The TCC Connection
February/March/April 2017
Volume 6, Issue 1
February/March/April 2017
Are You Contagious?
While writing this I’m at home during our first blizzard, sneezing
and blowing my runny nose. It's cold and flu season here in New
England. It’s the time of the year when bottles of Purell are everywhere. People shake my wrist when greeting me after worship
because they have a nasty cold. They tell me, “I’m still contagious.”
We know that illnesses like a cold or the flu are contagious. But
what about emotional illnesses or "dis-eases"? They can spread
just as easily as physical ones, and in some cases an emotional
"dis-ease" can be just as hazardous and damaging. If children
grow up in a family, for
Inside this issue:
example, where they witness their parents arguing
and fighting all the time, it’s more likely that they will
PASTOR’S PAGE
2
resolve conflict and disagreements that way when
LEADERSHIP NEWS: BOM
3
they grow up. If children grow up in a home where
PASTORAL SEARCH COMMITTEE
4-5 there is alcohol and drug abuse, they are more likely
to do the same in later life as well. These kinds of
BOARD OF DEACONS
6
"dis-eases" are clearly contagious and can be
passed on for generations.
CONFIRMATION 2017
7
Other emotional "dis-eases" might be less obvious,
but they can be just as destructive. Imagine, for inMISSIONS COMMITTEE NEWS
11-13
stance, a parent who comes home from work every
LADIES AID & FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE NEWS
14 day sour and grouchy because their job is tedious
PASTOR’S PAGE
15-16 and the office politics drive them nuts. That kind of
negativity can be caught by the whole household.
EASTER FLOWERS
17
Edwin Freidman, a Rabbi who wrote the classic book
A DEACON’S EXPERIENCE
18 Generation to Generation, said that anxiety is the
TCC HAPPENINGS
19 most contagious emotion in families, churches and
synagogues. When families catch anger and impaSAVE THE DATE FOR THE EASTER BUNNY
20
tience, the whole household will likely feel unhappy.
People will either begin to criticize one another or withdraw into their bedrooms. It’s no different than a parent coming home from work sneezing and coughing around the whole house
without covering their mouth. Soon everyone in the household has a cold and cough. Over
time this kind of emotional "coughing on others" can erode family closeness and trust.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Tewksbury Congregational Church
8-10
… continued on page 2
Page 1
The TCC Connection
February/March/April 2017
PASTOR’S PAGE
Submitted by Rev. Norm Bendroth
… continued from page 1
What can we do to prevent this kind of "emotional dis-ease" from infecting ourselves or others? If someone, especially someone you care about, is a source of negativity, sarcasm,
cynicism or frequent bad moods we can gently--but firmly--reflect this back to them. Kindly, respectfully, and compassionately ask them to think about the causes of the negativity or unhappiness and ask them to please cut out “coughing or sneezing” on us. It’s important to stay connected after having had a difficult conversation. Hopefully, they’ll receive your word as an opportunity to grow as a person and you can thank them for taking your concerns to heart. When we
hold up a mirror up to their behavior (or if someone does it to us!) and support them in making
changes, it does two things: It protects us from becoming infected (perhaps without even knowing it!) and it shows our compassion and continuing love for the person.
We also need to be willing to hold up a mirror to ourselves knowing that anyone of us can
spread an emotional “dis-ease” as well as catch one. As we scan our own lives we might discover that we have been infected or that we are spreading unpleasantness to others. In the Sermon
on the Mount Jesus told his disciples, “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” (Matthew 6:23). The antidote? The Apostle Paul in Philippians 4: 8 tells us to think about things that are true, noble, right,
pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. Through prayer, talking with a close and
trusted friend or a spiritual counselor, or reading a helpful book, we can get the treatment we
need.
I think we all have experienced how negativity, sarcasm, cynicism and bad moods can infect a
whole household or community--that's the bad news. The good news is that our positive moods-our joy, peace, humor, love and happiness are also contagious. We can as just as easily "infect"
people around us with our positive energy as we can with our negative energy.
