Dear Members and Friends of the Hills Church,
This has been a busy month for clergy and lay leaders preparing for Matt’s departure and the safe resumption of in-person worship. We are reminded of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:
For everything there is a season,
A time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
And so it is for us to bring to a close one chapter in the life of our church, and look forward to a time of renewal as we anticipate the arrival of an interim minister and then a settled minister, and as we resume worshiping and meeting together in person.
CLERGY REPORT
Reverend Matt Wooster has focused his final weeks upon the conclusion of his ministry at the Hills Church and sharing blessings of farewell with the congregation. To quote Matt:
"It has been a great privilege, and a real joy, to minister to, and with, the Hills Church
over the past seven years, and to share my life with the members of this congregation.
I do not take this step lightly, but with gratitude for all that we have shared, and
with sadness to be parting ways. At the same time, I have hope and excitement
for the good things that lie ahead, both for the Hills Church, and for my own journey."
Matt had his final exit interview with the Office of the Moderator, Senior Deacons, and Pastor Parish Committee on June 6th and will be moving out of the parsonage on June 25th. In addition, he reported that the Nursery School Advisory Board renewed the contract of the school’s first-year Director, Melanie Dawson, who has done incredible work during this past challenging year. Working alongside Matt, Reverends Judy Swahnberg and Anne Marie Holloway were busy planning worship services that included Confirmation Sunday and Celebration Sunday.
We celebrated our 10th Anniversary as an Open and Affirming Church, and Matt’s Release of Vows. Regularly scheduled programming activities and pastoral care have continued. A graveside funeral was held for Elizabeth Penrose Ingram on May 15th. It has also been a time of meetings to prepare for the prudent re-opening of our church and for worship, programming, and pastoral care during the period before our Interim Minister is selected and arrives. The youth have been busy preparing community garden plots to provide fresh vegetables for the Wellesley Food Pantry this summer, and Sally Tomasetti and Anne Marie are planning for the safe reopening of our church school in the fall.
SUPPORT BOARD REPORTS
Faith Formation Support Board: The Faith Formation Support Board has scheduled a variety of programs to meet the spiritual needs of adults throughout the summer and is working to revitalize the Youth Ministry and Adult Education Ministry Teams.
Spiritual Care Support Board: (See report from Gary McCabe later in the minutes)
Christian Service Support Board: Members are soliciting reports from the various Ministry Teams and outside groups supported by the CSSB and will begin in June selecting recipients for the end of year financial outreach.
Stewards Support Board: The Cambridge Trust finalized in February our $2.6 million loan with interest only for the first year (2.75%) and then interest and principal thereafter. Since February, payments have been made from received pledges to reduce the balance to $1.4 million.
TASK FORCE UPDATES
Strengthening Governance Implementation Task Force is excited to sponsor in conjunction with Church Council an Open Forum zoom meeting on June 22nd at 7 pm to discuss “How does the Church Fulfill its Mission?” and to answer questions about our system of governance.
OTHER REPORTS
Re-Opening Task Force Update – Chris Stowell reported that the Re-Opening Task Force met on June 3rd and that its guidance would be published on June 7th. In brief, there will be a step-wise opening of the church’s facilities and loosening of restrictions over the summer with an anticipated return to pre-COVID practices beginning on Rally Day, September 12th. (CLICK THIS LINK to a table that summarizes the information below with more detail.) The group will meet again on July 1 to assess the COVID situation at that time and make adjustments to our plan, if needed.
Transition Planning, Open and Affirming, and Summer Worship Planning Updates
Gary McCabe, Co-Senior Deacon along with Robert Williams, provided Church Council with a variety of updates. The Interim Minister Selection Committee is comprised of the two Senior Deacons, Laurie Otten, and Nancy Simons. Gary reported that in consultation with our SNEUCC Conference Associate Minister, Reverend Patty Kogut, this committee has completed the Interim Church Profile and prepared an updated communication to the entire congregation. They have received three ministerial profiles to review and will meet to discuss whether or not to interview the candidates.
