hill church news · · 2015-05-01hill church news, please email roni widmer at...
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Hill Church NewsGreenfield Hill Congregational Church, Fairfield, ConnecticutUnited Church of Christ May 2015
Contents:Minister’s Message...............2Prayer Concerns ...................2Book Chat...............................3The Gathering........................3 Did You Know? Adult Ed......4Mission Corner......................7GHCC Events.....................4-7Youth Notes...........................8
Well, the dogwoods may not have blossomed just yet, but our hilltop always looks beautiful, and enthusiasm for our 80th Annual Dogwood Festival on May 1st, 2nd, and 3rd has never been higher. This year's festival promises to be full of music, fun, wonderful activities, great food and fellowship. All is being made ready as we invite the rest of the world to celebrate spring with us and help raise funds to support charities near and
far. Thanks to all who have volunteered to help with the festival so far and if you haven't stepped up yet, please join us -- we can't do it without you. Don’t forget to check out the
BEAUTIFUL print we are selling at the Dogwood Festival by Fairfield’s own Karl Soderlund. Turn to page 3 for a picture of the print and all the details! Let's make this the best Dogwood
Festival yet!
Our 80th Annual Dogwood Festival is Here!
May 10th at the 10:30 service On the second Sunday in May, the members of our Confirmation Class will be confirmed! Forty-one young people will make their public commitment to the faith of Jesus Christ, and join our church as full members. We thank all the adults in this church who have served as Mentors to these great kids this year, sharing with them in their Confirmation classes and leading them with love. Because there are so many kids, we do also want to alert you that the 10:30 service (and our church!) will be quite full that day! Our 9:00 service will be a 'normal' service of worship, with the Chancel Choir.
Contacting GHCCOffice Telephone: 203-259-5596Roni Widmer, ext. 1107Office Email: [email protected]
Staff Contacts:David Rowe: home office: 203-259-1790email: [email protected] Ward: office: 203-259-5596, ext. 1210email: [email protected] Carothers:office: 203-259-5596, ext. 1206email: [email protected] Rippey: Nursery School office: 203-259-7597email: [email protected]
To submit articles, photos or information for the Hill Church News, please email Roni Widmer at
Page 2
We grieve with the family of Linda Jones, whose life will be remembered at a memorial service on May 16.
Welcome to the world! Sara and Craig Hoefer welcomed baby Ella on April 4 ... Allyson and Marc Power welcomed little Emma on April 2!
Minister’s Message:
Confirming On May 10, 41 slightly-nervous young people will stand up in front of their church and make some pretty impressive promises. Our Confirmation Class will be making their public proclamation of faith before you -- and choosing to become members of the church of Jesus Christ. And then they will be confirmed into full membership of Greenfield Hill Church -- and Christ’s church everywhere.So, what are these promises they're making? Before our young people are confirmed, they must answer 'yes' to five questions. At our final Confirmation class, we spent a long time examining the questions, and making sure that each child was ready to say yes. Here are some of the questions we talked about together: Do you profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? ... Will you resist the powers of evil? ... Will you witness to the work and word of Jesus Christ, all the time, as you are able? Our Yale intern, Jamilah, led the kids in discussing what the evils are of our world today, and what it means to stand against them (poverty, injustice, bullying and "being mean", as one child said). And together they shared ideas about how we 'witness' to Christ by telling the story of Love not just in what we say, but in what we do. The truth is, what the kids will say 'Yes!' to on May 10 is what we're asked, each day, to affirm: our willingness to be Christ's hands and heart, our stand against injustice and wrong, our commitment to the way of Love. As our newest members confidently make their statement of faith on May 10, what a perfect time for all of us to reflect on our faith, and to 're-confirm' our own commitment to the faith that led us to this place.
In Christ’s peace, Alida
Page 3
From the author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, And the Mountains Echoed is a novel of how we love, how we take care of one another, and how the choices we make resonate through generations. In this tale revolving around not just parents and children but
brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers , Khaled Hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor, and sacrifice for one another. Join us in conversation, Sunday June 7th at 7:00 p.m.!
book chat, Bible study, and MORE ...
Bible Study atThe Gathering...Join us for a casual
gathering talking about the world’s most famous book.