So, when someone asks you, "Are you and I contagious?" the answer is always, "Yes we
are!" The next question to ponder then is what are we contagious with--negativity or positivity-and what kind of emotional energy are we spreading to our loved ones, friends, and the wider
community.
Faithfully,
Rev. Norm
Tewksbury Congregational Church
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The TCC Connection
February/March/April 2017
BOARD OF MINISTRIES
Submitted by Marilyn SanClemente
Moving Forward is the best way to describe the past 6 months on the Board of Ministries. This is
a time of transition for our church as our Search for a new Pastor moves forward. The Board of
Ministries continues to work with the Pastoral Search Committee to support this process.
The BoM has just finished the 2017 Budget process which was voted on and approved this past
Sunday, February 26th. Additional pledges that came in towards the end of January have been
allocated to the Music budget to increase the salary for a future Music Director. One of the
priorities for 2017 is to recruit a Music Director and work towards rebuilding our Music
program. Members of the Board of Ministries will be working with the Music Committee to
support them with the evaluation and selection of a new Music Director.
As spring approaches, it is once again time to fill our Church boards and committees for the
upcoming program year. The Board of Ministries and Deacons are working together to evaluate
how work gets done in our church and our current committee structure.
The two Boards are
working together to host a Knowledge Fair on Sunday March 19th and the 26th following
church. There will be a table for each Committee, outlining the work that it takes to keep our
organization running. Our goal is to identify “projects” that volunteers can hep with throughout
the year to keep our church running. We will have activities planned for the kids for these two
weeks so parents can spend some time visiting each table. We ask all members to think about
your strengths and how you could volunteer for a project to lighten the load. There will be two
open positions on the Board of Ministries. We will be taking nominations for these positions in
April.
Last fall our church received a one time bequest of $309,000 from the estate of Viola
Tariela. Approximately $100,000 was used to pay off our outstanding loan on the Parsonage for
the parking lot project in December. the BoM is taking recommendations to form a Committee to
evaluate the best use of the remainder of the monies from this bequest.
Respectfully submitted,
Marilyn SanClemente
Ken Ramsdell
Laura Holmes
Carla Staeben
Sven Hyberts
Peggy Mello
Tewksbury Congregational Church
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The TCC Connection
February/March/April 2017
PASTORAL SEARCH COMMITTEE
Submitted by Brad Staeben
Tewksbury Congregational Church
United Church of Christ
Summary of Local Church Profile
Today Tewksbury Congregational Church sits at a crossroad in its journey to assist our congregation
in its development and growth of faith, of members, and outreach. Our new pastor will aid us in this on
-going transformation so that we re-focus our congregation on the values and goals that it has
identified as important. We are seeking a strong communicator, an engaging and dynamic speaker,
and an approachable pastor with a strong commitment to God’s word to lead us.
We believe these goals can be accomplished with a pastor who will deliver thought-provoking
sermons with a message applicable to our daily lives that leads to discerning where God is calling us.
He/she should be able to engage the interest of the children and youth as well as inspire and grow our
mission outreach.
Respecting our traditions while spurring innovation and renewal through leadership is vitally important
to Tewksbury Congregational Church.
We are a group of strong believers who are walking together to do the work of God. God is
challenging us to find the common ground in our beliefs, to find a way to come together and raise each
other up in our understanding and closeness with God, to let that faith, love, and joy unite us in helping
one another and turning our gifts to the world beyond our church walls.
A copy of the entire Local Church Profile is available in the office, for church members to review.
The Pastoral Search Committee
MYSTERY MEMBER
1. Is the secretary to Ladies Aid, Friendship Circle, Chelmsford Art Society
and her mother.
2. Keeping in touch with family and friends is one of her passions.
3. Loves to keep on hand a stash of cards, stickers, cartoons and postage stamps.
4. Her husband thinks she is entirely responsible for keeping the U.S. Post Office
operational.
