THE BEACON
Woodfords
Congregational Church
April 2021
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
A Note from Alyssa
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday & Easter Schedule
Stewardship Campaign
New Director of the Woodfords Senior Program
Woodfords Church Building Use Policy
Woodfords Church Scholarship Program
March Council Meeting Notes
Pastor-Parish Relations Committee
Racial Justice Conversation Group
WCC Book Group
Cards, Connection and Caring
Woodfords Senior Program
Woodfords Women's Zoom Gathering
Joining Woodfords Church
Joys/Concerns or Prayer Requests
Project Feed's Pandemic Life
Birthdays/Anniversaries
Mask Project with Williston-Immanuel
Submission Guidelines for Announcements & the Beacon
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A Note from Alyssa
Happy Spring! March 20 marked the vernal equinox, and the new season is making itself known. As I write this note in my home office at 3 pm on a Wednesday afternoon, the first lawnmower of the season is buzzing out in my neighbor’s yard. Last night, it was light enough for the children who live next door to be outside, bouncing a basketball on a paved driveway, well past 7 pm. What a difference a month makes. Wasn’t it just yesterday that I was bemoaning the cold and the interminable darkness? While I do love winter, today I am thankful for the changing seasons we are privileged enough to experience here in Maine.
And the liturgical season is changing, as well. April 4 marks Easter – traditionally the holiest day in the Christian calendar. But did you know that Easter is more than a single day? In recent time, Christians in the Western hemisphere have tended to center Easter celebrations on Sunday. But the earliest generations of Christians thought of Easter as a triduum – a three-day observance that included two days of fasting on Good Friday and Holy Saturday, followed by feasting on Easter Day itself. In one sense, then, Easter Day historically has marked the end of a devotional period. And at the same time, it has marked the beginning of another devotional period, for the liturgical season of Easter lasts for eight Sundays and fifty days. These “Great Fifty Days” remind us that Christianity’s central narrative of life overcoming death and the grave is far too powerful to be contained in one single day.
At Woodfords, the next couple of months will be busy ones, as we begin to move back into the building and make some important decisions about how our beloved community might best reflect and share God’s transformative love. In upcoming weeks, we will have opportunities to gather and collectively discern the future of Woodfords’ Parish House. (Keep an eye out for additional information in the Beacon, weekly announcements, and special mailings.) Now, I realize that questions about changing the church’s footprint might be scary … but fear not. Woodfords is not going anywhere. Our worshipping community will continue to gather in cherished sacred spaces like the sanctuary, chapel, cloister, and Memorial Garden for years and decades to come. The important task that lies before us is to discern how selling the Parish House itself – which is becoming increasingly expensive to maintain – might help our community engage more fully and energetically in the future ministries to which God is calling us.
As we look ahead, I encourage everyone to remember that we will be doing much discernment during the 50 days of Easter. How might we be guided – in our own lives, in the life of our community, and in our decision-making – by Easter’s hopeful narratives of vitality, new life, and joy? I look forward to exploring this question with all of you … and may the Holy be with us in our delving.
In faith -
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Spring is here.
Easter is around the corner.
And Woodfords’ Stewardship campaign will begin this month.
Please give prayerful thought
to your new or continuing support for Woodfords.
The Stewardship Team
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Meet Our New Director of the
Woodfords Senior Program
We are pleased to announce that Woodfords has hired the Reverend Charlotte Bell as the new director of the Woodfords Senior Program.
Charlotte is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and has spent 25 years as a medical social worker, specializing in end-of-life support, bereavement, grief, geriatrics, oncology, chaplaincy and parish ministry. A graduate of Andover Newton Theological School (ANTS), Charlotte holds a master of divinity degree as well as a certificate in spiritual and pastoral care. She also earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of New Hampshire.
Charlotte will start at Woodfords on April 12. With the assistance of the WSP steering committee, she will promote and support the growth and wellbeing of Woodfords’ mature adults by providing a variety of programs and services designed to help seniors achieve the best quality of life possible. Charlotte looks forward to meeting the Woodfords community and joining the Woodfords team. In the meantime, she sends all of us spring tidings of warmth and joy!
