November 2023 Newsletter

A Note from Pastor Todd

Thy sea, O God, so great,

My boat so small.

John F. Kennedy kept these words on his desk from the beginning of a poem by Winfred Ernest Garrison. I thought of these words as I read through the notes from our brainstorming session last Saturday. Our church is like a classic Boothbay Harbor One Design optimized for fast racing on a beautiful day. But the seas we face are stormy these days, and even our sleek boat faces challenges in the broader ocean of problems.

Many of the challenges we identified on Saturday are bigger than our congregation. All types of churches struggle with post-COVID attendance, especially with younger families and Sunday School. This summer, a significant study examined the “De-Churching of America” as our society becomes more secular, and many activities encroach on Sunday mornings. We also noted that Christianity is hijacked by judgmental and hateful voices that make it hard to hear our message of compassion and inclusion. How do we face these trends as an older congregation while needing to be more inclusive of younger generations?

We had many good ideas of what opportunities might be before us. You can read the complete list HERE. But we also realized that we need to explore our community demographics, discover unchurched people’s spiritual needs, and be mindful of collaborating partners in the community. One word is prominent as you read the closing thoughts from the meeting below. Engagement! We have opportunities, resources, and talents. We need more opportunities for deeper conversations to discern God’s next direction in the life of our church.

It is important to have consensus as we move forward.
We need to stay engaged in the community, especially our schools.
Engage both year-round and summer residents.
How do we engage people who are watching online?
Become a laboratory of experimentation.
What do we do to support more inclusion in our community?
What is our new adventure?

Pastor Todd

November Worship Schedule

November 5 | Stewardship Sunday

Deuteronomy 24:1-12

“A Promise Bigger than Us”

November 12 | Remembrance Sunday

Matthew 25:1-13

“Tending God’s Light”

This Sunday, we will ring chimes in memory of all church members who have died in the past year. We will also remember Veterans. If you would like to have a chime rung for someone who died in the past year, please email Heather at admin@congochurchbbh.org or call (207) 633-4757 ext. 1.

November 19 | Thanksgiving Sunday

Matthew 25:14-30

“Extravagant Opportunity”

November 26 | Reign of Christ Sunday

Matthew 25:31-46

“Reigning in Compassion”

Announcements

Stewardship Sunday

Dear Church Family,

Thanks for the wonderful tributes from those who spoke in gratitude for all the support and friendship the church family offers. Our campaign theme of “Because of you, Our Church Changes Lives” was well heard and demonstrated how Stewardship of all sorts provides so much for so many of us.

As a reminder, please send in your Pledge and Time and Talent cards as soon as possible. We hope to reach that set goal of $270,000 so we can continue with God’s work by changing lives. As of October 31, 2023, we have received a total of 54 pledges.

Stewardship Sunday is November 5 and will be celebrated during worship that morning with the dedication of our pledges to be followed by a delicious church-wide luncheon immediately after the service.

Thank you for sharing all your gifts: time, talent, and monetary! We hope to see you on Stewardship Sunday!

The Stewardship Committee: Lana Brandt, Chair; Joanne Annino; Richard Annino; Ella Long; and Holly Stover

Annual Church Christmas Fair

This year, the Church Christmas Fair will be on Saturday, December 2, from 10:00 AM-2:00 PM in Fellowship Hall. All proceeds from the fair will be donated to the Community Resource Council's Community Fuel Fund. This fund helps our neighbors with home heating fuel costs. Fuel assistance applications are available through the CRC Community Navigator from November 15-April 15. If you know anyone who needs help heating their homes, please have them contact Hannah Corkum at (207) 633-6272.

Admission is free, but there are lots of ways you can contribute! Please spread the word to family and friends that folks can get great homemade goodies and gifts! The church Choir hosts the Cookie Walk. There will be dozens of varieties of homemade Christmas Cookies available for $10 for a baker's dozen. The Deacons will have a table of baked goods for sale. We never know what our talented church bakers will bring, but in the past, cakes, brownies, jams, pies, pickles, banana bread, quiche, and lemon bars have been available. Back this year, the Jewelry & Scarf Table! Costume and fine jewelry, knit and silk scarves of different colors and patterns, all sorted and separated for easy shopping, will be available for purchase. The Hospitality Committee will host a Soup Luncheon with hot soups, chowders, and chilis with rolls and beverages. The cost will be $8.00 per person.

The Mission Committee will be accepting donations to the CRC Fuel Fund at the fair again this year. With a donation, donors may request any number of honorary "A Gift of Warmth" notecards to give to friends, family, co-workers, etc., acknowledging a donation of heating fuel was made in their honor. These make great gifts and stocking stuffers!

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHURCH CHRISTMAS FAIR

As always, we need volunteers to bake, make soups, set up, clean up, etc. Below is a list of ways you can volunteer!

Famous Choir Cookie Walk

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies! What's Christmas without cookies?

The church choirs again sponsor the famous Congregational Church Cookie Walk at our Christmas fair. Success depends on your donation of special holiday cookies, all to benefit the community fuel fund.

We are asking for frosted, shortbread, snowball, candy kissed, cut-out cookies, etc. You know what I mean — the kind you only bake this time of year, the kind that you'd love to give or receive as a gift, the kind that treats the eye as well as the palate!

If you prefer everyday sorts of cookies — chocolate chip, ginger crinkles, snickerdoodles — please make them larger than "normal" so we can ask a good price for them! $10.00 for a baker's dozen (13).