5. Travels to Arizona to check-in on her 96-year young mom at least four times a year!
Tewksbury Congregational Church
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The TCC Connection
February/March/April 2017
PASTORAL SEARCH COMMITTEE
Submitted by Brad Staeben
Committee Officers and Members:
Chaplain: Susannah Trudeau
Co-Chairs: Mary Lou Adams and James Kenney
Secretary: Stephanie Muse
Communications: Bradley Staeben
Members: Bob Wallace, Tina Ramsdell, Joe Cipriano
Tewksbury Congregational Church
TEWKSBURY
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
SEARCH
Page 5
The TCC Connection
February/March/April 2017
BOARD OF DEACONS
Submitted by Sue Trudeau
The Board of Deacons has met and agreed to bring back
the Knowledge Fair to be held on Sunday, March 19th and
March 26th, 2017.
The Fair will be held after worship service, during Coffee
Hour. Tables will be set up and each Church Committee
and Board will be represented.
This is an opportunity for our congregation to see how the
Tewksbury Congregational Church works, and it just
might amaze you to see how many people it takes to run a
church!
The tables will have information on what each Board and
Committee is currently on, as well as long-term and shortterm projects in the works.
There will be activities for the children so that parents will
have time to visit each table.
More information will be forthcoming about this event over
the next few weeks, so keep an eye on FLASH and Faith
Notes on Sunday mornings. If you are interested in
helping out with this project, please contact Jean Metcalf
at 978-640-9220 or call the church office.
Tewksbury Congregational Church
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The TCC Connection
February/March/April 2017
CONFIRMATION
Submitted by Rev. Norm Bendroth
Confirmation 2017
Confirmation classes began on Sunday, February 22nd at 4:00 pm in the
Vestry. Confirmands, parents, and mentors came to this orientation
session. This year our confirmands will be using a curriculum called re-form,
that is very interactive with lots of media. Students are encouraged to wrestle
with the same questions we do, such as: Who wrote the Bible? If Jesus was
God, why did he have to die? How can God be three-in-one? We will also be
going on a mission retreat with Common Cathedral at St. Paul’s Church at the
Boston Common, a retreat with other confirmands in the Mass. Conference,
and a trip to a Mosque or other house of worship.
Another key component is that each confirmand will have a mentor to talk to
about his/her faith, to explore questions, and to be a spiritual companion while
doing Bible study and working through think sheets prepared by Rev. Norm.
Please pray for our confirmands, their mentors and their parents as they
travel this important spiritual journey!
CALENDAR FOR 2017 CONFIRMATION
DATE, TIME,
PLACE
Sunday,
February 26, 4
pm Parlor
Wednesday,
March 1, 7 pm
Sunday, March
5, 11 am Parlor
Sunday, March
19 11 am
Parlor
Sunday, April 2,
11 am
Palm Sunday,
April 9, 9:30 am
TOPIC
If Jesus was God
why did he have to
die?
Re-form
Sunday, April, 23
11 am Parlor
Maundy
Thursday, April
13, 7:30 pm
Easter Sunday,
April 16 9 or 11
am
Sunday, April 30,
11 am Parlor
Did the Resurrection
really happen?
Attend worship
Re-form
Tewksbury Congregational Church
COMMENTS
First meeting with
parents and mentors
Ash Wednesday
Service
Who Wrote the Bible:
God or Humans?
Is the Bible True?
Re-form
Re-form
Easter Bunny
Attend
Palm
Sunday
service
Attend worship
How Can God be
three in one?
Re-form
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The TCC Connection
February/March/April 2017
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (RE)
Submitted by Sue Panilaitis
Congratulations to the Shining Light Recipients!
“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your fine works and give glory to
your Father who is in the heaven” (Matthew 5:16)
As a church, our goal is to not just teach our youth about God and to help them
understand the Bible, but to reach beyond an intellectual pursuit, acting with their
hearts to do the will of God. As a community, TCC hopes to train our youth to
become leaders - leaders in both their peer group and their community, so that they
can lead others to Jesus.
