THE BEACON
Woodfords Congregational Church
June 2019
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THANK YOU!
I would like to express my deepest and sincerest thank you for the presentations and warm wishes received during and following worship last month. I knew there was to be a cake during fellowship but had no idea about the special recognition during Children’s Time and was even more surprised and moved by the Chancel Choir’s singing of John Rutter’s “Deep Peace” at the conclusion of the service.
The cards, gifts and personal words of appreciation were warmly given and gratefully received. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to serve the Woodfords Church community these past five years.
Thank you again,
Rebecca
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A CONFIRMATION CELEBRATION
We are looking forward to the confirmation of 11 young people this Sunday, June 2 during worship - four from HopeGateWay and seven Woodfords' youth. Join us after the service in Memorial Hall for a celebration of the confirmands and their new membership in the church. If you would like to contribute a dish for the party, we would appreciate it. Please contact Pip Hennessey to let her know what you are bringing at piphenn@gmail.com. Thank you and see you on the 2nd!
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WE ARE WOODFORDS!
We are Woodfords! is a monthly series of mini-bios featuring Woodfords friends and members. There are so many great folks doing important works in big, medium and small pieces right here at 202! And it all comes together to become the unique community that is Woodfords. Our hope is that these mini-bios will give each of us some new insight into members of our community. In time, we also hope to create a photo and bio bulletin board display, thus giving folks who visit our building a chance to get to “know us” better. Questions: check in with Barbara @ thomsonbg@aol.com
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When I think of Woodfords member Joanne Bartlett, I think of her sitting on the left side of the sanctuary, often with a friend. For many years, that friend was Charlotte Hurley, fellow member of the TIF (Together in Faith) Bible Study Group which met weekly at Woodfords. This group offered Joanne and Charlotte, and a very strong group of Woodfords women, Bible study and personal and family support for more than 20 years. (The group reluctantly disbanded in recent times.) Often small groups of church members and friends are the way we live into our faith; Joanne speaks to this when she says that the hardest thing about working full-time as a elementary school counselor was giving up her participation in the TIF group.
Joanne and her husband Gayton came to Woodfords in 1980, although she says before that it was her father’s church. Once their children Laura and Alan came along, she quickly got involved in the Mothers Group, a play group, TIF, Sunday School and Pilgrim Lodge. While I can quickly write down these groups, I can also stop and imagine all that Joanne brought to them. Her counseling skills, her hard work and her caring and inclusive attitude would have made her a sought-after member of any church group.
Woodfords connections to Pilgrim Lodge and the opportunities these offered to Joanne and her family led her to years of service there: as a summer camp counselor and a Dean, (with daughter Laura also on staff at times) and as a member of the Outdoor Ministries Committee of the Maine Conference.
Now that their children are adults with families of their own, Joanne continues to make a difference at Woodfords as an usher, working at the Downeast Fair, and participating in Grant Fund activities. You may have noticed that she (and a few others) recently sent you those thoughtful and prayerful letters about Stewardship at WCC. Remember those 800 eggs that got stuffed and hidden for our children recently. Joanne also helped make that happen!!
Joanne spoke gratefully about the support Woodfords gave both their son, Alan, and their family when Alan went in to the Marine Corps where he served 2 deployments in Afghanistan and 2 in Iraq.
And the gratitude certainly goes both ways: we appreciate and honor Alan’s service and that of his family.
No surprise that Joanne loves being a grandmother these days, nurturing and enjoying Emma and Grace, and newly arrived Sophie, daughters of son Alan, and his wife Lauren, and grandsons Sam and Ben, sons of daughter Laura and her husband Brad. The best part: all these wonderful grandchildren live close by!
Joanne also talked about participating in one of the CPR meetings and mentioned the need to promote our church, its work and its members. May we all live into the opportunity to be Woodfords ambassadors!
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WOODFORDS CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
The rising cost of higher education is a significant challenge facing young people today. The good news is that Woodfords has been given a resource to help defray, in some small way, this financial burden. Through the legacy and generosity of this congregation, Woodfords is able to offer educational scholarships to help students realize their potential. Typically,
Woodfords Congregational Church Education Scholarships
range between $800 and $1,200.
To be considered for a
Woodfords Congregational Church Education Scholarship
, applicants must:
- Be m
embers or children of members or people who are regularly involved with our church
- Be accepted to an accredited college or postsecondary institution in fall 2019.
- Complete and submit the scholarship application by
June 30, 2019
Those awarded a
Woodfords Congregational Church Education Scholarship
will be notified of their award no later than July 31, 2019.
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GRANT FUND
If you are 65 or older this year and a member of Woodfords Church, you are automatically a part of the Grant Fund! This means you are eligible to participate in the many opportunities for fun,
fellowship, growth and spiritual engagement that the Grant fund offers.
For more information, please reach out to Rev. Tamara Torres McGovern, our Director of Intergenerational Engagement and Education:
ttorresmcgovern@woodfordschurch.org
.
