the LifelineNORWICH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHUNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

o c t obe r 2014

We Love our Guest Musicians

The Hartland Flute Choir shared their music with us on September 7

The Lifeline – October 20142

2014 LEADERSHIP

CHURCH OFFICERSChurch Council Chair . . . Chuck EgnerModerator . . . . . . . . John SeveringhausAsst . Moderator . . . . . . .Carolyn MertzClerk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joanne EgnerTreasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark BeliveauAsst . Treasurer . . . . James HourdequinCollector . . . . . . . . . . . . Martin WitschiAsst Collector . . . . . . . Priscilla Vincent

BOARD OF DEACONSSenior Deacons . . . . . . . . Hillary White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dick Broussard

Mary Magavern, Bob Miller

BOARD OF TRUSTEESChair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Doug James

Gary Brooks, Dan Van Dorn Avery Post

BOARD OF MISSIONChair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Doug Britton

Deborah Berryman, Jeff NielsenKathy Grant, Vicky Fish, Heidi Webster

BOARD OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATIONChair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Laura Beliveau

Ann Beams, Eve ZukowskiBrittny Calsbeek

COMMITTEES

FLOWERSTilda White, Deb Van Arman

HOSPITALITYMarty James, Stephanie Smith

Cynthia Blake, Anne Broussard Lillian Goss

INVESTMENT:Carolyn Mertz

MUSIC:Don Helms, Evelynn Ellis, Marty James

NOMINATING:Shirley Parker, Priscilla Vincent

STEWARDSHIP:Barbara Duncan, Jane Helms

Ann Beams

WOODWORTH FUND:Mimi Simpson, Jenny Williams Willemien Miller, Ryan Adams

Harry Dorman

OTHERAt-Large Church Council . . . . . . . . . . . .Head Usher . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter MertzHistorian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Delegates .Avery Post, Kenneth CracknellAlt Delegates . . . . .Katherine Broussard

NORWICH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHMary Brownlow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PastorKathleen Sherlock-Green . . . Choir DirectorTacy Colaiacomo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Organist Danielle Taylor . . . . Sunday School Coord .

Amy Frost . . . . . . . . . . . . . Office ManagerNichole Hastings . . . . . . . . . . . Bookkeeper Dan Goulet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sexton

IF YOU WANT TO DONATE FLOWERS FOR WORSHIP...please contact Tilda White, by phone: 649-1654 for help, in-formation, or to sign up . You may also sign up on the “Flowers” sheet posted at the back of the church .

Women’s Retreat 2014This year, we will do a brief retreat on November

15 at Mary Brownlow’s house, from 11 am to 3 pm .

During this 4-hour break from our usual activities we will worship, eat, and share our thoughts about CHANGE and how it affects our spiritual and congre-gational life . We ask that people come for the entire 4 hours, rather than coming and going . Please bring knitting or handwork to do, if you like . No donations of food are necessary . You can sign up by calling or telephoning the church office .

This shortened retreat comes out of some thinking about how our retreats have changed over the years . We will also plan an overnight retreat sometime after the New Year, probably at a retreat center, which is a bit of a drive away . With these two options, we hope that participants will be able to take time and truly have a chance to connect with each other . Stay tuned about plans for the longer retreat .

3The Lifeline – October 2014

On the web site of the United Church of Christ (the larger de-nomination to which the Norwich Congregational Church belongs) there is a lot of information about the many ministries and missions of the Church, as well as pages of worship and biblical studies, and re-sources for local churches . In such a large, diverse and inclusive church, it is sometimes hard to find a suc-cinct description of an identity and a purpose . I did find the following self-description there:

• Where God is all-loving and inclusive

• Where the Church of Jesus Christ welcomes and accepts everyone as they are

• Where your mind is nourished as much as your soul

• Where Jesus the healer meets Jesus the revolutionary

• Where together we grow a just and peaceful world

How would we describe our local church? Do the words above from the UCC web site fit us? Do we meet to “provoke one another to love and good deeds” as is suggested by the Bible passage from Hebrews quoted above . Do we meet to learn and grow in the life of the Spirit? To provide a space for theological inquiry and community events? To put the question more bluntly, why

does the Norwich Congregational Church, UCC exist?