Very special cookies will be put in separate wax paper envelopes and sold for $1 each.

Click HERE to sign up to make cookies.

Deacon's Baked Good Table

The Deacons Need Your Help! We are requesting contributions for the Deacon's Table at the Fair: Cakes, brownies, jams, pies, pickles, sweet breads, quiche, lemon bars – whatever you like to make and share with your church family. Your contribution may be dropped off in the Fellowship Hall on Friday, December 1, AFTER 2:30 PM or before the fair on Saturday morning. Please label your item - And Thank You For Your Help!

Click HERE to sign up to make baked goods.

Jewelry and Scarves Table

You may donate your unused jewelry and scarves for the Christmas Fair sale! For expensive items, we will place a "reserve" on the sale and return your piece if unsold. But please let us know. You can leave your jewelry and scarves with Heather in the office.

If you would like to volunteer to help sort, price, set up, and break down the jewelry and scarves table, you may contact Alice Mutch at (410) 353-3861.

Soup Luncheon

The Hospitality Committee needs volunteers to make soup, chili, chowder and rolls for the soup luncheon, as well as people to help set up, clean up, and assist in the kitchen. To sign up to volunteer, there is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall. If you are signing up to make soup, please include what kind.

Click HERE to sign up to make something for the luncheon.

Community Resource Council and McSeagulls Restaurant to Host.jpg

Community Resource Council and McSeagulls Restaurant to Host Thanksgiving Dinner

On Wednesday, November 22 from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM, stop in to McSeagulls Restaurant for a delicious Thanksgiving meal with all the fixins’. You can dine in, or take the dinner to-go. The Thanksgiving meal is by donation only and there will be a cash bar available. The Community Resource Council is having a food drive at the event and ask for donations of non-perishable food for the Community Fridge. We do need desserts and/or pies for the meal. If you can help out, please bring donations to McSeagulls on the morning of the event, Wednesday, November 22nd.

Click HERE to sign up to make a dessert or pie.

News from the Deacons

The Deacons have been meeting in person, except for August, monthly.

Planning for the Advent Season and the Church Christmas Fair on Saturday, December 2, has begun. The Deacons coordinate a Baked Goods Table (no cookies, as the Choir does a Cookie Walk). There will be a sign-up sheet in the Fellowship Hall with the goodie you would provide – thanks in advance!!

Thanks to all who contributed to the Mid Coast Conference meeting on October 15 and the installation of our Pastor. Based on the sharing from other churches in the mid-coast region, we are a healthy church, are fortunate to have a full-time Pastor, and are blessed to have funding and volunteers that support many community activities.

Work continues to identify and reach out to individuals who may be willing to move into Deacon openings for 2024.

The Deacons developed Membership Guidelines, which were recommended to the Church Council at the October meeting and approved. These guidelines will be part of all new member orientation.

Thanks to everyone who has signed up for invocation/scripture Sunday readers, flowers for Sunday service, and hosting coffee hour!

If you have comments or suggestions about the spiritual life of our church, please contact one of the Deacons.

Community Fridge

Food Drive

November 3rd

1-4pm, Rain or Shine

Accepting donations of refrigerated and frozen items, canned and dried goods, and toiletries. Drop off items at the Community Fridge lawn located behind the Boothbay Town Office.

The Community Fridge is a program of the Community Resource Council.

“Helping Our Neighbors Help Themselves”

Learn more at www.crcboothbay.org

Pie Stand Fundraiser to Support Heifer International

On Sunday, November 19, the Sunday School will be hosting their last fundraiser of the year for Heifer International, a Pie Stand! We will be serving slices of pie and coffee during Coffee Hour! We are looking for some yummy pies to be donated to support this wonderful organization. If you would like to donate a pie to the pie stand please let Magen (congokids@gmail.com) know.

November 26 is Family Sunday. There will be no Sunday School or childcare.

Calling All (Potential) Ringers!

Have you ever considered joining the bell choir? Or just wondered if you’d like it, or could do it? Do you have any experience ringing handbells, and know you’d like it? Have you ever played any instrument, and are comfortable with the basics of musical notation? If you answered “yes” to any of those, let’s talk! The bell choir is always happy to welcome new members, either as occasional substitutes or regulars. (And regular can mean learning and playing in worship as few as 2 to 4 pieces per year.) If you are intrigued, interested, or just mildly curious please catch up with me after church or give me the church office a call.

Thanks!

Jamie Knobloch

Community Lunch Hosted by the Church:

Volunteers Needed!

Our church will host its second season of monthly Community Lunches beginning Wednesday, November 1 and including the first Wednesdays of Dec.6, Jan.3, Feb. 7, and Mar. 6. Lunch will be held from 11:30 AM-12:45 PM in Fellowship Hall. Volunteers from previous lunches have signed on to set up tables and chairs, place table settings, and serve lunch, followed by clean-up at 12:45 PM. Any member of our church is invited to participate in this program. By October 2, a sign-up sheet to participate will be posted on the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall, and this year, you may sign up electronically by clicking HERE. Three categories of foods are needed: soups, including casseroles, stews and chilis, breads, and finger food desserts. FMI, call Heather at 207-633-4757 or Sandra Seifert at 207-633-3546. We welcome your help. Donations received will benefit the Boothbay Region Food Pantry. Please join us for lunch.