Hope United Church of Christ

September Newsletter 2555 Fiske Blvd., Rockledge, FL 32955

321-636-0250

www.hopeucc.com

Email: hopeuccfl@att.net

September 2017

Sundays at Hope 8:45am

Youth Group

9:00 am

All Sunday School

10:00 am

Worship Service

Church Staff

Pastor

Rev. Celestine Slater-

Brooks

Organist

Susan Santi

Office Administrator

Katie Guilford

Treasurers

Doug Sphar

Mary Sphar

Hope Grows!

"What then is Apollos? What is

Paul? Servants through whom

you came to believe, as the Lord

assigned to each. I planted,

Apollos watered, but God gave

the growth. So neither the one

who plants nor the one who

waters is anything, but only God

who gives the growth. The one

who plants and the one who

waters have a common

purpose...For we are God’s

servants, working together; you

are God’s field, God’s building." -

- 1 Corinthians 3:5-9

September 13th will be the six-month anniversary of my serving as

pastor at Hope UCC. We have had a great start together, as we see

tangible growth in so many areas.

Youth Group

Of Hope's 17 children and youth, eight(8) belong to Hope's Youth

lead by LD Wagner and Michele Becerra-Williams. This summer,

working together with the other youth volunteers, and Christian Edu-

cation, Hope was able to start up programming without much notice.

The car wash and family fun day provided opportunities for the chil-

dren and the youth to gather and become a community. LD, Michele

and the rest of the team continue to plan monthly activities and ser-

vice opportunities for Hope’s youth.

Sept. Sundays

Intinction Communion

9/3, 10:00 am

Neighbors in Need

9/10, 10:00 am

Stewardship Meeting

9/3, 11:30 am

Youth Sunday

Rehearsal

9/10, 8:00 am

Youth Sunday

9/17 10:00 am

New Members’ Class

9/17 11:30 am

Christian Ed

9/17 11:30 am

Confirmation Info

Session 1

9/24 11:30 am

Care Team

9/24 11:30 am

We will be receiving

our new members on

October 1st.

Registration for the

2017 Annual Gathering

of the Florida Confer-

ence is now open! The

Conference will take

place on October 12-14.

We’d like to have a

good number of Hope

representatives attend!

Worship

We have enjoyed growth in worship attendance, which has lifted the

hearts and eased the minds of many in the church community. We are

enjoying hearing new voices serving as lector and seeing children

serving as ushers.

New Ministry Opportunities

The new growth has resulted in the planting of new ministries at

Hope. We outgrew the Narthex. Fellowship time was moved to the

social hall. This move resulted in our need to address the logistics of

trash, table set-up and clean up to accommodate so many...who seem

to enjoy gathering...for long periods of time. Such a wonderful

problem to have! We are in the process of creating a Hospitality

Ministry which will serve the logistical needs of setup for fellowship

time, special events, funerals, weddings and other areas. This

Ministry will be headed to September's Church Council for approval.

A Justice and Witness Ministry was approved by the Church Council

a few months ago. One of Hope's newest members, Peggy Hayes, will

be leading this ministry. After the team is gathered, they will begin to

look for opportunities for Hope's Church community to engage in

justice issues around race, homelessness, hunger, poverty, LGBT

persons, gender, aging, and the environment next year.

A Worship Music Team began meeting in August. A team of four

with Susan and myself sit around the piano, discuss Sunday's theme

and biblical text. The Holy Spirit's presence is truly moving through

us as a team as we select music for our diverse Church community.

Christian Education

On August 20th all of Hope's Sunday School classes resumed for all

ages. There were a total of 26 adults and children in Sunday school

rooms throughout our buildings, as well as one infant and a toddler in

the nursery. With the assistance of the Safe Church Committee, we

were able to implement a system for background checks. All children

and youth volunteers have a clearance!

Pastoral Goals for 2017-2019

Due to the unexpected and instant growth of adults and children

attending worship, the priority of my first six months as pastor,

Sept. Birthdays

Margie Wilson

9/1

Elaine Flynn

9/2

Dawn Park

9/10

Carlos Pinheiro

9/10

Terell Elam

9/16

Yolanda Apodaca

9/19

Paul Capaldo

9/25

Giles Norrington

9/27

Sherilyn Woods

9/28

Sept.

