The ​
Rooster Crows
September, 2015 It is that geese time again! Every year the Canada geese begin announcing their travel plans. We see them flying overhead, resting in our yards and fields, and hear their ever present HONK, HONK. It is a marking of a season change, this migration ritual. The announcement of the geese’s annual flight south always reminds me that summer (and the last of our Indian summer) is almost over and it is now time to envision and plan for the church’s coming year. It is a time of prayerful discernment of our own travels – what is God calling us towards? What does God have planned for us in 2016? What excitement and challenges face First Church Hadley? As with the ritual of migration, we also spend time in the fall talking about God’s extravagant generosity and our own call to stewardship. Here are some thoughts about the definition of stewardship and what it can mean for us. Stewardship: ­ is about treating with reverence all that God has given us, ­ is about the intelligent and responsible care of that which God has entrusted us, ­ is about trusting that the God who has provided for us will continue to provide, ­ is about sowing and reaping bountifully, and taking seriously our mandate to care for one another and God’s Creation, ­ is about taking care of the church which is God’s holy community, ­ is about putting our energy, time, finances and heart into our spiritual lives and our community of faith because that is where we can expect the best return on our investment, ­ is our response, with gratitude and praise, to God’s extravagant generosity. Starting the new church program year is also an exciting time. Please come join us on ​
Homecoming Sunday, September 13​
for worship, brunch and some special guests. The Board of Christian Education is ​
introducing a new curriculum, a new mission focus and a new Coordinator, Urshula Wood, on that Sunday. ​
Please plan on being a part of this special day…..together 2 by 2. Blessings, Charlotte 1 HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE COUNCIL MEETING ​
● The Pastoral Search Committee reported the committee has reviewed 34 pastoral profiles. It is a slow time of year for ministers during the summer. They have set up a mock interview for August 17 at the church. They will be skyping with a mock candidate. They have narrowed it down to 12 candidates for the “skype round”. They have created interview questions for interviewing potential candidates. ● Adam Woodrow and Shari Parsons attended the “candidate weekend” at South Amherst Church who are in the final stage of calling a new pastor. Information gathered will be helpful for later in the process. Caryn Perley has resigned from the committee and will not be replaced at this point in the process. ● The Deacons are creating a spread sheet to coordinate events that are on the church calendar. It was suggested more planning time is needed for some events such as the church picnic. They are interested in finding someone to coordinate a family game night. ● The Deacons are proposing the church have a “Behavioral Covenant for Civil Discord”. It will help set a level platform for speech and discussions as a church. ● The Board of Christian Education was pleased to hire Urshula Wood as the Interim Christian Education Coordinator until we call a new pastor. At that time the Board would like to combine this position with a youth group leader position to potentially attract more candidates. The Board has come up with a new approach for the program with the theme, “World Hunger” and will possibly tie in with the “Noah’s Ark Program” from Heifer International. It would be a family oriented program and would draw on local farms, starting with a petting farm set up for Homecoming Sunday on September 13 with local farm animals. Later field trips will be scheduled to not only engage the children but the whole congregation. Lessons will connect with biblical passages. ● The Board of Christian Education appreciates all the help from volunteers, particularly the Board of Properties, for cleaning out the classrooms and youth room, painting and preparing for the rug installation. The project came out beautifully. They will be looking for volunteers to paint the remaining classroom to give them all a fresh look. ● The Board of Finance is developing a Gift Giving Policy with a form attached to help determine if a gift can be accepted by the church. The draft is nearly complete and will be brought to the next Council meeting for approval. A policy in regards to donating items should be clarified and included – “items are donated not on loan”. They are also preparing an investment policy to clarify how investments are maintained. Both policies hope to be referred to in the By­Laws. nd​
