THE HERALD
United Church of Christ Second Congregational of Westfield
There will be several weeks before an interim minister joins us. To
meet this challenge, a Worship Team has been formed to provide
meaningful, up-lifting services. Several have stepped forward to
offer to preach - a different one each Sunday and several more
have offered to help with all of the other details around the edges
of a worship service. If you would like to take part in any of these
"extras", let us know.
We are asking of something unusual from the congregation. It is
our hope that throughout these next weeks, the importance and
reality of prayer become foremost in our thinking. Not only are we
asking you to continue to lift up our church in your prayers through
this challenging transition, but we are asking for you to submit a
favorite prayer or story or poem or something you read on line or
on facebook or something clipped out and saved in your mother's
Bible or even a Salad tea bag if it speaks to you about prayer!
Make a copy of it and bring the copy to church.
WE NEED YOUR PRAYERS AND YOUR
"PRAYER STORIES, POEMS, VERSES"
It is always a challenging time when a Pastor leaves a church. Rev.
Kim has been with us for 6 years and we have been blessed in
many ways by her ministry at Second Church. She will be very
much missed and we wish her God's continued blessing as she
continues her journey of faith.
So what happens next? The deacons have already begun the
process of finding an interim minister, someone who will guide us
through the waiting period of finding a settled pastor. During this
time we will reflect on where we are as a church; how we can
better be a serving community church; what it is we are looking for
in a settled Pastor and be made more aware than ever that it is
God's hand leading us as we go.
Volume 47 • Number 1 • January 2015
We will have a container at each door for you to leave your
treasured prayer piece. Over the weeks we will use these in the
worship services in some way. You will not be asked to read your
material, but if you want to, please indicate that on the sheet you
turn in. Think about it and keep your eyes and heart open. We are
hoping to get a wonderful collection of "Thoughts on Prayer" and
can't wait to see how we share them.
Thanks for your help and especially your prayers,
Beth Baldwin
Worship Team member
BIBLE STUDY CONTINUES
Bible Study has resumed following the Christmas season. Come
join us for lunch and study. We meet Thursdays at noon and meet
until 1:30. Bring a bag lunch and enjoy the fellowship with our
group.
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AND A HAPPY
We hope you had a very Merry Christmas, and we know that you
have made the new year a bit happier, even a whole lot happier, for
a great many people. How do we know that? Look what you did in
just the past month. You have produced an endless stream of nonperishable food items for the hungry people who depend on the
Westfield Food Pantry. In fact, you did that all year long. You have
warmed the hands and heads of our Sioux Indian friends in Dupre,
South Dakota when you covered our mitten tree with 158 hats, 53
pairs of gloves and mittens, 13 scarves, and even 9 pairs of socks.
In addition, 37 more pairs of thin gloves have gone to the Salvation
Army to warm cold fingers in Westfield this winter. Hear the
Salvation Army bells ringing for three hours on a cold Saturday?
That was you gathering donations for one of the most effective
Christian organizations in the country. Certainly homeless high
school students in Westfield will know they are loved by the two
huge bins of healthy snacks and the over two hundred and fifty
dollars in gift certificates for food and shoes that you contributed to
the Kinship Fund. And then there is the "hap, hap, happiest" of all
your actions. You saved Christmas for nine abused mothers and
their collective fifteen children under the protection of the
YWCA's New Beginnings program. You shopped carefully and
filled their Christmas wish lists with eighty-one presents. As our
youth group wrapped the mothers' presents they must have learned
an important lesson in generosity and Christian love from you.
You have clearly answered the Biblical question, "Who is my
neighbor?" Finally, we know that all of these actions have helped
you to have a happy new year. What better way could there be to
end 2014 and begin 2015?
With humility and happiness,
FROM THE DESK OF DCFM.....
With all of the hustle and bustle behind us, we hope to continue
our church school attendance and participation with equal momentum.
If your children are interested in reading for church and if your
family would like to help light candles, both are a great way to stay
involved.
Please join us as the children and youth assist in leading worship
on January 25. We will be finding prayers, meaningful meditations
and verses that have moved us and will move you!!
Please see Jen, with questions
YOUTH GROUP NEWS JANUARY 2015
Youth group has had a very busy few weeks. And what a
tremendous contribution they made to the Christmas Pageant!
Also, many thanks for their usual stellar job at wrapping the New
Beginnings gifts!!!
Dates to remember...
January 4. Youth Group at church at 5:30.
January 18. Youth Group at church at 5:30.
(TIMES AND LOCATION SUBJECT TO CHANGE, as we will
probably be having a "social outing" this month!! I'll keep you posted!
Keep your eyes and ears open for an upcoming potato bake!! Many
requests and inquiries have been made for a potato bake. We will
not let you down! Stay tuned!
Your Missions Committee
Any questions, see Jen
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ANNUAL MEETING
Sunday, February 1, 2015
The Annual Meeting of UCC Second
Congregational will be held on Sunday,
February 1, 2015 after worship. Written
annual reports will be available by at least
the week before the meeting.
All members are expected to attend and
friends are welcome to attend but will not
have a vote.
See you there!
RESOLVE TO LISTEN
Christian philosopher Paul Tillich said, “The first
responsibility of love is to listen.” Yet in our fast-paced culture,
truly listening to someone has become a lost art.
The intricate Chinese written character for the verb to listen
offers wise insight about how to listen to people so they feel heard.
The symbol is actually a combination of characters for ears, eyes
and an open heart. Basically it reads, “I give you my ears, my eyes
and my undivided attention.” What a great image of being fully
engaged during the act of communication!
