September 2022

A Letter from Alyssa

The Past is the Future …

September is a time of new beginnings. For students and teachers, it marks the arrival of a new academic term. For many nonprofits, it kicks off a new program year. And in the Northern Hemisphere, it ushers in a new season marked by cooler weather. This year, the autumnal equinox will arrive on September 22.

Here at Woodfords, September also marks the anniversary of a new institutional beginning. On September 4, 1872, representatives from Congregational churches in Cumberland County gathered for an important ecclesiastical council. (“Ecclesiastical” is a fancy adjective that means “related to church.”) Five months earlier, supporters of “the new Congregational meeting house at Woodfords Corner” had gathered at 5pm on April 14 to dedicate their newly constructed building to “the worship and service of God.”¹

By all accounts, the April gathering had been “an occasion of joy and deed satisfaction.” But Woodfords Church wasn’t fully born yet. Yes, its original building had been completed and dedicated … but the people who gathered within that building’s walls had not yet been recognized as an official Congregational community of faith.

At the ecclesiastical council that took place on September 4, Woodfords’ sibling faith communities in the Cumberland Conference of Congregational Churches of Maine voted to extend the hand of Christian fellowship and approve the state’s newest Congregational congregation. Having garnered this important endorsement, Woodfords Church was warmly welcomed into the Conference as an equal peer. 

It's important to note that our ancestors in faith in the Congregational/UCC tradition purposefully chose to make collaboration a crucial aspect of church life. Even today, a new church in our denomination can’t start up in isolation. Similarly, an individual cannot be ordained or serve as an authorized minister in the UCC without first gaining the approval of a wide collection of local churches. It’s not enough for a denominational leader or a person’s home church to believe that a person is called to authorized ministry. Instead, an individual seeking ordination must appear before an ecclesiastical council (there’s that phrase again) that is comprised of representatives from a variety of peer congregations. In front of the council’s gathered body, the candidate for ministry answers questions about theology, life experience, and different circumstances and scenarios that pastors confront. A potential clergyperson may only be approved for “ordination, pending a call” after satisfactorily addressing these questions and receiving a majority of “yea/approve” votes from ecclesiastical council representatives.

150 years ago, Woodfords was birthed out of collaboration and community. I believe that they must guide us into the future, as well. Over the course of my time with you, I have seen Woodfords lean into collaboration in ways that provoke hope and optimism. Together with State Street Church and Williston-Immanuel United Church, we have developed a Tri-Church initiative that has hosted a pastoral intern and offered intra-church family and youth programming. Together with our UCC and ecumenical siblings in faith, we have sponsored outreach, mission, and justice activities that have provided us with opportunities to feed hungry people at Preble Street and create meal kits for thousands of Ukrainian refugees. Working together with other local church pastors, I have responded to requests for direct aid and assistance that would have been impossible for Woodfords to address in isolation. And together with Community Housing of Maine, we are exploring how mission partnership can create powerful, meaningful change in individuals’ lives and address the crisis of a lack of affordable housing for elders. 

Collaboration and community. They’re Woodfords’ past, and they are its future. In my estimation, Woodfords has the potential to become a model for churches across the nation. When we collaborate with others, we magnify our impact and accomplish much more than we could ever achieve alone. When we invite God into our communal efforts and recognize the Holy as a helpmate, the power to create positive change is magnified beyond our wildest imaginations.

In faith,

Rev. Alyssa

¹These historical reminiscences and quotes come from “The Building of the Church,” a semon that the Rev. Cornelius Edwards Clark preached at Woodfords on April 12, 1942, the 70^th anniversary of the church’s dedication.

September 11: Homecoming Sunday Will Celebrate Woodfords’ 150^th Anniversary and Our Elders

Join Us for This Special All-Ages Event

Woodfords will celebrate Homecoming Sunday on September 11. The morning will feature inspiring worship music, a special time for children, the unveiling of Woodfords’ 150th anniversary quilt, fun guests and surprises, and a big post-worship party to celebrate Woodfords’ elders and sesquicentennial anniversary. We hope to see you there!

Worship with the Narrative Lectionary

This autumn, Woodfords is trying something new. Rev. Alyssa and Paul are using the Narrative Lectionary (NL) in worship planning. The Narrative Lectionary is a four-year cycle of scripture readings that serves as an alternative to the older, three-year cycle of the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). Developed over the last 12 years, the Narrative Lectionary has been adopted by churches of myriad denominations across the nation and around the world.