It’s always great conversation, with great people. Come as often as you want, we’d love
to see you! Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. and 7:30 pm at the Church House Library (corner of
Old Academy and Bronson).
Check out our awesome WEBSITE!! ... go to www.greenfieldhillchurch.com
Book Chat:
‘And the Mountains Echoed’ by Khaled
Hosseinion June 7th at7:00 pm in the
Parlor
80th Dogwood Festival Commemorative ArtFairfield’s own premier artist, Karl Soderlund, has produced this beautiful original
painting of Greenfield Hill Congregational Church with the dogwoods.
Karl is offering special limited edition framed prints at the fair market value of $399 and is generously donating half of this purchase price to the Dogwood Festival to go to charity.
So you can buy a beautiful, limited edition, professionally framed print and support those in need with this unique fund raising offer.
for sale in front of the church, at blossom café & greenfieldhillchurch.com
Missed Sunday service and want to hear a sermon?... go to www.greenfieldhillchurch.comPage 4
From our Adult Education Board: The Theology of Martin Luther King, Jr. written by Mike Moore
In this year when the 50th anniversary of the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama is recognized and celebrated it seems appropriate to consider the theology of an important leader of that event, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Reverend King was born into a family of religious leaders but as a young person was not enchanted by the world it presented to him. His journey through education opened doors of possibility to him which in my opinion track well the evolution of a modern Christian. Born into a Baptist family he moved away from a more fundamentalist view of faith towards what are labeled a liberal Christianity and even a neo-orthodox view. As he did, his interest and enthusiasm for the Christian faith grew to the point that he embraced a seminary education and then pursued a doctorate in systematic theology. His was a studied and even scholarly faith. But what is meant by liberal theology, neo-orthodoxy and systematic theology? Google can provide paths to understanding these terms, but it is sufficient to state that Dr. King embraced what is called the Social Gospel. A leading proponent of the Social Gospel, Walter Rauschenbusch, states "that the individualistic gospel has made sinfulness of the individual clear, but it has not shed light on institutionalized sinfulness". Thus targets of the social gospel are the ills of society to which the liberal Christian is called to address. The marchers on the famous bridge in Selma were actively living their faith in courageously demonstrating for social change.
Dr. King's writings explore the non-violence of Mahatma Gandhi, the civil disobedience of Henry David Thoreau, resolution of conflicting forces from the philosophy of Friedrich Hegel and many more important worldly thinkers. On-line you can learn more at The Martin Luther King, Jr Center for Social Change (www.thekingcenter.org).
An additional reference is The Theology of Martin Luther King, Jr. for Armchair Theologians which can be found in our Church House Library.
Summer Worship Helpers Sought! -- One of the best traditions in our church, our lay-led services
take place each summer Sunday at 8:15 a.m. on the Church House lawn. These services
are a chance for individuals or families in the church to have fun sharing their faith and their
thoughts in worship. In the past, we’ve had services on the themes of “Friendship”, "What
Church means to me”, “Forgiveness” and many others. We are looking for people to help lead
these summer services! The pastors are very happy to sit with you and help plan, so you are absolutely not on your own. A
great way to get closer to God and your faith, a great project for a family to do together! Please be in touch with Deacon Anne Orvis at
[email protected] to express your interest!
A woman’s ring was found in the grass on the
church grounds... it looks like it may have been there a while, but also looks like it may be important to someone. Please call the church house if you are the owner! 203-259-5596
!
Page 5Holy Website Batman! www.greenfieldhillchurch.com
A note to our GHCC Fellowship Committee for their sponsored Night of Yoga
and Wellness written by a participant.... “Please pass onto the Board my thanks for a very special informative evening as well as my appreciation for the fabulous resource that you have helped to build for our community. I’m awed by all the wellness programs that are offered and the level of support for those going through traumatic times. To have in one spot the medical, emotional, nutritional and physical supports to help others is such a luxury.
I think that all of us who came, benefited enormously from the smaller and longer sessions. In particular I really enjoyed the acupuncturist since I’ve never had a treatment and always been curious about it. My knee does feel better today after a morning of walking all over NYC. A couple of years ago I had heard the yoga instructor tell her story of her transformation- so powerful and personal. One that can inspire us all.
See you at the Dogwood Festival!”
