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THE WOODFORDS BEACON
September 2017
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Pastor's Column
Living into the Change
That Is Already Here
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These days I frequently read in “church growth and renewal” literature that the church must realize that change isn’t something about to happen—change is already here and congregations better start dealing with it. Usually the writers are referring to the huge changes that have occurred and continue to take place at an ever-increasing rate in the larger culture and among younger generations. Woodfords has been encountering and endeavoring to navigate these tumultuous waters of change for some years now, and we know that new times will require new ways of being church and doing ministry if we want to stay faithful to our calling as God’s people in and for the world.
But the type of change I want to focus on in this column is the one already taking place in our congregational life right here, right now. There are several new beginnings and initiatives happening in our midst, and the question they put before us is how we can live into these changes creatively and fully. A few examples:
Our new Director of Intergenerational Education and Engagement, Tamara Torres-McGovern
We have a gifted new staff person who is ready to re-imagine with us new possibilities and opportunities in our ministries with the young and with seniors. What creative new ideas might Tamara offer us? Are we willing to try things that are different from the way we have done things in the past? Are we willing to risk being experimental, realistically expecting that not everything we try will be a success?
Our new ecumenical Youth Coordinator, Katie Holickey
Of course it is great news that Woodfords has re-invigorated its program for its youth by hiring a new youth coordinator, but in addition, the new model that it adopted for accomplishing this is innovative and promising. Woodfords is working cooperatively with three other congregations to serve the youth of all four churches. As churches grow smaller and budgets get tighter, cooperation and sharing are fruitful ways to move forward in ministry.
Our New Family Promise Ministry
Woodfords has recently concluded its first week of hosting Family Promise guests, and things went extremely well, thanks to careful planning and coordination on the part of Carol Swicker and others, and to the donation of goods and services by our many Woodfords volunteers. Woodfords will be hosting families as our guests four times a year, working with many other churches to make this ministry work.
Let’s celebrate these new things in our midst and find ways to encourage and support them.
Shalom,
Pastor Annette
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CALL TO MEETING
Woodfords Church Annual Meeting
Sunday, September 17
The annual meeting of Woodfords Congregational Church will take place after worship in Memorial Hall.
_________________
SEPTEMBER 17 - HOMECOMING SUNDAY
ANNUAL MEETING & LUNCHEON
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FOR ALL MEMBERS:
Please join us in Memorial Hall after worship for the Annual Meeting and lunch. For those who would like to help out with the luncheon, please see the sign-up poster in the Narthex or contact Pip Hennessey at
piphenn@gmail.com
. There are opportunities to provide food/drink or help with set-up, sandwich making, or other small jobs.
FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL FAMILIES:
Please join us for Homecoming Sunday on September 17. After a summer of adventure, this is a great time to reconnect with your Woodfords Community. We will gather for worship where Rev. Tamara Torres McGovern, our new
Director for Intergenerational Engagement and Education,
will offer the Children's Message. Downstairs we will join with friends and teachers to talk about the year ahead, paint faces, play games and watch the
Balloon Dude
create amazing, twistable balloon magic!
After worship ALL are invited to stay for lunch and the Annual Meeting. During this time young members can eat and then KEEP HAVING FUN!! There will be supervised games and ice cream during the meeting. We look forward to welcoming back all of the congregation's children and starting our school year as a community.
Themes for the Fall:
Whether personal, family or cultural, we all encounter moments of struggle in the face of change. This fall we will explore God's enduring LOVE in times of trial through the story of Moses. From enslavement in Egypt, through the desert time of uncertainty, into the promised land, this story challenges us to listen for God and to rely on community, no matter what life brings.
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Time is getting close for the 2017 Casco Bay CROP Walk. We hope you are considering joining your friends and family for this fun event on October 15 at 1 pm. There will be a walk around Back Cove to raise money to feed the poor in the Portland area and those around the world. Also there will be a food drive to help Project Feed. Come enjoy the fun activities that will be available along the course. The walk will be held no matter the weather. Please see Robin and Bill Carter for information regarding registering to walk or making a donation or pledge to those who do. We are attempting to raise $15,000 for the cause. Please Help Us!!!
Thank You for your support!
The CROP Walk Steering Committee
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COTTAGE MEETINGS
Hey, whatever happened to those cottage meetings
that were supposed to take place this summer?
