THE BEACON
Woodfords Congregational Church
July & August 2019
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CONGREGATIONAL CONVERSATION UPDATE
Congregational Conversation on June 9 regarding Search for New Pastor:
To keep everyone up to date on the work the Council is doing, here is the update on our Congregational meeting that took place June 9 following the service. Amy Johnson provided clarity on the two types of interims (Intentional Interim and Designated Term Interim) and recommendations that CPR provided, given our work with them. (As you all know, we will continue through out our pastoral changes to counsel with CPR.) Fifty people stayed for the conversation and as we did not need a vote, Amy took a straw poll and it was almost 100% in favor of the plan she (the Council) offered. Amy also asked if there were any present who felt unsure and then any who were not in favor and no one raised their hand (maybe too uncomfortable to do so). It was clearly a strong vote in favor of Designated Term Interim. Next Amy read the names of the Search Committee and that was well received. So far, the names of the Search Committee include: Tom Campbell, Mitch Rosengarten, Elaine Armstrong, Barbara Thomson, Molly Johnson (youth representative), Jeffrey Jordan, and Janet Stewart. We are awaiting word on the last member. If you have any questions, contact Amy Johnson or Robin Carter.
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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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I wonder how many of us came to Woodfords originally because of someone whom we knew and admired or enjoyed being with. It’s probably our best “form” of evangelism. This brings us to the work connection between Janet Peterson and Jess Gellar, a relationship that led Jess and Victor Cote to bring their toddler twins Audrey and Amelia to Woodfords Church and our nursery almost ten years ago. Being real “can-do” folks, both Victor and Jess soon became helpers in the nursery almost as often as they went upstairs to worship. Victor notes that worship, plus being involved in the nursery, led them to move beyond just coming on Sunday morning to becoming “voting” members.
It wasn’t long before Audrey and Amelia left the nursery and became a part of Sunday School that Jess was soon a regular in the teacher rotation. And while I don’t think I ever saw Victor’s name on the teacher rotation sign-up, he was always ready to lend a hand and to this day can absolutely be counted on to assist with a craft or other activities or to vacuum up the glittery remains of the activity of the day. Jess also took on being Superintendent of Sunday School several years ago when Ellen Smith-Erb retired, keeping us all on track with creative crafts, inspiration, food, supplies, support and much more. (An easy sentence to write; a busy and multi-faceted job for sure!) Victor notes that their family enjoys the connections they have made with people from diverse backgrounds and from a variety of local communities. He says they also stay because they believe that it is important to have exposure to a variety of belief systems and that the Sunday School program does a great job of exploring beliefs and rituals from not only Christianity but also other religions.
In last few years, Woodfords has focused more seriously on building security and Victor has been an important part of that effort officially known as the Safety and Security Team. Whether it is Sunday morning sweeps of the building, training mission partners, tenants and members, or chatting with an unexpected visitor, Victor has been an important part of the team of volunteers who serve as focused eyes and ears through our large facility.
When not at church, you may find Jess busy with her latest sewing project, working in her garden or teaching as an Assistant Clinical Professor at UNE in their College of Dental Medicine. Victor is a Crime Scene investigator with the Portland Police Department. Amelia and Audrey recently finished 4
th grade in Falmouth and enjoy crafts and other activities in our Sunday School program, music in worship and Pilgrim Lodge weekends!
The Gellar-Cotes hope that Woodfords grows its involvement in a variety of programs and activities. “Whether it is helping to hide eggs, flipping hundreds of grilled cheese sandwiches or teaching in Sunday School, these are the things that make us feel a part of a community.” And they look to the likely changes that are in our future as bringing new energy and enthusiasm! Amen to that from all of us!
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CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IS MOVING UP!
The CE Team is excited to announce that we will be doing a trial run of something different this fall: Sunday School will be meeting from time to time on the first floor!
The current plan is to provide a “face lift” (a coat of fresh paint) to the current Reading Room and SERVV shop. Some of the furniture in the Reading Room will be stored temporarily and kid friendly furniture will be moved in. The library will be refreshed and temporarily relocated to a more accessible location where we hope it will gain more use. The SERVV shop will also be moving into a more visible spot in the Cloister. Depending on our activities and class sizes we will use the Reading Room, Library, Cloister, and Lounge as breakout spaces. The SERVV shop will be piloted as a nursery space.
Our intention is to bring our kiddos upstairs to keep them visible and closer to their families. We also hope that it will provide opportunities for more connection between the congregation and the wonderful work our Sunday school children do.
