Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Volume 11 Issue 7
EPISTLE AUGUST 23, 2007
What’s
September 9th
Coming
Up Welcome Back
Sunday Service And Family Picnic
in Come get reacquainted with old friends and meet some
new ones at the Welcome Back Sunday worship service
and family picnic to be held at Fellows Road Park at 11
Adult a.m. on Sept. 9. (You get to sleep late on this Sunday!)
Bring a dish to pass and your own place settings.
Hamburgers, hot dogs and drinks will be provided. There
will be games and activities for the young and young-at-
Education? heart!
Next year, we plan to go to Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio on July 6 – 12. If your 6th-12th grader would like
These classes will be held during Christian Education
time following the worship service. Classes take place in
the Snow Room.
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November 4: All Saints Sunday **Dinner & Babysitting will be provided!**
“Connections”
Youth Invited
November 11
“Easter in November?” to Help
November 18: Annual With Community Dinner
Heritage/Thanksgiving Service Youth in grades 6th-12th grade are invited to
help serve at the community dinner held at our
November 25: Christ the King Sunday church on Sun., Sept. 30. This is a great chance
“A Strange Throne for a King” to help those who can use our support..
Sign up to help in Fellowship Hall.
Pastoral Perspective
Do you have questions about God and the This July we spent a week in a cottage on Mt.
Christian faith? Desert Island in Maine. We have done this four
or five times and have always enjoyed the
Could you use a refresher course on the experience. There is a nice view of the ocean,
fundamentals of Christianity? no television, a nice deck and plenty of
opportunity to just be.
We drove up from Rhode Island and
Come to encountered torrential rains. Things eventually
cleared out and Monday and Tuesday were
beautiful. We drove to the top of Cadillac Mt.
Bible Boot Camp! and could see forever.
On Wednesday the rain and the fog settled in
WHEN: Mondays, Sept. 10, 17, 24 & Oct. 1 and didn’t leave until Saturday. We left on
TIME: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Sunday on another beautiful day. Oh, well, that
WHERE: Snow Room is what happens in Maine.
If you ventured out on the foggy days you
Bible Boot Camp is a 4-week class that will couldn’t see much; not the ocean, not the
give you a good overview on the basics of the mountains. Of course the ocean and the
Christian faith. Topics will include: Where did mountains were still there. When the sun came
the Bible come from? What makes it central to out again, there they were in all their majestic
the Christian faith? How do I use it? What do beauty.
Christians believe about God, Jesus and the
Holy Spirit? What is the history of the Christian I got to thinking about this in regard to the
church, our denomination, and of the First church. A lot of times we don’t see the church.
Congregational United Church of Christ? There Oh, I don’t mean we literally don’t see it. We
will be lots of opportunity for Q&A and frank don’t see it in the sense that we don’t pay much
discussion. Bring a friend! All are welcome. attention to it. Life goes on its way and we are
busy with this and that. It’s like it’s lost in the
SIGN UP FOR THIS CLASS IN FELLOWSHIP HALL fog. But it is still there.
OR BY CALLING THE CHURCH OFFICE (223-0224).
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Through all the changes and challenges the
church is there, seeking to tell the old, old story
of Jesus and his love. Sometimes we notice it
and sometimes we take it for granted, like
Cadillac Mt in the fog.
Like Cadillac Mt. the church is solidly rooted
and it offers a breathtaking view; a view of
God’s love in Christ for the whole world. As
you jot down things on your to do list for the
fall and fill in the blanks on your calendar,
remember that the Church, the Body of Christ is
there for you. And if you are a part of the
community of faith,THE you need to be there for
UNITED it.
CHURCH OF CHRIST AT 50
Come
On Juneand
25,see whatrepresentatives
1957, is happening this fall.Congregational Christian Churches and the Evangelical and
of the
Reformed Church shook hands in Cleveland Ohio and the United Church of Christ was born. During the
past fifty years a lot of water has gone over the dam and much ink has been spilled trying to understand
just what this “heady and exasperating” mix is all about. Over the past few years actions by the General
Synod have caused some consternation.
Of course headlines are made by sensational stories and in one sense the story of the United Church of
Christ is a sensational one, but not necessarily in the way we may think. As we celebrate the fiftieth
anniversary of the denomination of which First Church has been a part for around 45 years, we go back
and see what it was that brought us together in the first place and who were the people and what were the
issues fifty years ago that made us who and what we are today.
We will take this look in a series of three sermons and two adult education classes. On September 16 the
sermon will be: The UCC at 50: Past. On September 23, The UCC at 50: Present and on September
30, The UCC at 50: Future.