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From Pastor Annette: The short answer is that I decided not to hold them, but I want to explain why I made this decision, and there were two major reasons:
#1. Pastor Carolyn had envisioned cottage meetings that Rev. Jim Fletcher and I would lead during her absence that would help to prepare folks for the changes that assuredly lie ahead and would help them to develop the personal and spiritual resources they will need to navigate change successfully. But she also made clear that she wanted to be present herself with the congregation and its leaders to identify specifically what those changes should be and to plan for them. As someone trained in the specialty of transitional ministry, I can affirm wholeheartedly that such a partnership between settled pastor and congregation in determining future steps is the only healthy way to proceed. In my judgment, many people at Woodfords are ready to proceed to the “let’s identify and plan next steps” stage. I believe those conversations should await Carolyn’s return.
#2. Rev. Jim and I met early in June to begin planning the cottage meetings, and we soon determined that the summer was the wrong time to hold these meetings, for the simple reason that very few people would attend them. Initially Jim and I decided that we should wait to hold them until September, when those who had “taken the summer off” were back at church and able to participate. But September is the startup time for many of our programs at Woodfords: Christian Education, Grant Fund programs, the new youth program, as well as our Annual Meeting. And we will already be gearing up then for the October CROP Walk and the October round of Family Promise guests. I consulted with our new church Moderator, Robin Carter, and she agreed that it would not be helpful to try to shoehorn into the busy September schedule a bunch of cottage meetings. Robin and I want to allow people to fully engage and participate in the exciting things that the church is doing in September, and we thought it made better sense to reserve the cottage meetings for a more relaxed time in the church calendar.
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HISTORY, MEMORY AND MEANING
In light of the events in Charlottesville a cultural conversation has arisen around the symbolic meaning of monuments in both our history and our future as a nation. What is being commemorated through these statues? How does their presence impact the ways we remember?
This, in turn, got me thinking about the symbols in our churches: the art of the walls, the stained glass in our windows, even the traditions we pass on from one generation to the next. What monuments do we, as Christians, surround ourselves with? How are certain people and events depicted? What do they commemorate? How do they impact HOW, WHAT or WHO we remember?
Rev. Tamara
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Submitting an article for the October Beacon?
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MESSAGE FROM THE WORSHIP COMMITTEE
The central place of worship in the Congregational tradition has continued at Woodfords in the slower paced months of the summer as in the rest of the year. Voice and instrumental solos and group musical expressions continue to make important contributions to our weekly services, and ushering, greeting, and diaconate groups supplement pastors, boards, counselors, visitors, and committees in guiding daily outreach and Sabbath services. The visible evidence of the important and varied volunteer actions taking place this summer reminds us all that worship at Woodfords requires and depends much upon our members stepping forward to manage the diverse functions of worship in our Church tradition. As the pace of worship quickens this autumn within the Church as well as
our larger community life, let us reflect upon and then choose to contribute to the coming year’s worship experience by volunteering for service on one or more of the numerous boards as well as choral and other musical groups.
Respectfully submitted from the Worship Committee of the Church Council
Allan Whitmore, Chair
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HAPPY SEPTEMBER ANNIVERSARY TO...
Coury & Elizabeth McGlinn (3)
Edward & Phyllis Campbell (4)
Gregg Ritter & Carolyn Bird (5)
Kevin & Mikayla McKee (12)
Thomas & Renee Newman (13)
Betsy & Dennis Gervais (13)
Catriona Shepherd & Jim Haller (13)
Thomas & Constance Smith (14)
James & Kathleen Helming (15)
Maret Freeman & Edmund Ashley (21)
Flynn & Michael Ross (25)
Michael & Rochelle Hale (28)
Sue Ann & Peter Lord (28)
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September 8, 11:30-1:00pm- Visioning for the Future (Memorial Hall)
Are you 65 or older? Maybe you have been a regular participant in Grant Fund activities. Or, perhaps past offerings haven’t piqued your interest. Either way, this is your opportunity to help shape the future of this program. Ballroom Dance Lessons? Bird Watching on Tap? Kayaking at the Audubon? Farm to Table Dinners? Classical Concerts? Join Tamara and Jim to talk about your hopes and dreams for dynamic future programming. Oh yeah, and there will be ridiculously delicious pizza from Otto’s. So come. You won’t be disappointed.
October 1, 11:30am-12:30pm- Annual Flu Shot Clinic (Cloister)
Every year, the influenza vaccine is modified to fight new strands of the virus predicted to arise that year. This is an excellent way to both protect yourself and the people around you! Bring your Medicare card, Supplemental Plan card or other insurance. For those without insurance, the cost is $30.