These changes are in the spirit of our new mission with CPR: trying to experiment with new ideas and be a little more flexible. We are also very aware of the fact that the new spaces may not work for the CE mission and are prepared to reassess the pros and cons after the fall. If it’s not successful for the congregation AND the CE mission, we will leave behind a nice new coat of paint.
We realize there may be questions and concerns, and we also would like to enlist a few volunteers to help decide on a temporary location for the library.
We plan to have an open meeting after worship on July 7, 2019. If you are unable to make the meeting, please contact Matt Rosengarten at
buzzclimo@gmail.com TO SHARE YOUR INPUT.
We are so excited about this new venture and look forward to sharing it with you!
The CE Team
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SPECIAL MUSIC THIS SUMMER!
As the choirs take a break from the regular Sunday schedule, we are looking for volunteers to provide music for worship during the summer months. Instrumental or vocal groups, soloists, and duets are all welcome. For more information or to volunteer, please email Paul at
music@woodfordschurch.org.
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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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A HUGE PRIDE THANK YOU!
Thank you SO MUCH to all who showed up and marched with us during the Pride Parade, and an extra special thank you to those who helped plan and prepare. We are so excited for next year and hope to expand our participation.
Thank you again! - Matt Rosengarten
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SUMMER WORSHIP
IN THE CHAPEL
During the last two weeks of July and the first two weeks of August, our regular Sunday morning summer worship will be held in the Chapel. Many members expressed having a close, wonderful feeling when we worshipped there on the Sunday after Christmas and so we have decided to try and recreate that intimacy this summer.
The ambience of this special worship space is another hidden jewel at Woodfords church. We hope you will join us in the Chapel on Sunday mornings for prayers, music and scripture.
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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...
Many of you knew right away who the mystery family was and others had no idea!
They are Barbara and Gordon Thomson
and their daughter Sara!
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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 JUNE
The Council met June 18, 2019 from 6:30-8:30. Council members present included: Joanne Friedrick, Pip Hennessey, Amy Johnson, Brent Wooten, Adrienne-Marie Wilson, Robin Carter, Jeffrey Jordan, Steve Gray, Matthew Buzzell-Climo, and Rev. Carolyn Lambert (Ex-Officio). Council members Amy Segal and Suzanne D’Bourget were not present. Other participants included: Rev. Tamara Torres McGovern, Susan Bassi-Brown, and Carol Krohne.
Ministry Team Meetings: The 3 Ministry teams (Worship, Resources, and Spiritual Growth) did not meet this month, as much of the groups’ work is being focused on the specific Center for Progressive Renewal project initiatives. (See other Beacon section for details.)
Current Year Finances: Jeffrey Jordan reviewed the May financial statements with the Council. We are 11 months into FY ‘19 (92%), and total expenses overall are on target at 92% of budget. Income for the May statement was at 68%, but will adjust higher with the investment transfer scheduled in June. Rental income and other revenue sources were on track, although current year pledges were still lagging a bit. (If you’ve not yet fulfilled your pledge for FY ‘19, please do so as soon as possible, and thank you!)
Financial Audit: Robin Carter reported that Jane Frey has received all of the necessary documents to begin the audit work, so that report is expected later this summer.
Mission Partners Advisory Council (MPAC): This group, led by Teri Coviello, was formed to help the Office Manager develop policies and procedures, and deal with various building and space issues, that impact the organizations that rent space at Woodfords. Teri reported on the overall progress the group had made over the last few months, and the lease status of several specific partners.
Asylum Seekers: Rev. Lambert reported on the numerous activities surrounding the recent influx of asylum seekers into Portland. She stressed the need for all organizations statewide to be involved, and spoke of the various efforts in which faith organizations are involved, or could be. The UCC Conference is establishing a fund to support the needs of this community, and the Social Action & Missions group will be looking into how WCC might best provide financial support for this cause out of the Missions budget.
Stewardship FY ‘20: Robin Carter reported that although our total pledges for the upcoming year have increased from $147K to $183K in the past month, we are still at about 85% of our budgeted $215K for FY ‘20. (Please consider pledging if you have not already done, and thank you if you already have.)
