor Katelyn
Macrae or members of the
memorial planning/endowment
committee: Connie van Eeghen,
Wright Preston, Randy Sargent,
Ed Roberts and Gina Haddock
and we will provide you with the
appropriate information.
Deadline for
December
Messenger:
SAT., NOV. 15th
Please email any
information you would
like included to the
church office: church@
rccucc.org by the 15th at
the latest.
Thank you for your help!
The Christmas
Giving Tree
The Christmas
Giving Tree is
now in it's third
year. Last year,
we delivered 38 gifts for
distribution to Richmond
Elementary School and Camels
Hump Middle School along
with another 32 gifts to
Smillie elementary school and
14 gifts to children not yet in
the school system!
We will again focus on
providing gifts to children
in families in Richmond,
Jonesville and Bolton. I am
working closely with Holy
Rosary Church to coordinate
our programs and with
the guidance councilors at
Richmond Elementary, Smillie,
and Camels Hump Middle
School. We are also looking
for a way to reach out to
families in the area whose
children are not yet in school.
Look for the Christmas Giving
Tree in the church parlor
filled with gift requests
starting late November and
watch for more details in the
December newsletter.
Questions? Contact Meredith
in the office @ 434-2053.
Please let the church office
know if someone is ill,
hospitalized or in need of a
visit. Call Meredith at 4342053 or email the church
office at [email protected].
The Messenger  November 2014 - Page 3
Annual
Round
Church
Holiday
Carol
Sing
On Sunday, December 7th the
Richmond Historical Society
will host two community
caroling sessions at the
Round Church, at 4:00 pm and
5:00 pm respectively. From
“Rudolph” and “Jingle Bells”
to beloved traditional carols,
this popular annual sing-along
is sure to inspire the whole
family.
Join your friends and
neighbors for some holiday
fun in Richmond’s historic
community meetinghouse;
but please dress warmly—the
Round Church has no heat.
This event is free and
open to the public. For
more information contact
Martha Turner at rhs@
oldroundchurch.com or 4346453.
Note: Seating at the Round
Church is now limited to 228
by order of the state fire
marshal.
Check out Rev. Katelyn's
Pastor's blog at http://
illuminatecultivate.
blogspot.com/. You can also
connect through a link on
the church website at www.
rccucc.org using the Pastor's
Blog and Sermon link!
Workshop - Sacred Conversations: Connecting Faith
and our Work in the World* Continues
Studs Terkel once wrote “Work
is a search for daily meaning as
well as daily bread.”
Join us whenever you can. The
conversations for the last
three weeks are:
For many of us that search for
meaning can be illusive in our
work. Work has more to do with
deadlines, budgets, and tasks
than meaning. But not always.
Sometimes it is a matter of
stepping back and reflecting on
what you do, why you do it, and
how you got there.
Conversation 4 10/29
What does ‘faithfulness’ look
like in my work?
Join with others from this
community for the last few
weeks of this workshop to
explore a variety of questions
around work and meaning.
We will meet in the Church
Parlor every Wednesday
through November 12th, from
12-1pm. This will be a casual
brown bag conversation, so
bring lunch if you choose.
Conversation 5 11/5
What are the challenges of my
work?
Conversation 6 11/12How
do I sustain myself in my work?
Facilitated by Doug WysockeyJohnson
*’Work’ is defined as what you
do during the week, something
that is a major focus of your
time and energy. It may be
paid or volunteer; it may be
in the home, office or some
combination of things. You may
be retired, or in the thick of it.
In other words, everybody has
some kind of work in the world.
Welcome to
Rev. Katelyn
Macrae who
officially
became a member of Richmond
Congregational Church on
Sunday, October 5th.
Peace Vigil
Please join us on Sunday,
November 9th at 3:00pm for
an Ecclesiastical Council to
be followed at 4:00pm by the
Service of Installation where Rev.
Katelyn will be officially installed
as the Pastor of Richmond
Congregational Church. Rev.
Jared Hamilton from the United
Church of Hinesburg will preach.
A reception follows the service.
It is a very informal meeting.
People bring a candle to light
and often something in the
way of readings and prayers.
If you are concerned about
the current state of the world
and would like a place to gain
some peace of mind, maybe
you would like to join us.
Join us every Thursday
evening from 5:30-6:00pm. We
have been holding a vigil for
peace on the front porch or the
front lawn of the church since
the beginning of Lent in 2005.
All are welcome!