Anniversaries

David G. & Dawn Park

9/8

Carlos Pinheiro & Kari

Scheirer

9/9

Mark & Julie Johnson

9/11

teacher and administrator had to change. Instead of focusing only on

getting to know the Church community, I have had to work on putting

into place or focusing on church basics: worship, children and youth

programming, a Sunday School program and new members

(implementing a system of receiving and integrating them into the life

and leadership of Hope). In addition to focusing on these, I was able

to visit 59 regular attendees at least once. You just might be next!

I shared my goals for the next two years with the Church Council in

August to offer some clarity in regards to my work and service at

Hope. My goals were set in conjunction with the results of the

congregational survey completed by the search committee, the duties

and responsibilities in the pastor's job description, as well as the

individual conversations I have had with many of you during our

visits. The two year goals:

Updating the Safe Church Policy,

Continue working with committees to integrate new members and

attendees into the life and leadership of Hope UCC,

Cultural Competence training around LGBT, race, gender, etc.

Encourage open and honest communication,

Excellence in worship; intentional music selection, meaningful

liturgy and careful movement during service,

Multi-generational worship and activities where children and

youth are serving in worship,

Leadership training with an outside facilitator (Appreciative

Inquiry...lifting up the past to vision the future of Hope),

Shared leadership model,

Build a Visioning Team made up of the Church Council and

representatives of the membership to re-craft the purpose, vision

and mission (PVM) statement to align with the new PVM of the

United Church of Christ's,

Redesign the lay leadership structure with the Church Council

Build an Outreach Ministry Team that will focus on hands-on

ministry opportunities in the community

Hope’s growth has presented challenges in so many ways, but we

continue to live into what and how God is calling us. We are

resurrection people!

Wheelbarrow Ministry

Jan - Canned Fruit

Feb - Cereal

Mar - Pasta

Apr - Spaghetti

Sauce

May - Instant Mashed

Potatoes

Jun - Dried Beans

Jul - Peanut Butter

Aug - Jelly & Jam

Sep - Canned Meats

Oct - Shampoo,

Shaving Cream,

Deodorant,

Disposable Razors

Nov - Cranberry

Sauce

Dec - Rice

We’ve received 97 units

of jellies/jams. Please

visit the Sharing Center

website at

www.sharingcenter.org

for more information

about the Sharing

Center.

It is a privilege to be your pastor during this time at Hope UCC. I am

learning a great deal from you all and I am grateful. It is my hope and

prayer that I will be able to encourage you, empower you, and give

you tools so you all continue to plant and water ministry in this

Church community. I believe with my whole heart that God will

continue to give Hope increase as we each step into and continue in

our God given purpose. Let's continue to build this thing together

with God.

Blessings upon the many blessings, Pastor Celeste

Council Clips

August 2017

Council: The Council expressed appreciation for Sandy Curry’s

dedication to Hope UCC while serving as Treasurer and supporting

the transition to the new co-Treasurers. The Council, on behalf of the

entire church community, thanks and welcomes our new co-

Treasurers, Doug and Mary Sphar.

The Council welcomed the attendance of Peggy Hayes to the Council

meeting. Peggy represented the newly formed ad hoc Justice and

Witness committee.

Nominating Committee: There is one opening remaining on the

Nominating Committee. If you are interested in serving on this

important committee, please talk to Jean Hawkes, Moderator.

Budget Committee: The first Budget Committee meeting will be on

August 15th. All committees are asked to review their budget needs

for 2018 and submit them to the committee.

The Treasurer reported that the total income for July was $132 over

budget and total income year-to-date is $9,563. Income exceeded

expenses by $2,421. Hope UCC’s collection of $855 was paid to

FLUCC for the Strengthen the Church ministry. The UCC Investment

Account increased by $3,288 during the second quarter of 2017 for a

new total of $102,764.

Stewardship: The Stewardship Campaign will kick-off with a video

on August 20, 2017.