With these goals in mind, the following youth have earned the Shining Light Award –
TCC Religious Education’s way of tracking and recognizing youth who have used
their heads, hearts and hands to honor God.
To receive a Shining Light Award, youth needed to complete the following three
requirements:
1. Participate in at least one service project. Service projects are defined as a
program that reaches outside of our church walls and aids others through the
involvement with a charitable organization.
2. Participate in TCC’s Church Life. Church Life requirements are defined as
involvement in our church’s community.
3. Learn one grade level achievement. As part of the education received at TCC,
we believe that having an overall understanding of the Bible is important in each
child’s faith formation. As a child progresses through their education, they will
be introduced to prayer, songs, Biblical verses, how to use the Bible, and a
general understanding of the teachings featured in the Bible.
Tewksbury Congregational Church
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February/March/April 2017
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (RE)
Submitted by Sue Panilaitis
Several youth are recognized for beginning to lead a Christian life
with the presentation of an RE medal. Who were they and what did
they do?
Youth
Church Life
Requirement
Service Project Requirement
Grade Level
Requirement
Justin Avery
Cherub Choir/Greeter
Zero Waste Day Participation/
Tewksbury's Fall Clean Up Day
Can locate various
passage in the Bible
Nicolina
Cipriano
Cherub Choir
Participant
Donated to Wish project, MSPCA, PJs
at church, giving tree/ Danced for charity
Can locate various
passage in the Bible
Gabriella
Cipriano
Junior Choir
Participant
Donated to Wish project, MSPCA, PJs
at church, giving tree/ Danced for charity
Can identify a book of
the Bible as either Old
Testament or New
Testament
Grace Delgado
Cherub Choir
Participant
Donated to the Tewksbury Food Pantry/
Created Valentine's Day Cards for
patients at the Tewksbury Hospital
Can recite John 3:16
Evy Delgado
Cherub Choir
Participant
Donated to the Tewksbury Food Pantry/
Created Valentine's Day Cards for
patients at the Tewksbury Hospital
Can recite TCC's Faith
Affirmation
Emma Delgado
Cherub Choir
Participant
Donated to the Tewksbury Food Pantry/
Created Valentine's Day Cards for
patients at the Tewksbury Hospital
Can recite TCC's Faith
Affirmation
Chase Deluca
Helped plan &
implement Children's
Moment (Heifer)
Spent personal money to buy food for
the pantry
Can recite TCC's Faith
Affirmation
Owen Eves
Greeter/Helped with
Pie Social/Helped with
Coffee hour Set-Up
sponsored Giving Tree child with his
mone/ Participated in the Tewksbury
Hospital Graveyard Clean-up
Can locate various
passage in the Bible
Nick Kuras
Cherub Choir
Participant
Donated PJS on Pajama Day/
Participated in the Tewksbury Hospital
Graveyard Clean-up
Can recite The Lord's
Prayer
Noelle Kyle
Cherub Choir
Participant
Donated over 26 inches of her hair to
Pantene Beautiful Lengths
Can retell the story of
Jesus' birth
Logan Holmes
Changed the church
sign/cleaned up after
Advent Workshop
Donated Halloween Candy/Donated
Toys to Guatemala
Can locate various
passage in the Bible
Wyatt Holmes
Changed the church
sign/Cleaned up after
Advent Workshop
Donated Halloween Candy/Donated
Toys to Guatemala
Can recite TCC's Faith
Affirmation
Donated Halloween Candy/Decorated a
bag for youth in foster care
Can recite The Lord's
Prayer
Used proceeds from lemonade stand to
buy food for the local food shelf/Sings at
living and senior centers
Can recite The Lord's
Prayer
Alida OrtizProctor
Lilah Staeben
Cherub Choir
Participant / Helped
with MIT store set-up
Watered & weeded the
church gardens/
Cherub Choir
Participant
Tewksbury Congregational Church
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The TCC Connection
February/March/April 2017
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (RE)
Submitted by Sue Panilaitis
We Need a Few Good Eggs!
