page The Montauk Wind Montauk Community Church

THE MONTAUK WIND

“The Wind Blew Among the Bodies and They Came Back to Life.” Ezekiel 37:10

June 2009 Volume VII Issue 2

As I sit to write this column, the fog has lifted, and I

can see the ocean from my window. And while its

hard to determine where the banks of gray clouds end

and the quiet waters begin, it is all quite lovely. I find

myself marveling at what is out there and beyond:

charter fishing boats searching for fluke, container

ships carrying cargo to large ports, sailing ships try-

ing to find a breath of wind to fill their sails.

I remember that I felt much the same way as my fam-

ily helped me settle in to Montauk a year ago this

week. Yes, the water was blue and the skies bright

that day--but marveling at what was to come this

year and beyond was also quite lovely. I found a con-

gregation strong in its commitment to serving each

other and their community; I discovered a congrega-

tion strong in its work of making itself flourish, even

in tough economic times; I found a congregation

strong already in leadership and worker-ship with

new individuals stepping up to both types of roles.

And, I discovered a congregation strong in its devo-

tion to Christ Jesus, wanting to know the directions

their journey with him would go in the years to

come.

That is the interim journey friends,—seeing off into

the horizon, marveling at what is out there: things we

know and things yet to be revealed to us. The things

we know already are what we call core values—a

mindset or process that undergird, inspire and drive a

congregation. Part of our interim process, the writing

of a Mission Study, is identifying our core values:

that which makes us tick and strong. They have been

named by the session. In a nutshell they are:

1. Worship is of primary importance to us. Loving

and responding to traditional worship and music, but

open to other approaches to deepen our understand-

ing of God’s Word to us.

2. Welcoming. We strive to be friendly and warm to

all who cross our doors to worship. The social glue

after church, on Saturday mornings and throughout

the week is strong.

3. Community. We know our importance as the only

English-speaking Protestant community at Land’s

End; we act as well as a community center for other

groups in the hamlet.

4. Support. We are a caring and supportive congrega-

tion to all who are in need in our area.

5. Leadership. We are a strong, small church with

strong lay leadership who are also leaders in town

organizations—helping us to be more deeply con-

nected to the community.

6. Education. We value education for all our mem-

bers; we have committed teachers who reach out to

church families and across the community. Our Va-

cation Bible School is a strong example.

The things beyond the horizon are yet unknown to

us. Yet knowing our strengths, the core values on

which our congregation is built, and especially our

faith in God, his Son and the Spirit who inspire and

lead us, we can and we will march confidently into

the future—looking out beyond the horizon to

glimpse what God is calling us to be and what God is

calling us to do.

I look forward to the

privilege of walking with

you during this journey of

expectation and hope in

the months to come.

Summer Blessings to you

all,

Anne Stewart Miller,

Interim Pastor

Editor’s Column 2

Financial News 2

Children’s News 2,3

Church News & Info

on finding a Pastor

3-5

Photos, Letters, Remembrances

6,7

Inside this Issue

Interim Pastor’s Column Early Summer 2009

page 2 The Montauk Wind

The last issue made something quite clear to me: this

is no ordinary Church newsletter. Nancy Pfund told

the story of the strong foundation of our church and

the people who got us started. She reminded us of

the hard work, dedication and commitment both fi-

nancial and of time that saw to it that Montauk had a

special place for worship. And we had a fishing

meditation from Paul Melnyk—definitely not typical

church newsletter material, but a glimpse into the

soul and personality of a fellow parishioner, and a

story rooted in our larger community. I like that this

is a place for more than just announcements of up-

coming events and reflections from the pastor—

though those are good too! I hope you appreciate it as

well. Even more, I hope that you will consider shar-

ing something yourself. If you have a story, but don’t

like to write, I am glad to listen, write something up

and have you look at it and make changes before

publication. If you like to write, send it to me at

theMontaukWind@gmail.com. Or hand something to

me after church. We have a scanner, so if your talent

is drawing or photography, you can give me an im-

age and we can print it. It will be in black and white

here, but full color on the website. I know I must

sound like a broken record when it comes to urging

you to submit something, but I and your other fellow

parishioners would love to see what you have to

share. It makes our community richer and more con-

nected.