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Woodfords Church Building Use Policy
for Spring 2021
We are very happy to report that the furnace has been repaired and is up and running. We passed the inspection and now once all the new thermostats have been installed, we are back to (almost) normal.
And though we are thrilled to have come out on the other side, we acknowledge that we are still in the middle of a pandemic and need to be as mindful as we were before about how all of us use the building and stay safe.
STAFF USE
Staff will be in the building on a limited basis. There is a space that has been set up to meet with members or mission partners (former Shambhala Room) to address questions. If you have a matter to discuss in person, please notify the staff member and we can arrange a day and time to meet. Please know that staff check email numerous times a day and even if they are not in the building, they are checking phone messages at least once a day.
COUNCIL USE
The council of Woodfords Church moved their meetings to Zoom early in the pandemic and will continue to do so this spring. Committees are still meeting regularly and they also meet via Zoom.
MISSION PARTNER USE
During the time the building has been closed, our full-time mission partners either moved online or they rented other spaces in town. Now that we have been approved to return to the building, they are holding small group programs in the building. We have allowed them to use alternative spaces (Memorial Hall/Undercroft) in order for them to socially distance as much as possible. We are happy to report that Project Feed has also returned to Woodfords and resumed operations (with Covid precautions in place) in the building!
Other mission partners have not met in the building since March 2020. We hope to see their return later this spring or early summer.
MEMBER USE – SMALL GROUP
Small groups can book space to meet. Please contact Teri ( tcoviello@woodfordschurch.org) to book a day and time. The church will assign a meeting room to your group based on the number of participants. We will be using larger spaces (Memorial Hall, the sanctuary, Seely Hall and the Cloister) to meet in light of the lack of ventilation and our inability to open windows. (The front lawn and Memorial Gardens are also options if the weather permits.)
SUNDAY SERVICES
We will continue online Sunday services until it is warm enough to meet out on the front lawn. We have rented a large tent (similar to last year) and it will be installed in late April. We plan to have it up until the end of June and to hold as many Sunday services there as possible.
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Woodfords Church Scholarship Program
The rising cost of higher education is a significant challenge facing students and their families. The good news is that Woodfords has been gifted some resources that, in a small way, lessen this financial burden for students and families. Through the legacy and generosity of this congregation, Woodfords is able to offer educational scholarships to help students reach their education goals. Typically, WCC Education Scholarships range between $800 and $1200 annually.
To be considered for a WCC Education Scholarship, applicants must:
· Be members, children of members or people who are regularly involved with our
church
· Be accepted to an accredited college or post-secondary institution in fall 2021
· Complete and submit the scholarship application by May 15, 2021
Please click here to download a 2021 Woodfords Educational Scholarship Application
Those awarded WCC Education Scholarships will be notified of their awards by June 30, 2021.
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March Council Meeting Notes
The Council outlined a more concrete timeline for the Rightsizing the Building Task Force to present its recommendation to the congregation. The formal recommendation and report from the Rightsizing Task Force will be made shortly after Easter and will outline the decision making process, the specifics of the recommendation (including floor plan and photographic visuals) as well as the sustainability of the recommendation long term. There will be opportunity for feedback and discussion after this initial presentation.
The Church will also need to vote on its fiscal year 2022 budget which the Council decided should be in late May. Regardless of the congregation's decision on the Rightsizing Task Force recommendation, there will not be any significant changes in church operations in the coming fiscal year. Budget workshops will precede the congregational meeting. After the budget vote there will be an additional opportunity to have discussion about the Rightsizing Task Force recommendation.
Tentatively, the Council has set the goal of a vote on the Rightsizing Task Force recommendation in mid-to-late June. We look forward to the formal recommendation from the Rightsizing Task Force after all of their work over the last two years. We also look forward to the opportunity for the congregation to provide feedback as we move forward in this important process.
Respectfully submitted,
Matt Rosengarten
Clerk
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Did You Know?
WCC'S Pastor-Parish
Relations Committee...