With Easter quickly approaching, I am looking for a few good volunteers to work with the RE
Committee and Director to put on the "Meet the Easter Bunny" outreach event this year on
April 2nd. We hope to run it similarly to the way it was done last year. All help is welcome
and can be as simple as volunteering to set up or break down the event, picking up food or
being the Easter Bunny! Need more information? Contact Sue Panilaitis
at [email protected].
Sunday School Curriculum
Did you know that the current Sunday School curriculum, Deep Blue, is a Bible study? Our children
hear Bible stories, apply the Bible message and are given ideas of how to live out the message in
concrete ways.
In the month of January, youth explored Jesus’ progression in the faith. Distant scholars knew of
his birth and traveled far to greet him. At twelve years old, he was already amazing his parents and
elders in Israel with his depth of understanding of God’s word. The stories of his baptism and
preaching in his hometown enhance the picture of Jesus as the Messiah.
In February, youth heard stories about Jesus’ teaching. Now that he was all grown up and going
about the job that God had sent him to do, there were things that set him apart from other religious
leaders of the day. Jesus was able to convey the profound, divine truths through stories that were
easily remembered; the characters bold, and the symbolism rich in meaning. Youth at TCC will
hear stories of the good Samaritan, the sower, the prodigal son and stories of the lost during this
month. These parables contain great volumes of truth in very few words—and His parables, rich in
imagery, are not easily forgotten.
In the spring, youth will hear stories about Jesus’ ministries. Jesus was able to bring thousands of
fish into a net, heal the sick, and bring good news to the downtrodden. Jesus did things that only
God could do. The people who witnessed these events knew without a doubt that he was the Son
of God. Peter features prominently in most of these stories and youth will begin to learn about the
apostle that plays a big role in the spring term.
Our goal this year is that beyond learning about Bible stories, youth will be able to apply the Bible
message to their lives. We hope that our youth will hear the Bible story, apply the Bible message to
this day and age, and then live out the message in age appropriate ways.
Dates to Remember:
4/2 -Meet the Easter Bunny Event (Fellowship Hall 11 am -12:30pm)
4/9 -Palm Sunday – 3rd Grade hands out Palms
4/16 -Easter: No Sunday School - 4/16
4/23 - Spring vacation – No Sunday School
5/28 - Memorial Day Weekend – No Sunday School
6/4 - Teacher Appreciation Breakfast (Fellowship Hall 9- 9:30)
6/11 -Youth Sunday
Tewksbury Congregational Church
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The TCC Connection
February/March/April 2017
MISSIONS COMMITTEE NEWS
Submitted by Joanne Kenney
First Quarter 2017 Newsletter Submission
Your Missions Committee started off 2017 with a bang! We continued with our Fill the Ark Heifer
Campaign, which was started last Spring. Rev. Marvin Caldwell, a Heifer volunteer who
introduced the campaign to our congregation last April, joined us again on January 29 th to close
out the 2-year project and present a lovely plaque of appreciation. We will be issuing a check for
$5,000 to Heifer for the cost of the ‘Ark’ which contains two water buffalo, two cows, two sheep,
two goats, along with bees, chicks, rabbits and more. Thank you all for your always generous
contribution to this annual campaign. Imagine how many lives we have improved over the 40+
years that we have supported this fabulous organization!
Also happening on the 29th of January was another great opportunity for our Sunday school
children to shop with their bible bucks at our Missionaries in Training shopping event and help so
many in need. This time around, the purchases went to our local food pantry, our LTLC browniebaking mission, HART House, Heifer International, TCC’s Prayer Shawl mission and a woman’s
empowerment program in Mozambique! It was a very active and GIVING day at TCC!
Tewksbury Congregational Church
Page 11
The TCC Connection
February/March/April 2017
MISSIONS COMMITTEE NEWS
Submitted by Joanne Kenney
In February, we supported our friends at Church World Service with our
annual blanket campaign and purchased blankets that will help provide
comfort, shelter and safety to those whose lives have been devastated
because of natural disasters and other atrocities. The congregation
has always generously supported this important cause.