Each of you might have a slightly different answer . Some people might focus on weekly Sunday worship, which provides music, Scripture, and an opportunity for learning and prayer to any who chose to attend . Other might say that the church exists to be a refuge, or an inspiration to service, or a location where people of different beliefs may assemble safely . What-ever your answer, we might agree that the church is worth supporting with our time and treasure .

Sometimes we get so caught up in managing the church, with its building and its finances, that we think our purpose is to grow in membership and in income . The more people we see in the pews, the better we feel . The higher the pledge numbers, the more secure we feel . Recently I read this quote from Charles Bayer, in Hope for the Main-line Church: “The church does not exist for its own sake . Its purpose is not defined by its survival . The care and feeding of itself is not its central mission . It exists to give itself away . It never puts its own needs ahead of the needs of the world—of the least, the last, and the lost .”

If we are active members and friends of the NCC UCC, we feel

that our church makes a difference in our lives: the church makes our lives better . Rather than seeing visi-tors (or future, potential visitors) as a way to increase attendance or bring financial security for our local institution, we might start with, “I would like to see _____ attend or get involved because I believe in my heart that his/her life will be the better for it .” We do not often use the word “evangelism,” but in some sense it is just that thought, that hope for another person .

Over the years, I have seen many people find solace, hope, encouragement, and inspiration in our church community . I have seen lives bettered . Sometimes this has been through a single visit or experience with us . In other cases, one visit leads to another and an-other, until the visitor evolves into a “pillar of the church,” an integral part of the living, breathing body of Christ in this place .

In this autumn season of giv-ing and gratitude, I hope that you will meditate on the blessings to be found in our communal life to-gether . I hope that you will worship and work with us . And I hope that you will help us find and live out our purpose: to share those bless-ings with someone else .

Mary

From the Minister“And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

— Hebrews 10: 24-25

The Lifeline – October 20144

MEMBER PROFILE

SonjaLippman

Sonja just had her 12th birthday and is in sixth grade at Marion Cross . When you ask what her favorite class is, she enthusiastically replies,” P . E .!” She plays tag and kickball, soccer, basketball, and lacrosse . She snowboards, sleds, and has tried cross-country skiing . She even did some fencing . “But you have to keep your face serious .” She’s learning how to skate, “but I’m really bad at it .”

Sonja was born in China and came to Los Ange-les when she was 9 months old . Her family decided that they wanted a better school system for their daughters . Sonja has an older sister Rose who is 16 years old . (Rose is now providing care in the church nursery .) Sonja is very happy at Marion Cross .

Sonja is currently studying fractions and they’re a lot of work . She enjoys writing stories . Her favorite book is Hatchet by Gary Paulsen about a boy who has to survive in the wilderness following a plane crash .

The Lippmans have a dog named Kelly who is a mutt . “She looks like a fox .” They are thinking of getting another dog, too .

Sonja and her father John like to go to the dump, pick up old pieces of stuff, and make things with them .

Sonja’s favorite color is blue .

October 26: A Slide Show on Modern Day Vietnam Jeff Nielsen, a Mission Committee member, has been to Vietnam on a number of

occasions during the past 15 years . His interest began as a Social Work School student at The University of Connecticut, where he did an Independent Study project in Vietnam on Post War Social Issues . These issues include, Agent Orange a defoliant used to clear forests and jungle, unexploded, left-over war ordnance that continues to remain buried in the ground . Accidents with these continue today, killing and maiming adults and chil-dren 50 years after the war .

Jeff returned again the same year to SouthEast Asia with a 5-person team from Asian Family Services in Hartford, Connecticut . This team consisted of returning war refugees to develop adoption connections in Cambodia and Vietnam . Jeff is currently preparing to go to Vietnam this January with his wife, June, as part of a work team with the Seattle-based NGO “Peacetrees Vietnam .” Peacetrees works in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam . Quang Tri is one of the poorest Provinces located adjacent to the old DMZ, which was heavily contested during the Vietnam War . 82% of the land in this rural province remains contaminated by unex-ploded war ordnance . This causes many problems for the primarily farming community and especially for children, who often find and view these objects with childhood curiosity .