October 6, 9:30am-2:00pm- Fall Foliage Trip to Wolfe’s Neck Farm
Wolfe’s Neck Farm is an organic educational farm on 626 oceanfront acres in Freeport. We will take a bus to the farm where we will enjoy an engaging History Hay Wagon Tour. Following the tour we will savor some of the flavors of the farm as we share lunch. There will also be an opportunity to tour the barns and visit the animals. The cost for this trip including transportation, tour and meal is $15 (scholarships are available for anyone with financial need). There are only 28 spaces available so RSVP to Rev. Tamara ASAP!
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October 13, 11:30am-1:00pm
–
Serenade and Sandwiches (Memorial Hall)
Come enjoy the musical offerings of
Monique Barrett
, whose style is described as haunting, spiritual, rootsy and honest. With elements of Americana, bluegrass, gospel and folk, Ms Barrett will play a nostalgic set of ballads and sing-a-longs. Lunch will be catered by
Rose Foods
, a newly opened New York Style Deli on Forest Ave, specializing in everything from Pastrami to Lox!
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NEW THIS FALL!
Grant Fund Lunch Club:
Travel and Leisure magazine ranked Portland one of
10 Best Cities for Food in the United States
. Bon Appetit calls it
America’s Foodiest Small City
. Huff Post calls it one of the
15 Most Restaurant-Crazy Cities in America
. People come from far and wide to sample the offerings at local restaurants like Eventide, Pai Men Miyake and Empire. In addition to Portland’s many nationally acclaimed eateries, the city also boasts an impressive number of restaurants owned by New Mainers: Ameera Bread, Mini Mogadishu, Luis’ Arepera, Ginza Town, Essan Thai, Red Sea and more.
If you have culinary curiosity but are overwhelmed trying new restaurants on your own, join the
NEW Grant Fund Lunch Club
! Each month we will savor a new flavor. The cost is $15 per person, per lunch. Anonymous scholarships are available for anyone who is interested but unable to commit to the expense. Interested? Email Rev. Tamara at
ttorresmcgovern@woodfordschurch.org
Let’s get together to taste the town!
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ONGOING OFFERINGS
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. Hundreds of classes (and three adorable children) later, she continues to experience yoga as a tool of both restoration and refinement. 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; first session will be Thursday, September 7.
Jean Koster can take payment.
Book Group:
Led by Suzanne DBourget, this group meets the
first Wednesday of every month at 12:30 pm in the Parlor
. Books will be chosen at the
first meeting, Wednesday, September 6.
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MUSIC NOTES
Opportunities for Music Ministry at WOODFORDS
THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM FOR MORE!
There’s plenty of room for more voices to join the
Chancel Choir
in all sections (soprano, alto, tenor, bass). Some knowledge of music is helpful, though not required. We’re not looking for great voices with years of training. We do ask that you be able to carry a tune and blend your voice with those beside you. Singing in the choir does involve a commitment to the group, but it’s a great group of people who love singing together. No one is able to attend all rehearsals or sing at all worship services so we are flexible about working with people who have other commitments from time to time.
The
Woodford Ringers
needs 2 or 3 new ringers to strengthen their ranks. Youth as well as adults are welcome. Sara Wasdahl rang in the choir for two years and said it really helped her music reading ability and timing. Initially these people would be used as substitutes. We often have members who must step away from the table due to other commitments and we need people who can step in and take their place.
The
Youth Choir
rehearses on Sundays after worship. This is a group of enthusiastic singers in grades 3 – high school. It is a great way for youth to be involved in the life of the church and to develop poise and self-confidence.
A Free Trial Membership!
Anyone who is interested in singing or ringing, but not quite sure about their ability or level of commitment, is welcome to attend a few rehearsals. See how you like it. There are no monthly fees and/or long-term contracts.Come join us - give it a try. Let us know of any leads out there!
September Music Calendar
Sept 7 (Thursday)
6:00 pm, Weekly rehearsals resume for the Woodfords Ringers Handbell Choir
7:00 pm, Weekly rehearsals resume for the Chancel Choir
Sept 17 (Sunday)
The Chancel Choir sings in Worship
Sept 17 (Sunday)
Weekly rehearsals resume for the Youth Choir
(in the Music Room, following worship)
Hymn Requests
This summer we began compiling a list of hymns that members of the Woodfords’ community have suggested including from time to time in our worship together. Many of these suggestions were used in our worship services this summer.
So far, we have collected over 30 hymns and we would like to add to the list. What are your favorite hymns? You can suggest hymns for this list by:
· Filling out a 3x5 card in the pew rack and putting it in the offering plate
If the hymn is in Hymns of Truth and Light, please include the title and hymn number.
If the hymn is from another source, please include the title and tune name.
