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The
Anchor
Mystic
Congregational Church
Gathered on January 20, 1852
February, 2006 Vol. 46
Issue 2
From the Senior Pastor
Ring, ring ...
Most, if not all, of you have
experienced it, and many more than once. The
call from a fellow church member: “Hi, how are you? This is
… from the Nominating Committee. We
feel that you might be a wonderful addition to the … committee.
Do you think you might like to spend some time in that ministry?” You
may think that as pastors we are exempt from such calls, since we serve on
church committees by virtue of our office. But far from it—my phone rang the
other day and it was the Nominating Committee, albeit the one of the Connecticut
Conference of our UCC rather than that of our congregation.
The invitation was to serve on the board of the Silver Lake Conference
Center. I asked for a little more
information, both because I wanted to know more and to buy a few moments to sort
through my initial response to the request.
I felt pleased to be asked, cautious about the commitment, interested in
a new area of ministry, glad for the connection with colleagues and friends it
would provide; and finally, I was compelled by the thought that the work of the
church is done by all of us together. I
accepted the invitation.
I just attended the first
meeting, and was excited to learn about the upcoming summer program: Silver
Lake brochures are on their way, registration starts Feb. 1, and is quicker and
easier than ever online. We
will make the brochures available as soon as they arrive, just as we do for the
other camps that kids in our church attend.
Also: the supper following worship on the first Saturday, February 4,
will not be the usual potluck but instead the Spaghetti Supper fundraiser
for camp scholarships. Come and
eat—dinner will be provided—but you may bring a dessert
to share.
Back to Nominating:
It is good to keep in mind that the committee spends much time thinking
about which area of ministry in our church fits which member.
They do a great job of spiritual matchmaking.
So when the phone rings—notice I am not saying “if”—keep an open
mind for the opportunities that the Holy Spirit and your Nominating Committee
have in store for you, and then, with the words of the wonderful hymn in the
back of your mind “Here I am, Lord. Is
it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night …” consider accepting the
invitation. We will all join in
ministry together.
Many Blessings,
Your
Pastor Thomas
From the Interim Associate Pastor
What
Are You Reading These Days?/
Notes
on the Youth Space
A favorite sweatshirt of mine
bears the caption, "So many books…so little time."
I am an avid reader and I know many of you are, too.
So, I hope you'll visit the new bulletin board in the connector and share
what you are reading.
It's simple.
We'll have index cards and a pencil there, you take a card and jot down
the title and author and a line or two about what you like about the book.
Tack it to the board, and, while you're there check, out what others are
reading …you might see something you'd like to read.
Remember to date the card, as
we'll leave them up for a month or so and then make room for more.
As for notes about the Youth
Space: I was thrilled to see so
many people after church last Sunday to share in the update.
In case you missed the meeting, here's a re-cap:
·
Junior High Drop-In on Friday nights from 7:00-8:45 is underway.
The first night drew 10 youth from our church AND
the wider community.
·
Senior High Drop-In on Friday nights from 9:00-11:00 begins on
February 3rd.
·
A few volunteers came forward to "staff" both drop-in
times and we are looking for additional folks.
·
The Youth Space Structure Committee is exploring a preliminary
organizational structure under the umbrella of the Church's Ministry.
Once that work is done and a financial base is created, a separate
non-profit organization will be explored
·
Our initial interest in the name Mystic Youth Space with the logo
"my space" will not be pursued because of its connection to a popular
youth web site. New ideas for
naming are under way.
·
Looking long term, it may take as long as 10 years to develop a
fully functioning Youth Center
·
Despite this longer term time frame, it is clear that MCC
continues a strong commitment to developing a community-based youth ministry
·
MCC is blessed with steadfast leaders whose efforts remain strong
and hearty thanks go out to Kim and Jamie McGee, Rebecca Roper and Ed Purcell.
·
Together, we will build a strong, vital and exciting youth
ministry. Please continue your
prayers for this growing ministry.
Grace
and Peace,
Pastor Pat
Book of Life
Baptism:
Ella
Korynn Barker, on December 22, 2005, daughter of Alex James and Sarah Kate
Barker; granddaughter of Keith and Sue Barker.
From the Moderator:
WHERE'S
THE FUND? Robert Webb, speaking for the Trustees and the Council, presented a
cogent and graphic summation of the budget situation for the ensuing year at the
January meeting. I thank all who stayed to listen, question, and vote at that
Annual Meeting. What Robert underlined (evoking "issues" from the
1970's to the present time) is that our church needs to develop a fund for
continuing building maintenance and restoration that is separate from a line
item in our annual operating budget. Agreed....now
how do we develop that fund, especially for the $40,000+ that is required in the
next year for "must-do" items?
At
the Council meeting (which preceded the Annual Meeting), we discussed this
question and made several suggestions:
·
Could each church "committee" design and
sponsor a "fund-raiser" for the building fund?
·
Would individuals willingly contribute to yet
another fund (when we have not yet completed the Capital Campaign that generated
all of the new construction and the most generous contributions to local
charities)?
·
Could we host "suppers" inviting the
community at large to share and donate?
·
Do we build upon the idea of "penny
power" and ask each member to put accumulated coin/change in a special
basket on a weekly basis?
·
HOW do we, as a congregation, meet and master this
challenge?
This
is not another "one-time" issue: we must recognize the continuing need
for a special fund for our buildings' maintenance.
The
Trustees are working seriously on this issue. I ask each of you to put your
"Faith In Action" so to help us ALL solve this dilemma. This is not a problem that will disappear. We must take
action now. And I do believe that
we will develop a viable solution.