Jeff will show his slides of Modern Day Vietnam on October 26th .

5The Lifeline – October 2014

From the Lilly Endowment Press Release for the NCC UCC Lilly Grant

The Norwich Congregational Church has received a grant of $39,900 to enable our pastor, Mary, and the congregation to partici-pate in the 2014 National Clergy Renewal Program funded by the Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc . and administered by the Christian Theological Seminary . The NCC UCC is one of 140 con-gregations across the country (and the only one in Vermont this year) selected to participate in this competitive grant program . Established by the Endowment in 2000, the program’s grants allow Christian congregations to support their pastors with the gift of extended time away from their ministerial duties and responsibilities .

Through the National Clergy Renewal Program, congregations apply for grants of up to $50,000 to support and renewal program for their pastors . Collaborative in nature and implementation, the program allows congregations to partner with their ministers in de-veloping an experience that addresses their unique renewal needs and aspirations . In our case, $15,000 of the grant will be used by the NCC UCC for renewal activities within the congregation, as well as for interim pastoral leadership .

During the 2015 sabbatical time (between Memorial Day and Labor Day), Mary will be pursuing studies in music, particularly sacred music . The congregation will also use music as an “instru-ment” of renewal, so the Lilly Endowment grant will help fund its own exploration of the role of music in our spiritual lives . This may include guest musicians on Sundays, concerts, workshops, and other community events . Throughout this time all will be encour-aged to develop and share their own gifts of music-making and appreciation . A Sabbatical Planning Committee is being formed to develop these opportunities .

More to come . Stay tuned!

A Broad-Brush Numerical Summary of the 2014 Stewardship Season

109 Pledges for Over $190,000A large number of pledges were for the equivalent of up to $20

per week . Added together, they accounted for a sizeable portion of our budget . Approximately 1/5 of the pledges were for amounts between the equivalent of $100 per month and $500 per month, accounting for a little less than a third of the budget . A very few pledges accounted for over 1/3 of the budget .

FOR 2015, EVERY PLEDGE MATTERS!A note about logistics: if you are mailing in your pledge card with a

check, please make clear whether the check is to complete your 2014 pledge or to be counted towards your 2015. This will help the bookkeeper keep your statements accurate.

The Stewardship Committee is gearing up for its annual pledge drive and asked my husband, Chuck, and me to write an article on how we decide to make our pledge . We’ve been members of the Nor-wich Congregational Church for almost 30 years and so you might think we’ve developed a formula for our financial support, such as 10% percent of earned income or 5% percent more than last year . But that’s not what we do . Instead, we reflect on two things:

• the importance of the Church to us and the community

• our gratitude for the many ways the Church has supported our family over the years

We are so fortunate to have a beautiful, historic Church building that provides a wonderful setting for worship services and other community events . While keeping the lights on is necessary, the work that our Congregation is doing to support the local community and outreach services is so much more important .

Chuck and I have gotten to know many wonderful people at the Church that we wouldn’t have otherwise . It keeps us connected with folks from all generations and we take comfort in knowing that we have their love and support whenever it is needed .

The Norwich Congregational Church is where our three children grew up . We have lots of family memories about Sunday School, Junior Choir, and singing Silent Night by candlelight . How wonder-ful it is to see the children of the Church grow up and reunite at Christmas Eve Service each year!

I will always be thankful to the Church for the support given to my mother after she moved up from Florida to live in Val-ley Terrace . The Church was so welcom-ing and members visited with her on a regular basis .

When we make our financial pledge to the Church this year, we will give because we know that the Church is doing impor-tant work in our community and we are grateful .

Joanne and Chuck Egner

The Lifeline – October 20146

Present: Chuck Egner (Chair), Bob Miller (Deacons), Dick Brous-sard (Deacons), Heidi Webster (Mission), Doug James (Trustees), Mary Brownlow (Pastor), Joanne Egner (Clerk)

Inspirational word and opening prayer led by Mary Brownlow .