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PORTLAND PRIDE JUNE 15
JOIN THE PARADE!
Woodfords is proud to be participating in the Portland Pride Parade again this year, marching in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ sisters and brothers. The parade will starts at 1:00 PM this year (later than in years past) in (and around) Monument Square. Please save the date for now and stay tuned for details on where/when we will be lining up. Please contact Matt Rosengarten with any questions at
buzzclimo@gmail.com
. We look forward to seeing you!
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DEVOTIONAL SUGGESTIONS FROM
THE WOODFORDS CHURCH DEACONS
Beginning each day with prayer, meditation, or reflection centers us and enables to embrace all that the day brings us. “The Upper Room” daily devotional publication that you’ll find in the Narthex is an excellent source of such a practice. It can also be found on line along with the following devotional sites. Just sign up and you’ll receive devotionals in your email box - they're free!
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SOLVE THE MYSTERY...
This is an old photo of current members of Woodfords Church...
Any idea who they are?
We'll give you the answer in the next Beacon!
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Looking Ahead:
Pilgrim Lodge
Change and Opportunity
Many of us have enjoyed our annual fall weekend at Pilgrim Lodge. It has been a time of bonding, friendship formation, fun and spiritual exploration. Chilly mornings in front of the fire, warm sun on shoulders, the brave ones enjoying final days of swimming in the lake, quiet walks in the woods or along the labyrinth, cozy conversation with friends on the porch or over a meal... But as people's lives have become increasingly busy, the attendance has gone down and the work of planning has fallen to an ever-smaller group of volunteers. And yet, we have been unwilling to give up this special experience, knowing the impact it has had on our church relationships, and especially on our kids (Rev. Tamara notes that 70% of the Woodfords Scholarship essays this year mentioned Pilgrim Lodge as a central site where our church youth experienced God and forged their sense of spirituality!)
But where there appears to be a door, God so often provides a window. And in this case, the questions about Pilgrim Lodge have been transformed by a new opportunity! The Maine Conference of the UCC will be offering two Homecoming Weekends at Pilgrim Lodge. We WILL have to share the space... But, we will ALSO get to enjoy the experience of someone else taking the lead. The meals will be provided, activities will be offered by PL staff (though we can also have our own break-out experiences), and we will most likely make some new friends. While families can choose to attend on their own, we are hoping to gather a gaggle of Woodfords folks-- a critical mass that can both enjoy the new amenities and keep our Woodfords traditions alive!
Here is a rough schedule for the weekend:
Friday
5:00 arrival
6:00 - dinner in dining hall
7:00 - campfire welcome and opening of the weekend with music
Saturday
7:15 - Morning Watch
8:00 - Breakfast in dining hall
9:00 - Activities with church groups; Lodge is open; waterfront is open
12:00 - Lunch
1:00 - Activities offered by camp staff and church members - will be planned ahead of time - for all ages - some activities may be guided hike, work project directed by PL staff, arts activities for children and adults, boating lessons at the lake, ice cream time at the store
6:00 - cookout
7:00 - all camp activity
8:00 - all camp worship
After worship - story time in fireplace room in Lodge for young children; glow-in-the-dark frisbee tournament or campfire with jam session
Sunday
7:15 - Morning Watch
8:00 - breakfast
9:00 - Choice of planned activities or waterfront
11:00 - all camp closing worship
12:00 - lunch and good-bye!
Registration details (including cost) can be found at the link below. We have
scholarship funds available
for families who would like to attend but find the cost burdensome.
Looking forward to seeing many of you there!
Rev Tamara
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COUNCIL NOTES FOR MAY
The Council met May 21st from 6 to 8:45 p.m.
Ministry Team Meetings
: The 3 teams met – Resources, Spiritual Growth and Worship – and most of our energy went into what is next for each group re our work with The Center for Progressive Renewal.
Council Meeting
: 6:45 to 8:45 p.m.
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The Center for Progressive Renewal
: Update – the 3 areas we are working on:
Pastoral (Amy Johnson-lead) search committee /profile of WCC and defining on-going staff;
Creating Community & Outreach (Joanne Frederick-lead) our website, marketing, connecting with the community around us etc.;
Right sizing our facility (Teri Coviello-lead) necessary repairs & improvements to our building, including security & signage; Mission Partners- what space does WCC need/want.
We truly want you to help us on this busy agenda – please let us know where you would like to help and we’ll be asking as well.
•
Two Votes
: The Council voted to accept the recommendation of the Personnel Committee on a few changes to Paul Schnell’s contract and pay as he takes on Rebecca’s additional work; we also accepted Scott Belanger’s retirement from the Investment Committee, with thanks, and the addition of Jeff Jordan to this committee as of July 1
st
, 2019.