September at a

Glance

Happy Seekers

9/1, 10:30 am

Trustee Committee

9/5, 7:00 pm

Budget Committee

9/6, 10:00 am

Choir Practice

9/6, 5:30 pm

Pastoral Relations

9/7, 10:00 am

Happy Seekers

9/8, 10:30 am

Church Council

9/12, 6:30 pm

Deacons Committee

9/13, 11:30 am

Safe Church Webinar

9/13, 2:00 pm

Choir Practice

9/13, 5:30 pm

Happy Seekers

9/15, 10:30 am

Tidings Deadline

9/18

Book Club

9/19, 1:30 pm

Choir Practice

9/20, 5:30 pm

Growth & Development

9/21, 10:00 am

Getting to Know You

Lucille Ryczer was born Lucille Decker in

Bridgeport, CT in 1942. She began school

there but later moved to New Haven where

she completed high school. After being

fostered by a family for several years, they

adopted her during her sophomore year of

high school. She was raised Catholic.

Following graduation, Lucille, better

known as Lou, entered into a convent in

Torresdale, PA, run by the Sisters of the

Holy Family of Nazareth. She stayed for 2 ½ years. She then became

a telephone operator for 4 years in New Haven.

From 1965 to 1969 Lou worked as a communication specialist in a

weather station at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, DC,

near Suitland, MD. After moving back to Bridgeport Lou returned to

Washington, DC where she worked at The Watergate as an

obstetrician’s assistant.

From 1974 to 1977 Lou was a military police officer in the army. She

was stationed at Fort Benjamin Harrison which used to be an army

base in Indiana northwest of Indianapolis. For 2 years after that, Lou

was a Correction’s Officer at a women’s prison in Connecticut.

From 1980 to 1984 Lou attended Eastern Connecticut State

University in Willimantic, CT, and graduated with a major in

psychology and a minor in sociology. Following receiving her degree,

Lou worked for tens years, 1985-1995, at the Mansfield Training

School for mentally disturbed in Storrs, CT. Lou says that was a very

dangerous position and she was assaulted by a patient there. But the

time she spent there was added to her years of military service and

she was given a medical retirement. Also, in 1995, Lou decided to

become a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Waterbury, CT.

She felt that the Episcopal tradition was closest to her Catholic

upbringing. She remained there until 2003.

In 2004 Lou moved to Florida with her partner. They were together a

total of 18 years. Originally she moved to Satellite Beach, but then to

Rockledge in 2006. From 2004 to 2009 Lou attended St. Marks

Happy Seekers

9/22, 10:30 am

4th Friday Lunch

9/22, Noon

Choir Practice

9/27, 5:30 pm

Space Coast Pride

9/29, 7:00 am

Happy Seekers

9/29, 10:30 am

Pride Fest

9/30

Casual Attire Welcome

Childcare Provided

During Service

Communion 1st Sunday

of Month

The Wired Word group

that meets on Sunday

mornings has been

canceled until further

notice.

If you would be

interested in being

Lector for a Sunday

instead of for a whole

month, the Deacons are

creating a list. Please see

Jean Hawkes or notify

the church office.

Episcopal Church in Cocoa Village. In 2010 Lou fell off a small

ladder and shattered her ankle. It was irreparable and she now has a

below knee prosthetic. Around that time she visited Hope several

times.

Lou recently lost her long time companion, her cat named Whiskers.

Throughout Lou’s many moves and places of employment, she has

continued her love of writing poetry and short stories as well as

drawing landscapes and still lifes, using charcoal or colored pencils.

Since joining Hope UCC in May, 2017, Lou has become a faithful

congregant and is looking forward to becoming more active in our

worship services.

After a summer hiatus, the Book Club will resume on Tuesday,

September 19, at 1:30. This month we will discuss Victoria: The

Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman

Who Ruled an Empire, by Julia Baird. This

fascinating book, based on many previously

unpublished papers, reveals the real woman

behind the myth. Victoria had 9 children and

survived 8 assassination attempts while ruling

the most powerful nation in the world. This

biography portrays Queen Victoria as

anything but “Victorian” and a controversial

role model for women’s independence and

equality today. We hope you will start reading

this larger book, if you haven’t found the time over the summer, and

join in the discussion. Bookmarks with the selections to be discussed

by the Book Club are available in the Narthex. The list is also

available on the church website. We hope you will join us in reading

some books from the list even if you cannot attend the meetings.

Hope to see you on the 19th.

The Spring Yard Sale has closed out at $3,979.19! Thank you all for

your help and work on making the Spring sale a success! Without the

congregation to work and support this big fund raiser it couldn't be

such a huge success!

