THE WOODFORDS BEACON
February 2018
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A MESSAGE FROM REV. TAMARA...
Calling All Crafters, Seamstresses,
and People-Who-Are-Just-Okay-with-a Pair-of-Scissors
Each year our Christmas Eve Pageant helps to usher in the holiday, not only for Woodfords families, but for folks in the community-at-large. This year one of these guests (whose family was in the midst of a tough year) remarked that the pageant had "finally made it feel like Christmas." What a lovely gift to share with our neighbors!
But while the spirit was strong, we noticed some of the costumes were badly fraying at the hems. With this in mind, on March 11th after worship, we would like to invite you to join us for a special afternoon we are calling:
Sew and Sandwiches.
We will provide the sandwich fixings, the costume patterns and the fabric, we just need your willing hands to help us turn out some tunics for future pageants.
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PASTOR PARISH RELATIONS COMMITTEE (PPRC)
Having healthy relationships between pastors and a congregation is vital to a faith community. Woodfords is blessed to have Reverends Carolyn, Jim, and Tamara who are always available and responsive to church members’ concerns. We also have a PARISH PASTORS RELATIONS COMMITTEE (PPRC) that acts as a liaison between our pastors and the congregation. Committee members will gladly convey your written and signed concerns to PPRC. The committee meets four times yearly. This year’s meetings will take place in early February, late April, early June, and early November. Meetings are held in complete confidence by all members of PPRC. Current PPRC members are: Matt Buzzell-Climo; Lynne Currier England; Pete Sampson; Fran Seeley. We look forward to serving as a sounding board for our pastors and congregation.
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COUNCIL NOTES
As this has been a busy time of year for all of us, we can report some projects/plans moving smoothly and some a bit slowly.
•Finances: we are ½ way (50%) through our fiscal year.
Revenue:
Pledges
are doing very well as we are 10% over budget year-to-date (ytd)
Plate &non-pledge offerings
are at 28% - we are below budget almost $20k ytd
Xmas offering & Fair & Fellowship dues
are down 20% or
$4k for the year
Our total revenue ytd is at 38% vs. 50% and our total expenses are at 45% vs. 50%. So the good news is we are 5% below budget with expenses and the bad news is we are 12% below budget with income. The Council is aware of this but not concerned at this time as there are some off-setting factors.
• Signage, the elevator, the re-do of the kitchen/bathroom are all in process and we will let you know when we have some solid dates/information on progress.
• Jeff Brewer’s covers for the electrical boxes on the walls of the church should be up soon – they are built and need to be installed.
•The Music group's new chairs will be here about Easter time. Their installation will be announced.
• The Council will be holding a Job Fair on 2/4 after church.
We will be looking for helpers and volunteers to help our church continue to be all we can be.
• A little birdy told me that the Directories with your photos/addresses will be at WCC in 4-5 weeks!
•Dates and teams for Budget & Stewardship committees are being set up and will be underway soon.
•Fiber Optic internet connection will be up and running at WCC very soon. This should help the staff operate more smoothly.
Just a reminder, you are always welcome to join the Council for it’s monthly meeting – the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 in the Lounge. Please let us know if you have a concern or idea you think we should consider/be aware of.
Robin Carter,
Moderator
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HEIFER FAIR
February 11, Following worship
Each year, when the days are short and the cold is most bitter, our Sunday School kids set to work with the intention of bringing the light of hope to people around the world. How, you might ask, can these little hands create such big change? Well, through painting, stringing, baking, folding, wrapping and felting, they create edible and visual treats. These lovingly made offerings will then go on sale on
February 11th
at our annual
Heifer Fair
and YOU (and you, and you and you....) will have the opportunity to amplify their efforts with your purchase power. Any and all proceeds will go toward buying livestock for families around the world. And, as if that wasn't enough, this is the gift that keeps giving. When the livestock produce young, they are then passed along to other neighbors in need. So mark your calendars for this celebration of light and hope!
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LADIES VALENTINES TEA
Feb.17th, 3-5 PM
All ladies young and young at heart are invited to the Ladies Valentines tea for some wonderful fellowship and goodies. All ages are welcome and bring any of your friends. Dress up is optional. There will be some Valentines crafts for the kids too. If it snows, there will not be a snow date to make it up.
Any questions call Pam Barrows at 207.892.4391.
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Submitting an article for the March Beacon?
