THE BEACON
Woodfords
Congregational Church
July 2020
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A NOTE FROM ALYSSA
Happy July, and Happy Birthday, America! I imagine that you are reading this edition of the Beacon right
around the Fourth of July. This summer holiday – which in non-COVID days normally would be filled with
fireworks, reunions, picnics, and parades – is a favorite of mine. Some of you may know that I was academically trained as an historian a long time ago, in a prior life. Yes, I was in a PhD program and almost ended up becoming a history professor…but God kept calling me away from that track and onto the road to ministry. (God can be persistent like that.) Thus, instead of ending up in the learned halls of academia, I landed among all of you. And what a joy it is to be here at Woodfords.
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When I think back to the earliest days of our nation, I am inspired. Our country was built on a tidal wave of optimism and high hope. The men and women who founded the United States desired to create a “more perfect union” unlike any other: a nation that truly valued and promoted the importance of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” And certainly, over the past 400 years, many Americans have lived into and benefitted from the founders’ dreams and aspirations.
But the truth is that many other Americans have not. Over the course of centuries, political, economic, and social systems such as the Doctrine of Discovery – used to subjugate and colonize Indigenous Peoples, it was repudiated by the United Church of Christ at General Synod 29 in 2013 – slavery, Jim Crow laws, unequal rights for women, and anti-LGBTQIA policies have created societal structures that (often purposefully) bar some people and groups from equal access to all that America promises.
But the good news is that the past does not need to foretell or predict the future. We are living in a moment of great potential. We are standing on a precipice of potential transformation and positive change. People are openly talking about societal injustice. Groups for whom the “American Dream” historically has been denied are calling our nation to account, asking all of us to commit to making American guarantees of equality and fairness real for everyone. Over this summer, I will facilitate a series of community-led conversations that hopefully will allow me to consider – alongside all of you – how I can serve as a positive force in the world and embody God’s compassionate love of justice. I
warmly invite you to join in the dialogue. You may find more information elsewhere in the Beacon. Take care and God be with you.
In faith,
Alyssa
PS: I’ve been fielding inquiries about when Woodfords will open back up. I love being part of a community in which people are so excited to spend time together in person. At this point in time, the building is slowly re-opening for small-group activities – see additional information below – but I do not know when in-person worship inside the sanctuary will begin. The church’s leadership team is keeping an eye on what scientists and experts are saying about COVID-19 trends and the safety of indoor worship. In the meantime, we will experiment with some outdoor worship activities (such as the Walk-Up Communion ritual we held on June 28) over the course of the summer and early autumn. I look forward to testing out new forms of worship with you!
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CHURCH STAFF SCHEDULES IN JULY
As you may know, the church staff will be on furlough in July:
- Rev. Alyssa: July 4 – 10 (please see article below about pastoral support during Rev. Alyssa’s absence)
- Paul Schnell: July 4 – 10 on furlough and July 11 – 17 on vacation
- Teri Coviello: July 6-17 (please send announcements to Maureen Topa at [email protected])
- Louise Shaw: July 20 – 31
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REV. SCOTT DEBLOCK SUBBING FOR REV. ALYSSA
July 4 through July 10
Scott DeBlock – the interim minister at State Street Church here in Portland – has kindly agreed to provide emergency pastoral coverage for Woodfords during the week Rev. Alyssa is out on furlough
(July 4-10). We are thankful to him for his willingness to minister to the Woodfords community in this way.
Scott has agreed to be on call July 4 through July 10. If someone from Woodfords has a pastoral emergency while I am away, Scott’s contact information is as follows:
Mobile phone: (518) 423-7901
Thank you Scott!
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WOODFORDS TAKES A SMALL STEP TOWARD REOPENING
The pandemic has brought about many changes that no one could have thought possible even a few months ago, including the closing of the Woodfords Congregational Church building. Our members, friends and renters have all been affected by this sudden and ongoing life-altering change. As the state moves into its initial stages of reopening, the Church officers have been meeting weekly to review Maine CDC guidelines, Governor Mills’ executive orders and Portland City Council mandates in order to recommend how to begin to "reopen" the building in a safe and prudent way. Please see the guidelines below for when and how people can begin to meet in a limited way at the church…
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Starting June 15, gatherings of small groups may meet at Woodfords Church if the following guidelines are met:
- The group should be 10 or fewer people
- The preferred meeting space is outside in Memorial Garden (2nd option is the Cloister)
- The entrance into and out of the building should be from the Beacon Street door
- The designated restroom is the large accessible restroom in the Narthex
- Masks should be worn at all times and a social distance of 6 feet should be maintained
- Attendees should bring their own chairs if meeting in Memorial Garden due to limited seating
- The group organizer is responsible for doing the following:
- Contacting the office ([email protected]) to book the gathering
- Providing the office with an attendance list for purposes of contact tracing
- If there are any attendees who are not members/friends of WCC, the organizer should make sure he or she has their contact information.