And remember our great website at MontaukCom-

munityChurch.org. Besides getting basic informa-

tion about our church and its mission, you can read

Rev. Miller’s latest sermon, see photos, and read this

newsletter online. And the online version has correc-

tions and color images. In fact, we are working to

send out an emailed version of the newsletter. This

could save in postage and copying costs. Would you

like to be part of this experiment? If so, send your

email address to us at the aforementioned address

and we will email you a copy. And we won’t take

you off the snail mail list until we are certain you are

happy with receiving only the electronic copy.

From the Editor by Susan Raymond

Financial News by Gail Murphy

We are still collecting for our Energy Fund on

the last Sunday of every month. This is a special

offering to help defray the increased cost of heat-

ing and lighting our building.—but not for air

conditioning as we still rely on ocean breezes for

that job.

On Sunday, June 7th, worshippers

were treated to a service conducted

by the children of our parish, with a

little help from the adults that work

with them. They led us in prayer,

confession, and hymn singing and

invited us to share the peace with

each other. They read scripture and

graced us with a stirring anthem. The

participants included, but were not

limited to: Jillian & Noelle Hear,

Emma & Lilly Norris, Erin & Megan

White, Lucas, Travis & TJ Wallace,

Mike Burns, Shana Devlin, Ghianna

Gregorio, Vanessa Hammond and

Grayson Forsberg. Forgive me for

forgetting those I’ve missed. Instead

of a traditional sermon, Linda Norris

gave a history of the concept of Sun-

day School. It was a joyful service.

Children’s Sunday

Mike Burns and Nell Black both graduated from the Montauk

School and are heading to East Hampton High in the fall.

Mack Fleming is headed to Syracuse University to major in Envi-

ronmental Sciences & Forestry.

Victoria Peel-Margraf will attend Washington College in the fall

after spending time this summer in Vienna, Austria playing tennis

in the People to People program—she is one of 2000 students

chosen to participate.

Hayden Ward is headed to Iona College where he will continue to

play basketball.

Graduates

June 2009 page 3

Yes! A Confirmation class will be held

beginning early in 2010. Students in 8th

grade and above are invited to participate

as, together, we explore what it means to

be a Christian, to be Presbyterian and to

be a member of a Presbyterian congrega-

tion. The class will run through the

spring, mindful of school holidays and

breaks. Confirmands will be received into

membership at MCC on Pentecost Sun-

day, May 23rd. In addition to classes,

confirmands will also go on retreat, visit

other Christian churches, be mentored by

adult members and, with coaching, write

their own statement of faith. Watch fu-

ture newsletters for more information or

please call Rev. Anne Stewart Miller at

the church.

New to MCC and thinking about member-

ship? Been around for a while and are now

ready to become a member? Perhaps you

summer here and would like to become an

“affiliate member*?” Then this is the class

for you! Let us know in advance that you

will plan to stay after worship on August 9

for a light lunch and class at the manse where

we will explore how we got to MCC, more

about our denomination and of course, our

congregation that serves the community of

Montauk. Come to make new friends and to

find out how you can get involved. New

members will meet with the session the fol-

lowing Sunday morning at 9:15, then be re-

ceived into membership during worship. Not

sure or have questions? Please contact Rev.

Anne Stewart Miller or the Membership

Committee chair, Nancy Pfund. (*An affili-

ate member is one who is an active member

of a Presbyterian or another denomination

but temporarily lives in Montauk.)

Confirmation Classes

New Members Class

Camp E.D.G.E. (Experience and Discover God Every-

where) will be held July 13th to 16th from 9am - noon at the

Church. This Bible Camp is open to children entering pre-K

through 5th Grade. Registration fees are $15 per child, $10

for each additional child in the family, to a maximum per

family of $25. If you are interested in registering your child,

go to our website (MontaukCommunityChurch.org) and

download the Registration, mail it to the address on the

form or bring it to the church. If you can’t get to the web,

the form is also available at the library or call 668-2022.

Please register early, we can accommodate only a limited

number of campers, and we always sell out.

Do you have fond memories of Bible Camps from your

youth? Relive them by helping out at ours this summer. The

group of children we attract are terrific, and so are the adult

supervisors. If you would like to volunteer, call 668-2022 or

Joy Hear at 668-1327. Have fun and do good!

Bible Camp

Bible Camp for Adults

Rev. Miller and some of the children for the Children’s Message on Easter

Sunday.

page 4 The Montauk Wind

Where are we in our interim journey together? We

have lots of good news to share!

Under the direction of a session transition sub-

committee, a Congregational Survey was mailed in

March to all members. Several questions were asked:

1) What present ministries are you involved

with at MCC?