James 1:1-19 offers two wise resolutions for the year
ahead: Be “quick to listen” and “slow to speak” (NRSV).
Practicing the skill fo active listening is a much-needed way to
minister to other people, serving as Jesus’ “ears” in a hurting
world.
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IN THE MAIL
Thank you so very much. This will be very much
appreciated as usual. I think we are going to have another long cold
winter, and our kids are always showing up at the Y without hats
or gloves, but you know how kids are, they lose them periodically.
So it is nice to have lots on hand to make sure everyone is okay.
We have also given some out to the communities when they ask
and take care of the distribution.
We are grateful that every year you folks remember us and
share with us.
Thanks again,
Carol Mann
Executive Director
General Convention of Sioux YMCAs
Dear Friends,
Thank you so much for your annual donation of 597 lbs. of food.
Your kindness is greatly appreciated and much needed this time of
year. As you know, this time of year brings additional challenges
to the hungry of Westfield. Because of your generosity, we were
able to meet the needs of those most vulnerable to these hard
economic times.
In 2024, the Westfield Food Pantry was able to provide
over 655,500 meals for a monthly average of 1,000 people in need.
Fifty one percent of our clients are children and elderly who rely
on your continued support. With though economic times
continuing, this year is proving to be as much of a challenge as
last, and we greatly appreciate your support.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Hart, Director
Just a note to thank you for the lovely plant I received from you.
We have enjoyed it very much. We would also like to thank the
person who delivered it to us. Unfortunately we have forgotten her
name but we enjoyed visiting with her. Thanks again.
Wally & Shirley Cortis
Thank you so much for the staff appreciation gift. It’s nice to know
our work is appreciated. I’m sure I can find a good use for this gift.
I also thank everyone for their prayers and concern during my
illness this past summer.
.
Liz Caron
Thank you for your kind gift as well as support for my family
during the Christmas season. Both were very much appreciated and
it is nice to know I have so many anti-Grinch friends at church.
That warm feeling you may be having I am sure is God’s face
shining upon you! Thanks again and God Bless.
Gary (Lipp)
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7
12
16
17
19
Eleanor LaMountain
(82)
Jerry Byers
Taylor Bard
Roland Damon (85)
Beth Stadnicki
Donald Helliwell (81)
20
23
24
28
29
31
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Angela Powell
Jolie Walts
Anita Mitchell
Ashley Neveu
Pam Fiaccone
Elizabeth Dion
John Taylor
Peter & Kathy
Martin
Alysha Byers
Jackie DeCoteau
Rich & Sue Foley
Richard &
Margaret Zyra
Pam & Hank
Fiaccone
Alysha Byers
Jackie DeCoteau
Alysha Byers
Jackie DeCoteau
Alysha Byers
Jackie DeCoteau
Gravel-Blaney
family
David & Deb
Woodford
Jan. 25
Leclair/Thielen
family
Betty Sikes
Jan. 18
Santos family
Jerry & Linda Byers
Jan. 11
Bartlett family
Jan. 4
Patrick Jay
Gianna Bartlett
Lois Horak
Samantha Santos
Pam Fiaccone
Cooper Leclair
Sam Sam
Zachariah
Gravel-Blaney
Kay Life
COFFEE HOUR
NURSERY
TEACHER &
HELPER
READERS
ACOLYTES
GREETERS
DATE
SUNDAY VOLUNTEER SCHEDULE
NOT FORGOTTEN
My wife, Lesa, and I attended a pastor-appreciation event
put on by a radio station. When the worship leader asked attendees
to turn to one another and share prayer needs, my wife met a pastor
who described his church plant, which wasn’t growing. He was
discouraged and unsure what the future held.
When Lesa asked the name of the church, she smiled and
asked if it was near a campground. The pastor said yes. Lesa
responded, “Just a few weeks ago, we were camping nearby. A
friend and I walked right past your church, and God led me to be
praying for it!” In a room of more than 300 people, God put Lesa
next to this discouraged pastor so he could know that God hadn’t
forgotten him.
God is working behind the scenes in ways we may never
see. Despite life’s challenges, God is for us and not against us. We
aren’t walking this journey alone.
~Rev. Mike Paulson
THE FAITH JOURNEY
Faith is better understood as a verb than a noun, as a process than
as a possession. It is on-again-off-again rather than once-and-forall. Faith is not being sure where you’re going, but going anyway.
A journey without maps.
~Frederick Buechner
PRAY WITHOUT CEASING
The more we pray, the more we shall want to pray. The more we
pray, the more we can pray. The more we pray, the more we shall
pray. He who prays little will pray less, but he who prays much
will pray more. And he who prays more will desire to pray more
abundantly.
~C. H. Spurgeon
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The United Church of Christ
Second Congregational
P.O. Box 814
487 Western Avenue
Westfield, MA 01086
Date mailed __________
The objective of the Herald is to be
a communication and evangelism
tool for our membership, the
community, and Christ.
Church Staff & Hours:
Office Hours:
Tues. - Fri., 9:30-11:30 or by appointment
Admin. Asst.: Elisabeth (Liz) Caron: 568-7557
Tues., Wed., Thurs. & Fri., 9:00-12:00
Office Closed Monday
Director of Children and Family Ministries
Jennifer Thielen
Youth Director: Jennifer Thielen
Music Director: Karen Ducharme
Sextons: LaRee and Joe Collingwood
Church Email: [email protected]
Web Site:
www.secondchurchwestfield.org
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
WESTFIELD, MA
PERMIT 135