Reimagining Church Together!
E-News, prior to Sunday, June 28, 2020
Congregational Church of Weston, UCC
www.westonucc.org                                781-899-5417

Dear Friends,
 
In the halcyon days of antecoronavirus you called us to discern with you a sustainable future as “designated term pastors.” Using tools provided by the Southern New England Conference, CCW conducted a self-study of its context and listened for a fresh calling from God. As Rev. Wendy VanderHart kept asking, “What is your Why?”
 
Together we have accomplished a great deal! We affirmed a new mission statement on February 10, 2019 and determined our driving “why”: “Engaging our community in authentic and respectful conversations about challenging situations . . .” enacted in our ongoing “Let’s Talk” series. It became clear that to accomplish our ministry and mission we needed a partner. Last year we entered a collaborative ministry with the Wellesley Village Congregational Church UCC. 
 
Affirmed by a “Brave Change” planning grant from the BTS Center, leaders from both congregations met last September to begin planning this collaboration. Bob Feeny, one of the Pastoral Residents, began preaching at CCW once a month. CCW families participated in programs for children and youth at WVC. WVC joined CCW for its November “Let’s Talk” with Dr. Vincent Rougeau. Last fall the two congregations had a joint celebration of this collaboration and in January a joint celebration of the MLK Jr weekend with the Charles Street AME Church. And then the coronavirus arrived.
 
Because of the “stay-at-home” order, the second planning meeting between the leaders of the two congregations did not happen as planned. BUT other acts of transition have been occurring. CCW Moderators now participate on the Church Council of WVC.  Likewise, one of the WVC Moderators now participates on our Church Council. Brad Harding, a current member of WVC but a founding member of CCW, agreed to be the Facility Manager for CCW. Sharon Kuhn, a member of CCW, has become the part-time Administrative Assistant for Rev. Sarah Sarchett Butter and is becoming the part-time Administrative Assistant for CCW. Priscilla Claman is on the Pastoral Residency Committee. Bob Feeny, Pastoral Resident, has begun participating on the CCW Church Council and Board of Deacons. In addition, Bob Feeny has moved into the CCW Parsonage and will provide pastoral leadership for CCW beginning in July. Over the summer months, CCW will worship online with WVC.  A new CCW/WVC joint committee has formed to discern best practices as we plan for returning to in person ministry in the future; Cathy Liddell is representing CCW on this committee.
 
While our attention in these past 3-4 months has been captivated by the virus and the loss of our normal routines, our collaboration with WVC has been proceeding. The designated task to which you called us is concluding as you prepare to take the next step in this adventure of collaborative ministry.
 
As we prepare to conclude our ministry among you, we thank you for a fascinating challenge in ministry – something new after so many years of settled parish life! We are so grateful for the opportunity to rebalance our lives as we engaged being grandparents and navigated a brand new community. You have so blessed our lives, thank you!
 
Join us for our last online worship with you this Sunday, June 28, 2020. And then at 11am on Sunday, you are invited to zoom in for a Farewell Celebration. See the article below for the link.
 
Peace,
Richard & Jill Edens

Virtual Church
ONLINE WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY , June 28
You can access our online worship through any of these channels:

Link thru the website www.westonucc.org  


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JUNE 28, 11am: A ZOOM FAREWELL

The Moderators and Church Council invite you to Zoom Farewell ( https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88946942751 ) for the Edenses. You are invited to zoom in to a congregational gathering at 11am on Sunday morning, June 28. The Edenses will have led their final online worship service with the Congregational Church of Weston that morning. You are invited to worship online beginning at 10:30 as we will begin the Zoom Farewell with a brief liturgical service of farewell. The Congregation, the Moderators, and the Pastors will all have speaking parts. The litany will be a shared document during the Zoom meeting.  It is also attached . Then there will be time to visit with each other and speak our farewells.