Council Votes: The Council heard two proposals and voted in support of both. 1) The Council voted to allocate up to $10,000 to fund the expenses related to the interim minister search, taken from the Operational Reserve Fund (currently at $108K). Any funds not used would be placed back in the Reserve Fund. 2)
The Spiritual Growth Ministry Team, which oversees Christian Education and the SERRV shop, presented a proposal to host Sunday School activities on the first floor from time to time this fall (see related article) in response to safety and visibility concerns raised in the CPR discussions this spring. This would require minor paint and carpet improvements to the Reading Room and SERRV shop, re-positioning the SERRV shop items for greater visibility, and temporarily relocating the Library to a more accessible location. Discussions have already taken place with those individuals most impacted, and all indicated this could be an improvement for a number of reasons. Work would be completed over the summer for the fall activity. It was noted that this was an ‘experiment’ to see if it worked as anticipated, with the option to revert back to the original locations if it did not.
If you have questions, feel free to reach out to any Council member. All Woodfords members are welcome to join the Council meeting each month, unless the group goes into Executive Session. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 16, 6-8 pm.
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CPR UPDATES
Search Committee
The Search Committee tasked with looking for a three-year “designated term” Senior Pastor has been assembled and convened its first meeting on Wednesday, June 19. The team members are: Mitch Rosengarten (Chair), Elaine Armstrong, Tom Campbell, Jeff Jordan, Molly Johnson, Janet Stewart, and Barbara Thomson. Among many other topics, the Team discussed the need to have ongoing input from the Congregation and intends to hold monthly information meetings in the Chapel after Sunday worship. Keep an eye on the weekly announcements for dates, or be in touch with any member to ask questions!
Creating Community Task Force
The Creating Community Task Force met with Gregg Carlson of CPR during his visit to Woodfords in May with a two-fold purpose: Explore ways to continue to build community and engage individuals within Woodfords, and consider means by which we can expand our reach and visibility outside the church’s walls. The group, which is made up of various Council members, church members and staff, is now in the process of prioritizing its goals as short-, mid- and longer-range projects. The second meeting of the task force, including a video call with Gregg, took place Thursday evening, June 20. Further information on specific projects and opportunities for Woodfords’ members and friends to get involved will be coming—so stay tuned!
—Joanne Friedrick, Creating Community Task Force chairperson
Rightsizing our Space Task Force
The Rightsizing Task Force has met three times, two with Gregg Carlson from CPR. We have defined our task as re-envisioning what the building(s) can be and making suggestions for improvements and changes to the space. We have divided our work into four categories: definitions and philosophy of the space (mission/values/name/etc); upgrading and preparing the space for its best use (infrastructure and security upgrades); running the Parish House (temporarily called "The Center") in a sustainable, independent way (administrative needs/budget/etc) and working with Mission Partners. Our initial discussions touched on the separation between Woodfords Church and The Center and shared values for what the Center should be. Our next steps are to continue to refine our vision of The Center and to focus on the specific building improvements and security upgrades that need to be done. If this is a topic that interests you, please contact the chair of the task force, Teri Coviello, at tcoviello@woodfordschurch.org to discuss ways you can get involved.
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WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS!
Woodfords joyfully celebrates the addition of 13 new members to the congregation. Their personal statements and photos are below. If you haven't met all of them, please be sure to say hi and introduce yourself at the next service, church event or coffee hour!
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Mary Anne and Bob MacMath
We were both raised in Upstate NY and met in Rochester in the late 60's where we subsequently married. At the start of our life's adventure, Bob, having just finished college in PA, was then given his 1A military classification during the turbulent Vietnam War years. We survived this, but his career and desire to be an educator was sidetracked. Numerous jobs ensued while we both struggled and explored our own career choices and moved far too many times. Bob was working in the publishing industry in Buffalo when he was offered a promotion and position in New England, which subsequently brought us to Portland in 1973 where we finally put down roots. In retrospect, this was probably a very good fit for us as we may have been far too liberal for some of our family members.
Mary Anne continued to work in Medical Management, and Bob subsequently opened his own publishing consultancy practice. Our first son, Keller, arrived in ‘79, and our second, Alex, in ‘87. As they say... practice makes perfect! Mary Anne switched careers to the non-profit sector working in finance and found that both her head and heart were now engaged in rewarding work. Bob also switched careers to financial planning and investments and continued to do this for another 30 years or so.
