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The
Anchor
“Imitate
those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. We have this hope as an anchor
for the soul, firm and secure.”
Hebrews
6:12; 19
March, 2006 Vol. 46
Issue 3
Mystic Congregational Church
Gathered on January 20, 1852
Worship Schedule
Saturday,
March 4, 2006
Communion
5:00 p.m.
Rev. Thomas Ratmeyer
Please join us for potluck after the service.
____________
Sunday,
March 5, 2006
Communion
8:00 & 10:00 a.m.
Rev. Thomas Ratmeyer
Genesis 9:8-17
Psalm 25:1-9
1
Peter 3:18-22
Mark 1:9-15
______________
Sunday,
March 12, 2006
AMISTAD
SUNDAY
8:00
& 10:00 a.m.
Capt. Eliza N. Garfield
______________
Sunday,
March 19, 2006
8:00
& 10:00 a.m.
Rev. Patricia L. Liberty
Exodus 20:1-17
Psalm 19
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
John 2:13-22
______________
Sunday,
March 26, 2006
8:00
& 10:00 a.m.
Rev. Thomas Ratmeyer
Numbers 21:4-9
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
Ephesians 2:1-10
John 3:14-21
From the Senior Pastor
Our search for an Associate Pastor is progressing well.
The members of the search committee have given themselves an ambitious schedule
while making sure that all questions and considerations of a search get the
attention they require.
Let me lift up one aspect of the job description of the
next Associate Pastor that particularly excites me. The AP will have oversight
over and work with the whole of our educational ministries, from the cradle to
adult education. This will ensure a much greater sense of continuity in our
Christian Education than we currently have – and it will do so in at least two
ways:
·
We are looking for continuity in relationships. Our AP will
establish relationships with families with children of any age and will spend
time on some Sunday mornings as a teacher in Sunday School classrooms. (For this
task, he or she will receive the same thorough preparation and wonderful
guidance from Chris Glas as any teacher and leader.) This way, both children and
parents will already know the pastor well when it comes to confirmation class
and education and programs for Senior High Youth. It will greatly help to keep
children and parents active and connected in our congregation as they make their
way through the grades at school.
·
We are also looking for continuity in the content of our
educational ministries. The Associate Pastor will work with Chris Glas and all
the lay leaders in education to shape a curriculum of the Christian faith for
all ages. Our sense of mission and identity as a congregation will be yet
stronger than it is now, because it will find an expression in all areas of our
Christian Education.
There is much more to the AP’s job description. Our
goal has been to make this job description specific enough so the next pastor
can utilize his/her unique gifts well and serve the church effectively. At the
same time we are keeping it broad enough that this pastor feels affirmed and
appreciated for all that we value in a pastor.
Our congregation is attractive and exciting in every
way – you name it: our people, our programs, our buildings, our commitment to
mission, our sense of humor, our food, and on and on. Every search for a new
pastor is also a celebration of who we are and whose we are. Let’s give thanks
to God as we continue on this journey.
Blessings,
Pastor Thomas
From the Interim Associate Pastor
Now You See Me, Now You Don't
Over the next few months, we will be experimenting
with some different models of leadership for the Associate Pastor.
Chris, Thomas and Kay all make mention of it this issue of the Anchor. I
will be spending more time in Sunday school, teaching a few classes here and
there and generally trying to be more visible to the children of the church.
Interim time is a good time to experiment with
different leadership models and roles because it offers opportunity to see the
strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. As we discover ways to minister more effectively with our
children and young people, staying with a new approach then gives opportunity to
"work the bugs out". The
hope is that all this will make the transition for the new Associate Pastor
easier.
What this means, of course, is that I won't always be
in worship at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday morning.
For two Sundays each month, I will be present for the beginning of
worship and leave with the children. I will still preach once a month and be
present for the remaining Sunday. As
we experiment with different approaches, our goal is to keep the changes from
being too intrusive and I hope you will share your thoughts about the changes
with me as well as with Thomas and Chris.
Please look for me in coffee hour, as I will miss the
opportunity to greet you all on a weekly basis. I look forward to spending more time with the children of our
church and being more involved in the Children's Ministry programs.
Thanks for your patience and prayer as we continue to strengthen our
children's ministry programs. I am
grateful for the ministry shared with Chris and Thomas and the flexibility we
have to think about ministry in new and exciting ways.
See you at Coffee
Hour ...
Pastor Pat
From the
Moderator:
CONTINUITY FROM CRADLE THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL..…
One of the major elements in our
search for the Associate Pastor is to determine what and how we want her/him to
work with our children and youth. That is a feature of the new job description
for that position. It is also a
feature of three of the columns in this issue.
I urge you to read and reflect on each promise for the future. Pastor
Thomas, Pastor Pat and Children’s Ministries Director, Chris Glas, have varied
perspectives on this most important issue.