● Ralph Hewes has resigned as the 2​
Assistant Treasurer. The Board of Finance will vote to appoint Janet Barstow to the vacant position at their next meeting. ● The Stewardship Committee only has two active members who happen to be on the Pastoral Search Committee. Volunteers for this short term committee are needed. ● Terri Smith Treasurer, submitted a monthly comparison. She reported income and expenditures were good at the meeting date. Pledges are on target for the budget and she has not had to dip into investments to pay bills. ● Terri Smith and Janet Barstow have scheduled a meeting to review the investments with the financial advisor. ● The Board of Properties is exploring possible plans and cost to make at least one of the restrooms handicapped accessible. It will most likely the men’s room and would then be unisex. 2 ● The Board is ordering new carpets for the foyers before the messy winter season approaches. They have purchased a new clock, a new dehumidifier and are awaiting the annual Town Inspection. They appreciate the help with other small projects this summer: John Missale. and Vicki Stokes are scrapping, priming and painting the handicap railing; Kurt Betchick will be helping to repair and replace a broken window; Tom West will be fixing a kitchen drawer. ● In August and September the Board of Missions is encouraging the congregation to donate school supplies for school kits donated to Church World Services. ● The next Council meeting date is September 9, 2015, at 7:00 p.m. DEACON’S NOTE ​
I woke up this morning with my mind (don't you know that I was) standing on Jesus I woke up this morning with my mind (thank you, Lordy) standing on Jesus I woke up this morning with my mind (don't you know that I was) standing on Jesus Hallelu (oh, thank God), Hallelu (my Lordy) Hallelu­lujah! This song, "I Woke Up This Morning With My Mind Standing on Jesus," was recorded by Blind Roosevelt Graves and his brother Uaroy Graves. Roosevelt sang the main part of the song and played guitar, with the responses (in parentheses) sung by his brother, Uaroy, who played tambourine. There are variations to the lyrics of this song that some folks have used like, I woke up this morning with my mind "stayed" on Jesus and even the Civil Rights movement picked it up and changed it to "stayed on Freedom," but I've always liked this version Blind Roosevelt Graves and his brother did. One of the things I'm into are early recordings of music, especially early Gospel or Spiritual music. Like with most people it's the tune that catches me and the lyrics I don't really pay attention to until later. Sometimes the lyrics can catch you off guard though. There's a Old Time/Bluegrass tune called "Banks of the Ohio" where the tune is very rhythmic and bouncy but the lyrics speak of the singer killing his girlfriend because she would not marry him. But we won't go there. This song, "I Woke Up This Morning With My Mind Standing on Jesus" got me to thinking about something I shared as a devotional with the other Deacons at our last meeting. It's the importance of waking up in the morning and making a conscious decision daily to live that day out the way God would have us do. Something I've strayed from over the past year. I need to start each and every day with, "Today I'm going to stand on Jesus, I'm going to be his representative here on this earth, I'm going to believe in his work that He came not to condemn the world but to save it" (John 3:17.) I don't mean preaching at someone but reaching out to that person in love and humility and meeting their needs, knowing that Jesus laid down His life for that person. Won't you join me? In Christ, Rick Ward PASTORAL SEARCH COMMITTEE UPDATE 3 The Pastoral Search Committee is happy to share that we have reviewed 31 applicants to date and expect more to roll in during upcoming months. We have compiled interview questions for our first round of interviews via Skype (internet video conferencing