On the Sundays from September through May each year, the Narrative Lectionary texts follow the sweep of the biblical story, from Creation through the early Christian church. The lectionary readings showcase the breadth and variety of voices within Scripture. They invite people to hear the stories of Abraham and Sarah, Moses and the prophets, Jesus, and Paul. The stories in the Narrative Lectionary tell of hope and disappointment, suffering and redemption. In all these varied contexts, we find God dealing with the complexities of human life. Stories from the gospels differ each year, avoiding repetition and highlighting what is distinctive about each gospel’s telling of the story of Jesus. As Woodfords experiments with the Narrative Lectionary in upcoming months, we hope that listening to the many different voices within Scripture will enrich our communal worship and lives of faith.

Call to Congregational Meeting - Sept. 18

The Council of Ministries is pleased to report our approval of the Personnel Committee’s recommendation regarding Rev. Alyssa's future with Woodfords Congregational Church (see below).

We have scheduled a congregational meeting in the sanctuary on Sunday, September 18 immediately following the worship service where we will hold the official vote on calling Rev. Alyssa as our next settled pastor. Virtual attendance and online voting will be offered, with specific instructions to be provided in the week prior to the meeting.

Personnel Committee Motion:

"The Woodfords Church Personnel Committee makes a unanimous recommendation that the church move forward with a settled call for Rev. Alyssa Lodewick.

Over the course of several months, the committee has gathered reflections and thoughts from the congregation regarding Rev. Lodewick’s ministry during the first 27 months with Woodfords. We have also collaborated with Rev. Lodewick on a formal review of her designated term ministry during this time. The committee makes its recommendation based upon the following:

• Rev. Lodewick has demonstrated calm leadership during multiple significant crises in the church over the last 27 months.
• Rev. Lodewick has grown into her call to parish ministry during this time: she is open to and incorporates feedback and has especially shown growth in leading worship.
• Rev. Lodewick’s administrative skills and support of lay leadership has been foundational in navigating the challenges of the last two years and will continue to benefit the church in the changes we navigate ahead.
• Rev. Lodewick has deep appreciation for Woodfords history and traditions as well as a willingness to incorporate new ideas and innovations as we move into the next 150 years of our work as a people of God.

Respectfully submitted,

Joanne Friedrick, Barbara Thomson, Cathy Keeley, Tom Campbell and Matt Rosengarten"

Save the Date - Strawbery Banke

Friday, October 7

Enjoy a scenic bus ride to Strawbery Banke, Portsmouth, NH. Stop for lunch on the way and then enjoy all that the historic site has to offer. Details and sign-up later in September.

Strawbery Banke Museum is a vibrant nearly 10-acre campus dedicated to bringing 300+ years of American history to life through dozens of historic buildings on their original sites, heirloom gardens, hands-on traditional crafts, and engaging costumed roleplayers sharing the experiences of those who lived and worked in the waterfront neighborhood of Puddle Dock.

Music, Music, Music!

Join in the fellowship and fun on Thursday nights this Fall with MUSIC at Woodfords Church! 

We are so blessed with many talented musicians within our community, and there is always room to include more participants in our ensembles.

We have openings this Fall in our Handbell choir, and plenty of seats available in the Chancel Choir loft.  Beginners are always welcome! 

The Woodfords Ringers rehearses on Thursdays at 6:00pm, and 

the Chancel Choir practices at 7:10pm in the Music Room.

Fall rehearsals will begin on THURSDAY September 8 

For more information, contact Paul at music@woodfordschurch.org. 

Woodfords’ 150^th Anniversary:

The Women Of Woodfords

The famous quote: “Behind every successful man is a woman” could be extended to say behind every successful church is a group of dedicated women, or so it was for Woodfords Church. While the men labored in building the first church, the Ladies Circle (seen here in 1902), formed in 1866, donated $100 to help buy the land ($800) and then were busy making cushions, curtains, etc. for the new church.

The beautiful grandfather’s clock in the lounge was a gift from the Ladies Circle in 1920. Two other women’s groups were formed around this time. The Missionary Society and Woman’s Association focused on missionary work and benevolences.

The oldest organized women’s Bible class at Woodfords Church was the Vose Class (shown below), named for Ida Vose Woodbury, a famous missionary worker in the country, a member of Woodfords and the sixth cousin of Abraham Lincoln. Created in 1905, the group continued until 1965 and at one time had more than 200 members.