The Search Committee moves
forward in its process with a clear and new definition of the role of the
Associate Pastor. To see how the
new, evolving role of our Associate Pastor may work, Pastor Pat has agreed to
use the remainder of her interim time to "model" what may come to be.
She will not always be a part of
the 10 a.m. service; she may be in a classroom helping to teach a class or she
may be "floating" from group to group. The concept is that our new Associate Pastor will have a real
contact with our children, from cradle through high school, and will be
recognized by all in those age groups as a real friend, not just the
"pastor in the big robe".
The rest of us can recognize
this remaining "interim time" as a way to adjust to these
all-important changes in our ministry and church life.
PLEASE, read and reflect on those three columns today!
Faithfully,
Kay Janney
From
the Director of Children’s Ministries:
Associate
Pastor in the Classroom?
Part of the evolving role of the
AP will be increasing their relationship with families and children of all ages.
Preparing for a "trial run", Pastor Pat will become a Sunday
School Workshop Teacher every other Sunday during the spring term. What does
this mean? Pat (as with any of our teachers) will be provided with
background information on the theme for the session. We'll be starting the spring term with a session on Lent and
Easter. I will also be giving Pat
(and the other teachers) a lesson plan specific to their workshop. This lesson
plan provides the Biblical reference, objectives, and step-by-step information
for teaching a specific workshop. On a typical Sunday morning, after the Time
with Children, teachers go to the area assigned for their workshop. There they will find the materials they require already set
up and ready for class. The
classroom leaders bring the children from their homeroom to the workshop site
and remain with the class to assist as needed. Then the learning begins …
Teachers teach the same lesson four weeks in a row to four different
classes - adjusting their approach slightly for variations in age/understanding.
Teachers enjoy this model for the ease in preparation and the feeling of
ownership and proficiency as the lessons progress. Students enjoy this model of learning because they are able
to experience four very different workshops, each teaching a new approach to the
same Biblical theme. I look forward
to having Pat as part of our teaching crew and I know the children will have a
great time connecting with Pat as they learn together.
Thanks — Chris.
P.S. "Jump in, the water's great!" - there is 1 weekly
and 1 every-other-week teaching position left to fill for the spring session
which begins March 12. Please see
Chris Glas for more information.
For those of us who feel that
humankind is grossly mishandling “having dominion over the earth”, there is Interreligious
Eco-Justice Network. The
network engages people of diverse faith traditions in prayer, dialogue,
education, advocacy and celebration of the sacredness of creation.
The network encourages faithful living that supports a sustainable
relationship between humankind and the environment.
They have a conference at the
Hartford Seminary on March 15. Anyone
interested in attending or becoming involved with the network, please contact
Walter Grant (xxx-xxxx).
Book
of Life
Entered
Into Eternal Rest:
Lucinda Ricker Arms, on January 21, 2006
Shirley Prince, on November 29, 2005
PARISH CARE
Do you have a
relative or friend with Alzheimer’s or memory impairment or a chronic illness?
At the regular monthly meeting of the Parish Care Committee on March
23rd, Patty O’Brien, Director of Activities at The Atrium at Rocky Hill, will
share her helpful tips for making your visits and interactions more meaningful.
We encourage you to join us
in the church library at 7:00 p.m.
Are you or a
loved one scheduled for medical treatment or a hospital stay?
Please let us know! We care
and would like to be in touch. You
may either contact the church office (536-4259) or one of the Parish Care
Co-Captains, Lauren Watson (xxx-xxxx) and Jane Donnel (xxx-xxxx).
SPRING IS COMING!
THINK GREEN!
GET YOUR
‘FAITH IN ACTION’ SHIRT
T-SHIRTS $10.00
POLO SHIRTS $20.00
CALL JOANNE LUKASZEWICZ
536-9247
In the past several months, this
space has highlighted MCC people and events that have been obvious examples of
“faith in action”. As this
series of articles draws to a close, it salutes those of us whose faith
manifests itself in more subtle action.
For many their faith is what
enables them to get out of bed in the morning and face another day.
For others their faith gives them the strength to care for an ill child
or parent. For some faith is what
empowers them to live a life of peace and good will.
Faith informs and reforms our actions in uncountable ways.
Each of them is appreciated by this Church and by the God who smiles upon
us in each sunrise.
Your
Stewardship Committee
The Sunday Worship flowers intended
for February 12th were in memory of
Christopher Read Fry, Wayne Paul Stevens, and Mike Read,
by the Read Family.
Two
New Story Hour Readers!
The Story Hour joyfully welcomes
Merin Troutman and Tessa Getchis to our Norwich Shelter Reading Program on
Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30. They
will join Patti Burmahl, Felicia Mahoney, Natalie Billing, Jody Capen, Jane
Morison, Ruth Webster, Frances Moppett and Betty Guadliana who are our readers
during March.