software), and had a “Mock Interview” on August 17th. Unfortunately, Caryn Perley has stepped down from our committee to take care of herself and loved ones. Our team again wants to thank Caryn for all of her efforts and contributions to our Search and Call process. She will always be a part of this great task we’ve undertaken and will always be recognized as someone who worked hard to identify and bring our next settled pastor to the First Church of Hadley. We ask that you keep Caryn and her family in your prayers. As you know already, we are in a period of confidentiality and we appreciate your continued trust and respect of this essential portion of the process. Please continue to pray for the Pastoral Search Committee as we continue our commitment to search for our next pastor. Adam Woodrow
Sharon Parsons Melissa Aloisi
Lila West Debbie Ward Judy Stone Dave Storey ​
BOARD OF PROPERTIES The members of the Board of Properties would like to thank everyone who has helped with the refurbishment of the class room and nursery on the second floor of the annex as well as the basement youth room. At the same time, other rooms in the annex were de­cluttered, reorganized, and cleaned. An outside project was also going on for the scrapping, priming and painting of handicap ramp railings. These projects were carried out in the hot months of July and August. The three rooms with new carpeting involved the removal of all furniture and old carpeting in each and proper disposal of materials. The basement youth room required the removal of the glued down tile flooring squares which took an extra effort, but the "work team" was up to it! All floors were cleaned and doors were removed for the installation of new wall­to­wall carpeting in the three rooms. When all of the room walls were cleaned the painting began. After carpet installation, everything had to be sorted and moved back into each room. Doors had to be cut down to allow for new carpet thicknesses. The costs for the three room refurbishment project are still coming in, but are estimated to be about $5000. It would have cost a lot more without the help/labor of the following generous people: Don Young
Stan Brown
Steve Robertson
Randy Izer Bryan Harper
Lori Harper
Shirley Robertson
Terri Smith Kurt Betchick
Norm Barstow
Rev. Charlotte Wright
Gordon Smith Urshula Wood
Vikke Stokes
John Missale
Caryn Perley Delores Harper
Judy Parker ​
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU ! ​
STEWARDSHIP 4 ​
Job Posting Now accepting caring volunteers Position:
Looking for passionate individuals to join the Stewardship Committee (5­7 members) Term:
Location:
Hours:
Three years (or fill a current unexpired term) First Church of Hadley Five or six meetings in September thru November, but otherwise, occasional meetings throughout the year, as needed. Duties:
Experience:
Talents:
Compensation:
References YOU may call:
Five to seven members of the Stewardship Committee help in developing and implementing a strategy for an annual stewardship pledge program designed to provide information about the various church programs and missions and to encourage greater participation and giving. You can take advantage of conference seminars on stewardship education to develop new and creative ideas for pledging campaigns. Members work closely with and receives support from the Board of Finance. Little or none. Training as you go. Someone who wants to make a difference in our church life. Your time and talents as a means of expressing faith and dedication to First Church. Your reward is knowing that you are an important part of the First Church family. You will feel gratification in knowing that you have made a difference in the vitality of financial security and mission of the church. Dave Storey ­413­549­5527 Lila West – 413­586­1812 Kara Kapinos – 413­587­2699 If interested and would like to apply, or have any questions, please call anyone on the Board of Finance: Janet Barstow – 413­549­5223 Janine Giles ­413­549­3554 Kara Kapinos – 413­587­2699
KNIT/CROCHET GROUP 5 For the Fall Festival the Knitting Group is working on a project using bright and colorful decorated (floral patterns, etc.) plates of all sizes. If you have any of these that you would like to donate, please drop them off at the church office or call the office (584­4117) or Urshula Wood (586­4117). Thanks ​
