******* Feb/March 2020 Newsletter *******
Daylight Savings – March 8th-
Spring Forward
IT’S SOUP -ER BOWL TUESDAY TIME!!
Every Tuesday during Lent (March 3 – April 7), First Congregational Church
will be cooking up a variety of soups for lunch and the cost is FREE!
This is the fourth year serving our church friends and neighbors and it has
become a rousing success. Please join us for lunch and fellowship from 11:30
to 1 in Russell Hall (accessible from the parking lot behind the church). In
case of inclement weather, lunch will be cancelled.
We gratefully accept all offers of help or donations to support this
outreach ministry. Carol Mulrain is the contact person at 508-867-
3741 or talk with me after church.
February: “Have a Heart, Give a Blanket”
Church World Service says the $10.00 blanket is the basic concept of every disaster response program. When people are homeless, cold and alone, a warm woolen blanket provides both primary protection and shelter. Your $10.00 donation will provide that blanket to someone who needs one, here in the U.S. and around the world. Checks made payable to: First Congregational Church of Leicester Note: Blankets Can be placed in the collection plate or checks/cash given directly to Nancy Desautels.
Worcester Fellowship Lunch Providers Sun, Feb 23
Please look for the contribution signup sheet in Russell Hall beginning February 9 if you wish to donate lunch supplies. Many helping hands are needed to assemble the lunches on Feb. 23, so please join in. All are welcome to join us for lunch and worship beginning at 1 p.m. (location to be announced)
Ash Wednesday:
February 26 Ashes from 12-7:30 pm
The Sanctuary will be open for the distribution of ashes on a drop-in basis from noon to 7:30 p.m. Brief service of closing prayer at 7:30.
Adaptive Change
Meeting, Feb. 2
Our church, like so many others, is going through changes related
to decreasing attendance and participation in church life. One
way to cope is to react – to “put out fires” so to speak. Another
way is to be pro-active in discerning our future, to consider
our core purpose and values and reflect on how to be good
stewards of all our resources – material, energy and time.
Last spring the church leadership had a half-day retreat at the
parsonage to begin discussion on these issues, and we would now
like to have a wider conversation. Please plan to stay after worship
for a pot-luck lunch and guided conversation. We need YOUR input.
A Note from the Pastor
Theological Reflection – a term that is popular in seminaries and clergy groups far and wide. Seminarians are constantly asked to think about – to reflect – on why things are done certain ways, and to reflect in the context of Godliness. Does what we do serve God’s purposes? Do the things we say and preach and ways we behave show something of the nature of God, or something about the purpose of Church? Once we leave seminary and enter into ministry, it is helpful to gather with colleagues for continued reflection since it is so easy to start doing things just because “that’s the way it’s done here,” or “because that’s the way I like it.” As the body of Christ in the world, churches need to be more accountable for their practices.
When I have been tempted to change something about worship or ministry, I start by asking myself why the change should be made. Or sometimes I read someone else’s reflection about the way they do something and so am inspired to make a change. For instance, I used to start Sunday worship services by simply saying “Good morning! Welcome to worship…” but I read a reflection by someone who thought it was important to say something you might not say anywhere else to mark this worship time as different. I appreciated that, so started saying “Grace and peace and good morning…” – sharing a blessing instead of just a greeting. Sometimes I’ve considered a change, but couldn’t discern any theological reason for it, and, realizing it was just personal preference, let go of the idea. For instance, in my home church the sermon always came before the pastoral prayer and offering, and Communion always came before the sermon. The different worship order was disorienting to me when I first started in Leicester, so I was tempted to try to change it. But as I thought about it, I could see no reason
that it would serve God or this community to do so. It was not a difficult adjustment for me to make. As we went through the ONA process, I shared my understanding of the theological justification of making such a change – to better reflect the radical welcome that Jesus displayed in his life, and to demonstrate an appreciation for the beauty of God’s diverse creation. The move was consistent with the part of our mission statement that says we offer Christian love and support through compassion and understanding.