Of all the Women’s groups at that time, the Fox Class was one of the oldest. In the fall of 1899, Mary Fox took her adult Sunday school class and formed the Fox Class. Mary continued to teach this class for more than 30 years. The group donated to the building fund and donated the first organ in the new chapel. The Fox Class disbanded in the 1990s. The Roger Deering painting, “New England Summer,” which hangs in the cloister, was a gift from the Fox Class.

In 1912 the Whatsover Class was founded by Mrs. George Kern, which also was a Bible study group for young women. The beautiful hutch in the lounge was a gift from the Whatsover Class. 

In 1931 several women’s groups including the Ladies Circle and missionary groups consolidated to form the Women’s Union. It became a type of work group with emphasis on missions tasks. They made layettes, quilts and children’s clothing that were sent to Church World Services. The Union members made aprons and manned a booth at the Downeast Fair.

In 1943, Mary Stiles and Elizabeth McAfee sensed a need for a Bible study class for young married and single women, many whose husbands were away in the war. They encouraged Katherine Kern to teach this new class called the K.D. Class (Kappa Delta). The group grew from 12 to 35 members in the first year. In 1986 they merged with the M.I.T.S group to form KD Mitts. The M.I.T.S name comes from Maintenance, Individual, Task and Service. The MITS worked several booths at the church fair but also focused on mission projects, like helping Pineland Hospital and the Bruce Roberts Fund. The white bench in the cloister was a gift from the KD Class.

Because there were so many individual women’s groups, Rev. Frederick Thompson asked Avon Oakes to organize the Women’s Federation, which oversaw all groups and managed the financials. The Federation was among the first contributors to the Shalom House with a $1,000 gift. The Federation disbanded in 1985.

In 1986, many young families were coming to Woodfords. The Mothers Group was formed as a social group for moms to get out of the house and have their children play together. They created a cookbook and volunteered with car seat distribution for needy families. As more mothers went back to the workforce the group disbanded.

While these groups no longer exist today, their spirit of volunteerism is still present. We see this with Creating Community gatherings, Championing Justice actions and Family Promise, to name a few. Most recently we have seen women come forth with quilt squares to help form the 150^th commemorative quilt under the direction of Jean Koster.

Resources:

One Hundred Years at Woodfords Congregation Church

Portland Press Herald

Pam Barrows

Pam Meader

Recipe With a History

This month’s “Recipe with a History” comes, appropriately, from the “Cooking With M.I.T.S.” cookbook. Jell-O seemed to be at its height of popularity when this cookbook was put together, judging by the number of gelatin-based salads under the Soups and Salads section. This one was contributed by Beulah Moulton.

Pineapple Salad

1 cup pineapple juice

1 pkg. lemon Jell-O

1 cup hot water

1 tsp. vinegar

½ tsp. salt

1 cup crushed pineapple

1 cup grated carrot

1/3 cup nuts

Dissolve gelatin in hot water; cool; add other ingredients and gel.

Championing Justice

The Championing Justice Committee meets regularly to prayerfully consider how our money can best benefit those in need. We use the survey people filled out with their areas of highest concern to help guide us. We would love to be able to support more of these very worthwhile groups. 

If you would like to financially support Championing Justice’s work, you may make a donation anytime by sending a check to WCC with Championing Justice in the bi-line. We are always looking for more people who would like to be part of this important mission of Woodfords. Please contact one of the members if you would like to see how you can help.

Robin Carter, Barbara Thomson, Joanne Bartlett, Suzanne D’Bourget, Carol Gillis, Martha Gilliss

Friday September 23

4:30 to 7:30 pm  Rain or Shine

Woodfords Parking Lot

The Friends of Woodfords Corner and Woodfords Church will be teaming up again for this Friday evening street festival. Our place will be buzzing with artisans and crafts, music and entertainment, food vendors, and more! Our current Mission Partners will again participae, and sharing what they do within our community.

As we celebrate our 150th Anniversary, this is the time for our church to be an integral visual part of the local community by attending, participating, and volunteering! The planning group is working hard organizing this very unique opportunity for us to be in the neighborhood center.

We’re looking forward to another exciting adventure in our Woodfords neighborhood.

SO - WHAT DO WE NEED?     VOLUNTEERS -- with “ MANY HANDS” on DECK and now is the time to VOLUNTEER!