The Deacons have also been busy planning for the church’s 10th anniversary as an Open and Affirming congregation. As symbols to the community of our inclusiveness, four rainbow-colored Adirondack chairs have been purchased and banners have been mounted by the church’s front stairs and on the Washington Street side of Wallace Chapel. The largest one proclaims, “A Just World for All,” against a rainbow background. Gary indicated that the Deacons are also looking into replacing/repairing the front sign on the church’s lawn which is decaying in certain sections.
Finally, the Deacons have been working with clergy to plan not only the outdoor worship for Matt on June 20th but also the remainder of the summer services which will be held in the Sanctuary. Arrangements for ushers, lay liturgists, and Community Hour are being made. We will have Jim McKinney as a guest preacher on July 18th and Pash Obeng on August 29th.
Building Monitoring System Update
On behalf of the Property Management Committee (PMC), George Pettee, its Chair, asked Church Council to approve a one-year contract with Jeff Lussier to provide building monitoring system-related services to the church for $30,000. In conjunction with Betty Ule and Judy Nitsch, George explained that we have an old and complicated campus and the church’s new HVAC system needs to be monitored on at least a daily basis. During cold weather, when the risk to the church of frozen pipes from our newly installed sprinkler system is quite high, the need is even greater. As with all buildings with modern HVAC systems, a specialized, technical skill set is necessary to do this monitoring which does not exist among current church staff members. Jeff will: provide us with the remote 24/7 monitoring that is required; coordinate and schedule all required testing and preventive maintenance activities with our service vendors; hold biweekly meetings with our software vendor; review all items identified as needing servicing or repair; provide assistance in managing emergencies; train church members and staff in the basic oversight tasks; and provide periodic updates to the PMC. Church Council unanimously approved the proposal to hire Jeff Lussier for one year. The cost of this will be offset by unused contingency funds from the Phase 1B renovation project.
Closing Thoughts from Matt Wooster
Matt reported that Rev. Steve Paxhia has been invited to represent the UCC Metropolitan Boston Association at his release of vows ceremony. Although two of our conference ministers, Rev. Patty Kogut and Rev. Holly Millershank, are unable to attend the ceremony that day, Steve is well known to the clergy and the recent chair on its Committee of Ministry.
Matt recognized that church families are constantly changing and that it is appropriate to recognize passages of endings and beginnings. He gave thanks for his seven years of ministry at the Hills Church and closed with a blessing that he had written.
May God bless you and keep you secure in peace and grace.
May God bless you with an abundance of security
in your own infinite worth as a child of God’s own creation.
Secure in God’s love, may you have the humility
to freely admit what you don’t know,
and to confess when you have been wrong,
remembering that there is no need to pretend that you are perfect
(or to expect perfection from anyone else).
God loves you just as you are, and there is freedom in God’s grace.
May God bless you with love to meet your fear,
understanding to meet your questions,
healing to meet your wounds,
and comfort to hold you through grief.
May the gifts of the years that we have shared continue to enrich our lives:
as deposits in our storehouses of courage and faith,
and as affirmations of God’s love, made known to us in human relationships.
May the mistakes, disappointments, and hurts from the years that we have shared
be forgiven, healed, and released from their troubled holds upon us.
Though we will no longer be members of the same congregation,
we remain united as members of the body of Christ.
As Jonathan said to David upon their parting:
“The LORD shall be between me and you.” (1 Samuel 20:42)
As Paul wrote to the Thessalonians:
“May the Lord of peace give you peace at all times in all ways.
The Lord be with all of you.” (2 Thessalonians 3:16)
May God bless you as our church goes through this transition, and we wish Matt well on the next chapter of his ministry. May you also share our confidence in the vibrancy of our congregation and the leadership of our Associate Ministers, Judy Swahnberg and Anne Marie Holloway.