Now that we are retired, we are busier than ever, and are still trying to finish rebuilding our 3rd home and hope we live long enough to finish its many projects. Bob's hobbies are reading and fishing, and Mary Anne's are cooking and gardening. Having survived many challenges and heartbreaks within our marriage, we look back with pride and gratitude for each other and our wonderful sons. Our two grandchildren bring us immeasurable joy! We are truly convinced that our senses of humor kept us grounded during many turbulent times. So to celebrate and parallel the highs and lows of our long relationship, we will be making an anniversary trip to the UK in Sept and return in Oct to commemorate our 50th Anniversary with our first Sky Dive! To quote Bob....only the good die young, ...so we should survive this jump! We look forward to continuing our spiritual journey in this wonderful church community we have found, and are anxious to now jump in here and serve in any way we can. We indeed feel blessed and enriched to be part of this church's membership .
Nancy Joan Emmons
Nancy was part of Woodfords Congregational Church from birth. Her father was a deacon and her parents made certain Nancy and her siblings attended Sunday School. Nancy was a member of choir, Youth Fellowship and Senior Fellowship until her family moved to Massachusetts in 1967. A few years later, the Emmons family moved again, to North Olmsted, Ohio. Nancy worked as an administrative assistant in Cleveland until 1995, when the opportunity to move with her cats to Salem, Massachusetts and work in Boston came up. She lived in Salem until two years ago, when she retired and returned to Portland with her two cats Daisy and Daphne. All that has been missing was to reconnect with Woodfords Congregational Church.
Carol A. Griffith
I was born and raised in VT. I graduated from USM with a B.S. in Business and Economics. Some fun things about me: I worked at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics, spent some time with Muhammad Ali at his training camp in PA, a segment of a television show was filmed at our home with me having a cameo part, and my love of travel and adventure has taken me to: NZ, Australia, China, Alaska and beyond. I volunteered for years for the Portland Refugee Resettlement Center as an ESL tutor and American friend. I enjoy trying new restaurants, going to plays and musicals and meeting new people. I am recently widowed with no family here in Maine, so I long for a church family. I have two special stepdaughters, a son in law and five grandchildren living in the Boston area.
Carryl Krohne
Carryl was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and grew up in the Evangelical and Reformed Church. She has lived in many different places depending on where her husband Paul’s or her jobs took them. Paul died of cancer a few years ago. She has two sons and two grandchildren. One son Eric lives in Portland and the other son and grandchildren are in Framingham, MA.
Her degrees are in education, but her skills are in nonprofit organizational management and fund raising. She has held many jobs in the United Way system. While on the move she always benefited from being a church member. She’s been a moderator, vice moderator, treasurer, trustee chairman and involved in Stephen’s Ministry and religious education. She’s also had many experiences as a community volunteer, including being a school board chair. Finally, she’s very active internationally in her women’s fraternity, Kappa Alpha Theta.
Her involvement here has been in Bible Study and Grant Fund activities. She has agreed to be co-treasurer beginning in 2020.
Victoria and Alberto Morales
Victoria and Alberto met when they were 18 and living in the same dorm --- 26 years ago. Following the guidance of the Jesuits at Boston College, and subsequently the Paulist Center in Boston where they were married, they moved to Portland, Maine and started their family. They are the proud parents of Silvio, Willa, and Lucas, whom you all know very well through confirmation, youth group, Sunday School, and the Christmas pageant.
As a family, they started coming to service at Woodfords when they were pregnant with Lucas. After auditing the service for almost nine years, and now that Silvio completed his confirmation, the entire family is ready to officially be members of Woodfords. The true reason they are ready is because they love you all and the spiritual guidance and community you have shared with them all these years. They spent eight years searching for a church in Maine that is accepting and welcoming of all people, focused on social justice and peace, and has great music and kids’ programs. They found that home here at Woodfords.
(Photo: Silvio, Victoria, Lucas, Alberto, Willa)
James “Jeff” Brown
Jeff grew up in Stonington, CT, on his father's farm which had turkeys, dairy cows, sheep, and various crops to feed the animals. Jeff is the oldest of five siblings, all of whom went to the Congregational Church of North Stonington. After high school, Jeff went to Cornell University, then Tufts Medical School, then volunteered to go to Vietnam as a flight surgeon, and afterwards, married Jae and then was posted to Germany for three years as a partially trained internist and aviation medical officer. Jeff returned home with Jae and three children. When he was discharged from the Army, Jeff became a resident in pediatrics at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence. Three years later, he opened his pediatric practice in Westerly, RI and lived in Stonington in a house on his father's farm. He was a pediatrician for more than thirty years, and then retired to become a physician in the Dept. of Defense Military Entrance Processing Station, MEPS, where he still works full time, now in Portland ME.
Jeff likes to be called Jeff, not Jim. Jim was the name his dad used. There were four generations named James Franklin Brown. He is the IV. Before him were I, II, and III.