- Making sure he or she has the Beacon Street door code (different to the Parish House code)
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INTERGENERATIONAL WORSHIP SUMMER SCHEDULE:
July 26 & August 23
Join us once a month for a family-friendly worship service. These services will include youth participation, messages from your favorite Sunday School teachers and a sermon preached by Rev. Tamara. If you would like to participate, don’t hesitate to reach out to Tamara at
[email protected] She loves including your creative ideas, pictures and voices.
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CONTEMPLATION, CONVERSATION, AND ACTION(?) SERIES: SPIRITUALITY, FAITH, AND THE QUEST FOR RACIAL JUSTICE IN THE UNITED STATES
Meeting 1:
- Tuesday, July 14
- 6:30 - 8:00 pm
- Email Alyssa ([email protected]) for the Zoom login information.
- Reading: “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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From Alyssa: Given all that currently is going on in the United States, I would like to host a series of conversations about spirituality, faith, and the question for racial justice in our nation—in part because I recognize my own need for dialogue partners as I’m processing these important concerns. I imagine that this learning series will take place over several months, and that conversations will be grounded in shared experiences, such as reading a common book or watching a common film.
In my mind, the program will include several components. First, participants will contemplate the content they have consumed on their own. Next, we will gather in a group for conversation about the content. Finally, the activities of contemplating and conversing may lead some program participants to consider taking action—but other program participants may not feel that same call. One ground rule of the group will be that there will be no expectations: I want this series to offer opportunities for honest, non-judgmental learning that is unburdened by preordained or hoped-for outcomes.
Rather than dictating what we read, watch, discuss, and do, I would like to gather the Woodfords community’s input about what might prove most helpful. If you might like to participate in this series and help shape it, please click the link below to go to a registration page where you can indicate your interest.
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Our first conversation will take place on Tuesday, July 14. We will discuss the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” and then plan what to read or watch next.
I look forward to learning with you.
Alyssa
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COUNCIL MEETING – JUNE 16, 2020
The Council met with all members & our Minister present.
- Treasurer’s Report: At 92% of our fiscal year, the budget is still on track, partially due to lower expenses. Due to the receipt of the PPP loan/grant, we are able to continue our current operation through June 30. This loan/grant will be forgiven.
- Solar Farm Proposal: All having read the proposal for entering into the first phase of this proposal (at no obligation or cost), it was a unanimous vote to support for now. We look forward to hearing more about this project.
- Budget FY’21: The Council approved the final FY’21 Budget and it will be voted on after a discussion on 6/21 following worship. Voting will take place between 6/21 & 6/27.
- CPR Convergence Work: Coming soon is the Visioning work – a chance for everyone to have a say in how we will go forward with our building(s) and as a church. Stay tuned.
- Building Issues: Seely Hall has its new floor - it is cement with a beautiful finish that is extremely durable and waterproof and a great improvement. When you have a chance to stop by, take a look at it. This is a long term investment and repair to an important part of our building...for our Mission Partners and for us.
- Creating Community & Worship: Alyssa shared that Sunday 6/28 she will be hosting a Walk-up Communion.
- Stewardship: We are now at 89% of our goal – we are glad to continue to receive pledges from any that want to join this commitment to Woodfords. Thank you to all who have pledged.
- Re-Opening Woodfords: Two of our Mission Partners have developed plans for continuing their services: PCM and Stages. As to Woodfords, the Announcements each Sunday will keep you up to date on our slowly reopening groups at church, so stay tuned.
- Sanctuary Improvements: Paul Schnell and his new team are researching and discussing what WCC needs for an up-to-date audio-visual system for the Sanctuary...more next month. We will be looking into ventilation concerns soon.
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JOIN WOODFORDS CHURCH & SHAMBHALA FOR A 4-WEEK INTRODUCTION TO MEDITATION
Have you always been interested in meditation but didn’t know where to start? Maybe you felt a little uncomfortable stepping into a meditation space or even worried that it would be difficult? Would you like to learn how to meditate from the comfort of your own home and in the process, gain useful tools to help you navigate these difficult times?