2) What do you think God is calling us to do

and to be, by the year 2015?

3) What qualities would you like to see in our

new minister?

The results were compiled and presented to the ses-

sion to analyze and discuss at the second of two ses-

sion retreats. A copy of the survey results are avail-

able in the Guild Room.

Two Saturday retreats were held for session members,

the first on February 28 when the session grappled

with “Coming to Terms with the History of Commu-

nity Church.” At their second retreat on March 28, the

session talked extensively about the survey results and

the question, “Discovering a New Identity for Com-

munity Church.” From these discussions, “talking

points” for our vision for 2015 emerged.

Using survey results, another session sub-committee

began writing our Mission Study in April—a critical

document the Pastor Nominating Committee will use

to write the Church Information Form, “CIF” (see be-

low). Using survey results and session input, the writ-

ing sub-committee began their work by drafting 3

fundamental parts of the Mission Study:

1) Our Vision Statement: where we want to

be by the year 2015.

2) Our Ministry Initiatives: what we will do

to meet our goals for 2015.

3) The Mission Study outline: what the Study

will include. Town and church history,

congregational demographics, who we

want to be and do, and a personality pro-

file of the new installed pastor.

These were approved by the session at their May 12th

meeting. Since that time, the Vision Statement and

Ministry Initiatives have been printed each Sunday in

the bulletin insert, copies of all three are available in

the Guild Room, and the Vision Statement and Minis-

try Initiatives are found on the opposite page in this

newsletter.

Since the May meeting, the writing sub-committee

has met several times to continue to write the other

sections of the Mission Study. It is projected their

work will presented to the Session for approval at

their July 14th meeting.

In the meantime, the Session directed the Congrega-

tional Nominating Committee to begin their work of

nominating individuals (7 members and 2 alternates)

to serve on the Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC).

Forms to suggest PNC candidates are available all

month and are to be returned by June 30. The Nomi-

nating Committee will present the slate of nominees

for election at a congregational meeting by late July-

early August.

The initial work of the PNC will be to write a CIF

(Church Information Form) based on the Mission

Study. This is the second critical document in the pas-

tor nominating process as it will share with prospec-

tive ministers information about our congregation:

1) facts including size, location, etcetera.

2) narrative sections describing our congrega-

tion and its programs, its accomplishments, gifts and

skills. The CIF, once approved by the session and the

Presbytery of Long Island will be sent to national

headquarters for circulation to prospective minister

candidates around the country.

Completing the CIF, the PNC will begin to receive

and study pastor resumes (Personal Information

Forms or “PIF”s). The nomination process involves

reading a number of PIFs that have been submitted,

paring down the list by listening to sermon tapes,

phone interviews, and preaching in a “neutral pulpit”

in another congregation. The final nominee selected

will be presented to lead worship and preach at MCC;

a Congregational Meeting will be called after the ser-

vice to elect the candidate as pastor of Montauk Com-

munity Church.

(Continued on page 5)

Pastor Transition News by Anne Stewart Miller

page 5 The Montauk Wind

What is our time frame? It is unclear,

though from the time the PNC is elected

to the time a pastor is called can be as

long as a year or more. The crucial part

of this process is to be patient and wait

for the right minister candidate—the one

whom God has already chosen!

We can all be grateful and thank God for

the outstanding work your session, the

writing and transition sub-committees as

well as the Nominating Committee are

doing as we advance through this interim

process. Presbytery advisors looking over

our shoulder and reviewing early docu-

ments say they are excellent—and I look

forward to the weeks and months ahead

as the PNC is elected and begins its im-

portant work. I invite you to pray for

your session and nominating committee,

those who will be elected to serve on the

PNC as well as all of the candidates

whose PIFs will be submitted to serve

our congregation. And finally, I urge you

to always be mindful that we are not

alone in this process—God’s Spirit is

clearly working in and among Commu-

nity Church, inspiring us, challenging us

and equipping us to call your next in-

stalled pastor.

(Continued from page 4)

In 2015, we envision the Montauk Presbyterian Community Church as a Christ-centered congregation serving

the spiritual needs of those who live and visit our hamlet at the eastern tip of Long Island. We are the Church

on the Hill, nourished by the Holy Spirit in Word and Sacrament. We will focus on the formation of disciples

and ministry with and among our community to be a spiritual beacon for those who gather on our shores. We

will honor our name by remembering that we are a church that embraces a variety of styles, reflecting worship

traditions that were brought here by our members from other places. We will continue to welcome those who

bring new ideas as we bear in mind our past and the rich history we treasure.