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GRANT FUND - FEBRUARY OFFERINGS
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February 5, 11:00-1:00 pm -Communicating with Healthcare Providers
(Woodfords Room)
Bring a bag lunch and join us for this Lunch & Learn. This workshop will give you the insight and tools you need to participate as an effective member of your family member’s health care team. Strategies for
getting the information you need, as well as communicating to professionals will be discussed.The session will be facilitated by a trained caregiver specialist from the Southern Maine Agency on Aging.
February 23, 11:30-12:30 pm -
Grant Fund Lunch Club (Lounge)
Join us as we discover new flavors from around the world, and the neighborhood! Specific restaurant TBA. Cost $15.
Please RSVP for all Grant Fund events by contacting Rev.Tamara
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Gentle Yoga
This therapeutic class will help keep your body limber and spirit buoyant! Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor, Stephanie Abrams, has been teaching since 2001. She brings her clear love for the practice, an infectious laugh, and a deep respect for her students to her classes. Join her
Thursdays from 10:15-11:15 in the Lounge. Jean Koster can take payment.
Book Group
Led by Suzanne D'Bourget, this group meets the
first Wednesday of every month at 12:15 pm in the Parlor. The book chosen for the February meeting is:
The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy: A Novel
by Rachel Joyce.
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HOW ARE YOUR MISSIONS DONATIONS
BEING SPENT?
Many of you know that Woodfords has a target of directing at least 10% of our pledge donations to support Missions activities. In FY 2018, our Missions budget of $32,000 is to be directed to:
Our Church’s Wider Mission (UCC): $18,400
Project Feed: $2,000
Other food & hunger initiatives, including CROP Walk: $2,500
Programs to support New Mainers (ILAP, Hope Acts): $1,500
Family Promise (Affiliate support, host church supplies, and household supplies for program graduates): $4,500
Ongoing support for Maine Council of Churches, Preble St., Equality Maine and the Pride Parade, PROP, the Dinah Project, and Hospice / Gosnell House: $2,500
Based on prior years, our Congregation is projected to raise an additional $3,000 or more toward UCC "5 for 5” special missions offerings and $1,200 in Heifer Fair proceeds.
Also, though a current total is not readily available because of the frequent and ongoing requests being received this winter, we anticipate that Rev. Carolyn will disburse much of the $4,000 available this year in the Minister’s discretionary fund for pastoral concerns. This fund is used to support members of our community that are experiencing financial crisis and are used in a variety of ways, including partial rent, oil, or utility payments (paid directly to the recipient) or for food or gas. A portion of the proceeds from the SERRV shop (operated so capably by Jean and Sarah Wriggins this year!) are used to help replenish this fund. A generous anonymous donor also helps to stretch these dollars much further by providing small denomination grocery gift cards to help people in need—thank you, whomever you are!
In addition, there are some budgeted missions funds leftover, including some from prior years, that have not yet been committed to a specific purpose. In the coming weeks and months we will be asking for input on ways that these funds can and should be spent in support of our mission. Stay tuned to be part of the conversation!
Thanks,
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PORTLAND STRING QUARTET SUNDAY, March 18
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March 18, 10 am Worship
This year we will feature music from the oratorio Elijah. Composed by Felix Mendelssohn and premeried in London in 1846. The complete work depicts events in the life of the prophet Elijah as taken from Psalms and I & II Kings.
Singers who would like to join the choir for PSQ Sunday are invited to come to Thursday rehearsals from 7:00 pm to about 7:45 pm. We will begin rehearsals with the Mendelssohn so you can leave before we rehearse music for the intervening Sundays. Additional singers are required to attend at least 3 rehearsals.
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HAPPY FEBRUARY BIRTHDAY TO...