Stacey Knight
I left the Catholic Church as a young adult and developed a bitterness toward anything Christian. Throughout my life, however, I kept feeling a spiritual tug. There were times when I felt a oneness with the universe. Usually it was when I was communing with nature. Avoiding Christianity like the plague, I dabbled in other more secular religions. I settled for being agnostic.
In the last few years, my life has been going through a series of transitions. I have come back to my native Maine after many years away and am in the process of formally finding myself. During this process, I have felt strongly guided back toward a spiritual center. I decided to read the Gospels for myself. What I found there was very different from what I had been taught. I revisited Christianity because I liked the message of Jesus.
When I first stepped back into a church again a couple years ago, I actually had a panic attack. I wanted to follow Jesus but I still saw so much that I couldn’t reconcile myself with. I was still hearing the message that if you don’t accept Jesus as your personal savior, you will never see heaven. I also have many LGBT friends who are hated and judged for being how God made them. I couldn’t accept that. I couldn’t make a decision to follow Jesus if it meant that I would be walking around in a dark world where the majority of its inhabitants were doomed to an eternal existence worse than the holocaust. This didn’t make sense to me. Jesus spoke of love and forgiveness and grace.
My journey brought me here to Woodfords and to the support of Carolyn where I have managed to find peace with my beliefs. Here I can follow Jesus not out of fear but simply because I want to and choose to. I still feel very awkward and shy in church and with God but I’m finding my way.
Kathy Robbins
My husband and I are transitioning into the next chapter of our life journey. We both retired from our jobs in Ohio and moved to Maine last July to be with our daughters and their families that live here. After our move, I knew I wanted to find a church family. As my Dad said long ago after Dale and I got married and moved away, find a church home and you will find friends and fellowship. I visited Woodfords church and immediately felt it was a great fit for me. I find common ground with Woodford’s message, music and the warmth of the congregation. I am looking forward to becoming more involved with church activities while on my spiritual journey and getting to know you all better!
Thank you for welcoming me,
Barb Klegin and Tricia Gilbert
Barb Klegin moved to Maine in November 2017 from Cleveland, Ohio with her wife of 21 years, Tricia Gilbert. Barb is a self-described foodie, who loves to explore new restaurants and new places in general. She loves travel, biking, hiking, and beach walks. When she isn’t doing one of those things, you can find her working in Capital Markets at Mortgage Network in South Portland. Barb will be joining today by letter of transfer from Amistad Chapel, in Cleveland.
Tricia Gilbert will be joining today also through a letter of transfer from Amistad Chapel. Tricia, loves photography, biking, travel, and golfing. Tricia is an ordained UCC minister within the Cumberland Association and has spent most of her 23 year career working as a Chaplain She is a US Army veteran and has a variety of talents and interests. She and Barb are excited to be joining the church and look forward to meeting the members of Woodfords UCC Church.
Erin Foley
Erin has lived in Maine for almost two decades, but just moved to Portland last weekend.
She loves all of the creative and performing arts although she's a self-proclaimed jack of all trades and master of none!
She's been coming to Woodford's since last fall, enjoying Sunday services and helping at Sunday school. She's excited to spend more time in fellowship and service with the Woodford's church family.
Erin works at UNUM and has two daughters. Katie, 23, lives in MA and Willow, 21, lives in Orono ME. Willow just graduated with a degree in economics and is planning to move to Canada for graduate school in August.
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HAPPY JULY & AUGUST BIRTHDAY TO...