The minutes of the July 30, 2014 Church Council Meeting were unanimously approved . (B . Miller moved; C . Egner 2nd)

Pastor’s Report: Mary reported that during the

last month there was a birth (Ava Calsbeek), a new member (Tom Kinder) and a death (Cleta Wheel-er) . Plans are also being made for a wedding in October . Mary is still working on staff evaluations . She has been able to streamline the process a bit using email . The Con-templative Prayer Group has been meeting all summer and is planning a six week book study beginning in September . The Christian Educa-tion Board will be meeting next Monday . The Women’s Retreat and the Youth Work Trip are issues that will be discussed at the meeting .

Mary also reported that she has been taking an online course of-fered by the Center for Progressive Renewal titled How to Increase Wor-ship Attendance. One of the things she has learned is that Sunday morning services aren’t necessarily the best way to introduce people to the Church . She has also heard that some people might be more apt to visit with her in a non-church setting, such as a coffee shop . As a result, she is considering having "of-fice hours" for a couple of hours a week on a regular basis at a location like the King Arthur Flour Cafe .

Mary will be on vacation Novem-ber 3rd through the 9th .

Deacons: Bob reported that the Deacons

have been finalizing the Pastor Evaluation and will be presenting it to Mary within the next month . Hillary White has been working on plans to be more welcoming before and after service and to visit people who aren’t able to attend Sunday morning worship .

The Deacons have also been dis-cussing the idea of having a special service around the holidays for people who may find it a particu-larly difficult time of year .

Mission: Heidi reported that Mission

has not met since the last Church Council meeting .

Trustees: Doug reported that the Trustees

are scheduled to meet September 30th . The Church Office is func-tioning very well and financially we are doing fine . The transition to EC Fiber was complicated by the fire alarm monitoring system and the elevator phone line . Everything is now working .

Christian Ed: Mary reported that the new

Nursery Care person is now in place and that Sunday School will begin September 14th . Ideas for adult education are being kicked around and will be discussed at the next meeting .

Old Business – Committee Structure:

Chuck reported that he and Mary met to discuss the issues sur-rounding our current committee structure . Some boards and com-mittees are short of people but still

functioning . The upcoming Sabbat-ical year would not be a good time for a major change to the Church structure . We should encourage people to consider serving a posi-tion for one year while we continue to discuss possibilities for change . Mary will work with the Nominat-ing Committee to pinpoint the most necessary positions and not worry about the others .

Mary has been reading the book Real Good Church by Molly Bas-kette and learned about a Church that does all of its committee work one Sunday a month . This sort of out-of-the-box thinking is where the Council hopes to find an alterna-tive to the current structure .

New Business – Upcoming Sabbatical:

Mary and Bob discussed the need for an Ad Hoc Sabbatical Planning Committee to do the fol-lowing:

• Plan events, workshops and other programs for Congrega-tional renewal before, during and after Mary’s Sabbatical next summer .

• Oversee the use of the Lilly Grant funds and make sure we are abiding by the Lilly Grant Agreement .

• Coordinate with the Deacons on the search for an Interim Pas-tor .

Mary mentioned that both Tacy Colaiacomo and Kathy Sherlock-Green were willing to be on the Committee . Bob Miller also agreed to be on the Committee and serve as a liaison with the Deacons . In addition to Mary, the Commit-tee would likely need 2 or 3 more people whose interests or strengths include event planning, accounting

Church Council Minutes – September 3, 2014

Church Council Minutes – September 3, 2014

(attention to details) and Church life/theological renewal .

The Council agreed that the Committee would also need to submit a report for the upcoming Annual Report .

Heidi Webster moved that the Church Council authorize Bob Miller and Mary Brownlow to con-vene an Ad Hoc Committee to plan for the Sabbatical and to oversee the use of the Lilly Grant .

Chuck Egner seconded . The mo-tion passed by a unanimous vote .