Two adult education classes on September 16 and 23 will allow us to look at things in more depth and
have time for conversation.
Whether you know a lot about the United Church of Christ, or little; whether or not you approve of this
or that resolution or not, come and continue the conversation.
For the past number of years a small group has gathered on the first Wednesday of the month at 7:00 AM
to celebrate Communion. Now we are going to offer this opportunity to the wider community on a
weekly basis at a more convenient time.
Beginning on September 12 Holy Communion will be celebrated each Wednesday at Noon in the
sanctuary. This brief service, perhaps 20 minutes, will give an opportunity to be nourished spiritually in
the middle of the week. We hope that you will make time in your schedule to come to this quiet service
and be nurtured in your faith.
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SUNDAY EVENING SERVICE OF PRAYER AND MEDITATION
Over the past few years a number of folks have commented how much they appreciated the “Taize”
Dear Church Friends:
Preschoolers and Elementary Students To Start With A Close Look At the Bible
Our new church school year kicks off on September 16 following the worship service and coffee time.
Preschoolers and children in the rotation program (K-5th grade) will start the year learning about the
Bible. Through movies, art, storytelling and drama, the children will learn why this book is central to the
Christian faith, and begin to familiarize themselves with its contents. They will learn where it came from
and who wrote it. They will also learn how its writers were inspired by God.
Rehearsals will be held on Sundays in the late afternoon or early evening in Fellowship Hall and
the Sanctuary at Church. Rehearsals will generally start at 4pm and will run until 5:00 or 5:30pm.
A first meeting will be on Sunday, September 16 at 4pm and will last 45-60 minutes.
Our regular weekly rehearsals will begin on Sunday, October 7.
Practice at Home
Also, each cast member will be given a rehearsal CD of the songs in the musical. The children need to
practice the songs at home to be prepared for the next rehearsal.
Parental Involvement
Parental involvement is also needed for the behind the scenes work (costumes, sound system, sets,
props, makeup, lighting) to make this musical a success! An interest sheet will be handed out for
parents.
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Signing Up
If you are interested in participating, please fill out the interest form and return it to the box in
REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS:
Martha Bowman, St. John’s Home
Name:___________________________________
JYF & SYF:
CONGRATULATIONS
September 16
TO THE NEWLYWEDS! Mark Your Calendars For Our
Debbie Philpott and Ronald Maslyn
Youth Family Retreat!
were united in marriage at First Church
Youth in grades 6th – 12th and their families
on August 16, 2007. Rev. Cedarleaf
(including all siblings) are invited to attend this
officiated.
fun-filled, half-day retreat on Sunday, Sept. 16
after church. We’ll meet at the Creative
Themes Day Camp at noon for lunch (provided)
and will spend the afternoon tackling a low
ropes course, playing team-building games, and
enjoying each other’s company. The cost
(which includes lunch) is only $10 for youth (6th
Andrea DiGiambattista and David
grade and older) and adults and $8 for kids in 5th
Cedarleaf were married at our church
grade and below. We’ll wrap up by 5 p.m. The
on August 18, 2007. The newlyweds
Creative Themes Day Camp is located at
will reside at: 7 Seaport Dr., Apt 330,
Quincy, MA 02171.
325 Eaglehead Rd. in East Rochester.
One of the main things we hope to accomplish this year is that of information sharing. We have
had lots of good feedback about the need for folks in general to get a better appreciation of
what Stewardship is all about. We are talking everything from the “what” and “why”
(Time/Talent/Treasure – I know you have all heard this, its not JUST about the $$$!) - to the
mechanics of “how” the process works here at First Church (nuts and bolts) - to the reporting of
progress and where/who benefits…. Our campaign is about and for us here at First Church
AND, since we are Christians, obligates us to also outreach to our community and beyond.
We will put together a great Adult Education class that we will offer at TWO different times
(so that you can be sure to catch one of them!). One on Sunday after worship on September
30th in the Snow Room; and one on Wednesday night October 10th at 7:00pm in the Snow
Room. We are pretty simple people so we’ll keep the Title simple “Stewardship of
Time/Talent/Treasure”. It is largely based on some materials of the Living Faith Series (Thanks
to Kelly Weidman – and by the way, the kids have a nice tie in around these classes for Youth
Education as well). I think you will find it enlightening so I hope you are curious enough to
attend.