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Woodfords Church, together with the Maine Shambhala Meditation Center, is offering a four week session that will gently guide you through an introduction to meditation. Each one-hour session will include a guided meditation and a quiet meditation followed by a time for discussion. The sessions will be held during the week, either 8-9 in the morning or in early evening, and will be led by Kit St. John. Please see Kit’s bio below.
We will only be able to offer the program if we have enough interest.
Please contact the office to let Teri know that you would like to participate and whether you would prefer morning or early evening. Or just to ask a question if you aren’t sure! Most likely the program will start in late July or early August. A minimal donation will be requested, but all are welcome, donation or not. We will get back to everyone once the logistics have been decided.
“COVID 19 is imposing on all of us unaccustomed space in our lives. Sitting meditation can be a way to welcome space and learn to “rest our minds” in our natural resilience when not knowing what is going to come next.” —
Kit St. John
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Christopher (“Kit”) St. John
Christopher (“Kit”) St. John was introduced to silent sitting in Quaker meetings of the New England Friends yearly meeting in 1953, and China Lake Friends Camp. In 1982 he received formal meditation instruction at a one-day session led by Zen master Taizan Maesumi Roshi (Taizan was a founding member of the Brunswick (ME) Dharma study group in 1985). Kit became a meditation instructor in 1989 and attended a three month retreat at Vajradhatu Seminary in 1990. He has served in many positions at the Brunswick/Portland Shambhala Center including Director of Practice and Education, and since 1995, Resident Director of Shambhala Training. He was a member of the Karme Choling Meditation Center Board of Directors from 2000-2005 and was appointed Shastri by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche in 2016.
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Kit was a staff attorney at Pine Tree Legal Assistance from 1975-1994 and the founding director of the Maine Center for Economic Policy from 1994-2011. From 2011-2017 he consulted with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington DC, assisting state groups advocating for tax and budget policies that promote social welfare and fiscal balance.
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A LETTER, A GIFT, AND AN INVITATION FOR THE CLASS OF 2020
Transitions are hard. They involve letting go of the old, welcoming the new, venturing into the unknown…and that is under normal circumstances! But you, graduates of 2020, are making this leap in unprecedented times.
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The sports banquets and final performances, the formal dances and fancy corsages, the auditorium stages and metal folding chairs, the family photos with cap and gown, the celebratory luncheons…these are the ways we have marked this moment for generations. But these well-worn rituals of our culture are not able to guide you…to guide us…through these times. As you step over this momentous threshold,
you are already being called to do a new thing.
You are not only transitioning, you are creating new ways to mark this major life step as you do so. You are forging new paths even as you grieve, mourn, pick yourselves up, celebrate and launch into an uncertain future.
Dear ones, please know that we are witnessing your journey with compassion… but also with awe. As a church we have watched many of you grow from childhood into adulthood. We have delighted in your participation in pageants and church performances. Our bulletin boards have been decorated with your art. We have greeted you at coffee hour week after week, year after year, marveling to see you grow and change. Through confirmation we have watched you find your spiritual voice and personal theology. And now, we are watching as YOU teach us something new.
And so, to celebrate your graduation during this time of remarkable social transformation, we want to offer you both a Gift and an Invitation.
First, the gift (because who doesn’t like presents?)
Shoot Rev. Tamara (
[email protected]
) an email letting us know that you are graduating (high school, college, graduate school) and she will send you something awesome on behalf of the congregation.
Next, the invitation:
Write us a short note about your plans (even if they are uncertain) and how you are navigating these times. We will compile these insights and offer them up to the congregation in worship some week soon as a way of celebrating you and this unique but collective journey you are on.
We will continue to hold you in our prayers and wish you every blessing as you take this big step. We are so proud of you!
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SAVE THE DATE
Woodfords Women on Retreat, September 11-13
Woodfords’ annual women’s retreat has been rescheduled for September 11-13 and will once again take place at the Marie Joseph Spiritual Center in Biddeford Pool. Please save the date on your calendar. If you’d like to help Rev. Alyssa plan this beloved event, please drop her an email (
[email protected]) and indicate your interest.
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WOODFORDS NOW ACCEPTS ONLINE PAYMENTS!
We are happy to announce that you can now make pledge, gift and other payments to Woodfords Church online.
Our website is now set up to make it very easy. You can click on the GIVE button (on the top right of every page) that directs you to an online giving form (
www.woodfordschurch.org).
You can also go to the Giving page on the website (
www.woodfordschurch.org/giving) which explains the different types of giving, both online and traditional, and provides links and/or instructions.