The Messenger  November 2014 - Page 4
SUNDAY
MONDAY
3
4
10
9
16
•WORSHIP 10am
11
17
Stewardship Sunday &
Ice cream social
•6:30pm Deacons
18
12
•6:30-8:00pm
Choir Rehearsal
19
24
25
FRIDAY
6
•Soul Friends
3:30-5:30pm @
Richmond
Terrace
•Peace Vigil
5:30pm
13
•Youth Group
5:00-6:30pm
1
7
8
•Friday Food
Affair at 5 with
Stained Glass
Restoration
Celebration
following at
7:00pm
14
•Friday Food
Affair at 5
•Peace Vigil
5:30pm
20
SATURDAY
15
•Richmond
Historical
Society Meeting
2:30-9:00pm
NEWSLETTER
DEADLINE!
21
22
•Peace Vigil
5:30pm
•6:30-8:00pm
Choir Rehearsal
•AA - 7 pm
•WORSHIP 10am
•5:30pm Nominating
Committee •6:308:00pm Choir
•WSBA 6:30am
Setup 7:309:00am meeting
•12 noon - Valley
Stage set up • 4:006:00pm Concert
23
5
•Sacred
Conversations
12noon - 1:00pm
in Parlor
•7pm Trustees
THURSDAY
Sandy Chaplin 11/23
Ron Cavanaugh 11/24
Francis Churchill 11/26
Amelia Frederick 11/26
Molly Warren 11/28
Sue Carpenter 11/29
Wayne Villeneuve 11/29
Eben Gifford 11/30
•Sacred
Conversations
12noon - 1:00pm
in Parlor
•WORSHIP 10:00am Church Council to
meet following the
service •5:00-7:00pm New Member Dinner
@ Buxtons •AA - 7 pm
•WORSHIP 10:00am New Members Join
•3:00pm Ecclesiastical Council
•4:00pm - Service of
Installation for Rev.
Katelyn •7:00pm - AA
WEDNESDAY
Craig Wood 11/11
Gail Cavanaugh 11/13
Karen Richard 11/14
Margaret Buxton 11/15
Scott Brown 11/17
Ray Houston 11/17
Lucy McCoy 11/17
Jaden Elsinger 11/20
Heidi Burbo 11/1
Sophia Spence 11/2
Christian Smialek 11/3
Doug Chandler 11/7
Ellie Churchill 11/7
Shirley Flanders 11/8
JoEllen Swaine 11/8
2
TUESDAY
26
•Soul Friends
7:00-8:30pm
27
•Friday Food
Affair at 5
28
29
- Choir Sings
•12 noon - Valley
Stage set up • 4:006:00pm Concert
•Ecumenical Service
@ Williston Federated
4:00pm •AA - 7 pm
30
•WORSHIP 10:00am 1st Sunday in Advent
Pulpit Supply - Caitlin
Purinton •AA - 7 pm
•Deacons
decorating
Sanctuary
10:00am
Rev. Katelyn out
on vacation today
through Dec. 1st
•Peace Vigil
5:30pm
Please let the church office know your birthdays &
anniversaries. We'd love to add you to the calendar. Call the
church office at 434-2053 or email [email protected]!
•Friday Food
Affair at 5
Paul Giacco & Linda Kogut 11/3
The Messenger  November 2014 - Page 5
Non-Profit
U.S. Postage
PAID
Richmond, VT
Permit No. 4
1801 - 2014
Richmond
Congregational Church
United Church of Christ
P.O. Box 302
Richmond, VT 05477
802.434.2053
November 2014
We’re on the web!
Visit us at
www.rccucc.org
Address Service Requested
RCC Sunday Driver Schedule for November
Sunday
11/2
11/9
11/16
11/23
11/30
Driver
Velma Plouffe
Mary Ann Warren
Dave Thomas
Ray Houston
Ed Roberts
Comments
Communion
Choir
The next book for the RCC Book Group is "All the Light We
Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr. We will meet Wednesday
December 3rd at 7 at Gretchen Paulsen's house. New
members always welcome!
Stewardship Sunday is November 9th. Please
plan to join us for a special worship service
and dedication of our pledges for the 2015 to
be followed by an Ice Cream Social!
November Schedule for Readers, Ushers and Greeters
ReaderUshers
Greeters
November 2
Sharon Dwire
Sharon & Wendall Dwire
Wolaver/Halporn family
November 16
Isabelle Rabideau
Wayne & Michelle Villeneuve
Leta Watkins
November 9
November 23
November 30
Janice Chandler
Jon Milazzo
Connie Van Eeghen
Janice Chandler & Kathy Kort
Jon Milazzo and Denise Bouchard
Arnott family
Tess Starecheski
Connie Van Eeghen & Linda Parent Velma Plouffe