... has been revitalized and rededicated to supporting effective ministry at Woodfords through attending to the important relationship between our church’s pastor and people. Whether a church is large, small, or historically peaceful (not given to conflict), history has shown that the health of this relationship should not be taken for granted. Therefore, our PPRC wants to do what we can to facilitate a sharing of the congregation’s ideas—dreams, hopes, expectations, and concerns—with Pastor Alyssa. Likewise, we hope to learn from Alyssa (and share with the congregation) her experience of pastoral function and needs she may have here at WCC.
Whereas the church’s Personnel Committee deals with policy matters, job descriptions, and salary and benefits for all members of the church staff, the PPRC has a different, more deeply relational focus. The PPRC’s purpose is to support the personal and professional well-being of the pastor, as well as to provide a means of communication to the congregation, through constructive and caring two-way dialog. In this way, our PPRC can be thought of as a support group for the effective ministry of the church, rather than just “the pastor’s support group” or merely a channel for congregational complaints.
In addition to Pastor Alyssa, current PPRC members are: Mitch Rosengarten (chair), Suzanne D’Bourget, Pete Sampson, and Elaine Armstrong. Feedback for the committee is welcome by contacting any committee member. (Consult the church directory or the church office for email addresses or phone numbers in this time of COVID). The invitation is that we all take an interest in the health of our pastoral/congregational relationship by supporting in constructive ways that which is rewarding and satisfying while heading off the potential for tension as we move through our church’s future together.
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Racial Justice Conversation Group
Woodfords’ racial justice group is always interested in hearing new perspectives. If you would like to take part in these conversations, please join us. Prior participation is not necessary, and you do not need to make any sort of long-term commitment. We simply are interested in hearing as many viewpoints as possible. This group will not be the same without you.
Book Discussion: I'm Still Here by Austin Channing Brown
7 pm, April 19
In a time when nearly all institutions (schools, churches, universities, businesses) claim to value "diversity" in their mission statements, I’m Still Here is a powerful account of how and why our actions so often fall short of our words. Austin writes in breathtaking detail about her journey to self-worth and the pitfalls that kill our attempts at racial justice, in stories that bear witness to the complexity of America's social fabric – from Black Cleveland neighborhoods to private schools in the middle-class suburbs, from prison walls to the boardrooms at majority-white organizations.
We are sharing news of this discussion with the Friends of Woodfords Corner organization, and we look forward to warmly welcoming any neighbors who would like to participate in this justice conversation. To promote an environment where people feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, we ask discussion participants to respect and honor values of confidentiality and privacy. What we say in the group stays in the group, unless the group collectively decides otherwise.
The book is available in new and used condition through various channels. Click HERE for a list of online vendors. We encourage purchasing from local bookstores like Print or Longfellow Books or Sherman’s Books. The work may also be available through your local library or e-book services like Kindle, Kobo, Scribd, etc.
If you would like to participate in this group but find the cost of the book prohibitive, please be in touch with Teri (tcoviello@woodfordschurch.org). We do not want cost to prohibit anyone from taking part.
Join Zoom Meeting
Dial by your location
- +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
- Meeting ID: 940 8897 4554
- Passcode: 999413
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WCC Book Group
Second Wednesday of each month
at 3 pm on Zoom
Are you a reader? Do you often think it would be great to have people with whom you can share your thoughts on a current book? You may want to consider joining the Woodfords Book Club! We read all sorts of things depending on interests of the group. So, if you like to read and have time in the afternoon, one day a month, we welcome you to join us!
If you would like to be added to emails regarding book group activities, or if you have any questions, contact Suzanne D’Bourget at suzannedb@me.com or 329-1444.
April: Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield (Connie)
May: Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and The Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmer (Lorraine)
Zoom Info...
