Happy Summer!

Summer 2017   | Volume 64, No. 7
News from First Congregational Church in Winchester, UCC
In This Issue


Ministries Updates

Coming in September

We Need You!
Summer Offerings at First Congregational
summerSummer Worship
 
Don't forget that the church is not on vacation this summer but continues to offer opportunities for you to worship, pray, serve and play together.
 
Sunday Morning Worship is at 10 AM in the sanctuary, per usual, but with a variety of music and preachers and ways to pray. The only exception is August 20, where we'll worship outside on the lawn (weather permitting), followed by ice cream sundaes on the patio. Also, you are invited to bring rocks/sand/dirt from your special places of rest and recreation and place them in the bowl of rocks on the altar table throughout the summer. 

Our summer guest preachers include:

July 2
July 9   
July 16 
July 23 
July 30 
August 6 
August 13
August 20  
August 27
September 3 
Ken Orth
Aaron Kneiss
Sarah Gallop
Laurie Ruby
Julianne Zimmermann
Ben Pulaski
Will Burhans (Worship on Common)
Jessica McArdle 
Jon Lawton
Lisa Loughlin
summerhours
Summer Office Hours
The office is open Mondays-Thursdays  from 8AM-1PM, and closed  on Fridays.

Ministry Team Vacation Schedule
  • Rev. Will Burhans June 29-July 6, July 20-27
  • Rev. Judy Arnold June 28-July 8, August 10-17
  • Ben Pulaski July 9-17
  • Jane Ring Frank July and August
  • Kathleen Zagata July and August; Summer Contact: arrangements made via church office; Return date: Tuesday, September 5th
  • Sarah Marino July 9-15, 23-30, and August 20-26
  • Jeffrey Mead July & Aug 
  • Tyler Campbell 1-2 weeks (TBA in the weekly email)
summerbibleSummer Bible Study
Sundays at 9:00 AM, Tucker Room

Join us for an informal Bible study before worship each Sunday during the summer. We will gather in the Tucker Room and head upstairs afterwards to the Worship service at 10:00. This summer we will be exploring excerpts from the Hebrew Scriptures. Come join your fellow churchgoers for this nourishing activity!
female_doing_yoga.jpg
TuesPrayerTuesday Embodied Prayer
July 11-18 and August 15-22, 6:30-7:30 PM 
Reno Garden

Join us for some beautiful summer evenings of yoga and prayer.  Bring comfortable clothes, mats, meditation pillows/stools (these will also be provided for those who need them), and meet us in the Reno Garden.  Christine Tresselt will lead a 30-minute Yoga practice followed by a chant or two led by Rev. Will and then 20 minutes of Centering Prayer/meditation. All ages are welcome!
Upcoming Summer Events
movie-collage.jpg
moviesMovies on the Lawn
Friday, July 8, August 18, and September 8 at 7 PM

Join us with your family for popcorn and a movie on the lawn with our giant 12-foot screen. Bring lawn chairs and blankets, snacks, dinner, and friends and enjoy a family movie. The July 8 movie is Beauty and the Beast! Stay tuned for more movie titles...
games
Tournament Night
July 23 and August 13, 6 PM                          

Spikeball? Corn hole? Horseshoes? Taboo? Join us for a night of fun and accessible games outside or in Chidley Hall (depending on weather)!
MiddleHSMiddle School and High School Drop In
Wednesdays and Thursdays in July and August, 12-2 PM

During July and August (except for July 12 and 13), the Forum Room will be open for any students who want to stop by and hang out.
NAMINAMI Family to Family
August 30-November 15, 7-9:30 PM, Tucker Room

Health Ministry is hosting a National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) Family to Family Education Program. This 12-week course for family and caregivers of individuals with mental illnesses is open to church members and the wider community. Read more...
calendarChurch Calendar

The Ministry Team has planned the coming year and filled up the Calendar with worship, fellowship, and meetings! We hope you check it out and let Sarah know if something is missing. It makes all of our ministries easier if rooms are booked and publicized in advance.   Take a look at the online church calendar.
For Your Contemplation
ripleyQuestions and Answers about Ripley Chapel

What's being proposed for Ripley Chapel? Whose idea was it to change the Chapel? When did this effort begin and how far along are we? How much money has been collected and how much more do we need? You have questions, and the Ripley Working Group has answers. Read them here!
renoSummer in the Reno Garden
 
The Reno Garden is the place to be! On Friday, June 30, we celebrated Polly Keppler's 100th Birthday with a party in the Garden. Also, some much-needed repairs to the pathways were undertaken at the end of June.
 
As we head into summer, the Garden encourages you to "feed your inner child" and enjoy some down time!
 
"The sun is rich
  And gladly pays
In golden hours,
  Silver days,
 
And long green weeks
  That never end.
School's out.  The time
  Is ours to spend.
 