Coming Soon…
Woodfords Family Orchestra
Rehearsals for the Woodfords Orchestra, which plays during Advent and Christmas season, will be announced in the October Beacon. Dust off those horns, tune those strings, and begin practicing your scales. All skill levels welcome, 6th Grade through Adult. Invite a friend and/or neighbor to join us in this adventure at Woodfords.
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THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
A very sincere and hearty
THANK YOU
to the many musicians who shared their talents in our summer worship at Woodfords Church:
- The Hale Family- Rochelle, Michael, Calvin, and Simon,
- String Quartet: Susanna Adams, Eleanor Lehman, Kathy Anderson, Robert Enman
- Maine Blend: Rhee MIchelle, Director
- Harold Stover, Tim Hartsfield, organists
- Thomas Kremser and Sarah Sukeforth, trumpet
- Mitch Rosengarten, vocalist
- Peter Lord, saxophone
- Rebecca Schnell, vocalist
- The Women’s and Men’s groups from the Woodfords Chancel Choir and congregation
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PILGRIM LODGE --- LAST CALL!
If you haven't registered and want to attend the Sep 8-10 Pilgrim Lodge weekend, please contact Carol directly at 207-756-5875 or by email at
cswicker@gmail.com.
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HAPPY SEPTEMBER
BIRTHDAY TO...
Charlotte Cuzner (1)
Molly Johnson (3)
Coury McGlinn (4)
Stacey Dand (5)
Nancy Meiners (5)
Ellen Snyder (5)
Phyllis Stickney (7)
Deb Smith (8)
Elizabeth Johnson (9)
Constance Cushman (11)
Samuel Fries (11)
Tom Campbell (12)
Grace Wolfe (12)
Asher Kane (13)
Linda Nye (14)
Margo Halverson (16)
Andrea Schmearer (16)
Jessica Wolfe (16)
Lillian Porter (19)
Gail Pentheny (24)
Phil Lucas (27)
Tom Smith (27)
Howard Skillings (28)
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GET READY FOR THE
DOWN EAST HOLIDAY FAIR!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
The
Down East Holiday Fair
is the
Saturday before Thanksgiving,
November 18th, 2017.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
We need team leaders for the following (we have heard from several people wanting to help):
* Snack Bar
* Balsam Wreath Sale
* Book Room
* Pantry
* Crafts
* Music
* Decorations
* Volunteer Coordinator
(COULD REALLY USE THIS)
I am hoping that we will have a few more returning team leaders? You all did such an awesome job last year. Now, don't panic, some of these are a matter of making phone calls and some coordination, others - a little more. Co-Team leaders are always welcome. Don't want to be a leader but very interested in working on the planning of one of these? Well, we can sign you up.
If we could get half the congregation to donate 2 hours that day, WOW! What a day that would be. No one will forget Woodfords! Amen!
DONATIONS NEEDED
Jewelry – Been a while since you cleaned out the jewelry box? IT’S TIME! We need lots of jewelry so ask your teenagers, your family and your friends. We all have a pair of earrings(or two or three) that we just never wear, call us – we’ll come pick it up!
Woodfords’ Treasures – HUGE Success last year. As you continue your spring cleaning into summer and then in my case, into the fall, if you find anything appropriate, give us a jingle. We were able to secure an area to start storing donations, so it isn’t too early. This is intended to be an “upscale” yard sale so donate accordingly.
Silent Auction – Back last year for its best year ever! Think about what you might donate, an item, a service, tickets, gift certificates, it doesn’t have to be anything expensive or fancy. All items are welcome! Item that are always popular are
vacation cottages, camp, cabins, timeshares
…… Please consider sharing your home away from home for a week or long weekend.
Christmas Treasures – Returning again for the third year, this has been such a huge success and what a great way to "dispose" of those old decorations, cards, lights, etc, Come and see what a beautiful Christmas Boutique gets created with everyone's donations.
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TWILIGHT IN THE PARK
Saturday, September 23 at 6:30 pm, Deering Oaks Park
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Hundreds of people will gather in Deering Oaks Park for a unique celebration honoring and remembering those who have brought light into our lives. If you have suffered a loss in the recent past, Hospice of Southern Maine would like to extend a personal invitation to join them at Twilight in the Park. The event is open to anyone in the community, whether or not their loved one died under the care of Hospice of Southern Maine.
At twilight, thousands of luminarias are lit, each one bearing the name of your person being remembered. You may wish to dedicate a luminaria in memory of your loved one, or perhaps in honor of someone who made your hospice journey richer. Or, you may just want to come and take in an experience that we hope will become a tradition for you, your family and friends. I hope you will join us. Many find this evening to be a profound and transformative experience and a positive step in the process of healing.