MISSIONS Songs for Syria Concert for Humanitarian Relief First Churches 129 Main Street Northampton. MA Sunday, Sept. 27th 3:00PM ­ 4:30PM Emcee for the concert will be Bill Newman, civil liberties lawyer, radio host and author. The concert will feature jazz, blues and a special performance by Layaali Arabic music ensemble, with Syrian guest artists and more. Half of Syria's people have fled their homes and are living in deplorable and dangerous conditions, many without access to food, shelter, and much­needed medical care. The United Nations has called this the worst humanitarian crisis since the Holocaust. CHURCH WORLD SERVICES SCHOOL KITS Please consider donating a few items from the list below. Drop your donation off at the church anytime on or th​
before September 20​
. School kits give children in impoverished schools, refugee camps or other difficult settings some of the basic tools for learning. Pair of blunt metal scissors (rounded tip)
70 count spiral notebooks or notebooks totaling 30 centimeter ruler (12 inch)
210 pages (no loose leaf or filler paper) Hand­held pencil sharpener
Large erasers Box of 24 crayons (only 24) Funds are needed to cover sorting, packing, and insurance as well as shipping kits to their final destination. Please consider a cash donation or make checks payable to First Congregational Church of Hadley. 6 ​
MUSIC NOTES "Lift every voice and sing, till earth and heaven ring..." James Weldon Johnson wrote these words in 1921. Choir rehearsals will resume Thursday, Sept. 3, at 7 PM. All voices are welcome! BELL CHOIR NEWS Three of us (Cindy McQueston, Ruth Morse, and Toni Wilcox), attended the regional handbell conference/festival at UMass at the end of June. Here's how a festival works. We spend nearly half our time at rehearsals for the final concert. This year the music was quite challenging, so for some of us (yes, I mean me) just keeping up was a challenge. For the rest of the time, we go to workshops on all different aspects of bells plus a few other fun things—Cindy took African drumming. We were all commuters, but we still took our meals at the UMass dining commons. Everything I'd read about the food there was true. It was awesome. One evening we were surprised to see Pam and Ken Toong and family dining out there alongside us. There is a final concert with all the choirs ringing together. The entire floor of the Mullins Center is covered with bell tables. It's fun and it's impressive. The bell choir will begin regular practices on Tuesday, ​
September 15​
. The rehearsal time is 7:00­8:00 p.m. Anyone​
is welcome to come try us out. You just need to be able to count to four, know your left hand from your right, be tall enough to see over the table, and be able to laugh at your mistakes.. ​
Please​
don't be intimidated by the fact that we, as a group, manage to do a good job most of the time, or that I often play with two bells in each hand. We are a team, and each person contributes at his/her level of skill. When we are learning a new piece, we ​
all​
feel pretty clumsy. At the first few rehearsals we will do lots of the fun stuff from the conference, so it's a perfect time to join in. If the only thing keeping you from ringing with us is our practice time, ​
please ​
speak with me. No time is perfect, but we are open to being flexible. Ruth Morse, bell choir director 7 TAKE AND EAT MINISTRY “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.” Matthew 25:35 Take and Eat has had a busy summer! On June 14, we served BBQ chicken thighs, summer squash, and mashed potatoes with a fresh green salad, roll, and cider donut. On July 3, we prepared tuna macaroni salad, garden salad, roll, and squares. August 1 brought pasta salad, melon salad, and green salad, with a roll and chocolate chip squares. Isaiah tells us “If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday” (Isaiah 58:10). This ministry is one of sharing the Light, and we are proud that we have done so 69 times, sharing 2,787 meals with our community. We continue to be blessed by numerous community supporters, including the First Congregational Church of Hadley, North Hadley Congregational Church, North Congregational Church of Amherst, Hadley Young Men’s Club, Hadley American Legion, Szawlowski Farm, Next Barn Over Farm, Simple Gifts Farm, Agnes Banash, Ken Parsons, Blondie McQueston, and anonymous donors. How fortunate