Tewksbury Congregational Church
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The TCC Connection
February/March/April 2017
MISSIONS COMMITTEE NEWS
Submitted by Joanne Kenney
Our March mission will focus on children in foster care. On the 12th,
we decorated duffel bags that will go to children (under 10 years old)
who have been removed from their homes and put into care with the
Department of Children and Families. This program is through
Together We Rise (www.togetherwerise.org). The bags each contain a
soft and huggable stuffed animal, a blanket, coloring book and
crayons and a toiletry kit. We added some cheerful decorations on to
the bags that will be given at a challenging and scary time for these
children. If you are interested in participating in this worthwhile
program and sponsoring a duffel bag in the future, please speak to
Joanne Kenney. The cost is $25.00 per bag. We met our goal to have
50 bags sponsored! Once decorated and stuffed, these bags will go to
the Lowell and Lawrence DCF offices to be given to children under
their care.
Tewksbury Congregational Church
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February/March/April 2017
LADIES AID & FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE
NEWS
Submitted by Sue Trepaney
Women’s Activities at TCC
Recently I learned of a new acronym, FOMO. It stands for Fear of Missing Out—the fear that others might
be experiencing a good time and we are missing out. From what? If you attend Ladies Aid meetings, you will
enjoy a social gathering the second Wednesday of each month that includes a great-tasting lunch.
If you come to Friendship Circle, chaired by Mary Lou Adams, you’ll enjoy fellowship that often includes a
devotional, prayer, an activity, and food! Friendship Circle meets the second Thursday of the month at 9:30
am in the Vestry.
Our meetings are held during the fall, winter and spring, with no meetings scheduled in July and August.
Friendship Circle ends their meetings in April and begins in the fall. Holiday Friends, a group of people who
work on TCC’s fair projects, meet during mid-fall until our fair the first weekend in December. Over many
years, Jean Metcalf and Marilyn SanClemente chaired Holiday Friends, but have decided to step-down from
their leadership positions. Men are invited to participate in Holiday Friends as well! We are always seeking
talented people to share their creativity as we gather together to work on projects for our fair. Often we
meet during the day, but if we have enough interest, we’ll schedule some evening workshops.
The winter months in New England are a challenge, with difficult weather often causing us to cancel an
event. This happened in February for both Friendship Circle and Ladies Aid. Natalie Thistle, our late resident
poet, penned a cute little poem for the winter months as follows:
When Nature coats the roads with ice
And driving’s not so very nice
I stay at home.
Ladies Aid Luncheon– January 2017
And we did—we stayed home, stayed nice and warm, but
soon we’ll see spring and we’ll be back on schedule. If you don’t want to experience FOMO, please call the
church office for more information and contacts regarding Ladies Aid, Friendship Circle and Holiday Friends.
We’d love the opportunity to talk to you.
Tewksbury Congregational Church
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February/March/April 2017
PASTOR’S PAGE
Submitted by Rev. Norm Bendroth
Lent and Holy Week Schedule
Ash Wednesday, March 1st
7:30 pm
An ancient and simple service as we begin the Lenten season reminding
us of our mortality and dependence upon God.
Maundy Thursday, April 13th
7:30 pm
A beautiful service also called Tenebrae where we read passages from Jesus’ final days while
extinguishing a candle after each reading. At the end the we leave the sanctuary in silence and
darkness as we await Jesus’ trial and crucifixion.
Good Friday, April 14th
The sanctuary will be open at 9 am until 3pm for prayer and reflection. There will be stations
around the sanctuary with objects and prayers for contemplation.
Easter Sunday, April 16th
Ecumenical Sunrise Service 6:30 am Steps of Tewksbury Congregational Church
It is our turn to host the sunrise service and Easter breakfast. Make an effort to welcome the Risen
Christ with the rising sun.