Topic: Book Club
Time: April 14 at 3 pm EST
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 974 2458 6900
Passcode: 741840
Join by Phone: 1-301-715-8592 or 1-312-626-6799
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Cards, Connection, and Caring
Do you like writing cards and sending greetings to lift people’s spirits? Woodfords’ Lay Ministry/Caring Congregation team needs you. For a while now, Woodfords Senior Program has ministered to older adults in the church community by sending them birthday cards and greetings. The Caring Congregation team is interested in expanding this ministry of hospitality to church members of all ages. We are seeking volunteers who are interested in writing cards and/or making phone calls to members of the Woodfords community who might be lonely, homebound, and/or unable to easily attend church events. Volunteers will be matched with specific buddies and reach out on at least a monthly basis via phone calls or notes/cards. If you are interested in helping with this ministry, please be in touch with Rev. Alyssa at alodewick@woodfordschurch.org. Thank you.
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Woodfords Senior Programs
Ongoing, Weekly Offerings:
Woodfords Chair Yoga
Tuesdays at 10 am with Burdie Fertig via Zoom
Elizabeth “Burdie” Fertig-Burd is the founder of Celebration Tree Wellness Center for yoga, Reiki, balance and strength training, and personalized retreats. Burdie is a Kripalu Yoga certified teacher with 12 years of experience teaching chair yoga. She has a special passion for working with clients dealing with Parkinson’s Disease and other movement disorders. She is a Reiki practitioner and Master Teacher. Burdie’s work centers around helping clients heal, restore balance and grow in their own wellness practice.
To be placed on the weekly email reminder (Tuesday mornings) or for those with inquiries, please contact Em Amatangelo at: 207.239.2051 or emham73@gmail.com.
To join the yoga class please follow this link:
Spiritual Direction
3-4x/month, led by Rev. Mary Zachary-Lang
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Woodfords Women's Zoom Gathering:
April 28 @ 7 pm
Dear Woodfords Women: Miss just hanging out? Craving the company of women friends? This is a reminder to jump on Zoom for our monthly women's get-together. Connect, catch up, and forget about the pandemic for awhile. All are welcome to join in. We meet on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 7 pm.
Put these upcoming dates on your calendar - April 28, and May 26. This Zoom link will be posted in the weekly announcements.
Zoom details are...
Topic: A Gathering of Woodfords Women
Join Zoom Meeting by computer or tablet
Meeting ID: 978 1582 1019
Passcode: 841199
Join by Phone:1-301-715-8592 or 1-312-626-6799
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Interested in Joining Woodfords?
If you would like to learn more about joining Woodfords and becoming an official member of our church community, Rev. Alyssa would love to hear from you ( alodewick@woodfordschurch.org). Through low-key, no-pressure conversation, she can tell you more about what “membership” means and answer any questions you might have. New to religion? Just getting to know Christianity? Never been a member of a church before? Have no worries! You may be a cradle-born member of the UCC, or you may be discerning how you feel about organized religion. Either way, we value you and understand that our community would be at a loss without you. No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, Woodfords welcomes you! |
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Have Something on Your Mind?
Want to Talk about a Joy or Concern?
Have a Prayer Request?
If you would like to schedule time for a pastoral care conversation with Rev. Alyssa, do not hesitate to be in touch ( alodewick@woodfordschurch.org). She would be happy to talk via Zoom or the phone, or to have a physically distanced in-person visit.
Also, Alyssa is always open to receiving prayer requests. Drop her a line with a description of what you’d like her to pray for – and don’t forget to indicate if you would also like your prayer request to be added to the Woodfords prayer list. (Alyssa’s default is to consider all prayer requests she receives confidential, unless the requestor explicitly says otherwise.)
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Project FEED’s Pandemic Life
In these unsettled times, many of us have changed our food habits; perhaps no more restaurant dinners, fewer stops for Rwanda Bean coffee, and getting used to takeout and grocery deliveries. But most of us are not going hungry or thinking about food insecurity. As Woodford members we know that many Mainers are hungry and/or food insecure and we are grateful for the work of Project Feed and their response to the hunger needs of Mainers in these pandemic times.