Cindi Bigelow is looking for bike riders to join her CT Challenge Bike Team! She’d like to get 20 riders this year! Just click
here www.bike.ctchallenge.org, then click on Teams, then “Bethie’s Buddies”. They would love to have you
join them!
A REQUEST FROM SUSAN HOOD... As the Mission Board's liason to the Mercy
Learning Center, I am requesting assistance for one of our projects. There is a great for many house hould items for
the enrolled families. Can you spare some laundry detergents, shampoos,
toothbrushes and toothpastes? A bin will be placed in the main foyer near the
Church office, and one in the narthex of the church beginning May 10th. Any
questions, please email [email protected]. Many Thanks!
Page 6 Donʼt miss out! Everyoneʼs checking out www.greenfieldhillchurch.com
The Chancel Choir is looking for new members! If you love to sing please consider joining our group. We practice on Thursday evenings in the church parlor from 7:30-9pm.
We sing during 10:30am Sunday services, special events, and holiday services. You do not need to attend every practice or event~just join us when you can! If you would like more information please contact Sandra Murphy, our Choir Director, at [email protected] or call Linda Wenger, Choir Chairperson, at 203-292-7447
Plans are underway for this year’s progressive dinner which was re-
scheduled from January to Saturday, May 30th (this is NOT Memorial Day
week-end). For those of you may be unfamiliar with this event, here is the way it works: Everyone gathers together for
the appetizer course, at which time they will receive their name tags and itinerary for the evening. Following the appetizer
course, everyone departs for various locations where they enjoy dinner in
smaller groups – usually 8-10. Following, dinner, everyone meets back together
for dessert. Everyone contributes by either providing food and/or hosting one of the dinners. This event has become a very popular GHCC tradition, enjoyed by
both folks who are new to GHCC and those who have been with us for many years. If you would like to join in the fun
(and we promise you that it will be lots of FUN), we do ask that you sign up NO
LATER THAN SUNDAY, May 24th . (Please note, that even if you were planning to host or had signed up for the January
event which was canceled because of the snow, YOU WILL NEED TO SIGN UP AGAIN!) We are still looking for host
homes for small groups of 8-10 for dinner as well as for larger groups for our
appetizer or dessert courses. If you would like to sign up for the event and/or volunteer to host, or just have a question,
please contact Marcia Carothers [email protected] or
Francine Jacques [email protected] or the
church office at 203-259-5596, [email protected] .
Wanted: Adults to accompany our teens on the Appalachia trip!
If you've heard the stories of a wonderful week of mission and fellowship ... seen the pictures of homes repaired... listened to our youth speak with heartfelt feeling about the importance of
ASP ... or if you're simply hearing God's call to do something more ... then join us this summer, June 27th -- July 4th, as we head to West Virginia and
Tennessee for a week of home repair ministry through the Appalachia Service Project. Alida is in need of 10 more adult leaders to join the 60+ already in place, shepherding 160+ great teens
on their trip. Adult leaders on this trip are people who have
compassion for those in need, are ready to open their hearts to an experience of service, and who enjoy teens! Your presence will be a
gift to us -- and to so many. Please contact Alida to learn more!
“Roll up your sleeves, pick up a
hammer, and change your life.”
!
Page 7Check out some familiar faces on our “Meet our Members Page”... www.greenfieldhillchurch.com
A college classmate of mine, Dr. Paul Rudenberg, works as a vet in Haiti, where local farmers and animal lovers bring their weak or malnourished sheep and goats, cattle with various wounds and skin problems and dogs and cats with parasites. Paul is a compassionate caregiver and so often finds as many human “cases presenting” as animal ones. He refers these cases to the people clinic located 200 yards from his clinic, often covering the cost of the care himself. Paul wrote that through the visits he receives from the people he serves, he gets a clearer idea of what life is like for some of the economically and physically poorest members of the Haitian community. Paul is a religious man, and takes very seriously God’s instruction to “do justice”, which he believes begins with seeking solidarity with those who are destitute, outcast or in need of healing. Working amongst the poorest of the poor, Paul senses that there is a deeper way of living in this world, which is known only to those who have the experience of overwhelming need, illness or loss and which involves living in hope that is beyond all hope and of trusting deeply and persistently, despite the surrounding reality. I feel blessed to be a member of the Mission Board and to work prayerfully to allocate the moneys contributed by GHCC pledging members and from the Dogwood Festival, to agencies who minister to those whom my friend Paul describes. GHCC’s commitment to Mission brings both hope to those in need as well as hope for us all to envision a changed world, in Paul’s words, “a realm of God that is already bursting into our midst”. In Hope and in God’s Peace,Vickie Frankenburg
mission corner...