You will see some posters and information once the actual giving/pledge campaign itself is
underway in mid-October (and if you lose your pledge card, we’ll have a stack prominently
available of course ).
Tidbit: Did you know that 90-95% of our budget is covered by the financial portion (pledges)
of our annual campaign? (Some folks internally/externally think that endowment funds cover a
large portion of our budget when in fact ours does not apply even to a small fraction of our
budget).
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What You Really, REALLY Want, will be offering an
experiential workshop, "If I Had But One Year to
Live," on Saturday, Sept. 22, 1:00-3:30 PM, at
Henrietta United Church of Christ, 1400 Lehigh Dear Food Shelf Supporters,
Station Rd.
Many thanks for your continued support of the “Food Shelf”. It
Through experiential exercises and group
discussion, participants will explore what gives their The past year has been very eventful for the “Food Shelf” and, t
life its deepest meaning, will gain insight into able to purchase our food sorting and storage site from the villag
internal barriers that interfere with their highest help those in need. This year overdue repairs and modifications
goals, and acquire a powerful tool for resolving more functional. At this point most of the interior work has been
problems that sap their life energy. There is no on “Make a Difference Day”. Plans for the exterior have been p
admission fee. A $20 donation is suggested, which appearance, and have been approved by the village. We are cur
will benefit the Southwest Habitat for Humanity and funding support from the village. We hope to have the who
Project and other projects. Register by Sept. 17 by
We continue to provide food for about 25,000 meals a year to lo
calling 334-0030 or emailing henucc@juno.com
assistance, a level that fluctuates widely month to month, but se
with your name and phone number.
costs, car repairs, or unemployment are common factors in peop
80’s food for more than 300,000 meals has been distributed. Fro
you for caring and sharing.
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For more information or to schedule a visit to Our goal is to make your visits to St. John's safe and
Day Break, call Lynn Pierce at 760-1436. convenient. If you have questions about the work of
our Protective Services team, feel free to stop by the
Protective Service desk at the South Building
entrance.
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International Day of Peace. Gather at the attending the course, prospective volunteers
Fairport gazebo where candles will be lit and must submit a completed application packet and
prayers for peace from many faiths will be be interviewed. To learn more about CASA,
shared. We hope that for the night the please call (585) 428-5297 or visit our website
Fairport Bridge will be declared a "Peace at www.casarochester.org.
Bridge"! All assembled will walk across the
bridge in community. The experience will
close with a Peace Day proclamation. Please
save the date, and join us.
ARE YOU MISSIN
May mercy, grace and peace be yours in
There are several cake pans, bowls, etc that have be
abundance,
of them is yours please pick it up and take it home.
Margaret A. Scott Also there are three coats that were left in the coat
margaret@fairportumc.org
mspastor@frontiernet.net
CAN YOU VOLUNTEER?
On Sunday September 16, 2007 at 2:00pm the
Genesee Valley Association of the United Church
Of Christ, will celebrate the Ordination/ Installation ofPlease
Emily check thoseasout
S. Castner to see if one belongs to you.
Protestant
Chaplain of Monroe Community Hospital.
Your assistance will be greatly appreciated in transporting (as many as 50) residents
from their rooms to the auditorium. Those who are able to are asked to arrive promptly
by 1:15pm and report to the Brass Chandelier Room to receive instructions and be
assigned residents so that they may be included as honored participants in the service.
Following the service those same residents will be transported back to their rooms.
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also be offered the option for a massage.
Donation $45, massage is a separate fee.
Income 16,330.82 (2,641.18) 179,571.31 38,876.31 3. Participation in choir creates fellowship and
camaraderie.
Expenses 17,041.85 865.15 152,623.79 6,509.21
4. Frequent participation in church services gives
Net Income (711.03) (1,776.03) 26,947.52 45,385.52 you a sense of belonging.
5. Choir practice gives you regular vocal practice;
your musicianship grows.
Income in July was worse than budget by $2,641.
6. Singing produces natural endorphins and
Lower giving was the primary reason for the
requires you to breathe deeply, thereby making
shortfall. you feel better.
7. Going to choir practice lifts and deepens your
For the year to date, Giving is better than budget by spirit in so many ways!
$27,515, primarily due to prepaid full year pledges.
From: Eccho, Newsletter of the Evangelical
Congregational Church, Grafton, MA
Expenses are better than budget for both the month
of July and the year to date. Gas for the church is
better than the year to date budget by $2,286.
NEXT EPISTLE DEADLINE 3 PM
SEPTEMBER 20, 2006.
September 9, 2007
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Welcome Back
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