Please contact the church office (
[email protected]) with any questions you may have.
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WOODFORDS IS HELPING ITS NEIGHBORS
From Rev. Alyssa: As you may know, “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” (NHN) is a special collection that the Woodfords community is taking to support its neighbors during these days of COVID-19 and economic dislocation. Seventy-five percent (75%) of the money collected for the NHN campaign will be sent to Preble Street to help this important nonprofit bolster its capacity to serve a growing number of clients. Twenty-five percent (25%) of the money collected will be added to the church’s Pastor’s Discretionary Fund, which I use to help individuals in need who approach the church for help.
I am pleased to report that the Neighbors in Need campaign has raised
$2655 to date. And donors also have earmarked an additional
$885 specifically for the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund. I give thanks every day for the generosity of the Woodfords community—which is shown not only through donations to “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” and the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund, but also through stewardship pledges, one-time gifts, the offering of talents and skills, and the volunteering of hours and hours of time. Truly, this is a very special community, and I feel blessed to be ministering alongside all of you.
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If you would like to participate in the “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” offering, please click here to
PAY ONLINE
or send a check to the church office (202 Woodfords Street, Portland, ME 04103) with a note in the MEMO line.
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WOODFORDS SENIORS (AND MORE!) PROGRAM
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CHAIR YOGA-PRAYER YOGA
Tuesdays at 10 am
40 minutes of Gentle Yoga followed by a time for Community Prayer
Grab a seat and join us!
Join Zoom Meeting:
Meeting ID: 947 2128 7394
Password: 928014
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PODCAST AND CONVERSATION GROUP
New Time: Fridays 10 am
*This new time starts Friday, July 3!
Discuss soulful podcasts on current events and then debrief with your church community.
Check the weekly announcements for the podcast offering of the week!
Join Zoom Meeting:
Meeting ID: 997 9870 5407
Password: 656465
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YOUTH GROUP ZOOM MEETINGS
Wednesdays 4-5pm
For now, we will check in and hang out weekly!
Meeting ID: 858 087 771
Password: 800289
To join by phone:
Dial: +1 301 715 8592 US or
+1 253 215 8782 US
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ACOG PERFORMS THE WIZARD OF OZ...ONLINE!
For their spring performance, ACOG chose
The Wizard of Oz! The online play was created mostly with Zoom, and adding both home movies and artwork created by the girls.
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The play is just under an hour, so grab some popcorn and enjoy! Stay tuned at the end for behind the scenes fun!
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Submitting an article for the August Beacon?
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HAPPY JULY BIRTHDAY TO...
Bill St. Lawrence 7/01
Asher McCambridge 7/05
Constance Smith 7/05
Harold Sprague 7/05
Grace Belanger 7/06
James Fletcher 7/07
Bethany Campbell 7/10
Megan Campbell 7/10
Alec Troxell 7/10
Stephen Gray 7/11
Sally Serunian 7/13
Joanne Bartlett 7/16
Nathan Fletcher 7/18
Janet Stewart 7/19
Joanne Bingham 7/20
Mary Emerson 7/22
Bruce Canterbury 7/23
Elizabeth Allen 7/23
Charles Melcher 7/24
Lily August-Brown 7/30
Robert Frey 7/30
Linda Anderson 7/31
HAPPY JULY ANNIVERSARY TO...
Allen & Joanne Bingham 7/14 ~ 64 years
Robert & Carol Carpenter 7/07 ~ 47
years
James & Paula Fletcher 7/01
~
48
years
Laura & Brad Fries 7/09
~
9
years
Kristin & Jason Hurley 7/05
~
23
years
Barb Klegin & Tricia Gilbert 7/12
~
6
years
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A NOTE ABOUT ZOOM
Woodfords Church is continuing to hold its gatherings and meetings via
Zoom. If you have not yet participated in a Zoom meeting, this is an online platform for video- and audio-conferencing. If you are new to Zoom, here are some helpful notes:
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- A Zoom account is not required to attend a meeting. If you plan to host a meeting, you will need an account. However, to simply join a Woodfords meeting, no account is necessary
- Join a meeting by computer, your computer needs to have a webcam and microphone. If you prefer to join the meeting by telephone, you will need the teleconferencing number provided in the invite.
- If you don't wish to have an account, all you need to do to participate is click on the link for the meeting and you will be prompted to launch Zoom. Watch for scheduled Zoom meetings in the weekly Announcements!
- If you do wish to create an account, it's a good idea to do so before a meeting. Take a few minutes of your day to familiarize yourself with Zoom before the meeting begins.
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