The following statements identify the priority areas for atten-

tion and effort for our leadership for the next six years as we

strive to make our discerned Vision a reality:

1. The MCC will assess the effectiveness of our Christian Edu-

cation ministries for all ages and groups—adults, youth and

children—and draft action plans which will reach a broader

number of people as we spread the Word of the Lord.

2. The MCC will identify the changing needs of our existing

membership and potential members, including the Latino com-

munity, in order to develop an action plan to meet those needs

both within the church and within the local community.

3. The MCC will evaluate our group opportunities for fellow-

ship for all ages—adults, youth and children—and consider

actions to revitalize existing groups and explore possibilities

for new groups.

4. The MCC will assess the effectiveness of our Stewardship

and Fundraising activities in order to enhance their productive-

ness.

5. The MCC will explore new possibilities for worship oppor-

tunities in addition to the existing structure of Sunday worship.

6. The MCC will assess the effectiveness of communication

links inside the congregation and outside to our community

and explore possibilities for increased and more effective com-

munication channels to both groups.

Pastor Transition News Ministry Initiatives by Anne Stewart Miller

2015 Vision Statement

Montauk Presbyterian Community Church Approved by the MCC Session May 12, 2009

June 2009 page 6

Have you noticed how nice the Church grounds are looking?

A trusty work party of around twenty people of all ages and

led by Carlos Vargas and Iris Mitchell are responsible. On

Saturday, June 6, they came to plant and weed and spruce

things up. Many donated flowers and Bistrian Materials do-

nated mulch. Before starting, Carlos fortified everyone with

one of his fine barbeque lunches.

Annual Spring Yard Clean-up

We were graced this last month by two visi-

tors from our sister church in Guines, Cuba:

Rev. Yampier Sànchez Bravo and Rev. Ismael

Madruga. Both men shared greetings, thanks

and smiles. I heard one member of the congre-

gation describe each of them as relaxed and

comforting. Both stayed with Carlos and

Mayela and we thank the Vargas’ for extend-

ing their generous hospitality once again. Rev.

Madruga visited rummage, as evidenced in

the photo above with Lydia and Doris and the

one to the left with Iris and Carlos. He also

gave a sermon based on the first epistle of Pe-

ter. He spoke of the shadows and the light and

of the rewards of the struggle to live daily

with our faces towards the light. I was re-

minded of my trip to Cuba and the wonderful

Bible lessons he did while we were there.

We are very fortunate to have this strong rela-

tionship. This church and these people remind

me that the unconscious assumptions that

guide my actions are not always the best for

me. A special thanks needs also to go to Bar-

bara and Dennis D’Andrea for all the work

they do to keep this partnership working

smoothly.

Visitors from Guines, Cuba

by Susan Raymond

Margie, Edna, Ruth and Marge getting ready for another Rummage sa;e/

page 7 The Montauk Wind

letters Do you have comments, complaints, corrections, ideas, theologies or prayers you would

like to share? Photos? We love photos. We print all letters received and are eager to publish

any personal stories or essays you might wish to share with the rest of the congregation.

You can email us at TheMontaukWind.com or send them to the church at the address on the

back, or hand it to Susan Raymond after church, or find someone to put it in her box.

We received two letters for this issue! The first is this very kind letter from Vera Holden.

The generous check was turned over to our treasurer. The second is from Catherine Ver-

haegen , now of East Hampton to Nancy Pfund. Catherine was the first to be baptized in our sanctuary on

Easter Sunday in 1929. It is so nice to get updates from our far-flung members.

Check out our website at

www.montaukcommunitychurch.org.

Carol Nye is now publishing written ver-

sions of Reverend Miller’s sermons.

Dear Susan,

Thank you for sending the latest Montauk Wind. It keeps me updated

on the church and its members whom I miss very much.

Sorry to hear about Kay Maxwell. She was a faithful member of the

church and will be missed.

Glad you have such a great Interim Pastor. Thanks for the copy of

her sermon.

I am forwarding a year-end donation which I never got to send be-

cause of leg vein surgery—then my oldest sister in Canada passed

away and then on a happier note, Jeff and I flew to Florida for Bert’s

wedding on January 10th and had a big family gathering there.—

Best Wishes to all,

Vera Holden

Four choir members are singing Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Req-

uiem this summer with the Choral Society of the Hamptons and

The Greenwich Village Singers. There are two performances,

one in New York City on June 28th and one at the Old Whalers

Church in Sag Harbor on Saturday, July 11 at 8:00.