On Sunday, June 28 at 11am, please click https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88946942751 to enter CCW’s Zoom Farewell.
Updates
  NEW ADDRESS AND NEXT CHAPTER FOR
JILL & RICHARD EDENS

In a week, Jill & Richard Edens will be moving from the parsonage to 154 Chestnut St, Unit 9, Lowell, MA 01852. Additionally, we will be retiring our @WestonUCC.org email addresses. 
 
Please begin using  jillredens@gmail.com  for Jill and  jrichardedens@gmail.com  for Richard. Our cell phone numbers will continue to be our primary phone numbers: 919-357-3914 (Jill) and 919-357-3913 (Richard).
 
We will move again in September to Westwood to be the Interim Co-Pastors at First Parish Westwood, United Church, as they seek a new settled pastor. Forever ago, in February, we met with Rev. Wendy VanderHart and she asked if we would be willing to consider other interim positions. We told her that our time with CCW had been nourishing and if the situation were right; yes, we would consider other positions. 
 
Remember the old saying, “We plan, God laughs.”  We told Wendy that any future positions would have to be on the other side of September as we were going to be in Scotland visiting my sister in September. Little did we know! A few days later Wendy announced she was leaving and, of course, the pandemic arrived a week after that. So, two weeks ago, we were surprised to hear from the Westwood congregation but in the small world of the UCC, we discovered connections we did not know we had. Last week we officially accepted their offer to be their Interim Co-Pastors beginning in September. And, thus, we called our movers with a change in plans. Can you hear the laughter?
 
Seriously, we are honored to serve. And are grateful to CCW for showing us that it was possible to be in ministry and be involved grandparents as well.
CHECKOUT OUR NEW WEBSITE: westonucc.org
You may remember that our website crashed in early March – the same week that the Covid quarantine began. While the two events were unrelated, it certainly complicated matters as we entered an online intense time of life!
 
We are back up. Thank you to Sharon Kuhn and Laura Pohl, web designer . The site is still evolving and we would love to hear from you about the website. Please send comments to office@westonucc.org . Thank you.
Summer Worship at WVC Online began June 21st
Wellesley Village Church

Online Worship can be found at:

or on Facebook:
The Musical Offering
An invitation to you from Associate Director of Music, Ed Broms
 
Friends,
 
I am pleased to invite members of the congregation and beyond who would care to share an offering of their talents in worship services coming up over the summer. I am hoping to feature weekly musical (and other artistic) offerings from our illustrious and industrious community at the Offering time of the services – remotely for now. (The Musical Offering idea is named after the famous work of Bach.)

I will be creating a roster of those interested. To take part, please fill out this Musical Offering Form or contact the Associate Director of Music, Ed Broms, at  Ed@wellesleyvillagechurch.org  
Book Study with Bob Feeny
Looking for summer reading? Join Pastoral Resident Bob Feeny for a series of book discussions focusing on racism, and specifically aimed at answering the question,  “what can I do about racism?”   
 
Building on June’s discussion of White Fragility , we will read  I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness  by Austin Channing Brown in July. And, in August,  How to Be an Antiracist  by Ibram X. Kendi. 
 
Order your books now, and let us get to work!  Join us for any or all of the books, and contact  bob@wellesleyvillagechurch.org  with any questions. 
CCW Calendar
June 28  Pentecost 4 Online Worship
             11am Zoom Farewell Gathering with Edenses 

July & August   Sundays, 9am - Summer worship with Wellesley Village Congregational Church
During July and August, the Wellesley online worship “premieres” at 9 am. It can be viewed any time after that but it premieres at 9am which means pastors and staff are available via chat during the service. 

Sept 13 Pentecost 15 Worship CCW Resumes
Cathy Liddell will be CCW’s liaison to an advisory committee at Wellesley that is discerning how to live and worship in a time of pandemic.

Jan 9 “Let’s Talk” with the Rev. Mariama White Hammond
This conversation with the Rev. Mariama White Hammond on the social justice ramifications of climate change had to be postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tragically the pandemic has only underscored the relevancy of this conversation. Why are black and brown people disproportionately displaced and affected by climate change and what can be done?  More information to come.
Links
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