There's Little League,
  Hopscotch, the creek,
And, after supper,
  Hide-and-seek.
 
The live-long light
  Is like a dream,
And freckles come
  Like flies to cream."
 
-John Updike, "June" from  A Child's Calendar
passagesPassages

Births
Henry Galen Weir, son of Alec and Katie Weir, and the first grandchild of Carol and Dave Weir, was born on February 22.
 
Finley Bree Rosenberger, daughter of Taryn Featherstone and Kurt Rosenberger, and grandchild of Connie and Peter Rosenberger, was born on June 20.
 
Confirmands
Jack Carpini, Harry Carpini, Sophie Ehrbar, Ethan Kendall, Carlina Fernando-McKinley, Christian Morris, Kyle Roche, Elizabeth Rozmanith, Elizabeth Splaine, Hale Tresselt, and Zachary Tucci were Confirmed on June 18.
 
Wedding
Stephanie Mullane and Alex Wankowicz were married in our Sanctuary on June 10.
 
In Memoriam
Gail Crosby died on June 16

Ministries Updates
treasurerA Note from Your Treasurer
 
A huge "thank you" to all of our pledgers who have been doing a great job keeping up with pledge payments this year. Just a reminder, however, that the summer months can be slow with many folks away from town on vacation, but the bills still need to be paid. So if you're planning to be away for an extended period this summer, consider getting out ahead of your payment schedule before you leave town. And once again, thanks for a great response so far this year.
 
-Bruce Lauterwasser, Treasurer
leadershipteamSpring Leadership Team Update
 
This spring, the Leadership Team welcomed 3 new members - Deirdre Giblin, Patricia Kuchma and Peter Woolford - and said thank you and farewell to Bruce Alexander, Kim Farina and Elizabeth Page. We had two pieces of good news regarding the Music and Worship Arts project, and also came up with a plan to find leadership for some of the church fellowship events. Read more...
conferenceTri-Conference Annual Meeting
 
Pastor Will Burhans and Bill McCarter attended the first ever Annual Meeting of the Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island conferences of the UCC on June 16 and 17 in Hartford, Connecticut. Approximately 1,000 people attended the joint meeting. Each of the three states, in separate plenary sessions, voted decisively to form a new combined conference to provide a stronger voice speaking for justice and to more effectively carry out mission and ministry together. Read more..
Coming in September
mensgroupMen's Group 
Sunday, September 10, 7:15-9 PM, Palmer Room

We are taking a break from our arduous men's jawboning until after Labor Day. Enjoy the summer days!
ruthRuth Group
September 17, 7:00 PM

The September meeting of the Ruth Group, a book group for women, will be held at the home of Sarah Gallop. We will discuss  The Muralist by B.A. Shapiro. New participants are always welcome! We plan to read these books in the upcoming yearFor further information or transportation contact Kaye Nash or Anne Hoenicke.  Curious about Ruth Group? Read on!
convoprojectThe Conversation Project
Sunday, September 24
 
The Adult Faith Exploration Ministry will conclude our series on talking about death this Fall with The Conversation Project. This series began in 2016 with a video and discussion about Atul Gawande's book, Being Mortal, which encouraged people to think about treatment and at what point it interferes with those things that give our lives meaning and joy. This past year we held  Death Over Dinner, which provided several ways of grappling with death - our own and that of our loved ones. The Conversation Project helps participants think about specifics regarding their own death. It gives participants language to convey these thoughts to their community, and provides links to documents that record our wishes for when decisions need to be made.  
progdinnerChurch Progressive Dinner
SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, November 4,  5-10PM

It's back! Fun, Festive, Fellowship...at the Church Progressive Dinner. More details to come in the Fall Spire!

We Need You!
callingmusiciansCalling All Musicians!
July 2-September 3

Can you lend your talents to one of our summer services? Jane is still seeking volunteers to contribute to our rich, unique services, which are led by our lay congregational community. Keyboards, guitars, vocalists, and any instruments will do! A sign-up sheet is available outside the Music Room. Thank you in advance for your talents and contact Jane for more info. 
WagonLittle Red Wagon
 
Hunger doesn't go on vacation! Please help fill up our Little Red Wagon. Nonperishable food can be left in the wagons in the church lobby or at the back of the sanctuary. Food is delivered to the Woburn Council of Social Concern
Something to share?

Congrats, you made it ALL the way to the end of the newsletter! Please send submissions to newsletter@fcc-winchester.org by the 20th of each month. For example, to include an article in the Fall issue, please submit by August 20. Please note that submissions may be gently edited for length and clarity, and will appear on our website. Bulletin and email blast requests should be sent to Sarah Marino, our Office Manager, at first.congregational@verizon.net by Thursday at 9:00 AM.

-Nancy Kneiss, Editor