Easter Breakfast following the Sunrise Service
Easter Celebration 9 am and 11 am
Exploring the Bible: The Dickinson Series
How well do you know the Bible? Do you know the stories? Do you know how the Bible is
organized and how those texts were chosen? Have you ever thought about all the different ways
people approach the Bible and decided for yourself what to think? If you said "no" to any of these
questions, you need What Is the Bible?
This first course of Exploring the Bible: The Dickinson Series gives students a broad overview of
the entire Bible, including chapters on how to select a Bible suitable for your needs, how the Bible
is organized, how the collection of books that comprise the Bible were chosen, different ways that
people approach the text, and what archaeology has to tell us about the text and its stories.
This six-week course in basic biblical literacy (90 minutes per session) assumes no prior
knowledge of the Bible and is not biased toward any particular Christian tradition. In fact, it is
being successfully used in both Protestant and Catholic churches, in ecumenical groups, in
interfaith groups, and in groups that mix church folks, seekers, and the curious.
We had our first session Wednesday, February 22nd, at 7 pm in the Parlor.
Please let Rev. Norm know of your interest at [email protected] or Mercy at the office
[email protected] so we can order books.
Tewksbury Congregational Church
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February/March/April 2017
PASTOR’S PAGE
Submitted by Rev. Norm Bendroth
Peregrine’s Landing
On the third Thursday of every month at 2 p.m., Rev. Norm leads a worship service for the
residents at Peregrine’s Landing (2580 Main St., Tewksbury) an assisted living residence that
provides a supportive, healing environment for individuals with memory impairments and their
families. If you would ever like to accompany Rev. Norm to greet residents, read scripture, sing or
play an instrument, please let him know. He loves company and the residents will love you!
The Choir needs YOU!!!
If you love to sing, would like to learn how to sing better, haven’t been in a choir since high school,
or have participated in a TCC choir, we want you! Our Synod found that high majorities of people
want to rebuild our music program, but to do that we need singers! We are asking for a consistent
commitment beginning today through Easter. Attending rehearsals regularly on Thursday nights
beginning at 7 pm is essential for the success of our music program. Won’t you be a part of it?
Who Is Our Neighbor?
On Sunday, March 26th after worship Rev. Norm will be presenting a Power Point slide show
from the findings of a demographic study called MissionInsite. In addition to the usual things like
population, race, average income, education, and households, a unique feature in MissionInsite is
the measure of the trends, moods and values of Tewksbury. This data finds the community
concerns, religious preferences, and ministry preferences. The most interesting data is called the
“Mosaic Lifestyle Segmentation Types.” Mosaic Lifestyle Types provide insight into the behaviors,
attitudes, and preferences of households within our community that might find the most affinity with
our church.
In addition, we hope to have a report from those who have done interviews with our community
leaders, such as the Police Chief, Selectmen, Superintendent and the Council on Aging, about the
trends, hopes and hurts they are seeing in Tewksbury. This information will be very helpful as our
Search Committee interviews pastoral candidates.
Please plan on coming to this eye-opening and stimulating event as we continue to discern God’s
will for our future.
Blessings,
Rev. Norm
Tewksbury Congregational Church
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February/March/April 2017
EASTER FLOWERS
Submitted by Carol Sturtevant
Easter Flowers
Lily-$13
Farolito Lily (light pink) -$13 ____
Azalea (pink)-$16____ Azalea (white)-$16 ____
As part of our celebration that Christ is risen, we
add flowers to the beauty of the sanctuary for
Easter. Choices are Native lilies, Farolito lilies,
Tulips, Azaleas (pink or white), and blue
Hydrangeas.
Please complete the form below
and enclose payment in an envelope. Drop your
order either in the offering plate, in the secretary’s
box outside the church office, or mail to TCC: 10
East Street, Tewksbury 01876. Orders will also be
taken during Coffee Hour on March 19th and
March 26th. Checks are made payable to Carol
Sturtevant. Sunday, March 26th is the FINAL
ordering date. We ask that flowers be taken after
the 11 am service on Easter Sunday. Call Carol
Sturtevant for alternate pickup time and questions.