we are to live in a community that takes care of its own; how true it is that “all who believed were together and had all things in common” (Acts 2:44). This ministry would not exist without our dedicated volunteers. Summer months make commitments particularly difficult, but the following people found time in their busy schedules to help do God’s work: Wilma Aiken, Janna Aldrich, Janet Barstow, Norm Barstow, Mara Breen, Bruce Brewer, Dawn Davis, Jay Elliott, Camille Eustis, Christine Eustis, Olga Gustin, Robin Kellogg, Rosalee Oakley, Judy Parker, Ken Parker, Jan Schott, Christine Selig, Judy Stone, Dave Storey, Ken Wood, Urshula Wood, Barbara Kellogg, Connor Nevin, Mark Nevin, Cindy Welch­Moriarity, Debby Scott, Charlotte Wright. Please know that “I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers” (Philemon 1:4). Starting this 8 September, we will be trying a new system to sign­up our bakers. We are asking that volunteers sign up ​
now ​
for one of the upcoming months. A week prior to Take and Eat we will contact our baker as a reminder, and with the exact count of clients. We typically have between 30 and 40 clients each month and we do not follow any dietary/allergy restrictions. ​
We will love anything you make!!!​
For more details, please contact Lila West or Lisa West at [email protected] or (413) 695­4943. Please consider signing up now for a month to bake: September 5, 2015 October 3, 2015 November 7, 2015 December 5, 2015 January 2, 2016 February 6, 2016 March 5, 2016 April 2, 2016 May 7, 2016 June 4, 2016 July 2, 2016 SAVE THE DATE th​
The Fall Festival this year will be Saturday, October 24​
, 9a.m. ­ 2 p.m. Your help as always is needed to make this event a success! If you'd like to volunteer advertising, setting up, cleaning up, working the day of the event or even making a donation to Tool Table, the Silent Auction or the Tag Sale part of the festival, please contact Rick Ward at: cell 413­374­0849, email: ​
[email protected]​
or Randy Izer at: cell 413­687­7341, email: [email protected]​
. No contribution is too small! WE NEED TOOLS​
9 If you've been meaning to CLEAN OUT the GARAGE, CELLAR, SHED, SHOP OR BARN here's your reason to do so! Contact your brother, sister, brother­in­law, uncles, aunts, and neighbors to ask if they would be willing to donate their extra or unused working tools to benefit the First Church of Hadley Fall Festival. We need new tools, used tools, antique tools and tools that you don't even know what they are used for. They can be electric, battery operated, or good old fashion hand operated tools. If you, your relatives or friends have tools to donate, please bring them to the church, or if you need help with them, contact Norm Barstow (413­230­6961), Kurt Betchick (413­584­0105), Ken Wood (413­586­6764) or the church office (413­584­4117) and we'll make arrangements to pick them up. Be sure to come and enjoy the First Church of Hadley Fall Festival of foods, arts and crafts, tag sale/book sale, tools and surprises, and you may even like the adventure of a stage coach ride at the Hadley Farm Museum right next door. Saturday, October 24, 2015, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. 1 Tuesday
6:30 p.m.
BOARD OF DEACONS 2 Wednesday 6:30 p.m.
AA 3Thursday
7:00 p.m.
CHOIR REHEARSAL 4 Friday 4:00 p.m.
SET­UP FOR TAKE AND EAT
5 Saturday 8:00 a.m.
TAKE AND EAT ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6 Sunday 10:00 a.m.
WORSHIP SERVICE
7:00 p.m.
KNIT/CROCHET GROUP 8 Tuesday
6:30 p.m.
First Lego League
5:30 p.m.
Set up for Men’s Club 6:30 p.m.
AA 7:00 p.m.
COUNCIL
10 Thursday
5:30 p.m.
Men’s Club 7:00 p.m.
CHOIR REHEARSAL 10 7 Monday
9 Wednesday 12 Saturday
8:00 a.m.
Shape Note Singers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 13 Sunday 10:00 a.m.
WORSHIP SERVICE (Homecoming) CHURCH SCHOOL 14 Monday
6:00 p.m.
Grange 15 Tuesday
7:00 p.m.
BELL CHOIR 16 Wednesday 6:30 p.m.
AA 17 Thursday
7:00 p.m.
CHOIR REHEARSAL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 20Sunday 10:00 a.m.
WORSHIP SERVICE CHURCH SCHOOL 22 Tuesday
7:00 p.m.
BELL CHOIR 23 Wednesday 6:30 p.m.
AA
24 Thursday
7:00 p.m.
CHOIR REHEARSAL 26 Saturday
9:00 a.m.
AA ​
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ​
27 Sunday
10:00 a.m. WORSHIP SERVICE CHURCH SCHOOL 2:30 p.m. Brownie Troop #12652 29 Tuesday
7:00 p.m. BELL CHOIR 30 Wednesday 6:30 p.m. AA
11