Next Meeting: Wednesday October 1, 2014 at

7:00 PM

The meeting was adjourned at 8:18 PM .

Respectfully submitted, Joanne Egner, Clerk

Mission Offering: Neighbors in Need

The Mission Offering in October is designated for Neighbors in Need (NIN). NIN is a special mission offering of the UCC that sup-ports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States.

This year’s theme is "Imagining Another World Where Litera-cy is No Longer a Concern".

Did you know? Low reading skills cause more students to drop out of school before receiving a diploma than poverty. Reading Changes Lives, the UCC’s newest all-church initiative, is a literacy program designed to combat this global crisis. Your support of the NIN offering helps to provide funding to these important initiatives.

Here’s a story for you to read:

The Florence Crittenton High School (FCHS) for pregnant and parenting teens located in Denver, Colo., institutes its mission based on this principle. In a unique collaboration with Denver Public Schools, FCHS helps teen mothers stay in school and graduate, give birth to healthy babies, learn how to be nurtur-ing mothers, pursue post-secondary education, and acquire marketable job skills. As a Neighbors in Need 2013 grant recipient, FCHS services adolescent girls between the ages of 14 and 21.

Recent graduate Lesley Del Rio shares her story. “At 18, I found a full-time job that did not require a high school di-ploma, and like many of my friends, I grew more interested in making money than in school. No one in my family pushed me to stay in school, no Imagining Another World where educating women and girls is a priority….” she recalls. “Little by little, I got behind on homework and credits until I felt it would be impossible to catch up.” But in the blink of an eye, Lesley’s situation changed. She learned that she was pregnant. “One bout of morning sickness and I was fired,” she adds. “My aunt told me about Florence Crittenton High School, and I decided to go back to school for my son, Leonardo. I needed to become a role model for Leo, someone he could respect and admire.”

Today, Lesley serves as youth advisor for the Colorado Depart-ment of Public Health and the Environment and is enrolled at the Community College of Denver. “My family is in awe at the positive turnaround my life had when I went back to finish school,” says Lesley. “Florence Crittenton Services gave me the support I needed to move towards a better future — for myself and for my son.”

Neighbors in Need helps make another world possible. It needs our support. Please give generously in the orange envelopes during September and October.

The Lifeline – October 20148

Non-profitOrganizationUS Postage

PAIDNorwich, VTPermit No . 1

NORWICH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHUNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST15 Church Street • PO Box 236

Norwich, VT 05055-0236Tel: (802) 649-1433 • Fax (802) 649-2805

Office Hours: Tuesday to Friday, 8:30 to 12:30Email: . . . . norwichcongregational@gmail .comWebsite: . . . . . www .norwichcongregational .orgPastor: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rev . Mary Brownlow

AN OPEN AND AFFIRMING CONGREGATION WORSHIPING ON

SUNDAYS AT 10 AM

LIFELINECoordinator / Editor / Photographer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Linda HimadiDesigner: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Douglas LufkinSend articles to: . . . . . . . . . norwichcongregational@gmail .com

Deadline for next issue: October 15, 2014

E -MAIL ADDRESSES

If the church does not have your e-mail address, and you would like to be kept abreast of an-nouncements and events at church – by this no cost/no waste option – please send an email to the church office at nccucc2@myfairpoint.net.

Give Me The Splendid Silent Sun

Give me the splendid silent sun with all its beams full-dazzling,Give me juicy autumnal fruit ripe and red from the orchard,Give me a field where the unmowed grass grows,Give me an arbor, give me the trellised grape,Give me fresh corn and wheat, give me serene-moving animals teaching content.Give me nights perfectly quiet as on high plateaus west of the Mississippi, and I am looking up at the stars,Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturbed.

Walt Whitman (1819-1892)Favorite Poems Old and New

(Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1957)

Please come to Brunch!On October 12, 19, and 26, our

worship services will be followed

by a light lunch. This is a chance

to enjoy each other’s company

and ask questions of Trustees and

Stewardship Committee members

about the financial needs, minis-

tries and future of our church.

See you there!