Gone are the days when we can bring soup for “Souper Bowl Sunday” or drop off diapers, toilet paper or canned goods at the Project Feed office when we make a trip to church. (Yikes! Remember when we did indeed make trips to church?) But it is wonderful to know that Woodfords folks and others who keep Project Feed in their Mission thoughts have kept on giving during these strange times. Project Feed Board Chair Steve Gray reports that even without a mailed annual appeal at the end of 2020, folks remembered the hungry and sent in donations. Wow and thanks!
As a result of these donations and the work of the volunteers and staff, Project Feed is now hard at work back at Woodfords Church. They have worked out a new procedure where clients call a volunteer with their needs; then on pick up days, other volunteers put together their grocery orders and give them to the clients or their caseworkers.
In the meantime, if you haven’t donated to Project FEED recently, please consider doing so. Donations can be sent by check to WCC. (Please write "Project Feed" in the memo line.) Or, you can donate online using the Woodfords Giving Form. Please mark this as "Other" and write "Project Feed" in the donation line. Each donation of money or as a volunteer supports the work in bringing the kingdom of Abundance for All that Jesus spoke of. Gifts shared are indeed multiplied and blessed.
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Submitting an article for the MAY Beacon?
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HAPPY APRIL BIRTHDAY TO...
Thomas Vire 04/01
Peter Frey 04/02
Susan Doughty 04/03
Patricia Maxim 04/06
Joanne Friedrick 04/07
Allan Whitmore 04/10
Cheryl Honer-Hickey 04/12
Rebecca Wallace 04/13
Allen Wilbur 04/13
Mitchell Brewer 04/15
Sarah Thomson 04/15
Anna Troxell 04/15
Martha Dudley 04/15
Marcia McAfee 04/15
Melanie Graser 04/17
Jackson Frey 04/18
Cora Melcher 04/19
Jessica Doughty 04/19
Jennifer Wriggins 04/22
Sally Chaplin 04/24
Rita Zanichkowsky 04/25
Colin Graser 04/25
Ethan Koster 04/25
Fran Seeley 04/26
David Johnson 04/26
Caroline Belanger 04/29
Jim Dand 04/29
HAPPY APRIL ANNIVERSARY TO...
Paul & Carol Gillis 4/29 43 years
Brent & Susan Wooten 4/30 24 years
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Do You Like to Sew Masks?
Williston-Immanuel’s Clothesline Project Needs You!
During this pandemic, the outreach committee of Williston-Immanuel United Church – one of our colleague UCC churches in Portland – continues to provide free masks for our neighbors. Each Thursday, handmade masks are hung on a clothesline by the front door of Williston-Immanauel. In addition to the 20-25 masks we hang there, we also make masks available for guests picking up Wayside meals at their new location. A small group of maskmakers have been sewing these masks since June. It is likely that masks will be needed for months to come. To continue this project, we need new maskmakers to give current ones a needed break. We can provide fabric and elastic. If you don’t have access to a sewing machine you could help cut fabric squares, or package and hang the masks. If you’re interested in helping out or learning more, please contact Brenda by text (508-333-7952) or email (pastormoulton@aol.com).
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Woodfords Church Submission Guidelines for:
Announcements, The Beacon, FB Events
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
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Articles must be submitted to Teri (info@woodfordschurch.org) by 5 pm on TUESDAY. Anything submitted after Tuesday, 5 pm will go in the next week’s mailing. Please do not expect timely publication if your submission is not timely.
- Announcements go out THURSDAY MORNING
- Articles must have:
- a title
- proofed, ready-to-publish text
- picture(s) or illustration(s) are optional
BEACON:
- The Beacon goes out the LAST DAY OF THE MONTH
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Articles must be submitted to Teri (info@woodfordschurch.org) by the 20th OF THE MONTH. Anything submitted after the 20th of the month will go in the next month’s Beacon. Please do not expect timely publication if your submission is not timely.
- Articles must have:
- a title
- proofed, ready-to-publish text
- picture(s) or illustration(s)
FACEBOOK EVENT:
- Teri can create a FB event for your upcoming event. Please submit the event request 3-5 DAYS PRIOR to when you want the event to appear on FB.
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Please fill out the FB event form in full and submit to Teri (info@woodfordschurch.org).
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