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NOTES ON THE ECLIPSE OF AUGUST 21
Today I write at the peak of the solar eclipse here in Maine. A curious mix of the moon’s shadow and low clouds have obscured the sun here on the Maine coast, but in other parts of the country, communities have been completely enveloped in darkness at midday. It is a profound, humbling and historic event: according to scientists, today’s eclipse will go down as the first total solar eclipse whose path of totality stayed completely in the United States since 1776. It reminds us that in relationship to the vastness of the universe, we are very, very small. But it also reminds us that we are infinitely linked, connected and interconnected to all that is.
But, as awe-inspiring as it has been, it pales in terms of the much greater darkness that has enveloped our nation. The darkness is palpable and real and it has a name, in fact it has many names: violence, racism, hatred, evil. As UCC General Minister and President, the Rev. John Dorhauer, has written, “What we saw on display in Charlottesville, Va. on August 11 and 12, 2017 was a hatred unworthy of our nation and an assault on the sanctity of our common life.”
We’ve seen such hatred and evil before yet we’re also contemporary witnesses to the courage and compassion of justice-seekers who have said “NO!” to such evil - not just with words but with actions. We know what can be accomplished in the name of justice, compassion and love when we choose to stand and work together. We have the benefit of many of our ancestors in faith – those in our own denomination and those of other faiths - who have chosen to put their lives on the line and work together for the sake of compassion, justice, equality and peace. And as people of faith in this time and this generation - followers of the radical, relentless, justice-seeking Jesus of Nazareth - we cannot simply wring our hands and wonder, “What’s next? Who will help?”
It’s up to us: we need to stand up, we need to speak out, we need to act.
We need to use our individual and collective voices to speak up against hatred, racism, anti-Semitism, white nationalism, homophobia and all other forms of injustice and oppression that live and breathe and act in our midst today no matter where they emerge. We need to link our arms and our bodies together in an infinite chain of solidarity that declares “Hatred will not win.” As Rev. Dorhauser said,
“ We [can] not be silenced... we need to be undaunted in the face of a seemingly intractable evil … and present ourselves in the face of this evil with courage, conviction and with passion.”
Many years ago, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy… Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” But he also said: “I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.”
I believe that, too.
I also know that love, like faith, by its very existence, is active rather than passive. It’s up to us to be the hands, the feet, the heart and the mind of Jesus, in a world that is torn apart and needs to be enveloped - not in darkness - but in the light of God’s “radical and relentless” love for all of us.
The time is now. The work is ours to do.
Rev. Carolyn
August 21, 2017
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THANK YOU ALL FOR A SUCCESSFUL
FAMILY PROMISE WEEK!
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After months of planning, organizing and anticipating, we had a wonderfully smooth and successful week hosting Family Promise guests during the week of August 6th! Our two guest families each had two parents, an infant and a 2 year old, and they came from Morocco and Angola. About 50 volunteers contributed meals, fellowship and muscle to creating a welcoming space for our guests.
A special thank you to Amy Johnson for all her work in dealing with the many issues of donations, storage, safety and space, to
Louise and Rev. Jim for their work before the week cleaning out storage space, to Louise during the week for keeping the space clean for our guests, and to Liz and Steve Gray who came every evening to replenish breakfast and lunch supplies. This is truly a project that offers a role for anyone who wants to participate, regardless of age, time commitment, or interest. Even our youngest volunteers, Jude and Deva, made a huge contribution by playing with the children.
Woodfords will host Family Promise next during the week of October 15th-22nd. If you would like to get involved in any capacity, please email or call me so I add you to our communication list. Our support congregation Missio Dei covers all meals and volunteers on Tuesday and Wednesday and Woodfords covers all other nights. If you want to volunteer in a capacity directly with families, you'll need to attend a volunteer training first: see the list of trainings below. Volunteers for meal preparation, set-up and break down do not need to attend volunteer training.
TRAINING DATES IN SEPTEMBER:
Tuesday September 5, 9am-12pm, HopeGateWay, 509 Forest Ave
Tuesday September 12, 5:30-8:30pm, Westbrook Warren UCC
Wednesday September 13, 5:30-8:30pm, First Congregational Church, South Portland
Wednesday September 20, 5:30-8:30pm, St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, Westbrook
Trained volunteers are also needed at the Day Center at YMCA every day from 6:30 am to 5:00 pm. Please contact Sara Ewing Merrill if you can help out (
sara@greaterportlandfamilypromise.org).
Thank you everyone for your efforts!
Carol Swicker
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RETURNING
FOR THE FALL...
Grant Fund Book Club - September 6
Grant Fund Yoga - September 7
Tai Chi - September 12
Woodfords Knitters - September 13
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