This is a moving choral work. The text was chosen by Brahms

from the German Protestant Bible he knew and loved. It was

meant not as a funeral mass, but as a comfort to those who are

left behind and was written in the wake of the loss of his

teacher, Robert Schumann and his mother. This is the work that

the New York Philharmonic famously chose to perform at its

opening concert on September 22, 2001, as a fund raiser for the

families of firefighters and policemen lost in the attack eleven

days earlier. While we don’t expect to match the brilliance or

majesty of that performance, we have been working hard and

find ourselves quite moved by the experience. We hope you can

join us at a performance. See Debbie Coen, Pat Cidlowski, Paul

Melnyk or myself for more information or tickets.

Brahms’ German Requiem by Susan Raymond

Cecelia Galvin

Cecelia died suddenly this past spring.

She had been an active member of our

church since 1998 and became a dea-

con in 2004. She was also a member of

the choir. Cecelia was a quiet presence

in our church, one who worked hard

but did not require a lot of attention.

She always had a ready and large smile

for all. At the family’s request, no ser-

vices were held. We do miss her.

Dear Nancy,

The Celebration of the Montauk

church’s 80th anniversary was a

wonderful event! Dorothy, Hilary,

Amy and I each enjoyed every min-

ute—the service, music, delicious

food, and association with per-

sons of the past and present.

Please share our thanks for the

invitation and hospitality.

Sincerely,

Catherine

Non-Profit

Organization

U.S. Postage

PAID

Montauk, NY

Permit No. 1

The Montauk Wind is a newsletter of the Mon-tauk Community Church, a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Editor: Susan Raymond Sunday School Editor: Emma Norris email: TheMontaukWind@gmail.vom Website: www.MontaukCommunityChurch.org Interim Pastor: Rev. Anne S. Miller Music Director: Lydia Shaternik Burns Secretary/Bookkeeper: Melissa Mahoney Sexton: William Biase Treasurer: Gail Murphy Clerk of Session: Edna Steck W. Guild President: Iris Mitchell Vice President Aster Stein Treasurer: Christine Herbert Session: Class of 2010 Edna Steck Mayela Vargas Gail Webb Class of 2011 Carol Nye Nancy Pfund Karen Rade Class of 2012 Perry Duryea, III George Hear Loretta Sullivan Board of Deacons Class of 2010 Linda Norris Christine Herbert, co-mod Jean Ruggles Class of 2011 Dorothy Sinclair, Treasurer Ed Sullivan Daz Winter Class of 2012 Kathy Havlik Jean Masin, Moderator Lydia Shaternik, Secretary

Vision Statement

Montauk Community Church P.O. Box 698

Montauk, NY 11954

Where Hearts Grow

850 Montauk Highway 631-668-2022 Address correction requested

Sunday school is over for the summer and will resume in September, but there is

still plenty going on! We worship every Sunday at 10 a.m. and offer worship bags

for the children. After worship there is always a tasty and friendly brunch!

Register your 4 year old to 5th grader for Vacation Bible School, July 13-16.

The Ice Cream Social is on July 16 beginning at 6 pm. BBQ hot dogs and bur-

gers with all the fixings will be served along with scrumptious ice cream sun-

daes. Special activities for children are planned.

The Rummage Sale continues strong on Saturdays from 9-12 noon. This year

the Summer Fair is August 8th. As always, the Women’s Guild runs a great

show. Come for treasures and gently used household items and clothing at

bargain prices.

Argentine Barbeque August 9, 4-7 pm. Carlos is cooking for this annual sum-

mer fundraiser. Don’t miss out on all the fun on our front lawn!

Christian Education & Fellowship Opportunities this Summer

We envision the Montauk Presbyterian Community Church as a Christ-centered congre-

gation serving the spiritual needs of those who live and visit our hamlet at the eastern tip

of Long Island. We are the Church on the Hill, nourished by the Holy Spirit in Word

and Sacrament. We will focus on the formation of disciples and ministry with and

among our community to be a spiritual beacon for those who gather on our shores. We

will honor our name by remembering that we are a church that embraces a variety of

styles, reflecting worship traditions that were brought here by our members from other

places. We will continue to welcome those who bring new ideas as we bear in mind our

past and the rich history we treasure.