We are grateful for several new
books which have been donated and which may be found in our Church Library with
our regular supply. Books are used
both for the reading sessions and are given as individual gifts for children at
the Shelter. We also provide
materials for hands-on activities; these are presently stored at the street end
of the Parish Hall. For more
information on this project and/or to volunteer (you, and we, will be glad you
did), call Dottie Wilson at xxx-xxxx.
HISPANIC
EDUCATION COMMITTEE
During the Lenten season, it is
a tradition of our Church to remember our young friends in the Hispanic
Community. We do this by supporting
the Hispanic Education Scholarship Fund which, each year, enables six to eight
students to continue their education beyond high school.
Please help again this year by
contributing to this important program. You may use the pink envelopes provided
in the direct mailing, or in the sanctuary pews, from March 1st through April
15th.
Watch for Focus Spots during the
month of March which will inform you of the progress of our scholarship
recipients and the program in general. Your
interest and support are greatly appreciated.
First Sunday Opportunities
Every month, on the first Sunday
you can
*Buy
Equal Exchange Coffee during Coffee Hour:
This fairly traded, environmentally conscious coffee is available in
whole beans or ground, regular and decaf and a variety of blends from mild to
French roast. For $7.00 per bag you
can contribute to the well being of coffee growers around the world AND help
protect the environment. Proceeds also benefit Mystic Ecumenical Area Council
Charities.
*Bring
food for the Food Pantry. There
are hungry people in our midst all the time, not just at holidays.
During winter months there is a need for canned meats, fish and peanut
butter. Pasta, cereal and whole
grains are also needed.
As we celebrate communion and
remember the new community that Jesus came to bring, we can share that community
with others in these simple ways!
WOMEN’S
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS MYSTICAL
MOMENTS: Mini-retreat
Sat., March 4, from 8:00-11:00 a.m. in the Youth Space features Deborah
Stone Roth, MA, PCC of Spirited Living in New York City.
Yes, she’s Julie Stone’s daughter and this will be a great program
for friends, mothers and daughters or daughters-in-law, and mentoring
relationships. Ms. Roth, with her
master’s degree thesis on women’s rituals, specializes in creating rituals
for marriages, women’s groups, and special life events.
Participants are asked to bring one yard of cloth ribbon (no wider than
one inch) and learn the transformative power of ritual.
Ms. Roth will help participants braid three strands together:
radical self-care, sacred play, and using our gifts to honor our
community. Breakfast will be served.
THE SECRET LIFE OF LOUISA MAY
ALCOTT: Tues.,
March 14, at 9:15 a.m. Invite
friends and neighbors to this premiere
of Ruth Crocker’s new play, set in Louisa May’s parlor in 1880.
She will speak with eloquence and humor about the significant and
serendipitous events which influenced her life and work – including her
childhood (with neighbors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau),
her mother’s service as the first social worker in Boston, and her own
experiences as a Civil War nurse, before writing Little
Women.
MARCH MISSION PROJECT World
Church Service needs Health Kits for distribution in the USA and overseas.
Items are one each of hand towel, wash cloth, toothbrush, toothpaste (4-7
oz.), comb, metal nail file or nail clipper, and 6 band-aids.
These are sealed in a one-gallon Ziploc bag with $1 added for processing
and placed in a separate envelope. Dedication
is March 26 but kits can be brought in earlier and placed in a bin by the
library entrance to the sanctuary. The
Mission Committee thanks you for your compassionate response.
The annual WORLD DAY OF PRAYER March 3rd celebration will be held at St.
Patrick Church with Pastor Pat Liberty as the speaker.
Worship at 10:00 a.m. in the sanctuary will be preceded by a social time
at 9:30 a.m. in the Hall. Women of
South Africa wrote the liturgy to the theme Signs
of the Times.
THE ANNUAL TAG
SALE
As you fulfill your New Year’s resolutions to clean out
clothing and other items that you have loved but have not used recently, please
set them aside for the Annual Tag Sale, April 21st and 22nd.
Traditional categories include:
·
children’s
clothing, games, small furniture & vehicles
·
men’s jackets, trousers & shirts
·
women’s
coats, suits, dresses, blouses, skirts, shoes & purses
·
jewelry
for women & men
·
sporting
goods
·
small
appliances in working condition
·
books and records
·
holiday decorations
·
dishware, vases, glassware, and china treasures
·
cookware, garden tools
·
linens, special buttons, yard goods, curtains, bedspreads, towels
and rugs
·
paintings, mirrors, and small shelves
While
we will not be able to store these until days before the event, please do your
sorting now. Questions?
Call Margot Greener (xxx-xxxx) or Betsy Van Winkle (xxx-xxxx).
“where
hope is alive and love is visible”
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