Faithfully,
Kay Janney
SATURDAY
WORSHIP in 2006
is on the first Saturday of the month only
but will always be followed by a
potluck supper. Our first service
and a really great meal, provided and shared by many, was very well attended and
we expect that this new tradition will continue to be a rich experience for our
faith family. The next service will
be on February 4th at 5:00 p.m. followed by a spaghetti supper in
the Parish Hall. This time, only the desserts are potluck-style (more
information below).
As a new service initiative to
our members, your Board of Deacons would like to provide communion at home to
all who are unable to attend worship in our sanctuary.
Communion is an important part of our Christian spiritual life together
and we would like to make this sacrament available to everyone.
Please call the church office at 536-4259 and we will arrange to serve
you.
Yours faithfully,
Sue Barker on behalf of your Board of Deacons
Thanks
to the 222 members and friends who had pledged as of
January 13. The number of pledges
is down from last year, but the average pledge has increased by 6.44%.
Unfortunately, expenses have increased by more than that amount, as we
can all understand by looking at our personal heating and electric bills.
On a positive note, pledge income in 2005 was greater than expected, and
hopefully that will be the case in 2006 as well.
The Stewardship Committee
Every year on a Sunday in
January the congregation meets to vote on the budget. This year Bob Webb
presented the budget with much tact and charm. His manner assured us of the
diligence and sincerity that had created the document before us.
There was a
time that I, like so many romantics, could not fathom the connection between
faith and money. Since serving on the stewardship committee, I have come to
understand that indeed our financial contribution can be an expression of our
faith. By sharing what we have, no matter how much or little, we are affirming
that this place is important, this time has meaning. Buildings are like our
spirits, they need constant tending. Fixing the roof and replacing the furnace
don't seem very spiritual, but they are a manifestation of our faith in
ourselves, our community and our church.
Jan Loomis, for the
Stewardship Committee
SPAGHETTI
SUPPER
Saturday, February 4th
Serving
5:30 thru 7:00 p.m.
Dinner includes:
Spaghetti and meatballs, bread, salad, drink and “potluck” dessert
Adults: $7.50
Children: $2.50
Maximum per family: $20.00
Proceeds
to benefit the
Christian Summer Camp Scholarship Fund
February Story Hour Readers Listed
Eight volunteers will bring
books, simple crafts, and a story hour to the children at the Norwich Family
Shelter in December. The scheduled
“readers” are: Natalie Billing,
Jody Capen, Jane Morison, Ruth Webster, Jane Webster, Connie Blair, Betty
Guadliana and Elaine Sloan.
Books used for this Church
project will now be housed on shelves in our Church Library. These books,
accumulated through donations and purchases, are used both for reading sessions
and for individual gifts for participating youngsters.
For more information on this project and/or to volunteer, contact Nancy
Peterson at (xxx)xxx-xxxx.
WORLD DAY OF
PRAYER
March 3rd
will be celebrated at St.
Patrick Church with coffee at 9:30 a.m. in the Rectory and service at 10:00 a.m.
in the Sanctuary. Sponsored by
Church Women United, the service
this year was written by women of South Africa and will be used around the world
that day. We are all invited to
attend.
HISPANIC
EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Please mark your calendars!
On Sunday, Feb. 19th, the
First Hispanic Baptist Church will hold a special worship service to celebrate
its own missions work and to honor us for including them in our missions.
Reverend Daniel Martino and
members invite us to join them at 11:30 a.m.
The church is located at 35 Redden Avenue, New London, just off Coleman
Street. If you have any questions,
please call Grace Smith, xxx-xxxx.
WOMEN’S
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS
Tuesday, Feb.
14th: On
Valentine’s Day, come celebrate the dimensions and power of “Women’s
Friendship”, with Kathleen O’Beirne at 9:15 a.m.
Bring a friend and wear a heart!
Have you resolved to be more intentionally creative
this year? Terry Philbrick and
Nancy Peterson are looking for artists and artisans to showcase your work at our
StoneRidge meeting on April 11th.
ASSOCIATE PASTOR SEARCH COMMITTEE
The search for an Associate
Pastor has begun. A new
search committee has been formed, with four members from the Senior Pastor
Search Committee continuing: Mary
Stewart Barber, Bob Boggs, Fran Pan and Gladys Reynard. Joining them are Laurel Butler, Andy Dreher, Susan Keach,
Julie Leonard, Kent Noreika, Mike Nowak and Candy Webb. Bob Boggs will serve as chairman.
The committee has met with
Conference Minister Lois Happe and has begun developing the church profile,
usually a significant undertaking. That
effort will be eased some by having
completed a profile for the Senior Pastor; much of that will be used for the new
one.
As the committee’s work
advances there will be opportunities for the congregation to make suggestions to
the committee and to hear of committee’s progress.
The Music
Committee
wants to hear
from you.
The Music Committee would like
to offer a concert or a performance, free and open to the community, sometime
this spring or summer. We’d like
to have suggestions from church members as to what you would like to hear. It
could be classical, jazz, gospel ... organ, harp, guitar ... maybe chamber music
or voice. It could be directed to
adults as an evening performance or be something for children/families.
We welcome your suggestions.
We’d love to hear from you.
Maybe you even know of a particular performer or ensemble.
Any ideas? Call Trish
xxx-xxx-xxxx, Grace Smith xxx-xxxx, or Marge Hollister xxx-xxxx.
Sunday
Services
8:00 & *10:00 a.m.
*Sunday
School & Child Care
Saturday Worship
5:00 p.m 1st Saturday of the month.
Ministers
All members of the Church
Thomas Ratmeyer Senior Pastor
Patricia L. Liberty
Interim Associate Pastor
Tricia Dehls Director
of Music
Christiana Glas
Director of Children’s Ministries
David Tapley
Treasurer
Leni Pomeroy Office Secretary
Our Mission Statement: to
joyfully bring the Christian principles of faith, hope and love to all through
quality worship, education, fellowship and outreach.
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