Deacons’Corner... by Cindy FicaloraIf a few short months, my husband and I will be empty nesters. It is a milestone that you sometimes hope would arrive a little faster during the challenging days of adolescence. But as it gets closer, you wish time would slow down to a crawl.
Our job as parents is to give our children roots and wings--to raise them in a way that they feel they have a strong sense of self and of belonging and at the same time instilling in them, through unconditional love, trust, and respect, the confidence to truly spread their wings and fly.
But of course as parents, we worry. My mother once told me that the worry starts once your children are born and it continues on through the rest of their lives. She was right, but you hope the love, faith, wisdom, and values you pour into your children over their lifetime will guide them as they embark on their own life journey.
In addition to parental roots and wings, it is the faithful foundation that children develop in the Greenfield Hill Congregational Church that lessens the worry. Each Sunday school class, youth group, church service, and community event prepares our children to continue to grow in their spiritual life as they go on to become independent in the world.
Congratulations to the GHCC high school seniors and their families! As they head to college this fall, here is a little prayer that I found for each of us parents to say as we send the students on their way:
Prayer for a College StudentHeavenly father, please be with these studentsas they go where they do not know,As they seek to grow in knowledge, we ask that they grow in faith,As they start to conquer the world, we hope they conquer their fearsAs they strive to find their place, we pray that they find You,Please go where we cannot, protect when we cannot,give strength that we cannot, and bring them safely home. Amen.
Join us on Saturday, May
30th for a casual, fun Mom and Me
get together. Come enjoy some fellowship and play time together on the Church
Playground (if it’s rainy we’ll meet in the Crib Room). All are welcome! Contact
Marcia Carothers with questions at [email protected]
YPF (Young Pilgrim Fellowship)
for 4th and 5th graders.
Our May Meeting is on Sunday, May 17,
2 to 3:30 at the Barn!
Youth schedules and more information can be found at www.greenfieldhillchurch.com
SPF (9th through 12th grades).
Every Thursday from 6 to 7:30 in the barn!
May 7: Senior night! Two of our SPF seniors
lead discussion!
May 21: College night - we welcome back SPF
alums!
Page 8
JPF (Junior Pilgrim
Fellowship) for 6th and 7th graders, 5 to 6:30 in the Barn
No meetings on May 3 or 10 ... see
ya again on May 17!
Our Vacation Bible School Program will be held this summer from
August 17-21, 2015. Registration is underway now and forms are
available online via the website OR in the church house. We are already
over half way filled so if you are interested in registering, don’t delay! Questions? Please contact
Marcia Carothers [email protected]
Youth Groups get silly!! Can YOU roll
an oreo from your forehead to your
mouth, without using your hands??
GHCC
YOUTH NOTES
contact Rev. Alida Ward for info
& to get on mailing lists!
Our own Bob King will be running in the “500 For the Fallen” relay (that spans 500 miles from Concord, MA to Washington, DC) in support of the Children of the Fallen Patriots Foundation which funds education expenses for the children of Service Members that have died while in the line of duty. He was a Platoon Leader in Operation Iraqi Freedom. During his tour, his
company lost three soldiers; Staff Sergeant Joseph Camara was one of those soldiers. He was killed by an IED on Main Supply Route Tampa on September 1st 2003. He left behind a loving wife and three young children. When he thinks about his time in Iraq he frequently thinks about the soldiers we lost as well as Joe Camara's family and how they are doing. Then he thinks about the other service members who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan that left behind children. Please consider making a small donation ($5, $10, $20 or any other amount) to not only help Joe's children but also the thousands of other children who have lost a parent in service to their country. If you would like to make a donation please click here to visit my fundraising page. Thank you in advance!
Ha!y Dogwood Festival!
And Ha!y Mo#er’s
Day for all y% Mo#er’s
%t #ere!!