And with that said, we are moving on to the Fall sale.

October Newsletter

Deadline

September 23, 2017

Office Hours* Pastor

W 5-7:30 (office)

R 1-3pm (office)

Office Admin

T 10-3pm

R 10-4pm

*Hours are tentative.

Please be aware of any

changes. Thank you.

Please check out our

online calendar at

https://hopeucc.com/

calendar/

Please join us in the

Social Hall after worship

for refreshments...the

more the merrier. If you

can stay to help clear

tables, it would be

appreciated.

Do You Know??? Coordinators of our

largest fundraiser,

Spring and Fall Yard

Sales

Hope UCC Fall yard sale is in full swing ( note all the items stacking

up in the Social hall) and counting down the days till we have set up,

putting out of the items, and pricing, plus the 2 days of the sale

October 27 and 28. Remember this is the time for clothing donations,

please make sure the clothes are clean (no stains please). Setup for the

sale will be on Oct. 21 Saturday. Tables are brought out and all sale

items are placed on the tables. Volunteers will be needed to help with

this effort and the crew usually goes out to lunch after for a little

visiting and food.

Sign-up sheets will be in the Narthex starting October 1, so please

stop by and sign up to help with this fun event. Any questions or to

make donations please see or call Karen or Melanie 321 639-5053.

Christian Education News

Thanks to everyone who made Rally Sunday such a great success.

Sunday School is up and running for 3-year old’s to adult’s. Our

volunteer education leaders rock! Come join us at 9:00 on Sunday

morning.

We have an exciting service planned for September 17th. It is Just

Peace Sunday and our youth, children, and their leaders will be

leading the worship service. Please plan to attend.

We are still looking for volunteers to help out with Children’s Church

and Nursery helpers. Please speak with Tonia, Denise Cotton, Patti

Champion, or Rev. Celeste if you would like to help us out.

Space Coast Pride Update

Space Coast Pride Committee had their first meeting on August 27th.

We had ten attendees, selected a Chair Person, and developed a good

plan for hosting a vendor table at the Pride event on September 30,

2017. We also want to have as many of Hope UCC’s community as

possible march in the Pride March as possible, to show our commit-

ment to the LGBTQ community and to our ONA status within the

United Church of Christ.

LD Wagner is the Chair of the Pride Committee. We have an excited

group of people ready and willing to help make this a great year with

our presence at the Pride Festival. We will have our Hope UCC table

set up on Saturday, Sept 30 inside the Eau Gallie Civic Center from

3-9p.m. If you would like to schedule a time to work at the table to Karen Lehr and

Melanie Goff

During Pastor Celeste’s

Community Hours on

8/30th, 11 of Hope’s

Community gathered in

conversation around

becoming better allies

for our LGBT+

community members.

The chat revealed that

we can do better. To

answer God’s call to

affirm all in this beloved

community, beginning

on Wed., September 6th,

Maleya Beccerra-

Williams will facilitate

an LGBT+ training. You

are welcome to arrive

early to meet with pastor

at 5pm. The training will

begin at 7:00pm in the

social hall. Thank you to

all who shared in such a

vulnerable way their

painful experiences and

feelings.

Choir rehearsals have

resumed on Wednesdays

at 5:30 and Sunday

mornings from 8:30 to

9:00 allowing anyone

interested in singing in

the choir the

opportunity to

participate in Sunday

school at 9:00.

New members class is

scheduled for 9/17.

Reception of new

members will be on

10/1. If you are

interested in becoming a

member of Hope UCC,

complete the attendance

registration in the pews.

Check off “wish to join

this church.”

extend Hope UCC’s extravagant welcome to people, please see LD at

church to signup for a time slot. If you can not work at the table,

please stop by to visit the Pride event and to visit our table.

The Committee has identified a few needs that the Hope Church

Community can help with. We would like to be able to toss candy out

to spectators during the Pride March, so we are asking you, for

donations of individually wrapped candies that we can toss as we

march and that we can use at our table. Donations of candy may be

deposited in the Pride Box located in the Narthex.

We would like to purchase some rainbow bracelets and some UCC

ONA Coalition pamphlets to hand out at our table, if you would like

to make a monitary donation to the Pride Committee, please see

Melanie or Tonia. This is a great way for you to show your support of

Hope’s ONA status, even though you may not be able to participate in

the Pride March or at our table.