Here is a list of tasks that we are managing – 1 1/2 hour shifts for the volunteers

4:30pm to 6pm

6pm to 7:30pm

Opportunities to Meet our Neighbors

         Greet Attendees

         Parking Attendants

         Building Hosts

         Information Table

TEAM SET-UP                 (Tables- Chairs- Trash).    3pm

TEAM CLEAN-UP            (Tables- Chairs- Trash)      7pm

TEAM “ELECTRIC”

 Help manage extension cords for our performing stages

     -- Help string lights in our trees

         --Set up lights for Vendors area

We hope you will help out!

CONTACT Paul at Music@woodfordschurch.org to volunteer!

Preble Street Food Program Volunteers Needed

Woodfords Church has committed to providing four volunteers to work at the Preble Street Food Program one Saturday morning per month, on the third Saturday of the month.

The staff and volunteers will package nutritious meals to be distributed to people experiencing homelessness and hunger. The kitchen is located at Preble Street’s facility at 75 Darling Street in South Portland. Help is needed from 10:30 to 1:00 or 1:30 to 4:00. 

Our next time to volunteer will be Saturday, September 17. Please contact the Church Office if you are interested in volunteering on the 17th or in the future. We will compile a list of interested volunteers. You are welcome to volunteer as frequently or infrequently as you would like. Upcoming dates will be posted on the church calendar.

https://www.preblestreet.org/2022/07/22/more-than-food/

Women’s Retreat at the Marie Joseph Spiritual Center

Friday, September 30, check-in 3pm

through Sunday, October 2, check-out by noon

or Saturday only

 RESERVE YOUR SPACE NOW

Cost:

• Covered in full for members age 65+, thanks to funding from the Iona Grant Fund
• For those under age 65, fees are
• $285 for full weekend (includes 5 meals)
• $150 Saturday only (includes meals)

Scholarships: We want to make this event accessible to all, so scholarships are available for those who need them. Please speak with Alexandra in the church office. Inquiries will be kept confidential.

Want to help other women attend? If you would like to donate to the fund that provides scholarships for the Women's Retreat, please make a check out to Woodfords Congregational Church and write "Women's Retreat Scholarship Fund" on the memo line.

Payment (if applicable) is due by September 15. To reserve your space, you may call or email Alexandra in the church office (info@woodfordschurch.org, 774-8243 x 102) or click the button to go to the sign up form.

This retreat is for all women of the church of whatever age.

If you would like to be on the committee to plan this great event, let Alyssa know (alodewick@woodfordschurch.org). Also, please know that we’d be happy to hear from you even if you can only help with part of the event. For example, perhaps you’d be interested in

•  writing an article for the Beacon or weekly announcements to encourage others to come
• helping the Sisters with signing in on Friday afternoon
•  organizing the altar
•  offering opening circle inspiration
• coming up with a get-to-know-you icebreaker or activity 
•  teaching a skill or craft to others
• 
  

Many hands make light work! Finally, if you’ve got suggestions for this year’s retreat, Alyssa will happily gather those, as well. (Should we have more, or less, free time? Do you have a great idea for a movie?)

Podcast Discussion – “How We Live With Loss,” with Rachel Naomi Remen (On Being with Krista Tippett)

Noon on September 22

About the Episode

From the podcast description: Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen is one of the wise people in our world. She trained as a doctor in a generation that understood death as a failure of medicine. Yet her lifelong struggle with Crohn’s Disease and her pioneering work with cancer patients shaped her view of life. Becoming whole, she teaches, is not about eradicating our wounds and weaknesses; rather, the way we deal with losses, large and small, shapes our capacity to be present to all of our experiences. That arresting notion, and the distinction Rachel Naomi Remen draws between curing and healing, makes this an urgent offering to our world — of healing we are all called to receive and to give.

Zoom Information (Same Each Session)

Join by computer:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87340564029            

Meeting ID: 873 4056 4029

Dial in by phone:

 +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)

Meeting ID: 873 4056 4029

About the Podcast Conversations

Woodfords’ podcast discussions are casual and guided by the participants. Bring your questions, and feel free to eat lunch as we talk. Members of Woodfords community, as well as the wider community, are welcome to participate. Feel free to invite a friend. We hope that people will have a chance to listen to the podcast before the session and bring questions/comments/responses to contribute to the conversation – but everyone is welcome to attend and participate, even if they don’t have a chance to listen to the podcast ahead of time.