Virginia Debree 02/01
Lynne England 02/02
Henry Haile 02/02
Judy Swicker 02/03
Linda Mairs 02/03
Robert Jordan 02/05
Margaret Metcalf 02/05
Janie Young 02/06
Priscilla Hennessey 02/07
Carol Juliano 02/08
Marilyn Winward 02/09
Colton Nelson 02/09
Sue Ann Lord 02/10
Jessica Libby 02/10
Beth McKeeman 02/10
Ashley Chadbourne 02/10
Lana Johnson 02/10
Skylar Salvaggio 02/11
Eva England 02/12
Grace Callahan 02/14
Ernest Cressey 02/14
Joan Strout 02/14
Zachary Nelson 02/14
Olivia Wilkins 02/15
Stephen Smith-Erb 02/15
Jessica Gellar-Cote 02/15
Joan Moore 02/16
Matthew Suslovic 02/17
Laura Carten 02/18
Ann Babbitt 02/19
Helen Cleaves 02/19
Kathryn Harrison 02/19
Hannah Ciechomski 02/19
Sara Winward 02/19
Erin Chadbourne 02/20
Nathan Philbrook 02/21
Malcolm Macomber 02/22
Matthew Buzzell-Climo 02/22
Pamela Libby 02/23
Elaine Armstrong 02/24
Adrienne-Marie Wilson 02/25
Madison Hurley 02/25
Roger Bowker 02/26
Peter Rhinehardt 02/26
Martha Hamilton 02/26
HAPPY FEBRUARY ANNIVERSARY TO...
Charlotte and Robert Cuzner 02/20/1971
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FAMILY PROMISE NEEDS YOUR HELP...
We are gearing up for our next Family Promise host week February 25th through March 3rd! Family Promise gives us a chance to meet families from other cultures, connect on a new level with other Woodfords members, and provide a very meaningful service to the community. This will be our third week hosting and we continue to work out the kinks and become a well-oiled machine. The commitment from our Woodfords volunteers and the positivity and hard work they have brought to each week has been amazing!
Still . . . .We need more volunteers! Volunteers are at the church any time guest families are there (evenings and overnights), bring home-cooked food every night, and set up and break down the space that our guests live in. The more trained volunteers we have, the lighter the load becomes for everyone, and the longer we can sustain our participation in Family Promise. We're in this for the long haul!
If you want to volunteer at the church directly with the families, you first need to attend a 3-hour Greater Portland Family Promise training. The next one is Saturday, February 10th, 9:00-noon, at Hope Gateway Church, 509 Forest Ave.
Please contact me (Carol Swicker) if you have questions: 207-756-5875 or
cswicker@gmail.com.
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2017 PLEDGE/DONATION STATEMENTS
Statements for donations made during the YEAR 2017 are being sent by mail or email in early February. This statement shows a listing of all contributions received to support Woodfords. It also summarizes by Pledge for each of the Fiscal Years, and by each ministry donated to in 2017. If you have ANY questions about your statements, please contact Marc Hildreth at 774-8243, ext 110 (Marc is in the office on Tuesdays after 11 am) or
mhildreth@woodfordschurch.org
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WHERE IS WALDO...NO...WHERE ARE PAUL & REBECCA
...when it's not Sunday morning?
Rebecca has recently been employed by the Wallace Organ Company in Gorham, Maine. Managed by the father-son team of David and Nick Wallace, this local company is one of the foremost pipe organ restoration and building firms in the United States, specializing, since 1982, in the restoration and renovation of tracker (mechanical) pipe organs. Rebecca has been helping David tune pipe organs in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire and assisting Nick in the shop cleaning and renovating pipes and using woodworking skills to build toe boards and rack boards.
The current project is Wallace, Opus 78, a new organ for the Ancaster Canadian Reformed Church in Ancaster, Canada. Rebecca is hoping she will be included in the trip to install the instrument later this year.
Paul, recently retired after 40 years of teaching elementary music, has been employed by the Portland Conservatory of Music to direct the Boy Singers of Maine. This group rehearses at Woodfords each Wednesday afternoon. You may have heard them sing at the Downeast Fair in November.
Woodfords was one stop on their church fair tour.
This past month Paul began work with FOKO (Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ) as part of the organization's educational outreach program. He has presented Science and Sounds lessons in the Brunswick and Old Orchard Beach schools with 4th Graders. Introductory lessons about the pipe organ and J.S. Bach are also included in the program. Kotzschmar Junior, or KJr, a portable pipe organ built by the Wallace Organ Company in 2004, is transported to the schools to provide a hands-on experience for the students. Woodfords choir member Elsa Geskus is Chairperson of the Kotzschmar Education Committee, and has provided strong leadership in the development and implementation of this educational program.
Other interesting news - The Woodfords Music room has become a temporary home for Wallace Opus 73, a beautiful positive organ, designed and hand built by Nick Wallace. Rebecca and Paul are planning a demonstration event to share more information about the pipe organ. Details to follow soon!
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WOODFORDS CHURCH OFFICE HOURS
Tuesday - Friday, 9 am - 3 pm
207.774.8243
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