The plants are fragile and should be picked up or
delivered as soon as possible. Be sure to take
the plant(s) that you ordered. Check the list on
the office door if you are unsure.
Order early to secure your first choice. Any
questions, please feel free to call Carol
Sturtevant: home 978-851-4451 or contact by
email [email protected].
Tulip-$10 ____ Hydrangea (blue)-$20____
**Please indicate your choice and the number of plants
you wish to order.
Enclose payment in cash ______or check________ made
out to Carol Sturtevant
Given in Memory of
_________________________________________
Given in celebration or in honor of
_________________________________________
•
I will pick up my plant(s) after the last Easter
service_____
•
I will contact you for alternate pickup _____
I wish to leave my plant for a home member. _____
I plan to deliver my plant to the following TCC home
member:
______________________________
Name ___________________________________
(as you wish it to appear in the acknowledgments)
My phone number or email
____________________________
Tewksbury Congregational Church
Page 17
The TCC Connection
February/March/April 2017
A DEACON’S EXPERIENCE
Submitted by Jean Metcalf
Looking to be inspired and spiritually moved? Wait a minute, I’m getting way ahead
of myself.
At the last Board of Deacons meeting we were discussing plans for the upcoming
Lenten season: Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, Good
Friday and Easter Sunday. As is our custom to split up the work during this busy
season, I offered to serve during Good Friday. I had signed up to serve during Good
Friday last year, and had such a moving and memorable experience, I wish to share
part of it with you.
It has been our tradition to have the sanctuary opened from noon until 3:00 pm for
meditation and prayer on Good Friday. This represents the three hours the world
went dark after Jesus was crucified. I walked into the Sanctuary at my designated
time to relieve Cathie Seaman. Rev. Norm had set up the Sanctuary with stations of
meditation. I stood at the back of the church for a while, waiting to welcome our
visitors As nobody came, I started to walk through the stations.
I came to a sign that instructed me to take off my shoes, as I was standing on Holy
Ground. The sign instructed me to read the poem Take Off Your Shoes by Marcrina
Wiederkehr for preparation. I took off my shoes, all the while thinking to myself:
“Well, this is different”. I then went to the first station, where I found a bowl of ashes
and another poem. I continued on to the second, third, and forth, until I completed
the seven stations. I can say, without reservation, that this was the most emotional
and meaningful experience I have ever had in our church in all the years I have been
attending here. It was a time of peaceful meditation and reflection, as I contemplated
the death of Jesus Christ and prepared for his glorious resurrection on Easter morning.
As no visitors appeared during my scheduled service time, I was able to walk
through the seven stations again and again, experiencing a different feeling each
time. This made my Easter morning much more meaningful and rich.
I invite you all to come to our Sanctuary on Good Friday, from 12 noon until 3:00 pm,
and experience this for yourself. I pray you have the same peaceful reflections that I
experienced, and I thank Rev. Norm for this wonderful activity.
Tewksbury Congregational Church
Page 18
The TCC Connection
February/March/April 2017
TCC HAPPENINGS
Rev. Norm's office hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm.
Sometimes things come up, so please call ahead if you would like to drop in. Time is
always available by appointment.
Pie Social Helpers-and Taster!
Visiting with Santa & Mrs. Claus
March 12th: Daylight Savings Time
Christmas Fair Helpers
Wreaths by Andy
Mystery Member
Sue Trepaney
Carillon Ringers-Christmas Eve
Tewksbury Congregational Church
Page 19
The TCC Connection
February/March/April 2017
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Permit No. 1
Tewksbury, MA 01876
Tewksbury Congregational Church
10 East Street
Tewksbury, MA 01876
phone: 978-851-9411
e-mail: [email protected]
website: tewksburycc.org
Place Label Here
February March April 2017 Newsletter
Time-Sensitive Material
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
If you would like to go green and receive future editions of the TCC Connection
Newsletter in digital format, please contact the church office at 978-851-9411, or
[email protected].
Tewksbury Congregational Church
Page 20