For more information on the Space Coast Pride event go to:

www.spacecoastpride.org or speak with LD Wagner or Melanie Goff

Justice & Witness Ministry by Peggy Hayes

Hallelujah! It's official! We now have a Justice

& Witness Ministry at Hope. Now we need to

form a team and decide on our priorities, since

there is no shortage of injustice issues that cry

out to be confronted. It is clear that Hope has a

heart for fighting for justice, and that can

inspire us to be energized rather than exhausted

when faced with hate and domestic terrorism.

For our Ministry to be effective we need our

community (and friends and relatives who may not have even come

yet!) to step up and express your passions. What issues or causes

inspire you, make your blood boil, or give you an itch to do

something about them? Let us know your passions as well as your

skills. Are you into marches? Letter writing campaigns? Teaching or

training the congregation about the subtleties of discrimination and

the best means of righting the wrongs?

Obvious issues to be addressed include racism, discrimination against

those in the LGBT community, environmental protection, healthcare,

Julie Johnson’s home lit

in remembrance

August 13, 2017 our

church was

represented at the

Standing in

Solidarity Against

Hatred rally held at

the Eau Gallie

Bandstand, and

members of the

congregation

honored the woman

slain in

Charlottesville,

Heather Heyer, by

lighting candles in

their yards. More

actions by the Alt-

right have been

threatened, and they

will no doubt be met

with overwhelming

opposition by peace

and justice forces in

the weeks ahead.

Stay tuned!

mass incarceration, inequities in education and the treatment of

children, treatment of mental health challenges, immigration and

refugee policies. The closer one looks, the more issues one finds that

are at their heart a reflection of injustice -- homelessness, hunger,

callousness to basic needs of people in poverty.

Volunteering to work on specific areas of interest does not commit

anyone to working on everything. This is not a committee, but a

Ministry, and people's participation should be guided by the Holy

Spirit as Hope UCC strives to be the church of Jesus Christ, seeking a

just world for all. Please identify issues and propose actions as the

Spirit leads you.

Here are a few of the events already planned by some of the activist

groups in Brevard County. Feel free to just show up, or we can

arrange to meet together. Please, please, please let me hear from you.

( psyprotect@aol.com; cell 618-559-0179; home phone 321-613-3770

or become Facebook friends and use Messenger) I am the team

leader, but you are the team.

* Saturday, September 2, 2017 10 a.m.to 2 p.m., Hands Across the

Reef, Pelican Park in Satellite Beach, hosted by Save The Mid Reach

and Surfrider Sebastian Inlet Chapter. The message is "Don't Bury the

Reef! Save the Beach AND the Money." Those in attendance will

share stories about the beach and join hands, forming a human chain

at low tide.

* Monday, September 4, 2017 Labor Day, 11 a.m. -4 p.m. Fundraiser

for Veterans, Wickham Park, 2500 Parkway Drive

*On Sept. 9 from 10 - 1 at Zion Orthodox Primitive Baptist Church in

Rockledge there will be a special town hall on Disparate Sentencing,

with Orlando State Attorney Aramis Ayala, "who has boldly drawn

public attention to the over representation of African Americans on

death row in Florida." She will be joined by Pulitzer Prize winning

investigative journalist Michael Braga.

*Saturday, September 30, 2017 3 p.m. - 10 p.m. 10th Annual Space

Coast Pride! Eau Gallie Art District, 1463 Highland Ave., Melbourne.

Hope UCC will have a table! Come have fun and support the LGBT

community.

Pictures from August!

Welcome Pastor

Celeste, Doug & Mary

Sphar!

Al & Joye Gordon’s

62nd anniversary!

Paul & Betty

Capaldo’s 40th

anniversary!

Hope's Voyage Youth

had a great time at

Sky Zone on

Saturday! Come

check out our new

youth ministry

every Sunday at

8:45am for donuts

and discussion! We

would love to have

your 7th through

12th graders come

hang out.

Cross-generational

fun at Rally Day!

Rev. Eileen

Norrington’s new

adult Sunday School

class

Godly Play

Youth Group

Fourth

Friday

Lunch

at

Divots!