Bill St. Lawrence 07/01
Constance Smith 07/05
Harold Sprague 07/05
Asher McCambridge 07/05
Grace Belanger 07/06
James Fletcher 07/07
Bethany Campbell 07/10
Alec Troxell 07/10
Megan Campbell 07/10
Stephen Gray 07/11
Sally Serunian 07/13
Joanne Bartlett 07/16
Tove Pranger 07/18
Janet Stewart 07/19
Joanne Bingham 07/20
Casey Mahoney 07/22
Mary Emerson 07/22
Sydney Girsch 07/23
Bruce Canterbury 07/23
Elizabeth Allen 07/23
Charles Melcher 07/24
Lily August-Brown 07/30
Robert Frey 07/30
Linda Anderson 07/31
Calvin Hale 08/03
Chloe Murray 08/05
Robert Crean 08/06
Rebecca Barrows 08/08
Anne Jordan 08/10
Rachel Beyer 08/10
Lori Campbell 08/11
Esther Coyle 08/11
Paula Fletcher 08/12
Brad McCurtain 08/12
Maret Freeman 08/14
Charlotte Murray 08/14
Emma England 08/14
Judith Flaker 08/15
Martha Baldwin 08/15
Gerard Moore 08/16
Barbara Sawyer 08/16
Silvio Morales 08/17
Nicholas Nadzo 08/17
Deborah Nelson 08/17
Camille Nelson 08/17
Robert Meader 08/17
Mary Jeton 08/18
Vahan Tufankjian 08/19
Simon Hale 08/19
Barb Klegin 08/20
Milo McCambridge 08/20
Robert Burt 08/21
Nathaniel Johnson 08/22
Johanna Koster 08/23
Abigail Belanger 08/24
Hannah Dionne 08/25
Alison Troxell 08/26
Iain Kurry 08/27
Owen Carten 08/27
Catriona Shepherd 08/27
Emily Py 08/28
Flynn Ross 08/28
Erin Mahoney 08/29
Laura Fries 08/31
HAPPY JULY & AUGUST ANNIVERSARY TO...
Carl & Rachel Beyer 08/15 66 years
Leon & Joan Strout 08/15 66 years
Allen & Joanne Bingham 07/14 63 years
Edgar & Betty Lou Jones Rev 08/11 63 years
Gordon & Barbara Thomson 08/17 56 years
William & Susan Doughty III 08/14 48 years
Barry & Susan Nelson 08/21 48 years
James & Paula Fletcher 07/01 47 years
Robert & Carol Carpenter 07/07 46 years
Robert & Pamela Meader 08/11 46 years
Alan & Linda Nye 08/05 41 years
Robert & Jane Frey 08/21 37 years
John & Lynne England 08/03 34 years
Thomas & Lori Campbell 08/31 34 years
Karin & Jorma Kurry 07/01 24 years
Charles Melcher & Margo Halverson 08/26 24 years
Kristin & Jason Hurley 07/05 22 years
Amy & Scott Segal 08/01 21 years
David & Elizabeth Humphrey 08/20 20 years
Jessica Gellar-Cote & Victor Cote 08/03 17 years
Thomas & Margaret Vire 08/20 14 years
Fred & Beth McKeeman 08/27 14 years
Laura & Brad Fries 07/09 8 years
Barb Klegin & Tricia Gilbert 07/12 5 years
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WOODFORDS CHURCH
CORNERFEST 2019!!
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Mark Your Calendars!
Woodfords Church CornerFEST2019
Block Party and Open House
WHEN? Friday September 27 Rain or Shine!
WHAT TIME? 4:30 to 7:30pm
The Friends of Woodfords Corner and Woodfords Church are teaming up again for the Friday evening street festival. Our place will be buzzing with artisans and crafts people, music and entertainment, food vendors, and more! Many of our “Mission Partners” in our building will be again participating, and sharing what they do in our community.
This is the time for our church to be an integral visual part of the local community ---by attending, participating, and volunteering! A new committee has started to organize this very unique opportunity for us to be in the neighborhood center.
Over the next few months, we will be asking for volunteers to help up with the many tasks that made this wonderful event possible last year ----
So VOLUNTEER early -------- and get the best jobs!
We’re looking forward to another exciting adventure in our Woodfords neighborhood.
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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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CHURCH WORLD SERVICE
Many of you know that Woodfords Church serves as the "kit depot" for CWS in Maine. This means that for two days in the spring we accept deliveries of emergency kits from churches all over Maine and then these kits get picked up by the CWS delivery truck for storage until needed. It is a very smooth process that goes well because of the wonderful work of CWS staff and Woodfords' volunteers. Many thanks for Judy Blanchard, Pam Barrows and Joanne Bartlett who have staffed the depot over the past few years. We recently received a thank you and a story about how these kits help others from our CWS coordinator...
I just wanted to send a thank you to Woodfords once again for all your hard work this year being a Kit Depot! I wanted to share a very powerful story with you.
Recently, there was a tornado outbreak in Dayton, OH and CWS sent supplies in response. Because of your help and support, we were able to do this! Without Kit Depots, we wouldn’t be able to respond to natural disasters in the way that we do. It is so encouraging to know that CWS has faithful congregations, donors, and coordinators who help make the CWS Kit program possible.
Thank you so much for your generosity and kindness, we couldn’t respond to emergencies without you.
Please, feel free to share this with your congregation or organization.
With gratitude,
Sam Fore
Congregational Outreach Specialist
Church World Service
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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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