Friends, we are beginning a time of discernment and reflection as we consider our future. Our congregation is declining in numbers and in energy. We will need to start thinking about what we do as individual members of the church, and as a whole church body; and we will need to start reflecting about why we do what we do in the context of Godliness. We will need to consider the purpose of church in general, and the purpose of our church in particular. We can look to our mission statement, or even consider changing our mission statement to reflect more accurately our current sense of call. The statement is over a decade old, and maybe it is time to consider it anew. Here is our current statement: Learn to worship God with joy and gratitude and help others grow in their faith by
sharing God’s Word; Offer Christian love and support through compassion and understanding, and inspire our youth by teaching and example; Value God’s grace by reaching out to the greater community; and Extend our Christian faith through our gifts and talents in service to others.
As we think about where we focus our resources of time, talent and finances, we might reflect on how well we live into our mission statement. If we do not do so well, it might be that our mission has shifted, or maybe we are not spending enough time asking the questions of why. Lent will begin at the end of the month, and it can be a perfect opportunity to spend more time in reflection. This can be something you do on your own, but it might be even more productive if we established a group here at church. If you would be interested in joining with me and others for regular, focused reflection on our church practices, please let me know. I will develop a format for connecting so that everyone who is interested will be accommodated. Church leaders may have some valuable input as they may be more aware the “whats” and “whys,” but sometimes it is perspective and questions of less active friends and members that can lead to deeper reflection. Where is God calling us? How are we to share the good news of God’s love at this stage of our life? These are important questions, and I hope you will join me in reflecting on them. Yours in Christ
Pastor Doreen
Super Saturday
Join hundreds of delegates, pastors and lay leaders from all over Connecticut,
Massachusetts and Rhode Island for a day of worship and workshops. Saturday, March 14
from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at Minnechaug Regional High School, Wilbraham, MA. See the
Southern New England Conference website (www.sneucc.org) for information about
workshops offered and to register, or ask Pastor Doreen for a flyer. There is money in the
budget to pay the way for your participation. Registration deadline Feb 29.
It’s a New Conference!
The United Church of Christ is organized in four settings – the local church, the Association, the Conference, and the National settings. The First Congregational Church of Leicester is part of the Central Association, which had been part of the Massachusetts Conference, which is part of the United Church of Christ. In November 2019, the Massachusetts Conference voted to become part of a new Conference, joining with Rhode Island and Connecticut to become the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ. Since Connecticut also had a “Central Association,” we are now part of the Central Massachusetts Association. This change will have a little bit of an impact on the local churches, the most significant being the way we “pay our dues.” Our missions team will work with the pastor and treasurer to ensure a smooth transition. The staffing of the new Conference is still being organized but should be resolved by the spring. I will be sure to keep you informed.
Women’s Association
– On Feb. 5 we’ll have our meeting at the Leicester Public Library at noon. You are welcome to bring a brown bag lunch and dessert will be provided. After the meeting we will have a tour of the library.
– On March 4 we’ll gather at the church again and Carol Mulrain will give a presentation on essential oils. Again, you may bring your lunch.
– To date, the Strawberry Hill Fair earnings stand at $4,215.15.
In Our Prayers
Never underestimate the power of prayer. You are invited, as you read this, to add
your prayers for those listed. Take a moment to breathe in God’s Spirit, and
channel your good will and hopes to each person or situation named. You might
imagine them surrounded by a healing light, or held in God’s hand. May this simple
practice fill you with peace and hope.
– Continued prayers for Ellie as she recuperates from her hospital stay.
– For Bob Wolanski and the family of Gayle May Mahoney mourning her death on Jan. 23
– For our music ministry, still in flux
With Thanks…
We are so blessed to have such a caring, loving church family. Thank you so much for your prayers, cards,
flowers and gifts. I look forward to returning to church soon. Feeling better every day. Love, Ellie and Ken.