•
Finances
: We are 83% through FY’19 and total expenses are at 85% and income is at 63% because we have not drawn from our investments (a practice we have held to so that we can allow the funds to grow throughout the year and wait until we need a transfer). Pledges (87%), other plate & fundraising (99%) and Mission Partners (rent) (86%). So we are looking very good.
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Audit
: Jane Frey reported that the audit has not progressed due to her not receiving information she requested & needs. A new request has been made, will be followed up to insure the audit will move forward and be completed by the end of the fiscal year -6/31/19.
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Building
: Further security measures are at the top of our list for the building. We will also be installing a framed cover for the outdoor entrance for Seely Hall. It will be installed in July and will keep most of the snow, leaves and rain out of the stairs so they can be used year round.
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Stewardship
is close to completion; we are still anticipating additional pledges and are praying we meet our budget number of $215k. As of 5/21 we are at $142,683 or 66% of budget. Please consider pledging if you have not already done so and thank you if you have.
• Council members
: We have 2 new WCC members who are attending Council as they learn about our finances for when Jeff Jordan retires as Treasurer on 12/31/19.
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CLUB 56
&
YOUTH GROUP
ACTIVITIES IN JUNE
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Submitting an article for the July/August Beacon?
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HAPPY JUNE BIRTHDAY TO...
Cecilia Ritter 06/04
Kathleen Helming 06/05
George Crockett 06/05
Alexandra Nye 06/06
Jane Hunt 06/07
Matthew Smith-Erb 06/07
Patricia Wilbur 06/08
Michael LaPlante 06/08
Mary Bonauto 06/08
Elizabeth England 06/08
Alden Sawyer Jr 06/09
Madison Ross 06/09
Kristen Crean 06/10
Carolyn Bird 06/10
Betsy Gervais 06/10
Robert Newman 06/10
Maya Lucas-Huff 06/10
Beth Lunt 06/12
Fred McKeeman 06/12
James Helming 06/13
Gregory Goodspeed 06/13
John England 06/15
Abigail Kate Gervais 06/16
William Carter 06/16
Norma Salway 06/17
Emily Segal 06/18
Rochelle Hale 06/18
Lorraine Canterbury 06/18
Leslie Ouellette 06/20
Betty Lou Jones 06/21
Elizabeth Gray 06/22
Elizabeth Humphrey 06/22
Iris Walter 06/23
Phil Haskell 06/23
Sadie Rhinehardt 06/23
Victor Cote 06/24
Peter Sampson 06/24
Lindsay Ross 06/24
Constance Kent 06/25
June St. Lawrence 06/25
Carol Carpenter 06/25
Bradley Belanger 06/26
Jude Swicker 06/28
Robin Carter 06/29
Bradley Belanger 06/30
Benjamin Spiller 06/30
HAPPY JUNE ANNIVERSARY TO...
Janet & Robert Stewart 06/27 55 years
Peter & Marjorie Sampson 06/15 51 years
Nicholas & Elaine Nadzo 06/21 50 years
Gregory & Nancy Goodspeed 06/18 49 years
David & Susan Clark 06/10 47 years
Bradley & Deborah Belanger 06/16 46 years
Jonathan Doughty & Anne Wilder 06/18 14 years
Meghan & Kurt Graser 06/24 13 years
Peter Rhinehardt & Karen Verdelli 06/06 11 years
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Join us for Portland's newest favorite tradition! The 2nd Annual Little Sea Folk Festival is happening June 8, 2019 from noon until 11 pm at the gorgeous Woodfords Congregational Church in Portland, Maine!
We're thrilled to have a day of music, dance, craft, food, community, and more, all celebrating a wide range of Celtic traditions that found their way to Maine.
Information and tickets can be found at
littleseafolkfestival.com.
Day Festival programming starts at noon and includes 6 concerts, 6 workshops, 4 music sessions (jams), 2 dance lessons, 1 Irish céilí dance, lectures, and more.
Full Festival programming includes all of the above plus a MainStage gala concert featuring this year’s headliners
The April Verch Band
, and
Josephine County
! Children 12 and under are admitted free of charge to all Little Sea events with an accompanying adult. Bring your whole family and let's have some fun!
WOODFORDS MEMBERS: Woodfords Congregational Church members are invited to use an exclusive discount code to receive 15% off of all ticket levels when purchased in advance. This offer is only for advance purchases and cannot be applied at the door on the day of the festival. Enter WOOD202 at checkout to claim your discount.
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PROJECT FEED - LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS
Project FEED, the food pantry in Woodfords Church, is in need of volunteers who can lift boxes of cans of food or sacks of potatoes and corn, for example, and are available at random times during the day during the week. As well there are times when we have need of someone with a pick-up truck, who is willing to go somewhere nearby for a delivery of similar items. Please send an email to
askprojectfeed@gmail.com (preferred) or leave a phone message at 761-3920 with your name and contact information and THANK YOU!
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Woodfords Summer Church Office Hours
Tuesday - Friday, 9 am - 1 pm
207.774.8243
info@woodfordschurch.org
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